The Urashima Chronicles Chapter 3: Urashima Keitaro, a love hina fanfic

Sorry for the delay, but I had exams. Finally finished high school - that was one pain in the ass I'm glad I don't have to experience again. So hopefully I can now update faster. I realise it's been almost 5 months since my last update, but studying for the final exams before high school finally ended was a huge time killer. So once again, I apologise to those few of you who were actually waiting for an update. This one is a long chapter, hopefully it will sate you. The chapter length, for a usual chapter, will probably be a little longer than this one. If it's too long or short, let me know. As a first fic, I'm trying to work out what works and what doesn't.

Enough blabber from my end. Enjoy. R&R.

This fic is like a cloudy night of a full moon - quick to darken, though it has its moments of light shining through, and almost inevitably grows clear…But most importantly, as you will no doubt find out: it's very easy to sleep through.

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina or any of its characters, nor do I own CB, or any of her characters. Her characters are her own creation, and permission has been sought before using them.

Words - narrative
'Words' - thoughts (un-italicised words in single quotation marks refer to stressed words in thought)
"Words" - speech (note: italicised words in quotations refer to stressed words, capitalised words refer to stressed words caused by an increase in volume of the particular word spoken)
Words - Change in time/place
Words - sounds/actions

Chapter One: Urashima Keitaro

One, you're like a dream come true,
Two, just want to be with you,
Three, girl it's plain to see that you're the only one for me, and
Four, repeat steps one through three,
Five, make you fall in love with me.
If ever I believe my work is done then I start back at one.
- Back at One - Brian McKnight

"Keitaro, when are you going to get a job?" his mother asked quite thoroughly annoyed at his apparent stubbornness. She was a no doubt beautiful woman in her own right. Her petite stature was topped by dark brown hair, that her son inherited, tied into a pony tail that reached down to the small of her back; her face seemed no older than thirty though she was closer to forty-five. "You should forget about Toudai and just enter another university. You're never going to get in any way. You have failed the last two years entrance exams, and it is quite obvious you're going to fail again. Why don't you just give up and go get a job and move on with your life?"

"But oka-san," Keitaro whined, "I have to get into Toudai, it's the best university in the country. It's where I have always wanted to go."

"Well that's a pretty farfetched dream even for you," Keitaro's father added in a slightly amused voice that carried vast undercurrents of anger. "You've been slaving after that university and failed miserably. Twice! How can you expect to get in this year, or any time soon?"

"Hey, come on," Keitaro began, "I have been improving, and I know I can get in this year."

"Improving?" his mother asked incredulously. "Sure, honey, last year you were actually allowed to sit the exam, having failed the entrance exam the year before. Last year you were just able to scrape into receiving a result - it was that poor."

Keitaro felt like he was being shot down by his own parents. Every word they said seemed to pierce his thick skull like a bullet, lodging in his ego and start festering - rotting whatever was left of his self-confidence.

"Come on, honey," she continued. "At least be honest with yourself, you haven't got the slightest chance in hell of getting in this year either. I just don't want to see you keep at this impossible dream for the rest of your life. I think you should get yourself a wife and settle down now. You have a lot going for you… and it is not easy to pay for your expenses."

'Oh no. Here it goes. They're gonna kick me out - again! Well, they did take me back in after about a month last time…maybe…'

"…Keitaro…Keitaro! Are you even listening to what I am saying? I am not joking this time, Keitaro. If you decide to leave now, your father and I have decided not to take youback in until you decide to grow up and leave this fanciful dream of yours…or...if you somehow manage to get into Toudai. I'm sorry, son, but you're forcing me to use these measures…Please consider this carefully."

"Gomen, oka-san, oto-san, but I must get into Toudai. It's been my dream to enter it ever since I was five. I can't just let go…It would just seem like a waste of fifteen years of effort. I think I should go pack now…I'll be gone by tomorrow morning."

Later that day…

"Keitaro? Keitaro!"

"Yes, ka-san?" Keitaro replied, sticking his head out of his room. "What is it?"

"The phone's for you."

"Oh, arigato…Mooshi mooshi? This is Urashima Keitaro."

"Oh, Keitaro-kun, it's me your oba-san," the slightly croaky voice said from the phone. "How are you doing?"

"Hi, oba-san. I'm doing fine. How are you? How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, an old bat like me knows how to take care of herself. But how are you? I heard you got kicked out of your house. Is everything ok?"

"Well…yeah…I mean no…not really. They seem to want me to let go of getting into Toudai, but I just can't let it go…so they gave me an ultimatum: get into Toudai by myself, or live with them, and find something else to do in life. I was going to leave tomorrow morning."

"Well then, Keitaro-kun, I think I caught you at the right time. I want you to come to Hinata Sou tomorrow."

"Why, is something the matter, oba-san? Is everything ok?"

"Of course, Keitaro-kun. But I need your help in something."

"What, oba-san?"

"Just come by in the morning, ok?"

"Hai, oba-san."

"That's a good boy. Till I see you again, Keitaro-kun. Sayonara." With that the phone clicked off.

'What could she need me for? I hope nothing is wrong…no, but she said nothing was wrong…I think I'm blowing this waaay out of proportion. I guess I'll just wait until tomorrow.'

Clear hazel eyes, encased in a cascade of silky, black hair that surrounded flawless pale skin, surveyed the immediate area around her, while her essence searched the area around and below her feeling for the presence of others as they performed their daily idiosyncrasies of weekday mornings. 'It is going to be a good day.'

She smiled as she readily picked up the ki signatures of her fellow dorm members; she was able to pick out each different person as if they were as different as apples and oranges.

Naru, who was a first-year Toudai aspirant, was already up and studying, not wasting any more time than absolutely necessary to sleep, eat or relax. Despite her outward appearance of an auburn beauty, she was temperamental at best. Her proud and somewhat volatile nature was reflected in her ki signature, always changing and shifting 'moods' even faster than her body was able to keep up with. If she concentrated enough she could even deduce whether or not Naru was stuck on a question or flying through various preparatory questions she always drilled herself through.

Moving on from the impulsive Toudai contender, her concentration fell to another dorm member, who was much more energetic than the rest; her ki signature always radiating the boundless energy and child-like innocence that was Kaolla Suu. Creative and ever-resourceful, she was either bounding around Hinata Sou, or totally absorbed in creating new automatons. Though she was fifteen, her exuberance and energy belied the child-like inner core of her being.

Not even bothering to imagine what was going through the active teenager's mind, she allowed herself to smile as she came upon the final member of the dorm, Mitsune (aka 'Kitsune') Konno. Lying there just as smashed as any other morning, the eldest - and most indolent - of the mob still retained the bottle that induced her current condition by her side as a reminder of her latest conquest. Just feeling her presence made her feel woozy - a result of all the sake she has consumed over the last few years. Unable to comprehend Kitsune's ability to not only consume the amount of sake she is renowned for downing every night (or at least renowned within Hinata Sou), but her ability to get back up the next day and continue the abuse to her body the next day, almost made her want to admire her dedication - despite her masochistic habit.

Having, herself, finished her daily training session; Motoko was about to leave her meditation session that inevitably followed, until she rested upon a welcome, though rare, presence within the kitchen. The stable and generally unshakeable presence of Haruka was a comfort even though it was a variance to the norm. 'If she's in the kitchen, then the food won't last long. I better hurry…'

Just as Motoko was gracefully rising to her feet from her seated meditation pose, she heard very forceful fluttering of wings that seemed to approach her from the east. 'Shippu…?'

Dark brown eyes, enclosed in a slightly pale face, looked eagerly out into the world before him. 'Well, it looks like I finally left home…again. And this time I know for sure they're not going to take me back in. I just have to get into Toudai this year. I know I can do it! Yeah!'

The once determined face took on a more worried demeanour as his thoughts went back to yesterday. 'I wonder what oba-san called me for though. What could she need my help for? She said nothing was wrong so maybe...she is inviting me to stay at her inn, 'cos my parents kicked me out! Well I won't know by standing outside. I better get going before my old man thinks I'm reconsidering already.'

Heading for the station, Keitaro seemed eager to move; eager to experience living on his own…for the second time. But this time he intended not to fall back on his parents when the going got tough, mainly because he knew they would not be there to catch his fall this time round. With a determined gleam in his eye he walked to the bus stop.

Alighting near the Hinata Train station, he began his slow trek to Hinata Sou. Not really knowing the direction to the inn, he decided to amble around town until he found it. 'I mean how hard can an inn be to find?'

Lost in thoughts of how lucky he was to have an oba-san who cared for him enough to take him in when even his parents threw him out, Keitaro lost track of time. He was content to stroll through town, not caring where his feet took him. After an hour of walking, Keitaro found himself in a little park near some shops.

Tired from walking for so long, he took a seat on a park bench admiring the view the park had to offer. The respite from the long walk seemed to have a calming effect on his thoughts of his oba-san, allowing himself to think clearly at the task at hand: finding Hinata Sou.

Taking stock of his situation, he observed the park around him: it was a small park, with one paved footpath through it dividing it into two unequal halves. Both sides covered with light green grass, though one side - the bigger half - was adorned with a set of swings and a red slippery-dip, while the other contained a little sandpit. Unable to see any signs to direct him to Hinata Sou, he continued on his analysis of his surroundings. There were a precious few other people out in the park, and around. 'I guess it must be too early for people to be out. I mean it is six-thir-' The thought died as he flicked his wrist up to reveal his watch - and more importantly what it had written on it: 7:30.

'Seven thirty! I've been walking around for an hour! Man, I gotta find oba-san's inn quick. She wanted me to be there in the morning.'

Rising swiftly from his sedentary position, he walked quickly over to the nearest person he could find, who happened to be sitting on the end of the bench he had used. 'How the heck did I miss him when I sat down?'

"Umm, excuse me, uh, sir," he began, somewhat falteringly.

Removing his hands from his face, the man on the bench looked up at Keitaro. His face was the face of a man who had lost everything: totally devoid of any emotion except deep grief.

"Are you alright, sir?" Keitaro managed to continue, automatically changing his direction of conversation after observing the loss on the man's face.

"I just lost my business. It's gone. It's all GONE! I have nothing left. All I ever worked for is about to be brought to a close all because some stupid idiot miscalculated the funding required for expansion…So yeah, I'm just peachy. How are you?"

"Gomen, I did not know about your loss. What happened anyway…you look like you need someone to talk to?"

The man smirked at the remark. Looking Keitaro in the eyes, the man realised that the offer was genuine and sighed as he began his tale.

"Well if you really want to know. I own a business…at least until the end of today, when it will be liquidated. You see, I've always thought my business was good. Well, actually it was good. It lasted for ten years. But then my chief economist made some stupid calculation error in his projection for the cost of the expansion of my business. Relying on his judgement, I began the expansion of the business much earlier than I could actually afford. I put my whole business behind this move as it would easily triple my investment when it paid off. But like the fool I was I rushed into it head first without checking the facts, and well, I think you can imagine the rest."

"What?" Keitaro almost yelled - his voice laced with disbelief. "You placed your whole business on the outcome of one expansion venture? That's a pretty stupid thing to do. Even I can see that and I failed the Toudai test twice!" Only then did Keitaro realise what he had said. Not only had he called this broken stranger an idiot, he had admitted himself to the same crime.

"Hmpff, yeah, it's easy to see in retrospect what an ass I've been…though there was no way that the venture would have failed if it had been accomplished. It was a definite success."

Keitaro, not really knowing what to say, did what he does best: point out the obvious. "Why don't you just take out a loan on the difference? You could easily make up the amount later to pay it off if you receive the return you're expecting."

"You don't think I thought of that?" he spat back with a lot more vehemence than he wanted. "Gomen, you were just trying to help. The business I own is a private business, and the venture was to be funded through loans, though I can't borrow enough to pay for it, and instead I'm stuck with a loan that I can't handle without liquidating."

"Well...why don't you sell off some of your business and sell shares? That way you don't have to pay back the money you get until you get profit. All you have to do is make sure you don't sell more than half of it, otherwise some other guy might own it instead of you."

The man looked on wide-eyed, jaw slightly ajar, at Keitaro as if he was the biggest idiot in the world. With a sudden burst of energy which seemed out of character for a forty year old man, he jumped from the bench and ran past Keitaro with a crazed cry of "Arigato" over his shoulder and a new look in his eyes…hope?

Amazed at the sudden turn of events, Keitaro stood there motionless for about two minutes until a little girl's voice brought him back to reality:

"Oka-san, oka-san! Is that a statue?" blatantly pointing in his direction.

"Rina! It's rude to point! Really, you should know better. Uh, gomen, sir, I apologise."

"Oh nonono. Don't worry," came the quick reply. "But, umm, could you please direct me to Hinata Sou?"

"Hinata Sou? Why do you want to go there?" came the cautious reply.

"I, my oba-san called me to help her out with something."

"Oh, umm just follow that road there," she replied pointing off to the left, and then go up the hill, and you'll see it."

"Arigato."

Finally discovering directions to Hinata Sou, Keitaro set off, determined as ever to find his oba-san.

Reaching the base of the inn, Keitaro looked up at the daunting flight of stairs to Hinata Sou and again began to ask himself why his oba-san had asked for his presence.

'Well, I guess I'm not going to find anything out just by standing out here.' With that he hefted his bags and began to climb the stairs to Hinata Sou. 'Geez, these stairs seem to go on forever. They didn't seem this long last time I was here…though I was usually carried up and down last time.'

As he topped the stairs, he glimpsed the old inn. Transfixed by the sight before him, Keitaro was only able to stand there drinking in the beauty of what lay before him. The inn, though old and slightly decrepit, did not look as old as he knew it to be. 'Wow! I guess this place is still as beautiful as ever, though it needs some work around the place... and it seemed to have shrunk somewhat. I wonder what Hina oba-san wanted?'

"Oba-san? Hello? Oba-san? I'm here. Where are you?"

It then dawned on him what he missed on his first analysis of his surroundings: there was no noise, only silence. 'I guess she must have gone out on an errand or something.'

Walking over to where he remembered the hot springs to be, he decided to take a nice long soak until she came back. 'Besides, I think I need to relax some, what with failing Toudai for the second time, and being kicked out of home - again.'

"Kitsune? Are you in here?"

A female voice woke Keitaro from the short nap he seemed to have fallen into. Looking over to where the sound came from, Keitaro sat, shocked by what was before him. An auburn haired beauty seemed to materialise from the steam that arose from the hot springs and began wading through the water towards him.

'By Kami, she's not wearing anything except a towel, and technically, she's not even wearing that. Oh crap! How the hell did I end up in the women's baths? I was positive that this was the men's side of the baths.' Before he could continue with this train of thought, Keitaro's unbelievably slow brain came up with a brilliant idea:

Escape.

The only problem now was how to go accomplishing this seemingly impossible task - impossible, once you factor in Keitaro's slow mental and physical reactions.

'Ohcrapohcrapohcrap! JustwhatthehellamIgoingtodo? MustleaveMustleave! Mustleave!! Must leave!!!. But HOW??'

His thoughts finally slowing down to a manageable speed he began to create an escape plan. 'I've got it…Now all I have to do is…'

Unfortunately for Keitaro, the girl had already reached him. Placing her hands on his shoulders gently, she slowly drew her hands down his back, until she reached just below his shoulder blades.

"Kitsune, you seem so tense, and a little musclier than before. Going to the gym, eh?" she laughed softly. "I wonder how much this is affecting your more feminine self, eh?" Without any other preamble her hands shot around his torso to the front, and suddenly stopped. 'What the hell?? Where's the rest of it?'

Now poor Keitaro who's never had a girlfriend, nor had the courage to even talk to a girl - except at newsagents, where they were at the cash register - was being caressed by a girl. His body unable to control itself, began make itself known in ways he wished that at that moment, it didn't. The capillaries in his nose, unable to maintain the sudden increase in his heartbeat and the consequent rush of blood around his body, exploding was not the only visible change to his body. The rush of blood around his body began to concentrate in another part of his body. (Well it would have been visible had he not been up to his shoulders in water).

The woman behind Keitaro had replaced the glasses on her head, which she had taken off before entering the baths. Looking back to what she thought to be Kitsune, her heart stopped. 'I, I was holding onto a man?!! Just what the fuck is man doing in an all-girls dormitory? Kami! A pervert!'

Finally finding her voice, she yelled: "PERVERT!! There's a pervert in the baths!"

Her yell was all it took for Keitaro to stop considering the consequences of his escape plan, and just jump into whatever fate had laid out for him. Leaping out from the baths, he grabbed a towel, her towel, before running out of the bath area in a blind dash.

Keitaro, in his rush to escape, bumped into another resident, who had emerged from the building to investigate the cause of the commotion. She seemed older than the previous girl, with shorter, darker brown hair. Verbalising apologies as quick as he could, he bolted off trying to find somewhere to hide.

The said woman, shocked by the encounter, stood unable to move. 'Was that a man? In here? And from the looks, he just came from the baths…Hee hee! No wonder Naru freaked out. She's never been comfortable around men…not after the last one, anyway.'

"Kitsune!" Naru started. "Have you seen the pervert? Which way did he go?"

Sporting an innocent grin, Kitsune replied, "Pervert? What pervert? I thought that was a stripper you hired for the rest of us, Naru."

"What!! How can you even think that, Kitsune! That pervert was in the baths when I came in! I'm gonna kill that bastard when I catch him. So, which way did he go?"

"Kill him? Why don't we have some fun with him, since he is here?"

Unable to hide her frustration any longer Naru growled, "Will you just tell me where the pervert went?"

"Sure thing, hun," the foxy woman replied, though still smiling. "Last I saw him, he bolted in the direction of the roof, but before you go, you may want to wear something though."

Suddenly aware of her naked state, Naru blushed a dark shade of beet red and grabbed a towel from a nearby rack and firmly tied it around her before chasing after Keitaro.

'Shippu…?'

Turning as she rose, she saw the great phoenix bearing a small metal capsule on its right foot flying towards her. Extending her arm just as the beast had reached her, it settled down on it as though it had always belonged there. Nuzzling the top of its head against Motoko's cheek, the bird softly kwee'd, lifting its leg in Motoko's general direction, intending for her to examine the contents of the capsule.

Understanding its intention Motoko swiftly detached the capsule from it scaly leg and opened it revealing its contents: a short letter, and a ticket.

'Onne-san sent me a letter…and with Shippu…why? I know I haven't been home in a little over two years…But what could be so urgent as to contact me via Shippu?'

Unfolding the unsealed letter, she began to read:

Dear sister,

How are you faring? We have not seen each other in two years. I know you are asking yourself why I sent this letter through Shippu instead of coming myself in person, ne?

Under normal circumstances I would have come personally, however, due to factors beyond my control, I am unable to meet you and tell you this myself, and Shippu was the quickest alternative.

As you have probably guessed, yes, you are required home, though as for why, I would rather divulge to you personally when you arrive at Kyoto Station later today.

Yes, you are required home today, onne-chan. Enclosed is a return rail ticket to Kyoto. I implore you to arrive as swiftly as possible. Have a safe journey, sister. I will await your arrival at the station.

Tsuruko.

Rereading the letter just to make sure she was not hallucinating, Motoko sighed. 'Home? I haven't been home in two years…But what would be urgent enough to call me back? So much for this being a good day…'

"PERVERT!! There's a pervert in the baths!" a voice yelled from below.

'Isn't that Naru-san's voice? Just great. First my sister asks me to return home, and now a pervert is in the dorm!'

Spotting the offending male easily as he dashed past Kitsune, she noticed where he intended to go. 'Huh! Stupid, vile, lecherous males! They are no different to animals. He will no doubt be following his instincts. And I will be waiting for him. Hehehe.' Picking up her katana she stealthily moved off.

Just as predicted, Keitaro had been following his survival instincts. Naturally searching for higher ground, he found himself on the roof before long. 'Shit! Dead end! Where the hell do I go now?!'

In his oblivious search for an escape route, Keitaro did not notice the person who had stepped behind him until he felt the cold tip of metal against his bare back digging in slightly - just enough to draw some blood, but not cut too deeply. Caught unawares, Keitaro leaped at the sudden cold intrusion into his back and turned around midair, causing the katana's to slice a longer cut around his back.

Trying to muffle sounds of pain, he looked into the eyes of his attacker. Clear as they were before, though they no longer held the compassion it had earlier this morning; instead it was replaced with anger - pure anger, marred only by several undercurrents of hate.

"What are you doing here, pervert? Who put you up to this?"

Her voice was as cold as her eyes. Her distaste of the male populace seemed to drool off her voice, making Keitaro wish he hadn't got out of bed this morning. Unable to speak, Keitaro could only stare at the tip of the blade, now not pointing at chest height but just under his chin, with his blood staining the brilliant shimmer of the blade in the light, slowly trickling down the side of the blade and dripping off halfway down its length.

Raising the blade to rest gently on the underside of his face, forcing him to look up so as not to be cut by it again, she glared at him conveying all her animosity for the male race better than she could ever articulate if she ever got the chance.

"Quit staring at me, pervert! Now why did you come here? Answer me!"

"I, I c-c-came here b-because my oba-san told me to," he stammered, though gaining confidence as he went, realising that he was not about to die…just yet. "She said she needed my help for something. She owns the place, and asked me to come in the morning."

"LIAR!" she yelled, raising the katana higher still, forcing him to look at the clear, blue sky, exposing his whole neck to the mercy of her blade. "Hina-san owns this estate, and she hasn't been here in over two months! And there is NO WAY that a pervert like you can be related to her! So whatever reason you came here for and whoever put you up to this, you will pay the price. Maybe you should remember that for your next incarnation, pervert!! Now stand stil-'

Just then the door to the roof exploded again, this time revealing the fuming form of Naru wrapped in a towel that barely contained all she had to offer.

"End of the line, pervert!" she yelled. "There's nowhere to run now! I don't know what kind of sick, perverted joke you were trying to pull, but you sure as hell are going to pay for it!"

Without another word she charged at him fist raised. Swinging with great efficiency and accuracy, she connected just under his already raised chin, causing it to snap back even further. Unable to see what had hit him as his face stared at the sky, he felt what could be compared to being hit by a truck…moving at half the speed of light.

In an attempt to stop his head from detaching completely off his neck, his body lifted off the ground and began its parabolic path back to Earth three floors down on the other side of the dormitory. Crashing unceremoniously on the ground, he bounced twice before coming to a rest near the far wall from his launch, where everything proceeded to black; his brain shutting down all bodily processes that weren't necessary for his survival as it began its hasty operation of regeneration.

Naru effectively over the incident of the pervert already, turned to face her comrade-in-arms with a smile of gratitude. "Hey, Motoko-chan. Thanks for holding him for me."

"Sure, no problem," she replied indifferently.

"Hey what's going on here? What's all the racket about?" asked a new voice from the doorway.

"Ha-Haruka-san it was nothing. Just a pervert who caught Naru-san naked in the baths. It was no problem. Naru-san took care of it."

'That person who just flew off…wasn't that my nephew Keitaro?…Why would he be here?'

Turning her attention to Motoko again, Haruka saw the hint of worry in her eyes though her face was masked. Looking past her to the bird that roosted on the edge of the roof basking in the sunlight, she realised the cause of her dismay.

"Motoko, what did your sister want this time? Another trip home?"

Mouth slightly ajar, Motoko could only watch in utter surprise as Haruka had reached the heart of her problem without any indication she knew what had transpired. "H-How did you-"

Smirking around her cigarette, Haruka was amazed at Motoko's uncharacteristically flustered state. 'Wow, she hasn't been this unobservant in a while. Either what her sister had to say was really bad, or the 'pervert' had gotten to her.' Dismissing that last thought as a complete impossibility as Motoko would sooner kill a man than converse with him for more than two minutes. Raising a finger to point behind Motoko she calmly replied, "Well that beast over there was a dead giveaway."

Realising her stupidity at forgetting about her sister's phoenix, she consciously recomposed her face to its 'normal' masked state from the look of surprise that had graced it moments before. "Hai, it was my sister. She says she requires my presence back home, though for what she did not say."

Without a hint of surprise, Haruka took that piece of information as though she had expected it as soon as she saw Shippu. Naru, however, was another story altogether. "What!? When will you be coming back? And more importantly when do you have to leave?"

Inhaling slowly, Motoko composed herself mentally to respond. "I must leave immediately. Though as for my return, the ticket my sister enclosed is for a round trip, so I should return before long. I think I should go pack now."

"You're just going to leave? Just like that?" Naru asked. "What about Suu-chan?"

Taken aback at having forgotten the youngest member of Hinata Sou at the moment - as Shinobu, who was the youngest member of Hinata Sou and the resident cook, was away to visit her family - she stopped moving towards the door, and turned around slowly. Her mask had fled her face at the mention of Suu, revealing a face torn between duty and friendship. Before she could respond, Haruka stepped in.

"I'll tell her you had to go home. I'm sure she'll understand. And I'll contact your school as well, as you'll be no doubt missing some classes."

Grateful for Haruka's intervention, Motoko smiled graciously, "Arigato, Haruka-san" before returning to her room to pack.

Watching unemotionally as the scenery flew past her, Motoko sighed dejectedly. Her worries about the pervert incident had long since gone from her mind. 'Naru-san had taken care of that pervert.'

However, it was another worry that was eating away at her. Her ever-present mask had long since been discarded, and the full effects of worry began to seep through, marring her face with temporary worry lines. Still pondering why she was summoned home, she allowed herself to drift back into a state of meditation to pass the time. Her eyes, though open, were oblivious to the country side that splayed itself before her, only focussing on some distant point on the horizon that held the answers to her questions: home.

'Home…home…home? Can I even call it my home anymore? Sure I was born there and as Heir to the School, I'll have to return...but what of Hinata Sou…Is that also not my home?…A home that I belong to; that I'm a part of? How can I return 'home' to Kyoto, when I haven't been there in so many years?...'

'Tsuruko'

The thought came unbidden, and almost unwanted. It was all she had left there - a mere semblance or reflection of a family that she had heard so much about. Nothing was the way it seemed since she moved to Hinata Sou six years ago with Hina-san. Life seemed as though it held something for her - as though it had some meaning apart from a life of constant emotional pain. The physical pain of training was bearable…even sought as a welcome respite from its emotional counterpart.

"Tsuruko'

Again, unbidden, unwanted, it reappeared, seeming to taunt her. Though Tsuruko had never taunted her, or even hinted at it, Motoko always felt a constant pressure - a need - to prove herself worthy of being related to her. Tsuruko - the epitome of what the Shinmeiryu School of Martial Arts had to offer. Unmatched in battle, she seemed like the physical manifestation of poise, skill, grace, and death - all rolled into one neat package; the best in several generations of Aoyamas. It was this constant drive to excel - to be on par with her sister - that kept her going for the first half of her life. She was the only role model she had - the only one she would ever need. As a child, Motoko felt as though she was constantly compared to her sister's ability. She knew she paled in comparison to her sister - knew it as though it was written on anyone's forehead she cared to look at; as though it were imprinted everywhere she went, everywhere she looked. And even now, she still felt as though she is judged by her ability to that of her sister.

When Tsuruko gave up the rights to be Heir, Motoko was not only dumbfounded, but also hurt beyond comprehension. Her fragile outlook on life - one that held her sister as the foundation upon which she lived - crumbled into oblivion. She had left her dream, her right, and her ambition to be with a MAN! This was almost too much for Motoko. Her whole world came crashing down, indubitably crushing her in the process.

Even though over time she had realised that her sister had needed Kenjou, her husband, and even came to like and respect him, her hate for men never seemed to leave.

Allowing her past to wash over her as it had before two years ago when she had made the same journey back home; she hoped it would elicit some sort of explanation as to why her sister had beckoned for her return. 'Unless…she…they intend to give me the title of Master now…That must be it…There cannot be any other plausible explanation…But am I ready?'

"The train is now approaching Kyoto Station. Any passengers alighting at this station are advised to move towards the carriage doors. Thank you for travelling Japan National Rail."

'Oh well, I guess I am ready…and if not, well…I'll cross that hurdle as it comes along. No need to get ahead of myself.'

Stepping out of the train as the doors opened, she made a quick check to see she had removed all her belongings from the train. Glancing up she noticed her sister calmly picking her out from the crowd, and slowly stride towards her. Looking down at the ground guiltily at not having returned home in two years, she began to amble towards her sister.

"Onee-san…"

"Welcome home, Motoko-chan," Tsuruko said calmly as she enveloped Motoko in an affectionate sisterly hug.

'Home…'

"It has been too long since you have last visited us," she continued. Pulling away from the embrace slightly to look her younger sister in the eye, she teased, "You are not forgetting about us are you?"

"No, onee-san…I've, er, just been busy," Motoko stammered in reply. Even to her ears it sounded hollow.

Chuckling softly, Tsuruko stepped out of the embrace, and took on a more serious demeanour. "Onee-chan, come. We have lunch set for you, and a bath ready for you before you meet Shoji for-"

Motoko's heart froze, forcing her to suppress the shudder that seemed to begin of its own accord. Images of her past whirled through her mind, each depicting the abuse she faced at the hands of Shoji, her father… 'NO! He is NOT MY FATHER. He may have had a hand in my birth, but he lost his right to be my father long ago!'

"I do not wish to speak with him," she spat back, turning away from her sister so she wouldn't see the look of absolute hate for the vile creature that Shoji was. 'HE was the reason for my hate of the male race, not Kenjou.' Her fists balled up tightly gripping the hem of her sleeves causing them to crease and stretch at the cloth's junction at her shoulder, trying to fight the flurry of images of memories past that seemed to resurface to haunt her. 'So much for this being an acceptance to the title of Master of Shinmeiryu.'

Flinching slightly, though visibly, as Tsuruko placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, Motoko tried to pull away from the reassuring gesture, but was held in place as Tsuruko tightened her hold on her ever so slightly.

"Onee-chan, I know that you do not wish to speak to him. Frankly, neither do I. But it is the will of the Council that I take you back. He has come to make his final claim on you. I have been ordered to bring you back to the dojo…even by force if necessary. Please do not force me to take that alternative, Motoko-chan. Will you come with me?"

"…Hai, onne-san. I will."

Finally clothed properly, Keitaro sat as he absorbed what Haruka had just revealed to him. 'Hina oba-san wants me…to be kanrinrin… of an ALL-GIRLS DORM!!! I don't know if I should be celebrating or praying for a quick death. That Naru sure has one bloody huge punch.' From where he was seated he could all-to-clearly hear the after effects of Haruka's speech to the girls.

Naru was the first to react. "NANI?! I won't stand for a male kanrinrin. Especially not that pervert! This is an all-girls dorm. You can't just have a male kanrinrin!" If Naru was angry before knocking Keitaro into air an hour ago, she was absolutely livid now.

None of the other girls had taken well to the news either. Well, at least not Kitsune. Suu didn't seem to mind much, though she did seem somewhat more reserved than usual as she had found out that Motoko had left earlier that day without saying goodbye.

Haruka also seemed shocked at the news, though she had received word from Hina-san before that she was arranging a manager before she left for her world trip. She just couldn't believe that she would pick Keitaro. 'Sure they have to be Urashimas, but why Keitaro? He can't stand on his own two feet for half an hour without managing to fall over…Though I seem to remember when he was young he was more coordinated than now…But if this is Hina-san's wish, then far be it from me to stand in the way.'

Haruka had found out that a fax had been sent by Hina-san late last night foretelling Keitaro's coming, and also explained the nature of his visit. It also stated that he was to be the manager of the dorm while she was on her journey. However, Haruka had just found the fax half an hour ago, just after Keitaro's unconscious form was dragged inside to come to.

"Naru, this is Hina-san's request and I cannot argue with it…it is her dorm after all. Though I, too, am not comfortable with the decision of having a male in the dorm, even if it is Keitaro. There is nothing to be done."

Before anyone else could protest, the phone blared into life in the living room. Haruka got up to answer it, removing the ever-present cigarette out of her mouth and crushing it in the ash tray as she left. "Go and tell him, Naru," she said quickly before picking up the receiver not allowing Naru start to whine. "Mooshi mooshi?"

Grumbling audibly as Naru picked herself up and trudged into the next room containing the condemned pervert, she glared at him as though trying to bore a hole through his head with the intensity. "You can stay…" she growled through clenched teeth, though even he could see the way her face scrunched in anger and the visible vain that popped into sight throbbing grotesquely on her forehead. "But if you even so much-"

"Keitaro, the phone's for you," Haruka called from the other room.

Keitaro wasted no time in leaving, thanking the Kami for his reprieve. Barely short of running, Keitaro hastily strolled across and out of the room before Naru could react. Picking up the phone, he sighed as though finally realising that he had reached protection from Naru.

"Mooshi mooshi?"

"Eh? Keitaro-kun? Is that you?"

"Hai, I am Urashima Keitaro. Who is th-?"

"It's me your oba-san."

"Oba-san? Where are you? You said you were going to be here. What's going on, oba-san?"

"Whoa, Keitaro-kun, calm down. I know I asked you to go to Hinata Sou, but currently you are needed at home."

"Nani? What's going on, oba-san? Is everything alright at home?"

"Hai, dear heart, everything is alright, though things are not going as first planned. I know I told you to meet me at Hinata Sou, but you need to come home as quickly as you can. I hope things do go as planned, but right now…I'm just not sure. Please come quick, Keitaro-kun."

"Hai, oba-san, I'll be over as quick as possible." Finally looking about him, he realised that the others had gathered around him looking at him intently. Unsure of how to handle the sudden assembly, he nervously laughed before asking whether any of them would like to talk with his oba-san.

The response that he received was unexpected to say the least. Everyone seemed to charge towards the phone at once; clawing at him and each other, trying to pry the phone from his hands. Realising that resistance was futile, he dropped the phone and made his escape, receiving a slight approving nod from his aunt before he left.

Checking to see if he had enough money for a train as it would be quicker than the bus, he hurried off to attempt to make the next train.

Motoko sat in her old room in the family dojo and waited for the Council to summon her. Dressed in the formal Heir's garb of the white gi and scarlet hamaka, similar to her training outfit in many respects, though different nonetheless.

Though the appearance bore resemblance to her training attire, it was made of finer materials, and much heavier than her training set. It was clearly designed for ceremonious occasions, and not for fighting. Wearing nothing else, apart from a red band that held her hair back away from her face, she sat in apparent mediation in her centre of her room.

Her room was situated on the west wing of the dojo's living quarters - the area allocated to those of the Aoyama lineage, such as herself and her sister, and to the high ranking elders of the dojo. Though the room was part of the old building and lacked the new innovations of the newer building, it was comfortable. The room had been hers since she was old enough to have a room of her own.

Though she had not been here in many years - only returning twice in the six years since she left to live at Hinata Sou - the room had not changed, though the lack of dust coating the sparse furniture indicated that the room had in fact been cleaned regularly or at least recently.

Her room contained a futon along one side of the room, a wardrobe built into the wall on the opposite wall from the futon, a heavy mahogany chest of drawers with a decent-sized teddy bear resting on top, and various calligraphies of kanji hanging from the walls.

A plate of food largely untouched lay on the ground next to Motoko. The thought of her impending appointment with her father was enough to make her want to vomit. Two doors adorned the walls: one leading to a small path that lead to the women's baths, and the other to the main hall.

It was on this latter door that she was concentrating. Waiting patiently for the summons that would inevitably come, she tried to meditate on events away from the meeting that she would be attending with him.

Thinking back to Hinata Sou she tried to think happy thoughts in a defiant attempt to remain untouched by events unfolding around her. 'I hope Suu-chan is alright with me being away. I should have told her that I had to leave…What about the pervert? What if he tries something with one of the other girls? I should have stayed to protect them from that despicable, lecherous, perverted male. I hope Naru-san hit him hard enough to make him forget ever trying another stunt like that, or next time he may not be so lucky in having to face Naru-san's wrath alone…but mine as well. NO! I mustn't think bad thoughts now…I will be forced to face them soon enough…

'Why must I be plagued by vile, lecherous males? Can't they alljust wither away and die! All they do is cause trouble. Not one, except for Kenjou and some other sempai's, have honour. They are a curse that must be scoured off the face of the Earth! Everything they do is perverted. Especially that one at Hinata Sou…he had the courage to say he was the grandson of Hina-san. Hah! As if Hina-san could be related to such a pervert. The gall of him, standing there wearing nothing bar a skimpy towel around his waist, and still stare straight at me! Even with a sword at his neck! It's as though they cannot stop themselves from committing such crimes.'

The sounds of footsteps in the corridor broke Motoko's train of thought. Listening to the volume of the footsteps increase as they approached her door, she turned to face the door. The footsteps came to a halt outside her door, and indistinct sounds of whispering filtered through to Motoko's sensitive ears. The door opened slowly revealing Tsuruko and Kenjou, with Tsuruko holding the door slightly ajar, while her husband whispered into her ear, before turning around and walking back down the hall.

Tsuruko finally entered her sister's room watching encouragingly as she rose to her feet graciously though concern laced the expression as she noticed the plate of food left almost untouched beside her sister. "Come, Motoko-chan it is time," she called softly, extending an arm invitingly to her sister. "The Council awaits your presence."

Walking over deliberately, Motoko steeled herself to meet her so-called father, though her every instinct begged her not to go turning her legs to slush, forcing her to trudge more than walk. Noticing her sister's apparent reluctance to go to the meeting her sister placed a caring hand on her shoulder and drew her into a warm embrace releasing some of the pent up tension that had developed within Motoko.

Tsuruko took a step back to allow her to look into her younger sister's eyes. "Onee-chan before we go, there is something I need from you…a promise of sorts."

"Promise?" Motoko relied somewhat uncertainly. "Anything for you, onee-san."

Tsuruko allowed for a small smile to grace her stern face. "Motoko, no matter what happens; I want you to think of the honour of the School, the honour of mother and your own honour before you act. Promise me, onne-chan..."

"H-hai, onee-san, I promise. But what could-"

"Gomen, onee-chan, it is not mine to tell. Come, they expect us."

Picking up her sword from the rack next to the door Motoko and Tsuruko headed down the corridor to the Council's Meeting Room.

Upon approaching the large double doors that lead to the Council Meeting Room, Tsuruko nodded to the two guards outside to allow them to enter. Moving in harmony, the two guards opened each of the double doors for Motoko, Heir to the School, and Tsuruko, the former Heir.

Upon entering the cavernous consultation room, Motoko noticed the two rows of men and women that lined the walls, sitting patiently on the ground, with the Council at the far end of the hall, sitting on a raised platform, relative to the rest. The Council comprised of six members, three from each clan. Only the highest and most revered members of the clans formed the Council, except when they themselves were directly involved in the discussion at hand.

On the side closest to her were the respected elders and certain younger members of the dojo who had shown much promise in both militant and diplomatic skills. Along the further wall sat the members of her father's clan: the Turtle Clan. She noticed Shoji, amongst them, cold and hard-hearted as ever. His masked face and tall, lean stature were the only resemblance to Motoko and Tsuruko. His slightly greying, brown hair contrasted with both Motoko's and Tsuruko flowing raven tresses.

All bore sombre expressions with an array of weapons lying before them both as a gesture of trust and a proof of arms, should things get out of hand. The tension in the room increased several notches as the two Aoyama girls entered.

As they slowly moved across their row, taking their place next to Kenjou - with Tsuruko next to Kenjou and Motoko sitting to her sister's right - the Council meeting commenced. A short, old woman, whose face bore the creases that testified the passage of time, stood up and addressed the gathering in a strong and clear voice that belied the age indicated by her face.

"Shoji, Master of the Turtle Clan, you have come before us to claim your final rights on your youngest daughter, and Heir to our School, Aoyama Motoko. Is this correct?"

"Hai, honoured councilwoman, Sayori, that is correct," he replied, his voice stern yet unemotional. "I had left Motoko under the partial custody of the Shinmeiryu School so that she may learn their arts, but on the provision that should I return and demand her custody, I shall be given it."

After a short deliberation amongst the members at the head of the gathering, Sayori again stepped up. "We acknowledge your plea, Shoji-san, and we accept that it is legitimate. You have rights to your daughter's custody as stated in the agreement we made six years ago. However, we wish to hear your final claim before we decide to finalise the agreement"

Shoji smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. Hardly any emotion ever paraded itself on his impassive face, and if it did it was generally contrived for mere aesthetic purposes of pleasing others. Any and all emotion had died with Motoko's birth sixteen years ago - the same day he became the Master of his Clan.

Motoko sat shocked, not by the outcome - she had known the outcome of his plea for his rights over her - but by his reaction. 'Why does he look so smug? He should have known his plea would have been heard and granted. What is he planning?'

As if he had heard the question, Shoji turned to face Motoko regarding her presence for the first time since he had left her six years ago and smiled deviously. "Then as her legal guardian, I, as my act of final claim over young Motoko, propose her in marriage to one of my clansmen."

Shock. The only emotion that displayed on Motoko's face. 'What? That BASTARD has pledged my hand in marriage!? I am to be married to a MAN? Live close to one, share my life with one… and even a bed…NO! NEVER!! This can't be!' Withdrawing her hands into her sleeves so that others may not notice them trembling in the trepidation that rocked her body. 'He thinks he can come into my life after all that he's done, and then screw around with it even more! How dare he!'

Motoko looked up, staring dead into Shoji's gaze, as he peered back at her. His eyes seemed to laugh at her; at her inability to interfere with his plans. It was as if he enjoyed watching her squirm; as though she meant nothing to him - she was just another loose end to tie up before ripping the thread out of the fabric altogether.

Tsuruko noticing her sister's shock, quickly, though discreetly, grabbed onto her right arm, before Motoko could swoon, whispering quickly. "Onee-can, Kenjou-kun has met him, he's not so bad…please, onee-chan, remember your promise…"

'Promise? No I do not intend to go back on our promise, onee-san. I will kill that bastard who claims to be my father…or I shall kill myself. Either way, I retain my honour, and that of the School.' Gripping the hilt of her katana for comfort and reassurance, she quickly planned her line of attack.

"A moment, though, before we acknowledge this marriage vow, Shoji-san," said Sayori quickly, trying to dispel the sudden murmur of surprise that had infected the Aoyama half of the hall. "We would like to meet this offered fiancé for our Heir."

"There is no need for it," Shoji quickly replied. With a sick, twisted grin he continued, "the boy is 'hanging about', at the moment, shall we say."

One of the men beside Shoji leaned closer to him and whispered quickly into his ear. The grin, not yet off his face, seemed to bore into Motoko as he turned to face her once again. "It seems as though I was mistaken. He is waiting with his parents with the rest of my escort."

"Very well then," Sayori replied quickly, wanting to speed things up before the murmurs began anew. "Arrangements shall be arranged to bring him here. Kenjou, bring the offered fiancé here, so that we may acknowledge him."

Kenjou, silently rose giving a small encouraging smile to Motoko, before striding out of the double doors and beyond in search of the said man.

'If he thinks he can marry me off to any man without a fight, he is sorrily misguided.' Rising deftly to her feet, her face took on a defiant veneer. "A moment, Councilwoman Sayori. As Heir to this School, I challenge the proposed man to a duel. Only should he win, will he be considered."

Shoji interjected before any further comments of this sort be explored. "The boy is inexperienced in any form of combat, armed or unarmed…though as his representative I shall take his place on the proviso that should I win, they will be wed regardless of the Council's decision."

"I accede to these new terms and replacement," Motoko cut in quickly not allowing the Council to put a word in edgewise. 'Excellent, now I can defeat him and be free of this marriage simultaneously.' "We begin NOW."

Tsuruko found herself being dragged away from the duel off to the side with the others before she could voice her disapproval. In a flash, both had their katanas out, facing each other: father against daughter. Neither willing to be stared down by the other. Motoko's katana, Shishui, given to her by Tsuruko when she had renounced her status as Heir, gleamed in the dull illumination within the Council Meeting Room. However, Shoji's katana, although of the same length, was much heavier than Motoko's and seemed to be lacquered black, instead of the steely glint that Shishui reflected.

Slowly they began to circle each other, trying to size each other up. Eyes locked onto each other, the reality of their surroundings faded as they concentrated at the battle at hand.

Shoji smirked evilly. "You're afraid of me," he murmured. "Always were. Are you going to run away like last time? Run away from your duty?" Shoji's contemptuous smile widened. "Or were you planning on running to your new husband?"

That did it. Motoko couldn't stand for his taunts anymore. 'That has crossed the line. I will NEVER run to a MAN for protection.' "Enough!" she snarled back. "I am not afraid of you anymore! So if you are not man enough to attack first, I guess I'll have to start it, eh?"

Shoji wiped the smile off his face as Motoko charged at him and replaced it with a look of alertness. Motoko brought her katana down in a diagonally left to right slash aimed at Shoji's right shoulder. Though the attack was not quick or all that strong, the purpose of the strike was to get things moving…and that it did.

Blocking the harmless strike by deftly, Shoji wasted no time in waiting for the next attack. Before Motoko could move her katana into the next attack, Shoji struck out with his left foot striking her right knee, causing it to buckle slightly. But that slight buckling was all that was needed.

Smacking his right foot straight into her face Motoko sprawled on the ground as she was unable to maintain balance with her knee already half buckling.

"Hahaha! Is that the best you have to offer?" he taunted. Running towards her, he leapt into the air drawing his katana downward intending to end the duel. "Dodge th-"

"HIKEN ZANKUUSEN"

The surprise was evident on his face, as the vortex of wind, manipulated by Motoko's ki, concentrated into solid slashes of air and struck his airborne form, lifting him up, crashing through the roof of the room.

Rising swiftly to her feet, she ran towards Tsuruko, who had positioned herself under the hole with her hands cupped, to boost her somersault through the newly created hole in the roof just as they had done many times when they were children. Landing softly on the roof, Motoko wasted no time searching for Shoji as she knew approximately knew the trajectory that Shoji had followed. Leaping off the roof onto a nearby tree before landing safely on the ground, Motoko sheathed her katana and slowly began to walk to Shoji's lying form.

"Do you yield?"

"Hey, ummm, Kenjou-san…What's going on?"

"Don't worry, Keitaro-san, we will be there shortly. You'll see for yourself."

Walking down the main corridor towards the Council Meeting Room, Keitaro followed Kenjou with his parents trailing behind him. As they approached the double doors that lead to the said room, they heard a loud crashing sound from within. Suddenly the doors burst open, spewing several men and women that ran for the main gate.

Bewildered at the sight, Keitaro could only stare. Kenjou, however, moved in to investigate. Striding over to Tsuruko he inquired, "What's going on Tsuruko-chan?"

"Motoko…outside…Shoji," came the frantic reply. He'd only ever seen Tsuruko like this a hand full of times, and every time it meant the same thing: something was wrong. Not waiting for Kenjou to follow Tsuruko dashed outside with the others.

Kenjou called for Keitaro to follow him outside, though he did not wait to see if he would follow, just merely assumed that would be the case; he was too curious to find out what had Tsuruko so rattled.

Keitaro could only follow, not knowing what else to do. Outside, he noticed that the clouds had blanketed the sky, turning a sickly grey colour, threatening to drench all below it with the full brunt of nature.

Looking in front of him he saw an assembly of people. Making his way to the front of the crowd, he stood beside Kenjou, the one person he knew among those gathered, and asked, "What's going on, Kenjou-san?"

An old, sombre woman standing behind Keitaro spoke up. "So you're the one they brought here, eh? You don't look so bad. I guess you'll do."

"Nani? Excuse me, but what exactly am I to do?"

"You really haven't been told anything have you?"

"No, not really. What's going on?"

"Well, Urashima Keitaro, you see that girl out there," Sayori asked. "She is Aoyama Motoko, the Heir to this dojo…and you have been offered in marriage to her."

Keitaro looked in the direction of Sayori's outstretched finger. Sure enough, about fifty feet away stood a girl holding a katana looking at a heap a few metres before her. Her face, though he'd only seen it once, was one he would never forget.

'Oh no! Not her!'

"In fact," Sayori continued, "it is the other way around. She was offered in marriage to you."

'This can't be happening! I mean…being married…yeah, ok, I don't mind…M-maybe…I would even look forward to it…But with her?…Though she may look stunning…I do NOT want to be reacquainted with that blade of hers! … Come on…think, Keitaro, think…there has to be a way out of this.'

"Do you yield?" came the clear question from the girl's mouth. Her voice seemed to be colder than the one she used on Keitaro earlier today (if that was possible).

The heap that lay before the girl stood up and took the shape of a man, who seemed to be shaking with mirth.

"Feh! Was that your best?" he retorted. "You'll have to do a lot better than that, little girl."

"Ummm, e-excuse me, uh, Kenjou-san," Keitaro managed to stammer, not addressing the older woman as he did not know her name, "but why is that girl fighting that man?"

The woman beside Kenjou, who bore remarkable resemblance to Motoko though looked much more mature, turned around and addressed him.

"Keitaro-san, no offence to you, but she is fighting to not marry you. Though she is more likely trying to defeat her father than rid herself of you."

'Oh great, every single girl I meet wants to be as far away as possible to me, and this one even before she has met me…Hang on…she HAS met me…and would probably kill me if I even saw her again!

'Why does all this shit always happen to me? Why? If she wins I get to go home in one piece…assuming she doesn't find me and think I'm stalking her…but if she doesn't…'

"Feh! Was that your best? You'll have to do a lot better than that, little girl."

Motoko watched as he picked himself up off the ground. The attack had little visible effect on him whatsoever. Where the attack had landed, his hamaka had torn revealing his flat, muscled body beneath. However, the attack only left red welts on his skin, where the ki induced wind had slashed him, leaving his skin unbroken.

Laughing at her pathetic attempt at attacking, Shoji stood and watched as she realised, with some traces of shock that appeared on her face, that her attack having no effect on him at all - it did not even faze him in the slightest; the only evidence that he was attacked was his torn clothing and the red welts along his stomach.

His eyes seemed to change all of a sudden. His irises, usually dark brown, were now black, and seemed to spread, replacing more of the white of his eyes until only a thin ring of white surrounded each dilated iris. Smirking once again, he held out his katana now sheathed - he had sheathed it during his fall - and said simply in a much deeper voice than usual, "My turn," and began his charge.

Motoko prepared herself as he saw him begin to charge. Drawing her katana up into a defensive stance, she waited for him to come within striking distance.

Shoji came charging at Motoko, though contrary to what Motoko had hoped, he stopped just outside her range, his sheathed sword held out in front of him.

"TURTLE SHELL STRIKE!"

A large blast of ki induced wind raced towards Motoko, coalescing into a solid wavefront just slightly larger than a basketball similar in shape to a turtle's shell. The blast struck Motoko's chest precisely. The surprise was evident on her face as she had overlooked his ability to channel ki into attacks, driving all the air out of her lungs. The force of the impact not only winded her, but it caused her to expel a fine spray of blood from her mouth and forced her limbs to stretch out, curling around the ball-like burst of ki; her sword to fall out of her grasp, falling uselessly to the ground before her.

Shoji, capitalising on her inability to defend herself while temporarily frozen mid air due to the nature of this certain attack, moved his sheathed sword beneath her right arm - her sword bearing arm; grabbing hold of her right arm and pulling it taut with his left, brought the sword up, snapping the bone of her upper right arm cleanly. Releasing her arm, he watched her crash a few feet away and crumple into a pile on the ground, as the delayed reaction of his ki attack took effect throwing her backwards.

Unable to believe what had happened so fast, Motoko lay on the ground clutching her right arm to her chest. Quickly reviewing how things had changed so quickly, she began to gather her strength to stand. 'I was in control of the situation…and then, he…I underestimated him…but that attack…Why did I remain suspended in the air for that long?…All ki attacks I know either rip the opponents to shreds or sends them flying immediately…How…?'

Struggling slowly to knees, she hastily tied her broken arm to her chest using the belt that tied up the hamaka. Choking back the sobs of pain that seemed to threaten to escape her throat, she clenched her jaw, attempting to block it all out: the incredible amounts of pain that streaked across the break in her bones. Seeing her katana lying far in front of her, she resolved herself to stand slowly, trying to limit the pain that coursed across the break in her bone.

Shoji's sinister smile made its encore appearance as he slowly made his way to his daughter; his large black eyes laughing at her pathetic, feeble attempts to first attack him, and now just to stand.

"You still wish to continue this fight?" he laughed. Picking up her sword that lay by his feet, he tossed it to her. "Very well…pick it up so we can continue."

Having to bend down to pick up her katana was a strenuous task, though she knew it must be done. Blocking out the pain till it was just a slight stinging background that would jolt into life every time her bones would slide against each other; she reached out tentatively, grasping her sword that lay on the ground before her in her left hand.

His face still contorted with the sinister grin, he walked slowly towards Motoko leaving his guard down daring her to step forward and attack.

'Now he ridicules me, daring me to attack, knowing full well that I cannot. Damn! If only I had the use of my right arm, I would teach this slimeball a lesson he'd never forget.'

Swinging his katana wildly in large arcs since she wasn't going to attack, he toyed with her. Each attack left him unguarded for any number counterattacks; however, the retaliating strikes never came. Each wild swing was aimed at forcing her to step back, increasing the searing bolts of pain across the broken bone.

Gritting her teeth, she tried not to scream with each block of his pathetic swings that caused her right arm to throb with a level of pain she had never experienced. Concentrating on keeping his sword at bay, keeping her balance and ignoring the pain, she had no time to execute any counterattack - resigning herself to blocking, as dodging any attack would only jolt her damaged arm.

The laughter in his eyes seemed to increase with each pathetic swing. 'Look at what a weakling she is! Unable to withstand a simple ki attack…and now she can't even retaliate even with all the opportunities I've given her! HAH! To think I'm related to this worthless being…Tsuruko was a much better opponent, though she too lacked enough skill to defeat me.

'There was only one who defeated me, and only once…though that nuisance was removed…heh heh…but enough of this. As amusing as it is to see Naoko's child suffer - horrid wench - this begins to bore me…'

"Enough! I tire of this pathetic fight. Do you concede, little girl?"

"No, never!" came the quick almost rehearsed reply.

'Heh.' Charging at her with an attack to her right, Motoko was forced to defend her wounded side. This left her left side open to attack…which is exactly what Shoji did.

Quickly shifting the movement of his blade from attacking her right to her left before she was able to parry the attack, the black blade cut across the side of her left ribs, breaking open her skin easily as a hot knife through butter.

The explosion of pain that erupted in her side was enough to make her forget about her broken arm. His blade seemed as though it were pure fire burning her flesh. Though the cut was shallow, she screamed in agony at the burning sensation the blade imparted, unable to hold in the pain any longer.

Blinded by the pain she hardly noticed as Shoji hooked her left leg with his right, and with a well aimed punch, dislodged her knee cap from its place, causing her to lose balance and crumple to the ground. Scrunching into the smallest ball she could manage, Motoko attempted to block out the pain that intended to overcome her; holding back tears that materialized of their own accord.

Shoji looked down at the worthless ball of flesh and clothes that lay before him. 'Pathetic! She actually thought she could win? Heh, she had no idea what she brought herself into. A whole world of pain awaits…'

Motoko lay on the ground, curled into a ball on her left side, partly to hide the pain of the cut from view and partly due to the fact that she was unable to lay on her right arm in its current state. Shaking slightly from the small sobs of pain that racked her body, she lay unaware of Shoji's advance towards her.

Lifting up his right leg, he stomped down remorselessly on her broken arm, inducing a sharp cry of pain from Motoko's lips. Applying a constant pressure, he slowly turned his foot on the wound, exacerbating the pain that emanated from her arm, eliciting additional, louder cries of pain. Laughing audibly, he asked in a contemptuous tone, "Do you yield, little girl?"

"N-no! N-n-NEVER!!" came the defiant answer, though somewhat shakily, due to the increased pressure that Shoji applied on her arm even as she answered.

He continued laughing, though tendrils of annoyance stained his derisive voice this time. "You can't deny me forever, little girl. Heh heh. Try, though. I'm sure it will be most enjoyable to hear your screams." With that last comment, he swiftly kicked her dislocated knee with his other foot, creating a second source of pain for Motoko to fight not only the cries of pain that would emerge involuntarily, but also for her conscience, which seemed to wane out of reach every so often, unable to block out all the pain which began to accumulate and overwhelm her mind.

Tsuruko could only watch from the sidelines as her baby sister was being tortured by the loathsome creature that had claimed to be their father. She would have been out there helping Motoko had she not been restrained by Kenjou.

"Please, Tsuruko-chan, you know you cannot interfere-"

"I know that!" she retorted. "But that does not mean I have to like it," she continued though in a more subdued voice.

Keitaro, however, was thinking along similar train of thought as Tsuruko. Unable to explain his sudden boldness, he didn't bother to firstly notice it was there and secondly to question its sudden appearance, and consequent growth.

Rage.

Watching as Shoji had first disarmed her, then immobilised her. He could have almost sworn that he had seen it coming. His style of fighting firing up memory banks within himself that he did not know existed. Keitaro could feel himself slipping as something else seemed to envelope his mind, overriding his control of his mind.

Rage.

Forced to watch from the sidelines as Motoko was humiliated then tortured was not something he could stand. He closed his eyes shut hard, creating creases on his eyelids, trying to shut out the sight. However, the image played on through; his mind's eye taking over where his physical eyes stopped.

Rage.

That feeling of hate; a hate that seemed to have festered for years, decades, or millenia, came boiling to the surface. Opening his eyes, he found what he was looking for - attached to the side of the woman that looked like an older version of Motoko. Reaching out, he grasped the handle, and ran towards Shoji, into the fray, not bothering to withdraw the entire blade of the katana before charging. He merely knew that the blade would slide out.

Tsuruko had felt a hand grasping at her katana's handle. Instinctively straying a hand towards it, her hand brushed against Keitaro's hand as he pulled the katana forward, tilting the sheath in the direction of his movement, allowing for the easy withdrawal of the blade. Unable to stop this action, or call out, she watched, as he began his mad dash towards her sister.

A murmur had already began from those gathered, breaking the solemn silence that had had all as they watched their Heir lose the battle. However, whether the murmur was in approval or not, was yet indiscernible; however, the murmur itself was welcome as it removed the sadness accentuated by the unnatural hush.

Shoji, growing ever more irritated by the second, had decided to finish this once and for all. Stepping off of Motoko, he watched her relax visibly as the pain slowly receded. Smiling treacherously, he swiftly kicked her in the stomach sending her rolling; sending anew the streaks of pain across her arm and knee.

"Enough, little girl! You have tried my patience long enough! WE END THIS NOW!"

Withdrawing his katana from its sheath, he lunged at Motoko, this time not aiming for her abdomen, but for the bared neck.

CLANG

The sound of metal against metal reverberated through the hush that began as soon as the gathered crowd realised Keitaro's intention; all focussed on the outcome of this most unconventional intrusion to the duel.

The recoil created as Shoji's blade struck against his own, jerked the katana out of Keitaro's hands.

Shoji, however, was taken by surprise by the intrusion, lost only a moment to counterattack this unknown assailant. Tilting the blade for an upward strike as the opponents blade slowly fell to the ground, Shoji readied himself to decapitate the fool that resolved to interfere with his duel. 'Bah! Fool! Interfere with this duel will you, and think I won't stop you removing my best chance to end her plot? You're severely mistaken.'

In a inexplicable feat of coordination, Keitaro's left hand grasped the falling katana and swung out at Shoji, who was still in the motion of counterattack. His katana struck strong near the base of Shoji's, causing his katana to fly out of his hand and off to the side. However, it was at that point that that Keitaro's natural disposition of a klutz jump started again, resulting in his own katana to slipping out of his own hand to join Shoji's on the ground. Stretching out his hands to either side, Keitaro blocked Shoji's path to Motoko.

"Shoji, STOP!" he called.

Finally finding time to look at the face of his adversary, Shoji snarled, "Get out of the way, Urashima. She must pay for her insubordination."

"No, Shoji," Keitaro replied stubbornly. "You have already won, there is no point continuing this duel. You win by right of first blood."

"Heh heh. Boy, you do realise that if I win, you will have to marry her?" Shoji asked quietly.

"Hai," Keitaro replied weakly. "I will do what I must," he continued with renewed vigour.

However, Shoji only half-listened to Keitaro's response, as he found himself engrossed in a small figure beside a tree behind Keitaro. Masking the pulse of shock that coursed through his body as he recognised the figure, his mind cried out: 'The dark child…?'

"Very well," Shoji started, realising that Keitaro had stopped speaking. His voice carrying no hint whatsoever of his earlier shock, even jeering for effect. "Honoured Council, I claim victory on the grounds of first blood. Do you accept this request?"

Sayori, who looked a torn between shock and relief - shock at the boy being able to stop Shoji, and relief for Motoko's rescue - stepped forward, and without a shadow of a doubt in her voice replied, "Hai, Shoji, Master of the Turtle Clan, we hear and acknowledge your claim for victory."

Pain coursed through Motoko's entirety; it was no longer only confined to her arm and knee. Barely able to stay conscious, let alone move, she lay there like a rag doll waiting for someone to right her again. Her breath came in short, laboured gasps; her throat dry from the fierce battle that had lasted for no longer than ten minutes, despite the thin film of blood that coated its inside.

Slowly, slowly, the pain decreased to levels where she could feel her body resting on someone's lap; a hand on her face, wiping the evidence of the dirt and blood from the fight away with a thin wet cloth. Opening her eyes in what seemed forever, as she had closed them tightly till then in a futile attempt to ward off the pain, she came round to a blurry world that seemed to move fuzzily about her. Quadruple, triple then double images slowly joined together in a kaleidoscopic dance, slowly coalescing to a single image. She was stunned by what she saw, as if unsure of how to react, she lay there trying to reconstruct how things could have led to what she saw before her.

'How? How can this be…Where did HE come from? Wasn't he back at H...? Kami-sama! I'm in his lap!'

"Get away from, you per-aarghh!" Her instincts kicked in at last, jerking her body up out of his lap - the same pervert who she had dealt with earlier that very day. However, her stomach muscles still ached from Shoji's ki attack, causing her to fall back into his lap and her right arm to flop onto the floor hard, re-igniting the pain there once again.

"Hey, shhh!" he cooed, his hand caressing the side of her face, wiping away the unwanted tears that formed at the corners of her eyes from the sudden onset of pain. "Calm down, please."

Bringing up her left arm she slapped him hard across the face. "I TOLD YOU TO GET AWAY FROM ME!" she shrieked.

Keitaro, not really expecting the slap, sat there, with Motoko in his lap, holding his right cheek trying to understand how trying to help her had led to him being slapped across the face. The events that had occurred earlier that day, slowly rolled across his vision, causing him to realise who he was holding, and that he should have expected this reaction and more had she not been incapacitated as she was.

That was how he walked in on them, her lying in his lap, and him nursing his right cheek. Smirking, Shoji strode to where Motoko lay. Cupping her chin gently with his left hand, he raised her head out of Keitaro's lap. The smirk had been replaced by fatherly concern for the health of his daughter, almost as if making up for all the lost years of fatherhood.

SLAP

The shock was evident on Keitaro's face. Shoji's face had not changed in the slightest - not for one second during the whole motion of Shoji first bringing up his right hand, and then accelerating it towards her face; not once. The force of the blow speckled blackness across Motoko's vision, cracked her bottom lip, and pushed her face out of his gentle grip to fall back into Keitaro's lap. His calculating eyes - the only part of him not joining the rest of his face in concern - followed her head as it fell back to Keitaro's lap, and guided his left hand to reach for her chin again.

Keitaro felt the shock that gripped him shatter as Motoko's head fell into his lap for the second time. Reacting faster than he could think, he covered as much of Motoko as he could using his upper body, to prevent Shoji's left capturing Motoko's chin in its grip. "Shoji, that's enough!" Keitaro pleaded.

Keitaro felt himself cringe as earned the full concentration of Shoji's eyes boring holes through him. He slowly felt his resolve weakening; willing to give anything not to have to look into those black pools surrounded by a thin ring of white. The concern faded from Shoji's face, reforming into his trademark smirk. "She needs to be taught some manners, boy! She must pay for her rebelliousness. Give her over!" he commanded.

"No", Keitaro replied, "you'll only hurt her again. You've done enough, Shoji."

A slightly amused tone passed over his smirk. 'He's growing a backbone...Too bad it's too late. She's already won.'

"Hmph, get her to the car," Shoji commanded, "we leave in two minutes."

"Hai, Shoji-san."

The door shut behind Shoji as he left them alone in the room. Keitaro sat back up, and looked at Motoko. 'At least she seems to be okay.'

The black speckles had stopped hindering her vision halfway through Shoji and Keitaro's conversation. 'Why is he taking care of me? Surely he remembers what happened this morning? Maybe, Naru-san's punch knocked it out of his memory?' She felt his hovering form over her move slowly off her, and soon found herself staring into his eyes. She saw concern in those eyes; yet, she had also seen that look on Shoji's face just before she saw his right hand moving fast towards her face. 'I bet that look is fake as well… Curse all men.'

"Quit staring at me, pervert." Motoko painfully got out of his lap, her stomach muscles nearly failing her twice - almost sending her back into his lap; the second of those times, she felt a pair of hands holding her steady, easing her up slowly. Panicking at the feel of his hands warm against the fabric of her hamaka, she swirled around, to fend off the pervert. However, mid swing, her hastily bandaged right arm came undone, grinding the ends of her broken bones together once again, inducing the pain she felt earlier. 'When did my arm get bandaged?' Quickly checking over her other wounds she found that they to had been treated and bandaged.

"Let me help you," Keitaro pleaded. "If you don't get to the car soon, Shoji-san will come back." The fear was evident in his voice. 'The offer is genuine…' she surmised. 'But…that pervert…I haven't seen him here before…which means he must be from Shoji's clan. Kami-sama! I was here alone with him in a room. Kami only knows what he did to me…'

"H-how did I get in this room?" she asked. "I do not remember entering it."

"You were brought here after you passed out on the field -"

"I did no such thing!" she retorted.

"Well, you weren't able to move, and your wounds needed to be treated, so you were taken to this room. Please, Motoko, we need to get to the car or Shoji will hurt you again."

As if on cue, a skinny man in nondescript clothes entered the room, his eyes scanning the entire room – though always keeping the two before him in his peripheral vision - before resting on the two situated in the centre of the room. His cold grey eyes landed on the both of them together, taking in everything that splayed itself before them.

"Shoji-san wants to know what's taking so long," the man softly said, his voice as bland as his clothes. "You were to get her to the car by now."

"W-we were just about to leave," Keitaro stammered. "But…her bandage came undone, so -"

"You two are to leave now. The bandaging can be redone in the car. If you fail to comply, I have been ordered to take her by force. Choose now."

"W-wait, we'll go -" Keitaro replied, before the man decided to execute his threat.

"NO!" Motoko yelled. "I won't go!" She glared at the intruder. "You can't make me!"

Moving at lightning speed, the man had grabbed onto Motoko's right arm and began applying pressure. Screaming in agony as the pain once again erupted in her arm; she blindly beat at the man, who took all the blows as if they were delivered by a child of two. Keitaro stood stunned by what he saw before him – the man had deliberately moved in on herdamaged arm, not even giving her a chance. Once again, caught up in the heat of the moment, Keitaro charged in. However, the man had sensed Keitaro's charge before he began moving. A quick backhanded slap sent Keitaro flying into the wall – he was not his target…it was Motoko, and he would get the job done. Barely wasting any effort at all, he hefted Motoko roughly onto one shoulder as he made his way to the door, though never releasing his grip of her arm in the process merely deciding to wait for her weak struggle to end when she would pass out from the pain he was causing – stopping only once to turn and tell Keitaro to hurry to car.

The car ride itself was relatively uneventful – Motoko was unconscious in the back; Keitaro, after reapplying the bandages on Motoko's arm (which were only slightly better than the previous set he made), watched listlessly as the semi-rural scenery gave way to a more urban outlook. Fewer and fewer trees were observable as they travelled, and more and more cobblestone roads and stone buildings came into view. The buildings first sparse, and then gradually grew more dense as they moved further into some sort of rustic village that would seem more at home in the 17th century.

'Just where are we going?' thought Keitaro. 'It's like we went through some sort of time portal and ended in some other age. This place seems deserted…why are we being brought here?'

He looked over at the only other member that comprised the interior of the passenger section of the limousine they were travelling in - the same lacklustre man who had carried Motoko to the car. His silent and nonchalant disposition did little to reassure him. He would probably look as indifferent had he been informed of his mother's death. He seemed dead to the material world, yet seemed to take notice of every that moved within his vision.

Keitaro sighed. He knew trying to glean anything from the expression of the man would have been an exercise in futility. His face never showed any emotion. He turned to look at Motoko. Her face was still contorted in pain, as though she could still feel the pain in her arm, even though she was unconscious. 'Poor girl, she probably suffered more damage to her arm since the battle ended than during it. Even if she did try to slaughter me back at oba-san's inn – wait, now it's an all-girl's dormitory – no one should deserve that.'

Keitaro found himself staring at Motoko. There was no way he could doubt that she was beautiful. It was at this point he finally began really thinking of being married. After all those years of being ignored by every girl that he had ever met, he had finally stopped trying. He still had dreams, daydreams, frequent reveries and the random oneirism about them…but that was all. Keitaro sighed again as he remembered a memory that he had cherished since he was five.

'The only girl that ever loved me…And that was nearly fifteen years ago. I wonder if she would even remember me, or even our promise…I can't even remember what she looks like. Fifteen years spent to chase after my promise girl, and then just as I'm about to get where I need to get to meet her again…I'm being married off.

'Haha, but then again, knowing my luck, I would fail again, and be forced to go back to my parents and beg them to take me back. Then, maybe…just maybe…being married now wouldn't be so bad?

'…As long as she doesn't take off my head at the first chance.'

His thoughts halted as he realised that the face he was staring at was no longer unconscious. Her hazel eyes as clear as the anger displayed within them, stared back. Studying his face, etching it into memory, so she could rid the world of a pervert once this nightmare was done with.

Motoko had roused to find herself strapped in by a seat belt and the pervert staring at her. However, he wasn't looking at her; rather, he was looking beyond her, lost in thought. She could feel the anger building again. 'That pervert has no shame! Staring at an unconscious girl, and most probably thinking lewd thoughts. I will -'

Her thoughts stopped as soon as she felt the car stop. She looked through the window to see that they were no longer near the dojo. She didn't recognise her surroundings, though she felt as though she had been here before – sometime long ago. The stone buildings around her were unadorned in anyway, and seemed to have been deserted for many, many years. However, there was just one building that drew her attention; one that also festered that gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach…a feeling she had only felt thrice before – fear.

The building which held her gaze was the building the car had stopped before. The large temple stood before her, shattering all other thoughts except those about her soon-to-be marriage. The sobering experience was not unique to Motoko alone, Keitaro too, sat and stared, unable to stop the sudden onslaught of thoughts of marriage.

The temple itself was not in top condition - the walls no longer smooth, the steps uneven, and worn by years of exposure to rain and the elements. The walls were lined with cracks where water had seeped into smaller crevices at an earlier time and froze breaking larger cracks into the walls.

Dark and large, it stood proud amongst the other buildings. Where the other buildings seemed deserted this was the only one that seemed to be maintained to some degree. With no electricity, the temple was light up by torches attached at regular intervals along the temple. The eerie darkness that surrounded the building, despite the sun having several hours before departing to visit the other side of the world, added to its archaic appearance.

"Keitaro! Come." Shoji commanded.

He hadn't noticed the door open, nor had he noticed the other man leave. He looked blankly at Shoji, who glared back expectantly. Remembering what Shoji had told him, he quickly left the car, closing his door, before moving around the car to help Motoko out of the car.

"Leave her," Shoji sneered. "The priests will get her ready. Follow me." The air of command was undeniable as Shoji turned without bothering to check if he was following or not. Keitaro took one last glance at Motoko, before hurrying after Shoji into the dark hall of the temple.

That's the end of chapter 1 - more to come soon (hopefully). Also, I apologise for the rating of my other story, it has been fixed.

Author's Notes:

1) Please do NOT bother CB with annoying emails pertaining to my story - I don't need any competition. That, and I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate it.
2) Also, if there are any errors (spelling or otherwise), feel free to email corrections. They'll be corrected ASAP.
3) Anyone able to help me getting asterisks to work on would be much appreciated.
4) As always, click the little purple button called "Go" before you leave : )