AN: (laughs) To the reviewers and fellow writers, I thank each and everyone of you for cheering me up and providing me with writing tips and encouragement as usual. To those of you on AIM, find me sometime, and let's talk it up some!
Tessa: Well, I see that you've brought up a good point which I will be explaining in the storyline later. As far as plot holes are concerned regarding the believeability, is it so far stretched for the tenants to be accepting of two people to which Tsuruko detects no demonic presences, that it's less believeable than seeing Keitaro flying across town daily and NOT break his neck, and still have a crush on the person who usually sends him flying in the canon storyline...?
I'll let you folks decide on that. But as I've said, I thank everyone for their honest opinions, as it helps me write better in the long run, and I hope to see awesome writing from you soon, Tessa!
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu. Original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.
Bloodstained Heritage
Chapter 6: Meltdown
"So noble, young Urashima... Yet so futile..."
Keitaro looked around him, seeing only darkness surrounding him. 'Who said that...?' He thought, then felt a chill run along his back. 'That almost sounded like that monster Hakon from before...!' A bright flash of light caused him to close his eyes and turn away, as he felt an unusual amount of heat, he opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw before him...
He knew instantly that he was in the living room of the Hinata-Sou, but what was once a peaceful setting for the tenants to gather and enjoy conversations was now ablaze in a raging fire. The furniture was in ruins, and the landlord's heart was suddenly filled with grief and anger as he saw the tenants scattered all over the room lifelessly, some barely recognizable throught their injuries.
"Good to see you again, Urashima." Keitaro turned and found Hakon standing a few feet away, dressed in his business attire. "When we say no one escapes the Syndicate, we mean it." The soul vampire grinned, crossing his arms before him.
"Why...?" Keitaro asked in disbelief.
"Because you turned down the gracious offer we provided..." Turning to his right, Keitaro found himself looking at Marik, who was playing with a pair of dice in one hand. "We were quite disppointed when you did that, as I hoped to settle this matter in a more civil manner..."
Taking a step back from the two Syndicate assassins, Keitaro gasped as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and found a sharp sword protruding from it. Looking weakily over his shoulder, he was shocked to see Kanako's bloodied face staring back at him...
"You killed us all..." Kanako whispered, a trail of blood running from her forehead.
"No... I didn't mean to..." Keitaro whimpered, and as his vision started fading, Kanako's face formed into that of Tsunari's samurai form, laughing maniacly as the last of the landlord's life was drained away...
Sitting up in his futon with a startled gasp, Keitaro realized that it had been a nightmare he was seeing. Wiping cold sweat from his brow, he looked over his side to see the sheathed black katana. Sighing, he took it up in his hands and looked it over for several long moments in silence.
"The cursed Hina blade..." Keitaro whispered, then watched as the weapon disappeared in a flash of lightning. "I just hope I don't have to use it more than necessary..." Dressing himself in a simple sweater and jeans for his chores later, he exited his room and made his way towards the dining room. As he arrived, he noticed that everyone else appeared to be lacking sleep like him, and decided to sit quietly to avoid being attacked by women on short fuses...
Breakfast was a quiet, if slow process. Even Shinobu's usually great cooking was missing her unique special touch, as her lack of rest seemed to take a toll on her as well. Just as he thought the morning would be quiet for a thankful change, Kanako decided to question Motoko on the reasoning behind the swordswoman's attack on the landlord. In mere short minutes the dining room degenerated into one large verbal fight, with Keitaro wincing at not only his headache, but from seeing his friends arguing with each other. As he tried to discreetly flee the battlefield, he felt a hand tugging on his sleeve, and turned to see Rei, who somehow escaped the group...
"What say we make for somewhere quieter?" Rei asked with a smile, to which the landlord smiled back with a nod...
Standing on the balcony of the dorm, beside a rack of clothes hung out to dry, Keitaro silently contemplated the recent events in his life. Rei stood nearby, dressed in a simple blue dress which reached her ankles and covered by a warm jacket. The two looked thankful for the escape from the chaos inside the dorm, as they soaked in the silent tranquility of the morning...
"Um... Miss Giovanni?" Keitaro decided to break the silence.
"Just Rei will do, Keitaro." The businesswoman replied with a smile. "You make me feel like I'm at a press conference by calling me that."
"Sorry..." The landlord scratched the back of his head. "Haruka's like that too, she says she's too young to be called 'Auntie' by me." This brought a lighthearted chuckle to the two.
"So, what's up?" Rei asked, leaning back against the railing and looking at the landlord.
"I've done a lot of thinking last night before going to sleep..." Keitaro replied, then looked back at Rei. "...And I think it'd be safer if you and your sister were to stay in the city instead of here..." Seeing her confused look, he sighed and decided to tell her of the recent attacks on the Hinata-Sou, and as he finished, he was surprised to see the businesswoman was smiling instead of being worried for her safety.
"So you're worried that a bunch of boogeymen with Hollywood special effects are going to hurt my sister and I?" Rei chuckled. "Thanks for your concern, but I think we can take care of ourselves..." She then returned to watching the scenery. "We always have weird fans and perverts stalking us, so we've taken some self-defense courses.... We'll be fine."
"Yeah, I suppose..." Keitaro sighed. "Although you'll probably join Naru and Motoko in sending me to orbit for something 'perverted' that I didn't do..." Unknown to him, the said swordswoman had made her way to the balcony for her morning practice, and was listening to the conversation from the bottom of the stairway. "I know they're not used to having a guy as the landlord... But they have a right to take it out on me, seeing as I've put them all in danger..."
"You're kidding me, right?" Rei raised an eyebrow at him, but inwardly knew that Motoko was listening in. "You can't be the good guy all the time, Keitaro..." She then shrugged. "But about Motoko... That's got to be scary to have someone coming after you with a sword..."
"It is, to be honest." Keitaro chuckled. "But she's been through a lot, just like me... And if anyone of the tenants can help me out, it'd be her..." He then smiled, causing the businesswoman to blink. "She's a strong and honorable person, and even if I do take a beating from her, I'd be happy if she could eventually tolerate me as a friend..."
"Well, I have a meeting to attend..." Rei smiled and ruffled the landlord's hair. "We'll chat again sometime!" As she walked away, she scowled inwardly at sensing the swordswoman's thoughts. Instead of flaring up the hatred she already bore towards Keitaro, Rei now sensed guilt and sympathy from Motoko towards the landlord. As the businesswoman walked past Motoko, the swordswoman remained still, deep in her own thoughts...
Quietly, the swordswoman made her way up the stairs and to the balcony, then called out to the landlord from a distance away. She winced slightly at seeing him jump in fright and try to explain himself, and thought back to the conversation she eavesdropped on earlier. 'He is a male...' She thought to herself. '...But yet, he has been nothing but honest and caring to each of us...' Feeling ashamed of her behaviour, she decided to apoligize to him.
"Urashima..." Motoko began. "I'm... I was hoping, if you would be interested in helping me train in the morning..." She then beat herself repeatedly in her mind. 'Idiot! You were supposed to apoligize!' She thought with a sigh, watching the landlord stare back at her. 'Now he'll think you just want a legitmate excuse to abuse him more...!'
"Actually, I wouldn't mind." Keitaro replied with a smile, surprising the swordswoman. "I do need to get back in shape..." He then stretched with a yawn. "But how about we begin tomorrow? I'm going to take a quick nap before getting on the chores..." Nodding, Motoko stepped aside and watched the landlord drag himself back inside the dorm with what little energy left.
'Keitaro Urashima...' Motoko thought to herself. 'Just when I thought all men are the same, you arrive...'
"Greetings, young Urashima." A deep voice greeted the landlord. "I finally have the honor of meeting you."
Opening his eyes, Keitaro realized that he must be in a dream once more. But where his previous dream was one surrounded of destruction, he found himself in a small office with a table and a businessman dressed in white, who smiled at him in a friendly manner. Looking around, Keitaro realized that the room had no exits save for the solid glass windows, and he wasn't too keen to find out whether a fall like that could be fatal even to him...
"Who are you...?" Keitaro asked, being careful to keep his distance.
"A negotiator, you might say..." The man smiled. "Unlike my fellow council members, I'm trying to get both parties involved to achieve benefits in the long run..." He then filled a cup with what appeared to be wine and offered it to the young landlord, who shook his head. "Well, shall we talk?"
"You're with the Syndicate that's been trying to kill me and my friends..." Keitaro narrowed his eyes at the man. "What makes you think that we have anything to talk about?"
"Because I alone decide whether your little Hinata-Sou burns to the ground with all of you in it." The man replied with a low growl, making Keitaro shudder slightly. The businessman suddenly brightened again, smiling as if nothing happened. "So please, sit and let's talk like civilized people." Gulping, the landlord complied and sat across from the businessman. "A vial of your blood, young Urashima. That's all we ask for." The businessman smiled. "No pain involved at all, and in return we'll provide you with everything you and your friends will ever need to live in luxury for life!"
"I can't..." Keitaro replied after a long moment of silence, surprising the businessman. "I don't know what you have planned with the serum. But I just won't be able to work with the people responsible for my parents' deaths and my friends' pain..." He then stood with a tired look. "Can I go now...?"
"Of course." The businessman nodded. "Though I was hoping we could come to an understanding..." And as the room began fading from Keitaro's view, the landlord heard a chuckle from the businessman. "Tell your sister that Michael Blade sends his greetings, it's been a long time since I last saw her..." Surprised, Keitaro wanted to ask about Kanako's relation to the murderous organization, but found himself alone in the darkness once more...
Sitting up with a gasp, Keitaro looked around to confirm that he was back in his room. As he began standing up, he looked down in surprise to see Kaolla with her hands and legs wrapped around him, whimpering in her sleep. As luck would have it, Naru opened the door to his room and stared for a moment, before she growled in anger and slammed her fist into his face with brutal force, sending him flying through the ceiling to land in the front yard.
"Wow, that Naru sure has a temper!" Naomi blinked in surprise, as she and Kitsune were just returning from a shopping trip when the landlord impacted into the ground in front of the pair.
"You don't know the half of it..." Kitsune grinned, then dragged Keitaro up to his feet. "Come along, ya perv! The three of us are going to the bar tomorrow, and you're paying!" The two women laughed as they carted him back into the dorm, dragging him along by his arms.
"Why me...?" Keitaro whimpered, before the door closed behind him.
Stacks of textbooks and papers scattered all about, Naru sat at the table in her room in her constant study for her entrance exam into Toudai. Sighing, she set her book down and took off her reading glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose wearily. She had been trying to keep her mind focused on her studies, but the lack of rest has been eating away at her, then there was the subject of her dorm's landlord...
"I could've sworn I've seen him before...!" Naru whispered to herself, then her eyes widened at a sudden memory flashback. An image of herself when she was a child, looking back at a young boy chasing after the moving van she was riding in...
'Wha... What was that...?' Naru blinked.
Night came for the Hinata-Sou, and eventually everyone retired to their rooms for the evening. Once again, nightmares began plaguing each of the tenants, trapping them in the grips of their deepest fears. Most of them were rolling restlessly in their sleep, but were unable to awaken from their dreams...
In the Giovanni sisters' room, Naomi could be seen sleeping soundly, her red lace lingerie barely covering her as she slept in her futon. All throughout the dorm the air was clear, yet felt thick to breathe or move through. But aside from Naomi, only one figure was unaffected by it all...
Rei stood on top of the Hinata-Sou's roof, her eyes glowing in a golden hue as she smiled up at the moon, which was nearly full. Crossing her arms inside of her soft blue sleeping kimono, her eyes flashed brightly for a second, causing each of the tenants to wince in their sleep.
"Pleasant dreams, fools..." Rei whispered with an evil smile. "You'll all beg to die by the time I'm through with you all..."
Like? No like? Please review!
I apoligize in advance for not being able to update like I normally would, but life decided to kick me while I was down several times... Anyhow, I hope you've enjoyed, and stay tuned for the next chapter!
Tessa: Well, I see that you've brought up a good point which I will be explaining in the storyline later. As far as plot holes are concerned regarding the believeability, is it so far stretched for the tenants to be accepting of two people to which Tsuruko detects no demonic presences, that it's less believeable than seeing Keitaro flying across town daily and NOT break his neck, and still have a crush on the person who usually sends him flying in the canon storyline...?
I'll let you folks decide on that. But as I've said, I thank everyone for their honest opinions, as it helps me write better in the long run, and I hope to see awesome writing from you soon, Tessa!
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu. Original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.
Bloodstained Heritage
Chapter 6: Meltdown
"So noble, young Urashima... Yet so futile..."
Keitaro looked around him, seeing only darkness surrounding him. 'Who said that...?' He thought, then felt a chill run along his back. 'That almost sounded like that monster Hakon from before...!' A bright flash of light caused him to close his eyes and turn away, as he felt an unusual amount of heat, he opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw before him...
He knew instantly that he was in the living room of the Hinata-Sou, but what was once a peaceful setting for the tenants to gather and enjoy conversations was now ablaze in a raging fire. The furniture was in ruins, and the landlord's heart was suddenly filled with grief and anger as he saw the tenants scattered all over the room lifelessly, some barely recognizable throught their injuries.
"Good to see you again, Urashima." Keitaro turned and found Hakon standing a few feet away, dressed in his business attire. "When we say no one escapes the Syndicate, we mean it." The soul vampire grinned, crossing his arms before him.
"Why...?" Keitaro asked in disbelief.
"Because you turned down the gracious offer we provided..." Turning to his right, Keitaro found himself looking at Marik, who was playing with a pair of dice in one hand. "We were quite disppointed when you did that, as I hoped to settle this matter in a more civil manner..."
Taking a step back from the two Syndicate assassins, Keitaro gasped as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and found a sharp sword protruding from it. Looking weakily over his shoulder, he was shocked to see Kanako's bloodied face staring back at him...
"You killed us all..." Kanako whispered, a trail of blood running from her forehead.
"No... I didn't mean to..." Keitaro whimpered, and as his vision started fading, Kanako's face formed into that of Tsunari's samurai form, laughing maniacly as the last of the landlord's life was drained away...
Sitting up in his futon with a startled gasp, Keitaro realized that it had been a nightmare he was seeing. Wiping cold sweat from his brow, he looked over his side to see the sheathed black katana. Sighing, he took it up in his hands and looked it over for several long moments in silence.
"The cursed Hina blade..." Keitaro whispered, then watched as the weapon disappeared in a flash of lightning. "I just hope I don't have to use it more than necessary..." Dressing himself in a simple sweater and jeans for his chores later, he exited his room and made his way towards the dining room. As he arrived, he noticed that everyone else appeared to be lacking sleep like him, and decided to sit quietly to avoid being attacked by women on short fuses...
Breakfast was a quiet, if slow process. Even Shinobu's usually great cooking was missing her unique special touch, as her lack of rest seemed to take a toll on her as well. Just as he thought the morning would be quiet for a thankful change, Kanako decided to question Motoko on the reasoning behind the swordswoman's attack on the landlord. In mere short minutes the dining room degenerated into one large verbal fight, with Keitaro wincing at not only his headache, but from seeing his friends arguing with each other. As he tried to discreetly flee the battlefield, he felt a hand tugging on his sleeve, and turned to see Rei, who somehow escaped the group...
"What say we make for somewhere quieter?" Rei asked with a smile, to which the landlord smiled back with a nod...
Standing on the balcony of the dorm, beside a rack of clothes hung out to dry, Keitaro silently contemplated the recent events in his life. Rei stood nearby, dressed in a simple blue dress which reached her ankles and covered by a warm jacket. The two looked thankful for the escape from the chaos inside the dorm, as they soaked in the silent tranquility of the morning...
"Um... Miss Giovanni?" Keitaro decided to break the silence.
"Just Rei will do, Keitaro." The businesswoman replied with a smile. "You make me feel like I'm at a press conference by calling me that."
"Sorry..." The landlord scratched the back of his head. "Haruka's like that too, she says she's too young to be called 'Auntie' by me." This brought a lighthearted chuckle to the two.
"So, what's up?" Rei asked, leaning back against the railing and looking at the landlord.
"I've done a lot of thinking last night before going to sleep..." Keitaro replied, then looked back at Rei. "...And I think it'd be safer if you and your sister were to stay in the city instead of here..." Seeing her confused look, he sighed and decided to tell her of the recent attacks on the Hinata-Sou, and as he finished, he was surprised to see the businesswoman was smiling instead of being worried for her safety.
"So you're worried that a bunch of boogeymen with Hollywood special effects are going to hurt my sister and I?" Rei chuckled. "Thanks for your concern, but I think we can take care of ourselves..." She then returned to watching the scenery. "We always have weird fans and perverts stalking us, so we've taken some self-defense courses.... We'll be fine."
"Yeah, I suppose..." Keitaro sighed. "Although you'll probably join Naru and Motoko in sending me to orbit for something 'perverted' that I didn't do..." Unknown to him, the said swordswoman had made her way to the balcony for her morning practice, and was listening to the conversation from the bottom of the stairway. "I know they're not used to having a guy as the landlord... But they have a right to take it out on me, seeing as I've put them all in danger..."
"You're kidding me, right?" Rei raised an eyebrow at him, but inwardly knew that Motoko was listening in. "You can't be the good guy all the time, Keitaro..." She then shrugged. "But about Motoko... That's got to be scary to have someone coming after you with a sword..."
"It is, to be honest." Keitaro chuckled. "But she's been through a lot, just like me... And if anyone of the tenants can help me out, it'd be her..." He then smiled, causing the businesswoman to blink. "She's a strong and honorable person, and even if I do take a beating from her, I'd be happy if she could eventually tolerate me as a friend..."
"Well, I have a meeting to attend..." Rei smiled and ruffled the landlord's hair. "We'll chat again sometime!" As she walked away, she scowled inwardly at sensing the swordswoman's thoughts. Instead of flaring up the hatred she already bore towards Keitaro, Rei now sensed guilt and sympathy from Motoko towards the landlord. As the businesswoman walked past Motoko, the swordswoman remained still, deep in her own thoughts...
Quietly, the swordswoman made her way up the stairs and to the balcony, then called out to the landlord from a distance away. She winced slightly at seeing him jump in fright and try to explain himself, and thought back to the conversation she eavesdropped on earlier. 'He is a male...' She thought to herself. '...But yet, he has been nothing but honest and caring to each of us...' Feeling ashamed of her behaviour, she decided to apoligize to him.
"Urashima..." Motoko began. "I'm... I was hoping, if you would be interested in helping me train in the morning..." She then beat herself repeatedly in her mind. 'Idiot! You were supposed to apoligize!' She thought with a sigh, watching the landlord stare back at her. 'Now he'll think you just want a legitmate excuse to abuse him more...!'
"Actually, I wouldn't mind." Keitaro replied with a smile, surprising the swordswoman. "I do need to get back in shape..." He then stretched with a yawn. "But how about we begin tomorrow? I'm going to take a quick nap before getting on the chores..." Nodding, Motoko stepped aside and watched the landlord drag himself back inside the dorm with what little energy left.
'Keitaro Urashima...' Motoko thought to herself. 'Just when I thought all men are the same, you arrive...'
"Greetings, young Urashima." A deep voice greeted the landlord. "I finally have the honor of meeting you."
Opening his eyes, Keitaro realized that he must be in a dream once more. But where his previous dream was one surrounded of destruction, he found himself in a small office with a table and a businessman dressed in white, who smiled at him in a friendly manner. Looking around, Keitaro realized that the room had no exits save for the solid glass windows, and he wasn't too keen to find out whether a fall like that could be fatal even to him...
"Who are you...?" Keitaro asked, being careful to keep his distance.
"A negotiator, you might say..." The man smiled. "Unlike my fellow council members, I'm trying to get both parties involved to achieve benefits in the long run..." He then filled a cup with what appeared to be wine and offered it to the young landlord, who shook his head. "Well, shall we talk?"
"You're with the Syndicate that's been trying to kill me and my friends..." Keitaro narrowed his eyes at the man. "What makes you think that we have anything to talk about?"
"Because I alone decide whether your little Hinata-Sou burns to the ground with all of you in it." The man replied with a low growl, making Keitaro shudder slightly. The businessman suddenly brightened again, smiling as if nothing happened. "So please, sit and let's talk like civilized people." Gulping, the landlord complied and sat across from the businessman. "A vial of your blood, young Urashima. That's all we ask for." The businessman smiled. "No pain involved at all, and in return we'll provide you with everything you and your friends will ever need to live in luxury for life!"
"I can't..." Keitaro replied after a long moment of silence, surprising the businessman. "I don't know what you have planned with the serum. But I just won't be able to work with the people responsible for my parents' deaths and my friends' pain..." He then stood with a tired look. "Can I go now...?"
"Of course." The businessman nodded. "Though I was hoping we could come to an understanding..." And as the room began fading from Keitaro's view, the landlord heard a chuckle from the businessman. "Tell your sister that Michael Blade sends his greetings, it's been a long time since I last saw her..." Surprised, Keitaro wanted to ask about Kanako's relation to the murderous organization, but found himself alone in the darkness once more...
Sitting up with a gasp, Keitaro looked around to confirm that he was back in his room. As he began standing up, he looked down in surprise to see Kaolla with her hands and legs wrapped around him, whimpering in her sleep. As luck would have it, Naru opened the door to his room and stared for a moment, before she growled in anger and slammed her fist into his face with brutal force, sending him flying through the ceiling to land in the front yard.
"Wow, that Naru sure has a temper!" Naomi blinked in surprise, as she and Kitsune were just returning from a shopping trip when the landlord impacted into the ground in front of the pair.
"You don't know the half of it..." Kitsune grinned, then dragged Keitaro up to his feet. "Come along, ya perv! The three of us are going to the bar tomorrow, and you're paying!" The two women laughed as they carted him back into the dorm, dragging him along by his arms.
"Why me...?" Keitaro whimpered, before the door closed behind him.
Stacks of textbooks and papers scattered all about, Naru sat at the table in her room in her constant study for her entrance exam into Toudai. Sighing, she set her book down and took off her reading glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose wearily. She had been trying to keep her mind focused on her studies, but the lack of rest has been eating away at her, then there was the subject of her dorm's landlord...
"I could've sworn I've seen him before...!" Naru whispered to herself, then her eyes widened at a sudden memory flashback. An image of herself when she was a child, looking back at a young boy chasing after the moving van she was riding in...
'Wha... What was that...?' Naru blinked.
Night came for the Hinata-Sou, and eventually everyone retired to their rooms for the evening. Once again, nightmares began plaguing each of the tenants, trapping them in the grips of their deepest fears. Most of them were rolling restlessly in their sleep, but were unable to awaken from their dreams...
In the Giovanni sisters' room, Naomi could be seen sleeping soundly, her red lace lingerie barely covering her as she slept in her futon. All throughout the dorm the air was clear, yet felt thick to breathe or move through. But aside from Naomi, only one figure was unaffected by it all...
Rei stood on top of the Hinata-Sou's roof, her eyes glowing in a golden hue as she smiled up at the moon, which was nearly full. Crossing her arms inside of her soft blue sleeping kimono, her eyes flashed brightly for a second, causing each of the tenants to wince in their sleep.
"Pleasant dreams, fools..." Rei whispered with an evil smile. "You'll all beg to die by the time I'm through with you all..."
Like? No like? Please review!
I apoligize in advance for not being able to update like I normally would, but life decided to kick me while I was down several times... Anyhow, I hope you've enjoyed, and stay tuned for the next chapter!