Chapter fourteen (Ending one)

The train went over a small bump in the road. Motoko opened her eyes. Looked around. Remembered where she was.

"We will be arriving in Kyoto in approximately half an hour. Please have your tickets ready if you wish to disembark there. Thank you for choosing Japanese National Rail, and have a nice day." The voice coming from the speakers above her head only accentuated the point, and fear grasped her by the back of her neck with icy, laughing fingers. It loved the reaction its touch evoked in her.

It was Friday, that fateful day when they had left the Hinata-sou together to go see Tsuruko. To ask her blessing on their marriage. Marriage! The word still seemed strange and foreign to her. She looked down at her left hand and saw Keitaro's ring; it was still there, and shining. She eased it off of her finger and held it up to the light. It glimmered at her; seeming to say, "Don't worry so much, baka. It'll be all right." Motoko smiled. It was Keitaro we were talking about, after all. Her Keitaro. Her love. Her smile grew wider, and she closed her eyes, meaning to sleep for that extra half-hour. She'd need all the energy she could muster when she finally faced Tsuruko. Marriage or no marriage, baby or no baby, her sister was bound to take the news that she would no longer be continuing Shinmeiryuu badly.

(London, England, 9:00 pm local time)

"Naru, hon, are you coming to the club with us or not?" Naru glanced up from the text she had been reading, 'A brief history of Early Childhood Education'. ('Brief,' my ass.) Naru thought with a touch of frustration. The book had to be four hundred pages long, and it was so boring she could almost cry. She looked at the person standing in front of her. Annabelle Malley, twenty years old. Her roommate at Middlesex University, and really the only person she felt remotely close to in this entire country. She looked back at her book and grimaced.

"I really can't, Anna. I've got the rest of this book to read by tomorrow for the noon lecture. I'll be screwed if I'm not finished it." Annabelle sighed, looking disappointed, and opened the door, turning as if to leave. Naru went right on reading about the behaviours expected of early childhood educators of the 1940's. When she didn't hear the door shut after a minute or two, she looked up again. Annabelle was still there. Her coat was hung up, and her shoes were off. She was wearing an expression of caring and concern on her face, and when she noticed Naru had looked up again, she walked over to the couch and sat down next to her.

"You and I need to have a little chat, love." Annabelle said. Naru looked nonplussed.

"About what, Anna?"

"About you. You arrive here mysteriously two months ago, barely say two words to anyone except me the whole time, and you never leave your room except to go to class and eat. You throw yourself at your work like it's the only thing in the world you have; in my opinion anyone who works like that has some serious baggage they'd be better off without. So, spill." Naru stared at her, eyes as wide as dinner plates. She did feel close to this girl, but she realized that she'd not told her a whole hell of a lot about herself. Her surprise stemmed from this in bulk; the fact that she hadn't said anything definitive about herself and the other fact, this being that Annabelle had somehow gleaned it from her behaviour anyway.

"I really d-don't know what you're on about, Anna-chan," Naru said, reverting to Japanese for part of her sentence in her nervousness, "I'm just fine. I'm only trying to do well on my studies." Naru hadn't even noticed the slip back to Japanese, and thought her reply had been convincing and genuine. She smiled, trying to complete the illusion. Annabelle was looking at her like she was a very small, very stupid child. Naru face-vaulted.

"Yeah, um, I might have believed that if I was three... not to mention autistic." Annabelle helped her up, grinning. "I knew there was something wrong. You should just tell me about it. You know, get it off your chest and all that. You'll feel better, honest." Naru looked over at her, and opened her mouth. Shut it again. Tears pricked at her eyes suddenly, and when she opened her mouth again, she sobbed.

"Kei... Keitaro!" It was all she could say. She suddenly reached out for Anna, and, finding her arms, leaned into them and cried. She didn't even know why she was crying. Being around so much constant moral support at the Hinata-sou, and then coming to this place where she knew next to noone had made the offer of such support so foreign to her that Anna's kindness had really touched a nerve, she supposed. She lay there, head resting on Anna's lap for a few minutes, and cried. Anna stroked her hair, and said nothing.
Eventually, Naru's tears had tapered off to dry sniffles and occasional dabs at the corners of her eyes. She rolled on to her back, and saw Anna's face looking down at her. Light was reflecting off her hair. (Her hair looks so much like Motoko's...) Naru thought. (If Anna were Japanese, she and Motoko would look a lot alike.) It was true. Anna was tall, slim, and very pale, with eyes the colour of purple velvet and long, very straight black hair. A beautiful girl, also an extremely caring girl, as Naru had discovered. She would have felt very much at home at the Hinata-sou. The hanging face spoke.

"There, now... Do you feel better, Naru?" She nodded.

"Yeah... Thanks, Anna. I really needed that."

"Not a problem at all. Now; who's Keitaro?" Naru face-vaulted. She still hadn't told her anything. Naru took a deep breath, and paused. How should she tell her this?

"Well... I guess I'd better start at the beginning, ne?"

(JNR train #278, Tokyo to Kyoto, 12:30 pm local time)

"Last call for disembarking passengers at Kyoto train station, this is the last call. Please have your tickets ready as you exit the train. Thank you again for choosing JNR for your travel needs."

"Motoko-chan, wake up! This is our stop!" Motoko opened her eyes, and found herself staring into two large, chocolate-brown orbs. Keitaro's eyes. She smiled, then leaned in and kissed him. Keitaro blushed slightly, and then leaned back and extended his hand to her. She took it, and stood up. Keitaro turned and hefted up their luggage. They stepped off the train into the afternoon sunshine after giving their ticket stubs to a gruff, unfriendly train conductor.

The weather was unseasonably warm for Kyoto at this time of year. The afternoon sunlight washed over the two lovers, and hand in hand, they set off for the Shinmeiryuu dojo. The hike was a long one, and took them quite a ways out of the city of Kyoto itself. Along the way, they passed a small stand on the corner of a dirt road. It was a simple affair, home-made from local wood, and there was an old woman and man sitting behind it on comically tall stools. The two looked to be selling vegetables and other things of that sort. At that moment, Keitaro's stomach decided to wake up and start clamouring for some food.

"Motoko-chan... Ano, would you like to get something to eat here?" Motoko nodded in agreement, and the two approached the little food vendors, hand in hand.

"Konnichiwa, young ones," The old woman said, leaning forward ever so slightly in a bow of acknowledgement.

"Hai, konnichiwa to you. What can we do for you today?" The old man followed suit, looking the two of them over as he did so. He put a hand to his chin and seemed to be pondering something as Keitaro replied.

"I'd like a slice of watermelon and two rice balls, please. Motoko-chan, what would you like?" before Motoko got a chance to open her mouth, the two elders jumped off their stools and gasped in amazement.

"Ah! I knew you looked familiar!" exclaimed the woman.

"Yes, of course! You're Motoko Aoyama, by the kami! Home after all these years!" the old man said. Keitaro was taken quite aback, but it seemed that Motoko had come to a realization of her own. She bowed deeply before the two.

"Ah! Gomenasai for not recognizing you earlier, honoured elders." The two laughed at this, and the old woman spoke again.

"Worry not, Motoko-chan, I didn't expect you to. It's been a good many years since we've seen you around these parts. What brings you home, my dear?" Motoko straightened up, and took Keitaro by the hands, fairly dragging him over to the pair.

"This... this is Keitaro, my fiancé. We're returning to the Shinmeiryuu dojo to ask my sister's blessing on our marriage. Keitaro," she said, pointing in turn to each of the two before him, "This is Yuri-sama, and this is Kenji-sama. They were once masters of the Shinmeiryuu dojo themselves, but retired years before I was born. They're very highly regarded around here." Motoko smiled. It had been years indeed since she'd seen these two. They had been like surrogate grandparents to her and Tsuruko after their parents had died. Keitaro bowed to each of them in turn, and they returned the gesture. Yuri smiled, and kissed Keitaro on his forehead when he bowed to her.

"Keitaro, you said your name was?"

"Hai, Yuri-sama. Keitaro Urashima."

"Well, if little Motoko-chan is getting married to you, then that makes you a wonderful, honourable man in my book. Please, take whatever you wish from our stand, and then hurry on to the dojo. Tsuruko must hear this news!"

The two thanked the old couple profusely, then proceeded to fix themselves a sort of picnic basket from the choice selection offered. They bid them farewell, then continued down the path toward the school, with Keitaro oddly silent all of a sudden. After walking for about fifteen minutes with neither of them having said a word, Motoko stopped, and turned to Keitaro.

"Keitaro-kun, why are you so silent all of a sudden?" Keitaro jumped. He had been woolgathering again, and her voice had startled him. He put an arm behind his head and did his best to look natural.

"N-no real reason, Motoko-chan. I was simply admiring the... the beautiful view!" Motoko tilted her head to one side and gave him a slightly exasperated look.

"Yes, of course you were. You did notice that we're walking on a barren path, flanked on both sides by a grotesque swamp, didn't you?" Keitaro face-vaulted, then looked around him. It was true. The view around them was nothing short of horrendous. Clouds of insects buzzed around the two of them, and the air was growing greyer by the minute as clouds covered more and more of the sky. He tried again.

"Okay, so maybe I wasn't admiring the view. I was just thinking, Motoko-chan, that's all.

"About what?" Motoko pressed him further. There could be no serious doubts at this point, or the two of them were finished. Tsuruko had an extremely keen sense of what other people were feeling. If she sensed doubt or hesitance in Keitaro when they went to ask her blessing, she might very well kill him where he stood rather than give it.

"About... Oh, everything. You, me. What we're about to do. What everyone else is going to say when we tell them those rings really aren't just a present between lovers." Motoko giggled at that. She herself severely doubted that anyone living at the Hinata-sou really thought that that's what they were. It was painfully obvious what their real purpose was, in spite of the foreign tradition.

"I sense somehow, that your worries go a little past what you've just told me, Keitaro-kun."

"Aah, you've got me there. I'm... Motoko, I'm terrified. Your sister is the single scariest person I've ever met in my life, and considering what I go through on a daily basis living at the Hinata-sou, that's quite a tall statement, wouldn't you say?"

"Keitaro-kun," Motoko said, putting a hand to Keitaro's shoulder in a gesture of support, "I'll agree with you that Tsuruko is... a very imposing person, but she's not going to

(kill)

hurt you, or anything. If she gets angry at all, it will be with me. I promise. Now, clear your mind of all doubt. We've got to go in there believing in what we tell her, or..." Motoko trailed off. She realized that what she was about to say was an inherent contradiction of what she'd just said.

"...Or bad things will happen." Keitaro finished her sentence for her, summing up her thoughts nicely, albeit a little sanitized. Motoko smiled.

"Exactly. Now, let's continue on. The dojo is coming up around the next bend." Motoko took his hand, and they walked down the winding path again.

(London, England, 12:00 am local time)

"...And so that would be about the time that I left the Hinata-sou. I came to England on the Tokyo University student exchange program about a month later." Naru fell silent for the first time in almost three hours. Her throat felt like sandpaper, and her eyes were red from fatigue and crying. She'd just finished telling Anna not only the story of what had happened between her and

(that baka, and HER, that whore)

Keitaro and Motoko, but her whole history at the Hinata-sou. Anna was looking at her in amazement.

"Naru, love... Wow. That's one hell of a story." Anna meant it, too. Her eyes, her whole expression was a testament to the veracity of her words. She put a hand out and touched Naru's cheek. "That Keitaro guy sounds like he's really nice."

"He... He is, really. Except for that one instance, I don't think there's ever been a time that he's knowingly hurt me in the five years I've known him. He used to do things for me all the time that were painful as anything for him, but he did them anyway. He did them because he thought they would make me feel better."

"You know, I think you should definitely consider talking to him again. You know, just give him a jingle, as they say around these parts." Naru laughed. Anna smiled at her, then looked at the clock and started a bit. "Oi, would you look at that. We've gone and talked the whole night away. I'm going to bed. Classes start early tomorrow. You should get some sleep too, hon."

"Yeah, I guess 'A brief history of early childhood education' will have to wait 'til tomorrow, ne?" Anna nodded, and laughed.

"Goodnight, Naru."

"Goodnight." She got up and walked over to her bed. She lay down, and soon enough, Naru could hear snoring. Naru didn't sleep for a few hours, herself. All she could think about was Keitaro, how much she wanted to

(kiss, hold, love, snuggle, keep forever)

see him again. There was so much time she'd missed. Was she right in having come here? Was she? It felt right most of the time, but after tonight, she just didn't know...

(Shinmeiryuu dojo, 5:30 pm local time)

Motoko and Keitaro approached the long stone steps of the Shinmeiryuu dojo after rounding the last corner in the winding road. Motoko was apprehensive, though she didn't know why. She was right in her feelings, however, as was soon revealed.

"Long time no see, Motoko-han." The pair jumped as Tsuruko's voice, soft and with a hint of laughter as always, drifted towards their waiting ears from behind one of the two tall trees flanking the start of the steps. She stepped out; resplendent as ever even in her gi and hamaka, and walked over to the two of them who were still frozen on the spot from her unexpected appearance. Motoko gulped, and prepared herself.

"Konbanwa, ane-ue. I, er... wasn't expecting to run into you here." Motoko could have slapped herself. What the hell was she expecting, exactly? It was difficult if not impossible to visit Tsuruko without her somehow getting wind of it beforehand. Tsuruko smiled, and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. A friendly hand, so it may have appeared to the observer, but Motoko felt an entirely different sensation course through her. Her sister's grip was firm, and as she looked into her eyes, she saw a hint of whatever creature her sister became when she was angry. Like the time she'd been punished for freezing in front of that horrible

(turtle)

demon. Motoko gulped.

"Ano... who were you expecting to meet here, Motoko-han?" Tsuruko laughed, like the tinkling of chimes. She turned to Keitaro.

"Urashima-san, I think you'd better wait here. I've got to speak to my sister about something in private. I'll send someone to fetch you when we've finished." Keitaro nodded vigourously, and found himself a seat on a nearby rock. He looked slightly relieved to be out of the fire for now, but as he turned to Motoko his expression was one of pure sympathy. (She knows,) Motoko thought, (HOW does she know? How is that possible?) She didn't have time to contemplate this any further, however. Tsuruko took her arm, and led her up the stairs. Somewhat forcefully, in fact.

After a few minutes of slightly hurried walking, they reached the dojo itself. Tsuruko led her inside, and into a small room that she recognized as the old beginner's classroom that she and Tsuruko had once been educated in. There was a fine sheen of dust over everything, and it looked like it hadn't been used in years. Tsuruko lit a lamp, and coughing a little from the dust, she sat. Said nothing. Motioned for Motoko to sit in front of her. She complied.

"Well, Motoko-han. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to explain everything that has transpired in the last three months. I don't want you to even attempt to deceive me; I already know more than I'd like to." Tsuruko's face was set in a grim expression, and Motoko began to actually be fearful for her life. Her sister, when angered, was absolutely terrifying, and she thought that this time, maybe, she'd gone just far enough for her sister to want her dead. She gulped, and opened her mouth to speak, but Tsuruko put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Think well before you speak, Motoko-han. Do not rush yourself; you must tell me everything."

"Ane-ue, please..." Motoko said, growing a little tearful, "Please don't hurt me or Keitaro-kun." Her sister's expression did not change.

"Tell me everything, Motoko-han, otherwise I cannot promise you that." Her face hardened. Motoko caught a sob in the back of her throat, and swallowed it. She began her story. She told her everything, starting with the night on the roof, going through the morning after, the dreary, hopeless months that had followed, and her confession to Keitaro. She told her of the wonderful way he'd made her feel, and the support and love they now were accustomed to drawing from one another. She told her about the other resident's reactions to the news, and of their journey here, stopping when she and Keitaro had reached the bottom of the stairs. When Motoko finally fell silent, her sister had tears in her eyes.

"Ane-ue? What's wrong? Have I angered you? Oh kami, please, please spare my worthless life! My baby's life! ANE-UE, I BEG YOU, PLEASE—" Tsuruko held up a hand for silence, and the now near-hysterical Motoko closed her mouth with a conscious effort. Tears she was barely aware of were running down her face as twin waterfalls, and she lowered her head. Waited to feel the sting of her sister's sword...

It never came. Instead, she felt a hand caress the back of her neck, and her sister embraced her. After a moment, she returned the embrace, and wept into her sister's shoulder. Tsuruko let it remain as such for a few minutes, and then spoke. Very softly, very calm.

"Motoko-han... my dear, sweet sister. I'm sorry for scaring you as I must have, but I had to have the truth out of you, ne? You've tried to deceive me in the past, and due to the seriousness of the matter, I had to be sure that you wouldn't. Gomenasai." Motoko was incredulous. Her sister was... having her on? This had been an act? She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or punch her sister in the face. She settled on option number four: do nothing and wait for Tsuruko to speak again. "I know you probably would love to hit me right now, but wait. I knew about the baby and the marriage as soon as Yuri- and Kenji-sama arrived to tell me." Motoko pulled back a little to gawk at her.

"They... How did they know about the baby? I never mentioned it to them!" Tsuruko laughed.

"Well, Motoko-han, they are much more in tune with the ki signature of a human body than we are. I doubt I would have noticed the baby myself, had I not known. They knew as soon as you two approached them, however. They saw the emotional bond between you two; anyone would have seen that, but they also saw something very strange coming from you. Like a second energy, so in tune with your own it's near impossible to pick out. Kenji-sama called it 'A buttercup in a field full of sunflowers,' if that gives you any idea." Motoko nodded.

"So... Kenji-sama and Yuri-sama told you of that... Then why did you not simply confront me with the information?"

"Because, Motoko-han, I wanted to see if you would be honest with me. In a matter such as this, there can be no room for deceit, especially not of one's own family. You were honourable and you told the truth, even though you feared I would kill you for it. By the way, you may put that worry out of your mind; I've no wish to hurt either of you." Motoko was once again struck dumb. She had admitted to committing immoral and improper acts, and her sister was almost approving of it!

"Ane-ue, am I not to be punished for committing such a horrible—" Tsuruko put a finger to her lips once more.

"Motoko-han, let me tell you something. I know you love Keitaro, and I know that you've loved him for a long time. That duel we had on the beach, do you remember?" Motoko nodded. She'd very nearly confessed to him then. "I told you then I didn't care if you succeeded at swordswomanship, education, or romance, as long as you succeeded at something, ne?" Motoko nodded again, eyes wide. "Well, here you are. You still train yourself rigorously, you're a second-year student of Tokyo university who's not doing too badly, and you're marrying the man you love. That's something to be proud of, ne?"

"But... but I have brought dishonour on our family's name! I am pregnant and unmarried, such is immoral!"

"Motoko-han... I got pregnant before I married as well, did you know that?" Now Motoko knew she was dreaming. Had to be. How could any of this really be happening? She pinched her arm. It hurt. Tsuruko laughed. "No, you're not dreaming. It's true. I married Tenji a week later, though, so nobody was the wiser... except, I think, for Yuri- and Kenji-sama, and even to this day they will not admit to it." Tsuruko smiled. "So, while it's not exactly something to broadcast to the world, I think it's honourable and commendable that you two are going to make such large personal sacrifices to give your child the best life you can. I am proud of you, Motoko-han."

Tsuruko had tears in her eyes now, and Motoko could feel her own welling back up. She hugged her sister, and after a second, Tsuruko pulled away, eyes dry once more. "Now, Motoko-han, let's get Keitaro in here, and we can discuss plans for the wedding ceremony!" Motoko smiled. Maybe, just maybe, things were going to be all right. Only time would tell.

End chapter fourteen (Ending one)

((Well guys, my longest chapter yet and only ONE MORE TO GO in ending one, plus the epilogue where everyone's happy. [yes, that includes Naru. How? You'll see. :P]

Ending two will undoubtedly be shorter than this one, but not by that much, putting my estimate for the final length of the story at roughly 35,000-50,000 words.

I think I'll tease you all now by telling you my intended title for chapter fifteen: NARU'S RETURN. :D

Anyway, bye for now, and as I always say:

PLEASE REVIEW!

Min))