Chapter thirteen (Ending two)

The morning seemed to roll off the tongue of the sky lazily, like a drop of ice cream that's quickly melting in the newfound heat. At first, all there was was a black sky, with the only evidence of morning being a few tendrils of early light, just now daring to peep their sleepy heads above the horizon, and Keitaro slept still. Slept, he did, but fitfully. He dreamt as he slept, and one would suppose, dear listener, that that was what troubled him. His dreams were full of pictures, and the pictures told him that he had much to be confused and sad about right now.

He was awake, or so he thought. On a beach, somewhere on the back of his left eyelid. He looked out over the water, taking in the beauty of a summer evening sky and drinking in the scent of fresh-fallen rain. He heard whispering footsteps, then, just to the left of him. He turned to see what was making them, and

The light in the sky was heavier now, and fuller. The sleepy, unsure tendrils of first-light were no longer individually distinguishable amongst the forest of morning that had sprung up. The tightly drawn curtains covering Keitaro's windows shut it all out, though, and still, Keitaro slept, tossing and turning about as he did so. If one were close enough to him at that point, dear listener, one would have heard him speaking as he tossed about, to someone

(something)

that wasn't really there, of course, but must have seemed real enough to our hero, who

realized that it was Naru, or at least some inner artist's rendering of her. She looked beautiful, almost regal. She was wearing a white flowing gown, and her feet were bound in crystal slippers right out of Cinderella. She crossed the remainder of the beach between her and him, and it was then that he noticed that it wasn't just Naru, although there was only one body in front of him. It began to speak, whatever it was.

"Keitaro. We don't care for you any longer. You've betrayed us both, now. Couldn't you see it in my eyes? I wanted you to tell me no. I wanted you to tell me to keep that baby, because I love you. That baby is a part of you, and you let me kill something I love. Why? You cheated me, Keitaro, you rutted with her like a dog that couldn't control itself. Was I that cruel to you, Keitaro? Was I really deserving of that?"

It spoke, and it continued to speak as if it hadn't stopped, but on a completely different subject. How was that possible? Midbreath it had changed from Motoko into Naru, that's how it was possible. He'd seen the thing's face mold itself from one to the other at the exact second that the subject changed. He opened his mouth to speak, and

Another moan escaped Keitaro's still-sleeping lips, and the sun was nearly fully risen. The other inhabitants were starting to stir, (save Kitsune, of course, who usually had a bit of a hangover to sleep off) and would soon be discovering the unpleasant fact of Motoko's departure. Shinobu, the first one awake, was making breakfast in the kitchen. She was in the midst of a happy daydream as she absently sprinkled tea into the pot, and the same as she boiled the water and mixed the wakeful brew that they all so loved. As they all so loved it, so she loved the subject of her daydream, that being a sleeping Keitaro. Su, just rolling out of her tree and springing back to consciousness, was completely absorbed

(for the moment, anyway)

by some future Keitaro-destroying invention, and by all other rights dead to the world. And when you get right down to it, dear listener, that would indeed be all the residents save Kitsune. Show pity now to Keitaro, left with three of his five constant companions. Show pity to he, who soon shall long for two loves lost. In spite of anything else,

nothing came out. He exhaled air, and a half-hearted attempt at a vowel or two, but didn't even get that far. She began before his saying anything to dissolve, like ice placed under extreme heat. The whole world indeed seemed to dissolve, and all of a sudden he found himself now

Awake. Keitaro, that sleeping beauty we're all so fond of, woke up, still senseless to the world but for his ears and sense of touch. The hour drew close to eleven of the clock, so he decided to get up and see if there was any breakfast left. He didn't remember having any dream this morning, nothing at all, let alone something emotionally damaging or notable. No, this was just a normal morning. Except it wasn't, not in the general way of things at this point, anyway.

No, this was a day of days. It stood out. Keitaro opened his eyes and discovered this, too. He looked to his right, where should have been a sleeping Motoko. Instead there was nothing. Nothing at all, not a sign that there'd been anyone there the previous night. (Well,) Keitaro's mind added sleepily, (Knowing Motoko, she'd definitely like a dramatic exit. Wait a second… Exit?)

Keitaro sat up, and his eyes told him what he already knew. He was alone on his futon, and there was but a small sheet of paper on the pillow where Motoko had lain last night. Bare hours ago they'd said they loved one another, and now he was left with this meager token. He picked it up, not really grasping the reality of the situation just yet, and as such, still calm.

Dearest Keitaro,

I cannot express how difficult this was for me, but I've given a lot of thinking to this decision, and I realize now that this has to be done. You might never forgive me for this, but even so, know that I hurt too. I didn't want it to be like this. I'm sorry.

Motoko

P.S. – Wait. You'll see her again.

Keitaro folded up the note, his movements very slow and deliberate. He crossed the room to his desk, opened a drawer, tucked the note carefully inside. He shut the drawer and went back to his futon. He sat on it, and stared at the wall. After a time, he spoke.

"You know, this has to be the lowest point of my life." The walls echoed his remark to noone lightly, and he smiled. "If that's the case, though, then it'll probably be all upwards from here. Maybe this will turn out for the better. Maybe fate will finally start paying me back for all the shitty deals it's set me up with."

(Ah, but these are not the doings of fate, they're yours.) Keitaro spun around at the sound before realizing that it was just his mind. Once again determined to make the worst of his situation. This time, it almost seemed to have a point, but Keitaro was in a different place right now. Later, this disguise would crack and he would fall apart, but for the moment, he was all right. He was okay. Now, dearest listener, you and I wait for that moment to end.

(London, England, 1:47 am local time)

The door to the small student flat swung open and closed quickly, and Annabelle Malley walked in, taking slow, deliberate steps so as not to wake her roommate, one Naru Narusegawa, recently transferred exchange student from Japan. Anna kept up her tiptoeing for about another five seconds before noticing Naru still awake, sitting at her desk with a gigantic textbook cradled in her arms like a baby. She looked exhausted.

"Naru, love? You're still awake?" Naru jumped a little, but turned around to greet her all the same.

"Ah, good evening Anna-san. I didn't hear you come in."

"No, that'd be because I figured you'd be asleep, and I'd have to tiptoe about so you wouldn't wake up. Why are you still studying, love? Why not get some rest?" Naru looked longingly at first her bed, then her roommate, and shook her head.

"I really can't, Anna-san. This book has to be four hundred pages long, and I've got to be finished it in three days." Naru waved her copy of "A treatise on the history of education" in Anna's direction and gave what she hoped at least resembled an apologetic sort of shrug. Anna looked at her in a way that suggested she was a bit on the daft side, as they said in England. Naru face-vaulted. Anna sat down next to her on the floor and began speaking in a concerned, almost maternal voice.

"Naru, love, that's crap. You and I both know this. You read like a demon, you'll be done it with five hours' work, at most. What's really on your mind, sweetie?" Naru only looked at her, wide-eyed, feeling all these months of grief and pain welling up and hating herself for it, for some reason not even she could fathom. When she didn't respond, Anna pressed on further. "In my opinion, anyone who throws themselves at their work like that considers it, on some level, to be the only thing they've got. You can talk to me, Naru. I care about you."

Anna's kind words pleaded with her, but she continued to resist for a moment. She didn't know why, she told herself. She didn't know why she kept this hidden; she liked Anna very much, thought she was a wonderful girl, didn't know what she'd do without her, why didn't she want to talk to her about this?

Then, in another second, she did.

"Keitaro!" It was all she could manage, for the moment. She burst into sudden tears, reaching out and clinging to Anna for support. Anna pulled her into a tight embrace, and began stroking her hair. She whispered in her ear.

"Shhhh… It's all right, love. It'll be all right. Shhhh…" She spoke, and Naru calmed down. Anna helped her up and brought her over to her bed. She laid her down on it, then fetched her desk chair and brought it over. She sat down, and further consoled her weepy friend until her crying had tapered off to sniffles. Naru finally found her voice again as it happened, and she spoke.

"Thanks, Anna-san. I really needed that."

"No worries, love. What else are friends there for, if not to console you during emotional breakdowns?"

"That wasn't a breakdown!" Anna giggled.

"Well, maybe not, but it was a lot of hurt coming out at once. So while we're on the subject, who's Keitaro?"

"Well," Naru responded, a faraway look coming into her eyes, "I guess I'd better start at the beginning, ne?"

(Hinata City, Japan, 11:14 am local time)

Shinobu was up late today, even for a Saturday, so upon getting out of the bath, she made straight for the kitchen, meaning to perform another one of her conjuring tricks in which she turned ordinary ingredients into something nearly arcane in its sublimity. She shook her head. (I've really got to stop taking these advanced literature courses,) Shinobu thought, (They're even starting to affect the way I think.) She laughed at the notion, and continued towards the kitchen.

Passing the stairs, she saw her favourite sempai descending them. She stopped and turned towards him, and was struck by what she saw. Keitaro's eyes were streaming tears, but he was smiling. He staggered as he walked; his movements were oddly jerky, like someone was pulling him along by strings that didn't really know the finer points of the skill.

"Keitaro-sempai? Are you okay?" Keitaro turned in her direction and stopped walking. His smile grew wider as he swiped at his eyes furiously with both hands.

"Never better, Shinobu-chan. Never better. Is anyone else up yet?"

"Su's out, said something about a shipment of bananas that she needed to pick up, and I think Kitsune's bathing. I'm not sure where Motoko or Haruka are. Why?" Keitaro took her arm, causing her to blush a thousand shades of red at once, and began to lead her towards the kitchen.

"Well then, I guess it'll be breakfast for three, then. What would you like?"

"Sempai, I don't mind making…"

"I know you don't, but I'd like to treat you all today. You don't mind, do you?" Shinobu shook her head, and the two continued walking. Shinobu still felt apprehensive, though. She knew something wasn't right with Keitaro today, and she needed to know what it was. Before she got a chance to ask him anything, though, he was busily putting together breakfast, and she was standing alone in the dining room.

Keitaro chopped up each vegetable quickly, not caring about his fingers or the regularity of the pieces. He was still trying to suppress all the hurt and anger he was feeling now, determined to not let it get to him. He had taken Kami knows how many lumps before, and he could take this one. He was, after all, the invincible Keitaro Urashima. He could handle it. He was sure of it.

The breakfast-making proceeded without incident, and by the time it was finished, Keitaro looked almost normal again. The wild movements and look about him had disappeared, and he had a splendid breakfast laid out on the table. At that moment, Su and Kitsune entered the dining room, one stumbling and groggy-looking, the other bright and chippur, carrying a huge burlap sack that had Spanish writing on it.

"Ohayoo to you two," Keitaro said, smiling, "Breakfast is ready if either of you two want any." Su grinned and shook her head, opening the sack and presenting its contents to the three before her.

"I'm okay on the food front, Keitaro. Look! Fifty pounds of the freshest South American bananas, and they're all mine! Nya ha ha!" Keitaro gaped.

"Where'd you get all those?!"

"I didn't steal them, that's for sure." Everyone face-vaulted, and Su skipped happily away, humming a song to herself and eating her way through her booty. The rest of the crowd sat down to eat, and the next hour or so passed without incident.

(London, England, 4:32 am local time)

"…So after that happened, I just left. I packed my things, told him I never wanted to see him again, and went home. I tried doing correspondence courses for a while, but that was just so nerve-wracking that I couldn't do it. An old professor friend of mine heard about my dilemma, though, and recommended me for the exchange program, so now I'm here."

Naru fell silent for the first time in nearly three hours. Her throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper that malicious smokers had been striking matches off for days. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from both crying and fatigue. Her hair was disheveled. Her roommate looked more composed, but no less tired. It was nearly sunrise. Silence reigned for moments, and then Anna stepped in with a coup de temps.

"Naru… Wow." It was all she could think to say. She had asked her friend what was bothering her, and had gotten something that could have been called 'Life at the Hinata-sou; a brief history of the last five years.' It was unbelievable, all the things she'd gone through with this guy. (And,) Anna's mind added, (That he stayed with her for as long as he did, while being treated like that. I love this girl, but still, that's just harsh…) She continued. "That Keitaro guy sounds incredible." Naru smiled, and it was a deeply compassionate, thoughtful smile.

"He really is, you know. I don't think there's been a time when he's willfully hurt me in the five years we'd known each other except that one night."

"You sound like you really miss him."

"…I do. I miss him more than anything in the world."

"Call him, then." Naru silently considered this for a moment, then Anna stood up, stretched, and gave a bone-cracking yawn. "Oi, would you look at that. We've nearly talked the night away, love. I'm going to bed. Think about it."

Anna retreated to her room, and within minutes, Naru could hear her snoring. She could hear him, but the noise was just another noise to her right now. All she could really hear was those three words that Anna had said. (Call him, then. Why not? What do you have to lose? Call him, tell him you miss him. Maybe you'll feel better.) She stood up, meaning to go to bed and call him when she woke up, and then realized that it was drawing close to two o' clock back home at the Hinata-sou right now. What better time? She walked over to the phone and dialed.

(Hinata City, Japan, 1:36 pm local time)

Breakfast had been over for a little while now, and since twelve noon had come and gone, Kitsune was into her Sake again. The Saturday races were on the television, a bottle of her favourite was in her right hand, and a betting slip in her left. The phone rang just as the horses were starting their final lap, and Kitsune rolled her eyes.

"GUYS, SOMEONE GET THE PHONE!!" He shouted her plea to the house, and was greeted with nothing. She nearly whimpered. She didn't want to get up. She wanted to see how the race ended. Ring, ring. It couldn't, wouldn't be ignored. She yelled again. "GUYS, PLEASE?! I'M BUSY!" Nothing. Ring, ring. The horses had finished half their lap, and the phone still rang insistently. She sighed, defeated, and walked over to pick it up.

"Moshi moshi. This had better be good." She heard a faint crackle of static, and suddenly knew who it was, although the only reply she'd gotten was heavy breathing. "Oh jeez, Naru, I'm sorry. I thought you weren't calling for another two days, hon! What's up?"

"Kitsune, is Keitaro around?" Kitsune was awestruck. She had not only said the dreaded K-word herself, she had actually asked if he was there. What did this mean, then?

"Yeah, I think he's in his room. Why, hon? Change your mind about speaking to him, did ya?"

"Maybe. Go get him, could you please?"

"Naru, isn't it, like, five in the morning in England right n—"

"Kitsune, please? I know what time it is, I just need to speak to Keitaro."

"Okay, okay, I'll go get him." Kitsune put the phone down, and then walked upstairs to fetch the man of the hour. She knocked on his door. He opened it, looking a bit disheveled. His eyes were slightly red-rimmed, like he'd been crying, but Kitsune was anxious to get back to the races, so she made no remark. She said what she needed to, simply, then left the way she'd came. "Keitaro, the phone's for you."

He went downstairs. He picked up the small piece of pink plastic that would connect his ear and mouth to the waiting ear and mouth of whoever it was. He posed a shaky greeting.

"Hello?"

"Keitaro?"

"…Naru?"

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, Keitaro, I just needed to tell you something. I really—"

"Naru, oh Kami, Naru, I've missed you so much. Please come home, Naru, I need you." It was all he could manage before crying some more, like he'd been doing on and off all day. He took a deep breath, and told her everything.

End Chapter thirteen (Ending two)

((Hey guys! Minh here. I'm sorry I forgot about you all for so long, but the start of university was really something else. I stopped writing Fan fiction entirely for a little while there, but I recently picked this one up again, itching to get the last of the Kei/Naru ending out. I hope you guys like what I've got for you, and I promise that I'll continue regularly updating this until it's done.

Now… What was it I used to say at the end of my author's notes? Oh yeah!

REVIEW, PLEASE!:D ))