Chapter 2

Loss, Regret, and Self Reflection

Disclaimer: I don't own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.

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As seen through Motoko's eyes.........

She tried to force herself to stand, to force herself to continue, to force herself to defeat her sister, but the energy was gone. She had used too much to defeat that cursed sword, to save Keitaro. And now that the sword was once again sealed, he found out how little energy was left in her. It took all of the little energy that she had left to push herself off the ground, and use Tsuruko's sword as a crutch.

Then she looked over at Keitaro. He had pulled himself up, trying to stand in a fighting position, even with the cast still on his leg. Even though the sword had not taken any of his life force (a thought she currently had to smile about, after all, how powerful would that sword have been if it had taken the life force of the immortal Keitaro), he still looked tired. His outfit was badly torn, and she suspected the cast itself was barely keeping itself together. Beside him laid the empty satchel Su had given him, its bombs and tricks quickly used against Tsuruko, and failed.

Then he rushed her sister, as fast as his bad leg would let him. He swung his fist wildly and even managed to launch a few kicks that would have even made Su proud. But Tsuruko simply dodged each one, and then backhanded Keitaro, sending him skidding along the ground. He lay still for a few moments, and then tried to stand again, only to have Tsuruko kick his bad leg out from under him.

She could here his panting, even from this far away. He's exhausted. There is now way he can stand up against her, and he is still trying. And all I can do is crotch here, trying to maintain consciousness, all ready beaten.

"NO!"

She turned back to Keitaro. "NO!" he said again. "I will not give up, I will not fail Motoko, I will not allow someone I care about to suffer."

Then her thoughts returned to what she said before she ran away from him the previous night. 'Would it really be so bad?'

Yes. If we lose, I have to give up the sword, I have to marry him, I have to be someone everyone thinks I can't be.

Her thoughts were quickly stopped when she saw her sister put her foot on Keitaro's chest. She had missed her knocking him back to the ground again. "I will ask you again, do you yield?"

Keitaro had both his hands on her leg, trying to move it, his eyes burning with hatred, but even Motoko could see all of his energy was gone. And her sister, she just kept coming.

"Ane-ue, stop, we.....we yield."

Then she caught Keitaro's eyes. His hands were still on her sister's leg, where they had been trying to remove it from his chest. But his eyes, they looked at her, pleading to let him continue, let him try and help her, let him try and defeat her sister. "No, Motoko, we can still win."

But she stared back at him, trying to hide the tears that were straining to fall. "No, we can't. If we continue on Keitaro, you will be hurt more than you already are, we don't have the energy left to fight her. I...I'm sorry."

The tears couldn't be held back anymore.

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From the eyes of Naru......

NO!!!!!

Her mind screamed out, trying to make her voice respond, but her voice remained silent. They can't lose. Keitaro can't lose. If they lose, then that means...that means...

She never finished that thought. She just stared at where the battle had been. She never watched as Tsuruko helped her sister and Keitaro over to the wedding shrine. She barely turned her head towards it as the ceremony itself was preformed.

And no one noticed as the tears began to fall down her face.

It's...it's over. They're married. She tried to stand up, but found her legs wouldn't work, as paralyzed as her voice box had been. She wanted to run away, to run to him, to proclaim that they couldn't do this, because she and Keitaro were meant to be together. But she just sat there, the tears running down her face, her heart trying not to break and shatter in her chest.

Later on, she watched as Motoko and Keitaro both helped each other into the house. She looked in Motoko's eyes and thought for a moment how sad those eyes were. She risked everything on this fight, everything that made Motoko Motoko. Keitaro risked everything as well, to help her out. And they lost.

Her mind drifted back to last night. She had found Keitaro, after watching Motoko run from him. She was about to pound him for making Motoko sad, but then she saw his eyes, saw how much he was in pain. She had asked him what had happened. He simply played it off, saying he wished Motoko luck on the challenge tomorrow, but that she was still unsure of herself.

It was then that Naru asked him why he was doing this, why he was helping Motoko like this. He simply stated that she was a dear friend to him, like all the girls of Hinatasou. He cared for all of them. Then he talked to her about what Motoko had been like when her sister defeated her the first time, when she had been stripped of being a warrior. He said if he could help her gain back her fire, her passion for being alive, he would do that. He would do that for any of them. Then he just walked off.

That talk was the only reason why she wasn't mad at any of them right now for the challenge, why she didn't hate Keitaro for failing, why she didn't hate Motoko for stealing her love away. But she couldn't even direct her rage at Tsuruko for some odd reason. That just left one place for her rage to go.

Herself.

She could only blame herself for not telling him she loved him when he confessed to her. She had been too confused about how she felt towards him, and now she realized that might be why she hit him so much. She had been the one to tell Tsuruko that she had no problem if Keitaro ended up married to Motoko. She had been the one to do nothing as the man she loved was forced into a marriage. But now she realized she hated herself most because she had lost him, perhaps forever.

She never noticed when Tsuruko helped her up, and walked her into the front room. She didn't even notice as the girl left, a solitary tear riding down her face.

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As seen through Motoko's eyes.........

The walk to the train station had been a blur. She had surrendered to her sister to stop Keitaro from being hurt anymore. Last night, she had thought about this very moment, seeing herself as happy. She may have lost the sword, but she still had him, and she knew he would treat her with respect, dignity, and most of all, allow her to do what she was ready to do.

But that all left her as her sister placed the rings on their fingers, as the reality of it began to sink in. She was married now. She had lost the sword now. And she might never get them back.

And then her sister said the one thing that shattered what little of that dream she had left. "Now Motoko, be a good little wife now."

Her mind then began to focus on all the things she had never thought of. Her mind drifted to what she new traditional wives were like, how they obeyed their husband's commands, no matter how humiliating or perverted. And then that made her think of the one thing she had never thought about when she dreamed of her possible marriage to Keitaro.

Sex.

Then every perverted thought she ever believed Keitaro to be like popped up in her head. She had even thought of how he might try to have his way with her on their wedding night, and how her honor would stop her from resisting him. No, if he tries any of that, I'll simple attack him with...

She had forgotten; she was no longer a warrior, only a wife. She would follow whatever he told her to do. She couldn't bring any more dishonor than she already had.

It was then that she noticed that he was calling her name. "Yes honored husband?"

She looked at him, and was only then that she realized how hard she was holding onto his arm, how afraid she was that he might just disappear if she ever let him go, leaving her all alone, with no one.

"I will find a way for you to be happy Motoko but there are some things I need you to do first." He looked at her with compassion in his eyes. For a moment, she forgot that they were married, forgot what he 'might' do to her. But still in her mind, she had to be the traditional dutiful wife.

"What do you desire of me honored husband"

"First off, you will never call me honored husband again. From this point on, you will refer to me as Keitaro, Urashima, or even hey you, but never as honored husband. Second, you will not from this point on, consider death as an option. I remember how you reacted the first time she beat you, and I do not wish to lose you. You will live. Third, I want you to stop thinking that you must act like a dutiful wife. I liked the way you were before this all started, and do not wish for you to act any other way. If I do something wrong, I wholeheartedly expect you to use a move on me and send me flying about town. These are what I ask of you, they may not be what you wish, but they are what I demand. I do not wish for you to be anything than what I have come to know you as."

Then she realized it. That Keitaro was not the type of man to do anything to her that she did not want. He was a decent man, who always tried to be his best. 'Would it really be so bad?' No. Keitaro would never hurt me. He cares for me too much to try and harm me in any way. It might not be so bad. "If this is what my husband wishes of me, than I cannot deny him."

She grabs his arm tighter. The fear that he might disappear increasing slightly. She was truly afraid he would disappear if she let go. Hope that he would be the same man he had always been and the look in his eyes did something Motoko had not felt for a while.

She felt needed.

With that, she buried her head in his chest, and cried. It was all she could do right now.

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From the eyes of Naru......

If I let him go, he'll be gone, and I'll never have him again.

She had been thinking this thought as she sat down, as Keitaro placed his arm around her. As long as I don't let him go, he won't leave me.

It wasn't rational, but it was all she thought for the first few minutes the train left the station.

She had barely managed more than a dozen words since they left. If it wasn't for the fact she had already planned to return with them, her stuff would still be at her parents' house. She was somewhat thankful that Tsuruko had made certain that they didn't forget anything.

Now what do I do? I can't be with Keitaro now that he's married. I can't break up the marriage, and not just because Tsuruko would kill me and serve me to Su on a dinner role. I can just hear her now. 'What's a Naru-burger, are they tasty?' Motoko never asked for this. She just wanted to be a warrior. And now look at her, she barely has the strength left to stand, or even be alone.

It was then she noticed how hard that Motoko was holding on to Keitaro. She's just like me, afraid that if she lets go of him, she'll be all alone.

What are we going to do Keitaro? I can't tell you now how I feel. It would be wrong, especially since Motoko and you are now married. Maybe I should have stayed and talked to Tsuruko. No, you went to talk to her, and came back upset and angry. Maybe we can get this marriage annulled, there is no way she could have performed it legally. No, I saw the marriage certificate when she asked if I would be upset if Motoko and Keitaro were married. Then what are we going to do?

It was then that she noticed that Keitaro was talking to Motoko. She looked at the two, trying to make her mind focus on what they were saying. She managed to understand the three rules he gave her, and saw a small amount of life back in Motoko's eyes.

I knew he wouldn't try and take advantage of her, I knew he would be kind to her. That's the Keitaro I fell in love with.

As Motoko began to cry again, Naru leaned more against Keitaro and cried as well, as if being near him gave her strength to continue. He will fight for you Motoko, he would fight for the both of us. I just hope he's strong enough to do it.

Wait a minute. Keitaro called home and told Mitsune. That means all the girls know Keitaro is married. And I saw Tsuruko use the phone before we left, saying something about 'moving them in'.

Then the true meaning of the words hit her. Oh no, they're moving her stuff into Keitaro's room now! You better not be Kitsune!!!

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If I messed anything up, then let me know including typos.

Any suggestions on how I should continue the story or improve it would also be accepted.