Note: I do not own Love Hina, or any other intellectual properties. They are all copyrights of their respectful owners. The rest, however, is MINE, BEE-YOTCHES!
djranmafan – You don't have to say that much, dude. Thank you.
bluezone777 of the Dark Icon Writers – I appreciate that.
Lee3 – Thanks.
Kogasgir142 – I'm glad I gave you a good first impression.
NefCanuck - Again, I have VoidHawk to thank for the back-story; it was his idea. And I'm sorry about Chamo-kun.
de bombz – That's only the beginning, too, my friend.
Havenoname – Thanks so much! One of my favorite genres is action (the other is comedy.). I like Dragon Ball Z, but I don't think I can come up with a fic that hasn't been done before over there (Dragon Ball Z had almost 30,000 fanfictions under its belt.)
BigFics2 – Again, I have VoidHawk to thank for the back-story. As for the fight scene, I wanted to make it look like Ayumi would win at first, for the sake of making it all the more intense. A secret of making your stories great is having the audience's emotions at your disposal. Toying around with them makes your stories more attractive. You've already done a good job with that in your fic, Elope a Dope.
Hotstreak RMD – There will be more action scenes along the way; I'm planning a couple more later in the story. I think Ayumi and Beardie would compliment each other well; it'll make for some good moments.
VoidHawk – Thanks for helping me out. I got your new ideas, and I'm definitely looking into them. Again, I appreciate your help, and collaboration is always fun. I'm currently working on another fic, a joint author story with Keitaro+Motoko 4ever of the Dark Icon Writers, but I'll be sure to update this one as quickly as possible.
tomdj1701 – That it is. So, you're going to stick with oblivionknight7 on the good doctor, eh:p
oblivionknight7 – Aren't we getting kinky:p
Drgnmastr-Alex of the Dark Icon Writers – I'll be sure to put a few extra twists and turns here and there. Plot twists make a story more intriguing.
GYRAX Presents…
Awe of She
Chapter 8: I'm Goin' Down to Kyoto
Ayumi sleeps the night away on the couch in the lobby, in her Spongebob pajamas; she prefers to sleep on couches for some odd reason. As the morning approaches, the growing light forces Ayumi to open her emerald eyes slowly. She slowly pushes her body up, so she would be at a sitting position. Then, Ayumi hears footsteps coming from upstairs. She turns around to see a half-asleep Keitaro walking down the wooden steps.
Keitaro only had one thing in his head since last night, and it still sticks to him like glue; the fact that Shinobu is the promised girl sound radical, but now he can't help but recall what happened over two years ago. Keitaro is now gaining memory about a beautiful girl with long blue hair bumping into him back at cram school, while getting prepared for the entrance exams at Toudai. He could still barely remember who the girl was, but now he's coming up with a theory or two about the girl's identity. Could it really be? The thought of it begins to wake him up a bit more as he walks to the kitchen.
Ayumi sees him disappear from the hallways, and then she picks up her glasses, which is placed on the table. She takes a few clothes out of her bag, which is on the floor next to the table, and heads upstairs. Beardie is still fast asleep.
(O)
Keitaro leans on a kitchen wall and tries to get the thought of that girl in cram school out of his head for the moment. The though was what caused him to lose so much sleep last night. That girl with the blue hair…he never had a chance to see her face, but he couldn't help to think about her, and that's ever since Ayumi told that crazy story about Shinobu yesterday. Even though it wouldn't leave his head, the memory isn't even a clear one.
Then, he hears footsteps coming towards him. He looks up to see Ayumi; she's dressed in a lavender blouse with her collar open down below her collarbone, a tight white skirt that extends two thirds to her knees, brown pantyhose, and white high-heels.
Ayumi quickly takes Keitaro and holds him to her chest. The ronin now has his face buried deep in her breasts. His face quickly turns redder than a cherry Blow-Pop and hastily breaks free.
"Why the hell did you do that, Ayumi?" Keitaro shouts.
"To snap you out of it, Zen Man." Ayumi replies in her usual cheerful tone. "You were lost in thought, and you didn't look like your normal self, so I thought I had to do something about it."
"I don't need that long an explanation." Keitaro interjects. "You need to quit that. If you really want a guy, you have to know that looks isn't the only thing a decent man looks for."
"Sure thing, Mom." Ayumi responds sarcastically, pinching her right cheek. "But I was pretty sure that men didn't go that deep."
"Whatever." Keitaro says. He leaves the kitchen.
Ayumi pauses for a moment, and then something hits her. "Damn. I should've told him to call the girls down. I need to talk to them."
"You could always do it yourself." Says a voice from one end of the kitchen. Beardie jumps up on Ayumi shoulder. "What do you want them for, anyway?"
Ayumi holds her chin.
(O)
Later, the Hinata tenants are gathered at the table in the meeting room, with Ayumi standing in front of them, ready to speak.
"You know why I called you here right?" Ayumi asks.
"No." Motoko answers. "You just called us here."
"Oh, right." Ayumi replies, pinching her right cheek again.
"What have you called us here for, anyway?" Naru asks.
Ayumi answers. "I wish to inform you that today we're going on a trip to Kyoto."
"We are?" Keitaro inquires.
"Yep." Ayumi responds. "To visit Mr. and Mrs. Maehara's house."
"But Shinobu's parents live in Kanagawa." Naru interrupts. "And Shinobu came here because her parents were fighting and she didn't want her life to be dictated by their breakup."
"And who told you that?" Ayumi says, curious.
"Shinobu told us, when she came here." Motoko answers.
"I don't think so." Ayumi replies. "You see, the curse I mentioned to you yesterday confused her memories. She was a bit mentally ill when we sent her to you guys."
"More of your radical story, huh?" Naru says. "The story you told yesterday has no plausibility, whatsoever. I mean, the one Shinobu told us when she came sounded more believable then this. I found way too many flaws in your story and now you're trying to think of new ways to make up for it. The story just isn't real."
"Sure it is." Ayumi replies. "I've seen it happen."
"How can you say that with a smile on your face?" Naru asks.
"Because I was happy when I said it." Ayumi answers. "Notice the look on my face. Obviously, you don't believe me, so we're going to Kyoto to prove it. Pack your bags."
"You have the money for that?" Keitaro inquires.
"Yep." Ayumi says. Out of the blue, envelopes pop out of thin air. She passes one to each tenant, as well as Keitaro. "Each envelope has some money needed to get by on an average vacation in Kansai."
"Sweet." Keitaro says to himself.
"Ayu-kun," Beardie whispers to Ayumi's ears. "At this rate, your account will run dry."
"Don't worry." Ayumi replies casually. "I'm saving up."
"So, when are we going?" Motoko asks.
"Right now." Ayumi answers.
(O)
As Haruka serves another customer, she notices Keitaro and the others walking down to the bottom of the steps. Keitaro sees her and waves.
"I'm going on another trip, okay?" Keitaro says.
"Already?" Haruka asks. "You've only been here for a few days." She sees Ayumi standing next to Keitaro. "And who is that woman?"
"Shinobu's psychiatrist." Keitaro replies. "Dr. Ayumi Ikeda."
"I love to talk, Haru-chan, but we have to go. See ya!" Ayumi runs off, with the others following her."
Haruka could just barely hear Keitaro say "Haru-chan?"
She takes the ever-present cigarette out of her mouth and ponders out loud. "Wow. I can't believe I just forgot about her. (I also can't believe she still calls me Haru-chan.)"
(O)
Keitaro packs his bags in an overhead compartment in the train and sits at the seat next to the window. Ayumi takes a seat next to him before Shinobu could, which irritates the bluenette. Shinobu then sits behind them. The rest of the tenants find some seats of their own, except for Su, who's creating quite a ruckus.
"You know," Ayumi speaks. "They had to send Shinobu to the Hinata house because she needed protection while still under the curse. They were aware that a student of the Shinmei School was there so she could stay there in safety for around two years."
"You told me the curse happened one year ago." Shinobu says.
"Oops. Sorry. I meant to say that it happened almost THREE years ago." Ayumi pinches her right cheek again. Shinobu and Keitaro sigh in unison.
"Anyway," Ayumi continues. "The curse was terrible; Mrs. Maehara couldn't heal her, so she sought help from the Shinmei School, in case Shinobu and the family might be under attack again. She sent Shinobu to the Hinata house, where one of the Shinmei School's own, Motoko, resides, though not fully aware of the situation."
Motoko looks at Ayumi for a second, after her name is mentioned.
"It'll be more clear once we get to Kyoto." Ayumi says.
Is she really lying? Naru thinks. I don't think anyone would go this far for a lie. Who knows?
(O)
As they get out of the train, carrying their own luggage, Ayumi turns to Keitaro and Shinobu, whom she persuaded to hold hands. "Luckily, the house isn't that long of a walk from here."
Keitaro and Shinobu both laugh nervously, as their hands are tightly clasped to one another's. This definitely isn't something Motoko and Naru are used to, but Kitsune and Su don't seem to mind.
"It's a quaint little place, it is." Ayumi says with a smile on her face.
(O)
"HOYL SHIT! IT'S HUGE!" Keitaro exclaims.
"Keitaro!" Shinobu says. "There are minors here." She points to Su and Ayumi.
Indeed the house is huge; Ayumi's comment from the train station could've won the prize for understatement of the year. The place looks to be almost as big as the Hinata house. Everyone gawks at it in awe, except for Ayumi, who just feels glad to be at her adopted home again.
"Hold on, why don't you guys stay here?" Ayumi says. "I want to surprise them."
"Ok." Keitaro complies. With that, Ayumi walks in the house.
Naru just couldn't get these thoughts out of her head, no matter how much she tries. Shinobu can't be his promise girl. I just can't see that happening. The story doesn't even sound believable. But what if she really is…No, she can't be. It's just not right.
"Are you all right, Naru?" Kitsune says in concern.
"Yeah," Naru replies. "Just thinking about something.
Keitaro's head, on the other hand, is being lashed by another memory. This time, he recalls himself waiting outside the prep school back at exam day. He remembers the gut feeling he got that day, and the sudden unusual gust of wind that blew from his left. And cherry blossoms fell on his shoulders, as if they were telling him something bad might have happened. Suddenly he hears a voice and snaps out of it.
"Sempai, are you all right?" Shinobu asks, concerned over his vegetable state.
"Yeah." Keitaro replies, in effort to reassure Shinobu that all is good.
(O)
The foyer is exceptionally large. Paper walls all around, and graced with a lavish oriental design. A staircase leading upstairs lies at the back of the foyer. By the time Ayumi walks in, she already hears a greeting voice.
"Ayu-kun!"
Ayumi sees someone and waves. "Hi, mommy!"
A woman comes down the stairs to greet Ayumi. This woman looks like she's in her forties; her blue hair extends to her lower legs, and her eyes show kindness; they too, are the same color. Her hair parts from the center of her face, and two thick strands go over her ears and extend to her chest. She's currently dressed in a white sweater and a long floral skirt that extends to her ankles. She holds a cheerful expression on her face.
"That wasn't long, Ayumi." The woman says.
"Well, you should know how I work." Ayumi replies. "So, you want to see her, now?"
"You should know the answer to that." The woman answers.
"Okay." Ayumi responds. She runs out to the front door and calls out. "All right, guys! You can come in, now!" Ayumi quickly runs back to the woman. After a few seconds, she sees a group of people enter the foyer, taking their shoes off before they enter.
"Oh, my God!" The woman gasps, as she sees one girl with blue hair, tied up to a ponytail. "Shinobu!"
Shinobu looks at the woman and is surprised to see how much like herself she resembles. "Are you…" She trails off.
Just then, the woman embraces her, giving her all the warmth from her own body. "Welcome back, Shinobu."
"Thanks…Mom."
The others were looking around, taking in the wonder that is the foyer alone.
"This is a kick-ass place you got here!" Kitsune exclaims.
"I have to agree." Motoko adds. "It's not often you come across a house like this one."
The woman releases herself from Shinobu and turns to the others. "Well, make yourselves at home. Don't do anything I wouldn't."
"Now, what wouldn't she do?" Kitsune says to herself.
"This is really nice, Mrs. Maehara." Keitaro comments.
Ayumi walks over to Shinobu's mother and whispers to her ear. "I think it's time you told her the full story."
"I see." Shinobu's mother whispers back.
Ayumi stands back a couple of feet and turns to the others. "All right everyone! I want you all to come here and sit in a straight line at the center of the foyer! Mrs. Maehara wishes to talk to you!"
The Hinata tenants walk over and sit at the center in a seiza position. Shinobu's mother approaches them and sits in front, also in a seiza position. She clears her throat and looks at Shinobu.
"What do you want to talk about?" Shinobu asks."
"Now that you've grown up, I wish to tell you the full story of exactly what happened almost three years ago." Shinobu's mother answers. "I assume Ayu-kun already told you guys a little bit of the story." They all nod.
"Well, I used to fight in the last Great War, until I couldn't take it and I forced myself to resign in a small house a few miles from here." Shinobu's mother explains.
World War II? Naru thinks.
"The war ended when young Shinobu was only two." Shinobu's mother continues. "And my husband and I thought it was safe, so we moved back to this house in Kyoto, where we planned to live the rest of our lives. Two years after we moved back here, I went to see a friend I haven't talked to in a while. It turned out she was married and she bore a son, named Keitaro."
The other tenants look at Keitaro.
Shinobu's mother continues. "I still remember it like it happened yesterday. When little Shinobu made that promise to him, it was so adorable. She also unconsciously put a strong protection spell on him; in hopes of maybe they'll meet again. Then, three years ago, Shinobu came home swearing up and down that they finally met again at prep school, and they would finally be together again. Alas, that's when he came."
"Who would that be?" Keitaro inquires.
"Acheron Kuznetsova. He was a western Magi who strongly disapproves of eastern/western relationships, and he attacked us because he knew that I'm a Greek magi and my husband's a Japanese man. The day he attacked us was the day Shinobu was going to take her Tokyo U prep exams. Shinobu came to our help, and it looked like she'd be able to defeat him and still make it in time to finish the prep exams, for she was a very powerful magi, but Acheron had one trick up his sleeve. Before he left, he cursed Shinobu, forcing her to age back six years. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to break the curse, so I had to take measures so we could protect her."
Motoko interjected. "So you turned to the Shinmei School?"
"Exactly." Shinobu's mother replies. "But then I heard the former master of the Shinmei School was wed and abandoned her training."
Motoko cringes a bit.
"She did tell me that there was a swordsman in training at an inn known as the Hinata Inn," Shinobu's mother continues. "So my husband and I sent little Shinobu there, with her memories confused and in a younger body. It was for her own protection. Then, Ayu-kun told me that the only way to break the curse was for her to either mature or find true love. So we had to contact my friend from earlier and ask her if Keitaro could come to the Hinata Inn and help Shinobu break the curse herself."
"So sending me to become the landlord at the Hinata was all planned out." Keitaro says, holding his chin."
"Mother," Shinobu interrupts. "I need to do something." All of a sudden, something appears out of thin air. Everyone turns to see what it is and there they recognize it from the start; it's Su's Virtual-kun. "Mother, may I show them how it happened? It would be easier for them to fully grasp the story if they saw it with their own eyes."
"How do we do that, dear Shinobu?" Her mother asks.
Shinobu turns to the tan blonde foreign girl. "Su, hook me up with the Virtual-kun, please."
Su doesn't even voice a response. Instead, she just goes straight ahead and prepares the machine. Shinobu notices the young girl doesn't even say anything, and hr face gives away a more serious expression.
To be continued.
Please review and tell me what you think.
Again, I like to give many thanks to VoidHawk for helping me out with this story. THANK YOU, VOIDHAWK!
Coming up next chapter… Aqueous Regression
With the Virtual-kun hooked on to Shinobu, the Hinata tenants witness the story first hand, and the tragedy that befell her that fateful day.
Author's Notes:
That's it for this chapter; I hope it didn't disappoint. Right now, this fic has thirty-nine hundred and forty-eight hits, as well as ninety-four reviews. Please don't hesitate to review, as I'm aiming for one hundred!
This marks the beginning of the Kansai Arc. Thing will get a bit more serious the next few chapters.
Take note that Negima took place in 2003, and Nagi Springfield got his title as the Thousand Master twenty years before, which means that it happened in 1983. Since this fic takes place in 2000, then it would mean that it happened seventeen years ago, and because Shinobu is nineteen in this story, that means the war ended when she was two. That's all an assumption, by the way.
Until next chapter, Ciao!
-GYRAX of the Dark Icon Writers