ON WITH THE FIC
Naru and Motoko sit in the living room in a puzzle as to where the two perverts went. Of course they wouldn't rest until they were found, but they were starting to get a little worried considering they hadn't seen the guys within the last 12 hours. Naru starts the conversation…
"We've checked every room, hall, and patio in the apartments. Where could those two perverts be?"
"Perhaps they snuck out over night?"
Su enters and latches onto Motoko's back.
"Nope. They didn't leave here at all. Su's security system says that Keitaro and Hanku were together, but it couldn't say where."
"Royiaki may have emitted an energy field around him to confuse it most likely. Are you sure your security system was working right, Su?"
"Of course! The only way it wouldn't be able to detect them would be if they turned into walls……THAT'S IT! Su knows exactly where Keitaro and Hanku are! Follow me!"
Meanwhile, the two gents relax in assurance that they weren't going to be found anytime soon.
"I must say Hanku, I could get used to this "hiding in the secret passageways" idea."
"Here, here. I have to admit, I didn't think we'd make it through the night, but now I can rest easy. Who knows? Maybe we'll actually have a day without any beatings. By the way, Kei, do know anything about self-defense?
"Uh…I did some training with my grandmother, but I know a little."
"Let me teach you how to box, as in boxing."
"Naru doesn't wear gloves during her punches Hanku. HAHA!"
"Funny. 1st thing about boxing (gives a visual demonstration) always aim with your left, always aim with your left. Remember, there's the left cross, the right cross, the red cross, and the blue cross."
Keitaro sweatdrops-"Uh…Okay. What's with the red and blue cross?"
"A fine example of knowing the red cross was last night. When your nose began to vigorously bleed, that was the PERFECT time for the Red Cross. (snicker)"
"OH! I get it! HAHA! Good one!"
Both men laugh as Hanku lies on his back with his arms behind his head, however he notices Keitaro having a mortified, shocked look on his face, looking behind Hanku. Hanku tilts his head back to find a sword an inch away from his forehead. Hanku doesn't break his look, but sweatdrops as he whispers.
"We've been ID'd…………EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!"
With that being said, Hanku grabs Keitaro and throws him out the door where Naru, Su, and Motoko waited, catching them off-guard. Upon his landing, Keitaro's face gets planted in Naru's breasts.
"HOW DARE YOU!"
While Naru commences her beating on Keitaro, Motoko and Su leave the room to begin their own chase on Hanku. Both look down at Su's "Inferred Radar".
Hanku exits through the passageway in the hotsprings, where Kitsune is currently bathing.
"Hey Hanku! What's with the panicked look?"
Hanku leaps in the hot springs, behind Kitsune, and places a hand in front of her mouth (not on)
"Take a breath, Kitsune."
Both inhale and sink into the hot springs where they sit, motionless.
Motoko and Su barge in and look in every which way and direction.
"Awwww, my radar lost his signature."
"Clever, Royiaki, clever. Hiding your heat in the hot springs, but we will find you."
While underwater, Kitsune starts to get a bit flustered with the fact that Hanku is dragging her into something she doesn't want to be in, so she elbows Hanku in the gut making air bubbles shoot out of his mouth of which Motoko sees it surface the water.
"THERE! AIR SPLITTING SWORD!"
Just before the attack lands, Hanku flies up into the air with Kitsune in his arms, without regarding the fact that she was nude.
"Ahem. If you don't mind, Hanku, I'd like to get my clothes on right now."
"Oops. Sorry Kitsune."
Hanku brings Kitsune down and quickly flies back in the air at about the height of the roof. Kitsune grabs Su, and a towel, and leaves the hot springs expecting an argument from the two fighters. Motoko, meanwhile, couldn't be any more jealous as she frowns at Hanku knowing the fact that she couldn't fly herself.
"GET DOWN HERE! ROYIAKI!"
"And let you beat the snot out of me? Screw you!"
"Dammit, Royiaki! Why do you have to be such a coward and retreat to the sky like that?"
Hanku sweatdrops- "Eh-heh. Probably because I don't wish to be beaten senseless by you NOR Naru."
"You know very well that I can't fly Royiaki and that doesn't anger me any less than what you did last night!"
Hanku gets a puzzled look as he sits Indian-style in mid-air and begins to think for a moment.
"Ah-ha! That's it! Motoko! How 'bout if I make a deal with 'ya?"
Motoko gets a suspicious look from Hanku's question.
"What kind of deal?"
"I'll come back down on two conditions. 1-As soon as I land, neither you nor Naru will hit me. 2-If the first condition is followed than I will teach you how to fly. Not only that, but I'll even teach you how to fire an energy wave…from your HANDS, not your sword, however with teaching you an energy wave attack, we'll have to train somewhere else, preferably the place where we fought a few days ago. What say you to that?"
Motoko had to admit, when she heard the proposition of learning how to fly, she was jumping for joy like a child in her mind, however it also meant that she and Naru couldn't beat him, or the deal would be off. As difficult as it was to swallow her pride…
"(gulps)…Fine, deal."
"Oh and one more thing. While we train, do you think you could give me training in meditation?"
"Huh? Why do you want to know more about something you've already mastered?"
"Whoever said I MASTERED meditation? I can do it, just not very well. I've seen you meditate and I must say your ability to keep a constant focus on your surroundings is, by far, the most OUTSTANDING performance of meditation I have ever seen. So I figured, why not learn a few new things from you."
Motoko was speechless after being greatly flattered by Hanku's comments as she looks down and blushes.
"Judging by your cherry-colored face and your inability to respond, I don't think you have a problem with it."
Hanku descends and holds out his hand with a smile and a chuckle.
"A bargain, Motoko-sensei?"
Motoko snaps back into reality and was, again, greatly flattered by Hanku's words. She still shows a look of shyness as she shakes Hanku's hand.
"Good! We'll leave tomorrow morning at dawn and return 3 days later at noon…Uh…Are you okay? You're starting to turn a DEEP shade of red. Did you get sunburned recently?"
"OH, uhh, no, ummm…"
Without having anything left to say, Motoko scampers up to her room trying to hide her face. Upon Motoko's leave, Kitsune was able to get a good look at her face, which made her begin to wonder.
"Hmmm……I don't think she was blushin', because of the compliments, alone."
Kitsune couldn't help, but giggle at the thought of seeing Motoko's shyness for once in a long time.
Hanku showed a strong look of confusion as he walks back inside. It wasn't because he was dense and thick headed, like Keitaro was to Shinobu's crush on him, it was because even if he was told that Motoko had a crush on him, of which she doesn't at the moment, he wouldn't believe it.
As Hanku walks back in, he notices Naru coming down the stairs, clapping her hands together as if she did some cleaning. Naru sees Hanku and, apparently guessed that Motoko never got her shots on him, soooo……
"How did you get away from Motoko?"
Hanku knows what to expect- "Ummm…would you believe me if I said she didn't want to hit me?"
"No!"
"Oh…well then, heheh…so long!"
Hanku dashes away as he did last night; Naru soon to follow. Kitsune, Su, Shinobu, and Mutsumi just sit in the living room with interested looks as they hear Hanku's door slam. A second later, they hear a huge, "CRASH!" from the room and instantly heard Hanku scream.
Meanwhile, Keitaro walks out of Hanku's room, dusting himself off from Naru's punches and almost gets slammed by Hanku getting busted through the wall and embedding himself on the wall on the other side of the room. Keitaro can only stare at Hanku, whom raises his hand, pointing up…
"Now you know why you need the Blue Cross, Kei."
Fortunately for Motoko, Hanku felt generous when he decided not to break the deal, even if Naru already broke it. He kept insisting that Naru never knew the deal took place and that he would let her slide that time, but everybody else knew he just wanted to keep the deal going, because if it were to be dismissed, Naru and Motoko could beat him as they did in the past.
The next morning arrives and as discussed, Hanku and Motoko woke up at sunrise. Everything needed for a 3 day training escape was packed, and soon after, Hanku and Motoko made their way to their former fighting "ring", both with their training outfits on.
A half-hour of hiking later, they made their destination. They could only stare at what destruction they had caused only a few days ago: many craters planted into the ground, bloodstains on a few rocks, and MANY crumbled boulders and cliff-sides. Surprisingly, the cabin was still intact. Hanku and Motoko turn their heads at each other and stare, blankly. Speaking at the same time…
"You did most of this. No I didn't! You did! NO! YOU DID! GRRRRR!"
Both became face-to-face in sheer aggravation with their foreheads touching. Hanku breaks the conflict and coughs.
"Well, let's unpack."
"You sleep outside, Royiaki."
"What? Oh c'mon, Motoko, that ain't fair!"
"Get used to it, Royiaki, because you're going to be dealing with a lot more than unfairness during the time we're training."
Hanku slumps and groans as he walks next to the cabin and starts unpacking.
A few minutes, of unloading, later, Hanku and Motoko do their own personal warm-ups and stretches. Hanku and Motoko agreed to take turns of training one-another.
1. Hanku teaches energy wave attack
2. Motoko teaches meditation
3. Hanku teaches flying
4. Motoko teaches meditation tactics in battle
This schedule would repeat itself until they would decide to call it a night.
8:30 AM-Hanku begins energy wave training.
"Well how do I explain this? Since you know how to summon energy, Motoko, it should be a little bit simpler to get this down. When you use energy attacks, you don't need to shout out a title for it, unless it is necessary to use the attack. Also, while releasing that energy, you feel a pull in your stomach and a funny feeling flow through your veins; THAT is your energy channeling throughout your body to your hands. In order to use that energy, you must see and think the attack. Example: I'll fire a simple small energy wave at that boulder. (He points to the boulder in front of him and fires) Now, I want to fire numerous, minor energy waves. (He positions his hands as they glow black. Then as promised, many small, energy waves were fired.) You understand, so far?"
Motoko gives him a curious look- "So how do I use this?"
"Sit. (Both sit in a meditative position) Bring your hands close together. Good. Now focus on your ki energy. Search deep within your soul, that potential energy. Now visualize an energy orb in your hands.
After a brief pause, Motoko begins to tighten her muscles and grunt in frustration
"Whoa! Relax! You're not gonna be seeing ANY energy if you're so uptight, like that. You need to relax. Don't force it out. Let it come out on its own…(Motoko takes a deep breath and tries again)…You're close; I can feel your energy gradually surface itself.
Soon enough, a tiny yellow light emits between Motoko's hands as she stares in awe at what she had in her possession.
"There you go! At least we now know you can perform it. Now we just need to have you control it and use it to your advantage. Wow, Motoko, you sure know how to impress people. I figured you wouldn't get THIS far until later on in the day." (thinking to himself) 'Hmm…she has undiscovered energy hiding in there somewhere. I wonder if I can get her to trigger that energy source, she can use it for more than just fighting.'
The light fades and Motoko looks up and smiles at Hanku, showing how proud she was of herself for her new ability.
10:00 AM-Motoko's turn to evolve Hanku's senses, and I assure you, she won't be as nice as Hanku. Both sit in a meditative position.
"Let's understand something first before we begin, Royiaki. During MY teachings, you will refer to me as "sensei" or "Motoko-sensei", whichever one of those two you wish to use. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Motoko……sensei!"
"Good. You know the basics of meditating, but I want to see how well you do it now."
Hanku closes his eyes and begins. Motoko stares at him, concentrating on his actions. However, she sweat drops as she found that his ability for meditating was so……mediocre. She begins to think…
'How can he say he knows how to meditate? I mean, Urashima can do better than him at this and I thought HE sucked at it! Royiaki is only focusing on what he already knows, sees, or hears. He's not even trying to extend his knowledge of his surroundings!'
"That's enough! (Hanku stops and sits back up-straight) OK, after what I just saw, all I can say is…we better train harder, faster. (Hanku falls over) You just won't extend your knowing of your surroundings, like that. You must focus on what's around you, feel what you haven't felt, hear what you haven't heard, and see what you haven't seen."
It would remain a slow struggle for Hanku to intensify his meditating for the remainder of the day.
Phil Collin's "Son of Man" starts playing. Son of Man is a song from the Disney movie Tarzan. When Tarzan was trying to be the "best ape ever". The text above the lyrics will be what is happening during the verses of the song, below it. Oh, and we won't be hearing Hanku or Motoko talk.
Hanku stands before Motoko lecturing her about how to fly. He motions for her to stand and begin trying. After a few moments, Motoko slightly hovers in the air, but keeps a look of focus, trying to stay in the air. However she soon begins to float down with a small look of disappointment. Hanku walks over, pats her on the back and tries to encourage her on how well she did for a first try and how well she can do if she did it again.
Oh, the power to be strong
And the wisdom to be wise
All these things will come to you in time
On this journey that you're making
There'll be answers that you'll seek
And it's you who'll climb the mountain
It's you who'll reach the peak
Motoko ties a handkerchief over Hanku's eyes and ties his hands behind his back. Motoko explains that she will fight Hanku while he can't see nor use his hands. This exercise is too sense and feel your opponent's movements while in battle. Motoko strikes with her bokken and hits Hanku's back with the hilt.
Son of man, look to the sky
Lift your spirit, set it free
Some day you'll walk tall with pride
Son of man, a man in time you'll be
Hanku recovers and tries to focus harder, but is soon hit again, on the side, by Motoko. This process of recovering and getting hit again repeats itself frequently.
In the middle of that night, Motoko wakes up after feeling a sudden jolt of energy coming from the outside of her cabin. She opens the door and sees Hanku meditating, also noticing that his ability for meditation was quickly improving, regardless of the bandages around his body from Motoko's training/beating.
Though there's no one there to guide you
No one to take your hand
But with faith and understanding
You will journey from boy to man
The next morning, Hanku and Motoko begin Motoko's exercise that Hanku failed, miserably, the previous day. This time, upon Motoko's dash towards Hanku, Hanku dashes forward himself directly at Motoko, and just like that, the two are in a "Burst Mode" with Hanku defending himself with his legs and throwing offensive attacks with them at the same time. They soon break and Motoko dashes first and swings her sword across Hanku, whom dodges by ducking, and counterattacks with a back flipping-kick at Motoko's face. Motoko falls on her back and recovers. She grins after experiencing Hanku's improvement and also noticing him smile back at her.
Son of man, look to the sky
Lift your spirit, set it free
Some day you'll walk tall with pride
Son of man, a man in time you'll be
That afternoon, Hanku walks around the cliffside, minding his business, but notices Motoko self-instructing herself how to throw an energy wave. She holds her hands out and focuses, but nothing happens. She lowers her arms, in disappointment with herself, but they are quickly brought back up by Hanku standing, practically making full body contact, next to her. With his left cheek, touching her right cheek, Motoko slightly blushes as Hanku positions her arms in the same way as Goku uses his Kamehameha wave from DBZ/GT. With his hands holding her arms in that position, Hanku tells Motoko to relax and to "let it go on its own." Motoko takes a deep breath, focuses on a tree 20ft in front of her and shoots a gold energy wave. The tree is obliterated and Motoko stares in awe. Hanku let's go of Motoko and smiles.
In learning you will teach
And in teaching you will learn
You'll find your place beside the ones you love
Oh, and all the things you dreamed of
The visions that you saw
Well, the time is drawing near now
It's yours to claim in all
Later, Hanku motions Motoko to attempt flying again. Motoko stands up straight, closes her eyes and begins. She rises by a few feet and begins to show a slight look of struggle as she starts to bring her arms and legs in. Hanku shows a look of surprise and begins to look as if he was about to win the lottery.
"Yes! That's it! There it is! All she needs to do now is to trigger it and then release it!"
Motoko quickly opens her now gold and white eyes (gold on left, white on right) as a gold energy aura surrounds her. After which, she shoots up in the sky and flies like a kite on a windy day.
Son of man, look to the sky
Lift your spirit, set it free
Some day you'll walk tall with pride
Son of man, a man in time you'll be
Hanku watches her, while laughing and applauding for Motoko. He couldn't be any more proud as Motoko flies freely in the blue skies, laughing.
Son of man,
Son of man's a man for all to see
That evening
Hanku sits on the top of a cliff, near the cabin, staring at the city lights stretching beyond the horizon. The cliff gave a great height to create such a wonderful view and the cloudy skies hid the stars, making the city lights look like fireflies. Hanku brings his hands behind his head in thought.
"I wonder if I should tell her, but she seems so happy right now. It would just tear her apart if I told her."
"Tell me what?"
Hanku turns and sees Motoko fly to the top of the cliff side, as well. She walks and sits on a nearby rock.
"Umm…nothing. It's nothing."
Motoko nods and looks at the scenery before her and soon shows a depressed look. Hanku sees this and faces her.
"What's on your mind, Motoko? Something wrong?"
"……I…I-I've never had this much fun during training in such a long time. I enjoyed the experience, Hanku. I thank you."
"Likewise. I normally train alone, because I didn't want to have company during my training. It would just cast a bothersome burden on me, I thought, but this proved me wrong. You truly are a remarkable warrior, Motoko. Training with you has been an extreme pleasure. Hopefully, we'll do it again sometime."
Motoko saw no lies or sarcasm in Hanku's eyes. In fact, seeing Hanku smile the way he currently was comforted her spirit ever so slightly.
Hanku turned back to the view and began to think. The longer he gave his puzzled look, the more he began to blush. After briefly looking at the clouds above, he turns to Motoko.
"Hey! Follow me. I wanna show you something."
Hanku begins to fly straight into the sky. Motoko didn't know what Hanku was planning to show her, but her curiosity sent her following Hanku. The two of them continued to fly through the clouds till they reached the top of the clouds, where Motoko just stopped functioning and lost herself at what she was seeing.
The scene was like a calm sea, only in the sky. The clouds looked like waves as the moonlight shined upon all Hanku and Motoko could see. Along with the breathtaking view, the vast area known as space was lit up by the thousands of stars that were shining in it.
"Whenever there are cloudy days, such as this, I can never stop myself from going to this height just to see this. It was AND still is the one time where I didn't care if I was alone. All my misfortunes seem to slide off of me like water on a duck's back. I can never say that this view is any less than my most favorite thing about this planet."
Motoko couldn't blame Hanku for having such a treasure. The scene was truly breathtaking. However, she could only think of one thing…
"Why did you want to show me this?"
"…To be honest, I figured you could use loosen up a little by seeing this. Not to mention, I don't want to be the only person that knows about this, so I wanted you to see it with me."
After a brief pause, Motoko kisses Hanku on the cheek and smiles back at the horizon. Hanku's face freezes in surprise.
"Thank you, Royiaki. I appreciate what you've done for me the last few days and I agree; we should do it again sometime."
With her statement said, Motoko flies back down onto the surface where she stands in front of her cabin door and places a hand on her chest.
"Why does he have to be so…so…sweet?"
Meanwhile, Hanku couldn't stop staring into space in surprise of what he just received. He places a hand on his cheek and still can't believe what had just happened…
"…Cripes! Never would've seen this coming. Knowing Motoko, I think she was just yanking my chain a bit, but…that smile…it was so…cute. Why does she have to be so…so…beautiful when she's like that?"
Both shake their heads trying to get the thought out of their minds.
"What am I thinking? Why am I even saying such things about that pervert?"
"Yeah, like that'll ever happen: Motoko and me; a couple. HA!"
Still, both minds ran amuck. Whenever they brought up a negative thought about the other, it would always end up back to how they were just a few minutes ago.
The next day, both packed up their things and began to head back to the apartments. Before they left the cliff-side, Motoko looks at Hanku, behind her, and sees him staring at the ground in a pondering way.
"You still here, Royiaki? Or did I beat you up, THAT badly?"
"Oh! Uhh…no I was just…thinking…Motoko, I need to tell you something."
"Hm? What about?"
"About me. I'm not…ALWAYS as calm as I seem when we spar. Sometimes my…my…-What the?"
Suddenly Hanku and Motoko both sense a massive surge of energy, but this wasn't the regular ki energy that they had, it felt hollow, empty, and yet filled with so much evil. Hanku gave more than a look of shock it was pure mortification. This felt familiar to Hanku, which wasn't what he ever wanted to feel again…ever. Just then, the two fighters saw someone surrounded by a green aura flying above them. Hanku went into an even greater fear.
"…No…I-It can't be! It can't be him! NO WAY! IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE!"
Hanku shoots up into the sky in a rage as he flies above and looks at where the figure went. What he found was not comforting. He saw the figure standing still in the sky just above Hinata Apartments. Hanku immediately flies in the figure's direction. Motoko couldn't be any more confused than now. All she can do is follow Hanku back to the apartments and will, hopefully, get some answers.
As Hanku was within the figure's range of listening, he brings his, black, glowing fist back ready to strike…
"DAMMIT YOU! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU?"
The human figure turns, facing Hanku, whom at the last moment stops in front of them and immediately retreats his fist. Still showing a look of anger, Hanku looks at the man dead in the eye, rather in his red sunglasses.
The man wore a green vest with nothing underneath it. His hair was spiked with a green color. His pants were a simple pair of black jeans torn in at the left knee. He looked around his middle 20's with a body that matched that of Hanku's.
The stranger returns Hanku's glare with a simple demented smirk.
"A smirk? Is that all you want to tell me, Mocsha?"
"Oh of course not Hanku. I've come back to give quite a show of which I think you'll find interesting."
The man now known as Mocsha, spoke with a voice that would make any human shiver. It was a sharp, piercing, British accent (or for those who know, it's the same kind of voice as Yami Bakura in Yu-Gi-Oh).
After finishing his statement, Mocsha looked down at what he had in his right arm. In a near strangling grab was a terrified Naru with a broadsword just an inch away from her throat. Hanku suddenly had a vision of a small child with short, sky blue hair and a look no different than Naru's, begin to take Naru's place for a brief moment.
By that time, Motoko caught up with Hanku and quickly caught on to what was happening. Just as she reaches for her sword, Hanku grabs her hand and shakes his head…
"Don't Motoko. If you do that, he'll kill her faster than you can say, 'murderer'"
"How true. I'm quite relieved to know that you're still in mourning for your family, Hanku."
"Royiaki, what is he talking about?"
At that moment, the rest of the residents and landlord all ran outside in response to a scream they heard.
Keitaro came out with a look of concern-"Is it just me or did that scream sound like Naru, just now?"
Haruka made her way to the top of the stairs for the same reason and motioned Keitaro to look up. All they could do was stare in horror and shock. Motoko, with her question still unanswered…
"Royiaki, I don't understand. What is he saying?"
Mocsha simply chuckles…
"Hanku never told you about me? Shame on you, Hanku. You should always tell others about people who change your life…forever."
"You make it sound like a good thing, Mocsha."
"Well, for ME it was. HA!"
Motoko had heard enough. She wanted her question answered now!
"HANKU! What is he talking about? 'Changing your life forever.' What does he mean?"
"…He means that HE was the man that murdered my family."
End of chp. 14