Love Hina isn't my work and neither is any music piece from Armageddon.
Back in the apartments, everybody is either crying their eyes out or trying to hold those tears back from their friends' sudden death. At that moment, Shinobu awakens from her unconsciousness as she lies across the couch.
"Mmm…uhhh…what happened? My head…ohhhh…"
Haruka is the first to see Shinobu and rushes over to her side.
"Shinobu, relax. Lie down and rest. We'll have to talk, all of us, soon."
Shinobu looks to Haruka and quickly screams and buries her face into a nearby pillow. Haruka jumps at the teenager's fright…
"Wha…Shinobu! What's wrong?"
"Get away from me! Leave me alone!"
Shinobu twists and turns whenever Haruka lays a hand on her. Haruka was truly at a loss for thoughts and decides to look back outside to see the two fighters' status.
Both men stare at each other 10ft away. Mocsha begins to float into the air…
"Well…with SOME of my business taken care of, I suppose I'll take my leave. Remember Hanku! 24 hours! No more, unless you're willing to pay the price of course, of which I'm certain that you already know."
"…CAN IT! SCRAM!"
"Tsk…Tsk…hopefully your manners will have improved just as much as your fighting. HAHAHAHAHA!"
Mocsha flies away into the horizon with his laugh echoing into the distance. Hanku relaxes all of his muscles and looks at the two lifeless bodies of his friends.
The opening music from Armageddon starts playing.
Hanku turns to Naru and then to Motoko, and begins to cry like a typical 9 year-old, screaming in pain and agony. He walks to Motoko's body, drops to his knees, and slowly turns over Motoko. After turning his head away for a moment, he looks back at the warrior he had gotten to know oh, so well. She looked as if she was asleep; a calm, quiet, and peaceful sleep.
Hanku sits Motoko up and embraces her; now with the tears he has held back from so many years of loneliness, never reflected upon in the past. After a minute of remorse, Hanku looks in front of him and frowns as if Mocsha was before him.
A black energy aura surrounds Hanku and Motoko, as Hanku shouts in anger, showing the demand for the vengeance of his fallen friends and family. He then looks back at that day 3 years ago and becomes enraged even more from his family's murder.
It happened before and it has now happened again. It's now a matter of time, until Hanku's conflict will reach its end.
Hanku later brings both bodies to their respective rooms and places them into their futons. After that, Hanku walks down into the living room and hears a scream emit from Shinobu. Hanku darts into the room and yells at everybody to back away from Shinobu, knowing what was happening…
"GET BACK! GET BACK! LEAVE HER ALONE! Can you not see that she is scared out of her mind? Can you not tell that she doesn't want to look at anybody? Wanna know why, because her vision has become possessed!"
Shinobu whimpers and cries, with her eyes tightly shut. Hanku looks at her and kneels by her head…
"I don't know what she sees that frightens her so, but whatever it is, it was given to her by Mocsha, however, I can assure you all that she won't have to deal with it much longer."
Hanku brings his attention to Shinobu and talks in a relaxed, comforting tone as Shinobu continues to cringe…
"Shinobu…it's alright. We're all here. (Hanku then lies a hand on Shinbou and gently strokes her shoulder) I know what's happening to you and I can help, but I need you to calm down first."
Shinobu does so, and Hanku lays her head at the armrest where he places his hands by her ears and with his head above hers…
"Now I know this will be difficult for you, but…I need you to open your eyes for a brief moment."
Shinobu cringes again, but Hanku becomes even gentler in his speaking…
"Shinobu, it's alright to be scared. You're scared, Keitaro is scared, Su is scared, everybody is scared and you know what, I'm scared too, but we must be strong at a time such as this and I know that you're a strong young woman, Shinobu, so be brave, and open your eyes. (Shinobu still refuses to open her eyes) Please Shinobu, open them, and relax…I'm not going to hurt you."
Shinobu finally opens her eyes to where they met with Hanku's and a yellow beam of light shoot from Hanku's eyes and connects with Shinobu's. Both of their visions go black.
Hanku now finds himself in an endlessly, dark environment, alone…
"Hey, uh, Shinobu?"
Shinobu appears to Hanku's right…
"Wha? Where am I?"
"Believe it or not, Shinobu, we're in your head."
"I-I don't understand."
"Hmmm…think of the happiest memory you have."
Shinobu pictures the thought and blushes. Suddenly, a window-sized image appears before them, showing Shinobu's first encounter with Keitaro.
"Really? I wonder why Keitaro is in there. Shinobu? Heheh"
"Auuuuu Hanku, did you just bring me here to say that?"
"Not really. I thought we would've seen a lot more of these things here."
Quickly enough, several "clips" from Shinobu's past are seen. Millions of them surround the two.
"WHA! What are these things?"
"There's no reason to fret Shinobu. These are your own memories."
Hanku walks forward as Shinobu walks beside him looking around at her memories.
"These are MY memories?"
"Yup."
"Well, what do we do now?"
Hanku stops, frowns and looks at Shinobu…
"I need you to do something. Now I know how hard this'll be, but I need you to remember what you saw that made you so frightened."
Shinobu becomes just as scared as she was before and looks down before responding after a brief pause…
"You'll…help me if I do this?"
Hanku crouches to Shinobu's height, raises her tear-stained face and smiles…
"Of course."
Shinobu smiles as well and focuses on her memory, but nothing happens. Hanku knew that she didn't want to remember the image that frightened her so much and also knew that she couldn't do it alone.
Hanku clasps Shinobu's hand and looks in front of him. Shinobu felt Hanku's clasp and, for the strangest reason, felt stronger. Soon enough, every other memory of Shinobu's disappeared to where one stayed behind and presented itself before them. Hanku shows a look of shock, as Shinobu hides her face in Hanku's chest, not wanting to see the memory. What Hanku was seeing, became nothing short of atrocious and mortifying.
It was from Shinobu's POV, therefore he saw Haruka talking to her as she normally would, until it began. Haruka slowly began to rot! Her skin was rotting off of her muscles, if not bones! The view was cut forward to where everybody else was crowding around her with his or her faces no different: skin was peeling off, blood was seeping out of their eyes, mouths, anywhere that had an opening, muscles were rotting and melting, everyone looked flat out WORSE than zombies/the undead as they began to grab her, trying to calm her down!
Shinobu continued to keep her face in Hanku's chest until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, gently. She looked up to see Hanku still looking at the memory with the same look only with tears coming out of the corners of his eyes. Soon enough Hanku embraced Shinobu completely as if he would never have another chance to embrace her again…
"(sniff) I'm so sorry Shinobu. (sniff) I'm sorry…for everything. (sob)"
Shinobu never would've thought that she would see Hanku like this. The toughest person she knew was crying on her shoulder like a child. He was truly terrified. He never wanted this to happen, especially to Shinobu. Hanku breaks his hug with Shinobu, wipes his tears and brings Shinobu behind him…
"Well, all that's left is to get rid of this."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…you don't want to keep this memory do ya?"
Hanku turns to the image and fires a wave of energy blasts at the memory, but the image absorbs the attacks and continues to stand…
"Grrr…He really didn't want this image to leave! (sigh) I have no other choice."
"Hanku…what are you doing?"
Hanku brings two fingers to his right temple and focuses on the memory. Suddenly, the image made wave-like motions and began to go into Hanku's eyes. Hanku grunts as he struggles to get it all absorbed. Soon enough, the image was gone, all of it went into Hanku's eyes and both found themselves back in reality. Shinobu looks at Hanku and sees him fall back, exhausted…
"AHH…Hanku-sempai! Are you alright?"
Everybody crowds around Hanku thinking the same thing…
"Ohhh…yeah! No worries Shinobu! I'm fine."
"Wh-What did you do?"
"Let's say the image is no longer your burden to carry Shinobu."
Shinobu thought back and realized that she was scared of some image, but she couldn't remember what it was. Then it became clear, Hanku absorbed Shinbou's memory and made it his own. She also found out, that her sight was normal again, though she doesn't remember what it was…
"Aauuuu. Hanku! Is your sight harmed now?"
"Thankfully, no it isn't. Mocsha tried the same thing on me before, but he said that my thoughts were too pure and anti-evil. The effect doesn't work on those who have a strong sense in performing justice, but it does work on those who are purely innocent and kind-hearted, hence you Shinobu. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a fight to prepare for."
"Umm…thank you Hanku."
Hanku looks back at Shinobu and winks…
"Anytime Shinobu. Anytime."
Hanku goes to his room and doesn't return for a few hours. At that time, Keitaro enters his room with a questioning look…
"Hanku."
Hanku was currently meditating. He keeps his eyes closed, but acknowledges…
"What is it, Kei?"
"We told Shinobu about Naru and Motoko and well…she's crying just as much as we were before."
"Is that all?"
"No. I have a question."
"Shoot."
"What happened 3 years ago on your birthday? What did Mocsha do?"
Hanku opens his eyes and sighs…
"Get everybody in Su's room and have Su set-up the Virtual-kun. It's too complicated to be told by words alone."
A few minutes later, the demand was met. Everybody looks at Su's supercomputer as Hanku sits in a chair about to put the Virtual-kun helmet on…
"I must warn you all…what you're about to see is real. None of this is exaggerated, so if you don't wish to see all of this, I understand."
Hanku places the helmet on, and Su activates the Virtual-kun.
The screen shows Hanku watching TV in his room as he overhears two adults and two children making panicking sounds.
A 6'5, 34 year old, white male with long black hair tied in a ponytail, a 5'11, 33 year old, white female with long sky blue hair, and two 7 year old twins (two girls) with shoulder length, sky blue hair converse…
"Are we throwing away Hanku's surprise or not, Yahiko?"
"Geez Jenny, give me a break! I over-timed my training, but it doesn't mean I don't love my son!"
"But Papa, onii-chan is upstairs and he'll hear us if we try do bring it in."
Hanku overhears this and figures he'll lend a hand. He turns off the TV and walks downstairs…
"Hey Mom! Dad! I'm gonna be out for a walk in case anybody needs me. Rein! Sakuya! That means, 'Stay out of my room!'"
"Don't worry, onii-chan, we'll be good! Won't we Rein?"
"Of course! Have a good time!"
Hanku leaves and laughs at how much he likes hearing his sisters call him "onii-chan".
As the screen shows Hanku walking down the street, Kitsune smiles in delight…
"Your sisters are too cute, Hanku! They look like Shinobu in a way."
"I know. Sometimes I get Sakuya a bit rambled whenever I make fun of them, however, Rein is just like Shinobu, she gets embarrassed in such situations and runs for Mom and Dad, which backs up my policy of treating Shinobu like my sisters, no offense."
An explosion is heard from the screen, showing Hanku turn and run in fear as he sees smoke rising from what looked like his home's location.
Hanku comes back to his house to see a raging inferno! It only took him a few seconds to run his fastest back home and the house was already engulfed in flames! Hanku races inside and sees his mother's neck being clasped by a dark figure in midair and sees an arm shoved through her chest! Soon enough, the woman stopped moving, and was thrown aside.
"ONII-CHAN! HELP ME!"
Hanku sees his sister, Rein, immediately be held in the exact same position as Naru was held just earlier. The shadowy figure sees Hanku and slits the young girls throat, just as Naru was killed. Saying that Hanku was in shock, would be an understatement as he looks to his left and sees his father, Sakuya, and now his mother and Rein lying face up on the floor, but Hanku saw something that made him sick to his stomach. Each corpse's area where the heart is located was wide open! Their hearts were RIPPED out! Hanku turns to the shadowy figure, sitting on the kitchen table, and sees his hands holding 4 BEATING hearts of different sizes, as he takes a HUGE bite out of each one!
The figure swallowed each bite and later saw Hanku. His eyes glow green, and his smile revealed monstrous fangs. He throws the hearts aside, jumps off the table and slowly walks toward Hanku. Sirens are heard and the figure immediately heads for the door after looking back at Hanku…
"Today's your lucky day boy! Perhaps we'll meet again, so I can finish what I started! By the way, in case you wish to perform the old 'claim vengeance for my family' thing, the name's Mocsha. HAHAHAHA!"
Hanku stands in the center of his dead family. He looks at each one and struggles to hold back his tears with each body. He didn't want to, but as the fire grew greater, Hanku runs for the door.
The screen cuts off to what appeared to be Hanku fighting Mocsha months later. Hanku was obviously winning as Mocsha was on his knees taking deep breaths. Hanku is suddenly in front of Mocsha with his hands in the form of a triangle inches from Mocsha's face…
"Now…my revenge is complete! JUDGEMEEENNT…PULSE!"
A red energy wave obliterates Mocsha to where nothing was left. The screen shuts off, and Hanku removes the Virtual-kun…
"Now you see why I didn't expect this? He regenerated completely, now he wants to fight me again, but on a separate planet!"
Keitaro flips-"WHAT! How will you get there?"
"I don't really know. Wait a sec! Su! Do you have any form of space transportation?"
Knowing Su, the chances of her having one were the same as the answer to 1 plus 1…
"Yup! I've got a couple of space pods you can use."
Su removes a cloth covering a cylinder shaped figure and reveals two one-man space pods.
It's the kind of space pod that was used by the Predators in the movie Alien vs. Predator.
Keitaro steps forward in argument…
"If you're going up there to take revenge for Naru and Motoko, then I'm coming too!"
"Keitaro, do you know ANYTHING about fighting?"
"I learned a few things from Motoko, but yes I can fight! I've beaten her before! You can't make me change my mind, Hanku! I'm coming with you!"
"…(sigh) Very well. Get your weapon and we'll leave in 2 hours."
"WHAT! Hanku, we still have 18 more hours until Mocsha's deadline is met!"
"I'd rather get there early than to risk being late and have YOU guys suffer the fatal consequences."
Keitaro and the others shut up in shock. They even forgot about the tears they were crying while they saw the Royiaki's murder. Haruka however steps up first…
"Ahem…what do you mean OUR consequences?"
"If I fail to reach Mocsha's deadline, he'll come back here and kill all of you just as slowly and painfully as he did with my family!"
Later, Hanku and Keitaro train: Hanku is practicing his punches and Keitaro practices his strokes with the Hina Blade. Hanku had been thinking about his family's death and how it all led to now for some time. The thoughts wouldn't leave his head to a point where he drops to his knees and begins to cry. Keitaro rushes to Hanku's side…
"Hanku are you alright? What's wrong?"
As Hanku speaks, his voice struggles to speak more and more, as more tears come…
"Everything Keitaro! Everything! (sniff) Mocsha has killed more people other than my family, Naru, and Motoko. He's claimed thousands of innocent lives for his entertainment! Whether they tried to defend themselves or not, he's killed men, women, children, newborns, pregnant women, the works! He took my family away from me! My mother, my father, my sisters! He stole them like a pickpocket would steal a wallet! He's now taken away your greatest treasure…(sniff)…a-and mine!"
"(sniff)…Hanku…are you saying…you love Moto—"
"But this all ends now! He'll die a more horrific death than my family's, Naru's, and Motoko's COMBINED! I swear it!"
A few hours later, everybody is back in Su's room, however Hanku and Keitaro are preparing themselves for their upcoming battle…
"You sure you want to go on with this Kei?"
"Yeah, Hanku! You're not the only one who wants revenge."
Hanku smiles as the both of them put an earpiece in their ear…
"Testing. 1, 2, 1, 2…"
"It works Hanku."
Before their departure, the two say their goodbyes, and keep saying they'll be back in no time, of which everyone knew was a lie. Hanku and Keitaro enter their respective pods, as the ceiling opened up. Both pods launched and made their way to their destination.
Later, on the planet, Mocsha sits atop of a cliff sitting impatiently until he sees two shapes crash into the planet…
"So it begins."
Keitaro steps out of his pod first…
"Geez, rough landing."
"Hey Kei! Can you get me out? The door's jammed."
"Oh yeah! Sure thing!"
Keitaro walks to Hanku's pod about 50 ft away, types the necessary code on the keypad and presses a button to open the door. After Hanku exits his pod, both make their way to the edge of the cliff they landed on. The planet was the Grand Canyon times a million! There was nothing, but canyons, cliffs and rocks…
"Even if this is for revenge, this ain't gonna be fun, Kei."
"I know. Ready?"
"Ready"
Keitaro and Hanku look back at their frontal view until Hanku shifts his attention to an unaware Keitaro and chops the back of neck, temporarily paralyzing him. Hanku catches Keitaro before he hits the ground and carries him over his shoulder toward the pods…
"Sorry Keitaro, but you don't have a chance in this fight. The girls need you back at the apartments. I don't wanna tell them you were obliterated into thin air."
Hanku opens Keitaro's pod and tosses him in it, shuts the door and air locks it. Afterwards he removes a metal covering on the pod, revealing hundreds of wires. He grabs a handful and yanks them out. Keitaro composes himself, tries to open the door, but fails…
"Hanku! HANKU! What are you doing?"
"Sorry buddy. That door ain't gonna work now."
"Let me OUT OF HERE man!"
"No, I'm gonna let YOU live your life. You're the one who was willing to risk his neck for the one he loves last time, Keitaro. Hell it looks like it's gonna be me this time."
"…but…Hanku."
"Always thought of you all as a second family to me, always. After I defeat Mocsha I hope you have a future with Naru; a wonderful future. Just keep in mind that I'll have an eye on you guys from time-to-time, okay…you take care of yourself, Kei. I love ya buddy."
Hanku presses the launch button as Keitaro desperately tries to have Hanku stop, but his screaming, shouting, pounding, and crying weren't enough. As Keitaro blasts back into space, on his way back to the apartments, Hanku watches his leave and even sheds a few tears.
"How sentimental."
Hanku looks behind him and sees Mocsha sitting on a nearby cliff's edge with his feet dangling over it…
"You know I haven't been this choked up since I got that piece of your mother's heart caught in my throat! HA? Funny?"
"It would be if it wasn't true. I'll make you regret that."
"Ah put a sock in a tree Royiaki. 10 minutes after seeing you land and I'm already sick and tired of listening to your little monologues."
Mocsha leaps of the cliff and lands 100 ft in front of Hanku with a serious look…
"You train at my fighting dojo for a week before realizing it was I, then recklessly attacked me, and tossed me away like yesterday's GARBAGE! Do you have any idea what it's like trying to put yourself back together for over 2 YEARS? It's boring! Not to mention it was a freakin' jigsaw puzzle putting my teeth in the right place."
"Well, you should've thought of that before you killed my family."
Back at Hinata, everybody crowds around Su as she focuses her attention on her computer…
"I built two mecha-tamas in both pods and by using MY satellite and my home country's satellite, we should be able to watch them like they're on TV! However it may take some time for the connection to be complete."
Suddenly a huge crash is heard outside. Everybody runs out to see a pod embedded in the ground as the door opens and Keitaro collapsing out. Everybody runs to help Keitaro and sees his tears. Haruka frowns in anger…
"That crazy, arrogant, jackass."
Back on the planet, Hanku and Mocsha position themselves: Hanku takes his fighting stance and Mocsha becomes surrounded by a white light. After the light disappeared, Mocsha didn't have a shirt, but only wore pants with ankle high boots. He also had silver gongs on his wrists…
"Answer me this, Mocsha. How did YOU get here?"
Mocsha shows a small, leather sac and pulls out what appeared to be a small piece of candy…
"This little thing temporarily stuns your lungs, however you will still be able to breathe oxygen and handle the intense atmospheric pressure. It evens has a little fruity center and I must say, sometimes I get carried away with these things and think they're candy for some odd reason."
Mocsha tosses the object into his mouth as eats it. Afterwards, he draws his broadsword and positions himself…
"Enough talk! Let's begin!"
"Finally!"
Both fighters dash at each other!
End of chp. 16
Yeah, that's right! I'm starting another one of my kick-ass fights and I guarantee this'll be the most AWESOME fight EVER!
Review ASAP DAMMIT!