Moving Forward
Chap. 2
The bright yellow beams of morning sunlight filtered through the newborn leaves of spring and cast its light into the room of one Keitaro Urashima. Slowly, the beams moved down along his wall and finally onto his face. This is an occurrence, which would normally awaken any other inhabitant of the apartments, but apparently not Keitaro. Then, as if nature had grown impatient, a gust of wind blew in through the open window and rustled his hair. With a groan and a tired sigh, Keitaro simply rolled over and pulled the covers over his head. Then, as if ordained by the powers that be, a beam of energy suddenly shot up through the floor where he lay, instantly waking him as he hurtled up through the hole in his ceiling.
Shaking the dizziness from his head, his eyes started to focus on several pink shapes. A pink triangle that pointed down and above it were two pink orbs. Finding his glasses and putting them on, Keitaro discovered that it was actually Naru in pink lingerie with a very angry look on her face. Realizing this, the only words he could get out were "Um, sorry Naru", before Naru drop-kicked him back down through the hole yelling "Get down there!"
Landing on his back with a THUD next to the new hole that was created in his floor, he slowly sat up to see Kaolla Su, peaking her head out of the hole next to him. "Su? What's going on?" Keitaro asked, holding his head as it still ached from the bombardment of unknown energy. "Hello, Keitaro. I am very sorry, but I was just testing my new invention. Mr. Plasma Energy Beam Cannon, Version 3.5. Now packing four times the punch!" She cheerfully said.
"Yeah, I kinda felt that 'punch'. Anyway, Su, could you please test your gadgets away from where there are living human beings? " He said as he looked himself over for any other injuries.
"Okay, then. I'll just go to downtown Hinata. That should be better." She said, dropping back down out of sight.
"That's not better, that's worse!!" He yelled, but alas she was already gone.
'Uuuhhh, what am I gonna do with her?' He thought. The last tinges of sleepiness were gone from his body and he realized that there were no hopes of getting back to sleep now. 'Oh, yeah. I have to get up early anyway. It's already 8am.' The thought struck him, looking over at his clock. 'Yeah, I have to finalize the reservations by 9am with the Shimabara Hotel in Kyoto. I got a great deal on a two night stay, all I need to do is call them back to confirm.'
Keitaro quickly pulled on a long sleeve shirt and sweat pants, ran down to the lobby and used the phone there. After he finished talking to the people at the hotel, Haruka passed by him carrying several tea mixes in her hands. As he placed the receiver back on the stand, Haruka gave him a curious look and asked, "So who was that, Keitaro?"
"What? Oh, good morning, Haruka. That was just the Shimabara Hotel in Kyoto. I'm planning to take Motoko to see Kyoto for our anniversary. Don't tell her, though. It's a surprise."
"Sure, no problem. Just be careful while you're there. All the things you see in the street markets are grossly overpriced. However, visits to the ancient temples are free. There are over 2,000 of them, so you shouldn't get bored in terms of sightseeing."
"Wow, thanks Haruka. I didn't know you spent so much time there?"
"Yeah, I…went there a lot when I was younger."
"Oh, really? Who'd you go with?" Keitaro asked.
Haruka's cheeks gained a slight blush. She then looked at her watch.
"Well, I gotta go. Time to open up the Tea House. Later, Keitaro." She said quickly as she hurried off.
'Was it…something I said?' Keitaro then shrugged it off and went back to what he was doing.
Keitaro ran back up the stairs and into his room. 'Now would probably be the perfect time. Motoko is always an early riser. Right about now she would be coming back from her self-training in the back courtyard.' He thought, straightening his hair as it still had a touch of bed-head to it. Opening his dresser drawer, he paused a second to see two train tickets to Kyoto. Sitting next to them was a small blue velvet covered box. 'This has got to be perfect. It will be perfect.' He thought as his eyes remained fixed on the box.
"Morning, Keitaro." Motoko's voice came from behind him. Keitaro turned to see Motoko standing in his doorway, still in her morning robe.
"Oh, m-morning, Motoko. Didn't you get to train this morning?" He said, noticing the robe.
"Actually, I woke up a little late today. I was wondering if we could train together, seeing as you're awake too."
"Sure, that'd be great." He said, finding his training sword next to the dresser.
Then, Motoko barely saw the contents of the drawer to make out a small box and two strips of paper. "Say, Keitaro. What's that inside the drawer?" Suddenly, realizing he had left the drawer open, Keitaro grabbed the Tickets and quickly shut the drawer in attempt to hide the box from her view. "Oh, these? I actually wanted to surprise you, but I guess now is as good a time as any. As of tomorrow we will have been together for a whole year and I want to make it very special. How would you like to take a trip to Kyoto for our anniversary?" He asked, handing her the tickets. "Keitaro, you really mean it? Yes, I'd love to." She said with a bright smile, as she walked up to him and gave him a loving kiss before hugging him with all her might. Keitaro gratefully did the same as he held her so close.
"I could only afford a two night stay, so I hope you don't mind." He said with a slight hint of sadness. "Two nights is more than enough. As long as we spend it together, it doesn't matter." She said, pulling back and looking him in the eyes.
"I'm so glad." He said, taking both of her hands and holding them tenderly. Then his eyes turned back to the dresser drawer. 'I just pray you'll say 'yes' to my other question as well, Motoko.' He thought, turning his eyes back to hers, those beautiful brown eyes that he has come to love. If he wasn't careful he could become lost in those powerful yet mysterious eyes of hers. Serene pools that emanated love and kindness, yet at times they can push forth the discipline and fierce fury of a thousand warriors past. It was too late. He's already become lost in those mild, earth-colored irises of hers once more. He moved forward to partake of her soft lips again, which she lovingly welcomed him with.
The morning of the trip had come. Motoko and Keitaro stood at the train station. Together, they had spent all of the night before, figuring the best places to visit during their stay in Kyoto. Within minutes the train had arrived at the platform and as their luggage was being loaded, they found their seats. Motoko has always loved the window seat. Keitaro knew this when he set up the tickets. He wanted to make this trip as enjoyable as possible for her. The train started moving and before they knew it they were on their way.
After about fifteen minutes, Motoko gave Keitaro's shirt-sleeve a tug and said,
"Look, Keitaro. It's Mount Fuji." as she pointed out the window to the momentous landmark in the distance.
"Oh, yeah. Wow, I never get tired of looking at it. It's size alone is awesome. You know, I'd bet it would take days to climb to the top." Keitaro said, moving closer to the window.
"Actually it only took me a day." She said.
"What? You've climbed it?" he asked in surprise.
"Yeah, my whole eighth grade class at the Divinity School of Swordsmanship climbed Mount Fuji to refine much of our training." She said, turning to him with a smile.
"Wow and you went right to the top in one day, huh?"
"Yes. In fact, I had the honor of placing our flag there in the snow. I think it should still be up there." she said looking back to the mountain.
Motoko continued to watch the lands flowing with green grasses and touches of yellow grains here and there as they quickly moved by. Before he knew it, Keitaro was getting drowsy. Slowly, he began to fall asleep.
Strange visions passed through his dreams, almost in flashes. Scenes of Kyoto, hot, as if in late summer. Visions of an old woman, whom he has never met before, screaming in terror. A vision of him wielding his sword against a foe that he cannot make out through the dark haze. He then saw Motoko with tears pouring down her face, as if suffering some great loss.
'Motoko?' He called out in his dream, reaching out his hand for her. 'Motoko, what's wrong. Motoko? Motoko?' She began to move away from him. No matter how fast he ran, she still remained just out of his reach.
"Motoko!" Keitaro called out, waking from his dream. Motoko, startled, gently held him by the shoulders and said, "Keitaro, what is it? I'm right here. What's wrong?" Keitaro looked over at her with a look of great relief as he realized it was just a dream. "Oh, Motoko. I had such a horrible dream. I saw you crying and no matter how fast I ran, I just couldn't reach you." He said, placing his hand to his forehead. "It was just a bad dream, Keitaro. Don't worry. It didn't happen." She said, taking her hand and gently moving his face in her direction. "Yeah, but…it was so real." He said, as his eyes fell, the feeling of the dream still disturbing him. Motoko then took his hand and held it in both of hers. "Keitaro, listen to me. I will always be within your reach when you need me. Do you hear me? Always." Keitaro looked at her hands and then looked back up at her with a tender smile. "Thank you, Motoko. I needed that." He said, taking her hand and kissing it.
Raising her hand, she slowly ran it down the side of his face as she smiled. "Now, come on. We only have a couple minutes until we arrive." She said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. Looking out the windows, he saw that was true.
"Wow, how long was I out?" he said, rubbing the back of his head.
"About an hour and a half. You looked so cute sleeping that I didn't want to disturb you." She said, teasingly.
The train came to a stop at Kyoto station. Keitaro and Motoko stepped onto the platform and looked around. Their luggage arrived next to them shortly. Collecting their belongings, they exited the station and gazed upon the city that lay before them. "So, Keitaro. Where's our hotel?" Motoko asked, looking up and down the street. Keitaro pulled out a folded map from his back pocket. Opening it up and looking at it, he said, "Well, according to this map, we head down the road directly in front of the station, make a right at this road here, then a left on this road and it should be on the right-hand side." Motoko looked over the map with him. "Oh, I see. That shouldn't be too hard." She said. "Well, we'd best get a move on. It's already 11am." Keitaro said, taking her hand and leading her down the road. Motoko was impressed with his assertiveness. She usually doesn't allow herself to be led, seeing as she is usually the one doing the leading in her life. But in this case, she made an exception.
The two took their time walking down the streets of Kyoto, taking advantage of its many shops and tourist spots. Eventually, they got to the hotel and signed in. Dropping all of their suitcases off in their room, they went out again to do some more sight seeing. From one end of Kyoto to the other, they spent the whole day into the early evening checking out the cool spots of Kyoto. Even though Motoko had trained there for most of her young life and had already seen most of Kyoto, everything just seemed new and exciting now that she has someone with her to enjoy and share it with.
As the clouds in the sky started to turn orange, they began to feel the fatigue of a long day. Seeing as many things as they could, they went from Nijo Castle, built by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to the grounds of The Katsura Imperial Villa, which was dedicated to the deceased military general who served under the last emperor of Japan. Keitaro saw that Motoko was beginning to feel as exhausted as he was.
"Are you hungry, Motoko? I have a good place in mind and from what I hear, the food is great." Motoko simply nodded her head and said, "Sure, that sounds great." Earlier, the two grabbed a quick bite to eat at a boxed lunch stand around mid-day. Now, a good meal would be in perfect order. Keitaro took her to a very nice restaurant in the heart of Kyoto that specialized in traditional Japanese food. Knowing her appreciation for that type of food greatly helped his decision in picking the restaurant.
Not only was the service great, but the food was fantastic. After the meal was finished, they remained at the table talking about the day they had just spent together. Going back and forth, naming their favorite places and the things they would like the visit tomorrow.
"I think tomorrow I'd like to see the Kyoto Municipal Zoo, Keitaro. Not only do they have almost 700 animals, but their Sakura trees are absolutely beautiful this time of year."
"Sure, that sounds great, Motoko. Then, after that I want to go to the Museum of Kyoto. I hear they have a really good gallery including fine arts and crafts and a movie gallery."
"Alright. Then, maybe we can see the Rakusai Bamboo Garden. They have over 110 different bamboo planted. In the mid-day sun, it looks absolutely incredible."
After they left the Restaurant, they made a stop at the Nishi Food Market to pick up some food supplies for the hotel room. Seeing as room service was so expensive, they didn't want to waste their money. Luckily the room came with a fridge to store supplies. The day had been long and full of fun experiences. Feeling the fatigue from their long day they both decided to turn in early for the night. Out of respect for Motoko, Keitaro asked for two futons for the hotel room. As Motoko eased into sleep, Keitaro lay awake on his futon, staring up at the ceiling. Nervous thoughts running through his brain as he peered into the dark void of the shadows filling the room. Silouettes that reflect the shadows of doubt that lay deep in his mind.
'We've been together for a whole year, now. Right? And I'm absolutely sure that she's the one I want to be with. We care for each other very much, so it's only natural for us to take the relationship to the next level and lay the relationship in stone, right? But what if it's too soon. What if I'm jumping the gun? What if she says 'no' and decides to break it off? What will I do then? Then again, she is only seventeen. So, her being too young might be a factor as well. Maybe I shouldn't do this. Maybe I should hold on to that gift for another year. Hmmm….Oh, damn it. I'll just do it and deal with the consequences afterwards. It's better than driving myself crazy thinking about what might happen or what couldn't happen. Then it's decided. Tomorrow it is!'
Keitaro finally fell asleep, his mind a little more at ease, but not much. The dreams that came to him were strange at best. Similar to the dreams that he had on the train, but now more graphic and intense. He found himself walking down the darkened halls of an old run down prison. Dark, empty and cold. Water dripped down the brick walls onto stagnant puddles on the floor. Prison cells that seem to have been empty for decades, passed him on his right and on his left. The vile, smell of old death hung in the air, offending his nostrils, getting stronger and stronger as he walked on. He then came upon a cell at the end of the hall that was lit by a dim light bulb hanging from the ceiling. The iron bars were covered in rust and the floor in front of the cell was stained with what looked like dried blood.
Lying on the cold damp floor was something dark and human-like in shape. As Keitaro moved closer to the bars to take a closer look, the figure began to stir. It took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. Keitaro saw that it was a man, but still his features he could not make out. The man lifted his head and opened his eyes. They seemed to glow yellow, like a bright light reflecting off of gold. The eyes became fixed on Keitaro for a long moment. The man lay completely still, just staring.
Without warning, the man sprung to life and jumped onto the bars, reaching and clawing at Keitaro like a wild rabid, staving dog. This surprise caused Keitaro to jump backwards, landing on his back. The man continued to swipe and claw, making noises like a wild animal. Keitaro slowly inched away from the cell, feeling the fear form a lump in his chest. After Keitaro gained a certain distance, the man suddenly became still and calm. He sat down on the floor, staring across at Keitaro. "Set me free." The man whispered.
"Who are you?" Keitaro said, standing up.
"Set me free." The man said a little louder.
"What did you do to get in here?" Keitaro asked, cautiously stepping closer.
"Set me free." The man said in voice full of sorrow, as he stood up and placed his hands around the bars.
"Why should I?" Keitaro said, keeping a distance.
"SET ME FREE!!!" The man screamed in a voice that seemed to shake the building. The cell bars began to bend and warp in his seemingly strong grip.
"No! I won't set you free! You're obviously in here for a good reason!" Keitaro yelled as the man started to reach and claw at him again.
Keitaro then felt an eerie feeling come over him. He turned around. A spotlight turned on out of nowhere and shown down on a set of keys hanging on the wall. Keitaro found himself strangely fascinated with the keys. He walked over and picked them up off the hook. "Yeees, yeees." The man slowly hissed behind him. Keitaro was no longer able to control himself. He walked over, placed the right key in the hole. "Yes, yes!" The man said anxiously.
Keitaro turned the key and unlocked the door. The cell door flew open and the man leapt out at Keitaro. Everything suddenly faded into bright white light and Keitaro began to see images rushing through his vision. Images of the old woman, screaming in terror. He saw the quick swipe of his hand and splattering of red blood onto the white paper wall of a traditional Japanese house.
Then the image of a Kendo school. Several young students practicing highly disciplined techinques. Then he saw the vision of the Hinata Inn. It was hot, like a summer day. The faces of its residents passed by in a jumble until it stopped on a vision of Motoko looking straight at him with terror filled eyes. Keitaro saw his hand raise a sword at his side. "No," he said, trying to stop it. But he could not. He couldn't control himself. Keitaro saw his hand swing the sword and then heard Motoko's scream. "No, Motoko! NOOOO!"
Keitaro quickly sat up in his bed. His heart, beating like a jackhammer in his chest, his breaths going a mile a minute. Keitaro placed his hand on his chest, trying to calm himself down. Motoko, who was immediately awakened by his scream, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and jumped out of her futon and ran over to Keitaro. Kneeling at his side she began to shake him as he seemed in a daze. His eyes were open wide as he stared blankly ahead, still remembering the images of horror that he saw. Keitaro breathed heavily, as if almost out of breath.
"Keitaro? Keitaro?! Are you alright? Speak to me! Keitaro!"
Keitaro then snapped out of it and looked over at her and said, "Motoko?" He then threw his arms around her and rested his head against her shoulder. "Motoko, you're alright!"
"Of course I'm alright, Keitaro." She said, resting her head on his and rubbing his back gently, trying to sooth him. "You had another nightmare, didn't you?" Keitaro simply nodded, still shaking from the bad dream.
"It's okay, Keitaro. I'm here, see? I'm alright." She said, then giving his forehead a kiss. Seeing that he was clearly still shaken, a thought occurred to her, causing her to blush. She decided to go with it, knowing that he badly needed comfort.
"Keitaro…how about you sleep in my futon tonight?" she whispered.
"Okay, but are you sure?" he whispered back.
"Yes. Don't worry, I'll keep the bad dreams away, Keitaro. I promise."
The two them slipped into Motoko's futon and laid together. Keitaro was cradled in her arms as his hands rested around behind her shoulders. They quickly fell back asleep and Keitaro lay in peaceful slumber for the rest of the night. And straight through until the morning light, the dreams never returned.