For the love of dreams
By: Kara
Authors note: I don't own Love Hina; if I did it would be less of a fan service.
Also this story includes an original character that sort of crosses over with the Marvel universe so if you don't understand anything please contact me.
Chapter one: the chase begins
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In the small tourist trap of Hinata just a few hours away from the capital of Japan the earthy smell of crushed autumn leaves permeated through the winds as a certain teenage swords mistress stepped off the train from school. Taking a deep breath of the seasoned air she left the quiet station and proceeded to the chaotic center of her life that was the Hinata Sou.
As she got closer to the aged hotel she sensed something off with the Small shopping district. Usually there was a drowsy/relaxed feel that seemed almost dreamlike all around the lazy Cafés shops and homes. But at that moment it seemed that there was some kind of… pressure over everything. Almost like something was trying to push its way through the air, but just barely being held back. She was so absorbed by the strange sensation that she didn't notice her friend and charge Kaola Su sneaking up on her.
'Heya Motoko!' Koala shouted, as she leaped onto her friends shoulders. 'What planet were ya on just then? Cause that was too easy!'
Motoko sighed 'I was here Kaola' she paused to shake her energetic friend of he shoulders 'I was just distracted by something that's all.'
'Really? What by?'
Motoko struggled to find the words to explain herself. She always had difficulties describing her abilities, and Kaola's language barrier made it even harder. 'Do you get a feeling that isn't normal? Like a storm is coming but you can't smell it? Or someone is watching you, willing you to do something but you can't see who's watching you and you don't know what they want? '
Kaola thought for a while, seeming quite serious as she did so before looking up cheerfully from her contemplation. 'Nope! Not at all!' she cried startling a couple of tourists. 'Why?' she asked 'is it bad? Are we in trouble? 'Cause that would be so cool!'
Motoko sighed again, she knew it was impossible to have a serious conversation with Kaola but just then, for a second, the crazy foreign girl had almost seemed normal. She watched in relief as Kaola went to bother Shinobu and turned her thoughts back to the strange presence.
She couldn't detect any evil in the strange heaviness, just a sense of longing; like it wanted something rather desperately. Motoko was reminded of spirits that wished to return to the land of the living. She had encountered a lot of them during her novitiate, usually the were quite benign and only wished to return to their loved ones, even so they could be stubborn and it was considered rude to merely shove them back to the spirit realm by force. She would have to convince whoever it was that it was better for everyone if they left the realm of the living completely. Motoko groaned at the thought, she was much better at punishing perverts like Keitaro than she was at any form of negotiation. However if she was to inherit the gods cry school than she would have to perform exorcisms like this almost routinely, shrugging the responsibility to one of the schools more experienced exorcist just wasn't an option (no matter how much she wished it was). Resigning herself to the unpleasant task ahead Motoko began a mental checklist of everything she would need to do to get rid of the now rather irritating spirit.
-
'Damn it! Why can't you just talk to me? Usually you people can't shut up when you know someone's listening!' Things weren't going well for Motoko. She had made the usual benedictions and offerings that normally summoned displaced spirits to an exorcist, but whoever the spirit was they completely refused to communicate. Instead they would send emotions that got increasingly upset and confused. At this rate Motoko would have to send for an exorcist anyway. Not only was this an embarrassment to her, but the whole experience had been a waste of her time. Muttering under her breath she cleaned up all her exorcism paraphernalia, grabbed her bath things and headed downstairs. Her failed summoning had taken so much time that she had missed out on her sword practice. She needed something to work of the frustration and a bath was probably it.
When she had finished her scrub and got to the hot springs she found all the other girls were already there. Finding a comfortable rock that was far enough from Kaola and her water guns (the young inventor insisted that they were a more efficient way of soaking down and tried to prove it on everyone else at every possible opportunity) Motoko lay back in the springs and proceeded to drift off. She had almost become accustomed to the spirits presence, its feelings of confusion and fear had completely abated by then and the sense of longing that she picked up was now being tempered with a feeling of relief, peace and slight happiness.
'Maybe they'll decided to leave of their own accord' thought Motoko. 'If they did then I won't have to report my failure to big sister.' Motoko shuddered at the thought of her more talented elder sister. It wasn't like she hated Tsuroko (in fact she loved her sister deeply) but the idea of Tsuroko being displeased with her fuelled her nightmares. Oddly enough the spirit seemed too empathized with her.
'Now you want to communicate' she thought ruefully. Apparently the soak was taking effect as she was no longer irritated with the lost soul. Concentrating, she sent feelings of appreciation, goodwill and welcome in as many directions as she could manage hoping that they would eventually reach the spirit and maybe set up a basis of communication that would allow her to finally push the ghost of the mortal plain (gently of course). Apparently it was that single action that caused the chaos that happened next.
The first clue that something wasn't quite right was the feeling that whatever had been holding back the spirit had decided to yield and allow the spirit into the land of the living. The second clue was a strong sense of danger that provoked her to leap out of the hot springs. This proved to be prudent as she just missed being pulverized by someone who had apparently fell out of nowhere into the steaming pool where she had just been relaxing. Their landing caused a huge splash that soaked everyone completely rousing all the girls from their stupor to investigate their unexpected visitor. As they moved closer they realized that whoever they was they were really hairy and wearing a lot of purple.
'Well it isn't Keitaro' noted Naru 'he doesn't wear anything that gaudy.'
'Maybe we should turn them over' offered Fox 'you know, to see that their breathing and all?' before they could move to help their brightly dressed visitor, the visitor released some rather large bubbles and groaning, stood up painfully in the waist deep water.
And that's when all hell really broke loose.
Shinobu screamed in terror and ran for the exit while Fox and Kaola both summoned weapons out of nowhere (Fox had managed to pull out a rather formidable looking bottle of alcohol out of her bath towel while Kaola simply changed the settings on her water guns to suddenly change shape to something more solid looking that was releasing a rather ominous hum) to assail and chase after their now fleeing visitor. Naru however just stood in shock as Motoko moved to start putting her clothes back on.
'what was that thing Motoko?' asked Naru, only just coming out of her shock as Motoko completed binding her breasts 'it had a cats head and a, a tail'
'My guess is an animal daemon' grumbled Motoko as she helped Naru out of the springs and then threw her, her clothes
'They were quite prolific in medieval china but were all banished or killed by the monks of that time. One of them seems to have found a way back.'
'Are you going to kill it? I'd heard rumors-' Naru's sentence was cut of by a now rather irate Motoko
'Listen, whatever you heard doesn't matter right now. Just listen and do as I say and this may all turn out alright ok?' Naru merely nodded, unused to her younger friend being so forceful 'your going to finish getting changed then your going to chase after that thing, when you've caught up with Fox and Kaola I want you to tell them to lay back and not attack it, if they do that it may kill them.' with that Motoko moved to turn around but was stopped by Naru's hand grabbing her gi.
'What are you going to do?' asked Naru
'I'm going to get my sword' answered Motoko with a look of cold anger 'and then, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.' with that she left, leaving Naru to get dressed. As she finished pulling her sweater on and started to follow the sounds of the chase, she could only pity the creature that would have to face Motoko and her wrath.
End chapter one
special points to whoever can tell me which comic I'm referencing from and a picture by me if they can tell me the make and model of the gun.
So what do you guys think? Please be brutal this is my first fanfic so I don't have a puffed up ego yet ;) anyway RR please!