AN: hello people, it sure has been a long time, heh heh. I'm sorry for the delay but I've been adapting to university life and I just got my laptop a while ago and the fact that my dorm room doesn't have internet doesn't help matters much. So if there are still people reading this fic here chapter 7.

Disclaimer: I do not own love hina.

Chapter 7: Calling you

If there wasn't death, I think you couldn't go on.

Stevie Smith 1771-1845: H. Pearson 'The Smith of Smiths (1934)'

-Hinata city 2 weeks later-

All was quite in Keitaro's room and that's the way he wanted it, it gave him time to think to think over the past 2 weeks since he left the hospital. It was a vivid dream to him, he still questioned the reality of it all, the afterlife, SWP, soul eaters, resurrection was it all real but one look at his hand confirmed everything was true.

"It's already healed." He observed the fading cut on his hand. Leaning back on the wall he remembered how he got the cut, he was cleaning up some broken artefacts for Seta which not too long ago was in relatively good condition that is until the van in which they were in started and eventually tipped over resulting in the artefacts being completely crushed, being the guy that Keitaro is he picked up the pieces but out of nowhere Sarah appeared behind him and smashed a clay disk on his head resulting in him putting his hands on the pieces hard, seeing this Seta told him to go home in which he complied but no sooner had he left Toudai the blood had stopped and scabs were already forming the pain already gone as if it was never there before. "Is this what she meant by improvements? What did she do to my body?" the she that Keitaro was mentioning was Kisaragi the mad scientist of the spirit world who reconstructed his body after the first accident "This isn't all as well." ("lately thing seem so much different I feel stronger, faster, even answers come faster to me. I feel great.") Then he looked up to the hole on the ceiling ("But what's the point. She won't even talk to me, Narusegawa it wasn't your fault.") he sadly thought since his awakening Naru has been deliberately avoiding him not making any sort of contact and the only time the they were in the same room was during meals, even then the atmosphere was tense and when he confronted her about this she ran ("I just don't know what to do any more.") he got up and proceeded to his managerial duties ("I wonder how Yuki-chan is doing?")

-SW construction site-

Clang!

The sound of steel clashing against steel echoed through the empty site

"Who are you!?" Yuki shouted blocking an attack from her unknown foe.

Her foe a flickering shadow snickered before pulling her halberd back and thrusting it at Yuki who deflected the blow to the side but the sheer force of the attack caused a crater to form a few meters away from them.

("Whoa!") Yuki stared at the crater then turned to the shadow again. "I'll ask again! Who are you?"

"Me?" the shadow responded in accented Japanese skilfully jumping away from Yuki "Mmm… a friend."

"My backside you are!" Yuki pointed her Yari at her. "Now tell me the truth! Or I'll force an answer out of you!" the temperature around the inspector began to drop and some ice began to form.

"I just wanted to say hi."

"By shooting me out of mid air?" Yuki pulled her arm back and readied an ice attack.

"How else was I meant to get your attention?" the shadow leaned to the left effectively dodging an icicle aim at her.

("Damn, she fast I've haven't been able to lay a blow on her yet. Who is she?) Yuki was frustrated at how thing are going and was busy forming a strategy when a group of armed men came on to the site.

"Inspector Kagura! We're here to help!" one of them shouted she turned to them in horror. "Alright, we have you surrounded so surrender or we'll be forced to take action!" the same person told the shadow.

("Those idiot's they'll be over souled!") She looked at the shadow who hasn't moved since the men's sudden arrival "Stand down!" she pleaded with them.

"Don't worry inspector, drop your weapon at once!" the leader of the group commanded ignoring Yuki's warning "Do it or we'll fire!" they aimed their guns at her

"You know, that won't do them any good." A voice behind Yuki caused her to turn around to see the same shadow crouching on the floor observing the men readying their guns. Looking between the two shadows Yuki realised what the men were aiming at.

"It's a decoy." She mouthed

"That's it! Open fire!" the men did as they were told and fired upon the target but soon afterwards one by one they fell. "What happened?" the leader gasped his hand over a bloody wound.

"My God!" Yuki rushed over to the fallen leader and tried to stop the bleeding "Wait," she looked at the wound and noticed that it caused by a bullet fired from the guns that they were carrying. "This is a…" she stopped as cold steel pressed against her neck.

"A Void skill." The shadow said. There was a moment of silence the bodied of the fallen began to disincarnate into bright green dust and soon their bodies were replaced with bright green orbs. "You should've paid more attention to your surroundings."

"Aren't you going to finish me as well?" she closed her eyes.

"No. Like I said before, I just wanted to say hi." The shadow took the halberd away from Yuki and stepped back "Next time however, things will be different." Yuki slowly stood to face her as the shadow began to sink into the ground "Oh, by the way Malachite has taken an interest in your partner and is on his way to the living world to see him now. I thought I'd tell you."

"Kei?" Yuki dove at the shadow but she was already gone "Damn it!" She pounded the ground "Kei!" quickly reaching into her jacket she pulled out a card.

-Living world-

"Sigh." Keitaro trotted up the inn's long stone stairway "I told them I was cleaning the hot springs." He complained replying what happened 30 minutes ago in his mind. He was cleaning the hot spring minding his own business when the girls suddenly came in with only a towel wrapped around them and try as he might to explain Motoko sent him flying curtsey of a secret technique. "At least she's leaving for camp in an hour and won't be back in a few days, new body or not it still hurts."

("Kei! Can you hear me?") He heard Yuki's panicked voice in his head.

("Yuki-chan? What's wrong?")

("Thank God I got to you in time. Where are you now? Are you alone?")

("I'm almost back home and yeah I'm alone.") He was a bit confused at her behaviour.

("Haul your ass back home now! Malachite's after you?")

("Now, why would he do that? I'm in the living world.")

("I don't know! Just do it!") She half shouted to him.

("OK, OK relax. It's nice to hear from you too.") He continued to walk up the stairs ("You know I would've thought after all this time we could've have more of a conversation.")

("Trust me I want to but not right now. Just get home OK?")

("Sure, I'm not that far I just have to…") He stopped mid step when he noticed someone sitting to his left underneath the shade of a tree.

("Kei?")

"It's been a while Keitaro, how have you been?" It was Malachite.

("It's Kensuke.")

("What!? Kei, stay away from him. Run now, I'll…") the link was cut off.

"I thought inspector Kagura would contact you, so I thought I'd block the link for now so we can have a little private time."

"You're alive." Keitaro commented noticing his body giving off a calm aurora.

"Yes, this is my real body after all, the one I was born in. A friend of mine repaired it. Don't come any closer." He stopped Keitaro with a raised hand "I'm not wearing my mask at the moment but we'll meet face to face soon. I just came here to…to say hi." Keitaro can see him smiling.

"Eh…hi." Keitaro waved his hand and Malachite did the same. "Sorry, I don't know what to say."

"Oh, that's OK I just wanted to see if you were OK that's all and since I'm satisfied I'll leave now. Bye, I'll bring something next time." He faded away.

"Hey, wait."

("Kei? Kei? Why isn't it working?")

("Yuki-chan, I'm here.")

("Good, the link's been re-established. What happened? Are you OK?")

("I'm fine, it seemed that Kensuke blocked the link somehow.")

("He must've used his SE. Kei, there been a change of plans get to the hospital now. Don't ask any questions just do it now, I'll be there soon.") The link was disconnected.

"What on earth is going on?" He shrugged and turned around heading down the stairs.

#-#-#

-Hinata hospital-

"Excuse me." Keitaro asked the receptionist. "I'm looking for a nurse called Kagura Yuki?"

"You mean inspector Kagura?" Keitaro looked at her a bit surprised and the receptionist leaned in to him "You forget that this is part of the SWP all of the staff here are officers so don't worry." She whispered to him "'Nurse' Kagura is waiting for you in your old room." He thanked her and proceeded to the room.

"Yuki-chan?" he opened the door.

"Kei?" she turned around closing her cell phone and walked towards him patting him to see if he was hurt. "Are OK?"

"I'm fine, what's up with Kensuke? He just appeared out of nowhere."

"That's what I wanted to ask you, did he do anything to you? What did he want?" She flooded him with questions anxious for answers.

"All we did was chat and nothing more just a 'hi' here and there." He calmly told her.

"That's it?" he nods "Strange, anything else?"

"Yeah, he was alive with his real body so he said. What's wrong?" he noticed the look she was giving him.

"This could be bad." She rubbed her forehead. "Kei, I'm going back to HQ and I want you to head home immediately and stay there until I say so, I need to report this." She opened the door but stopped suddenly "What are you waiting for? Go!"

"Oh. Yeah, sure." ("What is going on?")

-Route to Hinata Sou-

("I haven't seen Yuki in 2 weeks and when I finally meet her again she doesn't make any sense, what's happening?") He walked past a coffee shop 'Storebrooks' AN: no famous names mentioned thank you. ("Sighs, I want my simple life back.") He continued to walk on.

"Hmm." A woman mused seated by the table having seen Keitaro walk by.

"Something wrong?" her male companion asked.

"Not quite, I was just thinking how clueless he looked." She commented taking a sip of her coffee. "The living world still has the best coffee."

"You should try Paris but yes, he does look clueless. I really don't want to do this to him." He looked at Keitaro's form in the crowd.

"But you know we must." He nods. "So." She began "Malachite, this was your home town?"

"Mmm hmm." He nods "I dropped by at my old home and I must say its changed a lot."

"You mean only the servant living quarters remain as well as the hot spring."

"Yes, the annex is in disrepair and the main building in the back is completely gone. Guess it was burnt to the ground during the civil war, serves them right though." He takes a sip from his cup "But that isn't what bothers me the most. I can't believe Hina turned it into an all girls dormitory; she must be turning senile in her old age."

"Aren't you older than she is?"

"At least I don't pull off insane stunt like she does, speaking of which I haven't talked to her in a while." Malachite brought out his cell phone and checked the number on the screen.

"Well, I'm done so I'll leave things to you."

"Kisaragi, why the rush? I thought you were on break?" He placed the phone to his ear.

"I am but as we speak now Yuki is on her way back to the spirit world, I need to be there to make a few… 'Suggestions' so that things will go more smoothly.

"Fair enough." He waves goodbye "Ah." The phone connects "Hina, it's been too long. I have something I want to talk to you about."

-Hinata Sou later that evening-

Knock! Knock!

"I'll get it." Keitaro got up from the dinner table. "Yes" he opened the door. And immediately his eyes widened in surprised.

"Hey, Kei." Yuki waved

"Woof!" Seeker barked

"Yuki-chan what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Keitaro who is it?" Kitsune appeared out of the kitchen "Oh, it's you. You're that nurse right?" she recognised Yuki.

"Yes, how are you Konno-san?" she bowed.

"I'm fine and its just Kitsune." She led her into the kitchen "Hey, everyone look who's here" there were sounds of chatter in the kitchen.

"Hey, wait." Keitaro voice stopped them all. "Yuki-chan, what's going on here?"

"Kei, why don't you sit down and I'll explain." Everyone settled down and gave her some space. "Kei, just recently we reviewed your medical records and found out there was something wrong with you."

"There is?" Keitaro was a bit worried.

"Yes." She strained the word "And my superiors would be more comfortable if you were kept under observation for safety reasons." She strained some more words hoping that he'd get the point.

"So I have to go back to the hospital?" She rolled her eyes.

"No, it's not that."

"I get it! His noggin took a pounding and now you're gonna toss him into a loony ward!" Kitsune laughed.

"It can't be!" Keitaro burst into tears. Soon there were conversations of this and that none of which helped matters much.

("Is it always like this?") Yuki thought before she cleared her throat and spoke again. "No, it's not his mental health but rather physical health and no, it's not that serious in which he has to be taken away. What we had in mind as suggested by Dr 'Kisaragi'." She stopped and looked at Keitaro hoping that he finally caught on "is that I stay here and I keep an eye on you." She indicated to her bags which she had all along.

"Seems ok to me." Kitsune says and resumes her dinner everyone else just nods and continues with their dinner.

"Thank you, Kei as the manager what do you say?" he agrees with a nod. "Good, can you show me to my room I'd like to discuss rent with you as well as other things." He finally understands the meaning of her words and leads her up stairs helping her with her bags.

"Did you see how close those two were? She even called him Kei." Kitsune grinned.

"Auu…" Shinobu whimpered. Su just carried on eating.

"Hey, Naru if I were you I'd be worried." She nudged her silent friend but no response ("Damn it, usually she would've lost it by now. She must still blame herself.")

-Upstairs vacant room adjacent to the manager's-

"What is this really about?" Keitaro asked setting down the bags.

"Well, it was rather sudden." She checked the hallway to see no one was around and closed the door. "When I told boss what happened she said something had to be done just then Kisaragi appeared and suggested that I stay with you and see what happens, I was shocked but it seemed like the reasonable thing to do. I mean since you're alive now if we were to suddenly take you away from here your tenants would get suspicious and do some snooping around but at least this way I can help you out and you can have some sort of normal life, Kisaragi said I should keep an eye on you to see how you're doing." She unpacked a few things and looked around her room impressed by the cleanliness and space available.

"I understand now. Sorry to trouble you."

"Don't worry." She waved it off. "We're partners, speaking of which. Kei, have you considered joining the SWP for real?"

"Why?"

"Kei, think about it. Malachite's after you and you're living with normal people, he might seem nice but I don't think he'll be like that for too long. I've seen people like him they pretend to be nice on the outside but on the inside they're psychotic killers! Don't let him fool you."

"He doesn't seem like that." As Keitaro finished Yuki grabbed him by the neck

"God sake! Don't be so naïve!" she shook him a bit before reaching into her bag and took out a laptop with a wireless access card. "Look." She turned it on and opens the SWP home page. "It says here on the most wanted list: Malachite. Wanted for numerous counts of illegal activity…" she read out the list. "If that doesn't say something about him I don't know what does!"

"Alright." Keitaro calms her down "I do believe you. And if you think that if I join the SWP will do me good I'll do it."

"That's right!" she smiled "We head off tomorrow morning and then I'll start training you as a real agent."

"Erm. That sounds good but for now why don't you have dinner with us? Shinobu's cooking is the best I've ever tasted and I'm sure you'll like it."

"Sure, it's been a while since I've eaten in the living world and since I'm alive and all I guess I have to." She got up and followed him downstairs Seeker hot on her heels.

#-#-#

-Unknown location-

Once a thriving metropolis now lay in waste through war and something else, strange hungry moans echoes through the ruined city. Shadows of strange deformed creatures slither and crawl through this empty city in its prime it was the place of entertainment for many and a lively city of commence the beautiful stone buildings that many thought would last forever was reduced to rubble dry red liquid smeared on the sides, sign of some sort of struggle or rather a massacre of the city's former inhabitants against something unholy something unimaginable descended upon this city that caused all this but even though this city lost most of its population there are still some that remain there but then again they weren't normal themselves. Within the centre of the city stood a large cathedral it stood out as it wasn't as badly damaged as the other buildings and this cathedral severed as a base for a certain organisation tucked away in such a remote region not even the SWP dared to wonder there at least not without an army as this was the base of 'The prophets'.

Deep within the walls of the cathedral someone is beginning to awaken. Slowly this someone opens her eyes and pushes the lid of her capsule open and white smoke escapes. Shaking her head a bit she spots someone kneeling besides her capsule.

"Reptile, how long have I been asleep?" she asked him her blood red eyes staring right at him.

"Approximately 200 yearss mistressss." Reptile replied his head remained low.

"So it is time as predicted by the book of Elzaar, the return to the promise land."

"Yes mistressss, we await your ordersss."

"What other orders are there?" she smiled evilly "We need souls and plenty of SE for our plan to work."

"Understood." Reptile left never turning his back to her as he did so.

"Ah," she stretched "I wonder if Yuki-chan is still around? She was always such a straight arrow; I can't wait to see the look on her face as she sees me. She'll be so surprised." Her smile took on a demented grin and her eyes began to glow, the light in the room began to flicker projecting her shadow on to the far wall soon her silhouette began to change from a human to something else, something inhuman, something evil.

The sound of insane maniacal laughter spread from the room "Yuki…heh heh heeh heh heh heh!"

-Hinata Sou-

Bolting right up from her futon Yuki wipes the sweat away from her forehead taking in deep breathes "What the hell?" she looks around "I need some air." She went over to the balcony ("What just happened, I've never felt like that before… was it some sort of sign.") she looked up to the full moon looming over head ("It's been a while since I looked at the night sky.") she reminisced of something from her past ("Hmm, I need to change before I sleep, don't want to catch anything.") she closed the balcony doors unaware of what lies ahead of her.

End of chapter 7

AN: Again sorry for the lack of update but hey at least I'm still here, right? Since it's been quite a while my skills might've dulled some what and I can of rushed through this as I completed this in 6 hours because I literally don't have time as I have 2 tests coming up and no internet access which is stupid, so there. But don't worry I'll be able to update sooner once it hits 10th of December as I have a month off university, of course that is after I finish studying and playing then I can type.

On a note that has absolutely nothing to do with this fic, I do actually have internet access on the weekends when I go home but the reason that I didn't update during that time is very simple but please don't kill me it is because I just recently joined the on line world of Final Fantasy XI, yay! It came to Europe in mid September and I immediately signed up, so when ever I go home during the weekends rather than update I play online, rather selfish and lazy I know but it's so addictive and when you don't have access 5 out of 7 days and during those days you spend time studying and listening to lectures you can't blame me.

BTW some of you might've already met me, I'm in the Hades sever in Bastok as a Hume under the name Malchia but often referred to as just Mal, so if any of you are ever in that sever try looking me up I might be there, we can chat, give me feed back on my fic face to face, or ask questions I don't mind perhaps we can even form a party and fight together! But I'm still a newbie, what'd expect only weekends remember but that will change as soon as it hits winter break! Well until next time, bye!