Love Hina Children of the Exodus Reloaded
Yes, as promised, I've decided to rewrite the entire Children of the Exodus story. For those of you who haven't read the original Love Hina Children of the Exodus, allow me to explain a few things. This story was my first ever fanfic, and…I guess, I could say it didn't quite take off. But now, after gaining a bit more experience in writing, I've decided to re-write the story completely. This time, I'll focus more on Keitaro Urashima and his Urashima-ryu background, though the events from the original story will still take place. The original characters you might have seen in my other works, i.e. Lee Davis, Rayce Farelle, Urashima Hinata (Annabelle Armitage), Urashima Keiko, Mireille, etc., originally came from this story.
The Urashima-ryu's heir's fate had been decided far before. But will his dark past hinder him from fulfilling it? Do you believe in destiny? It's where the end begins…
Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina or anything else here that might belong to someone else. Simple, isn't it?
Chp1: Where I stand
Rain…thunder…lightning…patches of the sky lighting up as fiery bolts slash across the stricken sky. More rain…falling in ice cold sheets…penetrating every bit of his skin. The cold, dagger-like, stabbed into his bones, chilling his very blood. Needless to say, he was soaked, to the point where the expression 'to the skin' just didn't cut it anymore. His water-clad shirt and trousers were sagging down, weighing him down. But nothing felt heavier than his heart at that very moment.
More lightning flashed across the sky. This time, it lit up a long, curved, shiny jet black stick-like object in his hands. Before him, its contours deepening under the effect of the blitzing light, were the stone inscriptions, "Urashima Keiko, 1979-1992, an angelic daughter, a dear sister, and a good friend. May she find eternal peace." His hands shook as he fell to his knees. The stick-like object fell with a dull splash into a dark puddle of mud at the foot of the stone on which the words were inscribed. His tears merged seamlessly with the relentless rain. Forwards he fell, before bowing before the white tombstone.
"Wh…WHY!"
10 years later…
North Sea…in the skies off the coast of Ireland…
"The gravity core's collapsing!" Keitaro shouted. "It won't hold up much longer! How much farther is it!" His heavy black cloak swirled around as he turned around to face the only other person in the bridge.
"We should get there in 10 more minutes…if the engines hold." A black haired girl in an engineer's suit said. Something exploded outside the bridge. "Well…err… correction…if they don't bring us down AND if the engines hold." The girl rushed out of a pair of double doors. "I'll go check on the flight system. You go check the gravity core!" A flash of lightning lit up the bridge's huge observation windows as the tempest roared around their airship.
"It's chaos out there! We can't hold out much longer! Keitaro! We need you on the frontlines!" A brown haired girl in a heavy soaked brown cloak shouted as she burst in through another pair of double doors, shouldering a raven haired girl in a blood stained heavy white cloak. "Hinata-chan's already having a hard time holding them off by herself down on the main deck! Tsuroko's missing! The upper bays are overrun! Mutsumi and the others are already retreating from the rear deck!"
"Please calm down, Naru. I'm going to have to have you hold them off for a few more moments….if the gravity core fails, it'll be a short plunge into the sea anyway…" Keitaro said as he ran over and kneeled beside the raven haired girl who had just been laid against the wall of the bridge by Naru. "…Even Motoko's down…Call up Mutsumi and get her here. Get her to take a look at Motoko. I'm going down to the gravity core…" He looked up at Naru.
"Kei…ta…ro…" The raven haired girl whispered, raising one hand. Keitaro looked around at her and grasped her hand. "Please…be…careful…out…there…"
"Don't worry about me, Motoko. Concentrate on recovering for now…I'll get us all home. I promise." Keitaro squeezed her hand reassuringly and stood up. "I'll leave her in your hands Naru…" he said, as he proceeded out the door. "I'll pick up Hinata-chan on the way…"
"Keitaro!" Naru called out after him just before he disappeared through the door.
"What?" Keitaro looked back.
"…err…take care out there, ok?" Naru said, hesitantly.
"Err…yeah. Thanks." Keitaro rushed out. Another impact shook the ship, causing the bridge to shake violently. Outside the gigantic bridge windows overlooking the main deck were stormy skies, crisscrossed with flashes of lightning. Below, the tumultuous sea raged. The tempestuous roar of the heavens almost drowned out the sound of the battle outside. Far off, on the horizon, was their destination, shining bright.
"We're almost there…" Naru whispered. "Only a little more to go…"
"Yat…ta…" Motoko smiled. "hahahaha…if only…Shinobu, Suu, Mitsune, and the…others…could've seen this…"
"sssshhh…rest now, Motoko…" Naru said. "I'll go get Mutsumi…you'd better not die on me while I go get her…hold on for me, ok. We still need you." She got up and started for the door.
"Naru…sempai…" Motoko whispered, grasping Naru's cloak with one weak hand. "Please…if…I…don't…make…it…home…please give…this…to Keitaro…" She rested one hand on her jet black blade. "And tell him…I…I…lo…I'm…sorry…" She coughed up some blood.
"You're going to make it home, Motoko. Don't say things like that. If you've got borrowed stuff to return, return them yourself." Naru managed a good-natured scowl as she blinked off her tears. She gave Motoko a tight embrace. "We've promised the others…we're going to get as many of us home safely as possible…if you die now, it'll be disrespectful to their memory…And you will tell him you love him…you will tell him yourself…and then we'll be official rivals" She smiled as got up and ran out the door. "Stay put! I'll go get Mutsumi!"
"hahahaha…everyone…" Motoko whispered, looking back out of the bridge windows. "…I must hand it…to you…all…you're far…stronger…than…I can ever…be…" A huge black figure suddenly threw a shadow across the entire bridge as it landed right in front of the bridge windows. Motoko slowly and painfully got back onto her feet. "Tell me…Shinobu-chan…how far…must we all…go…to match your…sacrifice?" She picked up her blood soaked blade and held it up. "I…was getting… bored…just then…" She chuckled, looking up at the dark figure. "Come…and get me…foul…fiend…"
3 years before…
"So…this is the Hinata Sou…" Keitaro said, a slight bit of awe inherent is his otherwise seemingly uninterested voice. The air was blistering hot for springtime, perhaps a foreshadowing of the fiery summer to come. The sun was high overhead, its rays streaming down gently through the sakura leaves around him. His clothes were soaked through completely, from his simple shirt to humble black trousers. A gentle breeze blew by, raising the loose bandages wrapped around a long, curved, stick-like object on his back. His only other piece of luggage was his modest black school bag containing everything he could scoop up before getting kicked out of home.
As many others before him, he paused at the end of the arduous flight of stairs up the Hinata Hill as he regarded the ancient majesty before him, the Hinata Sou. It looked down upon him, with an air of one grown wise and sagely with age as it watched the people who've come in and out. He gratefully entered the cool shade of the living room as he called out, "Hello! Grandma? Is anyone home?" He scanned the living room, half darkened due to the glare of the sun outside. "Man…even the bell boy isn't here….I guess it was just too hot to work…" He sighed, placing his shoes neatly by the verandah before walking into the living room.
A flight of stairs and a short walk later, he was in his grandma's room…which was devoid of his eccentric grandma. "That's strange…oh well, I guess I'll just wait until she gets back." He placed the bandaged stick-like object reverently on the table in the room before looking about the room. It was your standard traditional Japanese room, with rich yellowish green tatami mats. He decided to get up and walk around to find some breeze from the windows, swinging his arms about casually as he did. Then he came by something that immediately attracted his eyes….
Its surface gleamed under the gentle spring sunlight. Keitaro picked up the small photo frame from the top of the old armoire and took a closer look at it. There wasn't a speck of dust on it, which could only mean it meant a lot to the owner. It was a family photo, probably taken around 10 years ago. He managed to identify himself, standing by his smiling parents. Grandma Hina, Aunt Haruka, a tall man in a white labcoat, and a few other people were also in the photograph, happily smiling at him…and there was her…
"Hey, Kei-kun, when we're grown up, do you think we'd always be together? Just like this?" A voice asked from beside him. He shifted his gaze from the dark blue, star lit sky to the figure lying in the grass beside him. Her hakama and gi rustled as she turned sideways to look at him. "Do you think we'd be able to watch the stars together like this forever?"
"…" He just raised his hand up before him, the sleeve of his hakama falling down to his shoulders. Finally, he spoke, raising his head off the grass slightly, "Well…we are brother and sister…I'm sure, no matter what happens, we'd always be together. We'll always be the Urashima twins. Nothing in the world can change that."
The girl beside him raised her hand and grasped his outstretched one. "Promise me, Kei-kun. Please promise me…that we'd always be together…" She entwined her fingers around his.
"I…I promise, Keiko-chan…"
"…Keiko-chan…" Keitaro gently touched the face of the smiling girl in the picture and sighed. He placed the photograph back where it belonged and fell backwards onto the warm tatami mats. He let out a long sigh as he raised his hand before him. He regarded it for a moment before letting fall onto the tatami mats with a heavy thud.
It just so happened that his hand fell on his open bag, on a pamphlet to be precise. He brought it up before him as he looked the pamphlet while still lying on his back. It was crumpled and creased from repeated reading. The first page bore the photograph and emblem of his current goal, 'Tokyo-U'. He just sighed again. "So…Tokyo-U…" He closed his eyes. "I wonder…if she still remembers…that promise. I sure hope so…I mean, I have no other worthwhile goal in life…I sure hope this makes it worth my while." He started to reflect on his life…the fact that he has never had a girlfriend…or any proper interactions with any members of the opposite sex outside his family either. It wasn't his fault either…
As his reminiscence reached the events a few hours ago, he started to scowl. "Damn it…why on earth were we born into such a family…" Not that Keitaro hated his family…he just hated the entire system to which his entire family was bound…it has caused all of them nothing but suffering, as far as he was concerned. Keiko-chan was barely 13 when it happened…and he blamed the Urashima-ryu for everything. Just a few hours ago he went through what he swore would be the last row he would ever have under the Urashima clan's roof as he and his parents 'diplomatically' went over a few 'trivial' family matters…such as why he should give up Tokyo-U…how he should just continue the family business…and off course, the most trivial and unimportant of all…engagements…
Needless to say…he was 'ecstatic' about it…and so was Kanako…
"Seriously son, I can't see why you're so obstinate…it's for the good of our school. She's a good daughter of a really well-respected school. As much as we dislike the idea of pre-arranged unions, it's the only way we could ensure the preservation of both schools. Keiko, God rest her soul, would have been more than enthusiastic…" His father had said, right before Keitaro exploded, upon hearing Keiko's name come into the discussion. A few moments later, he was out the door, his belongings in one hand, pure hatred in another. At least Kanako still understood him, though all she did was voice her support for him through a simple letter. Apparently studies were taking up a lot of her time.
After a few moments of silence, he got up. "I guess Grandma won't be back any time soon…oh well, guess I should go take a shower or something. I'm getting nowhere being depressed like this…" He walked out of the room and descended the stairs. "Hmmm…I think I saw a bathroom around…hey…what's this?" he crouched by a door and touched the floor. It was wet. Something was flooding from the other side of the wooden sliding door.
"Eh? It's warm…" He gently knocked on the wooden door before deciding to let himself inside since no one answered and if there was anyone inside, there wouldn't be any flooding in the first place. He took his socks and rolled up his trouser beforehand. He walked through what seemed like a changing room towards another door which he judged to be the source of the flooding. A shroud of thick steam assaulted him as he opened the doors. "Oh man… hot springs?" He looked about, trying to make his way through the dense steam…stepping through inch deep water…before the water ceased to be inch deep, dropping straight to a full one meter. "IYAAAAAAAAGH!" He shouted, as he suddenly treaded water and plunged straight in.
"Oh darn…" He spluttered, wiping stinging hot water from his eyes. He practically burned himself upon falling. He looked about, trying to see what he could do, before noticing something at the bottom of the pool. "A valve?" He asked, taking off his water logged shirt. "Well…this might help…" He said, taking off his sodden water-heavy trousers, leaving him in his boxers. He placed them on a stone by the hot spring before diving down and turning the valve. It resisted obstinately at first, before finally giving away and creaking slowly, letting out a burst of bubbles. Keitaro grunted and heaved the valve all the way to full before kicking off the floor and breaking the surface.
He gasped as he took a deep breath and looked around in satisfaction as he saw that the water was no longer flowing outwards from the pool. "Right…at least I got that fixed…" He was about to get out when a nearby voice startled him.
"Oh…the water's overflowing…but I guess it's fine. I'll just get Haruka-san to call in the repairman later." A female voice said, as Keitaro heard the sound of the soft splash and gurgle of someone sliding into the water. "Ah….the hot springs are so great, especially at noon…"
"Oh…crap…" Keitaro thought, as he tried to swim away…but against all the laws of reality, the owner of the voice approached him from behind the thick mist and asked him…
"Hey, do you think my breasts have gotten larger lately?" The brown haired young woman asked, blowing them out to Keitaro, who immediately shrank backwards out of pure fear and shock…who is this girl? And how long can he hold this nosebleed? Not that he wanted to think unholy thoughts…it was just impossible not to notice…err…certain things at that moment. And it was her exhibiting 'em too. "Hey, I'll let you touch'em too!" The young woman said, grasping Keitaro's hands.
"H…hey!" Keitaro shouted, before he could stop himself. But it was out of pure reflex. He had to try and maintain SOME decency.
"Huh?" The girl picked up a pair of specs and looked at Keitaro through them…before letting them fall out of pure shock.
"Ok…let me explain…just…calm down, ok?" Keitaro said, trying to regain control over the critical situation…
The young woman's lips quivered…before she opened them wide. Keitaro held out his hands, trying to make gestures for her to calm down…but it was too late. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAH! HELP! SOMEONE! HELP! THERE'S A PERVERT! A PERVERT!"
Before he could think of anything else, his self-preservation instincts sent lightning fast impulses to his legs to immediately initiate the most basic self-preservation maneuver - run. He slipped and slid his way to the changing rooms. In his panic, he accidentally slid headlong into…something soft. He slowly looked up as, to his horror, it started to dawn on him the nature of the soft object he had just rammed into…
"Uhh…Hello there…I don't think I've ever seen you around here before." The blonde haired young woman to whom the soft objects belonged to said, gently trying to dislodge the shell-shocked Keitaro.
"Mitsune! That's the pervert! Stop him! Quick!" The young woman from the baths earlier slid into view in the opening to the hot springs and pointed an accusing finger at Keitaro.
"Hey! Stop right there!" the woman named Mitsune shouted as Keitaro immediately bounded away, accidentally knocking over a dark-skinned girl carrying a basket of clothes as he did so. One of her undies chose to cling onto him, branding him as an undie thief as well as a pervert.
"Damn…how come the girls keep on showing up one by one!" Keitaro shouted as he slid out of the changing rooms and into corridor beyond. There he came face to face with a messy-black haired boy in a dark grey anorak. The boy's hands immediately slipped into his anorak's front pocket, as if he was hiding something. Keitaro had more pressing matters to worry about….such as the hunting party behind him. He immediately sprinted off down the corridor, leaving the bewildered looking boy behind, who tried to step out of the way of the rampaging beave that who skid out of the changing rooms in hot pursuit, seemingly far too busy to notice the boy.
As Keitaro ran down the corridor, he heard a battle cry…"So! You're the pervert! Die! Zan Ku Sen!" He sensed a sudden rush of ki from behind him. It wasn't aimed at him…rather, it was a shockwave from a ki impact. Keitaro ventured a short peek over his shoulder to see where the battle cry had come from. Far back, beyond the angry beave behind him, he spotted the boy he had seen a few moments ago, airborne.
"Huh? What happened?" But before he could ascertain the cause of the boy's sudden flight, he himself was sent airborne by a nuclear explosion. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrghhhhhhh!" He screamed as he spun up into the bright blue sky. "Wha…what was that!" He looked behind him. The dark-skinned girl was right behind him, blazing hot plasma flaming out of the back of her school backpack, a nuclear launcher over one shoulder.
"Errr…can we talk about this?" Keitaro asked. The dark skinned girl merely grinned as the lock-on tone (which sounded a lot like the la cucaracha theme for some reason) filled the silence. "apparently not…" Keitaro braced for impact as the girl flew up to a higher altitude and squeezed the trigger. The sun shone bright for a moment behind her dark silhouette before the light from the cannon lit up her smiling face.
"Ouch…Owies…" Keitaro heaved himself out of a smoking crater in the garden a moment later. As he tried to shake off the daze from having been thumped on the head by a class 6 nuclear warhead, he saw something else worth thinking about…the 2 other girls from the baths. They were kicking up a stream of dust as they approached him at a demonic speed. Deciding that staying put would lower his life expectancy, Keitaro started to make tracks. Before long, he found himself back in the hot springs corridor with not 2 but 3 girls behind him. The blonde haired one, the brown haired one, and the dark skinned one too. In a way, he always fantasized about what it would be like being chased by girls…now he decided that it was probably a bit overrated.
He noticed another girl in the corridor, a dark-blue haired one in an apron. She was looking down worriedly at the boy he had seen earlier, who was lying spread-eagled on the floor. She shrieked as she looked up and noticed him. In his panic, Keitaro just ran past her and leaped over the boy's sprawled body. He heard a few 'oomphs' and 'aaaaghs' as he ran towards the living room. He speculated that the other girls must have taken less care (or probably more care, in a way) to step on the boy.
"Ah…another one… Another girl, a raven haired beauty in a hakama and gi, said, as she slid her katana an inch out of its sheath. She looked up at Keitaro as her eyes narrowed.
"Not another one…" Keitaro moaned, as he dodged the ki blast she sent roaring in his direction.
"Wait…was he…?" the raven haired swordswoman watched as Keitaro hightailed it straight down the corridor. Her hair flew up as it was caught up in the draft raised by the three blurs behind him. "No…it couldn't be. He's just a fiendish monster."
A few moments later…he found himself cornered with nowhere left to run, atop a tall wooden platform-like structure on one side of the Hinata Sou. "Err…ok…I uhhh…came here to find my grandma…and errr…I was hoping she'd let me …stay at this inn…I assure you I didn't intend to peek or anything…and… errr…I was just… trying…to…fix… that…" He faced the gathering of girls and started to explain, putting on the most diplomatic smile he could put on…he was about to learn that diplomacy in Hinata Sou worked in a completely different way. To be precise, in a way that would make trigger fingers like Hitler and Napoleon jump with glee.
"EAT MY ATOMIC PUNCH!"
"SHINMEI-RYU OUGI! HIKEN! ZAN GAN KEN!"
"NUKE BERSERKER!"
"Ah…why me?" Keitaro wondered, as he was flung across the platform, skidding and sliding before smashing into the railing. "That…smarts…" He rubbed his head in pain as he tried to decide which side was up.
"What do you mean you wanna stay at this inn? Try and make more believable lies next time. This place used to be an inn a long time ago, but now, it's a male-prohibited contract dormitory…in other words, an all female's dormitory. Now…you will come quietly with us to the police station. You've got a lot of guts breaking into this particular dorm…" The brown haired girl he had met in the hot springs bore down on him, her eyes flashing menacingly.
"P…Please, just listen for a moment…I didn't mean to peek…the water was overflowing and…." Keitaro tried to appeal once again. Just then, someone else walked up to the platform.
"Haruka-san! We've caught this pervert!" The brown haired girl shouted, pointing at Keitaro.
"Oh…if it isn't my good ol' nephew, Keitaro…" The dark haired woman who had just walked up onto the platform said, while taking a drag on her cigarette.
"Haruka? Haruka-san?" Keitaro looked up at her. "Haruka-san! Long time no see!" Keitaro ran up and hugged her in relief and…to some extent…joy…finally, someone familiar.
"eh?" Everyone just stared.
"As happy as I am to see you, nephew…it would be a lot nicer if you would save your hugs and kisses until you're a tad bit more presentable…you look like you just lost a major game of strip poker…" Haruka said, gently dislodging the overjoyed Keitaro. "Get some clothes on and we can talk about this…"
"So…that's the situation?" Haruka asked, right after Keitaro finished his explanation. He kept it simple, limiting everything to university entrance only. They were all seated in the Hinata-Sou's spacious living room. Even the boy who had showed up earlier was there, sitting quietly in a corner, watching the proceedings.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! This place's an all girl's dormitory! I would never allow a pervert like you to stay here for even a day!" The brown haired girl screamed. The only thing keeping her from pummeling Keitaro again was the hands of the blonde girl.
"I…I didn't know the inn had been turned into an all girls' dormitory…" Keitaro said.
"I said no, and that means no!"
"b…but…I am the owner's grandson after all…"
"Peeping, breaking into the hotsprings…" The brown haired girl was laying charges faster than a person who just stole a wallet full of credit cards. Keitaro seemed to grow smaller with every accusation. When the charges came to the subject of flashing before a 12 year old girl, the victim in question tried to defend the accused by saying she didn't really see anything cause it was so small, resulting the accused diminishing at a faster rate. At this point, the other boy raised an eyebrow.
The raven haired girl added a charge of her own- bringing along an accomplice to aid in his acts of perversion. At this point, the other boy spoke out for the first time, "Excuse me, I've never even met the bloke in my entire life."
"Speak out again and I'll make sure this is where your 'entire life' ends" the raven haired girl threatened, unsheathing her katana by an inch.
"I was so sure grandma would let me stay, so I didn't bring any money with me. Oh yeah…where is Grandma, anyway?" Keitaro asked, scratching the back of his head, a sign of slight frustration.
"Unfortunately she took off on a trip around the world about a year ago…" Haruka said, taking a long drag on her cancer stick. "She hasn't been back since."
"Oh...so…she's not here…" Keitaro sighed. 'I guess…fate really does work…as father says…' he thought.
He decided to admit defeat and get up to leave. "Yeah…I guess, I have no right to force my presence on you people…me being a boy and all. It's not right for a boy to live in an all girls' dorm, I guess. Sorry for disturbing all of you." He bowed.
"…you should be a Tokyo-U student now, right?" Haruka said, deciding on a new tactic.
"Huh? Uhh…Haruka-san…abou that…" Keitaro laughed, scratching the back of his head. But before he could elaborate, Haruka knocked him on the head with a paper fan, signaling him to be quiet. Just then, the room erupted as all the girls started enquiring about him being a Tokyo-U student. In less than a second, he went from unwelcome to worshipped. Everyone started to plead to let him stay. The brown haired girl, finally being outnumbered, gave in, and turned her attention to other boy.
"You're a boy, right?" She asked. The boy frowned at this question.
He answered, "Obviously."
"Name?"
"Lee Davis."
"You're in no way related to anyone living in this dorm are you?" she asked. Lee shook his head. " Are you related to the owner of this establishment?" Again another negative. "You don't happen to be a Tokyo U stud are you? Not that it would make a difference." Negative. "And you want to stay here?" Lee nodded. "Are you aware this is an all-girls dorm?"
"Well, about that... I just found out." He answered. The dark blue haired girl was watching him worriedly. The Kendoka had a threatening look on her face. The others were watching him apprehensively.
"Well, boys are strictly not allowed here, and we're making an exception for that boy over there cause he's the owner's grandson. but you, ...you'll have to leave." The brown haired girl said.
Lee said nothing, but he took out a sealed letter. He addressed Haruka, "I believe I'm addressing Urashima-san?"
"Yes,"She answered
"Very well, this is for you." he said calmly, handing Haruka the letter. "I believe 'they'll' appreciate it if you don't show it to anyone." Haruka opened the letter and read it, fast at first...but then she slowed down, held the letter with 2 hands, then something that has never happened in history before happened before their very eyes. Haruka turned green...then a shade of blue, then a clear hue of violet. Fascinated by the colours display, the dark skinned girl decided to jump onto Haruka's back and look at the letter, but Haruka immediately through her forwards in a quick, cleanly executed Pa Ki Kien move, concealed the letter in her breast pocket, helped the dark skinned girl back up, and said, "Yes, you're allowed to stay, but only until it's finished."
"Don't worry, as soon as I've finished my business here, I'll leave."
"WHAT!" The brown haired girl exclaimed. "JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE! WHAT WAS IN THAT LETTER!"
"Anyway….now that everything's settled…WELCOME TO THE HINATA INN!" The blonde haired girl shouted. Everyone else shouted out the last 5 words along with her…all with the exception of the brown haired girl. "Ok then, Shinobu-chan…what's for dinner?" she immediately turned around to leave the room, her mind changing gears completely.
"hmmmphh…how could you people take this so lightly…" The brown haired girl grumbled as she too got up to leave. The other two girls, the dark skinned one and the dark blue haired one, followed suite.
"Thank you, Urashima-san. I'll take my leave now…I must go get a few things sorted…" Lee said, getting up to leave as well. "Urashima Keitaro-san... I think I could formally introduce myself to you later on…for now, I think you have other more important things to attend to." He left the room along with the other girls.
"So…Keitaro…I don't think anyone could've thought of a bigger entrance…" Haruka sighed, as she stubbed out her cigarette. She took out her packet of cigarettes and bit a fresh one off.
"Sorry about that, Haruka-san." Keitaro laughed.
"I heard about the circumstances behind your leaving home…" Haruka turned her eyes towards Keitaro.
"Ah…about that…" Keitaro looked down.
"Don't worry about it…I don't blame you for leaving…in fact, your father did the exact same thing. Though back then, he was already best friends with your mother…he was only uncomfortable with the idea of having to force his best friend into marrying him. But your mother agreed to it wholeheartedly, and when she did, your father also decided to go through with it…it was quite a tale." Haruka reminisced. "I'm sure he didn't tell you this…"
"No…he didn't…" Keitaro said.
"Off course he didn't. He didn't want to inspire the same rebellious spirit in you…but I guess genetics took its toll." Haruka smiled. "The thing is, Keitaro, you, as the heir to the Urashima-ryu, have a duty to uphold…"
"Not you too, Haruka-san…." Keitaro sighed, getting up. "I've had enough of this 'duty' you're all so proud of…"
"Keiko-chan, may she rest in peace, died carrying out her duties." Haruka said, taking another drag on her cigarette.
"That's what I'm against, Haruka-san. She died…and for what? Duty?" Keitaro asked, rhetorically.
"Let's keep in mind that the only reason Kanako still alive enough to write you letters is because Keiko-chan had taken action back then…she carried out her task as an Urashima-ryu heir to the very end. And that, Keitaro, not her duty, but what she accomplished through it, is something to be proud of. Now…the school's task is to protect the weak and the unjustly treated. To that end, the school must survive. And right now, the school's dwindling…we need to unite with another school in order to survive…for that, we need you, the heir to the Urashima-ryu, to marry the heir of another school. That simple." Haruka said. "We're not asking you to risk your life or anything."
"It's not that simple…think about the poor girl…" Keitaro said. "I don't care…if they told me I had to go die for the Urashima-ryu, then so be it. But I can't ruin someone else's life for the sake of the school."
"What your problem is, young man, is your confidence. I'm not going to preach further…I'm sure your parents have given you a hell load of all that…but I will suggest you think things over. It wouldn't hurt to get to know that girl first, just like your parents." She said, standing up. "Well then, Keitaro, I forgot to say, welcome to Hinata Sou."
Meanwhile, down in Hinata town…
"Sad…" One town elder said. His dark red yukata rippled in the breeze as he turned around and disappeared into the mist.
"Yet happy…" Another said, as he too disappeared into the mist.
"Tragic…" Yet another said, disappearing in a similar fashion.
"Yet…" ditto.
"Time is running out."
"The seal is weakening…"
"…"
To be continued…
Up next chapter! The importance of white vans in solving today's problematic healthcare system, why street racing is bad for little girls, and, off course, how to get instant fireworks using a converted grade 1 nuclear missile and a squinty-eyed fox lady of your choice! All in one chapter! Nice, eh?
Note:
The updates for New Mobile Suit Project Gundam Hina Eternity, Love Hina Alternative, and Soul Requiem will take some more time, unfortunately. I'm currently stuck with the new chapters…darn writers block. But fear not! I have a always-finish-a-project policy. Anyway, hope you enjoy this new story. Thanks. Reviews are highly appreciated.