A Different Life

by crosseyedbutterfly

AU that starts before the anime or manga. A forced engagment, random turtle demons, throw in some new characters, plus an explination of several people's pasts...well... guess you'll have to read it and see...CHAPTER 23 UP. Fini.

20. Another Surprise pt 2 The Dark Angel

Chapter 20, Chapter 20 coming through, come get your peanuts, popcorn and Chapter 20 right here, not 18, not 19, but Chapter 20 as seen only in demonstrations of the past but now available for your home convenience, can I get a fries, big mac, and a Chapter 20 to go, extra ketchup on the side, and Chapter 20's in the home stretch, he moves to the right, he passes, he wins by a nose!

And now my friends, if you haven't caught on quite yet, here is Chapter 20. :)

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In the Deepest Bowels of Hell…

A dark-red daemon kicked the heater and swore as he wiped his nose on his arm and came up with ice on his scales for the third time since the deep freeze had started.

"Damn it, work you damnably damnable piece of shit! Damn those fanfic writers, they always do this…!"

"It's already damned, I don't think telling it to stay put is going to help any," commented another of his kind as he passed by, wrapped in a knit sweater with little blue devils all over it.

"Son of a…fine." Throwing his wrench down, he pointed fiercely at the contraption while declaring loudly, "If you don't get working, I'll bless you until-!"

The machine jumped to life with a bang, the temperature rising sharply as the daemon sighed in relief as feeling began to flood back into his extremities. "Much better."

"Who is it d'you think that keeps doing that to us?" asked the second one as they began to amble towards their break room, shedding his sweater quickly.

"Dunno, but they're really starting to piss me off. That's the third time this week!"

"Yep."

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Back at Hinata-sou

The young, pale woman sat at the table in the manager's office as she replayed the day's events inside her hand, absently petting the silent cat who sat patiently beside her with the occasional twitch of its tail. It had all been rather overwhelming, and it seemed it would take some time before she found the balance in her mind again.

The original plan had been so simple, why had she ever strayed from it? She had sat there most of the day on the bench just within sight of the Inn's main entrance, carefully noting those who had entered and left from the time she had arrived around noon until the woman had interrupted her musings at the bottom of the stairs. The overwhelming presence of beautiful girls had been disturbing, especially those of great maturity like the short-haired blonde that drank half a bottle of sake during her lunch break outside the Tea House. There had been another, brown hair nearly to her waist and an unforgettable smile, but she arrived later that evening in the presence of a young man who had a great deal of likeness towards Seta that she obviously showed signs of having feelings for and Kanako found it unlikely that her brother would involve himself with a woman who had a tendency towards cheating. Three others, ranging in ages from 6 or 7 to close to 13, had come in together, but she had discounted them in a glance. Even if they had any sort of connection with her brother, they were all far too young to consider a threat. Girly crushes could be easily crushed, and she would do so if necessary. Motoko had somehow managed to slip past her unnoticed, perhaps she had been in the house prior to her arrival, but even so Kanako had expected to find little resistance to her coming and taking over her brother's life once more.

The lack of Keitaro had been disconcerting; she had hoped waiting for him to arrive and greet him personally before any of the other girls could interfere would be enough. It had been two years, but neither of them could have changed that much in her mind. The real plan, complete with her case of things at her feet, had been to infiltrate the Inn if Keitaro did not show up by dark disguised as one of those whom she had observed and gather that information which she required to target any enemies she might have and eliminate them quickly and quietly. Everyone had their breaking point, she did not doubt her ability to find it and make the most of it immediately.

She had been unable to resist one, long look at the Inn towards sundown though, and that had been the undoing of everything she had worked towards. And everything since then…it was time to rethink everything, before she lost anymore ground to the enemy.

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Earlier That Evening

Kanako quickly composed herself as her all-too bright and friendly companion began to giggle. "Ara, you didn't know Keitaro-san was married?"

"Unfortunately, no." The words were grudgingly spoken, and with a hint of a dangerous edge that seemed to pass right over Mutsumi's fluff-filled head. "I was not informed such an event had occurred…whom is he married to?"

"Motoko-chan, a very sweet girl who has lived in the dormitories for many years," replied Mutsumi helpfully.

Kanako raised a brow as she thought it over carefully and then announced. "Then…he was pursued by her, trapped by her charms, and ended up wedded to her before he knew what had happened. Is she a short-haired blonde that works in the Tea House?"

"Ara, ara, no, no, no, silly. Keitaro and Motoko were chosen for each other in a very quickly put together arranged marriage, from what I have heard. They had never even met before their wedding day, or know that they were to be wed at all! And Motoko has long black hair, very much like yours. The only people I know of who work in the Tea House are Haruka-san, Seta-san, and Kitsune."

"I see…very well, thank you for your information." Turning to leave, she was somewhat surprised and more irked when the bubbly young woman fell in step beside her, heading up the stairs. "What are you doing?"

"Ara, making sure you arrive safely, it wouldn't do for you to get lost or be attacked on the way. Besides, I don't know your name yet, and I forgot to introduce myself! I am Mutsumi Otohime, at your service!"

"I am perfectly capable of reaching the top of these stairs by myself," she snorted, turning back towards the Inn while her companion simply watched her expectantly. Admitted grudgingly inside that the young woman was persistent if nothing else, she said, "If you must know, my name is Kanako Urashima."

"That is a very nice name, Kanako-chan! But the steps are very long, and sometimes there are dangerously slippery stairs. I will come to make sure you make it safely to the top."

She considered continuing the argument for a moment, then gave in as they were already only a few paces from the top. The young woman preceded her inside, calling out the name of her brother's wife. Taking off her shoes, she closed her eyes and could almost hear their mother in the kitchen, snipping back and forth with their grandmother (the two had never gotten along) and Keitaro would be running inside to grab her hand any moment to pull her outside to play…

"Motoko-chan, I have brought a friend who wishes to meet you!" called Mutsumi suddenly, forcing Kanako back to the present in time to see a pale, tall young woman not that much older than herself descend the stairs wearing a loosely-tied hamaka and gi with long, obsidian hair that reached past her waist just as Mutsumi had said. She had been unsure of what to expect, but a woman of quiet beauty, with a serious look in her eyes and an obvious bent towards the martial arts had not been it. A lovely bimbo, who only had snagging her brother's inheritance for her greedy little self, yes, but not this. She noted the grace in her brother's wife's movements, the perfect balance of her stride, and her innate awareness of everything around her. She was about to challenge her to a duel over her brother when she noticed that which shocked her most of all, and forced her to reconsider her options.

She's pregnant!

"We were just about to sit down and eat," the woman replied with a smile, giving Kanako a warm nod before moving out of the way to let a blonde headed blur race past her into the kitchen. "Who is your friend, Mutsumi?"

"Motoko-chan, this is Kanako-chan!" she replied brightly, watching them bow to each other as Motoko reached the bottom of the stairs. "Kanako-chan, this is Motoko Urashima, the manager's wife." Rushing on quickly, she added, "Ara, I am sure you will take very good care of her, Motoko-chan, because I must hurry to meet my friends. Goodbye!"

"How do you know Mutsumi-chan?" asked Motoko as she motioned for Kanako to go ahead and have a seat, taking one of the arm chairs while the guest chose the couch. The name Kanako she knew she had heard before, somewhere, and the curiously dressed young woman peaked her interest if only because she looked like one who had a great many secrets to hide. The black clothes complemented her dark hair, though it did make her appear very, very pale, and their old, gothic style suited her strangely enough.

"We met at the bottom of the stairs," came the careful, edged reply. She still couldn't quite decide what to do, and had concluded that a defensive position would be the best for now. "I was on my way up to visit my brother."

Motoko's brows shot up, her facing falling into an embarrassed smile as she suddenly bowed respectfully in her seat. "You're Keitaro's little sister! I'm very sorry, he has never shown me a picture of you, and as far as I know we were not expecting you to visit any time soon. Will you be staying with us?" Her mind went back to the last few times her husband had mentioned his younger sister, but other than the fact that she worked with Hina, was adopted, and rarely showed at family functions unless he or Hina were present she really knew nothing about this mysterious girl.

Kanako fell back on the polite responses that had been drilled into her since birth while living with her parents, unable to think of anything else to say. "If it is not too much trouble."

"No, not at all, is there a room you prefer? You have probably stayed here before, with your family."

She glanced towards the manager's room. "I generally share a room with oba-san…"

"You are welcome to Hina's old room, it is only used as an office now and I am sure Keitaro and I can manage without it while you are here," replied Motoko briskly, walking over to the room and opening the door for their new guest. "Would you like to join us for dinner? It would only take a moment to set another place at the table, and our cook is very good…"

"No thank you, I ate on the way," came the flat reply, Kanako quickly picking up her bag and heading into the room. "I would like to rest, if that is not too much trouble."

"Not at all. We will be in the kitchen, should you need anything, and I will tell Keitaro you have arrived as soon as I can."

"Thank you."

Motoko blinked as the door was shut firmly in her face, turning away to head back towards the kitchen. She considered telling the residents, but decided the girl had looked tired, and there would be time for introductions later on. Leaving it at that, she joined her friends in their meal. However, even as she settled into the familiar routine of telling Su to slow down, admonishing Kitsune for her off-color comments, and noting with a quiet smile the way Sarah found more and more ways to worm her way into her aunt's heart that there was something very wrong with their guest. Or, perhaps to be more specific, there was something their guest found wrong about her.

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The thoughts continued to whirl unpleasantly through Kanako's mind, and her brow furrowed as she fought to bring them back in line. Time passed on the outside, but she was only aware of the struggle behind her closed eyes.

Keitaro is married!

Why didn't Hina tell me?

She knew I would object…even interfere.

How long…how long could it have been?

A few months? At least, she looks to be that far along…

He was forced, perhaps he doesn't love her.

He gave her a child!

He also could have been forced into that as well…she looks like she's very strong, or our families could have demanded it, dimwitted as ours tend to be, and perhaps hers are no better.

No, Hina would have made sure it was a good match. Keitaro was always her favorite.

Why didn't our parents say something to me? Why wasn't I invited to the wedding, at least!

Opening her eyes with a frustrated sigh, she was about to get up and begin to unpack when a hesitant knock came at the door, sliding open at her command to reveal her hostess with a tray of tea and small sandwiches.

"Keitaro called to say he would be late coming home," explained Motoko as set the tray on the table, standing to leave again as she once again felt that sharp, scrutinizing gaze settle over her. "I do not know what time he will come, but I thought you might enjoy these in the mean time." When she received no reply but that unnerving stare, she bowed again slightly and added, "I will leave you to rest."

"Motoko?"

Turning back towards her guest, she replied, "Yes?"

"May I ask you some questions?" The words seemed to be pulled from Kanako's mouth, and she almost regretted them as soon as she spoke, but she had to have some answers and here would be someone who knew the truth.

"Anything you like, as Haruka would say you are family," replied Motoko, glancing towards the table. "Do you mind if I sit?"

"No. When did my brother get married?"

Motoko paused as she sat, caught somewhat unawares by her companion's quick questioning and concerned over the lack of her part in the statement. "Just over a year ago, close the beginning of my junior year of high school."

Kanako's mouth compressed slightly. Over a year ago? Damn that Hina, this woman was between her and her dreams and she had a year's worth of time to ensnarl her brother with her wiles…! "I see…and how was my brother informed of the marriage? Mutsumi explained that it was a family arranged contract." She watched in surprise as the woman seemed to pale just ever so slightly, her eyes suddenly fill with a particular memory and from the slight downward movement of the corner of her lips it was less than pleasant.

"By my f-father," came the distant reply, Motoko suddenly returning to the present to pin their guest under a searching gaze. She had once again left her out of the statement, which did not bode well for their future relations. However, could it be…? "Am I to understand that you knew nothing of the marriage?"

"I was not even aware it had occurred until the other girl said something," replied Kanako flatly, allowing her voice to cool considerably. "In fact, I-"

"Motoko-chan, girls, I'm back!"

Motoko rose immediately, opening the door to see Keitaro removing his shoes in their entryway before looking up to give her a big smile. She had responded to her husband's summons with a hint of relief because she had a feeling the young woman's next words would have been less than polite. She was not afraid of confrontation, especially when her honor or her husbands might be on the line, but she also shied away from anything that might force them to take sides against family. As the past had proven, that was never a pleasant situation.

With eyes only for his wife, Keitaro gathered her up into a warm hug before kissing her quickly on the lips. For once, none of the residents had made an appearance yet and he was about to suggest they have some tea in the kitchen when she disengaged herself deftly, glancing behind her at a rigid Kanako standing in the doorway of the office.

"Keitaro, your sister surprised us with her arrival today," she explained quickly as he did a double take, his face breaking out into a warm, wide smile that Kanako couldn't help but notice didn't quite match the intensity of the one he had given his wife only moments before.

"Kanako-chan! Wh-…what are you doing here!" he cried as he hugged her as well, pulling back quickly to look her over with a grin. "Look at you, two years since the last time I saw you and you haven't changed a bit!"

"You're not wearing your glasses, brother," she replied, a smile lighting her pale features despite her displeasure with the current situation. "And you look…taller."

"I don't need them anymore," he replied simply, letting her go to put an arm about his wife proudly. "I'm glad you've arrived safely, even if it is a bit unexpected. I see Motoko-chan has already made you welcome in our home."

"Your…wife has been very kind," she replied carefully, folding her hands in front of her as she gave Motoko a cool glance. "Though I was somewhat surprised to find you had a wife upon my arrival…?"

Keitaro's brow furrowed. "You mean, you didn't…?"

Kanako shook her head slowly. "I was never told anything."

"But Hina was there…why wouldn't she…" Letting go of his wife, he ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. "I will never understand that old woman. I will understand, though, if you're too tired to hear all about it tonight. You probably had a long ride in today, but we can sit down and I'll explain in from the very beginning if you want."

"I would like that," she replied with a smile, though it faded slightly when she looked at Motoko again. "Though I was hoping to speak with you alone."

"Kanako, this is as much Motoko's story as mine," he protested only to be silenced by his wife squeezing his hand gently. "And I'm sure there's things I'll forget…"

"You have not seen your sister in two years, and I must be up early in the morning," she said simply, giving him an understanding smile. "Good night, Kanako, it was a pleasure meeting the beloved sister of my dear husband."

"Good night," she replied out of politeness because her brother was present, watching with a masked face as Keitaro kissed his wife again before bidding her sweet dreams and watching her ascend the stairs. "Brother," she said after waiting impatiently, bringing his attention back to her. As it should be, a small voice said in the back of her head, one that made her smile ever so slightly. "Come, there is some tea and sandwiches in my room, and we have much to discuss."

"That we do," he agreed, entering the office after her and closing the door tightly. "So, do you really know nothing…?" The flat, exasperated look she gave him brought forth a small chuckle, and he sat down while waving a hand. "Alright, alright, I get the picture. I guess the best place to start would be the beginning, but even I'm not really sure where this all starts or ends. You remember how I kept saying my eyes were fine as a kid, but dad insisted that I wear the pair that the doctor gave me anyways?"

"Yes, I thought it was quite silly to waste money on unnecessary expenditures."

"Yeah, well, they weren't exactly normal glasses apparently…"

Starting with how he had been cursed by a demon for most of his life, up until about a year ago, he then went back and explained how Hina had sent him a message to come and see him after he had received word that he had once again failed the Toudai entrance exam. His disastrous first meeting with the majority of the residents nearly had Kanako angry enough to rouse the girls right then and beat answers out of them as to why they had treated her brother as such, but Keitaro managed to calm her enough to move on. His mysterious call from Hina came next, as well as how their cousins had ambushed him and brought him to some dojo in Kyoto, though he had no idea where he was at the time. Then came his bewilderment at meeting a young man who later turned out to be his new wife's sister's husband, the battle between Motoko and her father, and the forced marriage at the shrine which resulted in the two of them almost being lost in the wilderness and the brave boy who had helped him. The wedding feast, the demon attack, his glasses being destroyed and his body being free at last of the curse, all of it flowed forth until he reached the part where the couple had come to Hinata-sou as man and wife for the first time. Some parts, such as the times he and Motoko had nearly been intimate in the early stages of their relationship, and how it had progressed since then, he left out as he felt it was hardly something his sister wanted to hear about and even if she did it was hardly any of her business. But every thing else came out, and when he finally looked at the clock it showed nearly five hours had passed and his own bedtime two hours gone.

"And now you are about to have a baby," replied Kanako, having remained silent besides a few points that had need clarification. "Brother, you know that I love you, so it pains me to say this…but are you sure this has not been an elaborate plot from the beginning with the girl's family to bring you together?"

"Motoko's family? They would never do something like that," he replied quickly with a shake of his head, missing the scowl his sister gave at his wife's name. "The turtle clan is the one who has caused the trouble since the beginning, and I can only hope that our times of trouble with them have finally come to an end. We haven't heard or seen them in months, and hopefully it will stay that way."

Knowing somehow her next words might possibly be ill met, she plunged on desperately hoping her credibility as he most devoted (and only) sibling would carry her through. "But brother, there have been many unusual coincidences in your story…and those of the samurai types are taught to bury their emotions from birth. How do you know she even truly cares for you?"

"I know you are only trying to look out for me," said Keitaro firmly, taking on a serious tone with his sister that she had never heard before from him, one that put him in the position of authority. And she most certainly didn't care for it being directed at her. "But do not doubt Motoko's love for me, nor my love for her. You will see if you stay with us awhile, that there is no other woman in this world who could make me happier, more complete. I hope you come to like, and even love her, for she is family now, and we have enough breaks in ours as is." Getting to his feet, he stretched with a deep yawn that nearly dislocated his jaw and gave his sister and apologetic grin. "Well, I think that's it for tonight for me. Sorry for keeping you up this late…"

"There is no need to apologize, brother," she replied with a warm smile, hiding her torn heart beneath its soft exterior. "Thank you for…explaining everything to me. If you're tired, you can stay here for the night, you would not want to wake any of your residents on accident by stumbling around and my futon is more than wide enough for the two of us…"

"No, Motoko will be waiting for me and she will worry if I don't come by morning," he replied with a shrug, once again missing her scowl at that name. "Besides, you need a goodnight's rest. I'll see you in the morning, we can talk more then."

"Ok, brother. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

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"Did I not already tell you to call me would be useless?"

"My apologies, he insisted."

The doctor, sighed as he steeled himself to walk into the dark, dank bedroom, trying not to wonder what must have created the foul vapors that crept from the black corners and into his nostrils. Motioning for the servant to allow him entrance, he plastered a concerned look on his face and went to sit beside the still figure on the bed, looking it over gravely.

"Well, Master, it seems you have overextended yourself as I warned you not to," he said simply as he took the pulse with a one hand and watched the clock on his other wrist. Hmphing to himself, he pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the weak, fluttering heart as others moved silently around him in the shadows. Some bringing food, others adjusting the pillows, and more checking the incense pots around the chamber that fought a losing battle to mask the hideous smell as the figure lying in the giant bed wheezed painfully. The doctor finished his examination and rose with a somber look. "Goodbye, Master, I will leave your prescription with your son."

The figure didn't reply, his mouth working uselessly as he watched the proceedings through pain- and drug-glazed eyes. He seemed to follow the doctor to the door, but his wheezing was the only constant movement he made and even that seemed to slow when the door shut again.

"He will die within weeks, perhaps even days, and as I said before, there is nothing I can do for him," said the doctor simply, pushing impatiently past Shoji to head towards the door. "Goodbye."

Shoji stood there silently as the others gathered around him, eyes dark as rubbed his clenched jaw. "We continue as plan," he said simply when he finally looked up, his chin set determinedly. "Begin to feed him the drug to lengthen his days, and prepare the ceremony. Our time runs short."

"Yes, Master."

Shoji grimaced as he glanced in on his father once more, the weak fool. He had not lasted even the least time projected, and now they would have to speed things into conclusion just to make it to the end. Everything was riding on one desperate gamble, and he would be damned if they would fail.

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Keitaro slid into the bed to find his wife awake and waiting for him, wrapping her arms about his chest and laying her head comfortably on his shoulder.

"You didn't have to wait up for me," he said quietly as he ran a hand through her silken hair, loose and wonderfully spread over his chest. "You need your sleep for tomorrow."

"I was asleep," she replied simply, snuggling into him and preparing herself to drift off into her dreams again. "I awoke when you opened our door."

"I tried to be quiet…"

"You will never be silent enough unless you grease the slider more," she replied faintly. She waited for him to relax as well, and drift off with her, but when he laid there staring at the ceiling she realized something was amiss and rose back up to lean over him. "Is something wrong?"

"Not necessarily," he replied with a sigh, unsure of how to approach the subject at hand. "I just…first of all, it worries me that Hina never told Kanako that we got married. I know she likes surprises and all, but this is a bit much, don't you think? But maybe Hina knows something that we don't, something that would make her want to wait…I just don't know. And then I got the feeling that…well, that…"

"That Kanako is less than fond of my presence here," she replied simply, unable to not face the fact that he was trying to mince his way around.

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh of defeat. "She suggested that this entire thing, from the very beginning is a plot by your family to trap me somehow, that you didn't really care about me."

"You know that's not true, though," she replied, feeling a sudden pang of worry when he didn't reply right away. "Keitaro…?"

"I know you love me," he said quickly, realizing his mistake quickly as he brought his thoughts back to the present. "And that your family is not the one to blame here. I just never thought…I never had any girlfriends in junior high or high school, and Kanako has always been a bit possessive of me when we're together. It just never occurred to me that she might not like the fact that there's another woman in my life now. Especially since we haven't even been together that much in the past several years."

"I do not wish for there to be any discord between myself and any member of your family," said Motoko simply, planting a kiss on the tip of his nose. "I hope she will come to feel the same way. Perhaps she has only to see that you are being well taken care of, by both myself and our friends here."

"You're probably right." Keitaro seemed to shrug to himself, leaving it for the morning as he said, "We'd better go to sleep, though, long day tomorrow. Good night, Mo-chan."

"Goodnight, Taro-kun."

But while Motoko followed her husband's advice and was swiftly aboard the ship of dreams, he was slow to follow her and ended up mulling over those thoughts until just before the dawn when they finally allowed him to rest.

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Shinobu was working diligently in the kitchen that morning to prepare breakfast for everyone when Haruka suddenly stuck her head in the back door, an odd look on her face. "Say, Shinobu, you didn't get any visitors last night, did you?" she asked carefully, glancing around as if to check there were no strangers hiding in the corners.

"Au, not that I know of," she replied with a quick shake of her head. "Are we expecting anyone, Haruka-san?"

The elder Urashima shook her head, seeming to sigh with inner relief. "No, just had a feeling…"

"Good morning, Auntie Haruka."

Haruka jumped nearly a foot as her niece materialized behind her, her cat sitting as pertly on her shoulder as ever. "Kami-!"

"You must be Shinobu, my brother told me a great deal about you last night," the pale newcomer went on as she entered the kitchen, leaving a twitching Haruka in her wake. "Allow me to introduce myself as I was unable to do so yesterday. I am Kanako Urashima, Keitaro's younger sister."

"Au, it is a pleasure to meet you, Kanako-san," replied Shinobu with a kind smile, glancing back occasionally at the food on the stove. "You must have arrived very late last night! Will you be joining us for breakfast?"

Kanako sat at the table, facing so she could watch the young girl at the counter."If it is not too much trouble."

"Not at all!"

"Do you cook like this every morning, Shinobu?" asked Kanako as she eyed the vast quantities of food with a touch of amazement.

"Au, most of the time, yes. We have many residents here, and a few visitors who often pop in like Haruka-san, Seta-san, Sarah-chan, Mutsumi-sempai and Koshi-kun."

The young woman's brows rose slightly. "And does my brother pay you for this service?"

"Au, Keitaro-sempai and Motoko-sempai are very kind by allowing me to provide these services for a reduced housing cost and a monthly allowance. It is not very much, but they have been very generous when I need anything and my parents are unable to pay for it," she replied brightly, blushing faintly. "Besides, Keitaro-sempai helps me with my homework whenever I get stuck and Motoko-sempai is always checking to make sure that I have enough time to finish both my chores here and my homework with plenty of rest as well."

Kanako frowned and turned away, her displeasure hidden from her new companion. "I see…"

"When did you arrive, Kanako?" asked Haruka, remaining over by the door and with a rather guarded look in her eyes. "And when are you leaving?"

"Last night, Auntie, and I don't know when I'll be leaving, that depends entirely upon how long it takes me to accomplish that which I've come to do," she replied simply, giving her aunt a chilling smile.

"Au, that's right, you're Haruka-san's niece! It must be very nice to see your family again," said Shinobu from the stove, removing one of the pots from the burner and emptying its ingredients into a serving bowl.

Haruka made a non-committal sound in her throat and replied, "Send Keitaro or Motoko to me, will you? Whichever shows up first with a few minutes to spare will do."

"Ok! Will you be eating with us?"

"No, stuff to do in the tea house. Thanks though."

"Anytime!"

"You are a very cheery person for this early in the morning," commented Kanako, inwardly grateful that she wasn't as eye-blindingly cheerful and bright as the girl from the day before.

"It makes the work go faster, if you enjoy it," replied Shinobu wisely, suddenly looking much older than her years for a fraction of a second. The moment passed when she added, "And mornings are just so pretty!"

"Ah…"

"GERANIMO!"

Kanako deftly moved out of the way of the blonde blur from the night before, a tan foreigner materializing out of it to dive towards the table and immediately dump half the food currently available onto her plate.

"Time to eat!" cried Su as she settled herself down, Keitaro and Motoko arriving through different doors just about that same time.

"Haruka would like to see one of you, Keitaro-sempai and Motoko-sempai," called Shinobu from the stove, a bowl and chopsticks easily balanced in one hand for her to eat from while the other occasionally stirred a pot or shuffled a pan. "As soon as you have a minute."

"I'll go," Keitaro put in, giving Kanako a smile and a wave on his way through. Motoko admonished Su to slow down before she choked, getting a reply around a mouthful of miso soup that no one really understood before she went over and checked the bentos lined up on the counter.

"Hey, who're you?" asked Su suddenly between bites, sticking herself in Kanako's face.

"That's Keitaro's younger sister, Kanako Urashima," explained Motoko quickly as she removed the young girl from Kanako's striking range with an apologetic grin. It was met with a blank, cold stare. "Be nice, Su."

"M'always nice!"

"Su…"

"Alright…"

"Coffee…!" Naru straggled into the kitchen and parked herself by the counter, drinking half a mug between bites of the plate of food left there for her by the coffee maker. "So tired…"

"You don't look like Keitaro, you sure you're his sister?" asked Su suddenly, reaching over to poke her sleeve and completely oblivious to the 'knock it off!' look Motoko was giving her over Kanako's head.

"I'm adopted," Kanako said simply, accepting the plate Shinobu had pulled out for her and attempting to get something to eat around Su's all fast, all reaching arms of food-ish doom.

"Is 'dopted good to eat?"

"Au, Su!"

"What?"

"Train's leaving in five minutes!" someone suddenly cried and in less time than it took to blink the kitchen was empty with only the dirty dishes in the sink and the leftover food on the counter to show that anyone had ever been there before. Naru was the last to leave, and she had noticed their newcomer as she headed back upstairs towards her room with a mega-huge cup of coffee in had.

"Yes, it's always like this," slurred the final resident as she made her first appearance of the day, slumping over the table as a blinding 'headache' (because of course it couldn't possibly be a hangover) made it difficult to even hold her head up.

Kanako slowly raised a brow, looking less than impressed. "And you are…?"

"Kitsune…s'what they all call me…you really Keitaro's kid sister?"

Kanako's brain clicked at the familiar name. The Tea House worker she'd seen yesterday. Inwardly, she noted what a world of a different being sober made in the resident's appearance. "Yes, I am."

The foxy woman rubbed her brow, trying to focus on something other than how much she wanted to remove her head from the rest of her body. "He doesn't talk about you much…"

Kanako calmly served herself from the leftovers, her reply crisp and flat as she mentally filed the woman under 'non-threat' with the other residents she had seen that morning. "We hadn't seen each other in two years, so I'm sure that's a reasonable explanation for that lapse."

"Ah…"

"I find it somewhat distasteful that the kitchen is left in such a state after the morning meal," commented the visitor, wrinkling her nose slightly as she finished her meal, surveying the area that had been so pristine only moments ago.

"Oh, Keitaro will be back any moment to clean it up again."

"Why doesn't his wife assume this role? Is it not her duty to keep the household clean for him and his guests?" Kanako disapproval was obvious in her tone, one that sent Kitsune's ears perking in interest.

"Motoko tried to, at first, but Keitaro is really the one who has the most time on his hands. He only attends a few classes a week, since his schedule is pretty light this semester, and besides the occasional side job for Seta he really spends most of time around the Inn keeping it as nice as he can. Sure, Motoko helps when she can, but between her senior year classes, preparing for the baby, and continuing to head her school's kendo teach she's stretched pretty thin."

The young woman merely shrugged, murmuring to herself, "Poor wives are ones who cannot provide in a satisfactory manner that which is required by their husband. My brother will not have a poor wife."

Kitsune grinned to herself, suddenly feeling more awake as her brain kicked into gear despite the lack of sleep, caffeine, drugs, or alcohol in her system. Keitaro entered about then, and immediately pulled out the tea and painkillers for her, setting a fresh cup with three tablets beside her in mere minutes.

"Did you sleep well, Kanako-chan?" he asked as he prepared himself a plate from the leftovers, sitting across from her as he settled down to eat. "I hope you managed to find something you like to eat for breakfast."

"Shinobu-chan is a very talented cook, it was not difficult at all," she replied immediately, frowning as she added, "But I am not sure I approve of the lack of you wife's presence in the kitchen."

"Motoko-chan is many things, but one of them is not necessarily a cook," replied Keitaro with a shrug. "Shinobu-chan is more than happy to fill this role, for all of us, and Motoko and I share the cleaning duties as is needed."

Kanako marked a point of victory in her mind. "You mean she is incapable of preparing even a meal for her husband? Shameful!"

"Motoko-chan can cook," amended Keitaro, giving his sister a stern look that she had the grace to look abashed for. "But she does not have the level of skill as Shinobu-chan does, and therefore she only cooks when it is necessary. Occasionally, especially when we have a large group to feed, she will help Shinobu with the preparations and serving, and sometimes she and I will take a night during the week so Shinobu can take an evening off, but you probably noticed just how talents that young girl is and she rarely requires our help past buying the groceries for her."

Kitsune watched all of this as a lazy, kitsune smile spread across her lips slowly.

"You don't have any plans today, do you?" asked Keitaro as he tactfully changed the subject, another change in her brother that Kanako had unanticipated. He had always been so clumsy with everything, his thoughts, his actions, his words… It was difficult to accept that he likely no longer needed her to fill the role as his spokesperson to other people as he once had.

Get rid of your wife. "Not really," she replied with a smile. "What are you doing?"

"Hopefully spending the day with my little sister," he said, giving her a wink. "We'll have to spend part of the day shopping for things for the Inn, my work never really finishes with a job like this, and tonight is one of those nights where I prepare dinner so that may cut things a bit short, but I know a very nice noodles stand where we can have lunch and we could go walk through some of the parks we visited as kids. Would you be interested?"

Her smile widened. "Definitely."

"Great! Let me just clean up here, and we can go."

"Ok!" Kanako suddenly felt her smile turn slightly sly, as she added, "Oh, by the way, what did Auntie Haruka want earlier?"

"Oh, that? Just a reminder…that's all."

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Twenty Minutes Earlier

Keitaro had entered the almost empty Tea House, nodding to the two or three regulars already seated and drinking their usual orders. His aunt had appeared seconds later, dragging him into her personal rooms in the back while Seta covered the front and motioned for him to sit at her kitchen table.

"This is not going to sound good, coming from me," she said carefully, pacing a bit. "And damn that old bat for not giving us the heads up, but I'm glad I can say it to you instead of Motoko."

"Kanako's not happy about me being married?" guessed Keitaro, noting the way Haruka's brows popped up.

"So you noticed?" she replied carefully, sitting across from him.

"It's becoming more and more obvious," he explained with a shrug. "Even Motoko…"

"Of course she did, and Kanako's probably not even trying to hide her dislike from her. 1000 yen says the only reason she hasn't challenged Motoko to duel, because she has to have noticed Motoko knows something of how to fight, over you is because Motoko's pregnant and she's probably picked up on that just about the same time."

"You seem to be able to guess her motives pretty well," prodded Keitaro, giving her a searching look.

"I should know, I trained her," she reminded her nephew sharply. "And I have some news that may be of interest to you. Hina did tell me about something that happened before you were ever married. She was staying with one of our distant relatives and some cousins who we later found out were involved with the turtle clan made a comment in Kanako's hearing about the possibility of you being put into an arranged marriage. When she asked about the basis for it, he replied that it was the only way you were ever going to get a girl, period. Kanako asked 'nicely' for him to take it back, he didn't, she beat the living tar out of him. Broken arm, shattered kneecap, fractured skull, concussion, bruised ribs, the whole nine yards. Hina, just so she wouldn't kill any family members, put a ban on anyone even hinting at you and any type of relationship with another female. Of course, no one wanted that wrath turned against them, so since then no one's even spoken to her out of fear of letting something slip."

"You don't think she'd hurt Motoko, do you?" he asked slowly, realization slowly spreading across his features.

"I think she'll do her best to push her out of the picture, by any means she finds necessary. Maybe you don't remember, but I can still hear her in the back of my mind saying when you finally earned your inheritance she was going to move in with you and you'd run the old Inn together for the rest of your days. Also, she's not your blood sister, Keitaro, so she knows that any love between you two couldn't be labeled as incest…"

Keitaro shook his head, setting his mouth firmly as he rose to his feet. "She would never think like that. She's my little sister, Haruka, and maybe she would rather I wasn't with someone else, but I doubt she fully wants to take Motoko's place." He rose to his feet and headed towards the door.

"Shut your eyes to the truth and you put both Motoko and your unborn child in danger," warned Haruka as she stood as well, watching him as the door shut behind him. "Kami help them," she murmured as she ran a hand through her hair, letting a small shiver run down her spine. "Because I sure as hell can't…damn that girl creeps me out."

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Keitaro strolled down the main streets of their small town, pointing out old sights he and his sister had visited as kids, and some of the new ones that had come into being since then.

"Are the festivals as they were when we were young?" she asked as they walked arm in arm, her hand resting lightly in the crook of his elbow. "I remember the many booths and all kinds of people…"

"Bigger, I think, then they were back then," he replied with a smile. "You should come back and visit during the Festival of the Cherry Blossoms, or the one that's during New Years. Both are very good, for this being such a small city."

"Maybe I'll still be here when they come around next," she said in an off-hand manner, turning away to study a vendor's wares and missing the surprised look on her brother's face completely. He shook it off, though, and glanced over the wares as well. "Time does fly when you're having fun."

"A pretty flower for your pretty girlfriend?" offered the vendor when he noticed the lotus-shaped pendant had caught Keitaro's eye, motioning for him to pick it up and examine it as he wished. It was small, no bigger than the nail of his thumb, but immaculately carved out of a pale white stone. It was on a thin, silver chain that seemed to float in midair it was so delicately made.

"Actually, it'll be for my wife, this is just my sister," replied Keitaro, Kanako's sudden scowl going unnoticed. He fished out his wallet and counted out the yen. "Our one year was a little while ago and while we went out for dinner, I didn't get her anything special. Do you see something you'd like, Kanako-chan?"

"No, thank you," she replied a bit stiffly, putting the smile back on her face when he glanced at her, but it had lost some of its previous warmth.

"Won't Hina be needing you before then?" he suggested carefully, changing the subject back to try and get things moving again as the man wrapped up his gift. "She is getting old…"

"Hina needs me the way she needs a new arm or leg," she snorted in reply, rolling her eyes. "She has more assistants than she does grandchildren, and considering how prolific our aunts and uncles have been that is saying quite a bit. Yes, I generally manage all of her affairs for her, but should I find something else to do instead this very day it would change very little in her life. Someone would take my place, and she would keep traveling like she has been for the last few years."

"Ah…" Keitaro ran his free hand through his hair, trying to sound nonchalant as he added, "And how long do you think you'll be visiting us, Kanako-chan?"

"I don't know," she replied, giving him a bright smile. "How long do you want me to stay, brother?"

"I want you to stay as long as you wish," he replied honestly. "And I want you to spend a lot of time with me and Motoko. She's important to me, Kanako, and I want her to be important to you too."

Kanako inwardly cringed at the slight rebuke in his tone. Perhaps she had made her dislike for her new sister-in-law a bit too obvious to her brother. "I cannot feel close to someone I do not know…"

"That's why I want you to spend time together," he insisted firmly. "Motoko-chan is very busy, so I'll understand if you don't spend every second of your visit with her. But I know she will make the effort to make you a part of her life, if you will but do the same."

"I will spend time with her," she promised grudgingly, thinking to herself, But that does not mean I must make it pleasant for either of us, nor must I try and find ways to enjoy her presence. She is an obstacle to my goal, and will be nothing more or less until that fact changes, dear brother. "I will start tomorrow morning, when she does her kendo practice. Is that satisfactory?"

Keitaro sighed inwardly, feeling a touch better with that point settled in his mind. "Good. Now let's go eat lunch, I'm hungry and it's just around the corner here. Does that sound good?"

"Yes, brother."

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Motoko arrived home to an unusually quiet house, putting her shoes aside just in time to see two blonde streaks heading up the stairs towards the door, Shinobu not so far behind and running as quickly as her legs would carry her.

"Hiya, Motoko!" cried Su as she rushed past her into the kitchen, Sarah throwing her greeting in as well in passing before they disappeared behind the swinging door.

"Did you make a stop on your way home?" Motoko asked Shinobu when the young chef made it up to the top as well.

"Au, a new set of mechanical toys came out today, and Su wanted to buy them so she could take them apart and figure out how they worked. The line was very long, though, and it took us forever to check out," gasped Shinobu between breaths, letting Motoko take her bag and set it on the self with the rest. "Thank you…"

The two shouting whirlwinds rushed by once more, this time heading up the stairs with food in hand and some boxes under arms.

"I will have to remember to check on them after dinner, we would not want an explosion going off while our guest is here," sighed Motoko as she headed for the kitchen, feeling rather snackish herself. Her appetite had been growing over the last few weeks, and if it had not been for the fact she knew she was supporting another life in her midsection she would be afraid of gaining large amounts of weight. As it was, she had rounded out slightly in some areas, but her muscles remained as toned as ever and as long as she retained her strength and skills a little extra padding did not currently bother her.

"Au, that's right, Keitaro's sister is here! It must be wonderful, meeting more of his family," said Shinobu blithely as she made some tea, Motoko slicing them some apples and carrots on the sideboard.

"It is certainly a first," hedged Motoko, looking up to see Koshi, Naru and Mutsumi on their way up the steps, arguing over something Koshi was holding in the middle of the group.

"Ara, but I thought that was how you did algebraic equations!"

"No, Mutsumi, see, you have to balance it out here to find the value of x…"

"You do not, you're supposed to find the quotient…"

"In the problems that look like the next one, yes, but not these…"

"Would you like a snack to go with your studying?" called Motoko through the now propped open kitchen door as the trio entered and called their greetings before heading for the stairs. "And perhaps some tea to drink?"

"That would be great!" replied Koshi over the railing with a smile. "Thanks, Motoko!"

"Ara, that is very kind of you! Do you have any watermelon?"

"No, Mutsumi, sorry."

"Ara, that's ok, I brought my own!"

"I sometimes think she lives off that fruit," Motoko commented to Shinobu as she pulled out a tray and together they prepared the three cups, pot of tea, and small platter of sliced fruit and vegetables to take to their guests and resident.

"If that is what makes her so happy, perhaps more people should learn to live on it, there would be less gloomy grumps around," reasoned the small chef as she quickly placed the carrots in a pleasing pattern, unaware she was even working on the presentation of the food until she was done. "Au, I hope they don't think it's too fancy…"

"I am sure they will appreciate the effort you have put into their snack," replied Motoko with a small smile as she picked up the tray and left to go up the stairs.

Keitaro and Kanako came in the back door just then, both toting full bags of groceries that Shinobu quickly set about putting away as the manager began pulling out the dishes and utensils he would need to prepare that evening's meal.

"Would you like some help, brother?" offered Kanako hopefully when she noticed Motoko was nowhere in sight, picking up one of the aprons from the hooks.

"I don't think so," he replied with a grin. "This first part is pretty easy, and by the time things start picking up Motoko should be here…"

"But what if she's not," she pointed out quickly. "Why don't I just help you tonight instead?"

"Did I hear Keitaro's voice?" asked Motoko as she came back in the kitchen, some empty bowls and a stack of glasses in hand. "You're home!"

"We said we'd make dinner tonight," Keitaro reminded her as they exchanged quick kisses, Shinobu putting the last of the vegetables in the refrigerator and pausing to see if they needed anything else. She noticed, somewhat shocked, at the way Kanako's mouth compressed the moment Motoko entered the room, and the way her eyes became very cold as she watched her brother and his wife kiss. She thought that she had perhaps imagined it when it vanished back into a small smile the moment Keitaro spoke to his sister again, but that hope was dashed when the couple assured Kanako she would not be needed to help with the evenings preparations and suggested she go and meet some of the other residents instead. The frigid glare aimed at Motoko's back nearly sent the young girl reeling to the point that she blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"Kanako-san, do you like animals?"

Kanako looked up at her, her face resuming its usual neutral façade immediately. "Yes, I even have a cat."

"What sort of cat?" replied Shinobu, feeling a bit like she was babbling in her attempt to draw Kanako away from her sempai. She didn't know why, but she had a terrible feeling it was very, very important.

"Mixed breed, all black, long ears and tail," she replied with a shrug, turning towards the door. "Her name is Kuro, and she is in my room if you wish to see her. Are pets allowed to roam free, brother?"

"As long as they stay out of the resident's things and are housebroken," he replied with a smile. "You can let Kuro out; she's very friendly from what I remember."

"Au, she sounds like a very nice cat," commented Shinobu as she ushered their guest out of the kitchen and into the common room. "How long have you had her?"

"Since I was ten, she was a gift from Hina," came the distant reply. Shinobu let out a gasp of delight when the cat was finally presented to her, Kanako watching with detached interest as she pet the feline gently and let it sniff her fingers.

"Pretty kitty, you're such a sweet little kitty…Kuro, right? Kuro-chan the kitty cat, pretty, pretty kitty cat…"

"Do any of the other residents have pets?" asked Kanako, accepting the fact for the moment that she was unable to accomplish any direct attacks against her nemesis. However, there may be something to learn from the other residents, leverage that she might use to her advantage. Immediately her mind began to file and sort through that which she had observed, finishing with two that might prove to be the most helpful and one being favored more than the other. This Shinobu wasn't one of them, that was for sure, but it seemed everyone liked her, and it was always good to avoid making enemies early one when one is attempting to gather intelligence. "Dogs, cats, reptiles…?"

"Naru-sempai has a flying turtle that Mutsumi-sempai gave to her," came the quick, sweet reply. "Though she pretty much flies around and does what he wants. She especially likes the hot springs, though, would you like to meet her?"

Kanako smiled her small, little smile. "Sure."

"Au, then lets go to hot springs and see Tama-chan!"

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"Have we made contact?"

"Yes, we have."

"When is the meeting set for?"

"Two days, a set park, near dusk at a specific bench."

"Their terms or ours?"

"A mix, it was negotiated during the first encounter."

"Good."

"Tomachi has been assigned to meet them-"

"No."

"No?"

"No, I will meet them myself."

"Your father would not approve such a risk."

"My father is no longer of consequence, almost dead as he is. I will go and meet them, are there any objections?"

Silence.

"Good. Have the car ready to pick me up at noon, I will be there two hours ahead of time. Do not set up a perimeter, but have two of my guards close at hand in plain clothes."

"Yes, sir."

"And one more thing. If anyone countermands a single one of these orders, even if they believe it is to protect me, and they scare away the prey, they will suffer greatly."

"Yes, sir."

"Good, now leave me, I must think."

Shoji sat with his eyes closed and waited for the quiet rustle to end that said his father's many advisors had left the room, the soft bang in the distance of a heavy door closing that signaled he was finally alone. How had the man put up with these prattlers day after day, year after year? Some where good, helpful even, desiring no more than he gave and obeying perfectly in every sense. Most were paper-pushing power mongers that hoped for more than he would ever give and bid for positions among each other that truly meant nothing to him.

"Almost," he whispered as he rubbed his forehead. "Almost…"

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Kanako woke to a wet nose rubbing her forehead, glancing at the clock before she sat up slowly. "Thank you, Kuro," she murmured, petting the cat on the head.

"Meow, you're welcome. Going to go join Motoko like you said you would?"

"She is the nemesis, and therefore we will not call her by her name. That gives her power over us, power we will not let her have."

"Meow, will you?"

Kanako sighed, pulling on a dress and top that left her plenty of room to move in. It was black and dark gray, simply cut but with an older style feel to it. "I will not go back on my word to my brother."

Leaving the door open so the cat could roam as she would, and knowing Shinobu had offered to feed her at the same time she put out food for Tama-chan in the morning, she headed for the room with dawn just coming over the horizon.

Her sister-in-law was already there, sitting serenely with a blade at her side and a few wooden ones lined up along the wall. Her face was towards the rising sun, but the moment Kanako stepped onto the porch she said, "Keitaro said last night you might be joining me this morning. You are well-practiced in the style that Haruka uses, correct?"

"A variation, but it is built off that foundation, yes," admitted Kanako coolly, coming to take her place a little ways to the left, leaving a wide space between them as she also sat and relaxed, letting her thoughts empty as she began to prepare her body for the rigors of the day ahead. She heard Motoko's clothes rustle softly as she rose and began to stretch, speaking as a thought came to mind. "What time do you wake in the morning?"

"Usually close to a half an hour before dawn, though it changes some with the seasons," replied Motoko simply as she set her blade aside and reached for one of the wooden ones, hefting it easily over one shoulder.

"That must give you plenty of time to lay out Keitaro's clothes and prepare his things for the day."

Motoko turned towards Kanako slowly, giving her an odd look while receiving a flat stare in return. "Keitaro prefers to choose his own clothes and prepare his things for the day," she replied slowly, unknowingly settling into a defensive stance.

"But a proper wife always takes over those duties without complaint from her husband," pointed out Kanako in a conversational tone. "Are you claiming to be an improper wife? Or are you merely lacking in this area to the extent that my brother feels he must do it himself to have it done correctly at all?"

Motoko had a look much like a deer in the headlights, unable to reply in any direction without incriminating herself or her husband and unsure of the true intentions of their guest. She felt that she had somehow lost a battle, and was now losing even more ground, a feeling that filled her with resentment and anger that she quickly tried to stamp down. This was her sister-in-law, surely she wouldn't…?

"I suppose that is enough for today," said Kanako as she rose, heading towards the door. "Perhaps Shinobu will be preparing breakfast, another duty I have noticed that you do not take part in that is generally given to the wife. I am quite hungry. Enjoy the rest of your morning exercises, Motoko, perhaps we will talk more later."

Motoko stood there after she had left with a strange sense of loss. What had that been? An interrogation? Why? Unable to finish her routine with her head all wrapped around this newest problem, she decided to call it quits for the morning and instead headed inside to have her bath and finish getting ready for the day.

Upon entering the kitchen sometime later, she was met by her husband, who gave her a bright smile. "Kanako-chan told me she joined you this morning, and that things went very well," he said in front of the others, obviously pleased that things seemed to be going well. "She just left to go take a bath."

"Yes, she did join me," replied Motoko, put off balance by this unexpected twist. Did she discredit her husband's sister in front of their friends? Or did she let it pass, and continue to allow her husband to believe things were fine. Keitaro saved her from speaking anymore by pulling a package from the mail.

"Something came for you, it's from Dr. Nori."

"Hmm…" Motoko took it in hand, efficiently slitting one end open with the tanto at her waist and sliding out several large prints that looked like they came from the abdominal scans, a few DVDs and a small, folded note. Opening it, she read it quickly with a small smile.

"Dr. Nori wished us to have copies of this to share with our families and friends," she said softly as she carefully pulled out the first of the pictures, this one clearly showing the head and body of her small baby, a tiny hand barely visible off to the side.

"Au, it's so small!" gasped Shinobu as she came to peer over her sempai's shoulder, everyone else gathering around quickly and looking over the scans with a sense of awe. Even Kitsune lacked something smart to say as they marveled over the miraculous life that was beginning to grow in their manager's wife's midsection.

In all of this, they missed Kanako entering once more, her hair still damp from her dip in the hot springs. And perhaps it was for the best, for the look on her face could only be described as one of pure, cold hearted fury. The child was her brother's, so she could no more harm it than she could harm herself, but the woman who carried it…oh, how she longed to be rid of that cursed Motoko!

Everyone suddenly scattered when someone remarked upon the lateness of the morning, Motoko a bit slower than the rest which left the sister a clear view as the husband and wife shared a gentle moment together before she had to leave for school. Tenderly, he gathered up the pictures and set them reverently in a safe place, having promised the residents they would be welcome to watch the DVDs of the scans when they returned that evening. Motoko had taken one of the small ones with her to school, to share with her kendo team and friends.

"What will you be doing today, brother?" asked Kanako when she could take it no longer, coming to his side quickly in a movement that drew him physically and mentally away from the scans and closer to her.

"Unfortunately, I can't take you out like I did yesterday, I have to clean up around here and fix some things," he replied with an apologetic shrug. "You can help me, or if you'd rather you can go down and spend the day with Haruka at the Tea House. Kitsune will be there, and she always likes someone to talk to when things get quiet."

Kanako was about to insist that she stay with him when a thought occurred to her. "Perhaps I will go speak with Kitsune, she seems like an interesting person," she said simply, linking her hands behind her back. "What will you clean first?"

"I actually need to fix two of the faucets in the hot springs first, then I'll clean them. If you want to have lunch with me, I'll be eating around noon or so probably."

"I will be sure to be back by then. Have fun, brother."

"You too."

Kanako grinned to herself as she went to collect her cat, which always made her Auntie even more nervous. This was going to be fun, and hopefully very informational.

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Haruka swore quietly under her breath for the fifth time that morning as she watched Kitsune sit at one of the booths, chatting quietly with her niece. Damn, that girl creeped her out, the cat was even worse though…she swore it looked like it could start talking any second. The young girl had been there all morning, and Haruka was happy to let Kitsune continue to wait on her and keep her away from the other customers. But it still made her edgy to even have the girl in the same building. Thank kami for Seta, he was at least helping out by taking care of most of the serving today so she didn't even have to leave the relative safety of her counter. When was that girl going to leave!

"You seem to be the most well informed of the residents," commented Kanako as she continued to watch her companion with her usual, neutral face. "Did your parents really name you 'fox'? It is appropriate, but unusual."

"Mitsune Konno, Kitsune for short." Kitsune chuckled, her lips curling slyly. "Missy, we're both women of business, and we know how much our services are worth. Pay me enough, and I'll tell you anything you want to know. Nothing comes for free, sister, the roan trotter hasn't run well, and rent's due in a week."

Kanako idly moved her hand away from the notebook at her side, showing several bills tucked neatly underneath. "You can consider my word good, Kitsune that I will pay you as you deserve. But I want information first, to make sure you have what I want."

Kitsune spread her hands slightly, a pleased grin in her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything you have on Motoko. And I do mean everything."

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It had taken hours to sift through the chaff to find the wheat in what she had learned, but as she studied her nemesis from across the dinner table she slowly began to formulate a plan. It had been difficult, the foxy one had not been as helpful as anticipated but that was not entirely her fault. The nemesis was careful, crafty, and left few of her weaknesses left open to the world. A fear of turtles might break a lesser creature, but she doubted it would be overly effective with this prime specimen. The earlier attack seemed to have had some effect; she would occasionally glance between her husband and Kanako with a guarded look, as if unsure of what to do. But it would not last for long, and she sense it would be unwise to press her suit there. The residents were also not helping. Earlier, she have received a well hidden admonishment from the young cook for a comment to Motoko about her lack of help with dinner, and it became obvious very quickly that their loyalties would lie against her should she pursue that course of action. What to do, what to do…?

"I have a request," announced Motoko towards the end of the meal, a some what apprehensive look in her eyes. Everyone immediately quieted down, waiting patiently for her to explain. "The kendo team has made known its desire to take part in a celebration of sorts for the baby. However, there is some difficulty in finding a place in which to hold the celebration for such a large group. Would any object to opening our home for one evening to my friends and companions?" Hastily, she added, "I am quite sure they will behave themselves properly, and of course, they will help with the set up and tear down of anything that is needed for the celebration."

"Au, I think that's a wonderful idea!" declared Shinobu, clapping her hands in excitement. "We have never met any of the girls from your school before."

"The group that caused trouble won't be coming back, right?" asked Naru quickly, trading guarded glances with Kitsune.

"They have moved to a different prefecture," explained the swordswoman quickly. "All who remain are those who fought for us last time. There will be no trouble, I promise."

"I have no objections," replied Keitaro with a smile. "We're all invited, right?"

"Yes, of course," she said with a smile. "They are also very curious about all of you. Especially you, Keitaro."

"They probably want to know what sort of a man could catch the eye of their fearless leader," put in Kitsune with a wink, missing the dark look that passed over Kanako's face.

"Why is it that you ask for the resident's permission?" asked Keitaro's little sister suddenly. "Is it not my brother's decision, and his alone?"

"I might have the final word," explained Keitaro, giving her an odd look. "But most of those here have lived here far longer than I, Motoko included. It would be rude not to ask them as well, since it is also their home."

"I see."

"Talk with the team, and find out when it is best for them," said Keitaro as he rose to his feet, beginning to clear the dishes of the meal. "We'll all pitch in and help, right gang?"

"Right!"

"Thank you very much, everyone, you do not know how much this means to me," said Motoko as she rose, giving them all a heartfelt bow. "You are being very kind in agreeing to share our home like this."

"Please, we have parties all the time," snorted Kitsune as she got up and left the table, sake in hand. "What's a few more people thrown in? The more the merrier, they always say!"

"Yay, we's gonna have a party!" yelled Su, dashing from the table with Sarah in tow. One might have been amazed that they had remained silent for so long, but considering that their mouths had been too full at that moment to speak it made sense that they finished filling their bellies before taking action. "Let's go make a party-thrower 2000x-plus!"

"Alright!"

"No things that blow up, remember?" called Naru as she trailed after them, going with Motoko and Keitaro's blessing.

"But that's no fun!"

"I believe I shall retire for the evening," announced Kanako as she stood abruptly, moving towards the main room. "Goodnight."

"Do you think something's wrong?" asked Keitaro when she left too quickly for them to even reply.

"I do not know," his wife replied slowly, looking somewhat confused as well. "But I sincerely hope not."

"Me too…"

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"We've got something?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, tell me everything."

Shoji closed his cell phone a few minutes later, sizing up the young woman who stood calmly before him. Her companions watched nervously in all directions, twitching occasionally from the strain of being constantly on guard, and he wondered at their reliability.

"We have the information required," he said simply, scribbling something down on a piece of paper and handing it over carefully. She studied it before nodding curtly, handing to one of the others where it disappeared up a sleeve swiftly.

"It confirms our reports as well," she replied flatly. "What is in it for us?"

"The woman will return to you, after the birth of the child. She will be given over to your care in such a manner to fulfill her original role in your lives. Your mentor, your teacher, your leader, fully restored in her original capacity."

"And she will no longer desire the male, or he her?"

"His end we are leaving you to deal with, though we have one interesting lead among the hag's cronies, and she will not even recall that he ever existed."

"Perfect."

"Then, we have a deal?"

"Absolutely. Now, about this lead…?"

Shoji smiled as his shifted in his seat, running a hand along his unshaven chin. The girl might be of use later, if things worked out for the best. She was strong, and cold, the perfect mate for one of his lesser carriers. She would have to be broken, of course, first, but there was time for that later. "Ah, of course…"

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Kanako had watched with a growing sense of pain and hatred deep in her gut as they set a date for the party, the very next weekend, and began to plan. After her first morning with the swordswoman alone Motoko had deftly avoided any and all such situations with a tact that had sent the young woman's plan spinning out of control. The other residents continued to support her without fail if she ever spoke of her brother's wife in any sort of negative fashion, and regardless of how she subtly prodded and pried she could not make a single chink in her opponent's armor open enough to get a good shot in. Her frustrations were beginning to mount, and even Keitaro had begun to comment upon her behavior. The last thing she could risk was alienating him in her attempts to separate him from his wife, but she was coming closer and closer to that line that she cared to be.

Walking through the small city if only to escape the preparations that seemed to have overtaken everyone's lives in the Inn, she was pausing to look over some wares on a vendors table when another young woman came up beside her, pointing to one of the rings.

"Your brother got that for his wife last Christmas," she said lightly, giving Kanako a flat stare in return for the one she immediately received. "I hate him the way you hate her. She belongs with us, not with him. Help us, and he is yours for the taking, we will remove her from the picture entirely."

Kanako's eyes remained unsure for a split second until she saw the fervor in the young woman's eyes, a fervor that matched her own to find a way through this to the desired ends. "Tell me."

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Keitaro went over the final checklist of things to do the night of the big party, making sure all of the residents were in place and ready to do their part when he suddenly realized his sister was missing. Heading immediately to her room, where she had been spending a lot of her time lately, he knocked and was immediately answered from within.

"You coming?" he asked, noticing her bend over a piece of paper on the table. "What's that?"

"An old map of the Inn, with the secret passages and everything," she replied, setting it aside immediately. "I was…thinking about when we were kids. That one summer, when we got lost down one of the tunnels."

"That was pretty scary," he replied distantly, seeing the dark, dank journey as if it were yesterday. "That was quite a summer that we spent here…"

"I'll leave it here, and perhaps we can look over it some more later," she said suddenly with a glance at the clock, rising to her feet and sliding the widow partially open. "I'm leaving Kuro in here."

"We can get her some food and water before the party begins," added Keitaro as he snapped back to the present, holding the door open for her as she brushed past him into the decorated and rearranged main room. Mutsumi had done a wonderful job with the décor, putting streamers and balloons up everywhere with a large 'Congrats!' sign up hanging from the stairs. Two long tables had been set up, one for food and one for drinks, with Shinobu and Naru presiding over them. Kitsune had already parked herself beside the drinks, but with the lack of sake, due to the underage personages that would be present, Keitaro had to remind himself to keep an eye on her incase she tried to spice things up with 'special punch' or 'mixed drinks'.

Some of the team had been over earlier, delivering the supplies they had helped to purchase, but soon everyone began to arrive in twos and threes, entering the girls' dormitory with a hint of awe and surprise.

"Did you think I lived in a training facility?" teased Motoko when several remarked upon the lack of swords in the décor. "This is a community of people, we all share in the decisions of decorations and such."

"Keitaro has the final word, of course," added Koshi one time, the young college boy being a big hit among those of the team prone to flirtations and swooning. He behaved admirably, though, and was called a gentleman several times that evening. "He's just very easy going about stuff like that." Naru showed a significant dislike of the girls surrounding Koshi, much to the resident's amusement, but it was still a battle to get the young woman to even start to admit why she was so tense and uptight about the situation.

Kanako seemed to disappear into the background after awhile, but Keitaro barely had time to noticed with the flood of people who came up to meet him and grill him with questions for a bit. He noticed several times that certain groups would approach and remain until satisfied, then allow him to be in peace for the rest of the evening. Apparently he passed inspection for everyone that he crossed paths with, though, for no one challenged him to a duel or anything and most were heard to remark upon Motoko's luck for marrying him later on.

"He's not exactly much of a looker," commented a team member later to a gaggle of giggling girls. "But he's got these eyes and smile that just melt your heart, and a personality to die for. Perfect boyfriend material if you're in it for the long haul. Too bad he's taken."

Even Mrs. Yozaki attended for a short while, giving Motoko an approving nod before she left soon after she arrived. The swordswoman was pleased, having a great deal of respect for the teacher who headed up their club. It was an honor to know she approved of her home and husband, and it was approval that was not easily earned either.

Things had just reached their peak, with a good portion of the group having gone upstairs to see Su's specially made gaming system, when the lights went out in a blink, plunging everyone into pitch black darkness. Motoko immediately dropped into her ki vision, but could see nothing out of the ordinary as most everyone went still and carefully groped themselves to an anchor point such as their neighbors or the nearest piece of furniture until the power was restored. Her first clue to what was about to happen was when she glanced upstairs and realized the points of ki in her vision that should have been Naru, Mutsumi, and Koshi studying in Naru's room and the group of girls in Su's room had gone completely still, as if frozen in place.

"Keitaro," she said quickly, having grabbed his hand when everything had gone dark. She could barely make out his shape through the dim moonlight that poured in the windows, but he leaned towards her attentively. "Something is wrong."

"Probably just a short in the system," he replied, putting his other hand comfortingly on her shoulder. He was becoming clearer by the moment as her eyes adjusted to the dark. "It should kick back on any moment…"

Fsssssst!

The entire room suddenly disappeared in a haze of smog, darkly dressed shapes darting in from the nooks and crannies of the shadows to scatter and disarm the kendo club. All of her girls were diligent, and well-trained, but regardless of how she had trained them none had come with their swords in honor of the celebration and only a few could manage without one. Motoko's blade, which was always close at hand out of habit, and a few practice ones she had stashed away in a closet were quickly procured and handed out to those who were still able to fight by their leader.

Even with their quick reaction, the group was too late. Disoriented and unable to target a specific enemy with their vision obscured, many were held down by their oppressors, and those who remained were quickly surrounded by the growing force.

Motoko's mind worked quickly as she called for those of her forces left to rally in around her, Shinobu and Kitsune both behind her with Keitaro as they had been lucky enough to be nearby when it had started. Even before this they were at half strength, with a portion of their group upstairs with Su, the mechanical and weapons wiz, and apparently none of them would be coming to the rescue. Their assailants were all armed with wooden swords and staves, a few bearing live blades that everyone else kept away from. They had her sword, the few practices ones she had managed to hand out, and a couple of Su's inventions that Kitsune had pulled out of her back pocket. One sent out a punching glove at a fast rate, but it took awhile to reload and had to be saved for the opportune moment.

All females, wearing identical clothes and masks, none of these are beginners but a few have rather sloppy footwork, and they have something around their necks on a cord. Is that why I could not sense them?

The smog was beginning to clear, and one of their numbers stepped forward, obviously high among the ranks and yet not the top dog.

"Get behind me," murmured Keitaro as he fell into his fighting stance, a firm decisiveness about his actions. "Don't risk the baby."

"The last time this happened, you were the one they wanted," she argued faintly, "They could be attempting to draw you out."

"The male," the one stepping forward commanded, pointing to the area in front of her. "Now."

"Never," replied Motoko, drawing forward despite Keitaro's protests, bringing her sword up swiftly.

"Very well…"

The attack was swift, but simple and straightforward. Motoko easily blocked it and prepared for the second strike that usually followed such a route. If the blow landed along the path she predicted, and she gave in, it would give her enemy a clear pathway to her husband instantly. She watched, and saw it coming, preparing to block and shove it back when she registered something in the back of her mind.

Her stance is wrong…what…!

The attack, she realized with a wrench in her gut, was not to remove her from the path to get to Keitaro, but was to disarm her and put her in the path of those whom she fought against. Belatedly, she tried to switch her tactics, put up some sort of a mock defense, but her error put her so far out that when the blow came she mentally reached out to her husband in fear. He had already realized her error, and had leapt towards her as quickly as he could to knock the other young woman aside. It was too slow, though, and as Motoko watched it all happen she suddenly realized there was someone else moving towards her, one of the dark figures had interposed herself between them.

The attack was diverted, and the assailant flung far back. Ripping off her mask, she glared first at Motoko and then at the other assailants.

Keitaro immediately recognized her, and his heart was thrown into turmoil. "Kanako!"

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Earlier that Evening

"We have everyone in place, get changed," the girl had ordered when Kanako had arrived in the back room. An outfit was handed to her, and she put it on quickly as another lackey was given orders. "You, wait until the signal to release the gas. We only have enough to cover the upper floors, so don't get trigger happy or we may find more on our hands then we can deal with."

"I have one question, one that so you deftly avoided yesterday," Kanako said as they paused in their preparations, waiting until such a time as it was appropriate to strike. "What is to become of the child?"

"We don't know," admitted one of the underlings before the leader could reply, earning themselves a cuff upside the head.

"Our employers want the child, that's all we know," clarified the one in charge with a shrug when Kanako indicated she wanted to know more.

"Will they kill it? Keep it? Sell it to the zoo?"

"That is not our concern. You will have the male, we will have our leader back, that was the terms of the agreement. You are ready?"

Kanako paused for a long time, and then nodded slowly when the one in charge impatiently cleared her throat, a look of determination coming over her face. "I am."

"Then we move."

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"I do not like you," Kanako told Motoko quietly as she helped her to her feet, giving her a cold look. "You have stolen my dream from me. But you carry my brother's child, and I cannot let that part of him be taken away."

"I can accept that," replied Motoko as they went back to back, innately falling into complementary forms. "But there are vermin about the house. Will you help me remove them from my husband's presence?"

Kanako smiled her small smile. "Gladly."

The lights came back on just then, the smog clearing completely as the air system kicked back in. Haruka appeared in the back doorway with Seta close behind, one of the masked figures being dragged between them.

"They took out the electricity for the Tea House too, stupid fools thought just one could hold us down," explained Haruka as she reached for her fans, dropping the figure to the ground with a dull thud.

"Get the target and run!" yelled someone from the middle of the group, and immediately the fight started up again, Keitaro coming up beside his wife and sister to throw the invaders out of their home. The pitched fight was evenly matched as some of the assailants had fled the moment they had heard the order to run, but that did not last long when Su suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs with the rest of the kendo team in tow, all armed with Motoko's extra practice blades and some of Su's other inventions. With reinforcements swelling to fill their ranks, all but two of the invaders were chased away, one having been grabbed by Haruka and the other being the one she had Seta had originally brought in with them.

"Turtle clan," spat their aunt when she saw the pendants about their necks, much smaller and more crude than the one Keitaro had previously worn but obviously of the same make. The prisoner thrashed and cursed, but finally one of the kendo members and Seta each took and arm with Su wrapping something about her legs to keep her in place. "Are you ok, Motoko?"

The swordswoman nodded, laying a protective hand over her protruding stomach as her aunt glanced at her. "I am fine. They never landed a blow, and I was careful not to overexert myself."

"Good."

"I believe this is the esteemed leader," observed Kanako casually as she stood before the young woman, yanking away the mask to reveal a seething face beneath. "Yes, this is her."

"Loki," breathed Motoko as she stood slowly, having been in the process of examining a scrape on Shinobu's knee from where she had fallen during the worst of the chaos. Coming forwards slowly, Kanako drew back instinctively as she watched the horror, sorrow, anger, and finally utter defeat that passed along her husband's wife's features. "Why…?"

"They promised to return you to us, as you used to be," she growled, shooting rays of pure hate at Keitaro and Kanako as well as at those who held her still. "As you should be…"

"She is as she should be!" shouted Gina, slapping the held prisoner before anyone could stop her. "She is, you're just too blind to see it!"

"Gina, that is enough," interceded her captain quickly, pulling her away to another part of the room. "Please, remove her from the room. I do not care what you do with her, even if you let her loose, just take her away."

"She'll be coming with me," put in Haruka as she motioned for the trio to follow her out the front. "You owe me a new chain and lock for our electric box, and I think the police would find your activities very interesting, especially where you got that knockout gas."

"This isn't your fault, Sempai," Gina insisted when Motoko sat down slowly, one hand massaging her temple slowly. Keitaro sat beside her, offering what support he could as they both struggled to maintain masks of calm. "You couldn't know she would try again…"

"No one was truly hurt?" she asked quietly, glancing over her teammates as they gathered around.

"No more than we would be from going up against you with pads on in practice," quipped one of the others, who sported scrape on her arm and a bump on her head.

"I hope it won't upset anyone if I ask you all to leave now," put in Keitaro gently, his voice carrying well over everyone else's. "We truly thank you for the help you provided tonight, but Motoko needs rest and we need to put our home to rights…"

"We agreed to help with the set up and tear down," said Gina as she glanced at the carnage that was left of the once bright decorations and tables of food and drink. "Split yourselves into three crews. Crew one, headed by Hannah, goes outside to make sure they truly have left. Crew two stays here and will follow any directions given to put things back to rights. Crew three is to go upstairs and clean up any damage done there before returning here to help crew two finish their job. Go!"

The team moved quickly and efficiently, with the only mishap being the girls who discovered Koshi, Mutsumi and Naru still passed out in Naru's room. Naru had quickly come to when the door was open, finding Koshi slumped over on top of her with one hand on her chest and the other on Mutsumi's. The resulting scream of fury and crash of Naru's fist going through the table where Koshi's head had been only moments before had brought everyone had a sprint, but the matter was quickly cleared up when things were fully explained.

It seemed like only minutes later when the Inn was finally empty of everyone except the normal residents, Su and Shinobu having already turned in for the night and Naru and Kitsune close on their heals.

"Brother," announced Kanako as the couple began to head up the stairs, too tired to even ask that what she might have learned from the previous events. "I am leaving tomorrow."

"I thought you were going to stay longer than that," he replied quickly, giving her a puzzled look.

"I have realized that which I came to accomplish is impossible," she explained slowly, giving Motoko a hard look. "I still do no like you, I may never period."

"I do not require that you like me," Motoko whispered as she squeezed her husband's hand gently. "Or even that you respect me. But to accept that things between Keitaro and I will not change would do for now."

"I can do that," she agreed with a slight nod. Giving Keitaro a warm smile, she added, "I will miss you, brother, but perhaps Hina is missing me by now. She always needs someone familiar to order about, and this latest stunt will give me some leverage over her for awhile. Let me know when the child is born, I am anxious to meet the niece or nephew I have saved tonight."

"You will always be welcome in our home," he replied with a smile tinted slightly with sadness, having already digested what was happening here. "And we will let you know immediately."

"And one more thing," she added after they said goodnight and began to go their separate ways. "Have you contacted mother or father with this news yet?"

"No, we planned on waiting until after the child was born," explained Keitaro with an apologetic shrug. "Hina hasn't told them, I bet, so that's good enough reason for me not to. They would want to visit immediately, and things are so busy around here…"

"They would never forgive you for withholding such information," she pointed out slowly.

"I know," he chuckled with a nod. "But we aren't exactly on good terms anyways, so I don't think it will make that much of a difference."

"I see. Goodnight, then, brother."

"Goodnight, Kanako-chan."

The next day the manager's office was empty, with nothing but a note thanking the residents for their gracious welcome during her stay to show that Kanako had ever been there at all.

"Au, I hope she travels safely," said Shinobu as she began to prepare the morning meal. "Hina-san likes to travel very, very far sometimes."

"I'm sure she's fine," replied Keitaro as he squeezed his wife's hand under the table, getting a confident nod in return. "She's a very strong, capable young woman."

"Haruka stopped twitching so much," announced Sarah as she sat at the table, having just come up from the Tea House.

"What was she twitching from?" asked Motoko in concern, having heard nothing of this.

"Dunno, but she was jumpin' at shadows like a rabbit. Kinda funny to watch her, but she's stopped now."

"Oh…"

"Eatin' time!" yelled Su as she rushed into the kitchen and began to gobble down her plate.

"Su!" cried Shinobu as she did every morning. "You're going to choke!"

"M'not!"

"Au!"

The married couple sighed and moved slightly closer together as their hands remained linked. This was their life, this was how it should be, quiet and peaceful among their friends and family. And yet Keitaro couldn't help but notice the slight tingling in his gut that said this was only the beginning.

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"They failed."

"I know."

The chamber was silent, advisors shuffling nervously in their seats.

"You do not seem upset about this," observed one of the somewhat brave ones, attempting to seem nonchalant in his observation. He would have succeeded, if he didn't lick his lips every ten seconds.

"They were not mean to succeed." Shoji inwardly sighed, feeling like he was dealing with fools once again. "To have them actually succeed would have been nice, but so highly unlikely that it was not the ultimate goal."

The advisors shuffled their papers some more.

"Then…we wasted our resources…why? That gas could have been traced back to us."

"No, it couldn't have. I made sure of it. And it was not a waste; there was a reason, a very good one."

More silence.

"And that was, sir?"

"Chaos!" The word exploded from Shoji's chest, echoing strongly through the chamber. "To wear them down, wear them out, throw at them the unexpected. That old matriarch unintentionally handed us a golden nugget that day she sent the sister in to visit. A landslide has begun; it is up to us to continue to feed it and let it grow."

"Landslides traditionally get out of control, and destroy everything in its path." The voice was reasonable, cautious, and unwilling to risk too much on a venture. "Including it self."

"I would rather destroy both our selves and them at the same time, than let us fall into ruin and know they continue to live in peace," he replied savagely, a strange green light beginning to glow in his eyes, the green veins appearing along his arms. "If you cannot beat them, join them, and I intend that we join them in the afterlife! Now, I have work to do, so leave me alone!"

The council room was silent as Shoji left, the green lines slowly receding from his arms and the glow from his eyes. For some reason he had a terrible headache, and the last few moments were more than slightly fuzzy.

"He is losing control."

"This complicates things."

"He will have to be dealt with."

"Immediately."

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Hello, friends, neighbors, readers of all ages! There's something that I seem to always forget when I go home for the summer, and that is the lack of internet at my parents house. That's right, I'm virtually cut off from the virtual world for a good two or three months, which kinda delays updates and all. However, I have good news. As you are reading this update, which has been waiting for some time until I arrived back on my college campus, the second to last chapter and maybe the last chapter as well is either finished or so closed to being finished it might as well be. I will wait a week or two after I post this chapter to post the second to last, then the final chapter of this wonderful saga, if only to draw things out a bit more. Expect then the epilogue around a week after that. I think that puts at finishing everything in around three weeks from this posting.

Excited? Me too. Here's the Author's Notes, and be sure to read them as it has some interesting information in them this time!

#1. ADL has its first fan off shoot in the basis of a webcomic. Should you want to read it, the link is here: http/ Remember, kids, I have no issues with people doing fanwork off what I write so long as I am given prior notice and am accredited with that which I am due, just like the guy who wrote the original Love Hina. Notice: I am not directly affiliated with this person, and so any opinions, art, work or such listed on his account is not to be associated with me unless I specifically say so.

#2. Your praise warms my heart, and rereading your comments just makes me all the happier that I am able to give you such a concentrated does of ADL for once! Thank you so, so much once more for your very kind reviews as always :) it is because of all of you that I am given the fortitude to finish this story.

#3. Kananko has finally entered, and again exited the scene! What'd you all think? Happy? Sad? Disappointed? I do hope you enjoyed it, most of all!

#4. High hog heaven? That is most certainly a new one…I hope you enjoyed the update, and that you stayed in your bacon bliss with the continuance of the story!

#5.So the fluff didn't cause any random asphyxiation? Drat, I shall have to redouble my efforts next time:)

#6.Yes, sorry about the wait again, at least you're guaranteed the next chapter in exactly one week, and the next chapter a week after that, ne? I would say that makes up for the horrible wait times you've had to endure. :P

#7.Nope, Kanako's not a Turtle Claner, though she was momentarily persuaded by their plan her heart won through in the end.

#8.Awww, thank you for your kindness! Personally, I'm grateful for any reviews that I get at all, but it does warm my heart that you feel my fic is worthy of such high merit. Keitaro picking up the sword and creating an army? Well, I guess you'll have to wait and see!

#9.And, once more, my decision to leave the world of ficdom is final. There is a possibility of a few one-shots in the Winding Circle Realm, but that is all.

#10.The poo hasn't hit the fan yet, it's just come close a few times. Stay tuned to see life in hell as we know it!

#11.So no one went spiraling off into the pits of doom because of my cliffy? That's good, I'd hate for you to miss the rest of the story!

#12.I apologize for any and all errors! It happens, people, I am only human, and unable to give this fic my complete and undivided attention as there are things like life, school, relationships, and shows that tend to interfere. My deepest apologies once more.

#13.I WILL finish the story! In fact, chances are as you are reading this I am finishing the last chapter, which will be posted sometime in the next to weeks, after the second to last chapter is posted. That feels odd, ne? That we have finally reached the end? It makes me a bit sad, actually…

#14.NO SHOOTING SELF! Or at least don't tell me about it. Thank you.

#15.Who says I'm even eating here, bub? Do you even comprehend how many words you can write in the time it takes to microwave and consume a bowl of ramen? DO YOU! Apparently not:P

#16.Wow, three days front to finish? You people who do things like that amaze me. I reread all my chapters over the summer while I had no internet, but there was a powerplug off of which I could run the lappy, and it still took me over a week! That's just incredible dedication to the story, and I commend you for it. And nope, Kanako didn't just fall into a deep respect with Motoko, does that satisfy?

#17.Actually, Keitaro didn't fly, is that so amazing? I believe we have gone 20 chapters now, and never have our dear Manager's feet left the ground due to overly angered and strong girls. It's a new record!

#18.I completely understand. I'm reading along, and it doesn't hit me just how much I want to keep reading until I reach the last chapter and the author hasn't updated in forever! And yet I somehow keep doing the same to you guys… ;

That's all, folks! Until next time, this is Crosseyedbutterfly, signing off!

CB

"If you build a man a fire, he will be warm for a day. If you set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life."

-Anonymous