Note: I'm off for the summer holidays so I pretty much hurried this update. There's a chance I won't be able to update at all while I'm away, but expect fresh updates by the end of the summer. My apologies to those of you who volunteered to proof-read. Due to the circumstances, I was afraid there won't be enough time for a proper proof-read. But no worries. The updates after summer will all be proof-read, and I'll be counting on you volunteers. Thanks again for volunteering.

disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina or Mahou Sensei Negima

Chapter 5: Turtles


What people thought of snow…it was largely dependent on the person. To some it meant…beauty, splendour, pureness, or, on a most basic level, white. To some it meant more snow removal jobs. To some, such as Takato Hayamura, it currently meant things were far too slippery to move around properly. And in his situation, he was definitely less than enthusiastic about it. In fact, he decided to curse snow hereafter as he slipped and fell backwards into the snow as he tried to run back to pick up his weapon.

Meanwhile, in front of him, Motoko was trying to get to grips with metal rod combat. Unfortunately, getting to grips with the most Neanderthal of weapons was not as easy as it looked. For one thing, what happened to aerodynamics? Didn't people who invent metal rods ever think of the aerodynamics of the weapon? Or probably the weight distribution…oh wait…that's why they came up with swords in the first place.

Mana was skillfully playing her advantage in range to the fullest. Her twin desert eagles flashed bright in the darkness as it sent lead shredders straight at Motoko. The best she could do was to try to defend with her more than modest weapon. Bright sparks flew everywhere as hot lead made contact with cold steel. After the first 14 bullets, all barely deflected by Motoko's metal-rod-substitute-swordplay, Mana released the lock on her magazines and threw them out into the snow, while swishing both guns towards the magazine holders on her belt.

Rayce meanwhile, who had somehow managed to get his tongue released from his frosty dessert, had grasped his bamboo spear as well as Takato's as he skid past him and leaped into the air. He came down, just as Mana locked two fresh magazines into her Desert Eagles. "Hyaaaaaaaaaaah!" Rayce shouted, executing an overhead slash with one spear, which Mana neatly avoided with a quick backwards leap. Rayce followed through with another horizontal slash with his other spear, which Mana merely sidestepped.

Motoko meanwhile, in a frantic search for a proper weapon, had finally spotted one. Mana's cardmaster, who was frantically trying to pry the rapier off his tongue, suddenly started making gurgling sounds as he noticed the fiery-eyed samurai charging in his direction, with every intention of delivering pure pain. He picked up a makeshift weapon…a baseball bat that had rolled out into the street from the antique store, to try and ward off Motoko. Motoko meanwhile was dragging her metal rod along the street, causing sparks to fly everywhere as she built up force for her ground-strike jutsu.

"Shinmei-ryu! Suna Rendan Battou-Jutsu!" Motoko shouted, as the metal rod left the earth and flew out at the man, knocking his baseball bat clean out of his hands, as well as knocking his teeth out along with it. As the man fell, Motoko grasped the rapier which parted with his tongue with a painful ripping sound, one you might hear when your favourite manga gets ripped in two.

Rayce had successfully knocked one of Mana's guns into the air as he slashed out a spear upwards at her. He delivered a thrust with the other one, which Mana avoided with a quick sideways twist of her body. She caught the extended spear and whirled around it, holding both its end and its middle. Rayce just stared as Mana suddenly hefted the entire spear upwards, carrying Rayce along with it. "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh-mffffffffff" Rayce's scream of terror as he soared through in the short arch was cut off abruptly as he slammed into the snow.

Mana didn't have a moment to relax. As she released Rayce's spear and caught her falling gun, Motoko's rapier came out of nowhere, threatening to cut her in two had she not spun out of the way in time. She parried the next horizontal rapier slash with her right gun, while pointing her left one straight at Motoko. Motoko hefted her rapier upwards, flinging Mana's arm upwards, causing her to shoot up into the air. Motoko executed a few more assaults, all of which were successfully parried and evaded by Mana, who's shots were as successfully parried and evaded by Motoko.

Suddenly, Mana spun backwards, flinging one of her guns into the air. Motoko, who was watching Mana's other gun, ready to deflect any bullets, was caught unawares of two small whizzing objects which painfully collided with her stomach. As she fell to her knees in pain while clutching her stricken abdomen, she looked up at Mana and caught a final glimpse of the weapon that had just struck her…a pile of coins in Mana's hands, just before it slipped into her pockets.

"Who said war was cheap, ne?" Mana asked, catching her other gun as it descended. "Soldiers don't win wars. Money does." She lifted the gun and aimed it straight at Motoko. "Sorry, Aoyama…victory's mine." She squeezed the trigger.

"My name's….Urashima…" Motoko wheezed, as she tried to stand up, clutching her stomach. She raised her rapier.

BANG….

"Huh?" Mana's shot, according to her calculations, would miss her by a full two meters…no way! What was she aiming at…then it dawned on her. She looked behind her in terror as she realized it was flying straight at Takato. "Takato!" She gritted her teeth and launched herself at the bullet.

"Motoko!" Takato shouted as he tried to run forwards. Something flashed within his coat pockets.

Something spun out of thin air and collided with the bullet, sending sparks everywhere. It spun around back into the air and slowed down into a hover.

"Is that…" Takato asked, looking up at the metallic looking object.

"…a turtle…?" Sakura asked, peeking out of her store.

"TAKE COVER! IT'S HER!" Rayce screamed, diving headlong into a trash can.

"No…way…" Mana said.

"Takato! Get off the street!" Motoko shouted, scrabbling up from where she had landed.

"Huh?" Takato asked, as a flashing card spun around in front of him. He caught it as it slowed down. On its front was the picture of a young girl in a dark blue senior high sailor's uniform. "What?"

Something flashed up in the sky. Takato looked up just in time to see a number of flashes approaching, just before Motoko grabbed him by the collar and threw him into the store before following right behind him.

Mana raised her guns and aimed. She shot the nearest flash that was heading straight towards her…it exploded into a huge crimson fireball. Meanwhile, all around her, the other flashes collided with the frozen earth, exploding into raging infernos.

"Missiles?" Takato asked.

"Those look like…metal turtles…" Sakura remarked, slightly awed by the fireworks display.

"There's only one person mad enough to make self-destructing turtle-like mechas and send them hurtling towards the earth that randomly…" Motoko sighed, as a nearby explosion shook the store.

"Mana! What's happening!" Mana's cardmaster asked.

"Calm down, master. It's another card."

Takato looked down at his card as it started shaking. It was undergoing another transformation as the clothes on the girl in the picture started to transform into…some sort of tropical native costume? How practical for this weather…

The missile barrage continued, but now it was accompanied by a flurry of random positron cannon shots. Mana threw her master into a nearby alleyway and aimed up at the sky. "Come out…I know you're up there…"

Something gigantic and round was silhouetted against the inferno lit up sky. It seemed to grow larger with each passing second.

"There you are…" Mana started firing up at the silhouette. Small sparks flashed as her bullets bounced harmlessly off the gigantic object. "What…is that?" She gasped, as she realized her bullets were useless against whatever it was. She took a few steps backwards before finally leaping completely out of the way as the gigantic metallic object slammed into the snow, sending violent shockwaves through the ground.

The large metallic object raised about 5 inches off the surface of the impact crater it had created. A smaller figure landed lightly on top of its dome-like top. The missile and laser barrage had stopped completely.

"No doubt about it…it's her…" Mana said, getting onto her feet.

"No doubt…Her?" Takato echoed Mana's words.

"Who's….her?"

"Yes…it's her all right…" Motoko sighed.

"The Defender of the Galaxy has arrived!" the figure atop the gigantic metallic object shouted, her native costume flowing with the gentle breeze. A horde of small metallic turtles flew around her, all creating a general hum of 'myus'. The large metallic object underneath her lit up as a number of large headlamps illuminated the surrounding street. It was apparently a huge metallic turtle.

"The mecha Tama MK IV…" Rayce mumbled as his trash can rolled into the store. "I can still remember getting pummeled by that…"

"Wouldn't she freeze to death in that?" Takato asked, pointing at the girl.

"No…she won't,

"And now…time to DIE!" The girl laughed hysterically as she raised an arm towards Mana. The entire street lit up for a few moments…

Before everything went dark…

To be continued…


My apologies for the short chapter. Time's not on my side, as usual. As I said, I was trying to rush this chapter to make the before-holidays update. Next chapter will be longer, yakusoku!

OMAKE! OMAKE! (SPECIAL SUMMER BATTLE ROYALE EDITION)

The cast from 'Love Hina: Children of the Exodus', 'Final Hina Fantasy', 'New Mobile Suit Gundam Hina Eternity', 'Love Hina Alternative', 'Soul Requiem', and 'Forevermore', gathers around a campfire in a small summer campsite.

Keitarou: We actually made it to this chapter…in a space of only a couple of months…my, you've been busy.

BTB: HAhahaha…hard work's my middle name!

Asuna: And 'grammar mistakes'…

Lee: And 'cliché'

Rayce: Not to mention 'obviously out'

BTB: Ok…what have I done wrong this time?

Lee: We're having a bit of an issue with the 6 stories you're writing…

BTB: What exactly is the issue?

Naru: The fact that there ARE 6 stories. I mean, what kind of fanfiction writer could manage to juggle 6 stories?

Mitsune: Not to mention 2 different versions of Soul Requiem…that makes it 7 stories.

BTB: Errr….I guess I did mess up a bit there…

Haruka: You'll have to prioritize. Choose one to focus on and finish it off first.

BTB: Errr…how should I decide? I mean, I like all of them just as much…

Motoko: Well, BTB, it's definitely Soul Requiem, my version, isn't it? (Unsheaths katana an inch)

Shinobu: Anou…anou…demou…can we please make it Love Hina Children of the Exodus? I like that one.

Rayce: Hey! Hey! I like my part in New Mobile Suit Gundam Hina Eternity! Let's continue that one! It's the most epic anyway!

Tsuroko: Oro…but I think BTB's got plenty of good ideas for 'Forevermore'. Let's continue that.

Nodoka: Anou….can it please be…aah…Love Hina Alternative?

Makie: Yeah, definitely. I like Love Hina Alternative! It's the best! We get to live together like that! What can be more fun!

Kaede: Zazie says she likes Final Hina Fantasy best, de gozaruyo. (Zazie stands in the background, the infamous T-rexaur beside her.)

Naru: Well…you've gotten us into quite a mess, haven't you, BTB? Now what?

BTB: I dunno. Vote, perhaps?

The votes were tabulated…

Asuna: They're all…equal…

Setsuna: What a coincidence…

Fumika: Now what?

Fuuka: Let's just fight!

Rayce: Let's decide this with a contest.

Fuuka: Yeah! A fight! A fight!

Rayce: Contest rules: Everyone forms groups according to the story they're supporting. Every group may use the abilities they have in the story they chose. For example, since Shinobu-chan has chosen the 'Love Hina Children of the Exodus', she's allowed to use her white mage abilities.

Haruka: Interesting…what kind of contest will it be? (everyone separates out into different corners of the large field that suddenly materialized according to each group. They all start preparing their stuff.)

Rayce: Yagyu Janken…(baseball janken, from Mahou Sensei Negima)

Asuna: IDIOT! (busts Rayce on the head with a paper fan)

Lee: Then let's make it a quick game of janken (rocks, papers, and scissors) and get it over with. (everyone face faults) BTB-san?

BTB: Yeah, whatever.

Lee: All right, everyone, JANKEN!

Everyone: JANKEN! (nobody wins in the end. Frustrated, everyone starts fighting. All hell breaks out as magical spells, positron laser blasts, phantoms, katanas, and even mobile suits fly about.)

Tama: mii

BTB: As Tamago said, please wait while the democratic decision making takes place. As you can see, Love Hina has a very good idea of democracy. It's power to the masses. It's especially useful when the said masses are at gunpoint. Now, since we're out of time, we'll have to skip the battle-royale scene. Sorry…

After a long and grueling fight….

Haruka: Nothing was resolved, BTB…

BTB: No worries, I've decided the story I'm going to continue anyway.

Everyone: WHICH ONE!

BTB: 'The Amazing Adventures of Urashima Hinata-chan!'

Everyone (with the exception of pacifists such as Shinobu and Nodoka): NANI!

Hinata-chan: Yatta! Arigatou, BTB-san!

Motoko: Can't be….beaten by a 7 year old!

Naru: BTB….(eyes flash)

Everyone (with the exception of pacifists such as Shinobu and Nodoka): Let's kill him instead.

BTB: Haha! I'm ready for this, this time! Which is why I brought this! Transform! (takes out a ninja scroll which explodes into a cloud of smoke. After the cloud of smoke dissipates, BTB was gone, leaving a log in his stead.

Motoko: as if we'd fall for that. (unsheathes katana)

Rayce: let's kill him. (takes out Scythe)

Naru: Yeah…(puts on gloves)

Everyone(with the exception of pacifists such as Shinobu and Nodoka): (bears down on the log, which sweat-drops. They start beating up the log.)

Lee: All right, everyone! Please have an enjoyable summer holiday and remember not to try this at home. See you after the summer! Thanks for your support so far!

Everyone: Till next time!