Disclaimer: I do now own anything even remotely related to Love Hina intellectual property, Any and all chapters I may or may not write also do not claim any ownership on my part of any Love Hina Intellectual property.

Well it's been too long really, got a new job etc, etc, blah blah blah, I'm slow.
Thanks go to all the reviewers (if they're still around), you will notice that this chapter
is significantly shorter than the first two, mainly because I decided to try and stick more
closely to my outline.

As always, please leave a review, it lets me know how I'm going, if it's good, great or mind numbingly boring. Let me know !


The door slid shut as Motoko dropped to her knees on the tatami mat. She was immensely relieved at the sight of these three familiar faces.

Naru had been startled when Motoko entered the room, now she was scrutinizing Motoko carefully, taking in her state of dress. Motoko shifted under Naru's gaze, and the other woman sighed.

"So how was it for you? " Motoko stared blankly at the question. "How did you get here?", Naru sounded exasperated and upon closer inspection, looked uncharacteristically careworn. Her hair stood out in strands, her clothes were rumpled and her eyes blinked blearily at Motoko as she awaited an answer.

"There was a beach, and a man" Motoko's hand rose in denial as her sempai's eyebrows rose incredulously. "He gave me some food, we walked and, I was here" she finished lamely. Try as she might, the details of her journey skittered about and eluded her fumbling mental grasp.

Naru nodded at Motoko's apparent confusion and leant forward to place her hand on the other girl's leg.

"It was the same for us" she said simply and straightened, one hand lifted to brush hair from her eyes. "I was studying and…" she paused, "I fell asleep, I woke up and was I here, with the others". Her lips tightened and she frowned. "Su hasn't said anything since I woke up and Shinobu" Naru gestured in frustration, "won't tell me".

Neither of the two had spoken since Motoko had entered the room, Shinobu sat silently, her head had been tilted as she had listened to her elders but straightened in response to Motoko's inspection and made no eye contact. Su lay curled up on the floor, her eyes tightly closed, she was filthy.

Motoko would have gotten up and gone to the young girl but her legs did not want to work. The warmth and relative comfort of the room sunk deep into her wind chilled bones and made her drowsy.

Resolved to talk to help her concentrate, Motoko spoke, "Do you know where we are?", Naru shook her head and opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted.

The shoji door slid open violently and a woman stepped into the room. She was dressed magnificently in the old style. A brilliantly coloured kimono was the first of many layers, decorated about the hem with silver images of kingfishers among reeds, it rippled in the warm golden light brought in from the corridor.

The clothes belonged to an older woman, high of brow and large of eye, she stood before the doorway in silhouette and looked down at them.

Motoko had risen to a half crouch facing the door at the stranger's entry and her hands had grasped for an absent sword. Yet no threatening move was made and she looked back at Naru uncertainly, she had slid back to kneel protectively near Su.

"Hmmmm" The woman stepped majestically into the room, her clothes rustling softy and inspected the four carefully.

"Who are you?" Naru's voice was too strong and she seemed to start at the sound of it.

"I am Lady Masahiro, and you are Narusegawa Naru, Aoyama Motoko, Maehara Shinobu and," her eyes paused on Su and seemed to soften momentarily, "Kaolla Su".

Motoko stood to make herself the equal of this new arrival and leant forward aggressively, she had been intimidated enough today.

"What is this place? Where are we?" her voice was tight and sounded nowhere near as strong as she had wanted it to.

Lady Masahiro's eyes widened slightly then a hint of a smile passed over her lips.

"This is the fortress and you are here at the behest of our Master", it was said quite matter-of-factly in tones melodious.

Shinobu started slightly and pressed her hands to her lips.

Lady Masahiro continued, "You are here because you have broken an oath or some binding promise" her delicately plucked eyebrows drew down slightly," Though that it is at his will, should be enough for you".

She looked at Motoko and seemed to gather herself. "You will meet him soon enough, but first you must be made presentable". She clapped her hands swiftly and a multitude of maids streamed into the room.

They carried traditional clothing of every size, colour and pattern and swarmed around each of the four girls. Su was woken gently and responded only to the lightest of feather touches. There was a maid each to tidy the hair and wash the face, another to strip the body and sprinkle it in aromatic oils and a third to choose kimonos, beautiful kimonos of red and white, patterned and plain, the most beautiful kimonos that Motoko had ever seen.

She tried to resist of course as did Naru, but both were led by gentle touch and the warmth of the room lulled them, and drained their will.

Lady Masahiro drifted among them offering comments on hair styles and colour choices, sometimes one would disagree with her but a swift glance quelled any rebellion and her way was had.

At last the four were dressed, the women filed out of the room and down the corridor leaving Motoko and the others to stand dizzily for one final inspection.

Lady Masahiro looked them up and down in turn and nodded reluctantly, "You will do", she smiled too brightly. Motoko made to speak but her words died to a head shake from the strangely intimidating woman.

"It is almost time, come", with that she led the four girls out into the corridor and off into the golden, late afternoon haze.


The "Fortress" as they came to discover was a bewildering maze of shoji screen lined corridors, gently sloped timber staircases and small terraced gardens. There was never a transition from one to the next, a corner could unexpectedly lead out into the blinding sun or down into a darkened cellar.

The wood beneath Motoko's slippered feet as she walked and the airy breeze that seemed to flow wherever they went, anchored her in the reality of the place.

After a time, they came to a small antechamber at the top of a flight of stairs. Behind a door at the furthest end of the room the sound of birds raised in a tremendous cacophony could be heard.

Here Lady Masahiro stopped and turned to face them. Her face was solemn, "I leave you here now", she paused, "remember he is the Master of this place, it exists only by his will and that we are all his". Before a question could be asked she brushed past and down the stairs behind them, leaving them to an uncertain fate.

They stood there for a little while looking about the small room. It had a wooden floor that coloured the later afternoon sun a darker shade of brown, and was walled with wooden panels elaborately decorated with regular, meaningless patterns.

Motoko felt uncomfortable in her new clothes, her crimson bordered kimono speckled with tiny embroidered snowflakes seemed too fine for a warrior like herself. She had worn nothing like it since she had been a small child, and these days had neither the inclination nor the occasion to wear similar.

Naru however looked at ease in her new finery and was trying to get a response out of Su and Shinobu, with little success.

The door at the furthest end of the room opened and the sound of birds grew louder still. Motoko looked at Naru for guidance, she shrugged.

The swordswoman breathed out forcefully, trying to expel her worries and speculation, then drew a deep breath and strode straight backed out into the dappled green light.

Motoko found herself in an immense courtyard shaded by trees of bewildering variety and shape. They drifted gently in the breeze, patterning their shadows back and forth upon small brown cobblestones.

Ahead, seemingly sheltered in the bow of an enormous pine, sat a large white pavilion. Its flaps were shut and the golden embroidery about its base danced in the wind.

The sound of absent birds cut off abruptly and Naru gasped as the two front flaps drew back from a shadowy interior and invited the four's entrance. Motoko made her way across the slightly overgrown cobblestones to the pavilion, not caring whether or not the others followed and stepped inside.

The interior was larger than its exterior implied. A long carpet led down the back towards a raised dais. People flanked the carpet, kneeling with their heads bowed, they were of all races, ages and periods of dress. Their one commonality was their complete silence. There must have been hundreds of them, impossible hundreds.

Motoko's eyes were drawn irresistibly to the dais upon which sat, like a throne, a tall, high backed chair. It was occupied.

The figure stood quickly in one swift motion, all angles and elbows. It was dressed lightly in plain dark trousers and a flowing long sleeved white shirt. A man, Motoko decided, the person's thin, hipless figure made her think so.

The breeze shifted the tree that hung above and the pavilion became suddenly brighter and Motoko straightened in shock. A silver mask, obviously modeled on a face of refined, noble lineage gripped the back of his skull and flowed forward down over his face. The gleaming lips smiled politely as he walked down the aisle toward them, and a small ball of polished white wood swung gently from his neck with each step.

"Welcome", His voice was low and smooth, cultured and refined. Motoko decided to make every effort to disbelieve everything that it would say.

"Welcome", he repeated as he stopped in front of them and bowed slightly, looking up at Motoko through his too expressive mask.

He moved close to Motoko who, feeling her space invaded, made to step back, but the man caught her chin in a gloved hand and held her there.

Motoko began to shake as he turned her face as he inspected her profile, not with shame or fear but with anger, she had tensed to strike him, not caring about the consequences when he released her and stepped backwards.

The male looked her up and down, his eyes were insultingly appraising. The mask's lips moved with his words, "Aoyama Motoko, a pleasure," The face smiled sardonically, "You are much more beautiful than I was led to believe", a gloved finger tapped his metal lips meditatively, "perhaps this will not be such a chore after all.

He stepped past her and she caught the faint smell of sand and shore. She turned as he moved up to Naru.

The man shifted his hands to brush her hair from her eyes and ran his gaze over her face. "Narusegawa Naru, you are a treasure", he laughed lightly as Naru's hands clenched at her sides, unwilling or unable to strike her tormentor.

Next was Shinobu, and Motoko almost lost herself in rage when he hugged the young girl closely and she cringed in his embrace with a look of horror on her face.

Be patient, she told herself, whoever this man was (if he was a man at all), attacking him was not a solution. This place was too strange, too weird to make itself easily understood without help.

The crowd's faces turned to follow the man's every move, seemingly chained to his form.

Shinobu was released and she let out an almost inaudible sob as the man came finally to Su. He squatted before her and smiled a toothy grin, she did not react. He grinned impossibly widely and stood again and cried out;

"Marvelous!", it rang into the empty silence, filling a space that Motoko had not noticed. He turned to the crowd that lined the aisle and walls.

"Show your appreciation for the magnificent beauties that have been brought before us". It was an order, couched in jovial tones and their audience burst into loud cheers, falsely loud as their owners stood and begun to caper dementedly in celebration. Their Master looked on, his false face smiling and Motoko felt lost, and angry.

A swift chopping motion brought an end to the forced revelry and the man began to make his way back toward the dais.

Motoko could hold herself quiet no longer and burst out, "Who are you! What right do you have that allows you bring us here!" She was shaking, hands clenched as she leant forward angrily.

The man turned slowly and looked at her, the mask was furious now, except for the eyes that smoldered.

"What right?" he repeated softly, and the eyes narrowed.

"I have every right", he hissed as he too leant forward, "By the rights of blood and promises broken do I bring you and keep you here, you are now mine".

The crowed stared silently at Motoko as she shivered from the supernatural malice contained within his gaze. Then the mask twisted, and was smooth again.

"Leave me", he gestured at them and before Motoko could react she found herself with Naru and Shinobu outside the pavilion, the flaps now closed and the sound of birds rising deafeningly from the trees above.


They were led blind and dumb back to the room, through a darkening twilight and chill sea breeze they made their way, exhausted they came at last to its door and were left alone. Bedding lay heaped in the corner and sleeping clothes sat folded before the door, then Shinobu said her first words of the day;

"Where's Su ?".


Machines thrummed as they bled their life sustaining fluids into the body that lay swathed in linen before them. The ward was dark, all but the emergency staff had gone home for the night.

Urashima Keitaro mumbled something in his sleep as a perfectly manicured hand came to rest on his bandaged forehead.
Perfect lips smiled in anticipation,
"Let's rid you of the first one my heart", the women whispered to the slumbering man as she sat beside the bed and took his hands in hers. She laid her head upon his chest and closed her beautiful, beautiful eyes.


Once again, please leave review , it helps much more than you might think.