I do not own love hina
Love is the only power in the universe. Love of yourself, love of money, or, the most powerful, love for others. It is the only constant. The more that you love the stronger you become.
There are some who say that hate brings power. Why do we hate? It is because we have lost something that we love, or something that we love is threatened. Many do not realize how much they love something till it has been taken away from them. The following pages will allow you to assess who and what you love, recognize who loves you, and finally gives a way to increase you power up to a level where you will be able to master any technique in this book. Before you continue on with this book it is imperative that you read this section. Otherwise you will be unable to master any of the techniques.
Read this section now, and perform the ritual, lest you lose one of your loved ones.
(page iii, Fighting from the Heart, Fighting for the Heart )
xXx
Chapter two - The Kidnapping
Seta closed the book and looked at the front cover. "Now that is odd, it's in the ancient arcane script. Huh, I wonder what it says."
Keitaro looked at it for a second. "Oh. It just says 'Fighting from the Heart, Fighting for the Heart'"
"How can you read this?"
Suddenly Keitaro looked confused "I don't know."
Seta looked at Keitaro concerned. "Did you hut yourself when you landed? It is possible that you are seeing things."
"I don't think so, I feel fine, it's just when I look at the writing it's like I suddenly know what it says. I know it's not Japanese but…"
"It is possible that there is something about you that it is keyed to. You did just walk through an extremely powerful shield. I also trust you enough to know that you wouldn't lie to me so it has to be either one or the other."
"Why would it be keyed to me?" Oh great, I've started seeing things. With my luck when I get home I'll go to clean the hot springs because it will look like there is no one around and then get sent to the moon by Naru and Motoko. I won't even see it coming! Not good! "Maybe I did hit my head to hard on the landing. I did hit a cliff. Is there any way that we can check if I can read it?"
"Oh that will be easy enough.If you write down the first couple pages in Japanese and then in the script that you see I can go back to the lab and analyze the writing. We do have ways of translating the arcane script. If what you write is in the arcane script then we will know that you can see the writing. If your Japanese translation turns out to be correct then we will know that it is keyed to you."
Keitaro gave a self-depreciating laugh. "Ya, right. Hundreds of years ago a great mage wanted a loser to have the book, so he looked into the future and built a cave right where I would land, gave the cave a magical barrier, and enchanted a book so that only I could read it. Also somehow he picked me out of all of the losers of time and space."
Seta just grinned "Stranger things have happened. I think that you should translate the first 3 pages. That will give me enough material to work with."
Keitaro sighed and got down to work. It wasn't very hard to do the Japanese translation but some of the things that it said made his head hurt. He was also intrigued to see what the book would say about love. Maybe I can finely find out if Naru loves me or not. This book almost seems like it was a letter written to someone to try to help them and warn them. To bad they never got the message. I wonder what happened to him? Hmm… I wonder. "Hey Seta would it be possible that this book was keyed to one of my ancestors? Could it be, say, keyed to my entire family?"
"Possible, but not likely. A spell like this is probably keyed to a persons soul. You could be that persons reincarnation I suppose." Seta looked thoughtful, "Of course reincarnation has never been proven. They ancient turtles knew but…"
"We can't ask them, right? Sigh, it was just a thought. Never mind. Oh here. I finished the Japanese translation. Do you want to read it?" He hand the translation over to Seta who read through it.
"If this is coming out of your subconscious then you are one good philosopher and should publish this." Seta grinned. "So, have you ever thought about it?"
"About what?"
"Training to become a fighter to protect your friends. If this is what your subconscious is thinking than maybe you should listen. I mean, don't you ever want to not get beat up all of the time?"
"I'm used to it. Besides they have Motoko to protect them from any danger or trouble that we run into."
"I could teach you what I know. You have a lot of power, you're just untrained, that's all."
"No!" Keitaro looked so fierce that he seemed to glow with resolve. "They need me! When they are feeling down and out of sorts they can take it out on me instead of the others. They are good people, but they have many problems in their life. If I became strong enough to fight them it might break their will. They are insecure. I give them security. They know that there is someone out there that is worse than they are." Keitaro suddenly sighed. "I've given this a lot of thought when I was flying through the air. And I have realized that it is best for everybody if I stay as I am." He grinned "Plus the view from up there is spectacular. The wind rushing through your hair. The peacefulness, it's my special place.
Seta looked a little stunned. "Oh. I suppose it is for the best isn't it. But if you ever change your mind…"
Keitaro handed him the paper that he had been working on. "Here you go. I tried to get the symbols as close as possible to the originals but they might be a little off."
Seta looked at the sheet of paper. "Looks good to me, but I'll have to see what the computer says. Now do you want to hold onto the book or should I?"
"You do it. I was your dig after all. Even if it is a blank book it is still an ancient relic." So saying Keitaro got up and went back into the cave and started to carry the rest of the artefacts out into the morning light. There wasn't much. A table, a couple candles, and a painting of a young man with a sword of white in one hand and a sword of black in the other. Behind the young man were the faces of different women all smiling at him. Keitaro and Seta loaded everything into the back of the van. Seta offered Keitaro a ride but Keitaro refused when he thought about the driving habits of his boss. Seta handed Keitaro some money and headed off to the lab. Leaving Keitaro with a long walk home. I wonder if I missed lunch? Probably. Still Shinobu should have something saved for me when I get back home. I wonder what was going on with that book? I mean strange things happen around here, but this is stranger than most. I wonder if it is real if Seta would let me use it. I really would like to know whether or not Naru loves me. I can't stand not knowing. Naru, why? Why don't you tell me how you feel? I know that you don't mean what you say when you are mad so for once I would like you to tell me your feelings about me when you aren't mad. Sigh I guess that won't happen for a long time yet.
When Keitaro reached Hinata in he called out that he was home. Shinobu came out to greet him.
"Good afternoon Sempi, I kept your lunch warm for you."
"Thank you Shinobu, that was very thoughtful." Keitaro smiled at her, completely unaware of the effect that this was having on the shy girl.
"Your… Your welcome Sempi. It was no trouble." Said Shinobu blushing. She regained her composure and looked at Keitaro. "Are you OK? You took so long to come home that I was worried about you."
"Nah, I was just helping Seta with some digging. Did any thing happen while I was gone?"
"Not much, Motoko and Naru went into town to pick up some supplies for something or other. Kitsune is off drinking. Oh, And Su wanted to see you."
"Oh. I guess I'd better eat lunch. Could you tell her that I'll meet her outside in about 10 minutes?" I hope that this isn't what I think it is.
When he went outside Su was already waiting for him. Sitting on the ground beside her was a chair with a power cord attached to it. I was right… goodbye quite afternoon. "Hey Su, what's up?"
"Uh… What does it do?"
"It just uses an EM field to influence the quantum particles in the mind of whoever sits on the chair. It can be set to all kinds of different setting. Right now it is set to 'Saint'. Come on, grab a seat." She grinned at him.
"OK" I didn't understand a word of that but it can't be to harmful can it? I don't see any explosives Keitaro sat down in the chair and Su flicked a switch. Well this is new… Nothing bad happened.
"Hey, Keitaro how do you feel?"
"Fine"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes…"
"Hmm… Naru changing!" Blood started to trickle down out of Keitaro's nose as he thought about it. Hey, why is she bringing that up? What is going on?
"It's not working. Let's see. If I up the power by a thousand volts and reroute it through the primary psyche rewiring circuit…" She pulled out a laptop and connected it to the chair. After several seconds of typing she smiled. "Done!" She hit enter. The chair exploded. Keitaro went up. Strait up. And another day goes on. I hope that Su's OK. That was a pretty big explosion. I wonder what she was trying to do? Ah well. When I get down I think that I should go study.
xXx
Later that night when Keitaro came down for supper he found Shinobu looking worried and the downstairs empty.
"Hey Shinobu, what's the matter? Where is everyone?" He looked around and listened. He couldn't hear any sounds of life around the house.
"They haven't come back yet. Su went out to look for them with one of her inventions but…" Shinobu glanced outside. "She's gone too." The Hinata inn which normally felt warm and comforting seemed cold and deathlike. Shinobu was clearly not just nervous, she was scared.
"I have an idea. Let's go look for them. You know where they went. It would do us good to get some fresh air." What is going on! Hinata Su has never felt like this. I want to run screaming into the town. What is wrong with me. Gaaa! Keitaro gave a nervous laugh and grabbed Shinobu's hand. I have to get her out of here. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it. It's like when Naru was possessed by that evil ghost, only worse. They start walked out of the house and down the stairs picking up speed till they were almost running. Shinobu tripped on a step and stumbled. Keitaro lost his grip on her hand and turned towards her. As if in slow motion he saw a dark shape appear from the side of the path. Shinobu's mouth opened in a silent scream as the thing grabbed her and disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the path. Keitaro tried to stop and turn to go after her but he tripped and fell down the rest of the staircase. All that he could see was Shinobu's mouth opening in a scream that would never be finished.
"SHINOBU!"
He got up and started to try to fallow her. He stumbled through the night with tears coming from his eyes until he collapsed by a tree and cried. He never did find out how long he cried. A touch on his shoulder startled him out of his remembrance of the horrible event. He turn to see Naru with her hand on his shoulder and a concerned look in her eyes. Behind her stood Motoko and Kitsune. Su was crouched next to him with a small handheld device.
Naru took her hand from his shoulder. "What happened? What are you doing out here in the middle of the night. And why is Shinobu acting so strange?"
Keitaro grasped at Naru like a drowning man "Do you know where Shinobu is? You've seen her? Is she all right?"
Su looked at the device in her hand "Right now Shinobu's vitals are stable and she is currently on top of the Hinata Su. However her body is acting as if it is in either great pain of great fear."
Fire seemed to burn around Naru as she raised her fist slowly. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Her. You. Lecherou…"
She's alive. And close. Hang on Shinobu. We'll save you. He grabbed Motoko's and Naru's hands"Come on we have to go save her." So saying he started pulling them along with him back towards the apartments.
"Save Shinobu? Save her from what?" asked Naru.
"Can't you feel the evil coming from the inn? Only a demon can give this kind of presence." said Motoko.
"Can you defeat it?" Asked Keitaro.
"Yes. Unlike you Urashima, I can protect my friends." Motoko stated.
They broke out of the forest and back onto the steps. They froze. Up on the roof, in the center of a sphere of red light Shinobu floated. Next to her a dark shape caressed the sphere. Every time that it touched the sphere they could see Shinobu's back arch in pain and her mouth open in a silent scream. Shinobu… Why? Why didn't the monster take me? I'm sorry Shinobu.
Motoko unsheathed her katana and started running up the steps. When she reached the top she executed a jump that put her level with the roof of Hinata Su.
"Evil Splitting Blade, Ni-no-tachi" The wave of ki exploded across the roof. The demon turned and saw it coming. It tried to dodge but was too slow as it disintegrated in the blast. The red sphere dissipated and Shinobu fell to ground only to be caught by Naru.
"Hey, Shinobu. It's ok. I have you. You're going to be fine." Naru smoothed the teens hair.
"Is" Shinobu paused then started again. "Is Keitaro ok?" Her voice was full of concern. Naru only rolled her eyes.
"Yes he is. Don't worry. Come on let's get you into bed. You don't seem to be hurt." Naru held the girl in her arms as she went inside.
"Tell him… Tell him thank you for trying to save me."
"I will."
Outside Keitaro was being held up by Motoko. She was telling him that Shinobu was going to be fine as long as a certain pervert didn't bother her.
"Please?" Keitaro looked pleadingly at Motoko. "I have to apologize for letting her get hurt like this."
"No! she needs rest. So do the rest of us. We can't be watching you to make sure that you don't take advantage of her in her weaken state." Motoko was looking down at Keitaro impassively. "Now go to bed."
"Fine. Can I see her in the morning?"
"Go ahead. Just make sure that you aren't alone when you go"
xXx
Keitaro couldn't sleep. In his mind all that he could see was Shinobu being kidnapped in front of his very eyes as he stood by and did nothing. I'm so sorry. I've let everyone down haven't I. Especially you Shinobu. Shinobu's body was slowly being eaten by a demon as he stood by and watched. Unable to move. Unable to do anything. Shinobu… Please stop. Don't hurt Shinobu. Take me. Eat me. Leave her along you monster. The demon turned from his meal to look at him. And won't it hurt more when I don't. The demon continued eating until Shinobu was gone. Her screams extinguished by the demons slow and methodical ripping of her throat. It stood up and changed into Motoko. You can't even protect those that you care for. Your no better than a demon yourself. No you don't understand. I… I tried. Trying isn't good enough. Let's see if you really are innocent. As you know Evil Splitting Blade only cuts those that are evil. No! Please wait, I'm not evil. Then why didn't you protect Shinobu? Motoko drew her sword. Evil Splitting Blade , Ni-no-tachi. the sword came down and Keitaro felt pain rip through his body.
xXx
Ummm….
This chapter wasn't originally going to be this dark. It just… happened
Thank you to all who read the first chapter I hope that you will continue to read.
Special thanks to the reviews
avis de rapina: for his/her support
Iesu Furi-ku: for some help with spelling that I will have to try to fix (Man, this thing is hard to figure out. At least I have the summery fixed)
Pleas R&R. Flames wanted!