Reforged

by MakKeiUra

A collaboration by Y-PenDraig and MakKeiUra. Happily Ever After was all that Tsuruko ever wanted, but in the battle of good versus evil you do not get what you want unless you grab it. An old and tremendous evil has other ideas; an old artifact may be the key; is Tsuruko capable of balancing the battle and a new love?

4. Chapter 4

"Reforged Chapter 4"

By Y-PenDraig and MakiUra

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does. This is a non-for-profit work of fanfiction with no monies or profit being made from it. No copyright infringement is intended.

AUTHORS' NOTE ON CONTINUITY: This story uses a mixed manga/anime continuity that starts to branch off majorly from the Burning Blades arc/TV series episode 25. Simply stated, Keitaro's initial arrival at the Hinata Inn and the order he meets the girls is the same as it is in the TV series, as well as Granny Hina's departure from the same. The increased presence of Shirai and Haitani as well as Kentaro Sakata is also as it was in the TV series, as well as Mei, and Moe-Chan. Beyond that, events that occur in the manga should be considered completely canon unless otherwise obviously superseded except for ages; we'll keep to the TV series there unless noted.

INTRODUCTION: Y-PenDraig and I welcome you, the reader, to this story. It grew out of discussion between the two of us about Tsuruko Aoyama and a shared desire to tell a good, long story involving her. The regular rating will be T for Teen for the story proper, but owing to the naughty idea that kind of inspired this madness, you will see omake side-stories posted independently that are rated M for Mature.

000

Motoko sat at her classroom desk as the lunch hour ticked down. Having long since finished the excellent lunch Shinobu packed and used the restroom, Motoko decided to kill time. Motoko killed said time by going through the few pieces of mail she found in her classroom "mailbox." Her classmates happily chatted or studied while eyeing the clock on the wall.

Most of the items were general Raika Girls High School business, sent to all students, but one hand written envelope was different. Motoko opened it, noting to herself that it was addressed not to her in specific, but simply to the Captain of the Raika Girls High School kendo team.

Motoko read the letter once quickly, then was almost going to throw it away with the rest of the "junk mail" when she decided to read the letter again more slowly...

"Dear esteemed Captain of the Raika Girls High School Kendo Team,

My name is Hajime Yoshida, my little brother's name is Kazuo. We both attend Eastern HInata Public High School. I humbly beseech whoever is reading this to reply back as soon as possible so I can speak with you. I am interested in setting up a meeting to discuss making arrangements for us to train in kendo. The program at our school is abysmal and my brother and myself need actual warrior training; not sports. Please, I cannot protect my little brother forever.

Sincerely,

Hajime Yoshida,

Year Three Class Five, Eastern Hinata High School"

Motoko groaned quietly as she noted this Hajime Yoshida boy had even put his mobile phone number as a small post-it note next to his classroom information. He was probably just trying to "fish" for a date. Motoko scoffed silently, the pervert probably thought students at her school were so boy crazy that they would fall for anything from a man. Motoko's expert fingers started to make the motions to crumple up the letter… but stopped, she found that the pads of her fingers were touching the ink that referenced this Hajime's little brother and protecting him. There was a "tick" to her ki, there was no other way to describe it, really. There was an honest desperation to what had been written.

'This letter written trying to find a true kendoka; needing help,' Motoko thought. She folded up the letter and carefully made certain to place it in her satchel, making a mental note to meditate on this later after school and when she was not dealing with her sister moving into Hinata House and Keitaro Urashima just needing, *needing* to be brought to understand he must undergo the God's Cry School' "Training From Hell."

Why does Keitaro need this? Motoko's mind could not quite answer, other than it seemed vaguely… exciting and would provide the perfect postscript to their experiences in Kyoto duelling with her sister. Motoko unconsciously wet her lips with her tongue as she contemplated this when she could have sworn she heard the following:

"NOW SMASH THAT BLADE!"

A mental ki blast nearly caused Motoko to fall out of her chair, only her being completely alert allowed her to steady herself or any of her classmates would have noticed her sudden distress.

"What in the world…?" she whispered. Motoko looked around, this way and that way. Something was horribly wrong, something involving the Hina blade.

Motoko was out of her desk and out the door of her classroom before any of her classmates could react.

000

Tsuruko reached Motoko's room on the third floor first. She was barely aware of how fast she had ran up the stone stairs and dashed across the Inn's courtyard, went through the front door and up the two flights of stairs-her ki guided her as she focused on the evil presence and where to find it. All the while she maintained a mental shield to fight off the distracting "haze" of the evil presence. She noted the black fog that hung around her as soon as she opened the Hinata's front door. A compartmentalized part of her awareness noted that the effort was starting to give her a splitting headache but she ignored the feeling; simply noted it for later. Tsuruko knew she would likely only have one shot-and one shot only-at the presence.

Tsuruko's racing feet slowed and became almost silent as she slid effortlessly along the wall as she approached the door to room 302. She crept along as her ki examined the demon's presence in her little sister's room and Kitsune (she noted her unconsciousness, but in a kind of trance/dream state) while also noting a growing nauseous feeling that increased as she focused her ki on the evil presence. How simple it would be to just not think about the presence creating this black fog, to look away and focus on anything else…

'No!' Tsuruko mentally steeled herself, her thoughts racing. 'I will defeat this evil!' With a thumb she soon unsheathed Ikazuchi and held her katana directly away from her, focusing the ki as she tried to conceal her own ki from the demon. She still was not in front of the door's threshold; she waited about one meter shy of it.

She felt Kanako's presence behind her.

Tsuruko turned her head towards Kanako. Her free hand raised and with a flicker of fingers she "spoke" to the dark-haired girl.

-It is the demon that your brother and Konno-san encountered back in Kyoto when the Hina blade was unsheathed. I am certain of it! It has Konno-san in there too.- Tsuruko eyes flashed to add emphasis.

Kanako nodded. Her fingers flickered in front of her in quick motions. -We need a plan, my Lady.-

-I agree,- Tsuruko signaled back. -First thing first is for Keitaro-san to *not* charge in there once he hears that Konno-san is at that creature's mercy.-

-He and Haruka are coming across the courtyard now. I will stop them.- Kanako had finished signalling this when Kuro, Shippu, and Tama flew into the hallway to silently take positions on the floor next to Kanako.

Tsuruko's eyes met Shippu, then she glanced back up to Kanako. -No, Kanako, I need you here.- She ignored Kanako's startled look as she signaled to Shippu. -Shippu, take Kuro and Tama-chan and lead Keitaro-san and Haruka-san around the back and hide in the garden shed. Tell Keitaro-san it is a direct order not to be disobeyed and I trust him to keep Haruka-san safe.-

-Yes, Mistress!- Shippu nodded and flew back down the hallway as Tama-chan (also flying) and Kuro followed.

Kanako felt intense gratitude for Tsuruko giving the order for Keitaro to protect Haruka as she knew that unless Keitaro's protective nature was tapped then he would run head-long to save Kitsune from the creature. -My Lady, I believe I may be able to draw the demon out…-

000

The creature was forming itself now into something less than a dark, smoky fog. Its shape suggested the outline of a man but without arms or hands. The smaller tendrils wrapped around the various items, furniture, and kendo armor in Motoko's room, the larger ones wrapped around Kitsune's prone form.

The presence regarded the woman he had taken control of for a moment, seemingly considering something about the unconscious harlot. She stirred, moaning in her possessed state.

"... Kei baby… sugah… it's your… Kitsune… "

The presence scoffed, amused the woman regarded the pathetic male known in this time as Keitaro so well. Even after in her dream state she caught a subconscious glimpse of who he really was her desires queued up another lurid fantasy to comfort her. That bumbling, pathetic lesser king with that healing ability that enraged him so much on general principle-

"Kei sweetie… all ready for 'ya… forget about Naru..."

It decided what he would do for a small time-pass and recharge event. Her terror at her violation would also add to the energy he could use to reconstitute himself. All he had to do was remove her clothes-

A whistle came from the open doorway. "Hey there sugah!"

The present "looked" up from Kitsune laying on the floor.

To look straight at Kitsune in the doorway. "How about enjoying the walking and talking Kitsune?" This Kitsune blew a kiss and shook her hips invitingly.

The presence was momentarily confused. What was this? No matter. Even if the harlot had a twin or some kind of doppelganger ability; he could enjoy both copies of the same woman and drain them to empty husks.

"VERY WELL, YOU FIRST! HOLD STILL, HARLOT!" Two large, completely black tendrils started to race towards the other Kitsune standing right outside the door.

Kanako's "Kitsune,"-true to what she had signalled to Tsuruko before donning her *mask* of Kitsune-immediately dropped to the floor and rolled into a false panel in the wall and into one of the secret passages. Once she knew the wall was closed Kanako jumped up and bolted along the passageway; she doubted the wall would survive. Kanako knew she only had a limited amount of time to meet Keitaro, Haruka, Kuro and his new animal friends at the garden shed. She was determined to be there; if the demon defeated her mistress only her and Haruka and the familiars stood in its way.

The presence just missed grabbing Kanako's ankle as she disappeared in the wall. Enraged and desperate, the presence recklessly careened into the hallway outside of Motoko's room.

"ANNIHILATION AIR AND EVIL-CUTTING FLASH!"

000

Haruka met Shippu, Kuro, and Tama-chan first as she was several paces ahead of Keitaro who was making a brave show of fast hobbling with his broken leg, but was only succeeding in falling further and further behind ever since they left the tea house. Naturally, Haruka knew she could have easily kept up with at least Kanako but she was not about to leave Keitaro alone with the evil feeling hanging around the Inn and its grounds.

Haruka was about to stride past the assembled animals when the crane flew straight up in the air in front of her, flapping his wings excitedly right in her face.

"QUAW! QUAW! QUAW!"

"Haruka, stop, he's trying to tell us something!" Keitaro shouted from behind her as he started to catch up.

Haruka stopped dead in her tracks as Kuro ran up with his tail standing straight up and Tama-chan started flying around them going "Myuh!" loudly.

"What are they saying, Keitaro?!" Haruka yelled.

Keitaro was now standing right behind her, his breathing labored.

-The mistress has given a direct order, not to be disobeyed, for you and Haruka-san to follow us to safety and for you to protect your cousin.- Shippu eyes held direct contact with Keitaro's.

"Me protect Haruka?! But what about Kana-chan and Kitsune?!" Keitaro yelled back, his eyes darting towards the open door of the Inn. Already Kuro and Tama were trying in their own way to turn Keitaro around.

Shippu got directly in Keitaro's face now. -But who will look after your cousin?!-

Keitaro swallowed, indecision and turmoil plain on his face.

Haruka, seeing this entire display from Shippu as well as Kuro and Tama-chan nodded. 'Tsuruko-san knows what she's doing all right,' she thought. "That's right, Keitaro, you're gonna look after me for Tsuruko-san, right?"

A moment. "Y-yeah, yes I am." Keitaro nodded.

-Follow us!- Shippu flew off towards the back yard.

"Let's get out of here!" Haruka shouted as she wrapped her arm around Keitaro, using all of her strength and leverage as she started running as best as she could while supporting most of his weight.

000

Tsuruko held nothing back in her attack. Her ki almost painful in its sheer power as it coursed through her being and out through Ikazuchi, The demonic presence had been lured into the hallway, intent on attacking Kanako masquerading as Kitsune but as Tsuruko unleashed her attack its back, so to speak, was exposed to the full brunt of the Aoyama swordmistress attack.

The thing screamed, screamed so loud that the window and mirror in Motoko's room and all of the windows in that wing of the third floor of the Inn shattered outward.

Tsuruko smirked in satisfaction. 'First blood today,' she thought as she rallied her ki together for another strike.

The demon reeled back to "face" its attacker, immediately being rewarded with several ki-charged katana strikes from Tsuruko.

Furious, the beast struck back, the black fog almost blinding as it filled the hallway. Tsuruko ignored the visual information feed to her by her eyes and solely relied on her ki as she continually sliced and struck at the creature, her eyes glinting and her lips grinning as she was continually rewarded by cries of agony from the creature.

It screamed, feeling the ki strikes start to take their toll.

Tsuruko again charged Ikazuchi; readying the nodachi katana. The two strikes she had planned were older, simpler, but she had confidence with the amount of ki power she was working with; they would do the trick.

"AIR CUTTING FLASH!"

"AIR CUTTING FLASH, REVISED!"

The ki strikes hit the monster; further weakening it. It began to look for a means of retreat as Tsuruko, while it did not see her as an easy opponent, the creature did not expect her to be this troublesome after their previous encounter in Kyoto.

After all, all the creature had to do then was have his harlot puppet kiss her to knock her out of commission by drawing her life force away. Why was this time so difficult?

Perturbed, the creature decided to make one last attempt to subdue his opponent. He allowed two large black tendrils to become more substantial. The creature started to strike at the swordswoman before her.

Tsuruko sensed the change in tactics before she saw it visually. She felt the physical force of the tendril attempt to knock her in the gut, which she dodged, then another tendril attempt to sneak behind her and punch her in the back. Tsuruko arched straight up into the air into the hallway, looking down as she charged Ikazuchi with more ki.

"STONE CUTTING SWORD!"

Tsuruko's katana slashed down with a flash and sizzle.

The creature bellowed with shame and agony as one of the tendrils was "cut" from the main body. The presence started to thrash and buck around the hallway, knocking through the hall opposite Motoko's doorway, and also the wall of Motoko's room. Wood, dry wall, and other debris added a white grey cloud to the monster's dark fog cloud.

Tsuruko landed on the polished wooden floor with such force that she cracked the floorboards, she immediately rolled through Motoko's open door way and then rose to a ready and protective position in front of Kitsune's form.

"PERISH SHIELDMAIDEN!" the creature's voice blared at her, Tsuruko hearing/feeling the audible 'pop' in her ears at the decibel level and the pressure variations in the monster's close presence.

"Hardly a maiden!" Tsuruko scoffed, smirking as she charged her katana with maximum ki.

Her dismissal of it's threat caused even more rage as one tendril become solidly substantial to replace the one she cut and two more joined it.

"MAXIMUM THUNDERCLAP SWORD!" Tsuruko screamed, taking advantage of the creature's indignation and the expense of energy it had taken to create its appendages. Her ki told her of the energy center where the more substantial black cloud "arms" were growing from; she aimed at the heart of it.

The creature screamed with such force Tsuruko's ears popped again and she made a mental note to check Kitsune's hearing later. The tendrils thrashed, attempting to strike at her and Kitsune but, anticipating this, Tsuruko held up Ikazuchi and put all of her amassed ki into creating a fast strike deflection shield.

The demon's frustration only increased as it realized its fast, frenzied strikes at its opponent and the unconscious woman he was using was only serving to weaken him further. The interior of Motoko's room was not so fortunate, however, Motoko's kendo armor, dresser, folded up futon, closets, kotatsu, the mirror, and almost everything else of value was smashed to bits.

Sensing the center of the creature's energy expenditure again, Tsuruko rallied her ki once more while making arrangements to make ready to protect Kitsune with her own body. She had to be precise.

"MAXIMUM THUNDERCLAP SWORD, SECOND STRIKE!"

Tsuruko arched forward, unleashing her attack from her katana, wounding the creature more, then she immediately leapt back to protect Kitsune.

The creature felt its power and presence shrink, at that moment strategic retreat seemed like a pretty damn good idea to him. Momentarily the presence thought to make a play at taking the woman he possessed with him, but his wiser "head" prevailed as he (correctly) in agony calculated that his opponent would give her life if necessary to save that harlot and the injuries the swordswoman could inflict on him in that fight far outweighed any possible benefit at the present time.

WIth a final, excruciating bellow Tsuruko saw the the dark fog cloud compress in on itself into a less substantial, more transparent cloud and dart past her and Kitsune and punched a compact hole through the wall completely heedless of the broken window next to it.

Tsuruko exhaled sharply, feeling the immediate threat dissipate. She immediately knelt besides Kitsune, checking her heartbeat and pulse.

"... Kei-honey… don't let Motoko or Mutsumi in 'ya pants either…" Kitsune murmured.

Tsuruko snickered.

"Kanako! Shippu! Return!" she called out in voice and ki.

As she waited and breathed, methodically relaxing Tsuruko felt the light breeze and scent of the trees of the Hinata grounds waft pleasantly into the now very open room that her little sister had called home. She glanced around, noting that almost nothing bore even a passing resemblance to what it had been when she first came into the room a scant few minutes before.

A small songbird flitted in through the gaping hole in the wall (not even bothering to use the window) and landed first on the remnants of Motoko's kendo armor, then hopped over to the destroyed hilt of the Hina blade, still smoldering. The songbird took one look at it and then immediately decided better of it and immediately flew off.

Tsuruko felt a brief shudder, she breathed in and out. "And to think, it is hardly even half past noon yet." Tsuruko said to herself and the still unconscious Kitsune.

000

Naru dropped her backpack on the ground, looking over at Seta as her former tutor sat on a rock, looking at a map and at his compass. A dopey smile on his face.

She stretched and smiled. While she was tired the measured pace and exertion of the hike was helping to soothe her troubled mind. The first campsite had not been too uncomfortable and while camping outside in a small one-person tent (Seta, with unusual forethought, brought two tents) was hardly what she would call ideal, in this circumstance Naru found she could not complain. It had been some of the best sleep she had in awhile. She also was surprised to feel that she could deal with the dilemma with Keitaro a bit better. She can now think on it more and how and what she would say when she saw him next.

Granted, when next she would see Keitaro or their friends was somewhat open to debate as even Seta himself was not quite sure just how long this expedition would take.

"Seta-sensei, are we still on the right path?"

Seta looked over to Naru and smiled. "Yeah, in fact we're making great time. We will reach the second campsite in a few hours, then in the morning maybe an hour and a half of hiking then we will be at the shrine!"

"Okay, then that coin, the chess piece, and all the research you have done will show… what exactly?" Naru thought out loud.

"From what the friend of mine who sent it to me said; possibly something very important. Maybe something that could possibly make the Great Turtle Civilization look like old pottery in a garbage pile! But I'm not certain yet." Seta shrugged. "You can't rush good archeology, Naru."

Naru laughed. "Certainly not. I just wonder what the Tokyo U Registrar will think."

"Oh, I'll shut 'em up for you." Seta winked.

Naru smiled. Somehow, she felt Seta would know ways of accomplishing just that between himself and this powerful "old friend" of his.

"So how did you meet this 'old friend'?" Naru asked to pass the time as she took her water bottle out from where it was secured on her backpack.

Seta laughed. "Well, this and that, these and those."

Naru gave him a look after taking a sip. "What does that mean?"

Seta looked up from the map. "That's classified."

"Yeah right," Naru snorted. "Classified, my ass."

"Sorry, Naru, it is." Seta returned to his map.

"All I know is they're a 'lady friend' of yours. You can't even tell me their name?"

Seta looked up, smirked, then his expression went serious. "No. Also, I probably should not have told even *that* much."

"Fine Secret Agent Man," Naru huffed, returning the water bottle to its holder on the backpack.

"I prefer to think of myself as Indiana Jones though," Seta pouted.

"If you be good I'll think about it, okay?" Naru proceeded to bite into a granola bar to replenish her energy.

"'Kay!" Seta immediately began excitedly jotting down notes in a small notebook.

000

Once Keitaro, Haruka, Kanako, and the animals arrived back at what was left of Motoko's room they decided to move Kitsune down to the couch in the common room in case they needed to call an ambulance. Fortunately, once Kitsune was safely on the couch and Haruka had cleaned her face off the debris from the fight with the creature, the Hinata fox began to stir. Tsuruko had asked Shippu, Kuro, and Tama to keep a watch outside.

"Woa-Woah-Ow…" Kitsune's eyes fluttered.

"She's coming around now," Keitaro muttered, mostly to himself.

"Hey Kitsune," Haruka called gently.

The fox stretched, groaning a bit.

Kanako turned to Tsuruko who stood above the couch; watching Kitsune intently. Keitaro looked up at Tsuruko too. Eventually, Tsuruko's intense gaze at the Hinata's resident party girl broke. She looked at everyone in turn with a small smile. "Konno-san will be fine. No presence of evil remains within her, but I will need to work with her in the future to close all the doors into her mind."

"'Doors into her mind?'" Keitaro asked, bewildered.

"Shh, Keitaro-san," Tsuruko raised a finger. "Something for myself and Konno-san to discuss later in private."

"Okay, I understand." Keitaro knew when he had been politely asked to shut up and butt out, he appreciated the directness and kindness Tsuruko just showed him.

Kanako cleared her throat. "She will need rest for a day or two."

"Yeah, I can help her up to her room and I'll let Shinobu know when she comes home Kitsune will need her meals brought up to her," Keitaro nodded.

Haruka threw her nephew a look. "You forget you're injured too, buster," she said a bit tersely; aching for a cigarette.

"Oh yeah," Keitaro chuckled nervously.

"We'll take care of what needs to be done, Big Brother," Kanako replied gently.

Kitsune groaned again, this time her eyes fluttered but stayed open. "... what the hell… why am I getting such god awful hangovers lately?"

Haruka reached down to gently help prop up Kitsune's head on some pillows. She noted she and maybe Kanako would have to help KItsune change into some new pajamas and probably help bath her as most of her was still covered in drywall powder and caked with sweat.

"Here Konno-san," Kanako helped Kitsune take a sip of water.

"Thanks, y'all." Kitsune gave a small smile, then gave a weak glance around. "Why all the sudden attention on little ol' me? Kei baby did I get kicked out of Kubo's Bar again?"

Keitaro shook his head in the negative then looked to Tsuruko for guidance.

"Konno-san," Tsuruko asked gently. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Kitsune's brow furrowed. "I went to bed… yeah, I went to bed and… then I was taking a bath… in a foggy mess… smelled like burnt motor oil… then that cold snake feeling going down my back… Tsuruko-san what the hell is the matter with me?" Kitsune's normal easy-going composure cracking.

Tsuruko placed a gentle hand on Kitsune's shoulder. "Everything is fine, just rest Konno-san. That demon you and Keitaro-san encountered in Kyoto accompanied you all back here in the Hina blade."

"That bastard didn't pay train fare then!" Kitsune winked amid a weak grin.

Tsuruko blinked.

Kanako, Haruka, and Keitaro laughed weakly.

Tsuruko smiled melancholically. "That is the least of the demon's faults, it appears."

Kanako looked at Tsuruko's expression, noticed it change minutely. "My Lady?"

Tsuruko's ki had ticked. "If everyone would excuse me for a moment, I believe Shippu has spotted something. Also, I have a feeling we will be seeing Motoko-han shortly." She bowed and strode out the door.

Keitaro watched her go, somehow the room felt like a light had gone out in it with her absence.

000

Shippu and Tama-chan's report had been brief but disturbing. A dark wisp of cloud seemed to be moving around the area of Hinata City in defiance of prevailing winds. The cloud was not big enough or dark enough to stand out to any weather radar or anyone who was not deliberately searching for it. The cloud seemed to always just be in sight of the Hinata Inn. Also, Shippu confirmed that Motoko was heading towards the Inn now. On a lighter note, Haruka's regular lunch crowd/clientele had refused to go to a competitor and they all (wrongly) assumed Haruka had taken ill since it was Kentaro Sakata's day off. They put a note on the door wishing Haruka speedy recovery. Later, when this was told to Haruka she did not know whether to feel touched or immediately get angry and demand her regular customers show their concern with far more generous orders and tips.

Motoko ran up the stone staircase and arrived at the top with hardly a wasted breath to meet her sister. "Big Sister!"

"Motoko-han," Tsuruko inclined her head ever so. "Should not little girls be in school during this time of the day?"

Motoko stiffened. Sometimes her sister chose the worst times to needle her.

"I heard a voice in my ki," Motoko explained while throwing her sister a quick glare.

"A voice?" Tsuruko arched an eyebrow.

"As clear as myself speaking to you now," Motoko confirmed.

"Very concerning, yes." Tsuruko steadied her thoughts.

"Did you sense anything here, Big Sister?" Motoko's looked around as they spoke. Noting the presence of Shippu, Kuro, and (she shuddered a bit) Tama-chan.

"There have been some complications with the Hina blade and the demon that you had subdued during our duel in Kyoto." Tsuruko stated this to Motoko without preamble and in a tone that could have been used in reciting a shopping list.

Motoko digested this bit of information, then she looked over her sister's shoulder… and noticed a couple of large holes in the side of the Hinata Inn. The holes were on the third floor, and also numerous windows had obviously been shattered. Her eyes confirmed some shards of glass littering the courtyard and glittering in the early afternoon sunlight.

'Wait…' Motoko's eyes returned again to the two large holes and where they were located. She put two and two together with Tsuruko's last statement. "That is my room, is it not?"

"What remains of it, yes. I am sorry, Motoko-han." Tsuruko replied sadly.

Motoko dropped her satchel to the ground. "Big Sister, how is *this* being the new housemother and assistant manager?!" Motoko asked hotly, pointing at the destruction.

"We shall discuss this later; rest assured I will be happy to share my room with you." Tsuruko deadpanned.

'Like hell,' Motoko thought. "Very well; further discussion later. Now, report where the demon has gone."

"I warn you, your tone and words border on disrespect and insubordination, Motoko-han." Tsuruko raised her voice along with her pointed words, her eyes took on a hint of demon glare. "Nevertheless, I will overlook them in light of the present circumstances." Tsuruko pointed skyward.

Motoko followed where her sister pointed. A single dark grey cloud seemed to hang over downtown Hinata City.

"I see," Motoko commented, already feeling her ki react to the sight.

"That demon must not be allowed to simply hang in the skies above Hinata City, regenerating its energy and waiting for its chance to strike." Tsuruko's gaze stayed locked on the cloud.

"I agree, especially since it gathers its energy from possessing humans," Motoko sighed, already trying to think of a plan which could either match or compliment whatever plan her sister was coming up with.

"It is worse than that, Motoko-han," Tsuruko said quietly. "The demon attacked Konno-san today; just as it had before. Once it had possessed her and was freed with the destruction of the Hina blade, it was about to drain Konno-san's body and spirit of everything when I wounded it."

Motoko's eyes widened. "How is Konno-san?!"

"She will be fine," Tsuruko reassured. "She is resting on the couch inside with the others."

"Dear sister," Motoko calmed herself, "when and how will you strike?"

Tsuruko looked up skyward again. "I am still fashioning a strategy."

"I will assist," Motoko lightly touched her shoulder, her dominant sword arm, and bowed curtly. "I will follow orders."

"I expect nothing else, Motoko-han." Tsuruko acknowledged her sister's bow with a curt nod of her head. "Let us go inside and check on Konno-san. Keitaro-san will also need to hear this."

Motoko nodded, retrieving her satchel. Together, they began to stride to the front entrance of the Hinata Inn after the elder Aoyama gave orders to Shippu, Kuro, and Tama-chan to continue monitoring the dark cloud.

000

Once inside, Motoko hurried over to Kitsune and gave her friend a comforting squeeze on her shoulder. "Heya, Motoko, ditched school for me?" The fox laughed.

"You and Urashima-san have a unique talent for attracting trouble," Motoko smiled.

Keitaro reached up to scratch the back of his head with the hand that was not holding his crutch. "Well at least I stand out somehow," he chuckled wanly.

Tsuruko gave a small smile as she motioned for silence and attention from them along with Kanako and Haruka. Tsuruko gave a summary of what she had told Motoko outside the Inn.

"I do however confess that right of this moment," Tsuruko sighed once she had finished, "I am uncertain as to how to proceed."

"We could wait for Suu-chan to get home," Kitsune said, "I'm sure she's got somethin' that could get us up into the wild blue 'yonder. Hell, we could even just get her out of school early."

"We can't involve the children," Keitaro stated flatly.

"We also don't have any time to waste either," Kanako added.

"Right," Kitsune sighed.

Haruka, having since lit a cigarette, took a long drag. "Looks like the choices are wait for the demon to attack here again, or draw it out somehow." The tea house operator looked over to Tsuruko and Motoko. "I don't suppose you two would know how to piss it off from a distance, would you?"

"Well," Motoko thought out loud for a moment. "I suppose if we were within a hundred meters or so an attack like Chaos of a Hundred Flowers might force it to react and come down out of the sky."

Tsuruko nodded. "That would be worth an attempt but I know the demon is tracking our movements. It has been weakened, and its movements in the sky are slow, but it can still flee."

"Even if we lept from roof-top to roof-top," Motoko finished her sister's thought.

"So move faster than it," Haruka puffed out another cloud of smoke. "Stay concealed, get up under it to draw it out."

Kanako smiled, looked to Keitaro. "Is Granny's van still working?"

Keitaro's expression brightened. "Yeah, works great!"

"I can't drive, though," Kanako frowned.

Tsuruko sighed, embarrassed. "I cannot either." Mentally, she berated herself for laughing off her former husband's repeated offers to teach her how to drive. 'You never know when you'll need to get behind the wheel, Tsu-chan,' Tsuruko remembered Ko's voice ruefully.

"Don't look at me," Haruka put up her hands.

"Myself as well," Motoko shook her head.

"I would," Kitsune said, "if the room would stop spinning."

"I can drive," Keitaro said.

"What about your leg? How can you drive with a cast on?" Haruka asked.

Keitaro grinned. "I just put the seat back. I can feel enough through it to know which pedals are which."

Tsuruko matched Keitaro's expression, looked to Motoko who seemed to have a faint blush on her face. "Motoko-han, let us accomplish the task the Kami has appointed for us."

Motoko nodded, steel determination in her eyes.

"Keitaro-san! We leave in five minutes!" Tsuruko ordered.

"Understood!" Keitaro immediately hobbled out of the room towards the staircase to the Inn's boiler room and basement.

Tsuruko looked to Kanako and Haruka. "My servant, Haruka-san, watch over and protect Konno-san. Shippu, Kuro, and Tama-chan will assist."

"It will be done, My Lady," Kanako bowed her head.

Haruka nodded, taking another drag.

Kitsune, still nauseous and disoriented, seemed barely aware of who had left the room. "... what did Tsuruko say to kendo girl?"

"She said, 'let's go do the job.'" Kanako simplified.

"Ah, they went to work. Well that sucks," Kitsune closed her eyes, trying to will her stomach to still its churning. She was asleep almost immediately.

000

Tsuruko and Motoko got into the sliding door on the side of the battered white mini-van without even waiting for Keitaro to bring it to a complete stop. Mentally, Keitaro congratulated himself for remembering to unlock the doors when he pulled it out of the Hinata Inn's garage.

As he began navigating the van down the Hinata's winding descending driveway to bring them out onto the street, Keitaro said over his shoulder: "Fasten seatbelts, please!"

Motoko and Tsuruko had already done that.

"Urashima-san!" Motoko shouted over the din of the van's engine. "You will soon need to accept some unsafe behavior from your passengers!"

"Along with perhaps committing some… I believe they are termed 'traffic offenses,' Keitaro-san?!" Tsuruko asked, loudly.

Keitaro nodded, sparing a look at his passengers up in the rear-view mirror. "I know, it's better than being run over or blown up, but I have to get you two where you're going safely!" Keitaro winced, driving with a cast on was putting his broken leg through more agony than he thought it would.

Tsuruko cocked her head towards Motoko, turning her head towards her little sister: "Is he always this 'safety conscious' when driving?"

"Big sister, he is usually driving the younger girls around town or picking up Konno-san after the bartender cut her off." Motoko sighed.

"I see, just like a father." Tsuruko nodded, understanding.

Motoko thought to comment on this as Keitaro concentrated on driving, but then she thought better.

Tsuruko glanced out the window and noted that they had now turned onto the four-lane, two direction main road that led down to Sagami Bay. It was just past one o' clock, and it was a weekday afternoon. The traffic was fairly moderate with mostly buses, the Hinata street trolley, and trucks. Private traffic mostly consisted of bicyclists and scooter traffic.

Motoko tilted her head and squinted her eyes. "I see it! It is above the train station now!" The cloud itself was increasing in size and density.

"Got it, Motoko-chan!" Keitaro accelerated, then immediately his eyes widened as he slammed on the brakes.

"Wha-?" was all the Aoyama sisters got out before seeing for themselves why Keitaro had suddenly stopped.

"Great," Keitaro cursed through gritted teeth. Ahead of them, the large back end of a furniture delivery truck had just chosen that moment to begin backing out into the street. Keitaro glanced over to his right, but found the accompanying lane was occupied with another truck (incidentally, the same furniture company) and it appeared further up a street light was red.

Keitaro laid on the van's horn, motioning to a workman who was directing the truck that was reversing into the roadway that he needed the right of way. "Come on, man, *look*!"

"We hardly have time for this, Urashima!" Motoko complained.

"Working on it, Motoko-chan," Keitaro rolled down his window. "Hey, man," Keitaro shouted after he leaned his head out of the window. "We're in a hurry, could you please have them move it along?"

"So are we, kid! Get used to it!" The workman shouted back at Keitaro.

Tsuruko unlatched her seatbelt beside Motoko and swung open the van's door. In one motion the elder Aoyama had produced from her gi her small purse and leaned out with Ikazuchi clearly in view.

"Special Deputy!" Tsuruko shouted at the top of her lungs as she flipped out her official identification from the Japanese National Police, she pointed at the truck and continued shouting at the workman. "Whoever is driving that monstrosity tell them they are interfering with law enforcement!"

Keitaro would never for the rest of his life forget the look on the workman's face when he took three strides towards the van, enough to see the ID card Tsuruko was flashing, then visibly paled. He turned back and shouted: "Put it back into forward, Gen! Now, dammit, now!"

Almost immediately, the rear of the truck was out of the roadway and Keitaro floored it, giving a few beeps on the van's horn for emphasis. "Special Deputy, Tsuruko-san?!" he called back to where Tsuruko was again seated, the door closed, but her seatbelt off.

Tsuruko only smirked.

"That is correct, Urashima-san." Motoko explained matter-of-factly.

"Oh!" Keitaro gritted his teeth, ignoring the dull pain in his leg as he signalled, checked mirrors, then merged into another lane.

Tsuruko's eyes widened. A ki reaction. "Keitaro-san!"

Keitaro's eyes saw it before Tsuruko finished her exclamation. A small compact blue sports car was travelling in the adjoining lane, keeping pace with the van, and had just attempted to swerve into the van's front. He corrected before the two vehicles could collide. "What the hell?!"

Motoko looked outside her window, seeing with her ki. "What in blazes… that driver is being controlled by something evil!"

Keitaro, swerved again to avoid the sports car as it tried to get ahead of the van and cause him to crash into its rear. They were not far from the train station, if only he could find a way to turn into an alley and cut behind some of the businesses, warehouses, and small parking lots.

He saw it first out of the corner of his eye, a police vehicle was heading in the opposite direction across the concrete median of the road when it suddenly veered across the raised curb and aimed right at the van's sliding door. Keitaro slammed on the breaks, causing him to go back several spaces in traffic and almost causing another vehicle to crash into the van's rear. His instinct paid off, however, as the sports car and the police vehicle ended up diagonally blocking all traffic ahead of them with no easy way to turn around. The whole of main street suddenly erupted in angry horn blowing and cursing.

Keitaro smiled, he glanced to his right, saw an open space and an alley he knew led to a sideroad which would lead to the train station's small parking lot. Within two seconds the van was travelling down the alleyway.

"Everyone okay?" Keitaro called out.

Both Tsuruko and Motoko called out in the affirmative.

"Motoko-han," Tsuruko looked to her sister, "Evil Cutting Sword, Second Strike will be our weapon against the drivers' possession, followed by a gale to stop the vehicles and transport the innocent to safety."

Motoko nodded, "yes, we must protect the innocent." She clutched her favorite bokken; the only weapon she had left for a Secret Technique of that level of complexity.

"Be ready, then." Tsuruko felt her ki react again, she reached over and hefted open the van's door, feeling the smooth woosh of air as Keitaro turned from the alley onto a small, cramped side-street.

Motoko looked over, realizing again the van did not have a door on that side. She sighed, "I apologize, Urashima-san."

Keitaro either did not hear her or care much as Motoko broke out the window beside her with the bokken.

Keitaro heard it and felt it before he saw it. A garbage truck, seemingly without garbagemen, now filled his rear view mirror. "Get him off me!" Keitaro called out, knowing that the truck was intent on ramming them.

Motoko attacked first, issuing the ki blast with her bokken back towards the garbage truck, then the accompanying gale blast.

Tsuruko leaned out the door, looking back, and saw with satisfaction that Motoko's attack fulfilled its intended purpose of ridding the garbage truck of demonic possession and transporting the dazed and unsuspecting driver to safety in a ditch next to the road. The garbage truck simply lost power and slowed to a halt in the road.

Keitaro smiled, continuing to speed up as he eyed the dark, now swirling cloud mass sitting above the train station. He mentally hoped and prayed the creature, now taking control of cars and drivers, would not decide a train would be a superior weapon. They were getting closer…

"KEITARO!" Tsuruko yelled.

Just ahead of them arching over the two-lane road was a simple, nondescript concrete overpass with exits that fed onto the Sagami Bay Parkway, the only limited access road into or out of Hinata City. The traffic lights at the intersection were green; but it was pointless as a large tractor trailer was angled diagonally underneath said overpass, completely preventing the van from travelling any further.

Keitaro slammed on the breaks. "Great, just great," he shook his head, noting that around them in the early afternoon other vehicles were starting to come up on the road shoulders, intent on completely cutting them off and surrounding them. The nightmare part of Keitaro's mind was busy feeding the rest of his brain scenarios about how the demon would try and attack them once it had the van encircled.

Seeing this, both Motoko and Tsuruko made ready to jump out of the van and face their attackers directly, when they both noted Keitaro suddenly turning his head.

Keitaro noticed that the exit with traffic coming off of the Parkway was not blocked, the existing traffic was just starting to back up due to the tractor trailer now blocking the roadway underneath the overpass. The exit lane also had a wide enough shoulder, just wide enough-

"We're going this way," Keitaro said, sharply turning the wheel and gunning the van's engine. He immediately began violently beeping the horn.

Motoko's eyes widened. "URASHIMA, ARE YOU INSANE?!""

"Silence!" Tsuruko blared at Motoko. 'He is completely in the hands of the Urashima arts now,' Tsuruko thought, observing the way Keitaro's hands operated the vehicle.

Keitaro maneuvered the van up onto the curb, and onto the shoulder to start going up the exit ramp. In an almost perverse sense of irony the van knocked into and destroyed the sign informing them "WRONG WAY" in large red letters in both kanji, English, and internationally recognized symbols. All the while, Keitaro expertly kept the van weaving back and forth as traffic swerved back and forth trying to avoid running head-on into the van. The only noise anyone could hear were screeching tires, horns, vehicles hitting curbs and shoulders as more cursing than either Tsuruko or Motoko had ever heard exclaimed loudly in public before.

Keitaro got the van up the exit ramp and onto the parkway's main travel lane's shoulder then began flooring the gas as he began looking for the dark cloud again.

"There you are, buddy!" Keitaro shouted as he saw the cloud arc across the sky as it seemed intent on getting ahead of them, almost mocking and challenging them to come after it. Almost like the mighty wake of a large vessel at sea the cloud's influence upon the drivers caused the oncoming vehicles to move off of the roadside, opening a clear path for the van.

"That thing is challenging us to attack it directly," Motoko shouted.

"We did not need Chaos of A Hundred Flowers after all," Tsuruko replied. "Obviously we have intimidated it!"

"Big Sister, perhaps we can trick it into making a mistake…?!"

Tsuruko gave a knowing smirk. "I know just the Secret Technique!"

Motoko blinked, then a knowing smile spread across her face. "Urashima! Open your door and disengage your safety belt when Big Sister taps your shoulder!"

"What?!" Keitaro asked, dumbfounded. Between the adrenaline, his Urashima teachings steadying his hands on the wheel, the throbbing pain from his broken leg, and the growing dark cloud looming larger and larger ahead of them on the parkway, Keitaro wondered if was going mad.

"Just obey her!" Motoko turned to Tsuruko to see her elder sister's confirming nod.

Keitaro swung open the door, feeling the wind and the velocity of the van's speed even more now. His mind torn between absolute trust in the women in the van's backseat and whether he was about to meet his ancestors in a truly stupefying way. 'Darwin Awards, anyone?!' he thought, almost deliriously.

Tsuruko closed her eyes, and immediately reached down with her hand to touch the floor of the van. She began focusing her ki, willing it into the mechanical body of the vehicle. Motoko noted the light blue glow that began to spread through Tsuruko's form.

"Urashima! Drive right into the center of that cloud!" Motoko matched her sister's motions, focusing her ki and transferring it into the van.

Keitaro's eyes widened. The dark cloud now covered the entire front of the highway in front of them, looking much like a wall built of the darkest brick. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"Fear not, Keitaro-san," Tsuruko's eyes glinted, not that Keitaro could see them. "Everything will be fine." Tsuruko turned to Motoko. "On three… one…"

"Two…" Motoko said, readying her ki.

"THREE!" Keitaro screamed.

"SECRET TECHNIQUE KI BOMB!" both Aoyama sisters yelled.

Tsuruko shot up and tapped Keitaro's shoulder and obediently he disengaged his seatbelt. The next thing Keitaro felt was the tickle and woosh of a ki gale/blast just like all the times Motoko had sent him flying across the Inn or Hinata City. Only this time, before he lost consciousness, he saw flying end or end through the air Tsuruko and Motoko beside him as if they were swimming in the ocean directing him (and them) to a wooded area next to the parkway down a small hill.

'They look a hell of a lot more graceful flying through the air than I ever do,' he thought before blacking out.

000

TO BE CONTINUED...

AFTERWARD: I humbly apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Brief notes I feel I should place here. First off, I think I got the persistent idea of the Hinata Inn's beater mini-van from IdiAmeanDada's story "Dangerous Liaison." Second, the pursuit of the creature is inspired partly by the car chase in William Friedkin's 1985 film "To Live And Die in LA." Third, Tsuruko having a rank/clearance with the Japanese National Police is probably indirectly inspired from some of the elements of Quis Custodiet's "One Thousand Cranes." Also a bit of "Pulp Fiction," I guess, since it pleases me to imagine when Tsuruko was still full-time demon hunting that all anyone needed to say when the police were dealing with supernatural trouble was that they were sending The Wolf in.

See you all next chapter, and thank you for all of your support!