A/N: I know, I know. I've probably taken too long with this update, so i'll post it now. A little info though. I have had trouble contacting my proofreader, so my next few chapters will be unpolished, yet complete. This is until i can contact him again, and then i can repost this chapter (and any other chapter i get around to doing). ON WITH THE STORY!!
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"Free your mind of thoughts, Keitaro-san! You need to be able to harness your chi before next week!"
Meditation, Keitaro quickly learned, was not as easy as people made it seem. To him, you had to place yourself into a very vulnerable spot, open to attack from any angle, and the gates to thoughts open with no passage for thoughts to travel, all the while in a state of relaxation. For someone like Keitaro, it was a near impossible feat. His parents had been hard on him, he had to find peace with a sister that loved him like one in a romance novel, he was constantly picked on during school, and just recently, he was placed in charge of a girls dormitory inn, with the majority of its tenets somehow bringing him pain, both intentionally and vise versa.
Closing his eyes, he once again evened out his breathing to the required limit, and unknowingly sunk to his 'core'. Tsuruko sighed in relief at his final success, delving into her own thoughts on the matter at hand. Sure, he had suffered a lot at the hands of her sister, but was it all necessary to have stolen him away the way she did? The possible consequences of her actions started to run rampant in her mind, throwing her further into her fear.
'Did I just condemn our school, bringing their kanrinrin here to be trained…Motoko could…No, she'd surely loose her place then…she's grown more powerful though…did I make the right decision then…will this all be for naught?'
Tsuruko subconsciously drew her feet in, bringing her frame to be huddled over, her arms around her legs. Her head down, she looked vulnerable, not the tamed powerful person she was. It was that posture that had Keitaro entranced, never having seen a woman, or man for that matter, so powerful yet so vulnerable.
A small shake on her shoulder, along with a muttering of her name, brought her to, her thoughts quickly sinking to a pit of incineration. Looking up slowly, she came face to face with her pupil.
"Tsuruko, are you okay? You were rocking backwards and forwards, muttering under your breath."
She didn't really hear him, instead looking at his features, the look of concern crafted onto his face, looking intently at her. His eyes boring into hers. Their breath unknowingly starting to sync with each others. Her face, ever so slowly closing a great distance. Thoughts started to creep forward, both explicit and inexplicit.
It was too much and she quickly stood up, leaving the room in a rush, breaking the connection. Keitaro remained in the room, confusion quickly rising within his mind, mulling over what had happened. All he did was sense an emotion in the room, and when he saw who it belonged to, he tried to understand. He wanted to know what her problem, her inner fight was about.
Standing up, he turned to see Mrs. Aoyama closing the shoji door, turning her attention to the only other occupant, him. "Tsuruko was worried. You needn't concern yourself. It is something that we all go through during these times."
Nodding, he started to understand her dilemma. She was worried she made the wrong choice. Knowing this answered his new question. Yet one remained. "Mrs. Aoyama, I…"
"Mitsuka. Please, you'll be here for a while."
"Mitsuka-san, I was wondering…why me?"
Mitsuka sighed. "When Tsuruko came back and wanted to reinstate herself as the heir to our school, she also came back with a report. What it contained was the actions and the inexcusable ways that Motoko was committing that were at conflict of our code."
Pausing for a moment, she continued. "One of our rules declaire that if an heir is abusing our code, one skilled enough of our school may train a person our way and code. When the initiation ceremony begins, that person puts forward their pupil, and they present what they have learned in battle against the selected heir. The pupil doesn't need to win; instead, they need to show that what they have learned is better than what they would have under the heir's."
Keitaro looked down, despair filling his head. He knew Motoko, her skill, her agenda against males. She was a friend, albeit a hostile one. To fight her, he knew would be…
"That's suicide! She…"
"That's enough Keitaro! Remember, you have three years before the date." Motioning for Keitaro to sit down, she herself sat. "Now let's get back to meditation."
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A New Hope
Chapter 2
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Hinata house
Things were normal, well nearly normal. Motoko was nearly always away in the wild, her training taking top priority to her, Naru was going back to studying, Su was her energetic self, Kitsune was trying to beat the record for most hangovers in a month, and Shinobu was doing her usual chores. However, the silence was slowly getting to the nerves, and most of the residence were getting restless.
Haruka sighed, and headed down to her café, thinking on the troubles that had occurred recently. Four months earlier, Keitaro and Motoko had their duel over Keitaro's position as manager of the dorm, and now this. 'Has this Tsuruko finally snapped?' she mused. 'To kidnap Kei-kun is one sure way to rattle the bee's nest. I just hope Kei the best…' Heading to her small office, she noticed a small fax, paper resting in its tray. 'Finally, a reply. Hopefully she can come up with a great plan on getting him back, she always does…Then again, what's the worst that could happen.'
The written reply was the worst that could happen…
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Keitaro was, as usual, backed up against a wall. He couldn't see properly, his vision beginning to blur again. However he could still see Motoko in front of him, and could make out a shrine-like building, cleared to make room for their duel. Yet he didn't care much for the surrounding area, rather he was more focused on her eyes, ablaze with anger that made him feel weak.
She was saying something barely audible, that he could only hear the raging wind around him. Pulling her arm back, she changed her position, and Keitaro knew he didn't have long to live. He would die in this place, alone and unloved.
Her sword made its way to his body, slicing through the empty space between them as a yell made its owner known as the tip pierced his torso…
He woke up harshly, cold sweat coating his body. Panting in the soft moonlight, he searched his body for wounds, feeling relieved after none made their appearance. Sighing, he calmed down, recalling the knowledge of the time he had left. Getting up, he changed into Gi and Hakama, departing slowly to the courtyard below.
'Stupid Kei, I just can't rest peacefully can I. I'm in an Aoyama compound, she can't get me here without ruining her title! I really need to loosen up.' Noticeing a relatively nice spot, Keitaro made his way under the Sakura tree, close to the pond and took advantage of the small area, sitting down. 'She won't think of sending Naru ether. Way too dangerous…I wonder what I am meant to do in this life. I've been in danger all my existence. Kami-sama must really hate me.'
'Why? Why must it be now? And of all people, a pupil! I must really be out of my mind! I need to talk to Mother about…NO! She'd just make the situation worse. But also keeping him here could jeopardize the whole plan! Urashima, why'd this have to start now…' Her thoughts trailed off, spying someone at her favorite spot, seeming to be lost in thought. They were wearing the uniform baring her dojo markings on it, so it was no intruder.
Keitaro turned around, hearing a twig crack softly his eyes coming to rest upon his sensei. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be in the road. If you want, I'll head back to my room."
Tsuruko shook her head. "No, I was just restless. Stay if you want." Nodding Keitaro stayed.
"Look, I'm sorry for storming out like that, it's just, a lot of things have been going on lately." Keitaro mumbled something under his breath. Looking at him she continued, "I'm just unsure if I'm making the right choice. I gave up my position as heir a long time ago, see. To…To me, there is more to life than this. But…"
"But there's responsibility too." Keitaro grinned. Reaching over to her, his eyes bored into her face. "You are doing the right thing. Sure, things need to be sacrificed, but in the end, hopefully it be worth it. Besides, I'm the one who's going to fight her, not you."
Tsuruko grinned. "Well, I better stop while I'm ahead then, shall I?"
He remained silent, a small chuckle ensuing softly from his form.
She moved a bit closer to him, both sharing the small body heat each contained without touching. A face grinned, hidden by shadow, as it turned and left the two.
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Another A/N: Well, what do you think. If your thinking that it's going too fast, tell me. I've got the same pov as you do. hopefully i'll take steps to lengthen it out, so don't worry. I'm signing out, so R&R. Please i need them.