Sister Princess Chp2: Loving is Caring
By Zenithos
Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. I don't own Sister Princess either. I completely respect their creators and in no way seek to discredit them for their work. A number of Sister Princess characters are featured in this story, but they are completely OCs. This fan fiction was written completely for personal enjoyment, not for profit.
This story is completely spoiler-free.
I must first of all thank everyone for their supportive reviews. They've helped motivate me to complete this second chapter way ahead of schedule. I'm still an inexperienced writer, so every bit of feedback and support, even flames, is extremely helpful. Thanks everyone!
Proof-read by Beyond the Bounds
Notes: There've been quite a few questions regarding the characters in the story, particularly Hinata-chan. Most of the characters featured here are somewhat loosely based on the Sister Princess characters, but they are almost entirely OCs. Hinata-chan doesn't exist in the Sister Princess Kanon but I added her in place of Minakami Mamoru (if you've read Beyond The Bound's other stories, you'd notice that the character Hinata shows up quite frequently). And yes, Kaho-chan wasn't mute in the original Sister Princess, but I decided to make her so in this story. Explanations will come, surely. Further explanations about the OCs showing up in this chapter will be available at the end of the chapter.
"Mitsune, have you checked the gas?" Naru shouted as she came down the stairs, a duffel bag in one hand. She had taken care to choose the most formal of her black skirts and coats.
"Yeah! We're all set! Let's get going!" Mitsune shouted back from the direction of the front door. She too was dressed in black, though, as Naru pointed out, perhaps a tad bit too casual.
"Motoko! Please check the gas again!" Naru shouted as she ran to check all the doors and windows.
"HEY! Is it just me or do I sense a complete lack of confidence in me?" Mitsune shouted.
"The gas seems to have been turned off. But someone had left the refrigerator door open…and all the beer has vanished…" Motoko said, appearing from the direction of the kitchen, stopping just a moment to raise an eyebrow at Mitsune and her bulging traveling bag. She hadn't dressed up for the occasion, arguing that a hakama and gi was as formal as anything could get.
"Doesn't hurt to be prepared!" Mitsune laughed.
"We're going to a funeral…where does beer fit into that?" Motoko asked with a reproachful frown.
"Anou…The boiler's turned off. Everything else is set." Shinobu reported.
"All right. Everything seems to be in order. Let's go." Naru said, locking the front door.
"Wait…I think we forgot something…but what exactly?" Mitsune asked.
"Nothing really comes to mind…but now that you mention it…it does feel like we've forgotten something…" Naru said.
"I can't place it either…" Motoko said, frowning.
"Anou…was it the television?" Shinobu asked.
"No…we checked that….oh well, I'm sure it'll be fine. We'll only be gone for a few days anyway." Mitsune said, shrugging. Everyone else nodded in agreement before descending the stairs.
Meanwhile, upstairs, in a room marked 301, a certain sleepy someone rolled off a particularly high bough of a tree and into a radioactive waste basket. A half packed bag full of assorted mad-scientist gear (things ranging from floss to photon beams) dangled freely from the bough for a moment before joining its owner in the waste basket.
"So…how are you doing, Kaho-chan?" Keitaro asked as he heaved himself up onto the bough of the tree beside Kaho.
Kaho smiled serenely for a brief moment. Tears suddenly started to flow out of her eyes and she couldn't help but give a quiet little sob before finally giving into her emotions. She held onto her brother for support as surges of tears poured out.
Keitaro, at a loss for words to say, pulled Kaho into a tight embrace. He knew Kaho was the type to try and ease everyone's burden by keeping her troubles to herself. She had probably kept the pain of losing her parents all to herself all this time.
"I'm sorry Kaho-chan…I once promised I'd be there for you whenever you needed me…I realize that I may have failed you…but I will promise again now that I will never let you cry alone again." Keitaro said, suddenly regretting having ever left home. If only he hadn't left.
Kaho peeked up at her big brother and smiled through her tears, shaking her head to tell him not to worry. She tightened her hold around him and pressed her head against his chest.
After a few moments she sat up straight and smiled up at him again, wiping away her tears. She leaped down from the bough, landed softly in the snow, and gestured for him to follow. The birds flapped down to her and gently alighted on her head.
As soon as he leapt down, Kaho hooked her arm through his and pulled him towards the back of one of the side pavilions. There was a small greenhouse there. Frost hung on the outside and bright, clear dew hung on the inside. Kaho led him in and gestured all around the greenhouse.
"Wow…you took care of all the flowers we grew together…that's amazing" Keitaro beamed down at his younger sister. Kaho blushed slightly as she smiled back, overjoyed by Keitaro's simple praise. Each and every one of the flowers had been moved from their original flower beds in the courtyard into neat little pots in the greenhouse. He could see that they've been cared for greatly.
She took his hand again and led him towards the back of the greenhouse where one pot stood on its own. It was full of soil. But apparently nothing had been planted. Kaho rummaged through a small gardening box on one side and returned with a packet of morning glory seeds.
"Oh…aren't these the…" Keitaro suddenly remembered the day he left home. Kaho had been trying to grow morning glories for quite a while, but each attempt ended with failure. That day, just as he was about to leave, Keitaro found her standing by one of her most recent failures. He had promised her that he'd help her grow them when he came back.
"Oh…right…the promise…" Keitaro took hold of the packet of seeds. "Well, from now on, we'll grow everything together, all right?" together they shook a few seeds out of the packet and into the waiting pot of soil. Kaho beamed up at his brother as she watered the seeds.
"What happened to this one?" Keitaro asked, noticing a pot on one side of the greenhouse. The flowers in it were wilting and dying. Kaho sadly shook her head as tears once again brimmed in her eyes.
"Is that…Oka-sama's?" Keitaro asked. Kaho nodded slightly. She gestured all around the greenhouse before shaking her head at the forlorn plant.
"The last one, huh?" Keitaro asked. Kaho nodded again. He gave the plant a quick inspection before giving a determined nod. "Well then, we've got to do our best to save it. Kaho! Watering can!" He gave a cheerful order as he held out his hand.
Kaho looked up at him in surprise, wiped off her tears, and nodded with newfound determination and hope. She quickly picked up her prized watering can and handed it to him.
"Ok, sheers!" Keitaro said, holding his hand out again. "And fertilizer!"
The greenhouse was suddenly buzzing with activity again.
"Ok…we have about 10 minutes until the train leaves. Let's hurry." Naru said as the group ran down Tokyo central station.
"Hey…that kid looks lost…" Mitsune said, gesturing over at a young brunette wearing a traveling cape, a red vest, a black button shirt, and a long red skirt. She was going from person to person, holding out a piece of paper and a map. A toucan that was perching on her shoulder was looking around, seemingly mildly interested with everything it's seeing.
"Anou…maybe we should help?" Shinobu suggested.
"Perhaps. I'll go." Motoko offered and approached the girl. The others watched as a baffled expression dawned on her face before she started mumbling and stammering incoherent babble. She then resorted to sign language before leading the child over to the rest of the group.
"I can't speak English…" She admitted, blushing red from embarrassment. "You speak to her, Naru-sempai."
"Err…how…can…I…help…you?" Naru gurgled in classroom English, putting on her best smile. Just pronouncing the 'L' in 'help' drained quite a lot of her stamina. The child's large, cute eyes and helpless and forlorn expression were testing her kawai-meter to the limit. She found herself barely able to restrain herself from hugging the girl.
"Um…I'm not very familiar with Japan. I'm on my way to Ike, but I'm not sure which train I should take." The girl explained in a rich London accent
"Err…" Naru's mind automatically analyzed and broke down the girl's sentence into shorter, more manageable fragments. "Ah…Ike…" She nodded with comprehension to buy some time to arrange her next sentence in her mind. The toucan was staring at her, however politely.
"Anou…if she's going to Ike, we could take her with us." Shinobu suggested. "It's exactly where Keitaro-sempai's home is."
"We…are…going to Ike. You can…come with us…" Naru managed. She found the toucan's stare rather unsettling.
"Oh, really?" The girl brightened up considerably. "Thanks. I thought I would miss the train for sure."
"What did she say?" Motoko asked.
"She said…umm…yes, she'll come." Shinobu tried her best to translate.
"Squawk…Checky…checky…squawk" The toucan squawked.
"That bird…talks…" Mitsune whispered.
"It's a toucan…it's not supposed to be able to talk…" Shinobu whispered back.
"Ok. Follow us." Naru said in a slightly more relaxed tone, though it still took a lot of effort to pronounce the 'L's.
"How trusting…" Motoko commented.
"Well, she does seem young. Probably only 7 or 8." Mitsune said.
"I'm 10 years old." The girl spoke up again.
"Huh…what? Did she just say she's 10? She understands what I'm saying?" Mitsune looked at her in surprise.
"I understand a bit of Japanese. Unfortunately, I'm unable to speak it…yet." She explained.
"What is your name?" Naru asked. This was one phrase she knew by heart.
"My name's Urashima Mizuki." The girl answered. Everyone went silent.
"D…did she just say…Urashima?" Motoko asked in disbelief.
"Yes…my name's Urashima Mizuki. Is something amiss?" Mizuki asked. She apparently understood what Motoko just said as well.
"Ah…err…your brother…Urashima Keitaro?" Shinobu stammered in English, taking the initiative.
"Why…yes. You know my brother?" Mizuki asked, a look of surprise on her face.
"Squawk…Ani-chama…squawk…"
"The world works in such wondrous ways…" Motoko sighed. Everyone nodded in agreement. Mizuki looked around in confusion. The toucan turned its head 180 degrees to the right before doing the same to the left. In its little brain it was quite amazed at how the view was exactly the same either way it looked.
The kitchen was buzzing quietly with activity when Keitaro and Kaho entered. Even though it was a funeral reception, people still needed food. The Urashima family's army of maids were efficiently seeing to it that there was no shortage to it.
At one of the kitchen tables sat Hinako and Hinata, seemingly stuffed to the brim. Hinako gave a cute little burp before calling her brother over. "Onii-chama!" She called out as she got down from the chair and ran to her brother. Hinata trailed close behind.
"Kaho-chan!" Shirayuki cried out as she ran to greet Kaho. A quick exchange of sibling hugs later Shirayuki was relating to Kaho how Keitaro had saved her the day before. Hinako and Hinata too joined to listen, though from the looks of it they had heard the story already.
"So…" Keitaro wandered over to where Sasaki-san and Haruka stood, watching the cute little scene.
"Grandma Hina and Kanako wandered in a few moments ago. They, Kanako in particular, were looking for you." Haruka said. "It would be wise not to keep them waiting."
"The guests are still arriving, one after another. We should be hearing from Aria-chan and Chiikage-chan soon. Rinrin-chan also called a few moments ago and said she's on the way…I couldn't make out much from her call though because it was so noisy on her end." Sasaki-san reported. "As for Sakuya-chan, Mizuki-chan and Keiko-chan, we have yet to receive news today. Mizuki-chan has quite a long way to go from London…and Keiko-chan was still in Stuttgart last I heard from her. Sakuya-chan was still waiting in the airport in Quebec for a seat when she phoned last night."
"Well…it's good to hear that most of them are en route…" Keitaro said. He couldn't help but feel worried about the others. "Say…Sasaki-san…would you mind helping the girls settle down in Hinata Sou? It would mean a lot to me."
"Me? Oh, no, no…" Sasaki-san chuckled. "Oh, but don't look crestfallen like that." She laughed, noticing Keitaro's disappointed look. "It's not that I don't want to. I love these children dearly. Only, these old bones aren't any good for traveling any more, you see. Not to mention that old flight of stairs up the hill…ah…I'd give anything for the strength to climb them again just to see the view. But not in what's left of this lifetime." She chuckled good-naturedly.
"I could, however, recommend someone else. She's still young, but she can get the job done." Sasaki-san added.
"Who exactly, Sasaki-san?" Keitaro asked.
"Why, my granddaughter, off course." Sasaki-san said. "Makie-chan!"
"Ah…yes, grandma?" Makie replied, blushing slightly as her eyes made contact with Keitaro's. She quickly looked away towards her grandma.
"Urashima-sama needs someone to help him get the girls settled into their new home. I recommended you, and since it's the girls we're talking about, I wouldn't recommend just anyone. Do you think you're up to it?" Sasaki-san asked her with a standard grandma-inquisitorial stare.
"Yes, ma'am!" Makie stood to attention, withering under the stare.
"Thanks a lot, Sasaki-san." Keitaro said, addressing Makie. "You don't know how much this means to me."
"Err…it's my pleasure, Urashima-sama." Makie bowed clumsily. "And please call me Makie."
"Likewise. Please call me Keitaro." Keitaro bowed in a similarly clumsy way.
"Yes, Keitaro-sama." Makie bowed again, just as clumsily as before.
"Ok…when you kids are done goofing around, we could turn our attention to more pressing matters." Sasaki-san chuckled. "Makie, go and make sure the guests staying overnight have everything they need. Keitaro, your grandma was looking for you. If I were you, I'd make all due haste."
"Hai, wakarimashita!" Both Keitaro and Makie said, before running into one another, apologizing quickly and bumping their heads on one another as they bowed, and running in opposite directions out of the room. They returned a few seconds later, realizing they had gone the wrong way, and ran off again in opposite directions.
"Young people…" Sasaki-san sighed, smiling. "You've just got to love them…"
"Agreed." Haruka nodded.
"You're not that old yet. Quit acting that way. And stop smoking that rancid thing." Sasaki-san pulled an unlit cigarette from Haruka's mouth and chucked it in the bin.
"Sasaki-san…" Haruka moaned.
Keitaro skirted the outer walls of the residence as he made his way towards the main pavilion where he thought Grandma Hina would be. On his way he came past a neat building set in the wall. "The sweetshop…I guess it's closed now…" He sighed as he stopped for a moment to regard it. The front of the store opened up towards the street on the other side of the wall. This was what the Urashima family was best known for…at least locally.
He decided to take a quick peek inside. It was, after all, a storehouse of memories. As he slid the door open the faint aroma of cooked bread wafted out. "That's…odd…" He wondered out loud as he walked in. It was not as cold as it was outside but it wasn't very warm either.
As he walked through the rear kitchen memories started to flood back into his mind. He remembered the way he and his sisters used to come in and nick bread and sweets whenever they had the chance and how their father used to playfully scold them for it afterwards. He remembered how his mother used to let him have the first bread out of the oven. He even remembered the taste of every single bread topping available in the store, and it was quite a variety.
He heard a faint scuffle of activity just around the corner. The warmth seemed to radiate from the same direction, from the main oven. He peeked around the corner and found, to his surprise, a small soot covered apron-clad figure pulling out a batch of freshly baked bread from the store's large brick oven. Her long brown hair was tucked under a cute little traditional Japanese baker's hat. A small cat was hanging onto her shoulder. It mewed as soon as it noticed Keitaro and leapt off the girl's shoulder and onto Keitaro's head.
The girl looked up in surprise. Her face suddenly lit up with a bright smile. The cat mewed a greeting as it curled up on Keitaro's head.
"Onii-chan!" She cried happily as she put down the batch of bread on a counter and ran to give him a tight hug. "Karen-chan missed you, Onii-chan!" She cried as she snuggled into his chest.
"Karen-chan…I missed you too." Keitaro said, returning the hug. "but…what have you been doing here, all by yourself?"
"Karen-chan's baking bread." Karen answered, as a matter-of-factly.
"Yes…but why? Shouldn't you be inside with the others?" Keitaro asked. Then he suddenly realized that Karen wasn't wearing a coat. "You should've at least turned on the heaters. You'll catch a cold like that." He took off his coat and wrapped it around Karen.
"Thanks, Onii-chan. But the fire here's warm enough." She said. She still pulled Keitaro's coat tightly around herself though, mostly for the comfort it gave her. Keitaro picked up the kitten from his head and stroked it gently, eliciting a purr or two of appreciation from it. "Vanilla still likes onii-chan." Karen smiled, referring to the kitten.
"The sweetshop's supposed to be closed, isn't it?" Keitaro asked. "There's really no need for you to be out here baking."
"Karen-chan knows…it's just that…" Karen said. "Karen-chan…Karen-chan doesn't know what else to do…" She looked around the old kitchen sadly. "It used to be so busy in here…but now…" Her voice trembled. "If Karen-chan doesn't keep busy then…Karen-chan starts remembering…Karen-chan doesn't want to remember." Noticing that its mistress was in distress, the small kitten leapt out of Keitaro's hand and onto Karen's shoulder and proceeded to snuggle against her.
"Karen-chan…" Keitaro said. "There is nothing wrong with remembering. Yes…we might cry when we realize that all that is left are these memories…but that's why we mustn't try to forget them. Because they are all we have left of our parents…that's why we must never forget. Our parents will always live on in our memories." Keitaro said.
"O…Onii-chan…." Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Karen-chan…doesn't want to forget Oka-sama and Oto-sama…but…remembering them hurts so much…I love Oka-sama and Oto-sama…but…but…"
"There's no need to keep all the pain to yourself…I'm here. Your sisters are here. And we'll always be together from this day on. So whenever you feel it's too painful to remember them, keep on remembering them, and share the pain with us. We'll always be there for you." Keitaro said, pulling Karen into a tight hug. Vanilla leapt out of the way onto a nearby counter.
"O…Onii-chan…" Karen-chan sobbed. "Karen-chan promises….Karen-chan won't…won't forget…but….O…Onii-chan…please…please stay with me…" She hiccupped. "Please…please…"
"I promise you, Karen-chan…I'll never leave you ever again…" Keitaro said, gently caressing her head. "I promise."
"Hahahahahaha! So you thought you could leave Suu-chan behind! Well! I'll show them!" A maniacal figure laughed a maniacal laugh as she steered a large metal turtle-like contraption across the skies of Tokyo.
"Well…altitude's ok. Wind speed's ok. Fuel's ok…looks like it's going to a smooth maiden flight for my Mecha Tama Mk-IV prototype!" Suu laughed happily as she kicked back.
"Myuuu?" A muffled sound came from inside Suu's traveling bag.
"Myuuu?" Suu asked herself, before opening the bag. A big, evil grin spread across her face, shedding drool into the wind. "Aha….an inflight meal…"
"Myuu…" The small turtle sweat-dropped big time as it did it's best to look inconspicuous amongst the grenades and nukes.
"ITADAKIMASU!" Suu shouted. What ensued was a game of cat and mouse…or rather, hungry Mol-Molian and turtle. A sudden unexpected coup de grace from Tama somehow knocked Suu across the Mecha Tama Mk-IV and into the main controls, sending the less than air-worthy craft into a series of loops and pitches.
"I'll get you for that!" Suu shouted, taking out a positron cannon with a huge nuclear hazard sign printed on one side alongside a huge heart symbol (note: this is the internationally agreed symbol for insanity).
She was completely oblivious to the fact that the computer had started issuing proximity warning signals. A large yellow blip had shown up on the computer's radar and was on a collision course with the huge amphibian monstrosity.
The large unidentified flying object (otherwise known as a UFO, but if one should label it as such, the image of saucers and other eating utensils come to mind, which is why the author decided to just use the unabbreviated name) suddenly loomed up, and sure enough, it crashed into the Mecha-Tama Mk-IV.
"Nyaaaaaaaaaaa! ANIKIIIIIIIIII!" A cute little voice cried out from the direction of the other flying object which spiraled off into the air.
"EAT THIS!" Suu shouted, aiming the positron cannon at Tama. Tama immediately retracted into his shell just as the positron beam lanced out at him. The shell completely reflected the beam shot efficiently, with no energy loss, straight off into the sky.
"Wow…" Suu cooed as she watched the beam arc into the sky before meeting with the unfortunate flying object. It would be nice to mention at this point that the flying object had the shape of a giant dragon-fly. But that was history now and it was just said to illustrate how equally 'creative' the creator of the late dragonfly was to the person who just shot it down.
It might also be worth mentioning that the one that was piloting the dragonfly was also its creator. She…indeed she was a she, though a very small she…was now in freefall amongst the flaming debris of her late creation. Also, she had fainted. And it would be supremely nice to mention that she was a short-haired brunette who had a pair of goggles strapped as a head accessory, along with what could pass as a brown dress and a matching brown coat or otherwise as pilot gear. But these details would soon prove superfluous once she made contact with the ground.
"Oooo…nice fireworks…" Suu commented as she shielded her eyes against the glare of the explosion. "Now…where's lunch? Unyu?" She looked around just in time to see a radio tower loom out of nowhere, right in front of her. "Oh…"
"Are you sure you're ok?" Keitaro asked Karen as they walked through the courtyard.
"Yes, Karen-chan's fine." Karen smiled up at her brother. "As long as Onii-chan's with Karen-chan, Karen-chan'll be fine."
The sound of a distant explosion suddenly reached their ears. "what?" Keitaro looked up at the sky. A number of fiery dots were thundering through the sky. "What…is…oh no…" He muttered as a large flaming metal wreckage came flaming down out of the sky straight at them. "WATCH OUT!" He pulled Karen-chan and threw her and himself out of the way, making sure to shield her from harm with his body.
The flaming wreckage slammed and exploded into a fiery fireball behind them. A few debris landed all around them as the commotion subsided.
"What…on…earth?" Keitaro looked around at the flaming wreckage then up at the sky in anticipation of more flaming meteors. Instead his heart skipped a beat as he saw a small figure in free fall above them. "That…can't be…"
He got up and ran as fast as he can towards the falling figure. He exerted every bit of energy he had to pump his legs as fast as he could. 'Was there enough time?', he thought. No, there wasn't. His breathing came in short, painful, strenuous pulls as he tried to double his speed.
He leapt.
He stretched out his hands.
The figure fell…
Straight into his arms…
Keitaro pulled the figure close towards himself and turned his body around to break the fall with his back.
He crashed down into the snow, spraying snow in all directions. "Ooof…that was a close one…" Keitaro let out a breath of relief.
"ONII-CHAN!" A voice shouted out. Keitaro looked up and realized one last bit of flaming wreckage was heading straight at him. "Aghhh…no where left to run…" he thought.
"URASHIMA-RYU! KAZE NO GAN!"
The flaming debris suddenly crumpled as if crashed into by a speeding express train before flinging off into another part of the courtyard. Keitaro, who had half turned his body to shield the figure now under him, looked up.
The snow seemed to have been swept upwards in a wide semi-circle. In the centre of the semi-circle was Karen, slumped on all fours, heaving as if she had just ran a mile.
"K…Karen-chan…" Keitaro gasped. A faint moan reached his ears. He looked down at the girl he had just caught. "…Rinrin-chan!" He was, admittedly, quite surprised to find one of his sisters having fallen out of the sky, but there were more pressing matters at hand. He checked her limbs gently for any injuries before opening an eyelid to check for concussions. "Wait a moment, Karen-chan…I'll be right there."
Satisfied that there were no serious injuries, Keitaro scooped up Rinrin and ran over to Karen. "Karen-chan…what happened? That…that technique...did you just use that technique?"
"…haha…it turned out harder to use without a medium…" Karen chuckled, looking up at her brother while clutching her fist. "Are you all right, Onii-chan?"
"What do you mean, am I all right? That's my question." Keitaro asked in a panic. "Are you all right?"
"Daijoubu-desu…" Karen said, her breathing slowly returning to normal. Everyone in the compound was gathering around the accident site, all murmuring in panic.
"…well, you saved me and Rinrin-chan, Karen-chan…and I must thank you for that…" Keitaro heaved a sigh of relief. "Come on…I'm still going to have you checked for injuries."
"But…Onii-chan…Karen-chan's fine…" She protested, before Keitaro scooped her up into one arm.
"No time to waste…let's get going." Keitaro said.
"Onii-chama!" "Onii-tama!" "Nii-sama!" Three different variations of 'onii-sama' were called out from amongst the crowd.
"Keitaro-kun! What happened!" Sasaki-san asked, hurrying towards them, with Haruka and four of his sisters following close behind.
"Rinrin!" Haruka gasped as she approached.
"Rinrin-neechama/neetama! Karen-neechama/neetama! Onii-chama/tama!" Hinako and Hinata cried, clustering around Keitaro.
"Nii-sama, is Rinrin-neesama and Karen-chan all right? Are you all right?" Shirayuki asked with concern.
"What on earth happened here?" A sharp voice demanded. "Keitaro-kun!"
Keitaro looked around and spotted Grandma Hina approaching them from another direction. Behind her, keeping a steady pace with Grandma Hina, was Kanako, looking worried.
"Keitaro-kun! What happened? Was anyone injured?" Grandma Hina asked with concern. "Rinrin-chan, Karen-chan, what happened to them?"
"It was probably some kind of accident….but knowing Rinrin-chan, it must've been one of her flying machines again." Keitaro said. "I'll explain later. Now I need a doctor and perhaps an ambulance, fast."
"But it's quite a coincidence…that you are all tenants living in Hinata Sou…and that you are all traveling to attend the funeral." Mizuki said.
"Checky! Squawk! Ani-chama! Squawk!" The toucan squawked from its perch on Mizuki's shoulder.
"That's quite a lively toucan…." Shinobu commented in Japanese, keeping her Japanese as simple as possible. Mizuki turned this over in her head a few times, separated out the individual words, before translating it word for word. Mizuki and the others have come to an agreement that the rest of the group could talk to her in plain, simple Japanese, which she would try and understand.
"Ah…forgive my manners. I forgot to introduce him to you. His name's Wataru. Say hello Wataru." Mizuki said.
"Squawk! Checky!" the toucan squawked. It had been doing so all throughout the trip. It was starting to get on Naru's nerves.
"That's all it says though…" Mizuki explained.
"Toucans aren't even supposed to be able to talk…" Motoko thought.
"But that's still quite amazing for a bird. In fact, it's the first time I've ever seen anyone having a toucan as a pet…" Mitsune said.
"He was a gift from Ani-chama. It was to keep me company while I was in Sheffield." Mizuki explained in English, stroking the toucan. "Ani-chama saved Wataru from the local zoo when he was about to die of some kind of bird disease."
"Hmm…so Keitaro has such a side to him…I never would've guessed…" Naru thought.
"Anou…Did something just explode over there?" Shinobu asked, pointing out of the window of the train.
"It seems so…but what exactly could explode in midair above peaceful Tokyo?" Naru asked. Mitsune suddenly gasped.
"Is something the matter, Konno-san?" Mizuki asked in English. The flaming fireball in the sky outside the window spitted out a number of flaming debris. One particular debris seemed to be flailing.
"Checky! Checky! Squawk!" The Toucan squawked.
"Err…I think we left someone at home…" Mitsune answered.
"You left someone at home? Who?" Mizuki asked.
"Someone? Oh…no…" Motoko mumbled.
"That explosion just now…?" Naru asked, half to herself. It was partly rhetoric. Everyone knew the answer.
"It must've been…" Mitsune sighed.
A sharp metallic clunk sounded in the carriage ceiling above them.
A face suddenly rolled down across the window from above.
"There she is…." Mitsune sighed, pointing out of the window at the slightly singed if otherwise unharmed dark skinned figure dangling from the roof of the carriage.
"Oh dear…" Mizuki gasped as Motoko, Mitsune, and Naru did their best to open the carriage window just wide enough to let Suu in.
"Extra passengers, ma'am?" A voice asked.
"Yes…I guess, just one." Naru answered, looking around at the smartly dressed conductor. "Err…do I know you?"
"Akh…am I…that forgettable?" The conductor's jaw dropped in shock.
"He does seem familiar…yes, I'm sure I've seen you before…" Mitsune said.
"Hey, Haitani, what's holding you up?" A shorter, squatter conductor came up and tapped the taller one on the back. "Ah…it's the girls from that place Keitaro lives. What's up?" He asked.
"Oh yeah, the two comic relief side characters…" Mitsune said, punching the palm of her hand.
"IT'S SHIRAI AND HAITANI!" The two conductors shouted.
"Turtle….turtle…" Suu moaned, her eyes spinning.
"Turtle?" Shinobu asked.
"Myuuuu…" Tama popped out of the bag slung around Suu's shoulder.
"TURTLE!" Motoko screamed.
"Excuse me…I think I'm lost…" Mizuki said.
"…is your hand all right, Karen-chan?" Keitaro asked with concern. They had taken Karen and the unconscious Rinrin to a room in one of the side pavilions.
"It's all right, Onii-chan." Karen smiled up at her brother.
"I'm so sorry…it was all due to my carelessness…" Keitaro said apologetically.
"It was the least Karen-chan could do." Karen said cheerfully.
"Next time you should keep your medium with you." Kanako sighed as she bandaged Karen's hand. It was just slightly bruised, but it still caused considerable concern for Keitaro and Kanako. "Your medium isn't as cumbersome as the others'…there's no reason to leave it behind. Not to mention the technique you used was an intermediate technique…you shouldn't even know about it yet."
"Yes…Karen-chan apologizes, onee-chan." Karen said.
"I don't want you to apologize. I only want you to keep your own safety in mind in the future." Kanako said. Keitaro chuckled quietly. No matter how cold the façade Kanako maintained, it always melted whenever she was concerned over someone.
"What about Rinrin?" Keitaro asked.
"The doctor is en-route…but there doesn't seem to be any serious injuries…" Kanako said. At this, five of the sisters in the room breathed a sigh of relief. "Though a concussion may still be a possibility." Kanako added. The 5 suddenly looked apprehensive again. "I wish Marie-chan was around right now…"
"Rinrin and her inventions…they just get wilder the older she gets, doesn't it?" Keitaro sighed.
"…" Kanako remained silent. She suddenly got up and walked to the door. "We will talk again later…I have certain matters to attend to. I'll come back when the doctors arrive." Kanako said. "By the way…Onii-chan?" Kanako looked around at him before leaving.
"Yes?" Keitaro asked.
"…I've really missed you…dearly…" She smiled a small smiled. "It's really good to see you again." She said before sliding the door shut behind her.
"She's always been like that…" Keitaro sighed. As soon as Kanako left, the other 4 sisters clustered around Karen and Keitaro. Not that they were afraid of Kanako. It was just that there was something about Kanako that commanded respect. Something intimidating. Or at least, so it seemed to the younger siblings.
"Wow…Onee-tama really used the Kaze no Gan!" Hinako asked.
"And without a medium!" Hinata added.
"Nii-sama! Tell us how you saved Rinrin-neesama!" Shirayuki asked, hanging onto Keitaro's shoulder. "Please!"
Kaho, meanwhile, watched her big brother with shining eyes, expecting a tale of great heroism. Both Hinako and Hinata also turned their attention to their big brother for yet another heroic triumph from their brother.
"Err…." Keitaro started, scratching his head. "Well…"
"Karen-chan will have to tell you the story, children. Onii-sama is too tired at the moment." Sasaki-san came in carrying a large bowl of water and a towel. This elicited protests from three of the sisters and beseeching looks from all four.
"By the way, I heard Karen-chan made some bread…I left it in the kitchen. It was still warm but if you leave it out for too long…it might lose its sweetness." Sasaki-san said. "Oh dear…who could I get to eat it while it's still warm and sweet…." She wondered out loud to herself.
Hinako and Hinata were first to the door, even before Sasaki finished her last sentence. Kaho let out a small sigh of defeat before giving Keitaro a meaningful look while nodding at Rinrin. With a smile, she too left.
"Please take care of Rinrin-neesama." Shirayuki said, before leaving.
"Yes, please tell us when she wakes up." Karen added, before sliding the door back shut.
"haha…exhausting, isn't it?" Sasaki-san chuckled. "But you are a big brother after all…and you seem to enjoy it."
"haha…these girls are growing up so fast…" Keitaro sighed. "Now I'm starting to be afraid that I might miss even a bit of it…"
"You're starting to sound like a parent already." Sasaki-san grinned. "That's good. Anyway, Marie-chan will be arriving at the station in a few minutes…if you feel you've got the energy, why don't you go pick her up? It would do you good to see the old neighbourhood." Sasaki-san suggested. "I'll take care of Rinrin-chan. Besides, when Marie-chan gets here, it won't matter much would it?" She winked at Keitaro.
"I guess you do have a point." Keitaro smiled at his old, thoughtful nanny, housekeeper, and friend. "What time will her train arrive?"
"About 2…should give you lots of time to look around, wouldn't it? The old church was just renovated too. You should go visit." Sasaki-san said.
"Thanks, Sasaki-san." Keitaro said as he got up. "I'll leave it to you then."
"You can count on old Sasaki." Sasaki-san laughed, patting her chest. "I've helped raise all 14 of you, and if one can manage that, one could do anything."
To be continued… The storyline may seem a little bit linear at the moment, but I assure you things will pick-up pretty quickly after the next chapter, especially once I'm done giving each sister a personal introduction.
Also, I'm sure a lot of you are eager to see what would happen when either Naru or Motoko (or both) try and hit Keitaro again. I myself can't wait to get to that, to be honest. But unfortunately, that'll have to wait until next chapter.
And I'm also pretty sure some of you are dying to see the rest of the cast, especially cute little Aria-chan, adorable Marie-chan, sweet Haruka-chan (renamed Keiko for this story), enigmatic Chiikage-chan, and spunky Sakuya-chan. Don't worry. They'll all finally make an appearance in chapter 3.
So, quite a lot to look forwards to in chapter 3. Your continual support really helps. Thank you!
Please review. Your comments and suggestions are pretty much the driving force behind my writing here. Each and every one of them means a lot to me. Thanks!
For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.