Sister Princess chp5: A Home
By Zenithos
Yet another round of thanks for the really supportive reviews! Every single one means a lot to me. I'm still an inexperienced writer, so every bit of feedback, comments, and even flames, if need be, are really helpful. Thanks everyone!
Urashima Kaho's diary, 21st of December, 1998
Dear Diary,
A lot of things happened today, but what Kaho-chan remembers most is how Ani-sama saved Kaho-chan. Ani-sama was so heroic. But Kaho-chan hopes Ani-sama's all right.
Today we said our goodbyes to oka-sama and oto-sama. Everyone was crying. Everyone was so sad. We gave oka-sama and oto-sama some flowers as we said goodbye. But a really mean woman came in while we were still saying goodbye. She was really rude. Karen-chan didn't understand what she said, but Kaho-chan thinks she was trying to steal something from Ani-sama. She also tried to take us away from Ani-sama but Ani-sama wouldn't let her. He loves us too much. Kanako-oneechan was really angry with her and I think the adults had a fight.
We went to a really far place where there was a big white building. They brought oka-sama and oto-sama's coffins there too. The coffins were burned. Kaho-chan thinks Ani-sama said they were 'cremated'. Kaho-chan still doesn't know what the word means. Kaho-chan didn't see oka-sama and oto-sama inside. The fire was too big. Ani-sama made a promise to us. He promised that he will take care of us. And that he will never leave us. He likes making that promise. But Kaho-chan likes it. Because Ani-sama never breaks promises with Kaho-chan.
That mean woman took our home. Kaho-chan really likes our home, but Kaho-chan doesn't want to live there if that woman is there too. Kaho-chan wants to live with Ani-sama, because Kaho-chan loves Ani-sama so much. Ani-sama told us to pack our belongings. My bag was really heavy when I finished.
We did a lot of things at our new home. Kaho-chan will tell you about it tomorrow. Kaho-chan is sleepy now. Today was really long. Goodnight.
PS: Oka-sama's flower is doing very well. It won't be long until it blooms.
Love,
Urashima Kaho-chan
The sun was quite high in the sky when they finally returned to the Urashima residence after the long journey from the crematorium. As the siblings walked through the front gates they already felt the feelings of not belonging. It was no longer their home.
It was obvious that there was not going to be a follow-up otsuya, as is traditionally the case. All the funeral guests had gone home, knowing full well this fact.
Keitaro ran his hands along the ancient woodwork of the walls as they walked along one of the large main corridors of the main pavilion. These halls have been the home of the Urashima clan for many generations. Those days were over now. The last of the Urashima clan was finally leaving the house for good.
Keitaro watched as the Urashima family servants slowly removed the Urashima family personal effects and carefully packed them away. It felt as if he was some sort of intruder on a purification rite as all around him the servants continued on working quietly. The Urashima family servants had already packed a lot of their items for them and had placed them in the main pavilion.
"Nii-ya…" Aria pulled on Keitaro's sleeve for attention as they walked on through the corridors. "Are we leaving already?"
"Yes, we are, Aria-chan. We've got a new home now." Keitaro said, patting her gently. "Sasaki-san…about the household staff…" Keitaro asked Sasaki-san.
"Oh, them?" A young, long-blonde-haired woman in a black gothic dress asked as she approached the Urashima siblings. "They're fired."
"F…fired?" Keitaro asked, aghast. Sasaki didn't seem surprised. She did, however, make no effort to conceal her anger. Many of the servants in the area looked up with an expression of utter shock.
"January-neechan…" A bespectacled, orange haired girl in a white gothic dress said to the first one reproachfully. "The term is 'let go', not 'fire'."
"It doesn't matter anyway, February. The fact is, they don't work here anymore." The young woman named January said, smiling a smug smile, not unlike Marciano's.
"You were the girls with Marciano…" Kanako said, her eyes narrowing as she sized up her potential opponents.
"That's Madame Marciano to you, brat!" January snapped. "Mother has been generous enough to give you time until this evening to clear out…if it was me, I'd have thrown you all out along with the rotting remains of your parents this morning."
"What did you say?" Kanako asked quietly. The elder Urashima sisters glared at the girl, the incarnation of pure anger in their eyes.
"Can't hear you, sunshine!" January shouted at Kanako.
"I…asked….you...WHAT DID YOU SAY??!!!" Kanako shouted, advancing. "YOU DARE INSULT MY PARENTS?!" Her eyes flared as her hands closed into fists.
"Kanako-chan!" Keitaro cried, holding onto her shoulder. "No! That's enough…she's provoking you on purpose."
"Yes, Kanako-chan. It's best if you keep a cool head." Sasaki-san said, nodding in agreement.
"Listen to your brother, brat." January chuckled. "So you can grow up into a proper coward like him."
"Nobody insults my brother…" Kanako growled.
"You dare call Onii-sama a coward?!" Sakuya shouted, advancing on January. "Do you even know who you're talking about?!"
"Insulting Anigimi-sama is a sin beyond name…" Keiko said, keeping calm while advancing alongside Sakuya.
"You're really asking for it…" Rinrin cracked her knuckles.
Chiikage remained where she was, at the back. She was holding onto a crucifix around her neck and rapidly murmuring something. Amidst her rapid, incoherent whispers, some words were distinguishable, "Anger begets hatred….hatred leads to death…"
"No! Onee-chan!" Karen shouted, pulling on Keiko and Rinrin. "You musn't!"
"Nii-ya…Aria-chan is scared…" Aria whispered, pulling on Keitaro's sleeves again. "Everyone's so angry…it makes Aria-chan scared…" Keitaro gently pulled her closer to himself, gently caressing her hair to comfort her.
"So…you people really want trouble…" Another girl appeared behind them. She had short, spiky white hair, and was dressed in a slightly revealing black gothic dress. "Sep, March, July…don't hesitate if they try anything funny."
"Yes, May-neechan." Said the one addressed as July, a seemingly pleasant, brown haired pony-tailed girl with a calm smile. She too was dressed in a black gothic dress. Another, young girl with black hair tied into twin tails, nodded when the girl named May called out the name 'March'.
A long-brown-haired girl in a maid's costume, apparently named 'Sep', also advanced and grinned at the Urashima siblings.
The Urashima siblings found themselves surrounded from both sides of the hallway by the Marciano's sisters.
"We don't want any trouble. Seriously." Keitaro said. "We're just here to pick up our stuff, then we're off."
"Ani-chama!" Mizuki cried. "We can't let them get away with insulting our parents and you!"
"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Shirayuki cried at Marciano's sisters.
"Yeah! They can't be mean like that!" Hinata shouted.
"Hinata-tan…" Hinako held onto Hinata's shoulders. "Don't…we're no match…"
"Well…if you know what's good for you, then you'd leave, as soon as possible." January said, crossing her arms. "Go on, we're not stopping you." She stepped aside. "Grab your rubbish and scram."
"Let's go…there's no need for unnecessary violence. Don't give them what they want." Keitaro said, gesturing his sisters along. "Come on."
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the back of the house. Keitaro looked around in a panic and realized Kaho was nowhere to be seen. He instinctively turned and ran towards the back of the house.
"Onii-chan!" Kanako cried after him.
"Look after the others!" Keitaro shouted. "I'll be back!"
As he rounded the back of the main pavilion he was greeted by a most terrible sight.
There, where the greenhouse was supposed to be, was a crumbling frame of twisted metal bedecked with pieces of shattered glass. Beside it were a number of men in black carrying sledgehammers. Standing on the sidelines was a number of girls from Marciano's group.
He barely spied out the shivering form of Kaho inside the greenhouse. He cried out, "STOP!" as he bounded for Kaho.
The men in black once again raised their sledgehammers. Keitaro's pleas fell on deaf ears as they lowered their sledgehammers.
Keitaro leapt forwards through a gap in the tortured metal frame straight towards Kaho.
There was a resounding crash, a creak of tortured metal, and a final tinkling and smashing of glass, a loud crushing sound, followed by a dreadful silence.
Kaho had shut her eyes tight before what remained of the frame crashed down on her. She had braced herself for the pain, and possibly, death. But it never came. She blinked her eyes open slowly and looked around.
The flower pot she had dashed in to save was intact, along with her mother's last flower. A few flecks of snow coupled with glass fragments gently fell on its now flourishing leaves.
She looked around, wondering why she hadn't been squashed by the collapsing greenhouse. Her mouth opened in a silent expression of shock as she saw her brother leaning over her, wincing with pain.
"A…Are you all right, Kaho-chan?" Keitaro asked, holding his position. A large bit of the metal frame had collapsed on his back and he was fighting to keep it up. Not to mention his back had been sprayed by thousands of glass shards. "I…I see you got…oka-sama's last flower…" Kaho reached up and grasped her brother. She gasped silently as she felt something wet. She pulled back her hands and saw that they were red.
"You idiot!" A voice shouted from outside. "You could've been killed!" It was one of Marciano's girls. This one had long black hair, tied back with a ribbon. "What on earth were you…oh…we didn't notice her…" She said, noticing Kaho. "I don't suppose…an apology would be enough?" She asked.
'Well…this one is slightly different…' Keitaro mused as the girl ran over and started to heave the metal frame off Keitaro. She was surprisingly strong for such a petite girl. "Hey, you two!" She shouted at the two men in black. "Help me out here!"
"Yes, April-san." The men replied obediently.
Four other girls ran in to help heave up the remains of the greenhouse. "August, Ocia, Nove, Diesse, lift that one over there!" She commanded the four. August seemed to be one of the younger ones, with plaited golden blonde hair topped off with a top hat. Her gothic dress was half-covered with a thick black travelling cloak. Ocia, Nove, and Diesse seemed to be the youngest of the group, seemingly only 5 or 6. They were identical in hair style (short hair tied back with a cute maid's hair band), clothing (white, long gothic dresses), and facial features. The only things that differed between the three were probably their backpacks, with the one named Diesse carrying what looked like a red rabbit, Nove a green frog, and Ocia a brown kitty.
Amazingly, Keitaro noted, despite their sizes, the girls had super strength.
"Nii-ya!" Aria-chan cried as she approached. "Nii-ya! Is Nii-ya hurt?!"
"What happened here?!" Keiko demanded as she reached the scene. "Did you hurt Anigimi-sama?!" She shouted. "KAHO-CHAN!" She cried, noticing Kaho shivering under Keitaro.
"No…no…it wasn't intentional!" Keitaro shouted. "They were just knocking down the greenhouse…they didn't know Kaho was inside…" Keitaro explained, gingerly getting onto his feet as the last of the metal frames was raised off him by the younger Marciano girls.
A shower of glass shards fell from his bruised back as he slowly got up. He winced slightly as he got down to pick up Kaho who was too afraid to move.
"Well…err…thanks…" Keitaro said, nodding at the Marciano sisters who just helped him out of the wreckage.
"Just be more careful next time." April said, "We don't want to have to clear up the mess if anything bad happens." She said, turning away, suddenly acting gruff. "Come, Diesse, Nove, Ocia, August. We've got more work to do."
"Ok…let's clear out before anymore accidents happen…" Keitaro said.
"Aniue-sama!" Marie cried. "At least allow me to heal you first!" She shouted as Sakuya pushed her wheelchair towards Keitaro.
"Ah…all right." Keitaro said. "But check Kaho first."
Kaho looked up at her brother with an expression of protest and shook her head while pointing at her brother.
"Go on, you go first." Keitaro said, pushing her towards Marie. Marie reached out towards Kaho and shut her eyes in concentration as her palms began to glow gently.
"She's fine…" Marie announced, opening her eyes. "You've protected her well, Aniue-sama. Now, allow me to heal you." She said, raising her arms towards Keitaro. Her palms again glowed a bright white. Slowly but surely, the wounds in Keitaro's skin began to close up and expel pieces of glass. The bruises slowly faded into the skin.
"It's done…" Marie smiled, lowering her arms, leaving Keitaro without a single scratch.
"Wow...amazing as always, Marie-chan." Keitaro smiled, patting his sister on the head. "Now, we've got to pack up. Kanako-chan please keep an eye on the children." He said.
"Yes, Onii-chan." Kanako nodded and smiled. "You did well, Onii-chan." She added.
"Thanks…I've only got a few small things to take care of…" Keitaro said, walking out to the front. "I'll see you all in a moment."
"Yes, yes, yes…how many times have I got to tell you, you're all fired!" January said, exasperated. The household staff were all gathered in front of the house, all confused with the sudden turn of events.
"But…we've worked here for so long…you can't let us go just like that…" One old servant said.
"Silence! This place now belongs to Madame Marciano, along with the entire fortune that used to pay for your wages. She calls the shots now. And she says you're all fired! Now get out!" January shouted, before walking away, her nose high up in the air. "Men!" She turned around and addressed the men in black stationed around the house. "I want you to ensure that every one of these people is thrown out in the street in ten minutes!" The men nodded and gave the household staff fearsome looks, daring them to overstay the 10 minutes.
"Ah…" Keitaro was at a sudden loss as he watched the household staff all look at one another in dismay and confusion. They've all served the Urashima family for a really long time. Some, like Sasaki-san, had taken care of them for 3 generations. Some of them had helped raised him and his sisters.
"Everyone…can I…can I please have your attention?!" Keitaro shouted. The staff all turned to look at him, the son of their former employer. "I…I must apologize for what has happened…as you all know, these decisions are no longer up to the Urashima family. We must apologize for losing control of everything and our failure to protect your interests…please, forgive us!" Keitaro shouted, bowing deeply. "I must thank you for everything you've done for my family all these years…I have nothing to repay you with now, so please accept my deepest respects and gratitude."
The Urashima sisters who had followed Keitaro out to the front were all taken by surprise. But they understood their brother's actions and they too bowed deeply and expressed their collective gratitude.
"Keitaro…you don't have to apologize for anything. It's not your fault…" Sasaki-san said, approaching Keitaro. She pulled Keitaro into a close hug. "Oh…little Kei-kun…you've grown into man now…it was as if it was just yesterday I was still teaching your mother, God rest her soul, how to change your diapers…" She chuckled as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Now…you must take care of your sisters…don't worry about us. We'll all manage somehow." She sobbed.
"Keitaro…you're now alone out here in the world…and you've got the entire family depending on you…but don't worry, you are an Urashima. I've raised two generations of Urashimas, and I know you'll be their proudest achievement yet. Your mother and father…they'd cry with pride if they were to see you now…" She slowly let go of him and looked into his eyes. "You look just like your dad…but you've got your mother's gentle smile…God rest their souls…" She chuckled again. "You'll do fine…" She turned to his sisters and gathered them all around her and gave them all tight hugs one by one. "You'll all do fine…You're my little angels…"
The sisters all cried as they hugged the last remaining mother figure they had. Sasaki-san had raised them all up as her own. Now they had to bid even her goodbye as well. The other servants couldn't help but shed a few tears in sorrow as they watched Sasaki-san bid her goodbyes. Makie was sobbing and hiccupping uncontrollably. So was Izumi Ako. To them, the staff of the Urashima household, the job didn't matter as much. But to be separated from this special little family was as painful as losing a loved one.
"Ok, ok, break it up…show's over. You heard my sister, 10 minutes and you're all out!" May shouted, striding up the courtyard. "And you, Urashimas, how long does it take to scavenge your garbage! Get out of here!" She shouted. She grabbed Sasaki-san by the arm and pushed her roughly towards the door.
"HEY!" Keitaro shouted. "You can insult all you like…but the moment you start touching my family…" He advanced on May. "I swear…"
"Enough, Keitaro…" Sasaki-san said, wrenching her arm away from May. "I was just leaving…remember Keitaro, you're responsible for your sisters now…don't let your emotions get the better of you and cause you to put your sisters in danger…" She said, as a number of younger servants gathered around her and shielded her from the rest of Marciano's men.
"What's happening here, Keitaro?!" Grandma Hina shouted as she walked in through the gates. All the servants, though now no longer employed, still respectfully made way for her.
"The staff's been fired…and the Urashimas are leaving…" May said, glaring at Keitaro, before turning around and leaving.
"What?! Fired?!" Grandma Hina cried.
"I didn't expect it to be this bad…" Haruka said, walking in.
"Guys, I've got the vans here." Matsura said, walking in. "Huh? What's just happened?" He asked, noticing all the servants gathered around the front courtyard.
"Everyone…gather your stuff and get them in the vans." Keitaro said to his sisters. "Our stuff should already be packed and ready…just fetch what other things you can. I don't think we should overstay our less than warm welcome here." The sisters all nodded quietly and headed for what were their rooms. The servants all looked at one another before following the sisters.
"Stay back. You must all leave at once…" The men in black said, barring the way of the servants.
"Get out of the way!" A young man in the front shouted, taking off his apron and wrapping it around his waist. "We've still got work to do!"
"You can't just…" The men in black said, before realizing they were up against a horde of angry staff who've just lost their jobs. "Err…be quick about it."
The servants quickly made a human chain and passed out the Urashima's belongings out to the waiting vans outside. Suitcases, boxes of children's books and toys, collections of stuffed animals and dolls…
"E…everyone…" Keitaro's eyes started to water.
"Don't worry, Keitaro-sama. We'll always be there for you!" One young servant shouted.
"Yes, your family has taken good care of us. We won't abandon you to the very end!" Another shouted, to a chorus of cheers from the other staff.
"Keitaro…you do realize that this is only temporary…" Matsura said, having heard the whole story from one of the servants. "We'll win this case…we'll return the legacy to its rightful owner."
"Thank you, Matsura-san. Yes, for the sake of these people too…" Keitaro nodded in agreement.
"I think that's everything, Onii-sama." Sakuya said to Keitaro, leading across the courtyard. Kaho was still hugging the small flower in its small pot. Someone had thoughtfully put a thick plastic bag around it to protect it from the cold weather.
Mizuki had a large sealed plastic tube slung on her back. "What's that?", Keitaro asked.
"This? This is the symbol of our 'kazoku'" she said proudly. "We're taking it home, Ani-chama."
"Haha…" Keitaro couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. But he approved of it all the same. "We'll hang it somewhere everyone can see." He promised. "Now…everyone ready to go home?"
"Yeah!" Everyone shouted in unison.
"Then, let's get this show on the road." Keitaro said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "Thank you ever so much everyone." Keitaro bowed to the servants again, who were now allowing themselves to be led out of the compound by the men in black. They all shouted words of encouragement and gratitude back to him and the sisters, wishing them the best of luck and all the happiness in the world. Keitaro and his sisters couldn't help but feel the tears return to their eyes.
As the last of the servants left they too turned towards the gates where Matsura, Haruka and Grandma Hina waited. The turned around briefly to have one last look at their old home. The nameplate bearing the name Urashima by the front door had been roughly pulled out of its place. Otherwise, everything else seemed the same. This was where they had begun their lives, where they had spent most of their lives, and where they grew up together. Now they were finally leaving.
More tears filled their eyes, but they felt no regrets, for now they were about to start a whole new life in a new home. This was the start of a whole new chapter of their lives. This is where it all truly began…
"Thanks for the help." Keitaro said when they met up with the Hinata girls at a rest stop along the way.
"No problems." Naru said, smiling. "It wasn't that difficult, letting the guests know about the cancellation of the otsuya."
"Some of them were rather troublesome…" Motoko muttered.
"Yeah," Mitsune grinned, putting one arm around Motoko's shoulder. "Motoko-chan here had to murder a dozen or so of your relatives before everyone got the idea that she wasn't up for grabs…"
"Lecherous perverts…" Motoko muttered.
"Well…I guess now's a good a time as any…" Grandma Hina said, approaching them. Kanako kept up behind her and stood respectfully on her right. "I and Kanako-chan are leaving again. We have some urgent matters to attend to overseas…unfortunately it can't wait." She sighed.
"Aw…Grandma Hina, we were hoping you'd come back and be our manager again." Naru said.
"You already have a very able manager right here." Grandma Hina said, slapping Keitaro on the back. "Besides, what can be better than having a handsome young man for a manager?" She chuckled, winking.
"GRANDMA!" Naru and Motoko exclaimed in protest simultaneously.
"I'll have to ask you girls to take care of him again." Grandma Hina bowed to the girls. "Please, take good care of my grandson."
"Hai." The girls bowed back.
"And please, help him raise those girls. They're still young and they will need a lot of love and care." Grandma Hina added.
"Hai." The girls said again.
"Grandma, are you leaving again?" Shirayuki asked, running up to them. The other sisters followed behind her.
"Yes, I am, Shirayuki-chan." Grandma Hina pulled Shirayuki into a tight hug. She called all of them forwards and hugged them all one by one. "Take good care of your brother, all right? He may be older, but he can be a nuisance to himself sometimes." She chuckled.
"You can count on us, Grandma." Sakuya grinned. All the sisters smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Hey, isn't it the other way around?" Keitaro protested playfully.
"Keitaro." Grandma Hina addressed him sternly. Keitaro looked around at her and gave her his full attention. "You are now in charge of 12 of my granddaughters…are you sure you've got what it takes to responsibly care for them and raise them? Raising children isn't all about giving them piggy back rides whenever they want it. It's about making sure they grow up into responsible, mature, independent adults." Grandma Hina said, a deadly tone in her voice. "There is absolutely no room for mistakes, are we clear?"
Keitaro gulped and nodded. "Yes, grandma." He said. "I promise I'll do my best."
"Well, I'll take your word for it…come here, grandson." She said, spreading her arms and giving him a tight hug. "Your parents would have been proud…they've got the best son any parent could hope for." She said, as tears started to run down her cheeks. "Your life was never easy but it's about to become rougher now. But you'll make it. Because you're you." She smiled as she drew back and looked up at his face. "Make us proud, Keitaro. I know you can." She squeezed his arms, before turning around to leave. "Kanako, aren't you going to say goodbye?" She asked Kanako as she passed her. Kanako smiled, realizing why her grandmother was in such a hurry. She was the kind of woman who hated to let others see her cry. The Hinata girls all accompanied her to the car waiting for her.
"Kanako-chan…" Keitaro started.
"Onii-chan…" Kanako said, blushing.
"I guess this is goodbye again, huh? I'll still write you letters each week, as usual." Keitaro grinned ruffling his sister's hair playfully.
"Thank you, Onii-chan." Kanako looked up into the eyes of the brother she respected and adored. "Do you still remember our promise?"
"Our promise?" Keitaro asked, a look of puzzlement on his face.
"Oh…it doesn't matter." Kanako said, shaking her head slowly. "Please take care, Onii-chan." She said, coming forwards and giving her brother a tight embrace around the waist.
"You too, Kanako-chan." Keitaro said, returning the hug. "Please be careful. And take care of grandma Hina for us."
"I will, Onii-chan." Kanako slowly and reluctantly released her brother. The sisters immediately clustered around their eldest sister and one by one gave her their goodbye hugs and kisses.
"Onii-chan?" Karen pulled on her brother's sleeves as they watched Grandma Hina and Kanako's car disappear down the road. "Will Kanako-neechan and Grandma Hina visit us again?"
"They will, Karen-chan. They promised." Keitaro smiled down at his sister.
"Does this mean we don't get piggyback rides from you anymore?" Hinako asked, her eyes watering.
"No, nobody ever said that." Keitaro chuckled, much to Hinako and Hinata's relief. "Now, let's go. We've got a home to get to."
"Ok…just a few more steps…be careful not to slip on the snow, everyone." Keitaro said. "You holding on ok, Marie-chan? Aria-chan?" He asked Marie and Aria who he was carrying on either side of him. The snow around them was shining a bright tinge of orange on one side and glimmering a deep blue on the other. On the horizon the sun was already rapidly sinking, casting a dark shadow across the world.
"Yes, Aniue-sama…I'm sorry for the trouble." Marie said. She snuggled a bit into Keitaro's shoulder, feeling thankful for the comfort.
"Nii-ya. Aria-chan can manage by herself. Aria-chan has always gone up and down stairs by herself." Aria said.
"It's no trouble at all…though going up and down these stairs will definitely prove a lot of trouble for you two." Keitaro sighed. In front of him the sisters were all making their way slowly up the long flight of stairs up the Hinata hill. Behind them followed Naru, Mitsune, Shinobu, Suu, Motoko, and Haruka. Matsura was bringing up the rear with Marie's wheelchair in his hands.
"Onii-tama!" Hinako cried with excitement. "I can see it! I can see it! It's Hinata Sou!" She ran up the last few steps with giddy excitement.
"Onii-chama!" Hinata shouted. "We're here!"
"Wow…" Sakuya gasped. "I've already forgotten how grand it was…"
"Has it always been this big?" Rinrin asked in awe.
"It certainly seems bigger than how I remember it." Keiko nodded in agreement.
"This is our new home!" Mizuki shouted, looking up at the staggering beauty of the Hinata Sou.
"Squawk! Checky!" The toucan squawked, taking off from Mizuki's shoulder and landing on a bough of a nearby sakura tree. "Ani-chama! Checky!"
"It's…so old and majestic…" Chiikage sighed in awe as she paused at the top of the stairs to take in the amazing sight.
"It's so beautiful desu-no! It looks like Snow White's castle desu-no!" Shirayuki cried, dancing around on the front courtyard.
"With all the snow, it does look like Snow White's castle." Karen agreed. "It's so gorgeous…what do you think, Vanilla-chan?" She asked her kitten, who mewed in agreement.
Kaho gasped silently and stood still for a moment, taking in every little detail.
"It's like a house of a story book…" Marie gasped as she, Keitaro, and Aria reached the top.
Aria remained silent. She sighed as she felt the gentle breeze caress her hair.
"Well…this is your new home." Keitaro said, looking up proudly at Hinata Sou. "Now, let's wait for the others before we go in." He said, looking around.
"Keitaro…I've gotten my drivers to park down in the garage. They'll bring your stuff up for you." Matsura said, folding out Marie's wheelchair.
"Thanks, Matsura-san." Keitaro said, gently lowering Marie onto the wheelchair.
"Nii-ya, Aria-chan can walk by herself." Aria said, pulling on her brother's shoulder.
"All right, all right." Keitaro laughed, putting her down. "Here you go." He took out Aria's telescopic walking stick.
"I can walk without it. Watch." She said, cheerfully, running around the courtyard, weaving in and out between the other sisters, before slipping and falling into a heap of snow.
"Eh?" Suu wore a sudden expression of puzzlement as she watched Keitaro pick up Aria from the snow.
"What is it, Suu-chan?" Shinobu asked.
"Something's wrong…" Suu murmured as she watched Keitaro brush the snow off Aria's clothes and ask her whether or not she was all right.
Later on, in Naru's room…
"Where's Mitsune-sempai?" Motoko asked as they sat down around the table.
"She went to put away the leftover beer she got from the otsuya. Knowing her, she'd down a few before actually putting them away…" Naru said, preparing some tea.
"That girl is supposed to be blind, right? Right?" Suu suddenly asked.
"Yes, that's true." Naru nodded, placing a cup of tea in front of each of them. "That's probably why she fell down in front of the Hinata Sou…I think that was obvious." Naru said.
"No…" Suu said, shaking her head. "She was avoiding every other obstacle…as if she knew they were there..." Suu's face contorted with concentration, as if thinking up an interesting new invention. "She also clearly avoided the borders of the courtyard…if she was truly blind, she wouldn't be able to avoid these things so well."
"Now that you mention it…" Naru murmured. "…I remember she was walking around the Urashima residence without her walking stick."
"But she's really blind." Shinobu said. "She can't tell the difference between the men's and women's bathrooms at the rest stop."
"But she still found the doors…" Naru added. "I saw her head straight for the door, though it was the wrong one."
"Eye of the heart…" Motoko murmured. The others looked around in surprise at Motoko and asked her to go on. "Well…" She coughed. "It does look like it, but it's impossible. She's too young to be able to use such a technique with such expertise. I can only say it's a coincidence."
"What is it anyway?" Naru asked.
"It's a technique martial artists use to sense things in the dark…normally moving objects. They hone their ears and skin to sense every change in air movements and pressure to judge movements of opponents in the dark." Motoko explained. "But…that's not it either…It's good for sensing fast moving objects. But it won't explain how she sensed stationary objects. The change of air pressure between her and the objects as she moves is just too minute for her or any human to sense." Motoko reasoned. "So it can only be a coincidence. She's probably memorized the layout of the residence."
"You still can't explain the restroom doors at the rest stop." Naru reminded her.
"hmmm…" Suu nodded slightly. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.
"Hey, I think the sisters are in Keitaro's room…" Naru said, looking around at the hole in the floor. Voices were drifting up through it from the room below, coupled with childish laughter and quiet scuffling.
"I wonder what they're talking about…" Shinobu said.
"Let's find out…" Naru smiled mischievously as she inched over to the hole in the floor. Everyone, while commenting on how bad eavesdropping is, gathered around the hole and lowered their ears towards the opening.
"Nii-ya! Nii-ya! Come with us!" They heard a voice say. "We'll have a bath together just like we used to!"
The girls gasped. Motoko gripped the handle of her katana to the point where the wood groaned with pressure. Naru cracked her knuckles as she balled them into tight fists.
"Anou…anou…he is their brother…" Shinobu tried to remind them. "Suu-chan…help?" She looked over at Suu…or at least, where Suu had been sitting. She was already gone.
Motoko and Naru both stood up and sprinted out of the door, skidding around the corner and disappearing in a cloud of dust.
"Everyone…we have to get along…" Shinobu whimpered, to nobody in particular.
"Wow…this is Ani-chama's room?" Mizuki asked, running inside. The toucan followed her in and took up a perch on a dresser.
"Excuse us, Anigimi-sama." Keiko bowed slightly at her brother as she entered the room.
"Excuse us, Urashima-san?" The two drivers who had driven the vans addressed Keitaro in the corridor. Behind them were a number of suitcases and boxes. "Here are your belongings. Where do you want us to place them?"
"Thanks. That's fine. You can leave them there. We'll take care of the rest." Keitaro said, smiling.
"Very well, Urashima-san. Good luck with your family." The two men bowed slightly and left.
"Hinata-chan calls Onii-chama's futon cabinet!" Hinata shouted.
"No fair! That's Hina-tan's!" Hinako cried, pulling on the back of Hinata's dress.
"Wait a moment, who told you that you could sleep in my futon cabinet?" Keitaro asked.
"It's natural for the cute little twins to have the big brother's futon cabinet, Onii-chama." Hinata explained as she scrambled into the futon cabinet. Hinako fumbled a bit as she tried to climb up until Hinata finally pulled her in.
"I think it's normally the cat robot that gets the futon cabinet…" Marie murmured.
"Sigh…there goes my futon cabinet…" Keitaro sighed, looking around. "Wait…you girls aren't planning on sleeping in here, are you?" He asked, slightly incredulous, as he saw his other sisters bring their belongings in.
"Why? Is there something wrong with that, Onii-chan?" Karen asked, opening up her suitcase.
"I mean…where else are we supposed to sleep?" Sakuya asked, acting innocent.
"I need space for my clothes…" Shirayuki murmured, looking around the room for space.
"I like this side…" Chiikage said, indicating a corner of the room by the windows.
"Aniki, where can I drop my lab gear?" Rinrin asked.
"Wait…that thermonuclear device doesn't belong here!" Keitaro cried in panic, seeing Rinrin heave in a large metal object with what looked like a gigantic radiation symbol printed on its side. On closer inspection, Keitaro realized that instead of a circle in the middle, there was a letter R with a 2 superscript…R squared. Apparently Rinrin had developed her own symbol.
"Anigimi-sama, where do you think I can leave my ikebana items?" Keiko asked playfully.
"Ok…ok…do you guys really want to sleep in here?" Keitaro asked, exasperated.
"Chill, Onii-sama. I don't know about the younger ones but I, Rinrin, Keiko, and Chiikage were only kidding." Sakuya laughed. "You should've seen the look on your face."
"Who said I was kidding?" Rinrin asked, putting up a satellite dish on the balcony outside.
Kaho, meanwhile, had found an ideal spot for her flower pot where there was plenty of sunlight and protection from the cold outside. She was lovingly poking its tiny bud and sighing in happiness.
"I am not one to joke, Ane-chan." Chiikage said.
"Wha…" Sakuya was taken aback. "Hey, no fair. If you're all staying here, then I'm staying too!"
"Sigh…for tonight it's ok, I guess…" Keitaro sighed, sliding open the door.
"Nii-ya! Nii-ya!" Aria shouted after her brother. "We are going to go have a bath before dinner. Do you want to come?" She asked, pulling on the sleeve of his shirt.
"A bath?" Keitaro asked. "Who are 'we'?"
"Hina-tan wants one!" Hinako shouted, leaping out of the futon cabinet.
"Hinata-chan too!" Hinata shouted, falling out of the futon cabinet in her hurry to get out.
"A bath? Karen-chan would love one." Karen said.
"That sounds like fun!" Shirayuki shouted.
"Sure, why not?" Rinrin asked, taking out a number of what would seem to be bathroom related gadgets such as automated brushes with built in soap dispenser and such.
"Well, if you're all in, I'm in." Sakuya said.
"A bath does sound good at the moment. Washing off the day's tiredness is essential." Keiko said.
"I'll race y'all to the baths!" Mizuki shouted.
"Will we all fit?" Chiikage raised the issue.
"Don't they have hot springs here? There should be more than enough space for everyone." Karen said. "Karen-chan remembers the last time we visited, we all had a bath together there."
"Nii-ya! Nii-ya! Come with us!" Aria said. "We'll have a bath together just like we used to!"
"haha…I think I'm already too old for that. Why don't you all head down first. I still need to check up on some things." Keitaro chuckled, leaving the room. There was so much to take care of…the boilers needed maintenance, the refrigerator needed restocking, and the inn needed cleaning. He decided to check up on the boilers first to make sure there'd be a warm bath ready for the children.
As he descended the stairs towards the living room he noticed a figure spread out on the sofa in the living room. "Mitsune?" he asked as he reached the living room. "Drunk already? We haven't even been home for more than half an hour…" He noticed there were quite a few beer cans around her.
"Ah…Keitaro…yeah, leftovers from the otsuya…" Mitsune hiccupped. "Oh…Lover boy…" She stood up and wobbled. "You know…with your sisters being here and all…your expenses will certainly…hiccup…increase, right?"
"Err…perhaps…" Keitaro said, uncertainly.
"Well…please don't raise the rents, will ya? For a friend?" Mitsune hiccupped again, falling forwards into Keitaro and pinning him onto a sofa. "And…about this month's rent…what do you say you give me a little discount…and I'll treat you to a little something…" She said, nodding slightly.
"Eh…Mitsune…ah, I think you should wash your face or something…" Keitaro said, panicking. He looked around…oh, no, his worst fears became a reality.
There, by the stairs stood Sakuya, Keiko, Chiikage, Rinrin, and Mizuki. The rest of the sisters were still on the stairs. They were watching the entire scene with an expression of utter shock.
He suddenly felt a murderous aura approach. Months of experience has honed his senses to detect the quiet, light footsteps and the murderous aura that came with it. His eyes had become accustomed to looking out for the glint of brandished steel. He saw it. He flinched.
"URASHIMA! WHAT IS THIS I HEAR ABOUT YOU BATHING WITH YOUR SISTERS?!" The samurai screamed as she ran into the living room. "AND WHAT'S THIS?!" She shouted as she noticed Mitsune on top of Keitaro. "YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR SINS WITH YOUR BLOOD!"
Right behind her was another rapidly approaching figure emanating an even darker aura. "KEITARO! YOU PERVERTED LOLICON!" Naru shouted as she came to a screeching stop in the living room. Then she froze when she saw Mitsune.
"Oh, hi everyone…" Mitsune hiccupped, falling off Keitaro and passing out on the floor.
"You're…so…dead…" Naru shook with fury as she reared back her fist.
"This is just a misunderstanding!" Keitaro cried, leaping off the sofa as a katana ki blast ripped through it and shredded the wall behind it. "Please don't kill me!" His please fell on deaf ears as two waves of raging ki burned across the living room, followed by the rapidly approaching blur of an enraged fist.
To be continued…
Wow…sparks really flew there between the Marciano sisters and the Urashima sisters. I'm sure you were all expecting some sort of violence to break out. Well, I thought it was probably too early in the story for such violence. Besides….I don't want to give away too many surprises in one chapter .
Also, some of you might be a little disappointed with the lack of screen time for the Hinata girls. There's just so much I could fit into one chapter without dragging it out too long. But worry not. I've worked out a way of giving each character ample amounts of screen time. Since the story intro is officially done with this chapter, I could now focus on fleshing out the story.
Also, I've finally added the scene you've all been waiting for. A Keitaro bashing! Now, how exactly would the sisters react to Mitsune's flirting and Motoko and Naru's Keitaro-bashing? Find out in the next chapter!
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.
Glossary of Japanese words:
Ikebana : Japanese flower arranging