Disclaimer:

Love Hina and Mahou Sensei Negima is the creative property of Ken Akamatsu, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Shingetsugan Tsukihime and Fate/stay night is the creative property of TYPE-MOON. Anything not attributed to Akamatsu-san or TYPE-MOON belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Cowboy Bebop (the Swordfish II) that is a creation of Sunrise and Shinichiro Watanabe, BLEACH is a creation of Kubo Tite, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a high school student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!

The Surgeon General's Warning:

Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, with KanaxKei and KanaxNegi, just to name a few! You never know what you're going to get so read on (I might even do some alternative stuff, if you know what I mean).

Blue Blue Glass Moon, Under the Crimson Air

I Wanna Go To A Place...

Chapter 17:

The Price of Honor and Duty

A Love Magister Hina Negima! fanfic by James "Ray" Edwards

"A hovel for scum, vermin, and dolls," Motoko spat suddenly, a disturbing tightness in her voice as she turned to face the gentle waves of the sea.

Silence.

Her reaction did not go unnoticed in the slightest bit, but Tsuruko kept her cool. She had a good hunch that something big was happening here, and if she pushed the right buttons... "Why whatever could you mean, Motoko-han?"

"This place, Ane-ue. Why do we continue to allow that filthy old man to continue his grand farce? Why have we not supplanted him with a new Headmaster, a figurehead who will be much more willing to listen to our demands?"

"Konoemon-ojiisan has been head of the Kanto Magic Association for a long time. Though he has plenty of political rivals, age has not dulled his senses yet. He is a very clever man and few can hope to move against him without repercussions. It was his move to include Mahora Academy as part of his jurisdiction versus handing it over to the Tokyo Magic Association's Strategic Non-Aggression Limitation Zone."

"I don't understand why people tolerate him and the childish games he insists upon indulging in. The Konoe Clan might be an old --- family, but they're not all powerful, almighty."

"True, but neither is, we of the Kensai Association. It is our station in life to enforce and police the land as dictated by the Magic Associations."

"Bah! We should rid the land of all Evil, Ane-ue! Even now, a half-breed abomination stalks the grounds of this wretched school, and another inexcusable risk to the very welfare of this country, perhaps the world, prances about as if she were an ordinary teenager. Bah!"

Hmmm, now I see where this is going. "Don't do something foolish, Motoko-han."

"Foolish!" Motoko shrieked in outrage, as she spun around with a incredulous frown on her beautiful face. "What are you calling foolish, Aneue? Can you not see that senile old fool will be the undoing of us all?"

"Sakurazaki Setsuna is a retainer of the Konoe Clan, has been for a number of years now since she left us. Meanwhile, Konoe Konoka is the daughter of Konoe Eishun, the Head of the Kansai Magic Association. She has been scouted already to have the greatest magical potential of her generation in the East, and will likely become the world's foremost healer given time and the proper training. The Konoe Clan is an ancient and highly respected family. I'm certain they know what they're dealing with."

"Absurd! They're harboring a youkai in their midst!"

"It is not our place to question what a family of the Magic Association does, Motoko-han."

"I say, it should be, Tsuruko! We should have-"

"SILENCE!" Tsuruko roared abruptly, using her ki to amplify her voice, as a powerful wave of gusting wind erupted forth from her person.

Motoko dropped her book bag and staggered back, her feet splashing into the shallows of the water. She could see the faint blue outline of ki radiating off her elder sister's form, an awesome sight to behold, but she would not be cowed today. Defiantly, she braced herself against the howling gale, gritting her teeth in deep effort as she strained to remain upright. The ebony-haired girl refused to use her own powers and was determined to hold her ground by the shear force of her will and strength.

I won't lose! I won't lose to her!

"IMPRESSIVE, MOTOKO-HAN. TRULY, I NEVER EXPECTED SUCH BOLD IMPERTINENCE, SUCH DISGRACEFUL BEHAVIOR FROM YOU. IT IS ONE THING TO FORGET YOUR PLACE, BUT TO DO THAT AND QUESTION THE HONOR OF ANOTHER CLAN WITHOUT ANY FACTUAL EVIDENCE IS INEXCUSABLE! I CANNOT STAND BY AND ALLOW YOU TO SLANDER THE GOOD NAME OF THE KONOE CLAN WITHOUT BASIS ANYMORE!"

The ebony-haired girl dropped all pretenses of formality now. "Don't you understand, Tsuruko? We don't have to be subservient to these unworthy-"

"ENOUGH! APOLOGIZE NOW OR YOU SHALL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES! I WILL NOT REPEAT THIS KIND OFFER TWICE. STAND DOWN, MOTOKO!"

"Never!" Motoko shouted back in defiance. She discarded the slim leather case that she had been shouldering into the water with a splash, and brought up her arms in preparation for a fight.

Idiot.

The blow was too quick to follow, and before any by-stander could have realized, a shocking thud echoed across the sandy white beachhead. A cacophonic splash of water followed soon after, accompanied by a brief silence, before a series of choked coughs filled the air. Drenched from head to toe in her brown school uniform, Motoko wheezed bitterly in the shallow water, lying helpless, flat on her back. Her steel-green eyes were filled with agony, but another primal emotion was slowly bubbling its way to the surface as she glared up at her elder sister.

Hatred.

Tsuruko stood stock still for a moment, her body frozen in the final motion of her attack: a simple short range thrust with the pommel of her disguised katana, drawn slightly from her side by the sheathe that encased the naked blade within. She had hit her beloved little sister square in the stomach, knocking the breath out of Motoko while forcefully downing her in a single motion. There had been no waste, the execution perfect. Her mind absorbed all this information whole-heartedly, congratulating herself on a job well done, but deep down in her heart...

...there was only regret.

A sacred line had been crossed today. Today --- today was the first time Tsuruko Aoyama had ever struck her own sister, Motoko Aoyama. What made it worse that she had done so out of duty. Where there had been no one else to defend the honor of the Konoe Clan, she as a member of the Kensai Association had to rise to the occasion. Not for a second did she think that things would go this far, never, and now she could only return her beloved little sister's hate with abject remorse.

Should I --- Should I apologize? she asked herself this very important question, as her dark olive green eyes swam with emotion. Even if I wanted to --- no, I cannot apologize for this. This is a sin I must accept, a trial that I must overcome. I have done something unforgivable for the sake of honor and duty. Oh, my beloved Motoko-han, why did you not stand down? You are not yet a full member of the Kensai Association. Surely, your Samurai pride could have... No. This was inevitable. Sooner or later, it would have come to this.

Motoko laughed, her shoulders quivering in time with the bittersweet aria of sorrow. "Fufufu, was that it, Ane-ue? The strength of your resolve? Huh? HUH! What is that weak, soft tenderness I see in your eyes? Ha-hahahaha... That's just pitiful, Aoyama Tsuruko."

"It was the only way, Aoyama Motoko," her sister replied as she turned away and sheathed her disguised katana once more. The wind had died down the moment she had released her ki, but a few zephyrs continued their vigil, playing gently with her long tresses that spilled down all the way to her waist. "You understand our doctrine and values better than anyone else, that you do."

"Coward! Don't look away from me, Ane-ue! Watch! Look with your own eyes at the sin you've committed for those worthless dogs!"

A sin? Motoko-han, you have no idea how many sins I've committed. Yours was but one of the many, and likely one of the most regrettable.

"Ha-hahaha! So this is what you do when things don't go your way, isn't it? Violence. Fufu, I'll tell you this much right now, Ane-ue, you won't be able to push me around and do as you please forever, Ane-ue!"

"Motoko-han..."

"One day! One day, I'll be stronger than you, and you'll regret ever having toyed with my heart! I'll make you all regret it! Who do you think you are, Ane-ue? What gives you the right to barge into my life whenever you feel like it, when you're feeling lonely, unloved, and unnecessary? Huh? Aren't those little vile males giving you enough satisfaction?"

Tsuruko tensed up underneath the punishing verbal barrage.

"I'm not a child, that naive little girl who lived in your shadow, worshipped the ground you walked on, and loved you unquestioningly, Ane-ue! I won't be your toy, a wind up doll that you can parade around in front of others and snuggle with at night --- anymore!"

Why? Why now? Why did I not see this coming? Am I really that blind to the sorrow of others?

"Mark my words, Aoyama Tsuruko: I WILL DEFEAT YOU! When that day comes, I will prove my worth and my strength to the Shinmei Ryu that has been fantastically heralded since my birth, the Kensai Association will acknowledge me with true honor, and Mage's Association will no longer be able to ignore us. A great change will come about, and I shall see to this new vision of justice and prosperity myself!"

There was nothing else left to be said.

The battle lines had been drawn, and Motoko felt the thrilling exhilaration of triumph fresh in her veins. She may have suffered a physical blow today, but it was nothing, compared to the victory she had won over her elder sister's spirit. Tsuruko had not been expecting such a battle, a masterfully executed ambush from a moment of righteous passion that could have completely fallen apart at a moment's notice. No longer would she be treated lightly as a doll, a plaything for her sister or anyone else for that matter. The buck stopped here.

However, something unexpected happened right about then.

Tsuruko bent down looped her book bag upon the handle of the disguised katana she carried with her, turned about face, and waded calmly into the shallows. Her expression was unreadable as the seawater drenched her feet and lapped up against the edge of her red hakama, soaking them through, but there was a bizarre twinkle in her eyes. She extended out towards her fallen younger sister a open hand, bending down so that she would be within easy reach.

Motoko was speechless and bewildered. "W-What're you doing?"

"Take my hand. I won't coddle you by carrying you," the elder Aoyama spoke, all pretenses of "Kyoto Formality" was gone from her voice as well, leaving only a common frankness. "After what you've shown me, it'd be rude and insulting for me to carry as if you were still merely my imouto. I won't carry you but I'll help you walk."

She's different. She's completely different from before. I've never seen Ane-ue like this.

"This is a new beginning, the first of many encounters between us two. Today, I struck first but my spirit was crushed spectacularly. I haven't been defeated like this in a while."

"Ane-ue."

"Perhaps, one day you shall fulfill that vow as well, but for now --- please, Motoko-han, let me help you walk. I can't think of you anymore as my dear imouto; times have changed, but you're still my beloved sister. You've become ambitious and resolute. I can only wonder where this road will take us, but today's battle is over, and we're sisters once again."

Motoko looked away unable to meet the gaze of her elder sister.

"Will you take my hand or turn it aside, Motoko-han? You desire change, I can sense it clearly, and if that is what you seek, then show me the strength of your resolve, your justice. What will it be? What will you choose? Will you show me more of your hatred? Or will you become something greater, far more-"

"Is this your way of begging for forgiveness, Aneue?"

Tsuruko gasped with shock.

"It's pathetic," Motoko finished in a listless voice.

She batted the hand aside and rose suddenly, shoving the older woman back with surprising strength. Tsuruko back-pedaled awkwardly, losing her footing on the smooth sand, which promptly sent her flying onto her rear with a grunt. Such minor discomfort was the first thing from her panic stricken mind as she looked up to catch a glimpse of her younger sister. All she saw were cold baleful eyes of steel, still like twin pools of a crystal lake, as water dripped off Motoko's soaked uniform and hair.

"Don't come around here anymore, Tsuruko," the ebony-haired girl dismissed her with simple finality, before she brushed past her elder sister with her belongings in hand.

I don't need you.

For a moment, there was a tenuous peace upon the beachhead. There were no more battles, no more words; it was all over. The gentle waves came crashing in, the wind whispered a soothing song from the sea, and Motoko's soft footsteps receded into the distance until they were heard no more. However, truly it was requiem without the pounding rain and the clash of thunder. This was the elegy for something that could have been.

Tsuruko clutched tightly upon the front of her white gi, gritting her teeth, trying to ignore the incomprehensible searing pain in her heart. It ached. It burned. It cried. The hot salty tears came, tears of sorrow, her body cold and dead. All she could do was focus on her rage, hold it back before it exploded. Her beautiful face was a living mask of anguish that contorted with choked sobs. She had promised that she would not cry anymore. To mourn and grieve were things that she did not have to do anymore because she would not allow so sad to happen in the first place.

"I --- I was a fool," she spoke in quivering voice on the verge of breaking. "Never again, I said, t-that I --- did. Never again --- n-never would I lose ---- something --- i-important to me. No more. I-I --- I --- M-Motoko... If only I --- I-I..."

Kaien.

I thought I was stronger than this.

Why did it have to be this way?

I never wanted this. I just wanted to see how she was doing.

It always ends up like this with me, does it not?

Am I really such a wretched woman, doomed always to be the undoing of those I love?

How horrible.

Nasakenai --- pathetic, just like Motoko said.

My hopes.

My dreams.

Gone.

I wish you were still here, Kaien...

...my husband...

...my love.

All gone.

To Be Continued...

Author's Notes:

Ouch, looks like trouble is about in the Shinmei Ryu. Motoko's got some issues all right! And this won't be the last of it either. Still, who's this Kaien fellow, anyhow? Well, maybe we'll find out on the next episode of Glass Moon, huh? Stay tuned, folks!

Well, I gotta say I'm impressed by all you readers and reviewers because thanks to you Glass Moon finally busted past 4000+ hits! That's awesome! Keep it up folks because there's plenty more to see, rivalaries to be fought, and yes, Keitaro is going to come back (I just can't say when). Remember, I encourage each and everyone of you to always feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail. You know how to get in touch with the scribe here. And with that said, it's time to holla back to the Mister Smiths and Reviewers from our last line up, some new and some old:

To the Agent 005, Mister Skuld's Sentaro 5, well, I already sent you an e-mail awhile ago, so I hope things are a little bit easier for you to understand this chapter.

To the Agent 007, Mister Havenoname, hope you enjoyed today's episode, and don't sweat it, we're finally going to get some breathers in, but! the plot is still going to move on, I assure you. I ain't going to leave you all hanging when I know you want to get to the REAL good stuff, after all.

To the Agent 001, Mister Alpha Draconis1, hehehe, and that's a cool philosophy you got too; I can respect that, man. Hope you're still enjoying the show.

To the Agent 009, Necromonger, thanks for the ego booster, dude. As for the deal with Chachamaru and Negi, I'm just trying to take the hints Akamatsu left in the manga so far and really develop that aspect of Chachamaru's character. The "emotion" program is pretty much a booster shot, so that she can grasp things a little faster and more intuitively per say. Of course, there's also some definite downside to the deal, i.e. increased social awkwardness, awareness, etc., which provides great drama and comedy if I should say so myself.

To the New Guy, ShadeXH, I hope you got my e-mail because that should have addressed your grieveances.

Well, that wraps it up, folks, so until the next time we meet; Aim for the Top! And FLY HIGH!

Omake!

Naze Nani Glass Moon Desu

Episode Preview!

Chapter 18:

Some Explanations Would Be Nice

"Alright, don't pout like that now. You know I'm a feminist at heart."

Tsudzuku!