Fanf!cFan's note: The following is Teisu's "Shinobu's Decision", the sequel to "Motoko's Dilemma". Ezrial had saved a copy and was kind enough to send it to me (Thank you, Ezrial. We are most grateful!). Aside from this note, it is the same as I received it. It made more sense to me to append it as an additional chapter to "Motoko's Dilemma" rather than posting it as a separate story. I trust Teisu's earlier statement of permission applies here as well. Enjoy.
Author's note:
This is a continuation of the fanfic Motoko's Dilemma also authored by me.
Let's see where this one goes. I was terribly fond of Shinobu. To me, she was the sweetest young lady and the most deserving of happiness. She showed a maturity and responsibility that went far beyond her "Junior High" age. But she was too young in my opinion to have been the promised one. I stretched it with Motoko anyway.
Love Hina Shinobu's Decision Part 1
Shinobu was very happy to see Keitaro meet the girl of his promise at Tokyo University. However, it was no secret that she and three others held the wish that the promised one had never shown up, or that Keitaro had never succeeded in getting into Tokyo University.
Shinobu served the evening meal to a less than full house. Marie (Moe), who was still around, helped in the kitchen. She had finished making the daily commute to the University. Motoko was preparing the married dorm room as a seperate residence for late study- or intimate meetings,but the plan was to still live at the Hina Inn.
Meanwhile Keitaro still commuted. The wedding was still being planned.
"Now what?" Grandma Hina counted noses. "We don't have enough boarders to keep the Inn running with the recent increase in costs."
"You are just one short." Kitsune corrected her.
"But Keitaro ran the Inn. It's like I said. I am too old, and without a manager, I will have to close the Inn."
"No!" Shinobu shouted. "This place has made me very happy. Keitaro allowed me to stay here. It's still my home, even though Keitaro is at Tokyo University." Even if I have to quit school, get a job in town to pay rent, and still do my chores, I will not see this place close! Keitaro rebuilt it while you were gone, and he didn't even go into debt to do it!"
"I thought things looked a little different," Hina-san looked carefully through her glasses. "Why it looks like it did when I was a little girl!"
"It was a very popular Inn and spa at the time, but it gradually ran down. Maintenance costs, taxes, wars, scarcity of materials, all took their toll.
Then it became a boarding house for women; basically to pay the taxes and keep it from falling into complete disrepair."
"Since it now looks like a nice Inn," Shinobu interjected, "Why not hire someone to run it?"
"No," the elder lady objected, "Tradition dictates that a family member has always run the Inn; that's why I called Keitaro."
"Isn't there someone else?"
Grandmother Hina paused and abruptly changed the subject. "When is the wedding?"
"Two weeks from tomorrow." Shinobu answered. "Motoko wants to also live on campus to allow Keitaro and her to have more time together. We have offers from the Aoyama family to 'conduct business' here. They would like to hold the wedding here as well."
"Sounds like fun. What do you think, Shinobu? Can you handle the food?"
"Not that much different from cooking for the familiar faces." Shinobu replied, "Just more of it." The spring school break will fall on that week, so I won't miss any studying. Besides, I don't really have any money for a gift, so this will be my wedding present. I have a marvelous cake planned."
"May I help you?" Keitaro's aunt Haruka glanced up from sweeping the sakura petals from the steps of the Hina Inn as she watched the classically dressed man approach her, The black hakama and red gi were very striking and he had piercing dark eyes.
"I am Kaitan." He bowed. "There is Aoyama-san staying here?"
"She visits on regular occasions. Are you her friend?"
"No, betrothed."
"Betrothed. That is most unfortunate." The older lady looked hard at Kaitan. "Her wedding is at hand and her prospective husband has already been approved by her family."
"I take it then that you are related to the man?"
She nodded.
"This contract is for the son of my village chief to wed a priestess of the Aoyama village." Kaitan explained. "Healing, exorcism, knowledge of old ways, familiarity with new ways and great strength. She is to be my wife and mother to the next rulers of the village. Naturally, the woman-children born belong to the family of the priestess."
She studied the contract. "This is over thirty years old! Aoyama-san is not even nineteen!"
Kaitan elaborated further. "The contract was for my elder brother who ignored his duty and took an ordinary girl as a wife. Her sister was to have been his bride. She did not protest the union and chose her own husband to console her loss."
Motoko looked up from the contract and glared at the man across from the low table. "You could have informed my village that you intended to enforce this contract years ago. I have since made promises and my elders have assented to them. What shall I tell my betrothed? The fact that I am bound by a contract that I did not sign, to a promise that I did not make, does not distress me nearly as much as the now empty struggle to fulfill my own promises!"
"I am prepared to enforce the contract by force against my rival." Kaintan responded. "With you as my wife, I will take the head seat of the ruling council."
"So this is basically a political marriage?" Motoko sighed.
"A marriage of necessity as well as politics." We need a priestess and a healer as well. You will move to my village once your medical studies are complete, but I will insist that you transfer to a closer University."
"I cannot speak for your rival Urashima-kun, but he will no doubt not agree to this." Motoko announced stoicly.
"I am prepared to fight him; no doubt, his strength is at least a great as your own."
"His strength is not his own." Motoko replied cryptically. "It simply comes to him when the time is right. It is the strength of ai [love]."
"A nice little sentiment." Kaintan responded and then rose, pausing at the door. "If you had not said that, I would have waited for the challenge. If there had been none, I would have considered the matter closed. Now, I must seek him out and take you from him by combat."
Motoko stared ahead unmoving as Kaintan's footsteps receeded down the hall. Then, tears began to fall.
"Motoko-senpai!" Shinobu's eyes were wide and angry. "You don't mean that your promise to Urashima-senpai means nothing?"
"The elders' orders are more important." Motoko replied mechanically.
"Ridiculous." Shinobu replied. "They are in the same situation that you are in. They like Keitaro-kun, too! They are as trapped as you are, and don't want to anger Kaintan-san and lose face to an old ally."
"Maybe so, but I don't see how Keitaro-kun can possibly win." Motoko looked sullen. "He will be challenged to ritual combat because I hinted at his strength."
"Challenged?" Shinobu's eyes widened.
"Yes, with bokken [wooden swords]. Keitaro could be injured by such a fight."
"I hope that you will train him so that he loses without looking like a total idiot." Kitsune looked up from a manga and sipped on a glass of sake.
"Yo! Keitaro! "Enter - the Turtle!" Koalla-Su ran into the room, assumed a fighting stance and ran up the wall. Motoko looked at the petite blonde swinging from the lamp fixture upside down, holding on to the chain with her toes.
"I wish." Motoko suppressed a laugh, but still smiled.
"What will Keitaro do once Kaintan beats him up?" Koalla looked blinking at Motoko.
"Direct and to the point." Motoko thought. "I suppose that he will mourn the loss of his promised one and seek company from friends. He will probably begin the commute from the Hina Inn to Tokyo U." Motoko explained. "His grades will probably slide a bit, until he begins dating again."
"You mean?" Shinobu started. "It will be okay?"
"Nani?" Koalla looked at Shinobu. "You mean that you like Keitaro?"
"Uhh.. Ano." Shinobu looked very nervous and flustered.
Shino closed her eyes as she clenched her fists and practically shouted it out. "HAI! KEITARO DAISUKI! [YES! I LOVE KEITARO!]"
Everyone looked wide-eyed at such a forceful confession from Shinobu.
"Ara, ara!" Mutsumi put one hand on her head. "Everyone already knows that I love Kei-kun. Now I have another rival!"
"Even though I have my own prince, Keitero was always nice to me." Koallo released the chain and somersaulted and landed on her feet.
"Hee hee!" Kitsune snickered under her breath. "What a wonderful story! Passion, rivalry! A battle!"
Whether she was reading from the manga or commenting about the events being discussed, is still not clear.
"Not so tightly." Motoko instructed Keitaro on the proper grip on the sword. "Now, begin!"
Keitaro dutifully swung the bokken through the air and halted it parallel to the ground.
"Fair. Motoko observed. "Now do it twenty more."
"When do we get to actual sparring?" Keitaro grimaced at the pain in his arms as he swung the bokken again and again.
"When you have enough control so as not to injure yourself." Motoko's answer was abrupt, and conveyed the seriousness of the situation.
"Oh." Keitaro swung the bokken again.
"Stop." Motoko commanded. "You are straining. Simply will the bokken's path and see what happens."
"It was easier for a little while." Keitaro panted while resting after the exercise.
"Take a bath in the spring. Haruka has already agreed to attend you - and to suspend the house rules." Motoko was all business and a very strict coach.
Neither of them noticed the spying eyes from the edge of the grounds.
"Ouch!" Keitaro groaned with tears coming from his eyes as Motoko grabbed his arm and slowly and painfully twisted it, stretching the muscles. The legs were not much better, as Keitaro had run up and down the steps to the Hina Inn prior to the workout. Even the forearms were carefully checked and painful pressure applied to the muscles there.
As night descended, the calm of the deepening darkness fell upon the Hina Inn. There was a solitary light that burned in the upstairs.
"Tokyo U classes and sword training; I am glad that I chose less than a full schedule." Keitaro closed his books, set the alarm and turned out the light.
Kaintan was a little confused. Keitaro didn't seem to be much of a choice as a husband, but everywhere he went, he was reminded that his rival was well known, if not generally liked. The noodle merchant commented about his kindness to a girl from a broken family. The bathhouse operator's demeanor went colder than rinse water in winter when told about his claim to Motoko. He was unable to find lodging in the town of Hina at all! He traveled to Tokyo to get a room and rest for the night.
Carefully composing his challenge, Kaintan waited for his opportunity to issue it formally. A declaration and personally handing the challange was required by tradition. This would be a problem. Kitsune's eyes and ears were razor sharp. He spotted her looking back at him through binoculars. She had informed Haruka, who had warned him not to return to the property without permission.
"It's deceitful to do this!" Keitaro complained.
"Nonsense!" smiled Kitsune. "Go out the storage tunnel and catch the early train. Once you make it to Tokyo U, the campus police will not let Kaitan wander the grounds. Seta-san has already seen to that." Kitsune winked.
"What about the ride home?" Keitaro rubbed his head as he thought about it.
"Koalla-Su has a nice Mechanical Turtle she will put you in to ride you home, just take the train to her school."
The next week was a series of feints, dodges, red herrings and traps. One afternoon, Mutsumi gingerly was walking across the steam bridge in a full skirt. The hapless Kaitan saw an unusual movement under the skirt, as the trailing edge was obviously covering something quite large.
Kaitan, with the challenge in one hand, threw up the skirt with the other. Sarah McDougal grinned up at him, as his nose began to bleed at the sight of Mutsumi's Liddo panties! The town constable collared the stunned individual, who was still holding the edge of the dress in disbelief. Mutsumi blushed, holding one hand over her underwear and the other hand over her mouth to control her laughter.
There was more training and brief sparring. "I don't expect you to overpower your opponent, just protect yourself." Motoko offered. "An overly aggressive or confident opponent makes mistakes, so I will demonstrated how to exploit those."
"If an opponent rushes you, it is completely proper to sidestep the rush and strike the back of his head while he goes by."
"That could kill him!" Keitaro exclaimed.
"Hai." Motoko's voice dropped. "And if you don't, you will sacrifice our children who have yet to be born."
"Gomen [Sorry]". Keitaro dropped his head and looked at the ground. "But I would rather disable him so that he is unable to continue. He is not being evil, but is trying to due his duty as he thinks best."
"Very well", Motoko raised her bokken. "Prepare yourself."
Motoko's rapid series of strokes quickly overwhelmed Keitaro. A sharp pain on his left shoulder indicated that he had been caught rather sharply. However, Motoko had pulled the stroke.
"That's what to expect."
"Hmmm." Keitaro winced at the pain. "What about the techniques that create tremendous winds from your sword?"
Motoko smiled. "I would teach it all to you if I could. Mental discipline and the joining of the sword to the spirit is required to master that technique. Maybe ten or fifteen years, if you practice for several hours each day."
"You have a solid beginner's foundation, but I must warn you - you are completely outclassed by Kaintan."
"There is no more time, the appointed time approaches. You must accept the challenge, or renounce your promise." Motoko, at that moment looked very vulnerable and extremely pretty.
Keitaro squared his shoulders and marched to the edge of the steam bridge. A figure stood there. In the steam mists, the Hina elders were standing. The Hina elders moved aside to let him pass.
"You have something to say to me?" Keitaro addressed the elder man.
"I challenge you for the woman Motoko." Kaintan spoke the sentence very matter-of-fact and handed the formal written challenge to Keitaro.
"If your challenge fails?" Keitaro sought to clarify the terms.
"You own the contract, and therefore may marry her or release the woman from its terms."
"Weapons?" Kaintan demanded.
"Bokken." Keitaro replied.
Kaintan nodded approval. "Place?"
"Hina Inn grounds. I grant you permission to enter for the battle." Keitaro's throat tightened.
"Time?"
"Sunday morning, eight o'clock. Tomorrow."
"Obviously, you have been training." Kaintan remarked as the two sat down on the bench. "It won't make all that much difference, but I am pleased that you chose to face me. I'll treat her well."
"That is a given. She will accept correction quietly, if she offends you." Keitaro remembered some of the events from around the Inn.
"But if you mistreat her, you will find out just how strong she is!" Keitaro smiled.
"That was mildly rude, even hinting that a groom would mistreat his bride." Kaintan glanced at Keitaro.
"I promised to marry her fifteen years ago, and spent a long time trying to find her!" Keitaro raised his voice slightly.
"Okay, okay, I understand." Kaintan looked rather sad. "It will be over tomorrow."
"Kei-kun?" Mutsumi appeared out of the swirling mists. "I brought some rice balls and tea for you and your friend."
"Here." Mitsumi placed the bento box on the bench and carefully sat down between the two men.
"It's not so important that you can't eat, is it?" Mutsumi laid a napkin in each man's lap and handed each one a rice ball.
"Itadakimasu!" The trio began eating.
[Mutsumi refers to herself by her own name]
"Mutsumi is very glad that you are here." Mutsumi spoke to Kaintan, who was trying hard not to stare at the very noticable cleavage that Mustumi's dress offered.
"Huh? Why is that?" Kaintan shifted his glance towards Mutsumi's face.
"Mutsumi will have a good chance to marry Kei-kun."
Mutsumi placed her hands in her lap. "Does Kaintan like Liddo-kun?"
A spray of tea erupted from Kaintan's nose as he sputtered.
"Liddo-kun always did his best, even when it seemed hopeless." Mitsumi patted he coughing Kaintan on the back as Keitaro tried to understand what was going on. "So, Kei-kun will do his best, too, but will fail in the end."
"Just whose side are you on?" Kaintain muttered under his breath.
"Why do I think that you're omitting something?" Keitaro mused out loud.
The simple meal was over; Mutsumi got up.
"Shinobu-chan confessed to being in love with you, today." Mutsumi offered the news as an afterthought.
"That's my distant cousin Mutsumi-san!" Keitaro explained as the figure disappeared into the mists towards the Hina Inn.
"Strange." Kaintan coughed slightly. "What's Motoko-san got that she doesn't?"
"A promise." Keitaro got up and bowed. "Good night."
Kaintan got up and bowed back. "Good night."
"Rah! Rah! Keitaro! Go!" Koalla-su and Mutsumi dressed in cheerleader outfits waved the decorated fans as Motoko stood with the two opponents.
"Fight until one of you is unwilling or unable to continue." Motoko instructed.
"Excuse me," a familiar voice interrupted. I offer my services as referee."
"Hai! Seta-sensei!" Motoko bowed to the teacher. "Any objections?"
"No." Keitaro looked at Kaitan.
"No." Kaitan echoed.
Seta inspected the bokken. "Okay! Prepare yourselves!"
Keitaro looked as serious as possible with a Hinta Sou headband tied around his head.
Kaitan assumed a fighting stance and positioned his sword.
"Go!" Seta commanded.
Kaitan launched into a flurry of blows that should have injured or knocked down the hapless Keitaro. Just as it seemed that the blow must land, the panicky series of movements by Keitaro blocked or deflected them.
Kaitan retreated and glowered at his opponent. A short swing and he caught the wrist bone of Keitaro's right hand. A short grunt of pain and Keitaro almost dropped the bokken but managed to bring it up to block the next offensive.
"Just defensive. Any more mistakes like that and you won't be able to continue."
Kaitan's moves were strong and methodical. "Just wear him down, then knock him out." He thought. "Motoko will accept me, Keitaro will have lost honorably."
Keitaro retreated under the pressure towards the Inn, but in stepping back, he did not realize that the basement entrance was behind him. Keitaro took a tumble down the steps and landed hard against the door at the bottom. His bokken was at the feet of Kaitan, who stepped over it as he moved in for the finish.
Keitaro turned the knob and the door started to open as Kaitan brought down the bokken. Keitaro's hands snapped to either side of the wooden blade as he fell backwards, jerking the weapon out of Kaitan's hands.
Kaitan reached behind him and picked up the Keitaro's dropped bokken lying there.
"Hee, hee!" Kitsune smiled peering down the stairs at the embarrassed Kaitan. "Don't feel so bad, Motoko had her katana blocked once."
Kaitan's face went bright red as he raced down the stairs and into the hall.
Whap! Kaitan's eyes watered as the pain of his right wrist registered Keitaro's blow.
The dim lights of the basement put Keitaro at an advantage as Kaitan was now practically blind, coming in from the bright sunlight. Shoulder, arm, leg, were struck and Kaitan rushed at Keitaro.
A sharp blow to the back of the head indicated his mistake.
The blindness faded and Kaitan looked carefully at his opponent and stepped back as he checked his head. "You hit with the flat side!"
"This is not play!" Kaitan responded with a series of blows striking Keitaro painfully on the left shoulder.
Keitaro arms began to burn with the pain of constantly moving the bokken to ward off Kaitan's blows. His lungs began to burn as he gasped for air.
"Will the bokken where to go." Motoko's words came to his mind.
Keitaro thought, "Right shoulder."
The bokken landed hard. Kaintan faltered and retreated. Keitaro panted. Keitaro braced for another onslaught as blow after blow began to escape his blocks and landed. The pain of his arms amplified the burning sensation of his screaming muscles as the strokes of his bokken became weaker and weaker.
"It's like fire." His mind reminded him. The Japanese character came to mind.
"No, not like that." He spoke aloud. The ancient form replaced the modern one in his vision.
Keitaro stepped back and his bokken traced the form in the air.
"Hi! [fire] he gasped bringing down the bokken in Kaitan's direction and completing the character.
The small party gasped at the blast and fireball that erupted from the basement entrance.
"It looks like they touched off a gas leak." Haruka ran towards the entrance.
"A very worthy opponent, to have mastered the flame stroke!" Kaitan got to his feet. The blast had knocked down the door to the storage room. He steadied himself placing his hand on the sheeted furniture. "But not effective against an adversary who is not intent on evil!"
Keitaro did not see the blow that caught the top of his head.
Blinded with the blood running into his eyes, he waited for the final blow to come.
There was a brief commotion and Keitaro wiped the blood away from his eyes to reveal a still form half-covered in a sheet on the floor.
"Keitaro!" Haruka looked at Keitaro still standing and Kaitan's still form lying on the floor.
A glowing shadow of blue fire on the far wall contracted within a thread of red flame as if something evil was being consumed.
"It's decided!" Seta announced.
Motoko's eyes dimmed with tears as she watched Haruka assist Keitaro up the stairs. Her eyes quickly widened as Seta and Kentaro carried the still unconscious form of Kaitan up the stairs and laid him out in the grass. Kaintan sat up and nursed a bruised jaw.
Seta studied the contract and glanced up at the squirming Keitaro.
"According to this, you now have the priestess as wife. Upon your marriage, you have the right to the chief position on the ruling council." Seta bowed a little more deeply than expected.
"Are you mocking me?" Keitaro exclaimed.
"Not at all," Seta replied looking at him with a gentle smile. "Since this concerns my village!"
"I see, that's why Kaintan accepted you as referee."
"Yes." Seta continued. "By the way, the guests are already here, when is the wedding going to start?"
"Not quite, where is Marie?"
"Keitaro!" Shinobu shouted. "Come quickly, it's terrible!"
Keitaro turned and ran towards a waving Shinobu.
"In here." Shinobu pointed towards the seated figure in the storeroom.
"Did we damage Moe?" Keitaro asked.
"You mean Marie." Shinobu then put her hand to her mouth, as Keitaro went pale, finally recognizing the terrible truth.
"Then who was here?"
"Naru." Shinobu whispered the name. "She was possessed by the ghost of that island. Motoko injured it terribly, but it occupied Naru and gradually grew strong enough to control her."
"The elders confined her in this form until someone had the strength to destroy the ghost and free her."
"But that means..." Keitaro realized what had happened. The flame stroke had destroyed the ghost. During the struggle Kaintan had placed his hand on Naru's thigh. Without thinking, Naru had punched Kaintan in the face for touching her in such a manner.
"I have to tell them- that Kaintan surely won. I couldn't fight any more. I was waiting for him to hit me again when it happened."
"Don't!" Shinobu cried. "Even if it means losing you, I would rather it be to Motoko. Don't break her heart." Shinobu's face began to stream tears which dripped off her chin.
"And what happens to Shinobu-kun?" Keitaro asked quietly.
"It's ok. I'll meet someone who is kind and gentle. I still need to finish school, so I'll focus on that." Shinobu's tears had begun to dry and her face brightened slightly. "By the way, Marie left letters for you and Motoko in the event of her leaving."
"I am sorry about all this," Keitaro suddenly approached and put his arms around Shinobu.
It was not a intimate hug, but a comforting one. Shinobu ear listened to the quiet beat of Keitaro's heart for about a minute. Then he broke the embrace.
"Thank you, Kei-oni-chan."[Big brother Kei]." Shinobu spoke. "Let's get you to the wedding."
End