-Ten-Faced Paladin
Love Hina Redux
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 17: A Journey of Sorrow and Youth
At Hinata House, everyone was tense. Keitaro had come back a day after failing his entrance exams and reporting his failure. He also was in the lowest of moods because of a fight he had with Naru. He had actually broke down crying and of all people, Motoko was comforting him. The semi-romantic moment was broken when the phone rang and Shinobu had answered it. It was a shock to all when it turned out to be Naru.
"Naru!" Shinobu gasped. "Where are you? We're all worried about you."
Shinobu fell silent again as Naru gave her reply. Everyone had crowded around her, trying to hear what their missing friend was saying.
"Shinkansen!" Shinobu gasped. "Naru, are you leaving us?"
Keitaro thought he swallowed a hot coal. The guilt he felt earlier suddenly seemed to grow to the size of a mountain in the span off one second. Kitsune saw his face and she gently took his hand.
"Don't worry Keitaro," she whispered as he looked to her. "If I know Naru then she isn't running away."
"We already know about the results," Shinobu reported. "Sempai told us what happened."
Naru's voice grew louder. She seemed to be shocked by what she was hearing, but no one could figure out what she was saying.
"Yes, Sempai told us that part too," Shinobu spoke again. "He feels really awful about it too."
Naru's voice calmed down. Shinobu looked solemn as she listened. After another minute, she started getting upset.
"Naru! No! Wait!" she cried before she stopped suddenly and put the phone back on the hook. "She hung up."
Everyone stared at the youngest tennant pointedly. Shinobu looked at the ground for a moment before she looked at everyone again.
"Naru's on the Shinkansen," Shinobu explained. "She says that she's going to see Kyoto for a while."
She then turned to Keitaro, who was looking like he swallowed a second hot coal. Kitsune had a grip on his hand, but it wasn't making him calm down.
"Naru says she's not upset with you," Shinobu explained to him. "She said that she deserved what you said to her. She doesn't think she can face you right now though."
Keitaro looked at the ground, hiding his face. Kitsune gave his hand an affectionate squeeze, still trying to cheer him up. Motoko even stepped closer to him, trying to read his emotions.
"Urashima?" she asked uncertainly.
"I gotta go find her," Keitaro mumbled quietly.
He gently reclaimed his hand from Kitsune's and began running for the stairs up to his room. Everyone looked at each other for a moment. Then, as if by some unheard signal, they all chased him.
They stopped at his room to find him filling the travel bag he brought to Hinata House with a few clothes and some supplies.
"Urashima," Motoko spoke first. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going after her." he replied, as if it was no big deal. "She's out there really hurting and I'm not about to let her stay that way."
"Just how are you going to find her?" Kitsune asked skeptically.
"I dunno," Keitaro shrugged. "I'll just have to look the old fashioned way."
Kitsune shook her head as she walked over to Keitaro. She grabbed his arm to catch his attention.
"Are you serious?" she asked incrediously. "Do you know how big Kyoto is?"
"I still have to try," Keitaro frowned sadly. "I'm the one who pushed her to this. Like I said, I can't just let her stay that way."
Kitsune let go of Keitaro's arm. A kind of gentle smile started coming over her face. Her eyes even opened slightly.
"Can't talk you out of it can we?" she asked.
"You can't stop me. You can only hope to slow me down," Keitaro replied with a smile.
Kitsune nodded, "Then I guess I'll just have to go with you."
Keitaro stopped packing and everyone's eyes turned into saucers. Everyone was shocked hear Kitsune's little announcemnt.
"Eh?" Keitaro gasped in confusion.
"I said I'm coming too," Kitsune repeated. "If Naru's in Kyoto then I think I have a pretty good idea where she's headed. Besides, I know her better than anyone here so who better to help you?"
"Well...I guess you've got a point," Keitaro replied while rubbing the back of his neck.
Kitsune smirked in amusement. Keitaro knew she was right, but he really didn't want to get the other girls involved in his mess.
'Then again,' his mind reasoned. 'Kitsune is Naru's best friend. She does have a stake in this when I think about it.'
"Well," Keitaro spoke out loud. "I guess then you should get packing. If we miss the train then Naru is going to get a big lead on us."
"I'll be ready in the blink of an eye," Kitsune smiled. 'This is going to be fun!'
Before she could even get to her room. Motoko stepped past the two younger tennants.
"If you two are going then I will too," she announced.
Everyone froze on the spot. Their eyes had grown to the size of saucers again with Motoko's words. Keitaro was the first one to regain his composure.
"You too?" Keitaro gaped. "Now come on Motoko, you don't have to."
"Naru is my friend as much as yours Urashima," Motoko replied sharply. "Shouldn't I also be concerned for her safety?"
"Well..Uh," Keitaro began while rubbing his neck again.
"Then it is decided," Motoko nodded. "I shall accompany you to Kyoto as well.
While the two of them were talking, Kitsune watched with her right eye opened slightly and a dissappointed frown on her face.
'Nuts,' she thought. 'There go my plans. Ah well, Naru's more important anyway.'
"Okay, okay," Keitaro sighed in defeat. "Can we just get going?"
Motoko nodded as she went out the door. Kitsune followed quickly as she headed for her room.
Su looked around in a confused gaze, "Where's everyone goin'?"
Shinobu sighed as she went over to Keitaro and tried to help him pack.
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At the door to Hinata House, Kitsune, Keitaro and Motoko were all getting their shoes on. Both Keitaro and Kitsune were sporting backpacks while Motoko was sporting a travelling bag and a hat to shade her head. She was still wearing her training clothes as well. Shinobu and Su were trying to convince the older tennants to let them to come along.
"But-but Sempai," Shinobu sputtered worriedly.
"Shinobu," Keitaro explained. "We need someone to stay here in case Naru calls again."
Su was currently capturing Motoko in one of her bear hugs.
"Seeyas Motoko!" she smiled. "I'll sleep with Shinobu till you get back. Remember, bring back some food!"
"Fine Su," Motoko sighed in annoyance. "Just let me go already."
Su leaped down with a giggle. Keitaro finished trying his shoes before turning to both the younger tennants.
"Remember," he spoke. "We'll call in every so often so if Naru calls again then let us know."
"Aye aye sir!" Su saluted with a smile.
"I will Sempai," Shinobu nodded.
Keitaro nodded, "Good. We'll see you later and we'll have Naru too."
With that and a wave,the Naru recovery party was off. Keitaro hefted his travel bag as he looked at Kitsune.
"So, just what makes you so sure that you know where Naru's heading?" asked Keitaro.
"I'm glad you asked me that Keitaro," Kitsune answered as she flashed her foxy smile "I happen to have in my bag a map of Naru's route."
"Stop speaking foolishness Kitsune," Motoko frowned. "Do you know or not?"
Kitsune reached into her bag and pulled out a travel guide. It had a couple of pictures of Kyoto on it.
"I have a couple of these stashed away for a rainy day," Kitsune explained. "When I heard Naru was in Kyoto, this came to mind. I checked and sure enough, one was missing."
"Then Naru came home last night?" Keitaro asked, slightly shocked.
"I can only guess so," Kitsune shrugged. "Snuck right past us and got her things before leaving. She's good."
"Most of us had various amounts of sake as well," Motoko pointed out. "It was your decision to start the party early."
"Ah well," Kitsune shrugged. "Details details. We'd better get going. Otherwise we're going to miss Naru."
Keitaro nodded. When they reached the bottom they immediately made a break for the train station. If they didn't hurry then they weren't going to make it. Naru would probably be on her way to Kyoto.
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Naru sat on her train seat with a depressed look on her face. She felt like crap and looked pretty close to it. She was majorly depressed because she had failed her entrance exams. Two years down the drain. It only got worse when she got in that pointless fight with Keitaro.
Naru cringed when she remmbered it. What Keitaro had said to her really hurt. It only hurt that much worse when she realised she deserved it.
'How could I say that to him?' Naru thought as tears came to her eyes again. 'I've been trying for two years but he's been at it for fifteen! He was doing it for a dear friend too!'
Naru sank into her seat as her heart seemed to sink even lower. She felt like one of the worst people on the planet. To just laugh at someone's dream like that when she wasn't much better. Some friend she was.
"Get a grip girl," Naru sighed to herself as she stood up. "Some time in Kyoto will help you recover and figure out how to apologize to Keitaro."
Sighing, Naru got out of her seat and headed for the bathrooms. Her face felt dirty from all the crying she did and she wanted to wash up. She also needed to use the bathroom. She trekked her way in and removed her glasses as she stepped inside.
After she stepped inside, Three more passengers stepped onto the train. Motoko, Kitsune, and Keitaro to be exact.
"Okay," Keitaro spoke. "The train hasn't left yet so Naru should still be on board."
"I will check the front cars," Motoko reported before heading down the aisle.
"I'll take the back ones," Kitsune shrugged. "You stay here in case she comes through again."
"Uh...sure," Keitaro nodded. "No problem."
Kitsune vanished through the door to the back cars while Keitaro positioned himself near the telephones.
"Aww, Naru," he sighed to himself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that at you. I'm not even angry at you anymore. I just want to be sure that you're okay."
He heard the sound of flushing behind him and reasoned that someone ust be coming out of the washroom. He didn't consider that it was Naru and also, gessing with his luck, decided that there was no way that Naru would be so close.
Naru stepped out of the bathroom after washing her face and taking a potty break. She looked and saw a guy leaning on the wall by the telephones.
'He must be waiting for someone,' Naru reasoned to herself.
She sighed again before starting to return to her seat. As she was right behind the guy, the train gave a lurch as it prepared to leave. Naru staggered forward and crashed into the guy.
"Waagh!" the guy cried in surprise.
Both of them crashed to the ground with a thump. Naru's glasses fell off and skidded to the side somewhere. Everything became all fuzzy for her as she sat up and tried to look at the poor guy she hit.
"Oh!" Naru gasped. "I'm so sorry!"
A train began running by as the guy made his reply. Naru couldn't hear a single word he said.
"Pardon?" she asked.
"I said don't worry about it," the guy said, a smile in his voice. "It's no big deal. Uh...could you help me find my glasses though?"
Naru thought she recognised his voice. It sounded so familiar to her. She just wasn't sure where she could have heard it before.
"Sure," Naru agreed. "Um...you travelling alone?"
"Me?" the guy asked. "I'd prefer to right now, but I have two friends with me."
Now Naru was curious. The guy seemed so friendly and nice. Why would he want to travel alone?
"Why alone?" Naru asked while she got on her knees and began searching for her glasses.
"For something stupid I did in Tokyo and I'm trying to fix." he sighed. "I got in a fight with this girl in Tokyo. I said some things I didn't mean and now I just want to find her and apologize for them."
"Really?" Naru asked. "That's just like me. I said some dumb thigs to this boy who was nothing but nice to me. He then really snapped on me. I deserved it too. I'm just heading away for a while, trying to figure out how to apologize to him."
"Guess that puts us in the same boat huh?" the guy asked with a laugh.
"Comrades in arms," Naru giggled.
'He's really nice,' Naru thought with a smile. 'I wonder if he's cute.'
Naru felt her hands fall on a pair of glasses. She gripped them and found that they were hers. At the same time, she saw the guy pick up what must have been his glasses. They both slipped their glasses on at the same time and glanced at each other.
She found herself looking at Keitaro.
"K-Keitaro?" she asked, feeling her emotions rise again.
"Naru?" Keitaro gasped.
Naru felt tears coming back to her eyes again by seeing his face. What was he doing here? Was he looking for her? Forgetting what he just told her a moment ago. Naru began runing for her seat.
"Naru! Wait!" Keitaro shouted behind her as he gave chase.
"Leave me alone!" Naru shrieked. "Why are you even here?"
"Naru I just wanted to say-" Keitaro began.
"No!" Naru cried. "Don't try to apoligize to me! Why are you being so nice! Why don't you hate me!"
"Naru...," Keitaro tried to speak.
Naru wasn't about to stand there and hear it. She started running for th exit. Keitaro gave chase after her. Naru reached the door way and leaped out of it.
"Naru!" Keitaro shouted as the doors shut, his face slamming into it. "Ow!"
Keitaro slammed his fist onto the door as the train began to move. He watched Naru fade away into the distance as the train. He rubbed his jaw as he moved to get to his seat.
"Dammit," he sighed. "I was so close."
The door opened and Motoko stepped onto the car again. She glanced at Keitaro and saw his face. It had a strange impression on it and he was looking depressed.
"Urashima?" she asked. "Did something happen?"
"Found Naru," Keitaro sighed as he sank into his seat. "She got away though."
Motoko sighed as she took the seat next to him, "Were you able to apolgise to her?"
"No," Keitaro muttered. "She didn't give me the chance. She just shouted that I wasn't the one who needed to apologize and she ran from the train."
"So what do we do now?" Motoko asked curiously.
Keitaro turned his gaze to the window, "Well, we'll have to get off where the travel guide said to. We can wait for Naru to arrive there I guess. Though if she guesses that we're going to be there then there's no telling where she'll end up."
Motoko nodded solemnly. It was admirable to see how far Keitaro would go to help someone. The way he was going about trying to cheer Naru up was incredibly kind-hearted. Motoko couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards Naru. Keitaro was so worried about her and she couldn't see how much he was hurting.
Suddenly, Kitsune sauntered into view from the back cars.
"Hey you two," she smiled. "I miss anything good?"
To Be Continued
A/N: There you go everyone. Chapter 17 is ready for viewing. I hope you all enjoy this. it's the beginning of the recovery trip and almost all the teams are out. Naru is going by herself while Keitaro is being accompanied by Kitsune and Motoko. I'm not about to leave Shinobu and Su out of this either. You know, Mutsumi is scheduled to make an appearance soon so watch out for her.