Love Hina – Peril
Fanfic by Steven Biggs
Chapter Four – Mingled Hearts
Wednesday Night.
She looks at Naru and Motoko.
"I will help him. But who will pay the price?"
Moe stands before them, except she is no longer a mannequin. Somehow, she has gained the form of a young woman. Naru stares at her.
"Whatever the price is, it's worth Keitaro's life!"
"Are you prepared, without even knowing the cost?"
Motoko stands next to Naru.
"He is Urashima and no price is too high for him."
Moe bows her head.
"It has been painful, the many times I have given of myself to preserve him. I risked much when I separated, however briefly, to bring my mannequin form to life. If he had suffered serious injury then, I may not have been able to reunite in time to save him."
She smiles at the memory.
"Yet, it was pleasant to spend time as myself with you all. To know that you could show me compassion, even when you did not understand me. For that, I was glad to bear the burden."
Her smile fades and flames leap from her eyes.
"However, even after professing your love for Keitaro, you still seek to harm him! Why? Why would you do such a thing?"
She points a finger at Motoko.
"You share an equality of the blame. I know your feelings as well. Only by a chance of fate did you lose to Narusegawa. His feelings for you run very deep."
Naru turns to Motoko. The sword master stares at the table. Moe places her hands to her breast as a tear falls from her eye.
"How could you hurt him? I do not understand!"
Naru and Motoko stand silently, unable to answer Moe's accusation. Suddenly, Moe looks to the left and her eyes widen.
"I have been distracted! Keitaro is failing! I cannot allow that to happen. I must return to him, for my powers cannot work from this great a distance!"
Hearing her words, Motoko grabs her hand and runs for the exit.
"Your price shall be met! Urashima cannot perish!"
Naru grabs her other hand, and they rush back to the inn.
On the table, Keitaro's body continues to shiver but it is obvious to all the girls that his strength is fading quickly. Haruka places her hands on his cheeks as gasps escape his lips.
"Hold on Keitaro! Don't give up! Please!"
Kitsune, tears streaming down her cheeks, holds Shinobu so that she will not see Keitaro's last struggle.
"Close your eyes, Shinobu-chan! Oh, Keitaro-san!!!"
"Aaauuuu! Sempai I, I, I love you!!!"
Mutsumi pulls Su to her breast and turns away.
"Oh, oh my! Kei-kun!!"
Sobs rack Su's body.
"K-keitarooooooooooooooo!!!"
Hikari reaches into her bag and slowly pulls out a small bottle and a syringe.
"H-Haruka-san. I, I can ease his pain. There is no more that I can do. However, only a relative can authorize this act."
Haruka turns her tear-filled eyes to the doctor. She looks towards the door, waiting for Naru to appear. Seconds pass without any sign of her return. Her face winces as if she is being tortured and her voice hisses between her lips.
"Do it!"
The doctor nods and bows her head. Slowly, she fills the syringe. Kitsune pulls Shinobu tightly against her as she watches the needle enter Keitaro's arm. Her scream echoes through Hinata-sou.
"KEITARO!!!"
Keitaro slowly relaxes as the liquid spreads though his body. Hikari gently pulls the tube from his mouth.
"I am, sorry, Kei-Kei."
His eyes open slightly as his head rolls to the side.
"Na-naru-sega-gawa . . . . ."
The sound of footsteps running through the inn causes the girls to look at the door. Naru and Motoko rush through with Moe between them. Moe pulls her hands free and looks at Keitaro and then the doctor.
"What have you done? This is too much!"
Haruka stares at her.
"Is that Moe? What is she doing here?"
Naru rushes over to the table to be next to Keitaro.
"She was the other Keitaro! She's going to try to help him!"
Moe staggers next to the table and looks at Keitaro. Quickly, she places her hand on his chest. A cry escapes her lips and she steps back.
"No! It is too much! It will destroy all that I am! I do not wish to die!"
She looks down at Keitaro's face.
"Yet, you cannot be lost. You fulfilled your promise to me when the others failed! You are too dear to me, and I cannot abandon you now. Dearest Keitaro, please do not forget me."
Moe closes her eyes and places her both hands upon his chest. Tears fall down her cheeks as pain furrows her brow. He body shudders as if being struck by invisible blows. In a scared, childlike voice, Moe whispers.
"It hurts! It hurts!"
Another hand gently covers hers, causing her to look up. Naru smiles at Moe.
"As I agreed, I will share this price with you."
"N-narusegawa."
Motoko reaches over and adds her hand.
"For Urashima, I will also pay the cost."
One by one, the rest of the girls reach out and touch Moe.
Seconds slowly slide by, becoming minutes, then hours. The night passes.
Thursday Morning.
Keitaro slowly sits up and holds his head.
"Oh, what a headache!"
He looks around the room.
"Where is everybody? Hello, is anyone here?"
A sound on the floor causes him to look over the edge of the table. Slowly, the girls begin to stir. Kitsune looks up. Her eyes go wide and she struggles to her feet.
"Keitaro-san! Ya'll are alive!"
Haruka grabs the edge of the table and pulls herself up. A smile brightens her face as she sees her nephew.
"You really had us scared for a while."
Shinobu, knowing what will happen, wraps her arms around Su's neck and is carried onto the table when she leaps.
"Sempai!"
"Keitaro!"
The others also rise and rush to the table. They touch the manager, just to feel that he is real. Keitaro smiles and returns their embraces.
"I thought I was a goner when I saw those two Mecha-Tamas and Motoko coming at me. I knew that I'd be in for it when I saw Narusegawa in her underwear."
He looks around.
"Where are Narusegawa and Motoko-chan anyway?"
Mutsumi walks in from the kitchen carrying a plate of sliced watermelon.
"Oh my. They were with Moe and followed her outside a little while ago. Do you think that they went to the hot spring for a morning bath?"
"Moe? I thought that she stopped moving months ago. What's she doing here?"
Haruka helps Keitaro off the table.
"Moe is, was your doppelganger."
In an instant, Keitaro bursts into motion, scattering chairs as he rushes for the door. Before he can make a heroic exit, he trips and falls, dragging Shinobu's skirt to her knees. He quickly gets back on his feet, bowing as he backs through the door.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Aaauuuuu!"
Haruka shakes her head.
"That is definitely the real Keitaro."
Kitsune looks at the door.
"Don't ya'll think we should follow him?
Su shakes her head and walk into the kitchen in search of bananas.
"Nah, Video-Tama is still programmed to follow him. We can track Keitaro from here. He'll probably be safer without us tagging along."
Hikari moves next to Mutsumi.
"When you saw them, did it appear that Naru and Motoko were being coerced?"
Mutsumi shakes her head.
"No, not really. They actually seemed to be rather friendly."
"Then I suppose it should be relatively safe for Keitaro to proceed on his own."
Keitaro runs back to the building where Moe held him prisoner. As he reaches the steps, he slows down. Peeking inside the door, he sees no sign of the three girls so he steps inside and makes his way to the room down the hallway. Quietly, he moves to the door and looks inside. In the darkness, he makes out a single figure standing in the room. It is difficult to tell who it is until he notices the long, straight hair.
"Motoko-chan? Are you all right? Where's Narusegawa?"
The figure, holding a sword, turns and slowly walks towards him and he hears Naru speak.
"I am here."
"Narusegawa?"
Keitaro backs up into the hallway. As the figure moves into the light his mouth drops open and he stares at the woman.
"Oh my god! Wh-wh-what happened?"
The woman standing before him appears, at first glance, to be the resident sword master Motoko. Except her face, hair color and voice are Naru's. And her eyes, her eyes are Moe's.
Naru's voice, strangely yet pleasantly harmonized, speaks once again, causing Keitaro to fall to his knees.
"We are all here, Urashima Keitaro, my love."
End of Chapter Four.
Fanfic by Steven Biggs
Chapter Four – Mingled Hearts
Wednesday Night.
She looks at Naru and Motoko.
"I will help him. But who will pay the price?"
Moe stands before them, except she is no longer a mannequin. Somehow, she has gained the form of a young woman. Naru stares at her.
"Whatever the price is, it's worth Keitaro's life!"
"Are you prepared, without even knowing the cost?"
Motoko stands next to Naru.
"He is Urashima and no price is too high for him."
Moe bows her head.
"It has been painful, the many times I have given of myself to preserve him. I risked much when I separated, however briefly, to bring my mannequin form to life. If he had suffered serious injury then, I may not have been able to reunite in time to save him."
She smiles at the memory.
"Yet, it was pleasant to spend time as myself with you all. To know that you could show me compassion, even when you did not understand me. For that, I was glad to bear the burden."
Her smile fades and flames leap from her eyes.
"However, even after professing your love for Keitaro, you still seek to harm him! Why? Why would you do such a thing?"
She points a finger at Motoko.
"You share an equality of the blame. I know your feelings as well. Only by a chance of fate did you lose to Narusegawa. His feelings for you run very deep."
Naru turns to Motoko. The sword master stares at the table. Moe places her hands to her breast as a tear falls from her eye.
"How could you hurt him? I do not understand!"
Naru and Motoko stand silently, unable to answer Moe's accusation. Suddenly, Moe looks to the left and her eyes widen.
"I have been distracted! Keitaro is failing! I cannot allow that to happen. I must return to him, for my powers cannot work from this great a distance!"
Hearing her words, Motoko grabs her hand and runs for the exit.
"Your price shall be met! Urashima cannot perish!"
Naru grabs her other hand, and they rush back to the inn.
On the table, Keitaro's body continues to shiver but it is obvious to all the girls that his strength is fading quickly. Haruka places her hands on his cheeks as gasps escape his lips.
"Hold on Keitaro! Don't give up! Please!"
Kitsune, tears streaming down her cheeks, holds Shinobu so that she will not see Keitaro's last struggle.
"Close your eyes, Shinobu-chan! Oh, Keitaro-san!!!"
"Aaauuuu! Sempai I, I, I love you!!!"
Mutsumi pulls Su to her breast and turns away.
"Oh, oh my! Kei-kun!!"
Sobs rack Su's body.
"K-keitarooooooooooooooo!!!"
Hikari reaches into her bag and slowly pulls out a small bottle and a syringe.
"H-Haruka-san. I, I can ease his pain. There is no more that I can do. However, only a relative can authorize this act."
Haruka turns her tear-filled eyes to the doctor. She looks towards the door, waiting for Naru to appear. Seconds pass without any sign of her return. Her face winces as if she is being tortured and her voice hisses between her lips.
"Do it!"
The doctor nods and bows her head. Slowly, she fills the syringe. Kitsune pulls Shinobu tightly against her as she watches the needle enter Keitaro's arm. Her scream echoes through Hinata-sou.
"KEITARO!!!"
Keitaro slowly relaxes as the liquid spreads though his body. Hikari gently pulls the tube from his mouth.
"I am, sorry, Kei-Kei."
His eyes open slightly as his head rolls to the side.
"Na-naru-sega-gawa . . . . ."
The sound of footsteps running through the inn causes the girls to look at the door. Naru and Motoko rush through with Moe between them. Moe pulls her hands free and looks at Keitaro and then the doctor.
"What have you done? This is too much!"
Haruka stares at her.
"Is that Moe? What is she doing here?"
Naru rushes over to the table to be next to Keitaro.
"She was the other Keitaro! She's going to try to help him!"
Moe staggers next to the table and looks at Keitaro. Quickly, she places her hand on his chest. A cry escapes her lips and she steps back.
"No! It is too much! It will destroy all that I am! I do not wish to die!"
She looks down at Keitaro's face.
"Yet, you cannot be lost. You fulfilled your promise to me when the others failed! You are too dear to me, and I cannot abandon you now. Dearest Keitaro, please do not forget me."
Moe closes her eyes and places her both hands upon his chest. Tears fall down her cheeks as pain furrows her brow. He body shudders as if being struck by invisible blows. In a scared, childlike voice, Moe whispers.
"It hurts! It hurts!"
Another hand gently covers hers, causing her to look up. Naru smiles at Moe.
"As I agreed, I will share this price with you."
"N-narusegawa."
Motoko reaches over and adds her hand.
"For Urashima, I will also pay the cost."
One by one, the rest of the girls reach out and touch Moe.
Seconds slowly slide by, becoming minutes, then hours. The night passes.
Thursday Morning.
Keitaro slowly sits up and holds his head.
"Oh, what a headache!"
He looks around the room.
"Where is everybody? Hello, is anyone here?"
A sound on the floor causes him to look over the edge of the table. Slowly, the girls begin to stir. Kitsune looks up. Her eyes go wide and she struggles to her feet.
"Keitaro-san! Ya'll are alive!"
Haruka grabs the edge of the table and pulls herself up. A smile brightens her face as she sees her nephew.
"You really had us scared for a while."
Shinobu, knowing what will happen, wraps her arms around Su's neck and is carried onto the table when she leaps.
"Sempai!"
"Keitaro!"
The others also rise and rush to the table. They touch the manager, just to feel that he is real. Keitaro smiles and returns their embraces.
"I thought I was a goner when I saw those two Mecha-Tamas and Motoko coming at me. I knew that I'd be in for it when I saw Narusegawa in her underwear."
He looks around.
"Where are Narusegawa and Motoko-chan anyway?"
Mutsumi walks in from the kitchen carrying a plate of sliced watermelon.
"Oh my. They were with Moe and followed her outside a little while ago. Do you think that they went to the hot spring for a morning bath?"
"Moe? I thought that she stopped moving months ago. What's she doing here?"
Haruka helps Keitaro off the table.
"Moe is, was your doppelganger."
In an instant, Keitaro bursts into motion, scattering chairs as he rushes for the door. Before he can make a heroic exit, he trips and falls, dragging Shinobu's skirt to her knees. He quickly gets back on his feet, bowing as he backs through the door.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Aaauuuuu!"
Haruka shakes her head.
"That is definitely the real Keitaro."
Kitsune looks at the door.
"Don't ya'll think we should follow him?
Su shakes her head and walk into the kitchen in search of bananas.
"Nah, Video-Tama is still programmed to follow him. We can track Keitaro from here. He'll probably be safer without us tagging along."
Hikari moves next to Mutsumi.
"When you saw them, did it appear that Naru and Motoko were being coerced?"
Mutsumi shakes her head.
"No, not really. They actually seemed to be rather friendly."
"Then I suppose it should be relatively safe for Keitaro to proceed on his own."
Keitaro runs back to the building where Moe held him prisoner. As he reaches the steps, he slows down. Peeking inside the door, he sees no sign of the three girls so he steps inside and makes his way to the room down the hallway. Quietly, he moves to the door and looks inside. In the darkness, he makes out a single figure standing in the room. It is difficult to tell who it is until he notices the long, straight hair.
"Motoko-chan? Are you all right? Where's Narusegawa?"
The figure, holding a sword, turns and slowly walks towards him and he hears Naru speak.
"I am here."
"Narusegawa?"
Keitaro backs up into the hallway. As the figure moves into the light his mouth drops open and he stares at the woman.
"Oh my god! Wh-wh-what happened?"
The woman standing before him appears, at first glance, to be the resident sword master Motoko. Except her face, hair color and voice are Naru's. And her eyes, her eyes are Moe's.
Naru's voice, strangely yet pleasantly harmonized, speaks once again, causing Keitaro to fall to his knees.
"We are all here, Urashima Keitaro, my love."
End of Chapter Four.