Fanfic by Steven Biggs
Chapter Eight – Wreckage
Friday Afternoon.
Keitaro, wearing the tattered remains of the turtle-suit, sits in the Tea Shop sipping a glass of tea as Haruka watches him from across the table. He shakes his head and looks into his cup.
"Well, that was a disaster. The turtle-suit was definitely the wrong idea. I thought it was bad when Narusegawa and Motoko-chan double-teamed me before, but when Maru hit me with a Naru-punch followed by the kendo stick I thought I was a goner!"
Haruka shakes her head.
"Sorry about that. I was 'almost' certain that it would work out. I guess that Motoko is more afraid of turtles than I thought. How'd you finally manage to get away from her?"
Keitaro reaches next to the table and lifts a cooking pot.
"It turns out that Tama-chan is even more afraid of the stew pot than Motoko-chan is afraid of her. Maru won't even come near me as long as I keep this around."
"Where is Maru now?"
"The last I saw, she was in the hot spring with a box of rice crackers and a bunch of bananas. That and a large bottle of sake seem to be keeping her calm for now. What am I going to do?"
Haruka is silent for a few moments then, nodding to herself, she looks at her nephew.
"I have another idea. It may be a lot riskier than the turtle suit, because I'm not sure how Maru will react."
"I don't see how anything could be worse than that."
"Hear me out. We need to find something that will make Motoko completely forget about Tama-chan, while at the same time finding the one thing that Maru fears the most. I can only think of one thing and I've already made a phone call for help."
Keitaro scratches his head.
"I don't think that Maru herself is afraid of anything. She has the combined will of all of the girls. What did you do, call an exorcist or something?"
Haruka smiles deviously.
"Not exactly. I arranged to get you a wife."
Keitaro nods his head.
"Oh, that's good. . . A WIFE? Wh-why would I want to get m-m-married at a time like this?"
Haruka adjusts her cigarette holder and places her hands on the table.
"My plan is to make Maru think that you've chosen another woman. As I see it, the girls won't have any reason to stay merged if Maru thinks she lost you."
He scratches his head again.
"Well, I guess that makes sense, at least as much as the turtle suit did. Who in the world did you find to act as my wife?"
"Amalla-san."
"Oh, that's good. . . AMALLA-SAN? Sh-she's Su's sister for c-c-crying-out-loud! I remember what that alligator of her's almost done to me last time!"
"Can you think of anyone else that stands a chance against Maru? We need someone that's just loaded with sex appeal."
A drop of blood drips from his nostril as Keitaro thinks about Su's older sister.
"Well, she does have that jungle kind of thing going for her. No one else around here is even in the same league."
Haruka crosses her arms.
"What am I, sashimi?"
AN: Sashimi is raw, sliced fish. Haruka's reference is like saying 'What am I, chopped liver?' SB
Keitaro places a hand on the back of his head.
"Well, uh, I guess that you're kind of okay, for an older sort of women that is, Aunt Haruka."
His body hurls through the door after Haruka smashes him with a large paper fan. She taps her foot on the floor and stares at the door.
"Why did he try to answer that question? Doesn't he know that no possible answer he'd give would be correct?"
She leans out the door.
"And that's Haruka-san, not Aunt Haruka!"
Keitaro rubs his head as he walks back into the teashop. He sits at the table and wraps his hands around his glass.
"What are we going to do about Maru until Amalla-san gets here? It's a long way from her homeland. I don't think I can survive a couple more days like this."
A voice at the door causes him to spin in his seat. Tea shoots from his mouth as he recognizes the speaker.
"Ya don't need to worry 'bout that, Kaytro! I'm here and ready to get this show on the highway!"
"A-a-amalla-san! H-how did you get here so fast?"
Haruka scratches her cheek.
"I uh, forgot to mention that she was staying at her old apartment. It seems that she's in Japan on some business for her royal family."
Amalla smiles as she walks next to Keitaro, standing with her hands behind her. She is dressed in her normal, low-cut clothing.
"I just gots in today. I wrote Haruka and asked of her if I could use the hot spring while I was here. It looks like I came in the Saint Nick of time."
Keitaro stares at her. She tilts her head.
"I'm sorry that Shiro couldn't make it. We aint allowed to bring pets on business trips ya know. He really misses ya, Kaytro."
Amalla stares at him and continues to smile.
Keitaro slowly edges away from her.
Amalla slowly moves closer to him.
Keitaro stands and backs up against the wall.
"It's not your pet alligator that scares me."
She crosses her arms and scowls at him.
"What's the matter jack? I'm here to help ya and you aint even gonna say howdy!"
Keitaro relaxes slightly.
"Oh, I'm sorry! It's nice to see you again Amalla-san."
She smiles sweetly at him and then raises her hands to pin him against the wall.
"That's better. Now how about a real welcome? Kiss me!"
Keitaro, unable to move his arms, shakes his head from side to side.
"Oh god! She hasn't changed one bit!"
Amalla smiles at him and slowly bats her eyelids.
"Just think of me as a kissin' cousin."
Keitaro averts his gaze and looks down. Blood drips from his nose as he is rewarded with an outstanding view of Amalla's cleavage. She leans close and looks at him.
"Hey, you're nose is starting to drip really bad. Ya is thinking bad thoughts, aint ya Kaytro?"
"N-no! I'm, ah, it's just that, uh, well, you know!"
Amalla leans back and smiles.
"So, what do ya needs me here for?"
Keitaro turns his head and looks at Haruka.
"Didn't you tell her?"
His aunt shakes her head.
"She didn't give me a chance. As soon as I said that you needed her help, she dropped the phone and headed right over. Why don't you tell her now?"
"How am I supposed to come right out and tell Amalla-san that we have to get married?"
Amalla grabs his head and turns it back to her.
"Married? This is so sudden! I'm surprised that you is so bold, Kaytro! I thought that you were kinda wimpy, but I guess there's a really throbbing tiger in ya after all! I accept!"
Keitaro shakes his head.
"No! You don't understand! That's not exactly what I meant!"
She knots her fingers in his collar.
"Whatcha trying to do? Ya aint backin' out on your proposal, are ya Jack?"
"Haruka-san, help me!"
A few minutes and a glass of tea later, Amalla nods her head.
"I see. Ya needs me to help gets the others back to normal."
She stands up and cracks her knuckles as a smile spreads her lips.
"I'm just the person for the job! Ya done right in calling me, Haruka-san. I'll go right up there and fix this Maru gal up but good!"
Keitaro jumps up and grabs Amalla's arm.
"You're not supposed to try to hurt her! We just want your help to take them apart!"
Amalla stares at him.
"Aint that the same thing?"
He shakes his head.
"Let me say it this way. We need to separate them back into their own selves."
Amalla returns to her seat.
"Why didn't ya just say so?"
"I did."
The woman from Molmol sips her tea.
"Where I come from, separate and take apart are two completely different things. Well, how hard can it be?"
The manager leans closer.
"So, you'll help us?"
"I needs to check this Maru gal out first. You said that a spirit called Moe is behind this?"
Haruka nods her head.
"She is a doll spirit."
"How long has she been here? The doll, I mean."
Haruka answers quickly.
"I did some research after Moe first manifested herself. She has been at Hinata-sou for just over one-hundred years."
Amalla shakes her head.
"This is gonna be tougher than I thought. After that long, if a spirit becomes fixated on one thing, it's almost impossible to turns them away from what they want."
Keitaro sets his glass down and looks up.
"I just thought of something. Why didn't they separate if Motoko-chan and Tama-chan are both in there? What if they can't for some reason?"
Haruka nods her head.
"You're right. They must have used up Moe's ability if they can't separate by themselves. What do you think, Amalla-san?"
Amalla taps her forehead with a finger.
"Hmm. If that's the case, we mights need to hit this Maru gal with something that'll take out the Moe-spook. If we wipe out the spirit, the others should be freed. Probably."
Keitaro looks at her with a worried expression.
"Aren't you sure it'll work?"
She crosses her arms and frowns at him.
"Hey, Jack. I aint never done this before. We is treading on spilled milk here."
The manager stares at her, and then shakes his head.
"Whatever. But, I don't like the idea of losing Moe to save everyone else. Can't we save all of them?"
Amalla shakes her head.
"That might not be optional. I'll do my best, but there aint no guarantees attached."
Haruka adjusts her cigarette holder.
"If it comes to that, how do you plan to do it? I don't think that Maru will just stand there while this is happening."
Amalla smiles deviously.
"All I needs is for her to stand still for a few seconds. The shock when Kaytro tells her that he and I are getting hitched should do it."
Haruka rests her elbows on the table.
"While we're on the subject, why isn't a charming young woman like yourself not married yet?"
Amalla blushes and places her hand to her cheek.
"Charming? Ya is too kind, Haruka-san! Well, let's just say that the proper opportunity aint showed itself, yet."
She moves to the door and brings in a bag.
"I think I gots something here that might work on that Maru gal."
Reaching into the sack, she pulls out a strange totem. Instead of the normal three-eyed device on it, there are six eyes. Keitaro adjusts his glasses and looks at it.
"That looks kind of like a hawk. But, why are there six eye-things on it?"
Amalla nods.
"Ya is quick to notice that, huh? Twice the eyes means twice the power! I needs to hit her with my best magic if this has any chance of working. Times a wasting! What's ya say we do this?"
Keitaro sighs.
"I guess there's no use putting it off. But I still don't like it."
Haruka brings him an extra shirt to replace his torn one.
"I know it doesn't matter, but here's a fresh shirt."
Keitaro quickly slips into it and looks at Amalla.
"Let's go."
She nods and follows him outside.
"I just wishes I had a chance to talk to Kaolla before we does the job."
Keitaro looks at her.
"You can. They still can speak individually, if they need to."
Her eyes go wide.
"That's unusual! Spooks normally suppress the host when they do the possession thing. Dang! That means that all the girls will feel it when I hit Maru! Kaolla is gonna be pissed at me for a month!"
They enter Hinata-sou and stop in the foyer. Maru is sitting in the common room alternately sipping tea, drinking sake, and nibbling on rice cakes. She appears calm and un-hurried as she looks up and smiles at Keitaro.
"My love! Please forgive me for . . ."
Keitaro quickly raises his hands.
"No! Don't worry about that! It, it was a stupid thing for me to do, now that I think about it. I should never have agreed to wear that silly turtle suit."
Maru looks at Amalla and stands up.
"Amalla-san. What a pleasant surprise!"
Amalla stands in the doorway and drops her sack.
(Whoa! This chick is absolutely stunning!)
"Uh, howdy Maru-san, uh Maru-chan . . ."
"Just call me Maru, please."
"Uh, sure thingy. I was wondering, can I talks to Kaolla for a bit?"
Maru closes here eyes for a moment and then looks up. Motoko's voice answers.
"I am sorry, but Su-chan is occupied at the moment. She is, playing with Tama-chan."
Keitaro walks over to the coffee table.
"How can you play games in there? What game are they playing?"
Maru closes her eyes again. Presently she smiles and looks at Keitaro.
"They are playing 'Name the Third Largest Cities of Countries'. Tama-chan is in the lead seven to five right now."
Amalla flicks her left hand to get Keitaro's attention. She then nods slightly and Keitaro clears his throat.
"Maru, there's something that I need to tell you."
Maru smiles at him as he motions towards Amalla.
"A-amalla and I, uh, we've planned this for a long time and, well, the truth is she and I are, we're engaged to be married!"
Amalla quickly pulls the totem out. As she looks up, Maru is hurling towards her, hands outstretched and her nails like claws.
"How dare you! Keitaro is mine!"
"Oh spit!"
Clutching the totem and chanting quickly, Amalla braces herself as Maru plows into her. The two women arc across the room and crash through the wall next to the entrance. Wood splinters and shards of glass spray out and cover the entryway as a cloud of dust rises. As Keitaro rushes over, a purple light flares and Maru screams. His heart pounding, the manager covers his face with his arms as he burrows through the still falling debris. Amalla screams out and he slides to a stop.
"Oh my god!"
The totem still in her left hand, Amalla struggles as she is lifted off the ground. Using the eight arms which now spring from her body, Maru effectively has the woman from Molmol pinned. Flames leaping from her eyes, Maru shouts at Amalla and her voice echo off the walls of Hinata-sou.
"What have you done to me?"
End of Chapter Eight.