Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, but Sean and Shonoko are mine.
(Sean steps through the curtain.) Hello agai...oh great.
Kitsune: What's going on?
Sean: See for yourself.
Kitsune: There's nobody here!
Sean: I know, and to think I thought the story was going pretty well.
Kitsune: Me too, considering this is starting to look like Dragonball Z.
Sean: (Rolls his eyes) Tell me about it.
Kitsune: Hey, since we won't have to do the show, why don't we go back to my dressing room and--
Sean: Don't get your hopes up.
Kitsune: (Snaps fingers) Darn.
Sean: I guess we could still tape this next part and consider it a dress rehersal for now.
Kitsune: Do we have to?
Sean: What, are you backing out, cause I have a cousin I could call and--
Kitsune: No, no, I'll stay.
Sean: Good.
Kitsune: You were just kidding about replacing me, right?
Sean: Maybe. Alright everyone, this will be a filmed dress rehersal! Lights, special effects, cameras, get ready!
* * * Chapter VII: Friends to the End * * *
Motoko looked out from the bottom of the mound of bodies to see a huge wave of pure energy head toward Sean, who did not seem to make an effort to defend himself. "NO! SEAN, DON'T DO THIS!" She was surprised those words came out of her mouth, but she made no effort to stop herself.
Sean glanced back at Motoko, smiled and looked back at his death-bringer. He held out one of his hands, laced with his own energy, and waited for the wave to make contact. "If nothing else," he began; his words could barely be heard, "I can at least stop this thing from hitting my friends."
Just then, the wave hit Sean's hand and exploded, encompassing him in a white cloud of energy. His friends looked on in horror as his body vanished completely. A scream could be heard, but it quickly faded.
Shock turned to sobs as every one of the girls started to cry. Even Motoko could not contain herself. They untangled each other and began to mourn their loss.
"I can't believe he's gone." Naru said, fighting back tears.
"He gave his own life so that we could live on," Motoko said.
The only thing that brought them out of their doldrums was the sound of laughter coming from the other side of the cloud.
Shonoko, satisfied with her work, walked around the blast and saw the girls standing together, staring at her. She gave an evil smile as she got closer. "Some protector he turned out to be." She looked over each girl. "Let's see, which one should I kill first?"
Shinobu stepped forward. "Why do you have to do this? Haven't you done enough damage already?"
"Shinobu, don't!" Naru said, shocked at her actions.
"It looks like I have a volunteer. Hold still for a moment."
"What are you--" Shinobu started. "Hey, I can't move!"
Shonoko pointed two fingers at her target, a point of light appeared at the tips. "Hope you had a nice life." She aimed straight for Shinobu's heart.
"What the--?" Shonoko noticed a strange energy suddenly run through her arm, moving it the exact moment she fired, missing Shinobu by about an inch.
Shonoko was in complete shock. "How did--"
"Leave my friends alone!"
Everyone's gaze returned the death cloud. It dissipated to reveal Sean, medium-rare, holding his right hand; it was missing four fingers. Even with his eyes closed, he looked straight at Shonoko, a smile on his face. "You can't get rid of me that easily."
Now able to move, Shinobu ran over to him. "You're alive, I can't believe it!" She hugged him as hard as she could. "I thought we had lost you!"
Sean "looked" at the girl wrapped around him. "I'm alright, Shinobu. I'm alright." His face turned to a serious one. "For your own safety, you should probably let go."
Shinobu obeyed. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Calmly, Sean removed his glasses and handed them to her. "This is why." He opened his eyes, which glowed blood red.
Shinobu recognized the look right away. "I see." She backed up towards the others, who noticed Sean's eyes as well.
Suu glanced at Shonoko, a smile on her face. "You're in trouble," she said in a sing-song voice.
"What do you mean?"
"You can hurt me," Sean said, rage building up in his voice, "you can control my body, but trying to kill those I hold dear to my heart just cannot be tolerated! That last attack you gave me combined with your strike at Shinobu--which would have hit had I not interfered--took away what was left my sanity. This has happened to me once before. Last time, I had ethical and moral concerns to hold me back, so I didn't hurt anybody. You don't have that luxury."
"I'm so scared." Shonoko was unfazed by Sean's speech.
"You should be." Kitsune said.
"She's right, you know. Allow me to demonstrate some of my real power." He muttered a few words and vanished without a trace. Before anyone could respond, he reappeared right in front of his adversary. A swift punch to the midsection sent Shonoko down on all fours. He lifted Shonoko's head to meet his gaze. "I will show you no mercy." He lifted her to her feet and quickly made an energy burst that sent her flying into the nearest wall.
It took a while for Shonoko to get back up, a sneer on her face. "So, is that how we're going to play now?"
"Give me your best shot."
Shonoko sprang forward and tried to knock Sean's block off. Almost effortlessly, he blocked her strikes and made more of his own, sending her into another wall. He started to wonder how the structure was able to take so much abuse; so many impacts and not so much as a dent. "Is that all?"
Gravely annoyed by this turn of events, Shonoko staggered up. "That's it, I'm going to give you all I've got!"
"Uh huh." Sean was not impressed.
"I was hoping it would not come to this, but you leave me no choice!" Shonoko summoned vast amounts of energy, more than Sean has ever felt. He started to get concerned and got as much energy as he could for a counterattack.
Both combatants fired their shots at the same time; both attacks were extremely powerful. Motoko was almost overwhelmed by the sheer power that radiated from both of them. The others were not affected as much, mostly because their senses were not as finely tuned as those of the kendo expert, but could feel the energy nonetheless.
The two blasts collided, sending shards of energy in all directions. Each wave, one purple, one blue, tried to push the other back. At first, the attacks were evenly matched, but one side started to gain an advantage.
60-40 Shonoko
Sean noticed his side losing and frantically searched for more energy the use on the blast. Deep down, he found a previously unused store of power that he quickly unleashed.
50-50 Tie
"You still think you can win," Shonoko said. "Admirable, but this ends here." Her wave gained strength, overpowering Sean's.
75-25 Shonoko
"I guess this is it," Sean thought. "This is how it's going to end; fighting to protect my friends from this abomination." He decided to use every last ounce of energy he had. He knew his body could not handle the strain for long, but he was left with no other choice.
65-35 Shonoko
The girls noticed Sean struggling. Blood was streaming out his nose and ears. They knew he was not last for long in his condition.
63-37 Shonoko
Sean's advance ground to a halt. "Is that really all you have?" Shonoko said. "Here, let me give you some of mine!" More power came from Shonoko's palms, pushing back Sean's blast once more.
87-13 Shonoko
"NO!" Sean screamed. He had no more energy to spare. He was really going to die right there. Liquid started to form in the corners of his eyes; half tears, half blood. He shut his eyes and ducked his head between his outstretched arms; he did not wish to witness his own death.
94-6 Shonoko
Sean suddenly became aware of someone touching him. He opened his eyes to find Shinobu holding his hands in her own. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm not going to let you die alone."
"That's foolish! You have so much to live for."
"I don't care. I'm going to try to help you fight."
Sean noticed energy racing into his hands and out into the blast, appearing in a pink stripe swirling around the main body. To their horror, all it did was slow Shonoko's advance, not stop it entirely.
97-3 Shonoko
"Try as you might, you cannot win; and if I kill Shinobu along with you, there will be less for me to do afterward." Shonoko followed that up with an evil laugh.
"That's it!" Naru said, "I've had it with you! Sean, I'm helping too!" She ran over and placed her hands among Sean's and Shinobu's; a red stripe appeared in the allied attack. The additional power stopped Shonoko's attack entirely, and none too soon.
99-1 Shonoko
"You can't keep that up," Shonoko said. "Your power will soon fail you and you will be annihilated!"
"I'm helping too!" Suu said, eagerly. Soon, a yellow band appeared and Shonoko's wave started to be pushed back.
88-12 Shonoko
Kitsune and Motoko nodded to each other and gave their support. A brown and a silver stripe mingled with the others and continued to drive the aggressor's attack back to where it came from.
64-36 Shonoko
"No! I will not be denied!"
55-45 Shonoko
"You won't last! You're bound to run out of energy, and when you do--"
"Oh, shut up!" Kitsune said.
58-42 Hinata
"I have to… find more… energy…" Shonoko muttered between breaths. "Can't let these… weaklings… BEAT ME!" Shonoko went down deep to the recesses of her mind and the last of her energy was sent out to her hated enemies.
57-43 Shonoko
"We can't let her win." Sean said quietly. "Alright girls, let's give it all we got!"
"Yeah!" The others said in unison. As everyone gave all they had into the blast, it turned from a striped menagerie into a beam of pure white, overtaking Shonoko's with ease.
65-35 Hinata
"NO! This cannot happen!" Shonoko's eyes grew wide as her attack was being overwhelmed.
"Oh, but it can," Naru said, a smile appearing on her face, "and it will."
97-3 Hinata
"You haven't seen the last of me!" That was the last thing Shonoko said before the allied attack reached her, vaporizing her very being.
The white wave vanished soon afterward. Everyone remained motionless for a few moments. As the rush of victory left, Sean collapsed under the stress his body had been put under. The others were weakened as well, but not to such a great extent.
"Is he going to be alright?" Shinobu asked, nervously.
Motoko checked for a pulse and smiled. "He'll be alright."
"Thank goodness," Kitsune sighed. "I was afraid we would lose him… again."
"We should get him back into his own mind." Motoko advised.
The others agreed and, with many grunts and groans, carried Sean's unconscious subconscious through the portal to his psyche.
"He'll wake up after a while," Motoko said, "but for now we all should get back into our own heads."
"What about his hand?" Shinobu asked, pointing to Sean's right hand, or what was left of it.
"I can't say. Considering this is not his actual body, I think it will remain whole. As for this one, maybe his fingers will grow back, but I don't know for sure."
One by one, they left Sean's mind, Motoko being the last to leave. She knelt next to his ravaged body. "Thank you," she said quietly. She then kissed him on the cheek and got up to leave. As she looked back at him just before she stepped through the gateway, she could have sworn she saw him smile.
---
Motoko woke up and found herself in Sean's room, along with everyone else. Sean was the only one not awake, his hand still holding hers and his head buried in her stomach. Where it laid, her gi was stained with sweat, tears, and just a pinch of blood. "Um, does anybody else remember that?"
"What, you mean how beat that evil girl's butt?" Suu said grinning.
"I guess so. It's amazing; I never knew Sean would risk his own life to save ours." Motoko gazed at Sean admiringly.
"What's going on, Motoko? Are you starting to have a crush on the guy?" Kitsune said, elbowing her.
Kotoko blushed. "Um… well…"
"Don't worry about it." Naru said. "You're probably the last one to feel that way about him."
"Don't be so sure." Motoko muttered.
"What was that?" Kitsune asked.
"Oh, nothing."
"Um, what's going on?" Sean had just woken up.
"Sean, what you did just now was so cool!" Suu squealed and hugged him.
"What are you talking about? What did I do?"
"Don't you remember?" Naru asked.
"Remember what?"
"Never mind. Let's go." Everyone left Sean alone in his room rather abruptly.
"Okay, that was weird," Sean said to himself, scratching his head.
"Why doesn't Sean remember what happened?" Shinobu was getting concerned.
"His subconscious must still be out cold," Naru said. "I'm sure he'll remember with time."
"I hope so. Hey, what time is it?"
"About quarter to seven." Kitsune said, looking at her watch.
"Shoot! I need to go make dinner!" Shinobu bolted for the kitchen.
"Yeah, we need a meal after what we just did." Kitsune said, grinning.
---
"Dinner's ready!"
When the girls got to the table to eat, they were shocked to find Sean seated there.
"What are you doing here?" Naru asked.
"What do you mean?" Sean asked innocently.
"I thought you didn't have to eat."
"I don't, but it's been too long since I've had Shinobu's wonderful cooking." This made the cook blush.
As the others sat down to eat, Kitsune whispered to Motoko, "There has to be some other reason he's here."
Sean's sharp ears picked up what she said. "You're right." Kitsune snapped her head in his direction. "There is another reason I'm here. I just want to thank you for the way you helped me a little while ago."
Naru smiled. "So you finally remember."
Sean nodded. "I know everything that happened."
"Um," Shinobu asked her face turning red, "is there any way for me to talk to that guy in your head?"
Sean seemed to shudder a bit before he responded. "Yes, Shinobu?"
"Are you feeling any better?"
"I'm a bit weak, but I'm fine."
"What about your hand?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, that. My fingers should fully grow back in a few days. Um, could I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Where did you put my glasses?"
Shinobu was confused by the question. "…What?"
"Remember, I gave you my glasses during the fight?"
Shinobu's eyes grew wide with realization. "Oh, that's right. I must have left them in Motoko's mind."
"Yeah, you did," Motoko confirmed. "I found them after the battle ended."
"I'm so sorry, Sean." Shinobu started to tear up.
"Don't worry about it." Sean reached over the table and touched Motoko's hand for a moment before lifting it, nodding slightly. "There, problem solved."
"So your not angry with me?"
"Of course not. I would take a lot for me to get mad at you, which reminds me, I should take a look at your arm later." Shinobu blushed again.
Dinner went by in a blur, a chorus of praises, and questions directed at Sean. When everyone finished eating, Kitsune proposed another party to commemorate the victory.
"Great idea, and I think it should be in my room." Sean suggested.
"Why?" Naru asked suspiciously.
"Well, if I happen to pass out drunk or something, I wouldn't want to burden you with the task of getting me back there. Besides, the only thing I would need would be the drinks, which Kitsune and I can get without much effort."
Excited about having two parties in one day, Kitsune and Suu ran upstairs to get ready. Shinobu and Naru soon followed, leaving Sean and Motoko alone.
Sean looked at her, smiling. "Still having a lack of respect for me as a warrior?"
Motoko shook her head, her face turning pink. "No, It's gone."
Sean held the back of his head. "It didn't work exactly the way I had planned it to, but if it worked, whatever." He was about to leave when a thought struck him. "Oh, and another thing;" He walked over to Motoko and, much to her surprise, kissed her on the cheek. "Your welcome." He then winked and left.
Motoko's eyes grew wide at what happened. "Had Sean's subconscious been awake the whole time?" She thought. She found herself smiling, rubbing her cheek. "He's one of the toughest people I've ever known," she said to herself, "yet he's so kind and loving. He's… he's…"
A voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Hey Motoko! Quit daydreaming and join the party!"
Motoko looked to find Naru staring at her. She nodded and quietly followed her to Sean's room.
"Hey, is something wrong?"
"No, everything's… perfect."
"If you say so." Naru opened Sean's door to find the party had already started. There was music playing from his laptop and drinks displayed on the table, alcoholic and otherwise.
Motoko noticed everyone enjoying themselves, especially Sean, who was singing along to the music; he was pretty talented. "Everything's perfect," she thought.
* * * End of Chapter VII * * *
Kitsune: That turned out pretty well.
Motoko: Yeah, you ended up being quite the hero, but did you have to make me look like some love-struck puppy at the end?
Sean: Um...
Naru: How did you get to be such a good writer?
Sean: Beats me. English has never been my best subject.
Suu: What are you thinking about doing for the next chapter?
Sean: Well, I've been thinking about how to introduce other characters.
Kitsune: Really? Anyone we know?
Sean: Well, I would hope so. I've invited this character to watch the last couple chapters. I'm sure you've noticed the new guy backstage, right?
Naru: Well, sure, but what does that have to do with--
Sean: That's the new character. Hey, come on out!
(Mysterious person walks on stage. He's wearing an all black outfit that covers the whole body, and a mask to match. You couldn't identify who was underneath if you tried.)
?: Hello, ladies.
Naru: That voice--
Sean: Shoot, I knew I should have gotten a voice scrambler.
Kitsune: Get the mask, I want to see his face!
Suu: Get him!
?: Uh oh.
Sean: (Facing camera) Um, I guess that's it for now. Please respond, that is, if you ever see this. See you next time, when I introduce the new character, (Looks toward ? quickly and back again) if there's anything left of him when that time comes. (Runs off stage)
?: Help me!!
Sean: Hold on, I'm coming!
?: Ow, that hurts!
(Sean steps through the curtain.) Hello agai...oh great.
Kitsune: What's going on?
Sean: See for yourself.
Kitsune: There's nobody here!
Sean: I know, and to think I thought the story was going pretty well.
Kitsune: Me too, considering this is starting to look like Dragonball Z.
Sean: (Rolls his eyes) Tell me about it.
Kitsune: Hey, since we won't have to do the show, why don't we go back to my dressing room and--
Sean: Don't get your hopes up.
Kitsune: (Snaps fingers) Darn.
Sean: I guess we could still tape this next part and consider it a dress rehersal for now.
Kitsune: Do we have to?
Sean: What, are you backing out, cause I have a cousin I could call and--
Kitsune: No, no, I'll stay.
Sean: Good.
Kitsune: You were just kidding about replacing me, right?
Sean: Maybe. Alright everyone, this will be a filmed dress rehersal! Lights, special effects, cameras, get ready!
* * * Chapter VII: Friends to the End * * *
Motoko looked out from the bottom of the mound of bodies to see a huge wave of pure energy head toward Sean, who did not seem to make an effort to defend himself. "NO! SEAN, DON'T DO THIS!" She was surprised those words came out of her mouth, but she made no effort to stop herself.
Sean glanced back at Motoko, smiled and looked back at his death-bringer. He held out one of his hands, laced with his own energy, and waited for the wave to make contact. "If nothing else," he began; his words could barely be heard, "I can at least stop this thing from hitting my friends."
Just then, the wave hit Sean's hand and exploded, encompassing him in a white cloud of energy. His friends looked on in horror as his body vanished completely. A scream could be heard, but it quickly faded.
Shock turned to sobs as every one of the girls started to cry. Even Motoko could not contain herself. They untangled each other and began to mourn their loss.
"I can't believe he's gone." Naru said, fighting back tears.
"He gave his own life so that we could live on," Motoko said.
The only thing that brought them out of their doldrums was the sound of laughter coming from the other side of the cloud.
Shonoko, satisfied with her work, walked around the blast and saw the girls standing together, staring at her. She gave an evil smile as she got closer. "Some protector he turned out to be." She looked over each girl. "Let's see, which one should I kill first?"
Shinobu stepped forward. "Why do you have to do this? Haven't you done enough damage already?"
"Shinobu, don't!" Naru said, shocked at her actions.
"It looks like I have a volunteer. Hold still for a moment."
"What are you--" Shinobu started. "Hey, I can't move!"
Shonoko pointed two fingers at her target, a point of light appeared at the tips. "Hope you had a nice life." She aimed straight for Shinobu's heart.
"What the--?" Shonoko noticed a strange energy suddenly run through her arm, moving it the exact moment she fired, missing Shinobu by about an inch.
Shonoko was in complete shock. "How did--"
"Leave my friends alone!"
Everyone's gaze returned the death cloud. It dissipated to reveal Sean, medium-rare, holding his right hand; it was missing four fingers. Even with his eyes closed, he looked straight at Shonoko, a smile on his face. "You can't get rid of me that easily."
Now able to move, Shinobu ran over to him. "You're alive, I can't believe it!" She hugged him as hard as she could. "I thought we had lost you!"
Sean "looked" at the girl wrapped around him. "I'm alright, Shinobu. I'm alright." His face turned to a serious one. "For your own safety, you should probably let go."
Shinobu obeyed. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Calmly, Sean removed his glasses and handed them to her. "This is why." He opened his eyes, which glowed blood red.
Shinobu recognized the look right away. "I see." She backed up towards the others, who noticed Sean's eyes as well.
Suu glanced at Shonoko, a smile on her face. "You're in trouble," she said in a sing-song voice.
"What do you mean?"
"You can hurt me," Sean said, rage building up in his voice, "you can control my body, but trying to kill those I hold dear to my heart just cannot be tolerated! That last attack you gave me combined with your strike at Shinobu--which would have hit had I not interfered--took away what was left my sanity. This has happened to me once before. Last time, I had ethical and moral concerns to hold me back, so I didn't hurt anybody. You don't have that luxury."
"I'm so scared." Shonoko was unfazed by Sean's speech.
"You should be." Kitsune said.
"She's right, you know. Allow me to demonstrate some of my real power." He muttered a few words and vanished without a trace. Before anyone could respond, he reappeared right in front of his adversary. A swift punch to the midsection sent Shonoko down on all fours. He lifted Shonoko's head to meet his gaze. "I will show you no mercy." He lifted her to her feet and quickly made an energy burst that sent her flying into the nearest wall.
It took a while for Shonoko to get back up, a sneer on her face. "So, is that how we're going to play now?"
"Give me your best shot."
Shonoko sprang forward and tried to knock Sean's block off. Almost effortlessly, he blocked her strikes and made more of his own, sending her into another wall. He started to wonder how the structure was able to take so much abuse; so many impacts and not so much as a dent. "Is that all?"
Gravely annoyed by this turn of events, Shonoko staggered up. "That's it, I'm going to give you all I've got!"
"Uh huh." Sean was not impressed.
"I was hoping it would not come to this, but you leave me no choice!" Shonoko summoned vast amounts of energy, more than Sean has ever felt. He started to get concerned and got as much energy as he could for a counterattack.
Both combatants fired their shots at the same time; both attacks were extremely powerful. Motoko was almost overwhelmed by the sheer power that radiated from both of them. The others were not affected as much, mostly because their senses were not as finely tuned as those of the kendo expert, but could feel the energy nonetheless.
The two blasts collided, sending shards of energy in all directions. Each wave, one purple, one blue, tried to push the other back. At first, the attacks were evenly matched, but one side started to gain an advantage.
60-40 Shonoko
Sean noticed his side losing and frantically searched for more energy the use on the blast. Deep down, he found a previously unused store of power that he quickly unleashed.
50-50 Tie
"You still think you can win," Shonoko said. "Admirable, but this ends here." Her wave gained strength, overpowering Sean's.
75-25 Shonoko
"I guess this is it," Sean thought. "This is how it's going to end; fighting to protect my friends from this abomination." He decided to use every last ounce of energy he had. He knew his body could not handle the strain for long, but he was left with no other choice.
65-35 Shonoko
The girls noticed Sean struggling. Blood was streaming out his nose and ears. They knew he was not last for long in his condition.
63-37 Shonoko
Sean's advance ground to a halt. "Is that really all you have?" Shonoko said. "Here, let me give you some of mine!" More power came from Shonoko's palms, pushing back Sean's blast once more.
87-13 Shonoko
"NO!" Sean screamed. He had no more energy to spare. He was really going to die right there. Liquid started to form in the corners of his eyes; half tears, half blood. He shut his eyes and ducked his head between his outstretched arms; he did not wish to witness his own death.
94-6 Shonoko
Sean suddenly became aware of someone touching him. He opened his eyes to find Shinobu holding his hands in her own. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm not going to let you die alone."
"That's foolish! You have so much to live for."
"I don't care. I'm going to try to help you fight."
Sean noticed energy racing into his hands and out into the blast, appearing in a pink stripe swirling around the main body. To their horror, all it did was slow Shonoko's advance, not stop it entirely.
97-3 Shonoko
"Try as you might, you cannot win; and if I kill Shinobu along with you, there will be less for me to do afterward." Shonoko followed that up with an evil laugh.
"That's it!" Naru said, "I've had it with you! Sean, I'm helping too!" She ran over and placed her hands among Sean's and Shinobu's; a red stripe appeared in the allied attack. The additional power stopped Shonoko's attack entirely, and none too soon.
99-1 Shonoko
"You can't keep that up," Shonoko said. "Your power will soon fail you and you will be annihilated!"
"I'm helping too!" Suu said, eagerly. Soon, a yellow band appeared and Shonoko's wave started to be pushed back.
88-12 Shonoko
Kitsune and Motoko nodded to each other and gave their support. A brown and a silver stripe mingled with the others and continued to drive the aggressor's attack back to where it came from.
64-36 Shonoko
"No! I will not be denied!"
55-45 Shonoko
"You won't last! You're bound to run out of energy, and when you do--"
"Oh, shut up!" Kitsune said.
58-42 Hinata
"I have to… find more… energy…" Shonoko muttered between breaths. "Can't let these… weaklings… BEAT ME!" Shonoko went down deep to the recesses of her mind and the last of her energy was sent out to her hated enemies.
57-43 Shonoko
"We can't let her win." Sean said quietly. "Alright girls, let's give it all we got!"
"Yeah!" The others said in unison. As everyone gave all they had into the blast, it turned from a striped menagerie into a beam of pure white, overtaking Shonoko's with ease.
65-35 Hinata
"NO! This cannot happen!" Shonoko's eyes grew wide as her attack was being overwhelmed.
"Oh, but it can," Naru said, a smile appearing on her face, "and it will."
97-3 Hinata
"You haven't seen the last of me!" That was the last thing Shonoko said before the allied attack reached her, vaporizing her very being.
The white wave vanished soon afterward. Everyone remained motionless for a few moments. As the rush of victory left, Sean collapsed under the stress his body had been put under. The others were weakened as well, but not to such a great extent.
"Is he going to be alright?" Shinobu asked, nervously.
Motoko checked for a pulse and smiled. "He'll be alright."
"Thank goodness," Kitsune sighed. "I was afraid we would lose him… again."
"We should get him back into his own mind." Motoko advised.
The others agreed and, with many grunts and groans, carried Sean's unconscious subconscious through the portal to his psyche.
"He'll wake up after a while," Motoko said, "but for now we all should get back into our own heads."
"What about his hand?" Shinobu asked, pointing to Sean's right hand, or what was left of it.
"I can't say. Considering this is not his actual body, I think it will remain whole. As for this one, maybe his fingers will grow back, but I don't know for sure."
One by one, they left Sean's mind, Motoko being the last to leave. She knelt next to his ravaged body. "Thank you," she said quietly. She then kissed him on the cheek and got up to leave. As she looked back at him just before she stepped through the gateway, she could have sworn she saw him smile.
---
Motoko woke up and found herself in Sean's room, along with everyone else. Sean was the only one not awake, his hand still holding hers and his head buried in her stomach. Where it laid, her gi was stained with sweat, tears, and just a pinch of blood. "Um, does anybody else remember that?"
"What, you mean how beat that evil girl's butt?" Suu said grinning.
"I guess so. It's amazing; I never knew Sean would risk his own life to save ours." Motoko gazed at Sean admiringly.
"What's going on, Motoko? Are you starting to have a crush on the guy?" Kitsune said, elbowing her.
Kotoko blushed. "Um… well…"
"Don't worry about it." Naru said. "You're probably the last one to feel that way about him."
"Don't be so sure." Motoko muttered.
"What was that?" Kitsune asked.
"Oh, nothing."
"Um, what's going on?" Sean had just woken up.
"Sean, what you did just now was so cool!" Suu squealed and hugged him.
"What are you talking about? What did I do?"
"Don't you remember?" Naru asked.
"Remember what?"
"Never mind. Let's go." Everyone left Sean alone in his room rather abruptly.
"Okay, that was weird," Sean said to himself, scratching his head.
"Why doesn't Sean remember what happened?" Shinobu was getting concerned.
"His subconscious must still be out cold," Naru said. "I'm sure he'll remember with time."
"I hope so. Hey, what time is it?"
"About quarter to seven." Kitsune said, looking at her watch.
"Shoot! I need to go make dinner!" Shinobu bolted for the kitchen.
"Yeah, we need a meal after what we just did." Kitsune said, grinning.
---
"Dinner's ready!"
When the girls got to the table to eat, they were shocked to find Sean seated there.
"What are you doing here?" Naru asked.
"What do you mean?" Sean asked innocently.
"I thought you didn't have to eat."
"I don't, but it's been too long since I've had Shinobu's wonderful cooking." This made the cook blush.
As the others sat down to eat, Kitsune whispered to Motoko, "There has to be some other reason he's here."
Sean's sharp ears picked up what she said. "You're right." Kitsune snapped her head in his direction. "There is another reason I'm here. I just want to thank you for the way you helped me a little while ago."
Naru smiled. "So you finally remember."
Sean nodded. "I know everything that happened."
"Um," Shinobu asked her face turning red, "is there any way for me to talk to that guy in your head?"
Sean seemed to shudder a bit before he responded. "Yes, Shinobu?"
"Are you feeling any better?"
"I'm a bit weak, but I'm fine."
"What about your hand?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, that. My fingers should fully grow back in a few days. Um, could I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Where did you put my glasses?"
Shinobu was confused by the question. "…What?"
"Remember, I gave you my glasses during the fight?"
Shinobu's eyes grew wide with realization. "Oh, that's right. I must have left them in Motoko's mind."
"Yeah, you did," Motoko confirmed. "I found them after the battle ended."
"I'm so sorry, Sean." Shinobu started to tear up.
"Don't worry about it." Sean reached over the table and touched Motoko's hand for a moment before lifting it, nodding slightly. "There, problem solved."
"So your not angry with me?"
"Of course not. I would take a lot for me to get mad at you, which reminds me, I should take a look at your arm later." Shinobu blushed again.
Dinner went by in a blur, a chorus of praises, and questions directed at Sean. When everyone finished eating, Kitsune proposed another party to commemorate the victory.
"Great idea, and I think it should be in my room." Sean suggested.
"Why?" Naru asked suspiciously.
"Well, if I happen to pass out drunk or something, I wouldn't want to burden you with the task of getting me back there. Besides, the only thing I would need would be the drinks, which Kitsune and I can get without much effort."
Excited about having two parties in one day, Kitsune and Suu ran upstairs to get ready. Shinobu and Naru soon followed, leaving Sean and Motoko alone.
Sean looked at her, smiling. "Still having a lack of respect for me as a warrior?"
Motoko shook her head, her face turning pink. "No, It's gone."
Sean held the back of his head. "It didn't work exactly the way I had planned it to, but if it worked, whatever." He was about to leave when a thought struck him. "Oh, and another thing;" He walked over to Motoko and, much to her surprise, kissed her on the cheek. "Your welcome." He then winked and left.
Motoko's eyes grew wide at what happened. "Had Sean's subconscious been awake the whole time?" She thought. She found herself smiling, rubbing her cheek. "He's one of the toughest people I've ever known," she said to herself, "yet he's so kind and loving. He's… he's…"
A voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Hey Motoko! Quit daydreaming and join the party!"
Motoko looked to find Naru staring at her. She nodded and quietly followed her to Sean's room.
"Hey, is something wrong?"
"No, everything's… perfect."
"If you say so." Naru opened Sean's door to find the party had already started. There was music playing from his laptop and drinks displayed on the table, alcoholic and otherwise.
Motoko noticed everyone enjoying themselves, especially Sean, who was singing along to the music; he was pretty talented. "Everything's perfect," she thought.
* * * End of Chapter VII * * *
Kitsune: That turned out pretty well.
Motoko: Yeah, you ended up being quite the hero, but did you have to make me look like some love-struck puppy at the end?
Sean: Um...
Naru: How did you get to be such a good writer?
Sean: Beats me. English has never been my best subject.
Suu: What are you thinking about doing for the next chapter?
Sean: Well, I've been thinking about how to introduce other characters.
Kitsune: Really? Anyone we know?
Sean: Well, I would hope so. I've invited this character to watch the last couple chapters. I'm sure you've noticed the new guy backstage, right?
Naru: Well, sure, but what does that have to do with--
Sean: That's the new character. Hey, come on out!
(Mysterious person walks on stage. He's wearing an all black outfit that covers the whole body, and a mask to match. You couldn't identify who was underneath if you tried.)
?: Hello, ladies.
Naru: That voice--
Sean: Shoot, I knew I should have gotten a voice scrambler.
Kitsune: Get the mask, I want to see his face!
Suu: Get him!
?: Uh oh.
Sean: (Facing camera) Um, I guess that's it for now. Please respond, that is, if you ever see this. See you next time, when I introduce the new character, (Looks toward ? quickly and back again) if there's anything left of him when that time comes. (Runs off stage)
?: Help me!!
Sean: Hold on, I'm coming!
?: Ow, that hurts!