Disclaimer; I own no part of Love Hina, but Sean and Alicia are mine.
Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for!
* * * Chapter XIX: Sean's Return * * *
Dear Shinobu,
Sorry I haven't been able to contact you in a while; I have been quite busy as of late, what with my experiments and all; you understand. Well, I just wanted to tell you that my research is just about to come to an end--for now, at least. Yes, that means I'll be coming back to you soon. Calm down, Shinobu, I know you're excited, but you still have to wait a bit. I will return on Saturday around ten in the morning. I expect some interesting stories when I do.
See you soon, Sean
--- Saturday, 10/6 9:52 AM
Shinobu ran through the hallway. It looked like she was in a big hurry to get to where she was going. Halfway down the stairs, she found Alicia heading up.
"Hey Shinobu, what's up?"
Shinobu stopped to catch her breath a bit before she responded. "Well, I wanted this to be a surprise, but…" She looked around to see if anyone else was within earshot.
This piqued Alicia's curiosity. "But what?"
"Sean's coming back today. He should be here any minute now."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Do you want to greet him with me?"
Alicia thought it over for a bit. "As much as I want to meet him, I also know how much you love him, so I'll just leave the two of you alone to catch up. I can always meet him later."
Shinobu nodded. "Thank you." She hurried off in the direction of the lobby to await Sean's arrival. Minutes went by like hours as Shinobu's patience started to wane. "Why won't he get here?" She took a deep breath. "All right, just calm down. I'm starting to get too anxious. I've waited for days, even weeks for him to get back, I can last a few more minutes." She looked at her watch; 9:59. "But still, it's getting around that time. Ooh, I wish he'd just show up already so I don't have to wait any long--" She was interrupted by the turning of a doorknob. She stood breathless as the door slowly opened.
"Hello?" A familiar voice called out. "Is anyone home?"
Shinobu couldn't stand it any longer. She ran over and held Sean close to her as soon as she saw him appear in the doorway. "You're finally back!"
Sean was stunned for a moment by Shinobu's sudden embrace, but quickly recovered and returned the favor. "Yeah, I'm home again."
Shinobu started buried her face in Sean's shirt, crying all the while. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."
"I doubt that."
Shinobu backed off slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I just spent who knows how long out in the middle of nowhere with no human contact--or at least not verbal contact. At least you had the other girls to talk to; I had nobody but myself." Tears started to appear in Sean's eyes. "I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone."
"But that doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you're here with us again."
"That's right."
"What going on?" Naru asked. Upon seeing Sean, she gasped. "Sean…" She stood still for a moment, almost not believing that he was actually there rather than it just being her imagination. After letting reality sink in, she couldn't contain herself. "SEAN!!!" Much to his surprise, Naru starting running away, screaming, "SEAN'S BACK!!" Over and over again.
"Was this place that boring while I was away?" Sean asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sort of," Shinobu replied.
Naru's voice rang out all over the building and soon, she reappeared, accompanied by a crowd of girls. Sean knew well enough what was about to happen, and he braced for impact. Suu was the first to reach him. She pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. "You're really here!" she cried.
"I missed you too," Sean said. "But there's this issue of me needing to breathe, so if you could--"
"Oh, sorry." Suu got off him right away.
"Thank you," Sean said, brushing himself off and looking over the crowd before him. "So, where's Keitaro?"
"Right here." Keitaro appeared, joining the group.
Sean cringed at the sight of him. "Dear lord, what happened to you?"
"I got trampled over just now."
Sean sighed and shook his head. "I guess not much has changed while I've been gone, huh?"
"Not really."
"Figures. Nevertheless, I suppose I have a lot of catching up to do, don't I?"
"Don't you know it," Kitsune said. "There have been some… interesting moments."
"Is that so? Well, let's go to the living room and tell me all about it." The whole group set out for the living room.
On the way, Shinobu noticed Sean shake his head. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I just thought I saw something, that's all."
"Oh."
In reality, Sean could have sworn that Kitsune's shirt disappeared for a moment. "I've been away for too long," he thought. "My mind's starting to play tricks on me."
When everyone was seated, they began to fill Sean in on what happened while he was out, most of which included Alicia, who for some reason wasn't present. "She sounds like a nice girl. Where is she? I'd like to meet her."
"She must be in her room," Shinobu said. "She wanted to give us a chance to catch up before you meet her."
Sean nodded understandingly. "I guess all that serious stuff can wait for now."
As the stories continued, Sean was met with a huge distraction. He couldn't--no, he refused to believe his eyes. As he shifted his gaze to each girl, he saw their clothes start to fade away. "What the hell--" he thought.
Shinobu was the first to notice Sean's uncomfortable state. "There's definitely something wrong," she thought. She got up and approached him. "What's bothering you?"
Sean blushed deeply. "I'm uh… just… you know what, don't worry about it." He gave a weak smile waved his hand, passing it off as nothing. It also passed across his field of vision, hoping it would return everything to normal; it didn't work.
"Aw, c'mon," Kitsune said. "You know you can't keep secrets from us for too long." She closed in on him, flaunting her features in the process. "We always get you to talk one way or another."
In Sean's hallucinatory condition, her actions had a greater effect. "Why do I have to go through all this?" Sean thought. "She delights in making me suffer, I swear."
Naru grabbed Kitsune's shoulder, halting her advance. "Why do you keep tormenting the poor guy? I mean, he just got back, for heaven's sake."
"She right," Motoko added. "Who knows what condition his experiments left him in. We should just let him relax for now."
"Ah, Naru and Motoko," Sean thought, "the voices of reason. They're so considerate, so kind, so… gorgeous…"
"I don't really care how you show your affection for him," Kitsune said, "but this is how I do it." She got out of Naru's grasp and continued her little exhibition, getting right in Sean's face.
Alarms went off in Sean's mind. Instantly, he shut his eyes and turned away.
"He's breathing funny," Suu said moments later from disturbingly close range.
"Will you quit it, already?" Shinobu asked. "Can't you see what you're doing to him?"
"Yes, I can. This is how I can tell; right HERE."
Sean's eyes snapped open when he felt a hand grab his erection through his pants. "Oh, God," he thought. "If I don't escape from this soon, I'm going to explode!" He shot a look at Kitsune that pleaded for her to stop. Unfortunately, Kitsune interpreted Sean's gaze as one of passion; of longing.
"Ah, he's enjoying this after all," she thought. She redoubled her efforts.
"Oh shit," Sean thought. He had to think fast; he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.
"A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!" he blurted out.
Immediately, a sword appeared close to Kitsune's neck. "Leave him alone," Motoko said.
Kitsune immediately let go, and not a minute too soon. "Alright, alright, no need to be violent about it."
"Thanks, Motoko. If you'll excuse me…" Sean vanished without a trace.
"Why do you do things like that to him all the time?" Naru asked.
Kitsune smiled a bit, despite the weapon still poised against her. "It's fun to see the reaction it gets. Besides, he needs to let loose every once in a while."
"That may be so," Motoko responded, "but forcing it on him is not the way to go about it."
"And what might you suggest I do instead?" Kitsune asked, raising an eyebrow.
Motoko blushed. "How should I know? I have no experience in such things."
"Anyway," Naru interjected, "I think we should go find where Sean went off to."
"Agreed," Motoko said.
Each person started off in different directions to find their missing manager, but Naru stopped Shinobu before she could leave. "You should keep an eye on Kitsune, in case she finds him."
"Sure thing."
--- Ten Minutes Later
Motoko opened the door to the roof to find Sean in a meditative position. His expression was one of utter concentration. "So there you are," she said without thinking. "Where did you go?"
"I was downstairs taking a cold shower," Sean answered calmly.
"Mind if I join you for a bit?"
"Only if I may keep my eyes closed."
"Why do you need to do that?" Motoko asked as she sat down a few feet in front of him.
"My being away did more to my mind than I feared. It's playing a cruel trick on my eyes."
"What are you seeing?"
"A more accurate question would be 'what am I not seeing?'"
"I'm not following you."
"Ever since I saw you all again today, your… clothes started to vanish before my very eyes."
"What?!"
"I'm more upset about it than you, no doubt. Keeping my eyes closed is the only way I can think of to prevent it right now."
"So what you're saying is, back in the living room--"
"I saw all of you, and Kitsune didn't help matters any. I don't know what her little show looked like to you, but for me…" Sean shuddered. "It was almost too much to bear. Thanks again for stopping her."
"No problem."
"It's not that I wouldn't normally enjoy what she tries to do, you understand; I just don't like her methods."
"I agree. She seems to take unnecessary steps to get what she wants."
"Yeah. I've experienced that first-hand."
There was a bit of a pause before Motoko spoke again. "I'm glad you're back. Things just weren't the same without you."
"I'm glad I'm back, too. If only my return wasn't spoiled by my perverted mind acting the way it is."
"Are your eyes still--"
"I don't know. That's why I'm keeping my eyes closed; somehow, I don't want to find out. I might end up going back to wearing the blindfold."
"Are you serious?"
"If it will keep me from being perverted, then yes."
"But not seeing us was the cause of the problem to begin with."
"Do you know what you're suggesting?"
"Sean, sometimes your well-being is more important than worrying about our modesty."
"I don't know, it just doesn't sound that safe to me."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I've seen how you and Naru treat Keitaro, and I know I couldn't last as long as he has."
"You'll always have your magic to protect you, right?"
"Well sure, but still--"
"Then you have nothing to worry about."
Sean was surprised by the direction the conversation had taken. More so, he was shocked by the fact that it was Motoko of all people that started it. "Geez, what kind of affect am I having on these girls?!" he thought.
"Open your eyes," Motoko said.
"W-what?"
"We are going to beat this thing, Sean. I don't like things being so awkward between you and us."
"Honestly, I'm not sure if the uncomfortable moments will ever end."
"Maybe they won't, but we'll deal with them when they happen. Open your eyes."
"I hope I don't regret this," Sean thought as he slowly made his gaze toward the swordswoman. She was standing before him, her hands behind her back. He could tell she wasn't used to the whole feminine thing she was trying to pull off, as opposed to the tomboy image she usually possessed.
"Well, how much can you see?"
Sean looked away, blushing. "Everything."
Motoko knew right away why Sean was embarrassed, and it made her face turn red as well. She brought her hands to her front and covered herself, even though she was fully clothed in reality.
"See, this is what I was talking about," Sean said. "I know how much you despise peeping Toms."
"Yeah. Um, could I ask you a personal question?"
"Okay."
"I want you to be completely honest, okay?"
"Sure, what do you want to know?"
"Well, you just saw… me, and I was just wanted to know, do I look attractive?"
Sean was struck dumb by the unexpected question. "What are you, crazy?!" he blurted out. He regretted what he said right away when he saw her run off, a depressed look on her face. "Oh shit," he thought. He knew he screwed up royally. "Motoko, hold on!" He said, getting up and rushing after her. Motoko just blew him off and continued to the door. Sean grabbed her hand just as she was about to walk through the doorway. "Motoko, please."
Motoko turned around, tears in her eyes. "This is what I get for showing my emotions; you call me crazy." She tried to pry herself out of Sean's grasp, but he held on tight.
"You know I don't mean that."
"Do I?"
"Look, if you'll just let me explain--"
"I think you've said quite enough." Her other hand started to reach for her sword.
"Motoko, just hear me out before you cut me in half. Sometimes, I speak before I think."
Motoko held her hand close to her blade. "Alright, but make it quick."
"Thank you. What I meant was why would you need to be worried about something like that? You are a beautiful young woman, and don't you ever think otherwise! You're easily a match for any of the other girls here."
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course I do. I'm sorry about what I said before; I just never expected you to be so concerned about your appearance. What brought it up?"
"Well," Motoko looked away from him. "I've never been that self-conscious in the past, but during my stay, I've started to become more and more worried about what others might think of me."
"Why?"
"After seeing the reactions the others get from guys like you and Keitaro, I've started to wonder who would ever want to be with me? I mean, look at me--I don't exactly dress the part."
"As if I can tell right now," Sean thought. "Listen, just because you don't show it, don't think you can't be just as alluring as the others. Sure, you may think, act and even look mature, you're still young. You have plenty of time to explore different sides of yourself, but don't force it. Let it come gradually; at a pace that's comfortable for you."
A small smile appeared on Motoko's face. "You always know the right thing to say."
"Only after I say the wrong thing."
"Now that that's settled," Motoko said with more confidence, "maybe I should introduce you to Alicia."
"Before you do that, there's something I want to show everyone."
Motoko was confused. "What's that?"
"Well, aren't you curious about what I've been doing these last two weeks?"
"Well, sure, but I--oh!" Motoko said, realizing what he meant.
"That's right. Get everyone except Keitaro and meet me in the changing room. Also, did you tell Alicia about my talents?"
"No, we haven't."
"Then don't get her either."
"Wait, why don't you want Keitaro to see it? He's seen you cast spells before."
"I know, but I don't think he's ready for this one. I'll show him later, but not now."
"I see." Motoko quickly left.
"I'm not sure if you're ready either, but I'd have to show you sometime," Sean thought as he slowly followed.
---
Sean entered the changing room to find the girls waiting there.
"About time you showed up," Kitsune said, impatiently. "What's this big thing you're supposed to show us."
"Well, I finally completed the spell I've been working on."
"So what, it's just another spell. It's nothing we haven't seen before."
"Not one like this, you haven't. Observe." He shut his eyes and made tight fists at his sides.
Motoko's eyes grew wide. "Wow."
"What's going on?" Naru asked.
"Whatever this is, he's using a lot of ki to do it."
"Oh my," Shinobu said when she saw Sean start to glow. She started to back away. The light around him intensified until he was just a pure white outline. After a few seconds of this, he spread his arms out and a blinding light spread out, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
"What the heck is he doing?!" Kitsune said.
The sun-like radiance subsided after a while, revealing the white outline again, which faded as well.
Everyone's jaws dropped at what they saw. "No way," Kitsune said. "There's just no way."
The caster wasn't surprised a bit by their response, for the figure standing before them was none other than Alicia Dove.
* * * End of Chapter XIX * * *
Well, who didn't see that coming? Honestly, I wasn't trying to make it obvious, but I don't know if I did or not, since it was my plan from the get go. Hey DJ, when I read your review after Alicia showed up, I busted out laughing. You had no idea just how right you were. Who did you bet the $20 with, anyway? Oh well, see you next time, where I'll explain why I did what I did. I expect some interesting responses from this one.
Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for!
* * * Chapter XIX: Sean's Return * * *
Dear Shinobu,
Sorry I haven't been able to contact you in a while; I have been quite busy as of late, what with my experiments and all; you understand. Well, I just wanted to tell you that my research is just about to come to an end--for now, at least. Yes, that means I'll be coming back to you soon. Calm down, Shinobu, I know you're excited, but you still have to wait a bit. I will return on Saturday around ten in the morning. I expect some interesting stories when I do.
See you soon, Sean
--- Saturday, 10/6 9:52 AM
Shinobu ran through the hallway. It looked like she was in a big hurry to get to where she was going. Halfway down the stairs, she found Alicia heading up.
"Hey Shinobu, what's up?"
Shinobu stopped to catch her breath a bit before she responded. "Well, I wanted this to be a surprise, but…" She looked around to see if anyone else was within earshot.
This piqued Alicia's curiosity. "But what?"
"Sean's coming back today. He should be here any minute now."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Do you want to greet him with me?"
Alicia thought it over for a bit. "As much as I want to meet him, I also know how much you love him, so I'll just leave the two of you alone to catch up. I can always meet him later."
Shinobu nodded. "Thank you." She hurried off in the direction of the lobby to await Sean's arrival. Minutes went by like hours as Shinobu's patience started to wane. "Why won't he get here?" She took a deep breath. "All right, just calm down. I'm starting to get too anxious. I've waited for days, even weeks for him to get back, I can last a few more minutes." She looked at her watch; 9:59. "But still, it's getting around that time. Ooh, I wish he'd just show up already so I don't have to wait any long--" She was interrupted by the turning of a doorknob. She stood breathless as the door slowly opened.
"Hello?" A familiar voice called out. "Is anyone home?"
Shinobu couldn't stand it any longer. She ran over and held Sean close to her as soon as she saw him appear in the doorway. "You're finally back!"
Sean was stunned for a moment by Shinobu's sudden embrace, but quickly recovered and returned the favor. "Yeah, I'm home again."
Shinobu started buried her face in Sean's shirt, crying all the while. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."
"I doubt that."
Shinobu backed off slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I just spent who knows how long out in the middle of nowhere with no human contact--or at least not verbal contact. At least you had the other girls to talk to; I had nobody but myself." Tears started to appear in Sean's eyes. "I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone."
"But that doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you're here with us again."
"That's right."
"What going on?" Naru asked. Upon seeing Sean, she gasped. "Sean…" She stood still for a moment, almost not believing that he was actually there rather than it just being her imagination. After letting reality sink in, she couldn't contain herself. "SEAN!!!" Much to his surprise, Naru starting running away, screaming, "SEAN'S BACK!!" Over and over again.
"Was this place that boring while I was away?" Sean asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sort of," Shinobu replied.
Naru's voice rang out all over the building and soon, she reappeared, accompanied by a crowd of girls. Sean knew well enough what was about to happen, and he braced for impact. Suu was the first to reach him. She pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. "You're really here!" she cried.
"I missed you too," Sean said. "But there's this issue of me needing to breathe, so if you could--"
"Oh, sorry." Suu got off him right away.
"Thank you," Sean said, brushing himself off and looking over the crowd before him. "So, where's Keitaro?"
"Right here." Keitaro appeared, joining the group.
Sean cringed at the sight of him. "Dear lord, what happened to you?"
"I got trampled over just now."
Sean sighed and shook his head. "I guess not much has changed while I've been gone, huh?"
"Not really."
"Figures. Nevertheless, I suppose I have a lot of catching up to do, don't I?"
"Don't you know it," Kitsune said. "There have been some… interesting moments."
"Is that so? Well, let's go to the living room and tell me all about it." The whole group set out for the living room.
On the way, Shinobu noticed Sean shake his head. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I just thought I saw something, that's all."
"Oh."
In reality, Sean could have sworn that Kitsune's shirt disappeared for a moment. "I've been away for too long," he thought. "My mind's starting to play tricks on me."
When everyone was seated, they began to fill Sean in on what happened while he was out, most of which included Alicia, who for some reason wasn't present. "She sounds like a nice girl. Where is she? I'd like to meet her."
"She must be in her room," Shinobu said. "She wanted to give us a chance to catch up before you meet her."
Sean nodded understandingly. "I guess all that serious stuff can wait for now."
As the stories continued, Sean was met with a huge distraction. He couldn't--no, he refused to believe his eyes. As he shifted his gaze to each girl, he saw their clothes start to fade away. "What the hell--" he thought.
Shinobu was the first to notice Sean's uncomfortable state. "There's definitely something wrong," she thought. She got up and approached him. "What's bothering you?"
Sean blushed deeply. "I'm uh… just… you know what, don't worry about it." He gave a weak smile waved his hand, passing it off as nothing. It also passed across his field of vision, hoping it would return everything to normal; it didn't work.
"Aw, c'mon," Kitsune said. "You know you can't keep secrets from us for too long." She closed in on him, flaunting her features in the process. "We always get you to talk one way or another."
In Sean's hallucinatory condition, her actions had a greater effect. "Why do I have to go through all this?" Sean thought. "She delights in making me suffer, I swear."
Naru grabbed Kitsune's shoulder, halting her advance. "Why do you keep tormenting the poor guy? I mean, he just got back, for heaven's sake."
"She right," Motoko added. "Who knows what condition his experiments left him in. We should just let him relax for now."
"Ah, Naru and Motoko," Sean thought, "the voices of reason. They're so considerate, so kind, so… gorgeous…"
"I don't really care how you show your affection for him," Kitsune said, "but this is how I do it." She got out of Naru's grasp and continued her little exhibition, getting right in Sean's face.
Alarms went off in Sean's mind. Instantly, he shut his eyes and turned away.
"He's breathing funny," Suu said moments later from disturbingly close range.
"Will you quit it, already?" Shinobu asked. "Can't you see what you're doing to him?"
"Yes, I can. This is how I can tell; right HERE."
Sean's eyes snapped open when he felt a hand grab his erection through his pants. "Oh, God," he thought. "If I don't escape from this soon, I'm going to explode!" He shot a look at Kitsune that pleaded for her to stop. Unfortunately, Kitsune interpreted Sean's gaze as one of passion; of longing.
"Ah, he's enjoying this after all," she thought. She redoubled her efforts.
"Oh shit," Sean thought. He had to think fast; he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.
"A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!" he blurted out.
Immediately, a sword appeared close to Kitsune's neck. "Leave him alone," Motoko said.
Kitsune immediately let go, and not a minute too soon. "Alright, alright, no need to be violent about it."
"Thanks, Motoko. If you'll excuse me…" Sean vanished without a trace.
"Why do you do things like that to him all the time?" Naru asked.
Kitsune smiled a bit, despite the weapon still poised against her. "It's fun to see the reaction it gets. Besides, he needs to let loose every once in a while."
"That may be so," Motoko responded, "but forcing it on him is not the way to go about it."
"And what might you suggest I do instead?" Kitsune asked, raising an eyebrow.
Motoko blushed. "How should I know? I have no experience in such things."
"Anyway," Naru interjected, "I think we should go find where Sean went off to."
"Agreed," Motoko said.
Each person started off in different directions to find their missing manager, but Naru stopped Shinobu before she could leave. "You should keep an eye on Kitsune, in case she finds him."
"Sure thing."
--- Ten Minutes Later
Motoko opened the door to the roof to find Sean in a meditative position. His expression was one of utter concentration. "So there you are," she said without thinking. "Where did you go?"
"I was downstairs taking a cold shower," Sean answered calmly.
"Mind if I join you for a bit?"
"Only if I may keep my eyes closed."
"Why do you need to do that?" Motoko asked as she sat down a few feet in front of him.
"My being away did more to my mind than I feared. It's playing a cruel trick on my eyes."
"What are you seeing?"
"A more accurate question would be 'what am I not seeing?'"
"I'm not following you."
"Ever since I saw you all again today, your… clothes started to vanish before my very eyes."
"What?!"
"I'm more upset about it than you, no doubt. Keeping my eyes closed is the only way I can think of to prevent it right now."
"So what you're saying is, back in the living room--"
"I saw all of you, and Kitsune didn't help matters any. I don't know what her little show looked like to you, but for me…" Sean shuddered. "It was almost too much to bear. Thanks again for stopping her."
"No problem."
"It's not that I wouldn't normally enjoy what she tries to do, you understand; I just don't like her methods."
"I agree. She seems to take unnecessary steps to get what she wants."
"Yeah. I've experienced that first-hand."
There was a bit of a pause before Motoko spoke again. "I'm glad you're back. Things just weren't the same without you."
"I'm glad I'm back, too. If only my return wasn't spoiled by my perverted mind acting the way it is."
"Are your eyes still--"
"I don't know. That's why I'm keeping my eyes closed; somehow, I don't want to find out. I might end up going back to wearing the blindfold."
"Are you serious?"
"If it will keep me from being perverted, then yes."
"But not seeing us was the cause of the problem to begin with."
"Do you know what you're suggesting?"
"Sean, sometimes your well-being is more important than worrying about our modesty."
"I don't know, it just doesn't sound that safe to me."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I've seen how you and Naru treat Keitaro, and I know I couldn't last as long as he has."
"You'll always have your magic to protect you, right?"
"Well sure, but still--"
"Then you have nothing to worry about."
Sean was surprised by the direction the conversation had taken. More so, he was shocked by the fact that it was Motoko of all people that started it. "Geez, what kind of affect am I having on these girls?!" he thought.
"Open your eyes," Motoko said.
"W-what?"
"We are going to beat this thing, Sean. I don't like things being so awkward between you and us."
"Honestly, I'm not sure if the uncomfortable moments will ever end."
"Maybe they won't, but we'll deal with them when they happen. Open your eyes."
"I hope I don't regret this," Sean thought as he slowly made his gaze toward the swordswoman. She was standing before him, her hands behind her back. He could tell she wasn't used to the whole feminine thing she was trying to pull off, as opposed to the tomboy image she usually possessed.
"Well, how much can you see?"
Sean looked away, blushing. "Everything."
Motoko knew right away why Sean was embarrassed, and it made her face turn red as well. She brought her hands to her front and covered herself, even though she was fully clothed in reality.
"See, this is what I was talking about," Sean said. "I know how much you despise peeping Toms."
"Yeah. Um, could I ask you a personal question?"
"Okay."
"I want you to be completely honest, okay?"
"Sure, what do you want to know?"
"Well, you just saw… me, and I was just wanted to know, do I look attractive?"
Sean was struck dumb by the unexpected question. "What are you, crazy?!" he blurted out. He regretted what he said right away when he saw her run off, a depressed look on her face. "Oh shit," he thought. He knew he screwed up royally. "Motoko, hold on!" He said, getting up and rushing after her. Motoko just blew him off and continued to the door. Sean grabbed her hand just as she was about to walk through the doorway. "Motoko, please."
Motoko turned around, tears in her eyes. "This is what I get for showing my emotions; you call me crazy." She tried to pry herself out of Sean's grasp, but he held on tight.
"You know I don't mean that."
"Do I?"
"Look, if you'll just let me explain--"
"I think you've said quite enough." Her other hand started to reach for her sword.
"Motoko, just hear me out before you cut me in half. Sometimes, I speak before I think."
Motoko held her hand close to her blade. "Alright, but make it quick."
"Thank you. What I meant was why would you need to be worried about something like that? You are a beautiful young woman, and don't you ever think otherwise! You're easily a match for any of the other girls here."
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course I do. I'm sorry about what I said before; I just never expected you to be so concerned about your appearance. What brought it up?"
"Well," Motoko looked away from him. "I've never been that self-conscious in the past, but during my stay, I've started to become more and more worried about what others might think of me."
"Why?"
"After seeing the reactions the others get from guys like you and Keitaro, I've started to wonder who would ever want to be with me? I mean, look at me--I don't exactly dress the part."
"As if I can tell right now," Sean thought. "Listen, just because you don't show it, don't think you can't be just as alluring as the others. Sure, you may think, act and even look mature, you're still young. You have plenty of time to explore different sides of yourself, but don't force it. Let it come gradually; at a pace that's comfortable for you."
A small smile appeared on Motoko's face. "You always know the right thing to say."
"Only after I say the wrong thing."
"Now that that's settled," Motoko said with more confidence, "maybe I should introduce you to Alicia."
"Before you do that, there's something I want to show everyone."
Motoko was confused. "What's that?"
"Well, aren't you curious about what I've been doing these last two weeks?"
"Well, sure, but I--oh!" Motoko said, realizing what he meant.
"That's right. Get everyone except Keitaro and meet me in the changing room. Also, did you tell Alicia about my talents?"
"No, we haven't."
"Then don't get her either."
"Wait, why don't you want Keitaro to see it? He's seen you cast spells before."
"I know, but I don't think he's ready for this one. I'll show him later, but not now."
"I see." Motoko quickly left.
"I'm not sure if you're ready either, but I'd have to show you sometime," Sean thought as he slowly followed.
---
Sean entered the changing room to find the girls waiting there.
"About time you showed up," Kitsune said, impatiently. "What's this big thing you're supposed to show us."
"Well, I finally completed the spell I've been working on."
"So what, it's just another spell. It's nothing we haven't seen before."
"Not one like this, you haven't. Observe." He shut his eyes and made tight fists at his sides.
Motoko's eyes grew wide. "Wow."
"What's going on?" Naru asked.
"Whatever this is, he's using a lot of ki to do it."
"Oh my," Shinobu said when she saw Sean start to glow. She started to back away. The light around him intensified until he was just a pure white outline. After a few seconds of this, he spread his arms out and a blinding light spread out, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
"What the heck is he doing?!" Kitsune said.
The sun-like radiance subsided after a while, revealing the white outline again, which faded as well.
Everyone's jaws dropped at what they saw. "No way," Kitsune said. "There's just no way."
The caster wasn't surprised a bit by their response, for the figure standing before them was none other than Alicia Dove.
* * * End of Chapter XIX * * *
Well, who didn't see that coming? Honestly, I wasn't trying to make it obvious, but I don't know if I did or not, since it was my plan from the get go. Hey DJ, when I read your review after Alicia showed up, I busted out laughing. You had no idea just how right you were. Who did you bet the $20 with, anyway? Oh well, see you next time, where I'll explain why I did what I did. I expect some interesting responses from this one.