Disclaimer: I own no part of Love Hina, but Sean is me, whether I like it or not.
* * * Chapter XXVIII: Beings from Beyond * * *
"Guys, what's going on?!" Sean asked as the silence around him continued. Due to his blind state, he wasn't aware that the others had their attentions drawn to something--or rather, someone who had just appeared in the room out of nowhere.
Eventually, the silence had to be broken by someone who could actually see, and when it was, it was by the unexpected visitor. "Greetings." It looked to be a woman in her early to mid twenties. She wore a purple cloak around her, but it was open enough that everyone with the visual capacity could see the deep-blue, skin-tight leotard underneath. (Think Raven from Teen Titans without the hood.) She had light brown hair that reached just past her shoulders, done in a simple ponytail. All in all, she was gorgeous, which didn't go unnoticed by Keitaro or anyone who looked at him and the trickle of blood coming out his nose. At that time, she stood with her back against the wall next to the stairs.
"Uh, hi," Naru said. She was the first one to regain her senses--at least among those who lost them in the first place. "Who are you?"
"My name is Linda, and I am the goddess of magic."
"Hold on a sec," Kitsune said. "Your name is Linda?!"
Linda raised an eyebrow and gazed at the incredulous mortal. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Well, no, but I just figured that a goddess would have one of those old roman names or something."
"Yeah," Naru added. "In all my studies, I've never heard of a goddess of magic named Linda."
"I'm not surprised. Me and my fellow deities tend to be inconspicuous."
"You mean there are others like you?" Shinobu asked.
"Oh sure, and in more ways than you think."
"What?" Kitsune said, scratching her head.
"Well, let me put it this way; the group I'm a part of is a sorority."
"You mean--"
"Yep. All girls."
"Oh my…" Keitaro said, fainting.
"Well, that's all very interesting," Sean said. "but it doesn't explain why you're here right now, does it?" It seemed that Linda's speech transcended all language barriers, so a translator wasn't needed.
"You're right. Back to the matter at hand."
"Um, why are you here?" Shinobu asked.
"Well, when somebody reaches a certain level of skill in the magical arts, it's my duty to test that person to see if they are worthy of their talents."
"What exactly do you mean by worthy?" Naru asked.
"Well, if they want to use their powers to cause harm to others or for some selfish purpose, they will be deemed unworthy and will be stripped of them permanently."
"Then why have you taken away mine?" Sean asked.
"The first stage of my test is to notify them in a dream that their power will be taken away from them and observe their reaction. I must say that I'm not impressed by what I saw from you."
"Well, I wouldn't be either, but you know why I acted that way, right?"
"I can't say that I do."
"Well, considering that you are probably more powerful than I could ever hope to be, you should be perfectly capable of reading minds, correct?"
"Yes, but I have a personal policy against prying into someone's mind unless it's absolutely necessary. I like to leave people with at least that much privacy."
"Well, I'm allowing you to look into my head. Find that dream you sent the message into, and you'll understand why I acted the way I did."
"Okay, then, if that's what you want," Linda said as she made her way gracefully to where Sean sat on the couch and placed a hand to his head. "This will be a bit uncomfortable for you, just so you know." Sean nodded his understanding and Linda began probing his mind.
"Ugh, what happened?" Keitaro asked as he woke up and realized he was slumped in Motoko's arms.
"You fainted," she said, propping him upright.
"Oh." Keitaro then noticed that Linda was standing next to Sean. She held a hand against his forehead and had her eyes closed in concentration. "What's she doing?"
"Looking at the dream he had two nights ago."
The onlookers watched on quietly. They didn't know if Linda needed silence to focus on what she was doing, but they didn't want to find out the hard way. Moments went by and Linda removed her hand and opened her eyes.
"I see. That could certainly take my message out of context."
"Yes, it did. I thought that thing was going to attack this place and I didn't want to put the others at risk. That's why I acted that way yesterday."
"Well, considering what the dream was and how you responded to it, I can say that you passed the first test."
Sean smiled at his accomplishment. "What's the second test?"
"The second test consists of determining how dependent you are on your magic and in what way."
"Well, for starters, this bunch can be quite hostile at times, so I've had to heal myself more times than I can count. If it wasn't for my abilities, I probably would have died in a week or two."
"Is this true?" Linda looked at the others.
"Yes," Keitaro said. "I've been subject to many life-threatening situations myself because of a couple of these girls."
"Then why don't they speak for themselves?"
"Because they don't know what he said."
Linda was confused by this. "What?"
"I used my magic to understand Japanese when I first arrived," Sean said. "Until today, I had completely forgotten about that."
"I see. Anything else?"
"Well, he uses magic to make repairs to this place," Shinobu said. "Especially after one of Naru's or Motoko's attacks leaves a gaping hole in the wall or roof. I swear, if he hadn't kept up the maintenance magically, this place would either be a pile of rubble or completely bankrupt by now." The two aforementioned girls hung their heads in shame upon hearing this.
"Ouch."
"And probably the biggest thing he's had to rely on magic for is sight," Keitaro added.
"You mean he's blind?" Linda asked.
"Yes," Sean said. "As a result a one attack in particular, my glasses got shattered and some of the shards went into my eyes, causing me to go blind. Later, I worked up a spell that allows me to see and until now, it's worked just fine."
"Oh my goodness," Linda thought. "he's gone through so much around here. No wonder his power grew as quickly as it did."
"Well," she said out loud, "you pass the second test. Now for the final exam."
"Okay," Sean said. "How many questions is it?"
"Just one: What are your intentions?"
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
"What long-term plans do you have as far as magic is concerned?"
"I really don't have any."
Linda was surprised by this. "Not one?"
"Well, I guess the pursuit of knowledge could be one. I'm been experimenting with a few things over the last month."
"So you didn't get into magic with a set objective in mind?"
"Aside from improving my way of live, no."
"Well, you certainly are a unique individual, Sean."
"I know. Do I pass your exam?"
"With flying colors." That brought cheers from everyone but Sean, who just smiled. In his lifetime, he had grown accustomed to passing whatever test was thrown at him, even though a good portion of them had been in the classroom.
"As if I had any doubts about passing a test of morals," he thought. "I've had them tested every day I've been here."
"Now that you have been deemed worthy of your skills," Linda said, "I'll return them to you as though they were never gone." She snapped her fingers and a light blue mist appeared around Sean. Immediately, Motoko recognized it from what happened the night before.
"What is that, Motoko?" Shinobu asked, noticing Motoko's smile.
"His power," she said. "That's how it left, and that's how it will return."
Eventually, the fog dissipated and at first it looked like it had no effect whatsoever. That is, until Sean blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head.
"Is something wrong, Sean?" Shinobu asked.
"Nothing at all," Sean replied in perfect Japanese. He looked right at her, a smile on his face.
"You mean you can see again?!"
"Oh, I can do much more than that." Sean got up and as he approached Shinobu he made a motion with his hand and, much to her surprise, she was lifted up off the ground until both of their heads were at the same height. When he reached her, he gave her a quick kiss, making her blush.
"I love you, Sean," Shinobu said as the two were brought in an embrace. Her smile could not have been bigger or brighter if she tried.
"Me too, Shinobu," Sean said. "Me too."
"Well, I guess I'll be on my way," Linda said.
"Now hold on," Kitsune said. "Why do you have to leave us so soon?"
"My work's done here, so there's no reason for me to stay."
"You mean you have no time for play?" Suu asked. "That's boring!"
"I know, but that's the life I lead; that's the way it's always been."
"Oh come on," Sean said. "I'm sure you can stay for a little while and chat. There's a few things I'm sure we all want to know." The others nodded in agreement.
"Well, I guess, but I can't stay too long; I have something important to do later on that I can't be late for."
"That's fine. Have a seat." Linda complied, sitting on the couch, where she was soon flanked by both Sean and Shinobu.
"So, what do you wish to know?"
"Well, the first thing that comes to mind is why did you leave Shinobu unaffected while I was drained?"
"It's not her time yet, but at the rate she's going, it won't be long until it's time for her to be tested, and if what I've seen is any indication, she won't have any trouble passing whatsoever. In fact she's probably the answer to a bunch of your questions right now."
"Come again?" Naru asked.
"She's the reason I made it so that he couldn't accept any outside magic.
"Why's that?" Shinobu asked.
"Well, if I was to test Sean accurately, I couldn't have somebody helping him from the outside. Of course, if it was a life or death situation, your magic would have been accepted."
"I see."
"Also, you're sort of why I decided to give the test personally."
"You mean you don't do this regularly?" Keitaro asked.
"Of course not. There are many more cases like yours in the world than you may think, and I couldn't handle them all if I tried, so I have my subordinates handle most of them, which leaves me more time to deal with special cases like him."
"What's so special about me?" Sean asked.
"Well, your skills gave grown at a much faster rate than most. For most aspiring wizards, it would take years for them to earn my test. You did it in six months, but from what you've told me about what happens here, I can understand why. In addition, your short stint as a teacher caught my attention."
"You knew about that?"
"Well, when I suddenly find five more powers--even small ones--surrounding you, what else is there to think?"
"Good point. I'm honored that you hold me in such high regard."
"Yes, well, I'm not the only one whose kept an eye on this place."
"You're not?"
"Nope. There are two in particular who find interest in what goes on here."
"And who might they be?"
"I don't think if I should be telling you this…"
"Don't worry," Motoko said. "we'll keep this whole thing a secret."
"As if anyone would believe us anyway," Kitsune added.
"Alright," Linda said with a sigh. "I hope I don't regret this later on. Okay, the two other goddesses are named Amy and Stephanie."
"Again with the modern names," Kitsune noted. "What's with that?"
"Every few hundred years or so, we change our names a bit to better suit the times."
"You've been around for that long?" Naru asked.
"Some of us have."
"Just how many of you are there?"
"It's kind of hard to keep track of. All the time, goddesses are appearing and vanishing based on the need for each one. I think there are about 15 of us active right now."
"And are they all pretty like you?" Shinobu asked.
"Yes, but each one's actual appearance varies widely. Anyway, as I was saying, Amy and Stephanie have both been watching this place like I have."
"What aspects of our lives have they looked at, exactly?" Sean wondered.
"Well, let's start with Stephanie, considering she's the more interested of the two. She's the goddess of love, in all it's forms."
"Well, that makes sense," Motoko muttered.
"You got that right," Kitsune added.
"Actually," Linda continued, "to be honest, I'm surprised she hasn't made an appearance here yet."
"I thought you said you all usually didn't show up yourselves," Sean said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, well, she's the exception. She has made more trips to the surface than any of us would like, though considering her personality, I'm not at all surprised about that."
"Her personality?" Naru said.
"Yeah. To put it bluntly, she is a full-blown nymphomaniac, and I know for a fact she likes what she sees around here, so the thought that she hasn't been here yet comes as a shock to me." Right after she said that, there was a bright flash of light coming from behind the couch. When the glow subsided, the curvaceous figure of a blonde bombshell could be seen, making Keitaro pass out in a pool of his own blood at the first sight of her; mostly because of the see-through nightie she had on with nothing underneath. "Well," Linda continued, "I stand corrected. How you doing, Steph?"
"You know me," the new addition responded.
"Unfortunately, yes I do. What brings you here--as if I didn't know."
"Actually, I was wondering the same thing. I was expecting you back by now. The others are starting to wonder. What's the hold up?"
"I was going to come right back, but they had some questions for me. Actually, I was just talking about you just now."
"And why are you telling them about me?"
"I'm surprised you haven't made yourself known to them already."
"And why are you singling me out?"
"I'm not. I was going to talk about Ami too."
"Well, maybe I can help you with that," Stephanie said as she made her way to the couch and squeezed herself in between Linda and Sean, blatantly flaunting her already exposed features to him in the process, making him blush and turn his head away a bit.
"Why do you have to do that to every guy you see?" Linda asked.
"It's fun, that's why. Besides, I know how a certain someone gets when she's drunk." Stephanie looked at Linda suggestively.
"Just talk about Amy, alright?" Linda's face had turned a bright pink.
"Okay, but I think they're missing out on a great story." That got a light shove from the fellow goddess. "Alright, alright. Let's see…" Stephanie tapped her chin a couple times. "For starters, she has got to be one of the most stuck-up people I have ever seen. She's like some unfriendly librarian or something."
"Let me guess," Sean said, barely able to keep his composure due to his close proximity to her. "She's the goddess of knowledge, right?"
"Bingo. I mean, she and I are like polar opposites. While I try to have as much fun as I can, she's hardly ever seen without her nose buried in some book."
"Sounds like someone I know sometimes, doesn't it?" Kitsune asked, elbowing Naru in the side.
"Oh, shut up," Naru said.
"She's also one of the most modest people around. She's has a hot body like the rest of us, I sure of it, but she never shows any of it. She even refuses to bathe with other people. I honestly think she's ashamed of her looks. I'm always trying to get her to loosen up, but it's never worked even once. I've often wondered if she's ever had a libido in her life."
"Well, this has all been very enlightening, but I think it's time we left before the others start looking for us," Linda said.
"Are we ever going to see you again?" Shinobu asked.
"Oh, I plan on coming back," Stephanie said. "I know what this guy does for you and I intend to get a piece of the action one of these days." She looked lustfully at Sean.
"Huh boy," he thought, his face turning red again.
"As for me," Linda followed up, "I'll be back when Shinobu's skills have advanced far enough."
"Hell, maybe I'll show up with her," Stephanie said.
"Think we'll ever meet Amy?" Naru asked.
"I doubt it. She hardly ever leaves the house, much less pays visits to mortals, even though I know for a fact she's interested in all the… how did she put it?… educational developments going on here."
"Well, I'm not surprised," Sean noted. "I guess we'll see you later, then."
"Yeah," Linda said. "It was nice to finally meet you all face to face."
"Me too," Stephanie added. "Though I plan on getting to know this guy a lot more in the future."
Suddenly, a light went on in Kitsune's head and her usual grin appeared on her face. "Hey, Steph, could you do me a quick favor before you go?"
"Of course."
"Uh oh," Naru thought, "What does she have planned?"
--- (Later…)
Linda appeared in her bedroom. "They seemed like such nice people," she thought as she removed her cloak. "Normally, the people I have to deal with either plan to take over the world or constantly play practical jokes. Seeing how they act together was such a breath of fresh air; I wish I didn't have to leave so suddenly. I would like to see what Sean and Shinobu can do first hand instead of just sensing the energy every time. I suppose when it comes time for Shinobu's test, I could stay a while and see what they can really do. Besides, Steph wants to go with me and knowing her and her habits, she might be a while."
She sighed as she flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. "I really envy her. She lives such a hedonistic lifestyle, while I have to baby-sit spellcasting mortals, making sure that kind of power doesn't fall in the wrong hands. Plus, the only time she wears this skin-tight stuff is when she's in that kind of mood. I have to every time I leave the house! It's stupid how even I have to abide by certain rules and regulations. If I would be given the chance, I would gladly switch places with that slut in a second."
She snapped her fingers and her outfit vanished from her body, reappearing beside her on the bed. "Ah, that feels much better," she said as she stretched her bare form a bit and glanced at the accursed garment she just removed. "I should seriously look into asking for a change in wardrobe for when I'm on the job. Something that still makes me look like a sorceress but isn't so… confining. Hmm, that outfit that girl wore in Sean's dream could be just the one…" She envisioned herself looking like Alicia did. She liked what she saw, but couldn't help but wonder why a girl like that would be in one of Sean's dreams as she didn't recognize her from the group at Hinata-Sou. "I should ask him about that when I get back there…"
Linda's fantasizing was interrupted by a knock on her door. "Hey, Linda, you in there?" A voice from the other side said.
"Yeah, Sandra, what's up?"
"Well, the rest of us are in the living room. Come on out and join us."
"And what if I don't want to?" In reality, Linda was going to join them anyway, but she figured she'd play around a bit first.
"Aw, come on out. You can't just keep yourself cooped up in there. Get out here and live a little."
"That's so funny coming from you, you know." Sandra's job pretty much involved being the grim reaper.
"Yeah, yeah, real funny. Are you coming or not?"
"I'll be out in a minute."
"Don't be too long. Stephanie's starting to get a bit restless, and you know what that means."
"Oh yeah," Linda said, getting up off the bed and making her way to her closet.
--- (A few minutes later…)
Linda walked into a living room wearing a sleeveless shirt and a miniskirt. When she got there, she noticed just more than a dozen other girls there, all dressed very casually, chatting it up and overall, just relaxing, with the exception of two of them. The first one that stood out--or to be more accurate, sat out--was at a desk in the corner of the room reading a book. She could easily have been mistaken for being Naru's twin sister in full study mode except that she looked older by almost ten years. (Also, the clothes weren't exactly the same, but that's beside the point.) The second one, Linda noticed, wasn't there for some strange reason.
"Hey, where's Stephanie?" she couldn't help but ask. Her question was quickly answered when she found a couple arms wrap around her waist from behind.
"It's about time you showed up," Stephanie said into Linda's ear. "If you had taken any longer, I would have gone to get you myself instead of sending Death after you."
"Hey, you know I hate being called that!" Sandra said from her seat on a couch.
"Yes, I do."
"And, pray tell, what would you have done if you came for me?" Linda asked.
"You really need to ask? I think you know very well what I'd do."
"Oh, please," the girl at the desk said, rolling her eyes.
"Amy, shut up," Stephanie said. "I've organized this whole rest period every week or two for the last 800 years because I felt sorry for all of you. I like to think I'm the only one of us who isn't stressed out by her job, and I felt it was the least I could do to help, but in all that time, you haven't taken a break even once."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't want the kind of break you intend me to have? I think you should respect my choice not to participate."
"For the first couple centuries, I did, but since then, I've begun to really worry about you. You need to let your hair down every once in a while."
"No, I don't." Amy refocused her efforts to her reading.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. More fun for the rest of us. Speaking of which…" She moved her hands up Linda's body until they reached her chest, where they cupped her breasts. "Hmm, no bra I see."
Upon contact, Linda wrenched herself away from the love goddess's grasp, but her momentum caused her to fall on her ass. When she did this, everyone got a good look at what Stephanie was wearing, which was, for lack of a better word, nothing.
"What happened to that slip you were wearing before," one of the girls said. "Not that it would have made that much difference or anything…"
"I let a new friend of mine have it for a while. Besides, you know how I like just walking around naked." She went down on her hands and knees and crawled onto a prone Linda. "If I could, I'd do it all the time, but I'm required to at least wear something when I go out, but that doesn't mean I have to stay that way when I get there."
"You're insatiable, Steph," Linda said as she saw the lustful look on her face.
Stephanie giggled at the apparent compliment and grabbed Linda's skirt and underwear and yanked them both down to her knees. "Man, I love my job," she thought as she proceeded to relive the sorceress of her stress in her own special way.
--- 10:12 AM
Keitaro woke up to find that he wasn't in the living room. "Ugh, where am I?" He quickly realized he was in his room on his futon, and also that there was someone in bed with him. "K-Kitsune??!" Not only did he know who it was, he also recognized what she wore.
"Yes, Keitaro?" Kitsune said lovingly, clad only in Stephanie's transparent negligee. She smiled when she saw his panicked expression. "What's wrong? Don't like what you see?" She climbed on top of him, giving him a very nice view of her features. "I don't know why you wouldn't." She wasn't surprised one bit when she saw blood spray from Keitaro's nose; most of it getting on her. "Aw, now look what you did. I'll just have to get rid of this thing, since it's all covered in blood now." She pulled the garment up over her head and tossed it to the side. Keitaro's eyes went into the back of his head as he lost consciousness for the third time that day.
Sean watched the whole spectacle from a seated position on his own bed. He could plainly hear laughter from Kitsune after Keitaro passed out; he was barely able to keep from chuckling himself. "You can be so mean, Kitsune, you know?"
"You first noticed that now?"
"Course not, I just sometimes wonder why you torture him and me like you do."
"I like the reaction it gets."
"Whatever. You did your dirty work, so I think you're just about done here."
"Not quite," she said as she got up and made her way to his bed. There was a look on her face that Sean recognized right away, as he's seen it many times before.
"I don't think so."
"Aw, why not?"
"I've had quite enough excitement for a while, and I don't need more from you."
Kitsune started to pout. "You get me so hot and bothered and now you refuse me? What's up with that?"
"ME?! I didn't do anything! It's always you who makes the first move, not me!" Kitsune's face quickly returned to normal. "So the guilt trip route won't work, will it?"
"Not if I don't have anything to feel guilty about, it won't."
Kitsune snapped her fingers. "Darn."
"Listen, I've had a rough couple days, what with fear of a possible demon attack, blindness and incomprehension. I just want to rest and let my life return to however close to normal it ever gets around here. Ask me again later tonight; maybe I'll be more willing then. In the meantime, go get dressed before someone else sees you."
"Alright, Sean. See you tonight," Kitsune said as left his room.
"Huh boy, what a couple of days this has been," Sean sighed as he laid himself flat on his bed. "And this day isn't even close to being over yet." His mind started to wander, thinking about what else might happen that day; some of those things got him worried.
* * * End of Chapter XXVIII * * *
Perhaps a bit anti-climactic, but it gives an opening to some very interesting situations in the future, don't you think? Anyway, the next few chapters will focus around the various holidays and other events that are coming up in the story's timeline. Until then, please R&R.
* * * Chapter XXVIII: Beings from Beyond * * *
"Guys, what's going on?!" Sean asked as the silence around him continued. Due to his blind state, he wasn't aware that the others had their attentions drawn to something--or rather, someone who had just appeared in the room out of nowhere.
Eventually, the silence had to be broken by someone who could actually see, and when it was, it was by the unexpected visitor. "Greetings." It looked to be a woman in her early to mid twenties. She wore a purple cloak around her, but it was open enough that everyone with the visual capacity could see the deep-blue, skin-tight leotard underneath. (Think Raven from Teen Titans without the hood.) She had light brown hair that reached just past her shoulders, done in a simple ponytail. All in all, she was gorgeous, which didn't go unnoticed by Keitaro or anyone who looked at him and the trickle of blood coming out his nose. At that time, she stood with her back against the wall next to the stairs.
"Uh, hi," Naru said. She was the first one to regain her senses--at least among those who lost them in the first place. "Who are you?"
"My name is Linda, and I am the goddess of magic."
"Hold on a sec," Kitsune said. "Your name is Linda?!"
Linda raised an eyebrow and gazed at the incredulous mortal. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Well, no, but I just figured that a goddess would have one of those old roman names or something."
"Yeah," Naru added. "In all my studies, I've never heard of a goddess of magic named Linda."
"I'm not surprised. Me and my fellow deities tend to be inconspicuous."
"You mean there are others like you?" Shinobu asked.
"Oh sure, and in more ways than you think."
"What?" Kitsune said, scratching her head.
"Well, let me put it this way; the group I'm a part of is a sorority."
"You mean--"
"Yep. All girls."
"Oh my…" Keitaro said, fainting.
"Well, that's all very interesting," Sean said. "but it doesn't explain why you're here right now, does it?" It seemed that Linda's speech transcended all language barriers, so a translator wasn't needed.
"You're right. Back to the matter at hand."
"Um, why are you here?" Shinobu asked.
"Well, when somebody reaches a certain level of skill in the magical arts, it's my duty to test that person to see if they are worthy of their talents."
"What exactly do you mean by worthy?" Naru asked.
"Well, if they want to use their powers to cause harm to others or for some selfish purpose, they will be deemed unworthy and will be stripped of them permanently."
"Then why have you taken away mine?" Sean asked.
"The first stage of my test is to notify them in a dream that their power will be taken away from them and observe their reaction. I must say that I'm not impressed by what I saw from you."
"Well, I wouldn't be either, but you know why I acted that way, right?"
"I can't say that I do."
"Well, considering that you are probably more powerful than I could ever hope to be, you should be perfectly capable of reading minds, correct?"
"Yes, but I have a personal policy against prying into someone's mind unless it's absolutely necessary. I like to leave people with at least that much privacy."
"Well, I'm allowing you to look into my head. Find that dream you sent the message into, and you'll understand why I acted the way I did."
"Okay, then, if that's what you want," Linda said as she made her way gracefully to where Sean sat on the couch and placed a hand to his head. "This will be a bit uncomfortable for you, just so you know." Sean nodded his understanding and Linda began probing his mind.
"Ugh, what happened?" Keitaro asked as he woke up and realized he was slumped in Motoko's arms.
"You fainted," she said, propping him upright.
"Oh." Keitaro then noticed that Linda was standing next to Sean. She held a hand against his forehead and had her eyes closed in concentration. "What's she doing?"
"Looking at the dream he had two nights ago."
The onlookers watched on quietly. They didn't know if Linda needed silence to focus on what she was doing, but they didn't want to find out the hard way. Moments went by and Linda removed her hand and opened her eyes.
"I see. That could certainly take my message out of context."
"Yes, it did. I thought that thing was going to attack this place and I didn't want to put the others at risk. That's why I acted that way yesterday."
"Well, considering what the dream was and how you responded to it, I can say that you passed the first test."
Sean smiled at his accomplishment. "What's the second test?"
"The second test consists of determining how dependent you are on your magic and in what way."
"Well, for starters, this bunch can be quite hostile at times, so I've had to heal myself more times than I can count. If it wasn't for my abilities, I probably would have died in a week or two."
"Is this true?" Linda looked at the others.
"Yes," Keitaro said. "I've been subject to many life-threatening situations myself because of a couple of these girls."
"Then why don't they speak for themselves?"
"Because they don't know what he said."
Linda was confused by this. "What?"
"I used my magic to understand Japanese when I first arrived," Sean said. "Until today, I had completely forgotten about that."
"I see. Anything else?"
"Well, he uses magic to make repairs to this place," Shinobu said. "Especially after one of Naru's or Motoko's attacks leaves a gaping hole in the wall or roof. I swear, if he hadn't kept up the maintenance magically, this place would either be a pile of rubble or completely bankrupt by now." The two aforementioned girls hung their heads in shame upon hearing this.
"Ouch."
"And probably the biggest thing he's had to rely on magic for is sight," Keitaro added.
"You mean he's blind?" Linda asked.
"Yes," Sean said. "As a result a one attack in particular, my glasses got shattered and some of the shards went into my eyes, causing me to go blind. Later, I worked up a spell that allows me to see and until now, it's worked just fine."
"Oh my goodness," Linda thought. "he's gone through so much around here. No wonder his power grew as quickly as it did."
"Well," she said out loud, "you pass the second test. Now for the final exam."
"Okay," Sean said. "How many questions is it?"
"Just one: What are your intentions?"
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
"What long-term plans do you have as far as magic is concerned?"
"I really don't have any."
Linda was surprised by this. "Not one?"
"Well, I guess the pursuit of knowledge could be one. I'm been experimenting with a few things over the last month."
"So you didn't get into magic with a set objective in mind?"
"Aside from improving my way of live, no."
"Well, you certainly are a unique individual, Sean."
"I know. Do I pass your exam?"
"With flying colors." That brought cheers from everyone but Sean, who just smiled. In his lifetime, he had grown accustomed to passing whatever test was thrown at him, even though a good portion of them had been in the classroom.
"As if I had any doubts about passing a test of morals," he thought. "I've had them tested every day I've been here."
"Now that you have been deemed worthy of your skills," Linda said, "I'll return them to you as though they were never gone." She snapped her fingers and a light blue mist appeared around Sean. Immediately, Motoko recognized it from what happened the night before.
"What is that, Motoko?" Shinobu asked, noticing Motoko's smile.
"His power," she said. "That's how it left, and that's how it will return."
Eventually, the fog dissipated and at first it looked like it had no effect whatsoever. That is, until Sean blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head.
"Is something wrong, Sean?" Shinobu asked.
"Nothing at all," Sean replied in perfect Japanese. He looked right at her, a smile on his face.
"You mean you can see again?!"
"Oh, I can do much more than that." Sean got up and as he approached Shinobu he made a motion with his hand and, much to her surprise, she was lifted up off the ground until both of their heads were at the same height. When he reached her, he gave her a quick kiss, making her blush.
"I love you, Sean," Shinobu said as the two were brought in an embrace. Her smile could not have been bigger or brighter if she tried.
"Me too, Shinobu," Sean said. "Me too."
"Well, I guess I'll be on my way," Linda said.
"Now hold on," Kitsune said. "Why do you have to leave us so soon?"
"My work's done here, so there's no reason for me to stay."
"You mean you have no time for play?" Suu asked. "That's boring!"
"I know, but that's the life I lead; that's the way it's always been."
"Oh come on," Sean said. "I'm sure you can stay for a little while and chat. There's a few things I'm sure we all want to know." The others nodded in agreement.
"Well, I guess, but I can't stay too long; I have something important to do later on that I can't be late for."
"That's fine. Have a seat." Linda complied, sitting on the couch, where she was soon flanked by both Sean and Shinobu.
"So, what do you wish to know?"
"Well, the first thing that comes to mind is why did you leave Shinobu unaffected while I was drained?"
"It's not her time yet, but at the rate she's going, it won't be long until it's time for her to be tested, and if what I've seen is any indication, she won't have any trouble passing whatsoever. In fact she's probably the answer to a bunch of your questions right now."
"Come again?" Naru asked.
"She's the reason I made it so that he couldn't accept any outside magic.
"Why's that?" Shinobu asked.
"Well, if I was to test Sean accurately, I couldn't have somebody helping him from the outside. Of course, if it was a life or death situation, your magic would have been accepted."
"I see."
"Also, you're sort of why I decided to give the test personally."
"You mean you don't do this regularly?" Keitaro asked.
"Of course not. There are many more cases like yours in the world than you may think, and I couldn't handle them all if I tried, so I have my subordinates handle most of them, which leaves me more time to deal with special cases like him."
"What's so special about me?" Sean asked.
"Well, your skills gave grown at a much faster rate than most. For most aspiring wizards, it would take years for them to earn my test. You did it in six months, but from what you've told me about what happens here, I can understand why. In addition, your short stint as a teacher caught my attention."
"You knew about that?"
"Well, when I suddenly find five more powers--even small ones--surrounding you, what else is there to think?"
"Good point. I'm honored that you hold me in such high regard."
"Yes, well, I'm not the only one whose kept an eye on this place."
"You're not?"
"Nope. There are two in particular who find interest in what goes on here."
"And who might they be?"
"I don't think if I should be telling you this…"
"Don't worry," Motoko said. "we'll keep this whole thing a secret."
"As if anyone would believe us anyway," Kitsune added.
"Alright," Linda said with a sigh. "I hope I don't regret this later on. Okay, the two other goddesses are named Amy and Stephanie."
"Again with the modern names," Kitsune noted. "What's with that?"
"Every few hundred years or so, we change our names a bit to better suit the times."
"You've been around for that long?" Naru asked.
"Some of us have."
"Just how many of you are there?"
"It's kind of hard to keep track of. All the time, goddesses are appearing and vanishing based on the need for each one. I think there are about 15 of us active right now."
"And are they all pretty like you?" Shinobu asked.
"Yes, but each one's actual appearance varies widely. Anyway, as I was saying, Amy and Stephanie have both been watching this place like I have."
"What aspects of our lives have they looked at, exactly?" Sean wondered.
"Well, let's start with Stephanie, considering she's the more interested of the two. She's the goddess of love, in all it's forms."
"Well, that makes sense," Motoko muttered.
"You got that right," Kitsune added.
"Actually," Linda continued, "to be honest, I'm surprised she hasn't made an appearance here yet."
"I thought you said you all usually didn't show up yourselves," Sean said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, well, she's the exception. She has made more trips to the surface than any of us would like, though considering her personality, I'm not at all surprised about that."
"Her personality?" Naru said.
"Yeah. To put it bluntly, she is a full-blown nymphomaniac, and I know for a fact she likes what she sees around here, so the thought that she hasn't been here yet comes as a shock to me." Right after she said that, there was a bright flash of light coming from behind the couch. When the glow subsided, the curvaceous figure of a blonde bombshell could be seen, making Keitaro pass out in a pool of his own blood at the first sight of her; mostly because of the see-through nightie she had on with nothing underneath. "Well," Linda continued, "I stand corrected. How you doing, Steph?"
"You know me," the new addition responded.
"Unfortunately, yes I do. What brings you here--as if I didn't know."
"Actually, I was wondering the same thing. I was expecting you back by now. The others are starting to wonder. What's the hold up?"
"I was going to come right back, but they had some questions for me. Actually, I was just talking about you just now."
"And why are you telling them about me?"
"I'm surprised you haven't made yourself known to them already."
"And why are you singling me out?"
"I'm not. I was going to talk about Ami too."
"Well, maybe I can help you with that," Stephanie said as she made her way to the couch and squeezed herself in between Linda and Sean, blatantly flaunting her already exposed features to him in the process, making him blush and turn his head away a bit.
"Why do you have to do that to every guy you see?" Linda asked.
"It's fun, that's why. Besides, I know how a certain someone gets when she's drunk." Stephanie looked at Linda suggestively.
"Just talk about Amy, alright?" Linda's face had turned a bright pink.
"Okay, but I think they're missing out on a great story." That got a light shove from the fellow goddess. "Alright, alright. Let's see…" Stephanie tapped her chin a couple times. "For starters, she has got to be one of the most stuck-up people I have ever seen. She's like some unfriendly librarian or something."
"Let me guess," Sean said, barely able to keep his composure due to his close proximity to her. "She's the goddess of knowledge, right?"
"Bingo. I mean, she and I are like polar opposites. While I try to have as much fun as I can, she's hardly ever seen without her nose buried in some book."
"Sounds like someone I know sometimes, doesn't it?" Kitsune asked, elbowing Naru in the side.
"Oh, shut up," Naru said.
"She's also one of the most modest people around. She's has a hot body like the rest of us, I sure of it, but she never shows any of it. She even refuses to bathe with other people. I honestly think she's ashamed of her looks. I'm always trying to get her to loosen up, but it's never worked even once. I've often wondered if she's ever had a libido in her life."
"Well, this has all been very enlightening, but I think it's time we left before the others start looking for us," Linda said.
"Are we ever going to see you again?" Shinobu asked.
"Oh, I plan on coming back," Stephanie said. "I know what this guy does for you and I intend to get a piece of the action one of these days." She looked lustfully at Sean.
"Huh boy," he thought, his face turning red again.
"As for me," Linda followed up, "I'll be back when Shinobu's skills have advanced far enough."
"Hell, maybe I'll show up with her," Stephanie said.
"Think we'll ever meet Amy?" Naru asked.
"I doubt it. She hardly ever leaves the house, much less pays visits to mortals, even though I know for a fact she's interested in all the… how did she put it?… educational developments going on here."
"Well, I'm not surprised," Sean noted. "I guess we'll see you later, then."
"Yeah," Linda said. "It was nice to finally meet you all face to face."
"Me too," Stephanie added. "Though I plan on getting to know this guy a lot more in the future."
Suddenly, a light went on in Kitsune's head and her usual grin appeared on her face. "Hey, Steph, could you do me a quick favor before you go?"
"Of course."
"Uh oh," Naru thought, "What does she have planned?"
--- (Later…)
Linda appeared in her bedroom. "They seemed like such nice people," she thought as she removed her cloak. "Normally, the people I have to deal with either plan to take over the world or constantly play practical jokes. Seeing how they act together was such a breath of fresh air; I wish I didn't have to leave so suddenly. I would like to see what Sean and Shinobu can do first hand instead of just sensing the energy every time. I suppose when it comes time for Shinobu's test, I could stay a while and see what they can really do. Besides, Steph wants to go with me and knowing her and her habits, she might be a while."
She sighed as she flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. "I really envy her. She lives such a hedonistic lifestyle, while I have to baby-sit spellcasting mortals, making sure that kind of power doesn't fall in the wrong hands. Plus, the only time she wears this skin-tight stuff is when she's in that kind of mood. I have to every time I leave the house! It's stupid how even I have to abide by certain rules and regulations. If I would be given the chance, I would gladly switch places with that slut in a second."
She snapped her fingers and her outfit vanished from her body, reappearing beside her on the bed. "Ah, that feels much better," she said as she stretched her bare form a bit and glanced at the accursed garment she just removed. "I should seriously look into asking for a change in wardrobe for when I'm on the job. Something that still makes me look like a sorceress but isn't so… confining. Hmm, that outfit that girl wore in Sean's dream could be just the one…" She envisioned herself looking like Alicia did. She liked what she saw, but couldn't help but wonder why a girl like that would be in one of Sean's dreams as she didn't recognize her from the group at Hinata-Sou. "I should ask him about that when I get back there…"
Linda's fantasizing was interrupted by a knock on her door. "Hey, Linda, you in there?" A voice from the other side said.
"Yeah, Sandra, what's up?"
"Well, the rest of us are in the living room. Come on out and join us."
"And what if I don't want to?" In reality, Linda was going to join them anyway, but she figured she'd play around a bit first.
"Aw, come on out. You can't just keep yourself cooped up in there. Get out here and live a little."
"That's so funny coming from you, you know." Sandra's job pretty much involved being the grim reaper.
"Yeah, yeah, real funny. Are you coming or not?"
"I'll be out in a minute."
"Don't be too long. Stephanie's starting to get a bit restless, and you know what that means."
"Oh yeah," Linda said, getting up off the bed and making her way to her closet.
--- (A few minutes later…)
Linda walked into a living room wearing a sleeveless shirt and a miniskirt. When she got there, she noticed just more than a dozen other girls there, all dressed very casually, chatting it up and overall, just relaxing, with the exception of two of them. The first one that stood out--or to be more accurate, sat out--was at a desk in the corner of the room reading a book. She could easily have been mistaken for being Naru's twin sister in full study mode except that she looked older by almost ten years. (Also, the clothes weren't exactly the same, but that's beside the point.) The second one, Linda noticed, wasn't there for some strange reason.
"Hey, where's Stephanie?" she couldn't help but ask. Her question was quickly answered when she found a couple arms wrap around her waist from behind.
"It's about time you showed up," Stephanie said into Linda's ear. "If you had taken any longer, I would have gone to get you myself instead of sending Death after you."
"Hey, you know I hate being called that!" Sandra said from her seat on a couch.
"Yes, I do."
"And, pray tell, what would you have done if you came for me?" Linda asked.
"You really need to ask? I think you know very well what I'd do."
"Oh, please," the girl at the desk said, rolling her eyes.
"Amy, shut up," Stephanie said. "I've organized this whole rest period every week or two for the last 800 years because I felt sorry for all of you. I like to think I'm the only one of us who isn't stressed out by her job, and I felt it was the least I could do to help, but in all that time, you haven't taken a break even once."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't want the kind of break you intend me to have? I think you should respect my choice not to participate."
"For the first couple centuries, I did, but since then, I've begun to really worry about you. You need to let your hair down every once in a while."
"No, I don't." Amy refocused her efforts to her reading.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. More fun for the rest of us. Speaking of which…" She moved her hands up Linda's body until they reached her chest, where they cupped her breasts. "Hmm, no bra I see."
Upon contact, Linda wrenched herself away from the love goddess's grasp, but her momentum caused her to fall on her ass. When she did this, everyone got a good look at what Stephanie was wearing, which was, for lack of a better word, nothing.
"What happened to that slip you were wearing before," one of the girls said. "Not that it would have made that much difference or anything…"
"I let a new friend of mine have it for a while. Besides, you know how I like just walking around naked." She went down on her hands and knees and crawled onto a prone Linda. "If I could, I'd do it all the time, but I'm required to at least wear something when I go out, but that doesn't mean I have to stay that way when I get there."
"You're insatiable, Steph," Linda said as she saw the lustful look on her face.
Stephanie giggled at the apparent compliment and grabbed Linda's skirt and underwear and yanked them both down to her knees. "Man, I love my job," she thought as she proceeded to relive the sorceress of her stress in her own special way.
--- 10:12 AM
Keitaro woke up to find that he wasn't in the living room. "Ugh, where am I?" He quickly realized he was in his room on his futon, and also that there was someone in bed with him. "K-Kitsune??!" Not only did he know who it was, he also recognized what she wore.
"Yes, Keitaro?" Kitsune said lovingly, clad only in Stephanie's transparent negligee. She smiled when she saw his panicked expression. "What's wrong? Don't like what you see?" She climbed on top of him, giving him a very nice view of her features. "I don't know why you wouldn't." She wasn't surprised one bit when she saw blood spray from Keitaro's nose; most of it getting on her. "Aw, now look what you did. I'll just have to get rid of this thing, since it's all covered in blood now." She pulled the garment up over her head and tossed it to the side. Keitaro's eyes went into the back of his head as he lost consciousness for the third time that day.
Sean watched the whole spectacle from a seated position on his own bed. He could plainly hear laughter from Kitsune after Keitaro passed out; he was barely able to keep from chuckling himself. "You can be so mean, Kitsune, you know?"
"You first noticed that now?"
"Course not, I just sometimes wonder why you torture him and me like you do."
"I like the reaction it gets."
"Whatever. You did your dirty work, so I think you're just about done here."
"Not quite," she said as she got up and made her way to his bed. There was a look on her face that Sean recognized right away, as he's seen it many times before.
"I don't think so."
"Aw, why not?"
"I've had quite enough excitement for a while, and I don't need more from you."
Kitsune started to pout. "You get me so hot and bothered and now you refuse me? What's up with that?"
"ME?! I didn't do anything! It's always you who makes the first move, not me!" Kitsune's face quickly returned to normal. "So the guilt trip route won't work, will it?"
"Not if I don't have anything to feel guilty about, it won't."
Kitsune snapped her fingers. "Darn."
"Listen, I've had a rough couple days, what with fear of a possible demon attack, blindness and incomprehension. I just want to rest and let my life return to however close to normal it ever gets around here. Ask me again later tonight; maybe I'll be more willing then. In the meantime, go get dressed before someone else sees you."
"Alright, Sean. See you tonight," Kitsune said as left his room.
"Huh boy, what a couple of days this has been," Sean sighed as he laid himself flat on his bed. "And this day isn't even close to being over yet." His mind started to wander, thinking about what else might happen that day; some of those things got him worried.
* * * End of Chapter XXVIII * * *
Perhaps a bit anti-climactic, but it gives an opening to some very interesting situations in the future, don't you think? Anyway, the next few chapters will focus around the various holidays and other events that are coming up in the story's timeline. Until then, please R&R.