Repercussions Chapter 24, a love hina fanfic

It's about time.

I apologise for the long, long wait for this chapter. Real life played a part.....but perhaps the fact that it's the last chapter played it's part too. After so long, to have to actually make some kind of conclusion......this fic has been more than a simple story to me, it's been a true experience. An education.

And most of all, it's been wonderful fun.

I wish to thank all those who followed this through to it's conclusion, and also the purple fox for her patience and input. There are so many who have reviewed my piece, and to all of those who did I thank you.

Now, time to get on with things.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Repercussions – Chapter 24

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had wielded a katana with thoughtless precision for all the years of her life, and could cut a falling leaf clean in two with eyes closed and hands bound. But, as she gazed at the warm bundle cradled in her arms, Motoko suddenly felt her grip could never be secure enough to hold her new niece with the safety she desired.

"Beautiful….." The raven-haired girl murmured, placing a slim finger in the infant's miniature palm and watching her fingers curl around it in reflex.

"She is." Eyes tired but joyous, Tsuruko reclined in bed and examined the scene before her with pleasure. She had never doubted that Motoko would be a good aunt, the genuine smile her sister wore told her the girl was already wrapped around one of her daughter's tiny fingers. It had been seventeen hours of varying degrees of agony (the last few hours truly deserving the name) as a climax to months of nausea, bloating and backache, but at this moment Tsuruko would swear on her honour that it was worth it.

Four adults in the same room, each one utterly enraptured by a tiny child that had no idea she was the centre of attention. Indeed, the girl in question seemed under whelmed by the whole thing judging by the ease with which she slept, something Tsuruko could empathise with.

She was completely exhausted too.

"Have you thought of a name yet, Oneesan?" Motoko asked, still wearing a grin that she would never be seen with in any other circumstances.

"Not yet. We have a few in mind, however." Tsuruko shared a glance with her husband, seeing his dark eyes regarding her with mirth. It was the one thing the pair had been unable to agree on – although she had the feeling that she would just know which name was right when the time came.

"I see." Gazing down at the sleeping infant again, Motoko felt the same smile pinch at her mouth again, one she seemed to have no control over. Not that she cared. The girl had only a faint cap of black hair, hair that suggested she was going to be an Aoyama in appearance as well as name. "I must say, Oneesan, that I really do understand now. She's going to grow up to be a fine woman, I know it already."

"Yes." Tsuruko replied, before making no attempt to smother a huge yawn. "I hope that I can play some part in that, but time will tell." As her sister yawned for the second time in as many moments, Motoko locked eyes with her mother, seeing the same determination smouldering in the older woman's eyes.

There was no way Tsuruko was going to become a martyr to the school. She wouldn't allow it, whether her sister knew it or not.

"You need your sleep, my dear." The newly-minted grandmother announced, laying a firm hand on her eldest daughter's shoulder. "The resumption of duties can wait until tomorrow, however I will not allow you to go out searching for them. Let them come to you, you have earned at least that much." The stern tone didn't draw much reaction from Tsuruko, although the way her eyelids drooped suggested she wasn't entirely listening.

"Whatever you say, mother. Now, I am afraid I must ask you to take your leave, as I doubt that I shall be making much conversation for the next few hours."

"Certainly." Pacing forwards Motoko handed her niece to Tsuruko, who gratefully took the sleeping infant before passing her on to her husband. "May I say once again Oneesan, congratulations. We're all very proud of you."

"Thank you Imoutochan. I only hope I will not betray your faith in me……" A few seconds later, the sound of steady snoring announced that the sandman had claimed yet another victim. The other adults watched the new mother sleep for several moments before, as if on an unspoken command, they turned to one another.

"I trust you will assist us?" Motoko asked the man sat beside the bed, who cradled his new daughter like the most precious and fragile china.

"Of course. I know Tsu-chan inside and out, and also know that she will put all else above herself. I have no intention of letting her do any more than what is absolutely necessary."

"I believe the best way is to make no mention of any matters involving work." The eldest woman mused aloud, eyes not leaving the recumbent figure before her. "From what I recall the first few days after giving birth were something of a blur, perhaps if we let time pass and let her get to know her child, by the time she realises weeks have passed she may open her eyes and see that the world has not suddenly come to an end."

"It is worth a try. Better than directly ordering her, which I imagine she would not take too kindly to." Motoko agreed.

"There's more than enough time for work and training in the future. You only get to treasure a new life on rare occasion, and it's something I will not allow my daughter to miss." Turning on her heel the grandmother strode towards the door, throwing a farewell over her shoulder as she left.

For several long seconds Motoko and Tsuruko's husband regarded the tiny child in his arms for several seconds, before the girl eventually spoke. "I….I never really understood why my sister chose to marry. It always seemed to me it was merely a distraction from the art, and as a result I doubt I afforded you the respect you deserved. But now I…..I have found love, although a love unrequited. I have seen the result, this new life you hold in your grasp, born out of love." Taking a deep breath, Motoko let her olive eyes meet dark ones. "I wish to apologise for my failures. Please allow me to atone through my assistance at this time."

To her surprise, the man chuckled.

"Motoko-san, wishing to defend the honour of your own flesh and blood is not something to apologise for. What you are doing now is more than enough."

"Thank you." Bowing once, Motoko followed her mother through the still open doorway, suddenly feeling the strain of a long day's travelling and an equally long night of anxious waiting. Pacing slowly through her ancestral home the girl drifted like a ship in calm waters, taking long moments to absorb the atmosphere, appreciating the peace of a house at rest. It was such an odd sensation, being back in the home she had grown up in – nostalgic, yes, but also tinged with a hint of regret. When she was younger the house had been a symbol of injustice, imprisoning her, tying her to a fate she was unsure she desired. Perhaps that was why she'd never truly appreciated its elegant architecture, or the art which adorned many of its walls.

Now she could. Because she was merely a visitor, nothing more.

Pausing upon a walkway overlooking the gardens, Motoko leaned gently against the railing and gazed out at the tranquil scene. If anything, the fine art adorning the walls of the Aoyama home was upstaged by the mastery with which the grounds had been crafted.

Sliding down until her posterior met the cool wooden floor, the young woman slipped her feet between the wooden rails and allowed them to dangle in mid-air as she surveyed the sight before her. In the foreground a small pond, its waters black and silent as the grave, not a ripple gracing its surface. Beyond that the moonlit silhouettes of hand-crafted bushes and shrubs dotting the landscape, white stone pathways lacing their way web-like through and between them.

When she was only a girl, a girl with what seemed like the weight of the world on her shoulders, Motoko would often sit in this very position and stare out into the darkness. In the depths of the night it once seemed to encompass the world itself, shadow defeating the eye long before sight could reach the perimeter fence. Back then, feeling the pressure of her future hung albatross-like around her neck, it had seemed to Motoko that her home and its gardens were the entire world. That there was nothing beyond its gardens, no future outside the walls.

How wrong she had been.

Living at the Hinata-sou had not always been easy, least of all since the turn of the year. One fate after another had befallen her surrogate family, and even now wounds still needed to heal. Her own wounds as well, inflicted by a well-meaning but ignorant man, someone whose only fault was to follow his heart. If anything, this absence was well timed, allowing her the chance to reconcile with the truth.

But she would return, sure as the sun would rise and reveal the world beyond the Aoyama estate. The future she always wished for – one without the weight of expectation – was waiting for her. Her friends were waiting for her.

Keitaro was waiting for her.

That was enough.

With a deep breath Motoko pulled herself to her feet, deciding to go and make a start on the sleep she was long overdue.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the standards of what had taken place, the weeks which followed in the Hinata-sou were comparatively peaceful and sanguine. Which was like saying a gale is calm compared to a hurricane – true, but compared to your common everyday breeze it's still pretty damn windy.

Naru's dressing down at the hands of Shinobu announced a return to her status as Persona Non Grata – a silent shadow periodically seen in the hallways and rooms of the Hinata-sou, something that was known to exist but barely acknowledged. The girl spent much of her time planted firmly in her room, and the rest was spent in university, keenly studying with the certainty it was all she had left. Su, Sara and Keitaro all passed by regularly, and Naru even found a plate with her name on it at the table every evening – something that fed and watered the tiny seed of hope still buried somewhere within her. All the same, now even more than when she'd first returned, the girl found herself utterly alone. Part of this was because the true gravity of her actions had taken hold, but the other part was the absence of Motoko and Mitsune's continued war with herself.

In truth, Naru had been a little hurt when the fox hadn't made regular visits up to her room to provide a little moral support (and hopefully a comfortable shoulder to cry on) – yes her friend was being worked like a slave for eight or more hours a day by Haruka, but even so it wasn't much to ask, was it?

Then she'd started asking Keitaro what was occupying the fox's evenings. The only answer she got was a trademark nervous scratch of the head and what could only be called a politician's response – lots of words that, when all added together, meant nothing at all. Remembering the price of her impatience, Naru instead slowly began teasing the story out of the Kanrinin whenever she got the chance.

It wasn't entirely pleasant.

Keitaro himself had begun to wish he hadn't taken on the role of jailer to Mitsune's glass prison. The first few days were not too bad, the fox throwing herself into her duties with newfound energy and enthusiasm. However, as the end of the first week approached she had asked for a few drinks on a couple of evenings – something he had supplied with a smile. Then the request came the next night, and the one after…..at which point he found himself having to put his foot down.

Mitsune had taken the refusal with a nod and a not-quite-real smile, and walked away.

Twenty minutes later, he was able to witness first-hand the after effects of Kaolla Su's 'countermeasures'. After helping a still smoking Mitsune to her room Keitaro had suggested that trying to break into anything made by the Princess of Molmol was more trouble than it was worth, something the fox silently agreed with.

Unfortunately, she decided to try and find an easier target to exploit.

Keitaro himself.

To begin with it was cajolement, promises and offers made for just one more glass of sake. When it became quite clear that each offer was responded to with a flat 'No Sale' the girl changed tactics. Persuasion got her no further, and Mitsune became more and more frustrated as she was repeatedly denied. Unable to get to any shops during daylight hours and feeling the pressure of eyes upon her every night, the fox eventually cracked.

Mutsumi Otohime had seen the inevitable coming, but all the same could say she'd been surprised the evening her wayward friend had erupted at the dinner table. It was obvious that Mitsune had been trying to wear Keitaro down, and equally obvious that Keitaro was not the pliable weakling he used to be. It didn't make it easy – the Kanrinin naturally wanted his friends to be happy, and the increasingly desperate way in which Mitsune was attempting to coerce him had begun to take it's toll. Mutsumi simply busied herself by taking her boyfriend's mind off things in ways that only she could, all the while expecting the fox to give up.

However, no-one at the Hinata-sou really foresaw that after a full hour of increasingly desperate pleading Mitsune would throw what's known as a total wobbly. The first suggestion mount Konno was set to blow its stack was the sound of flesh meeting wood, as the fox allowed her frustration to show with the repeated pounding of her fist upon the table while she pleaded her case for a glass of sake with dinner. This was followed by more sinister rumblings as she pushed her food around the plate, a constant stream of mumbled vitriol turning Shinobu's ears red.

While everyone did try their best to ignore the inevitable, the residents of the Hinata-sou couldn't help but notice when Mitsune stood so quickly that her chair tumbled over backwards, clattering to the floor with a resounding 'thud'. Wide eyed and tremulous, the girl fixed Keitaro with a scorching glare and demanded a drink.

Request denied.

Half a second later the sound of shattering crockery echoed through the room as Mitsune's plate hurtled into the far wall and smashed into countless pieces, its contents strewn liberally along its flight path. As the echoes died away the silver-blonde had stared at the man opposite her, features curled into an ugly feral snarl.

Keitaro stared wordlessly back.

In the blink of an eye Mitsune launched herself across the table, scattering dishes and cups as she went, seemingly intent on clawing the man's eyes out. She never got close. Shinobu instantly had her by the scruff of her T-shirt, face warning her that any further aggression would be met in kind, while Keitaro captured the arms intent on maiming him in a firm grip. While Mitsune fought them both her utter failure to break free merely demonstrated to her how weak she had become, the truth visible to anyone watching her feeble attempts. After several seconds of increasingly futile effort the grey-haired girl had collapsed into a sobbing heap against the same man she'd tried to attack, prompting the rest of the table to retreat and give the pair their space.

It wasn't the last time Mitsune erupted, either.

After the incident Haruka had placed a blanket ban on alcohol for the entire Hinata-sou, not impressed that her 'Nephew' was being put at risk by trying to meet Mitsune half-way. An Urashima-only meeting took place the next day in the tea-shop, one that resulted in Su's cabinet being re-assigned in the bathroom as a medicine cabinet. Keitaro had admitted to Mutsumi soon afterwards that giving Kitsune the chance to feed her habit even by proxy was not really a good idea.

Haruka had hit the nail on the head, but as a result the Mistress of the tea shop had been busy on fox-watch. After intercepting the girl en-route to the nearest all-night convenience store more than once, she decided to make the conditions of the deal in place as clear as possible. In fact, it could be summed up in six words.

'You go out, you stay out'.

Shinobu seemed to have stepped into Motoko's shoes as the rule enforcer within the Hinata-sou, something that made Keitaro's life much easier. Whenever the fox was found mooching in the lounge or hanging around the kitchen in a huff, the little home-maker would make her tea and chat, but take no nonsense or hear any requests that she pick up 'some wine to cook with' at the supermarket that evening. At one point, the exasperated girl had shoved a pen and some paper into Mitsune's empty hands and suggested that since she considered herself a writer, she should actually do some writing once in a while.

From that point onwards everyone saw a lot less of the wayward fox than they had before.

Shinobu herself found the role of unofficial matriarch fitted her like a second skin, as the job seemed to basically involve everything that she enjoyed doing anyway. Taking pleasure from small and simple tasks, and particularly the pleasure her work gave other people, proved to be the tonic the girl needed to ease the discomfort of having her old dreams dashed. While her continued annoyance with Naru didn't go unnoticed (although mostly unmentioned) most of the residents who did notice didn't feel it unreasonable. The Tokyo-U student did her best to stay out of Shinobu's way herself, dividing her time between university studies (at least the best she could with her wrist still in a cast) and searching for a new apartment. In return the little home-maker made sure the girl didn't go hungry, secretly cheered that the plate she set out every evening returned polished clean as a window pane.

In truth, it was Su who had prompted Shinobu's apparent change of heart. One evening the diminutive princess had been loading the Wishy-Washy Two-Point-Three, a job she had volunteered for when she'd realised she was responsible for about half of the washing-up generated. Shinobu was busy stacking the clean cutlery, when the voice of her friend had crept above the clamour of china.

"Shinobu-chan?"

"Yeah?" The girl had turned to see Su looking at her with puzzled eyes.

"Don't you think Naru will be hungry?" The very mention of the name drew Shinobu's mouth into a thin line.

"If she is, it's not my problem."

"Oh." For several seconds, only the noise of water spraying within the Wishy-Washy occupied the kitchen. "So why is my dinner your problem?"

"Because…..you're my friend." Attempts to skirt the issue were ruined the moment Su, in a rare moment of levity, grasped her by the shoulders and span her around.

"I wish you could see how sorry she is, Shinobu-chan."

Staring eye-to-eye with her friend, Shinobu could tell the Molmolian was serious. A simple nod and a few leftovers later, Naru had supper waiting for her in the fridge.

Su meanwhile had returned to her life among the clouds, the only difference being fewer explosions and the occasional trip to the patent office at Keitaro's suggestion.

When she was ready to let her creations loose, the world wasn't going to know what (or who in this case) hit it.

It was quite fortunate for all of those at the Hinata-sou that Sara had begun to find Su's inventions more interesting than television, or causing chaos. A bored Sara was a destructive Sara, but from the moment the blonde had seen Su strolling through the air with apparent ease like a superhero out of a western comic (in truth Su had simply downsized her anti-gravity devices and strapped them to her feet) she was hooked. While it was pretty certain Sara McDougal would never use the inventions for the good of mankind, they kept her out of trouble – although anyone desiring privacy was well advised to draw the curtains if they didn't want to look up and see a grinning blonde preteen floating outside the window.

Mutsumi and Keitaro learned that fact pretty quickly. Why Seta's adoptive daughter was so determined to spy on their still fairly hesitant and hit-and-miss attempts at intimacy they didn't want to speculate, but after girl had appeared in mid-air with a video camera and a particularly disturbing grin securely closing the blinds was an automatic requirement.

Keitaro had made sure to stay in touch with the absent Motoko, and was pleased to hear that the ex-swordsmistress seemed to be taking to aunthood well. Not only that, the young lady was intending to return soon, after all, entrance exams were on the horizon. And having made her choice to follow her future in academia she had no intention of deviating from the path when she was so close to her goal.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsuruko was puzzled.

The reason for her puzzlement was the 'in' tray at her desk, the desk from which she ran the day-to-day business of the school, her centre of operations when not taking classes/meeting elders/providing hospitality.

More specifically it was the emptiness of the tray.

Not even during the snowstorms five years ago, when the world was bathed in white and post had been suspended for almost a week, had the tray been empty. There was always, always something requiring attention, from the important to the trivial.

Now, not a trace.

The first time Tsuruko had entered her office, three days after becoming a mother, she had been secretly delighted that the real world had apparently ceased to exist. Not wishing to look a gift horse in the mouth, she had simply shrugged her shoulders and gone back to her husband. However, over the following fortnight delight had turned to uncertainty, and then to puzzlement with more than a hint of suspicion.

She could guess what was going on, and also who was behind it. What was annoying the head of the Shinmei-Ryu was the fact she was being bypassed so completely.

She was head of the school. So it was her responsibility.

The sound of knocking disturbed Tsuruko from her thoughts, and she looked up to see the face of her sister peeking through the door at her.

"Ah, there you are Oneesan. Mother is about to serve tea, I was wondering if you would care to join us?"

The thought of a cup of tea was an enticing one, but the chance to try and corner her sister proved even more enticing.

"In a moment Imoutochan. I was wondering if I could ask you something?" Gesturing to the chair opposite hers, Tsuruko almost smiled as Motoko took it without question, placing her hands primly into her lap.

"What is the matter Oneesan?"

"I would like to know what you have been doing with my letters." To Tsuruko's surprise, her sister didn't even flinch at what almost amounted to an accusation. To her even greater surprise, she didn't attempt to deny it either.

"They are addressed to the school, Oneesan. As someone who is still a member of the school, I feel that I am quite capable of fulfilling at least some of the requests." Was Motoko's composed answer, one that caught Tsuruko flat-footed.

"Motoko-san, as I am head of the school it is my business to know all of the business which passes through the school. I do not appreciate being bypassed in such a manner." She eventually ground out, feeling as if the earth was shifting beneath her feet and not enjoying the sensation.

"They were merely bills and applications. Nothing that requires a great deal of experience to sort out." Motoko replied smoothly.

"Even so, if there anything were to happen it is my – "

"Why do you not trust me, Oneesan?" Motoko asked quietly, stopping Tsuruko dead in her tracks.

"What?"

"I asked for the reasons behind your lack of trust in me." The younger woman answered, placing solemn olive eyes upon her sister. "It is clear you do not feel I am able to perform simple duties without your supervision, and I wish to know why."

"I did not say that I don't trust you……"

"Well it certainly seems like it." Motoko snapped, silencing her older sister in a heartbeat. "Why else would you feel the need to bear witness to all of my actions?"

"……." Tsuruko, for possibly the first time in her life, found herself completely outwitted. There was little the raven-haired woman could do but sit and accept defeat as her sister hammered the point home like nails into a coffin.

"…….which by extension means you don't trust our mother either, or your husband, or even great-great-aunt Cologne, and I wouldn't like to be the one who has to tell her….." Motoko wasn't someone who normally ranted, but now that she was getting into the rhythm she was beginning to enjoy it. Hence a slight feeling of disappointment when her sister held up a submissive hand, a slight smile on her face.

"Yes yes, I get the message loud and clear Imoutochan." Letting her hand drop back to her lap, Tsuruko sighed gently. "What I fail to see is why you had to go to these lengths in order to make your point."

"Oneesan, if we had offered our assistance, could you honestly say you would have accepted it?" Not allowing the denial to be voiced, Motoko pushed on. "Given the fact that many times in the past you have been offered the same assistance by the same people, but each and every time politely but firmly declined?"

"......." Again, Tsuruko had to marvel at how easily she'd fallen into such a simple trap. "I still feel that you could have simply asked me." She eventually conceded, relaxing back and folding her arms across her now shrunken stomach.

Motoko gave her sister a long, slow look that she had almost definitely learnt from Tsuruko herself.

"And you would have listened, of course." Whether the look was borrowed or not, Motoko's dry tone was pure Tsuruko. "Like you did every other time, correct? Come on Oneesan, I remember our journey here. I recall you pledging your very life to the school, motherhood be damned." Sensing her sister about to protest, Motoko raised her voice. "You have chained yourself to the school as a martyr to her cause, and are willing to live and die by that code. Why? You are not alone, you never have been……yet you insist on carrying the burden of many on your own shoulders……" Slipping into silence, the younger sister studied the older, who seemed to have aged ten years within the passing of one sentence.

"……Yes. You are right Imoutochan, of course……" Tsuruko drew in a long breath and then exhaled, cradling her chin with her hands. "I do not know why I chose to ignore those who stand at my side, those who I trust with my life……But you must understand the school is mine, and any misfortune which befalls it befalls me also."

"You're wrong."

Tsuruko's head jolted up. "Wrong, Motoko-san?"

"The school is not only yours, Oneesan. It is ours. Yours, mother's, our grandmothers……Mine. We all are a part of the school and as such we can all share the joy of achievement, all bear the burden of disappointment. You are the leader, yes, but only a foolish leader would consider herself the entirety of what she leads."

Silence followed, Tsuruko digesting the words of her sister while Motoko wondered where on earth she'd gained the nerve to shout down someone she was petrified of.

"I must be slipping in my old age." The elder sister eventually mused, eyes gazing into the middle distance. "I haven't been so thoroughly chastised, browbeaten and generally told off since about the age of seven, when I finally stopped we…...uhm, never mind." Coughing gently, Tsuruko fought off a touch of colour in her cheeks before focussing on the slightly nervous form sat opposite. "Anyway, I must apologise for doubting you Imoutochan. It seems that I have allowed stiff-necked pride to cloud my judgement. Tell me, would you allow this old dog to learn a few new tricks?" She finished, wry grin firmly in place. Motoko reached out and took the hand proffered towards her, laughing quietly.

"I would hardly class you as old, Oneesan."

"Sometimes I feel every day of my thirty years." Tsuruko tightened her grip slightly as Motoko attempted to retract her hand, pinning her sister with a steady gaze. "However, despite my advancing years, I do believe I heard a little something in your speech a few moments ago. Something about the school also being yours?" One eyebrow arched, Tsuruko could feel delight bubbling beneath the surface as her sister looked down at her lap demurely, a half-smile undisguised.

"Well…..I feel it would be a waste to turn my back completely on the work of a lifetime. I only wish to study the passive parts of the art, taking up arms once again would go against my belief. But seeing my new niece, and thinking of her potential…..and how much I could pass onto her and others in the future……"

"Yes. There is no reason that the art and a profession cannot co-exist, so long as you are dedicated. Who knows, maybe in the future you may wish to play some part in tutoring students of the art, or even open your own arm of the school in Tokyo." Seeing Motoko's eyes glint with an intent she thought long forgotten, Tsuruko almost glowed with pleasure.

"It is indeed something to consider. However, what I must re-iterate is that I will not practice or teach any of the offensive arts." The elder woman found herself nodding in agreement, content.

"That is your choice to make. Now –" Standing, Tsuruko inclined her head towards the door. " – I believe there is a cup of tea waiting for us, correct? It would be a shame to let it go cold."

"Correct." Slipping out of her chair, Motoko strode across to the door and slid it open. "After you."

"I'm not so old that you need open doors for me, Imoutochan." Sharing a smile with her sister, Motoko followed her out of the door.

"Well, I don't know, I'm sure I heard something creak as you got up and I don't think it was the chair." Tsuruko glared at the younger girl, hand reaching of the hilt of her katana.

"Take care, Imoutochan, else you'll be reminded just how fast the creaky bones you speak of can move……"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mitsune wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd knocked the door of her one-time best friend, but it had been a long time. There was something odd about finding Naru behind a door not numbered '305' – which reminded the fox the time lapsed since her last visit was even more than she'd imagined.

She also wished she was visiting for a different reason.

Her knuckles rapped on wood, and after a few seconds the door slid open silently to reveal the slightly red face of Naru Narusegawa.

"Mornin' Naru-chan." Her friend peered at her through thick glasses, apparently surprised.

"Yeah, it is isn't it….." Apparently drifting off into thought, the girl took a few seconds to realise that she was leaving Mitsune stood like an unwanted interloper in the middle of the passageway. "Well, come on in."

Mitsune took the offer and did so, casting her eyes around for somewhere to sit before realising that the only option available was the floor. Not something the Fox was above using by any means, but given the fact her host remained standing so did she. The host in question had crossed the bare room and positioned herself against the railing, apparently absorbed in the view and paying little attention to her guest.

"You know, I've never grown tired of looking out of the window. Although I did prefer my old one." The honey-haired girl said, turning her face up to soak in the sunshine raining down from an almost cloudless sky.

"Yeah. Always was fond of it meself." Mitsune replied, joining Naru. "Mine ain't that different, an' I spent a fair chunk ah time in three-oh-five over the years. Back when ah could chill with ah glass in my hand an' not feel death breathin' down my neck." The pair regarded the cityscape sprawling before them with silent appreciation, before the silver-blonde turned to her friend. "Y'know, I'm sorry I ain't been ta see ya much. I dunno where time's been goin', seems like we were snowed in jus' the other day, and now it's March…..."

"Yeah….." Fidgeting for a second, Naru glanced up at the taller woman. "What have you been up to, Kitsune-chan? Kei-kun says you've been pretty reclusive."

"Ah, at first it was just kinda moochin' from day ta day, wonderin' when it would all seem worth it again. But last few weeks, well, seems life experience gets the ol' creative juices goin'." Seeing the look of surprise coming her way, Mitsune chuckled. "Yep, put the pen back to the ol' paper. It's not quite a biography, but let's say ya might recognise a couple ah characters, an' maybe a few ah their worst habits too." The silver fox rested against the balcony edge, letting her chin sit on her crossed forearms. "Never woulda guessed goin' to hell an' back via every dark alley could turn out ta be useful. All the same, seems lotsa people are keen on the manuscript as it is, reckon a few weeks ah polish and fleshin' out should see me good for a book deal. If that ain't irony, don't know what is."

"That's great! I always told you you could do it Kitsune-chan, just with a little focus and effort." Naru said, clearly delighted.

"Nothin' like a near-death experience to do that." Came the arid reply.

"Ah, come on. You should be a little happier than that. What's the matter?" Giving Naru a long, slow look, Mitsune sniffed slowly.

"Well, one ah still could murder a drink. Dunno if that goes away tomorrow or ever. Sure hope it does. Two - " Pausing, the slim woman straightened up and looked her friend in the eye. "- two is that between the alcohol an' the writin', ah've let the last of mah time with mah first an' best friend slip by unnoticed."

Naru's face instantly reddened, the girl dropping her honey eyes to her hands.

"Come on Kitsune-chan, it's no big……"

"Dont'cha dare. Dont'cha even pretend that it's not a big deal, Naru-chan." Mitsune ordered, her own grey eyes already damp. "We're sisters in all but name, an' ah've spent the best days of mah life with ya. Ah can't believe ah didn't even realise it……an' in a few minutes ya'll be gone. Gone, Naru! End of an era an' all that. And ah came so close to lettin' ya get in that battered ol' white van without sayin' a word……" The fox-girl grasped her friend's hands with one of her own, the other tremulously brushing her face dry.

"Mitsune please, I don't need to hear it." Naru's feeble plea met deaf ears.

"Tough. I'm gonna make ya, 'cause ah'm damned if ah'm not gonna say this now." Mitsune croaked, drawing a deep breath and grasping the hands in her possession even tighter. "Ah'm gonna miss ya Naru. Miss ya so much. Mah best friend, mah sister……girl, ah know mah own li'l world has had me tied in knots, but just in case ya weren't sure……ah love ya, Naru. This place'll never be quite the same, it'll lose a piece of its soul today, we all will……."

As Mitsune's voice dissipated into nothingness, the sound of quiet sniffling suggested that even though the words were rambling and fractious, they'd hit home hard.

"D-dammit Mitsune, I promised myself I wouldn't cry today." Naru choked.

"Ah c'mon Naru. Who ya tryin' to kid?" Her friend laughed wetly, pulling the shorter girl towards her. "Ah know how much it kills me that yer goin', so don't pretend it hurts ya any less."

The sound of soft weeping floating on the spring air suggested Naru was taking her advice.

"I think I needed that." She eventually muttered, leaning back with a grimace.

"Sure ya did." Taking a half-pace back, Mitsune regarded her friend with a feline grin. "Good. Now we got the red eyes, which is what ya should have when ya leave home. Now, where ya put that smile ya were wearin' a few minutes ago?"

"Ah, come off it Kitsune-chan." The student chuckled, feeling the aforementioned smile sitting much more comfortably on her face.

"There it is!" Cooing like an adoring mother, Mitsune had to dodge as a finger aimed for a sensitive point on her waist missed by millimetres. "Okay, okay! Enough messing, I reckon we'd best be down before they send the scouts out for us."

"Yeah." Taking a final glance at the panorama of sky, nature and humanity, Naru closed her eyes and exhaled slowly before pushing herself away from the railing. As she slipped inside, a slim figure appeared in her doorway, dressed in simple white robes.

"I have been despatched to convey the message: 'Come along, I haven't got all day'. Perhaps Seta is advising that you should join him sooner rather than later?"

"Yes yes, I get it Motoko-san."

"I imagined you would." With the hint of a smile, the young lady slipped into the room and hefted the remaining bags with languid ease. "I do believe he had about half a cigarette left, and did not wish to open another packet at this juncture. Personally, I would advise you to take as long as you desire. Farewells are best paced by the one saying goodbye after all."

"It's okay, I'll be right down."

"As you wish Naru-san." Motoko eased through the open doorway with suitcase in hand, followed by Naru and Mitsune. Out of instinct the honey-eyed girl allowed her gaze to fix at a spot somewhere between her impromptu porter's shoulder blades, all the better not to look at what she was walking past.

Half a lifetime of memories.

It might have been a few seconds or a few hours, but it almost caught Naru by surprise when she emerged into the main room-stroke-lobby, Motoko carefully setting the bulging fabric case at the feet of a tall man, one with barely a smouldering dog-end still clinging to his lips. Seta threw a brief 'thanks' to the young Aoyama before eyeing up the girl who'd suddenly lost her source of distraction, and wasn't sure where to look to find the next one.

"Hey."

"……" Naru cast about for an alternative to looking at anyone, but sensing her place upon the stage and beneath the spotlights, gave up.

"Hey." She weakly replied, sensing movement out of the corner of her eye.

It provided her with little warning.

"Heyas Naru!" In truth, there was nothing that was adequate warning for a full-body Molmolian glomp.

"Su-chan…."

"When ya come ta visit, bring me some bananas, y'hear me?" The girl pleaded, moist emerald eyes giving her friend the full treatment. Naru never stood a chance.

"You've got it Su." Every hint of a tear evaporated so quickly Naru was unsure they were ever there.

"Yay!" Pressing an unashamed smooch onto her friends cheek, Su grinned slyly. "Now, I heard ya! You promised to come visit, and I don't wanna wait too long for my bananas!" Pointing an index finger, the young princess gently prodded Naru in the cheek in emphasis. "If I have ta wait too long, I might come get ya!"

"Now now Su-chan, blackmail is unbecoming of you." Sighing as the spring-loaded figure grinned and leapt away towards the sofa, Motoko smiled easily at the shell-shocked figure stood in the middle of the room. "Although may I say I cannot disagree with the sentiment. Don't be a stranger, Naru-san."

"Well, after making that kind of promise I don't have any choice do I?" Returning the smile, the student felt it disappear as her normally reserved friend paced over and pulled her into a hug of her own. The brief flash of shock at the unaccustomed action felt glorious in comparison to the wave grief following upon its heels, which destroyed Naru's reed-like defiance effortlessly.

It wasn't until a long few minutes later that Naru was able to release Motoko, and move on to the next well-wisher. Sara, who thankfully wasn't one for long goodbyes. All the preteen required was a promise that she would have the opportunity to 'crash at her pad' (whatever that meant) once in a while. Giving her approval, the girl aligned her sight on the pair now stood beside her.

It was still hard to do.

"Kei-san, Mutsumi-san….." The couple in question nodded slightly uncomfortably, aware that without them the scene playing probably wouldn't be happening. In truth, the awkwardness had already begun to set in when Mutsumi broke it.

"I'm sorry."

Quietly spoken words rang like a gong, smashing the crystallising silence.

"I-I'm sorry too." Naru found herself saying, and meaning it.

"Naru-san……" Keitaro trailed off, a look that couldn't be described in his hazel eyes. Somehow, Naru understood it perfectly.

"I know, Kei-kun. I know."

"Ara. So, when shall we expect a house-warming?" Mutsumi enquired brightly, a hint of sadness still balanced on the edge of her voice.

"I'll let you know." Naru knew it was a pledge she would keep. Seeing the farewell committee had said their respective pieces the girl stepped back, letting her honey eyes wander around the familiar setting once more.

She almost missed the figure three-quarters hidden by the kitchen door.

Honey met violet, and a very brief staring match took place before Shinobu wordlessly inclined her head. Letting out a sigh she didn't know she was holding Naru finished her survey, chest suddenly a little lighter. It was all she could have asked for from Shinobu, in truth.

"Need a hand?" Seta offered, bag already in his left hand and keys in the right. Not trusting her voice, Naru simply nodded. With a smile the man turned and headed through the entrance, Naru hot on his heels and the others filtering out behind her.

"So. On your way then?" Haruka's dry voice, accompanied by a stream of cigarette smoke, greeted them as they poured out to the top of the steps.

"Yeah……"

"I see." Staring at the younger woman evenly, Haruka withdrew the tobacco stick from between her lips and threw it to the floor, stubbing it with more force than it perhaps deserved. "I suppose I should wish you the best. In that case, all the best, Naru-san."

Everyone present heard the catch in her voice, but made no mention of it.

"Thank you, Haruka-san." Bowing to the hostess, Naru slipped past her before stopping atop the first step and turning, tilting her head back to take in the Hinata-sou one final time. Letting her eyes drift across the familiar sight, the girl let them mist as she sketched the sight to memory. Eventually they fell on the small gaggle stood before the house, and Naru let allowed them to overflow.

"Goodbye……" With a tearful smile and wave, the girl descended the steps, Seta at her side.

The group stood outside the Hinata-sou watched the disappearing back mutely, until she disappeared from view. Then, the spell holding them in place seemed to break.

"Bye Naru-chan….." Su warbled, latching thankfully onto Motoko and proceeding to bawl her head off.

"Now now, Su-chan. We will be seeing her again sometime soon."

"I don't know what to say. Talk about the end of an era……" Mutsumi breathed, still looking into the distance as if waiting for someone to appear.

"Yeah." Placing an arm around his beloved, Keitaro glanced up at Motoko. "I think a cup of tea is in order."

"I'll go put the kettle on." Shinobu called from the doorway, before vanishing back inside to do just that. Slowly, Motoko followed her, half-carrying the still distraught Su along with her.

"…..I can't help wishing things hadn't turned out like this." Mutsumi murmured, relaxing into Keitaro's grip and placing her head against his shoulder.

"Well, I don't know. It wasn't what I'd planned on, but I know one thing -" Leaning down and kissing the Okinawan on top of her head, the Kanrinin continued in barely a whisper. "- I wouldn't want it any other way. I'll take a forever with you in a heartbeat if you'll let me."

"Ara." Eyes gleaming, Mutsumi allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips. "Careful what you say, Kei. I might start being creative with my interpretations."

"Who says you're being creative?" Shaking his head, Keitaro gazed at Mutsumi with a heartfelt smile. "I've given up putting my foot in my mouth, because I'm sick of repercussions. To be honest, I think we all are."

"Ah……" Blinking bashfully up at the man beside her, the beautiful Okinawan broke into a smile of her own, trying her level best to fight off a fainting spell. "Can I assume you mean what I thought you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Kei......" Head spinning and feet light, Mutsumi felt ready to pass out on the spot.

"Afraid I'm too short on money to buy something shiny and do it properly....." Keitaro muttered, scuffing his shoe-clad foot on the floor.

"Ara, I can wait." With a blinding smile, Mutsumi hooked her arms around his shoulders. "So, shall we go and have that tea?"

"Sounds good." Holding onto one another tightly, Keitaro and Mutsumi stumbled back towards the still open door. The pair entered together, and with a minimum of ceremony, slid the door shut behind them.

Then, from within, came a thud only heard when an Okinawan lost her battle with consciousness, followed by another thud as a young man lost his battle to keep them both upright. Then came the sound of laughter, along with someone sniggering 'pervert' under their breath.

Some things just don't change, after all.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, that's that!

'Til next time.............?

Nodoka Miyazawa.