Chapter 8:Homeward Bound

When Keitaro woke up the next day, the storm had passed and birds were chirping softly outside. The memories of yesterday came to him fully and he looked up to see Motoko kneeling in front of the fireplace, already dressed in the clothes he'd put in front of the fireplace.

"Hey there," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

She pointed to a plate with cooked fish on it that was sitting on the floor in front of him.

"I cooked some food. I know you haven't eaten since yesterday."

"Thank you," he said earnestly before eating the fish slowly.

"Did you… take care of me, last night?"

He could tell there was some internal battle going on in Motoko. This was her pride battling her need. He had to tread lightly.

"A little," he admitted. "I was worried you would catch a cold. Can I ask you something?"

"Clearly you just did, so I guess I can't stop you."

"Why do you study your swordsmanship so hard? It's relentless. I mean, it's impressive and all, but why do you do it?"

"Why do you do so much in your life? You trained with me each morning, studied with Naru in the morning and night, and then worked with Seta during the day."

"I just have a lot I need to do. I'm just trying to get into Tokyo U to prove to myself I can. I need to know that…"

"Well you can't!" she said sharply. "In fact, I don't think you have the time to be so worried about me."

"Of course I don't," he said. "I don't have time to think with all that's going on right now. Yet, I came out here to help you. I always will too. It's part of who I am. Besides, I figured I should enjoy myself some, you know? I enjoy helping people. I enjoy having friends… like you."

"Enjoy?" she said softly. "Enjoy? You think life is about enjoyment?"

"Life is about what you focus on!" he insisted. "If you chase power, you'll find it. If you want money, you'll get it. I just want happiness. Oh sure, I have some goals. I want to go to Tokyo U. I want to travel and see exotic lands. But what I want out of life… is someone to spend those moments with."

He realized it was true as he said it.

"A foolish notion," she said.

"To me, life doesn't mean as much when you're alone! That's why I can't just let you leave without understanding. You're my friend and the friend of so many back at the hina apartments. Why are you leaving?'

"I have to. You can't understand. I am a warrior. I am a kendo expert. Since you moved in, I've been sliding down. I'm not like I was anymore. I am weaker and slower. I would be disgraced by our school if they knew of my weakness."

"But you're Motoko! There's not a finer sword user alive!"

"If that were true I wouldn't need to train. I have to leave and get stronger. At least until I can learn a certain move. It was one my sister taught me and was a way to signify you've completed your training. I never mastered it. I never even got close."

"When did you last try it?" he asked curiously.

"About a month before you showed up."

"I bet you can do it now! After all, how can you know if you don't try? Come on!"

"I'm sorry?!"

"You and me, today. Let's get that move down!"

She stared at him for several moments before speaking.

"Why do you want to help me so bad?"

"Because you're my friend, and I care about you Motoko."

She looked down at the floor before muttering, "I owe you several apologizes… and none of them I expect you to accept. I was… convinced you were the reason I am slipping up."

"Me?"

"Yes. Ever since you stopped my blade with your hands, it's been in my nightmares that you made me be… more womanly like that."

"I apologized for that!" he said hastily. "I realized it wasn't you."

"But it is becoming me!" she insisted. "I spent a week at the beach and didn't train once. I find I actually care what people think of me! I care if I am appealing or not!"

"Why is that so bad? I mean, you shouldn't obsess over it or let it affect you, but just to care about other people around isn't a bad thing. I don't think people were meant to be alone."

"If you care what they think, they can hurt you."

Keitaro understood. Motoko was afraid of being hurt, and afraid of changing who she was. He kneeled in front of her.

"Motoko," he said gently. "You have nothing to apologize for. You're scared right now because things are different, and you aren't ever scared. I realize I haven't really been trying to understand why you do things, I just accepted them as a part of you. For that, I should say sorry."

"But you didn't…"

"I didn't try to find out why you were hurting. I just came out here to bring you home. I was selfish. Motoko, the thing is, I'm your friend and I want to help you out, but I can't do it if you won't help me out. You need to learn this move of your sister's right?"

"Yes. I think that could… help."

"So, show me how it works, and I'll help you!"

She nodded and walked outside.

"The basic idea of it is that it destroys the target, passing through anything in the way harmlessly. So, for this, I would actually need you not to dodge me… Don't worry. I think I'm finally starting to understand what my sister meant by the flow of the attack. I am starting to understand what she meant by a lot of things."

"Um… ok. But is there anything else I do? Like what if I…"

"Secret art: zanngan ken, nino tachi!" she shouted, swinging her blade.

Keitaro felt a sort of wind pass right through him, and scaring him shitless. Motoko's attacks were exceptionally painful. However, this time, there was no pain… until the rock behind him practically exploded! He actually fell over and scooted as far back from what was once a rock as he could. The doom van didn't cause that kind of destruction!

"What the hell?!"

"I did it!" Motoko said, smiling.

Keitaro took several deep breaths, allowing his heart rate to start to slow down again. When he finally felt like he might now pass out again, he turned to her.

"Congratulations, Motoko. That was really impressive."

She broke into a smile. Not her usual, soft smile either, but true and honest, beaming smile. Then, something magical happened. Motoko started laughing happily. She was actually happy. Keitaro didn't know what exactly this move meant to her, but he did know it was like getting into the university was for him, so he was happy for her.

He smiled as she threw her arm around him, still laughing. He reached up and hugged her as best he could.

"No so concerned about getting weaker anymore?"

She shook her head.

"Thank you… so much. I am disgraced for what I tried to do yesterday, both to the girls and especially to you."

"Don't think about it anymore. We wouldn't all want you back so bad if we resented you for it. I care about you too much to hold your confusion against you. You've helped me so much, I owe you no matter what. Ok?"

She laughed again and nodded.

"Come on," she said, "We should get back to Hina."

He nodded and turned to gather up her stuff when he suddenly froze, feeling her lean over his shoulder.

"Keitaro," she whispered. "Thank you for coming back for me."

"Always," he responded. "It's what friends do, right?"

"It's what friends do," she responded.

They walked back to the Hina apartments together, Motoko still beaming like a child who had just gotten a Christmas gift. When they arrived at the apartments around midday, they saw Seta standing there.

"Hey boss!" called Keitaro. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Sarah, I think she's playing with Su and Shinobu right now."

Keitaro nodded and Motoko moved swiftly from his side, drawing her blade.

"Seta!" she called. "I challenge you!"

Keitaro expected him to refuse, but instead he took off his lab coat and prepared for battle.

"You gonna help her out?" asked Kitsune.

"Not on this one. This is personal for her."

Motoko charged forward, blade held high over her head, ready to cleave his boss in two. Of course, this isn't what happened. Seta was still ridiculously fast and talented, and it was really only through teamwork that Keitaro and Motoko had managed it. However, the fight was far from a shut out, and Motoko held her own against the older man very respectably.

Keitaro head inside after the fight, figuring the universe had given him enough to deal with for at least the rest of day… sadly not. That night another storm was blowing in and the wind practically could knock you over. Keitaro had just finished buying some supplies and looked up at the raging clouds to see something odd.

The moon was shining bright red. Now, astronomy was never a strong point of his, but he had no idea what even made the moon look red, let alone what it meant. Keitaro grabbed up some planks of wood and head onto the roof to help Naru buckle the apartment down tight.

"Where's the storm heading?" he asked over the roar of the wind.

"Right now it's looking like the Kanto plains, but it's changing around a lot."

"Did everyone else get out?"

"Yeah, Motoko's watching the training camp and the girls are at the school. I think Kitsune said something about working late, so they've probably shut the place down by now."

"Ok, let's make sure the windows and doors are shut tight and get inside."

As Keitaro turned he would've sworn he saw a young girl on top of the roof. However, when he looked again, she was gone. There was no more time to dedicate to it. He and Naru finished the roof and retreated into her room, cracking open the books… again.

"It's weird being here when it's this calm."

"Yeah," said Naru. "This place is really quiet without any troublemakers. How about some coffee, you take two sugars right?"

As Keitaro turned to grabbed the kettle, he leapt back as a young blonde girl popped up in front of him.

"Hello there!" said Su brightly.

"Oh… Hey Su," said Keitaro, clutching his heart. "I thought you were at the school with Shinobu."

"It's because Motoko isn't here," Naru whispered. "Su normally sleeps with her."

"Oh… wait was that you I saw on the roof?"

Su smiled brightly.

"Yeah! I was in my native dress, see?"

In a flash, she pulled on a long skirt and trappings of her country.

"Wow," said Naru, smiling. "That's your native dress?"

"Yeah! It's so pretty."

Keitaro scratched his head.

"Yeah, but the girl I saw on the roof was different. She was older, I think. She wasn't still a shrimp like you."

Su leapt up on him.

"I'm not a shrimp!"

She swung around and clung to him like a monkey.

"I'm sorry!" he gasped. "I didn't mean it like that."

"You don't get off that easy!" she said, laughing manically.

"Hey, we're supposed to be studying!" said Naru.

Uh-oh. Naru's getting irritated. It's only a matter of time until the Naru's Punch of Death makes it's customary appearance.

"Come on Su," he said, trying to calm her down. "You still need to be able to hug Motoko too, right?"

"But you're cuddlier than she is. Since she's my true love, why don't you be my lover for tonight?"

Su often sprouted weird gibberish, but this was truly some of the weirdest.

"What?" he asked simply, hearing Naru's pencil snap behind him.

"What's the difference between visiting me in the night and in the day?" asked Su, seeming legitimately confused.

"Come on," said Naru. "We should gather up the candles and flashlights."

They went downstairs, Su clinging to Keitaro's head the whole way. Honestly, he didn't mind much, but it was really strange. Than again, what wasn't about Su?

"I've never been here before," said Su.

"Su," said Naru. "What is it you see in that loser? He's a good for nothing who will just drag you down!"

"Oh, apparently it's that time of the day," he muttered quietly.

"Well he is fun to play with," said Su, finger to her chin. "And he smells nice and is fun to touch. Just like brother!"

Su had a very bad way of phrasing things.

They eventually got the candles lit and placed around the house. Keitaro was completely drained from the work earlier that night and decided to get some shut eye. He passed into fitful dreams that made no sense. He couldn't make heads or tails of anything, and sudden was woken up.

He looked around carefully but couldn't see anyone. However, outside of the window shone a red moon, bright and beautiful.

"We must be in the eye of the storm or something. Huh?"

He saw Su on the roof outside, expect not Su. The girl was Su's height and size, and was even wearing Su's traditional garb, but the movement was off. Su was often bouncy and rambunctious. This girl moved with subtly and grace. It was like watching a fairy fly around.

"So you're finally up?" said the girl. "It's good to see you, brother!"