A/N: Wow… so three months on break and I wrote this… Be kind, because this all just kind of… happened on it's own. I didn't intend to go this direction with this story.

Chapter 22: The Power of the Annex

"Hold still!" Motoko shouted as he flipped over her blow.

"NO!" he shouted back, smirking. "I like not dying!"

Motoko and he were back to training furiously, and she was trying to increase her speed. Keitaro, having trained with Seta for a year, and for three months against Aoyama techniques specifically, had a huge advantage.

"I see your time away did you good!" she yelled, striking at him.

"You've been training too!" he responded, tripping her to disrupt her footwork.

Motoko couldn't respond properly, and Keitaro struck out twice, knocking her off her feet.

"Well done," she said, letting him help her up.

Keitaro heard whistling and cheering and turned to see the girls clapping happily. He hadn't heard them come outside and was shocked to see them all.

"Well done Keitaro!" shouted Kitsune.

"Yes, Sempai! That was amazing!"

Keitaro turned to them only to see everyone dressed in maid outfits.

"Why are you all wearing those?" he asked, turning as Motoko began dawning armor herself.

It was this that really broke Keitaro's heart. Motoko slowly applied piece by piece of the armor, a look of misery and unhappiness on her face. There was even a long white flag reading "Security" on it.

"That… that's horrible!"

"It is what the Hina Apartments… the Hina Inn is now."

"Hina inn?!"

"Yes," said Naru, showing up with a scowl.

"When… how… What happened?"

"Your sister happened," said Naru, still as cold as ever. "How may we serve you, manager?"

"This is unacceptable!" he shouted. "Kanako!"

The normally-reserved girl came outside, beaming at him. Keitaro stared her down until the smile slowly slid off her face.

"What did you do?" he asked, trying to control himself.

"I had grandma's blessing to do with the apartments as I saw fit. This seemed fitting."

"It's not! You destroyed their individuality by doing this! Not to mention the dishonor this lays on them. I can't believe you would do this!"

"I thought you would be happy, I am sorry brother… I am ashamed."

Keitaro glared at Kanako for a few seconds.

"Just undo what you did."

"Of course, Brother… I shall undo all I've wronged."

She is very specific, he thought.

Keitaro went back to him room, and collapsed on the floor, only to see a note stuck on his table.

Keitaro,

We haven't been alone for a while, how about we meet in the old abandoned Annex tonight? I'll be waiting,

Motoko.

Keitaro looked at this note, taken aback. It wasn't like her to leave notes, she felt it was bad transfer of information.

"She's probably changed in a year though."

He shrugged the thought off. After all, he wasn't about to turn down a date with her. He wasn't even sure how Motoko knew about the Annex, but the fact that she wanted to meet him there threw him for a bit of a loop. The Annex was a place used to combine two people together utterly and completely. The fact that Motoko wanted to meet him here might just mean she wanted this to be a serious thing… right?

Keitaro sighed softly, pulling the old medallion she'd made for him over his head. It felt like he'd never left it, causing him to relax instantly.

He nervously pushed open the great wooden door to the Annex. He saw her standing in the near-darkness only a little way away from him. He could see her thin figure and her jet black hair.

"Hey!" he called out to her.

She waved him over and he walked to her, wrapping his arms around her. She returned his embrace and Keitaro decided that this must be it. This had to be the moment she wanted from him and he was going to deliver!

"I always admired you," he said, stroking her hair. "You were so strong, and so brave. I know we had our rough patch and I think that was my fault more than anything, but I'm never as happy as I am when I'm with you. I love you, and I want to spend my life with you."

He felt her nod against his shoulder.

"I want to spend my life with you too," she said, in a voice very unlike her.

"Huh?" he asked, looking down at her… only to see Kanako in front of him.

"I'm so happy you finally confessed! I love you too!"

"Kanako! This isn't…. I mean I don't…"

The door opened as Motoko strode into the Annex.

"Keitaro!" she shouted, running to him. "What are you doing in here?!"

"I thought… You didn't leave that note, did you?"

"What note?"

"Brother," said Kanako. "I wanted to be with you so bad, and I knew if you thought Motoko had written it, you would come, and you did. You promised me…"

"But I didn't! Not like that anyway!"

"This I cannot forgive!" shouted Motoko, drawing her blade.

Keitaro struggled to get his breathing under control. Last time they'd had a fight, he'd not seen her for almost a year. However, all he had to do was look into her eyes to know that she understood what she was seeing, and she rushed at Kanako. However, there was something both he and Motoko had forgotten, and that was that Kanako wasn't studied in aikido. She was a Ju-Jitsu master, and beat Motoko twice in the stomach and back before leaping back into the Annex.

Keitaro felt a small prick on his neck, and the world slowly began to fall from around him…

Motoko looked all around her in the near blackness that was the Annex. She could see more than a few feet in front of her, but it was clear that Kanako knew this place inside and out. She couldn't believe that this… bitch had tricked Keitaro into this. More than once, Motoko had felt the power resonating from this place and decided to look into it, always finding it locked up tight.

Haruka had explained to her that the Annex possessed the power bind two people together for life. For Kanako to use something like this, no matter how she felt about Keitaro, was unforgivable. Motoko had taken an oath to serve those above her faithfully and without question. She wasn't permitted to raise her blade against them or go against their wishes. To break this oath was an act that could only permit seppuku.

If that was the required sacrifice for Keitaro's safe release, she would do it, no questions asked. Motoko steadied her breathing, just as she'd been taught by her sister, and let the aura in this place combine with her own. As the air around her settled, it was as if she could see, as if there was light coming from her own body.

She sprinted forward, the blade Keitaro had given her was held at the ready. The darkness within this place parted as she moved forward, utilizing her speed as a warrior.

Warrior…

She remembered how she'd used the word to motivate Keitaro back when she'd been the teacher. A warrior never gave in, never gave up, even if it meant death. She was a warrior, but not as she'd been before. She was not the kendo girl or the decorated samurai… she was woman in love. It seemed like it was only yesterday that the thought would've disgusted her, now it elated her and gave her strength.

She knew what Keitaro had meant about fighting for someone you loved, she understood what he meant by true strength. She'd never been able to trust her own well-being to another. It was the reason she didn't trust others and let them in. Once they were inside, they could hurt you. She vowed to get Keitaro back and change that. She would make sure he knew that he had her complete trust, and her heart.

She reached the top of a flight of stair and peered into the dark room, willing it to show her something.

"Kanako!" she shouted. "Release Keitaro!"

"He is now bound to me," she said, her voice seeming to come from all directions. "He pledged himself to ME."

In front of her rose a shadowy figure, slowly morphing and changing until it formed into Keitaro, blade at the ready.

"What is this?" she asked, not letting her guard down. "What magic are you using?"

"This is OUR Annex," said Kanako, laughing. "We control what happens here, it obeys all true Urashimas."

Motoko lashed out at the shadow in front of her, and it responded in kind, catching her blade with it's own. She glanced up at this creature, studying it. It was smiling merrily at her. But there was none of the warmth or love that she normally saw in him. There was no tenderness or caring… and there was no love.

She swung the sword at this creature with all the strength that she could muster and cleaved it in two, straight through.

"This is not Keitaro," she said, to herself as much as to Kanako. "Your tricks won't work!"

"Then it is good I did not come alone."

As Motoko turned around, she saw Narusegawa come out from a pillar. Fists held ready to fight. Unlike the shadow she'd just destroyed, there was no doubt in Motoko's mind that this was truly Naru. Her hair was greasy and unkempt, and her clothes were torn and in shambles. Above all else, her eyes shined in the darkness with true, unbridled pain.

"You bitch!" shouted Naru, swinging at Motoko hard. "You took him from me!"

Motoko attempted the block the blow with the flat of her blade, but sudden it was flung from her grip, as if of it's own accord. Naru's attack caught her square in the jaw, sending her to the floor. Motoko straightened up wearily, nursing the injury.

"What the hell?!"

"Even you should understand," said Kanako. "The Urashima blade… In here it obeys me! You would never be able to use it against my desires!"

Motoko groaned. Of course it was an Urashima blade before she'd had it. It had been with her so long that it felt as if it was always her's. It had suited her even better than her sister's sword had. Motoko straightened up, letting her own ki flow through her.

"I do not need it," she said. "I will fight you without it Narusegawa."

"You don't fight hand-to-hand!" she said. "This is my wheelhouse!"

"You are slow!" Motoko said, blocking two more strikes. "Your anger is controlling you and making you a poor fighter."

"I need that spineless worm!" Naru shouted. "The way he praised me made me feel like a princess. No one loved me like he did!"

"But you never loved him! He isn't a dog that anyone owns Naru! He's a person with his own desires and ambition. I love him… completely!"

She struck out, hitting Naru square in the chin with her palm. The older girl fell backwards, clutching the wound.

"But… you can't."

Motoko let her ki flow into her aura, as if she was about to use a sacred technique. Channeling the power into her to fist, she drew it back.

"Surrender Narusegawa, before I have to really hurt you. I will if you do not stop this."

Naru didn't respond, except to stand and perform a roundhouse kick. Motoko ducked under the attack and punched the burnette hard in the ribs. Then, spun and struck her in the left shoulder before kicking her in the right knee. Naru dropped to a kneeling position and Motoko punched her square between the eyes.

"How…" asked Naru, sprawled out on the ground. "How could you do this to me? I thought we were friends."

"I thought so too Naru, but I was wrong. If you attempt to mark Keitaro like a dog again I shall have to do more damage to you. For your own sake… back down. I do not enjoy hurting you."

Naru didn't respond, but merely sat, sobbing. Motoko walked calmly up the next set of stairs, ready to take Kanako down if need be. She would do whatever it took for the man she loved.