"Reforged" chapter 9

By Y-PenDraig and MakKeiUra.

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does. This is a not-for-profit work of fanfiction with no monies or profit being made from it. No copyright infringement is intended.

AUTHORS' NOTE ON CONTINUITY: This story uses a mixed manga/anime continuity that starts to branch off majorly from the Burning Blades arc/TV series episode 25. Simply stated, Keitaro's initial arrival at the Hinata Inn and the order he meets the girls is the same as it is in the TV series, as well as Granny Hina's departure from the same. The increased presence of Shirai and Haitani as well as Kentaro Sakata is also as it was in the TV series, as well as Mei, and Moe-Chan. Beyond that, events that occur in the manga should be considered completely canon unless otherwise obviously superseded except for ages; we'll keep to the TV series there unless noted.

INTRODUCTION: Y-PenDraig and I welcome you, the reader, to this story. It grew out of discussion between the two of us about Tsuruko Aoyama and a shared desire to tell a good, long story involving her. The regular rating will be T for Teen for the story proper, but owing to the naughty idea that kind of inspired this madness, you will see omake side-stories posted independently that are rated M for Mature.

000

"You are here… early! Good!" Merlin's eyes twinkled as the rays of the sun began to pierce the eastern sky above the front courtyard of the Hinata Inn.

"Well," Keitaro stretched his frame in his shabby clothes he usually reserved for cleaning the hot spring, "I never miss an opportunity to get knocked into next week."

Merlin laughed. "It is good for the King to have a sense of humility and humor at his own expense!"

Either it was the fog in Keitaro's mind from just waking up, or Merlin talked too fast amidst his laughter, but the comment went right in one ear and out the other. His jaw hung open. "…"

Merlin gave a wave of his hand. "The dense boy is still in my sight; we must work that out."

Keitaro's shoulders slumped in response.

"A good jolly thrashing will do the trick, followed by study!" Merlin rolled up the sleeves of his blue robe, clearly getting pumped up.

"I know about both of those," Keitaro replied, his mind starting to click back.

"Good morning, Keitaro-san!" Keitaro turned his head to see Tsuruko and Motoko coming around the corner of the house.

"Good morning, Tsuruko-san… Motoko-chan!" Keitaro greeted sunnily in turn.

The sounds of Seta and Haruka arguing announced their arrival as they made their way up the stone stairs. The arguing barely ceased on the topic of Keitaro's training in order to greet everyone.

"You," Haruka pointed at Seta's nose. "You stand over there," she pointed to a patch of dirt that would be the furthest away from where she stood but not apart from the group that was forming.

"What's your problem this morning, Haru?" Seta snarled.

"You were out very late with Naru," Haruka bit back. "You woke me up when you unlocked the back door of *my* tea house." She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I should charge double rent for you while you stay!"

"If sleeplessness is what ails you, my Lady," Merlin smiled. "You have only to come down the hall and knock on my door."

Haruka glared at Merlin and then Seta.

"Top of the mornin', ya'll!" Kitsune called as she sauntered out of the front door of the Inn wearing (for her) unusually conservative pajamas and holding a steaming mug of coffee.

"Kitsune?!" Keitaro did not know what was more surprising; Kitsune dressed so modestly for sleep or her wanting to wake up so early to see his first day of training.

"Couldn' mis' the King strut his cute stuff, now could I?" Kitsune winked.

Keitaro blinked, blushing sharply. "Um… herm," he laughed uneasily.

"Lady Konno, keep a sharp eye on the King for he may lose his clothes before the first rays of the sun touch his head!" Merlin laughed.

"What?!" Keitaro's mouth gaped open.

"Unacceptable!" Motoko howled.

Tsuruko giggled.

Haruka and Seta grinned at Keitaro.

"I do not think it will be *that* bad, Big Brother," Kanako said as she crested the top of the stone staircase and strode over to bow before Tsuruko. "My Lady, Kuro and Shippu report all is clear in the vicinity." The dark-haired Urashima bowed to Merlin. "Your standing stones work wonders."

Merlin favored Kanako with a generous twinkle in his eye. "I had talented assistance."

Kanako looked down, suddenly feeling very self-conscious as she recalled what Merlin had shown her; how the world-no, the universe really worked.

"Arise, my servant," Tsuruko smiled. "You may go to your brother and be of help."

Kanako nodded, she walked over to Keitaro and took her place next to him with a warm smile.

Tsuruko took a long, silent look at the dawning sky. Her stomach churned. "It is high time to begin," Tsuruko directed to Merlin.

Merlin silently nodded, stuck his finger in his mouth and tested the wind.

Motoko cast a look first to Tsuruko, then to the sky, then to Keitaro as they waited on Keitaro. She blushed, and felt her stomach churn too. Her and Tsuruko had practiced fiercely for two hours prior. Their conversation had been pleasant but clipped. But agreement had been reached on a basic kendo kata they would teach to Keitaro. Motoko even made certain to bring the lightest weight shinai she had to ease Keitaro's learning.

Tsuruko, for her part, once she had risen in the darkness and silence of early morning had gone over the foot stances she wished to teach Keitaro. Now, mentally she hoped Keitaro's famous clumsiness would sleep in this morning as she was not in a mood for sudden jostling or tumbles.

"..." Merlin lowered his finger.

"Well, Merlin-sama?" Motoko prompted.

Keitaro and everyone else watched.

"Mmm?" Merlin turned to Motoko.

"Are you adequately prepared to begin?" Motoko sighed, impatiently.

"I have been ready, but the King is not." Merlin nodded towards Keitaro.

"What?" Keitaro asked dumbly, the cobwebs still in his brain. This was all Keitaro had time for as Merlin in a blue flash knocked into Keitaro's stomach and sent him sprawling on the ground in a ball of groans.

Seta started to dart over to help Keitaro up but was stopped by an open palm from Merlin. "Let the King learn, Teacher Man."

Seta nodded slowly after confirming for himself Keitaro was rising to his feet.

Keitaro leapt to his feet, shaking the dust off from his clothes. "Okay, what do you call *that*?" He asked Merlin with a touch of anger.

"Stand still and I'll show you," Merlin replied.

"Wha-?" Keitaro mouthed more than spoke as he ducked his head just in time to avoid Merlin's bare foot from impacting with his face. However, the manager of the Hinata Inn was unable to avoid the punch to his stomach that sent him crumbling to the ground once more.

"A fine start." Merlin motioned for Keitaro to stand up again.

"Feel free to attack at any moment, Urashima-san." It was Motoko calling out to him. Did Keitaro just hear the kendoka swallowing in a dry throat?

"That you should, Keitaro-san." Tsuruko swallowed too.

Keitaro lay still for a moment.

"My liege?" Merlin called down to him.

Seta and Haruka traded a somewhat concerned look with Kitsune.

"Your Highness?" Merlin asked, a touch more pointed.

Keitaro did not move.

Merlin bent his knees ever so, only enough to shout down louder at Keitaro's face when the dorm manager's hand whipped out and grabbed a fistful of Merlin's blue robe and tugged down hard. The wizard's momentum in bending down was accelerated by the tug, which would not have been enough on its own to make him lose balance, but Merlin over corrected when he shifted stance in order to thrash Keitaro all the better. As a result, leaned back hard on his heels and found his arms tottering briefly to try and keep him upright. Merlin failed and soon fell back hard on the ground; rear first.

"Hellfires!" Merlin cursed, wincing slightly.

Everyone watched astonished as Keitaro deftly avoided a kick to his glasses from Merlin as the boy grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at Merlin's eyes.

"Ah! There's the piss in 'ye!" Merlin choked as he was momentarily blinded by the stinging in his eyes.

Tsuruko and Motoko shared a look, proud and hopeful for Keitaro. Both of their stomachs gurgled audibly. Haruka spared a glance with one eye to the Aoyama sisters as she kept most of her attention on the sparring in the dirt.

Keitaro groaned, rallying his strength and rising to his feet just in time to avoid another punch from Merlin. He was not so fortunate about avoiding a kick to his side, however. He did not fall, only groaned louder in pain and frustration. Merlin was swiftly rewarded with Keitaro's own bone-crunching punch to his bearded jaw.

"Oof!" Merlin fell to the ground, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Good one, part-timer!" Seta cheered.

"Ow!" Keitaro howled as he stood up, shaking his now painful hand.

"Keitaro-san!" Tsuruko called over, an urgent tone but one that Haruka mentally noted seemed a bit 'paper-thin' as it were.

Haruka looked over to Tsuruko, wondering if the elder Aoyama sister would go to Keitaro's side to check on him, but Keitaro saved the tea house proprietor from intervening.

"I'm okay!" Keitaro hollered, holding up his injured hand as the redness prior to a bruise faded swiftly away.

"Incredible!" Motoko breathed in, and immediately clamped her mouth shut. No one heard it, but it was to avoid an inadvertent gurgle of bile into her mouth from her throat.

"Not bad," Merlin smirked, quickly whipping the blood away from his mouth.

Keitaro beamed in pride openly.

"But not adequate either."

Keitaro's beam turned off.

Merlin laughed, hummed for a moment. "The first thing to remember about your opponent is-"

Keitaro darted forward with his fists leading him. Merlin anticipated this and readied to dodge a punch or a slap, but Keitaro had predicted that move and his leg lanced forward for a hard kick to Merlin's right shin while the wizard was distracted.

"OW!" Merlin crumpled to the ground. "Yes," he rasped, "that was adequate."

Seta magnanimously assisted Merlin to his feet.

"You missed your calling as a helper for invalids, Teacher man," Merlin bit out as he brushed dust off of him.

"My part-timer certainly showed you, old man." Seta chuckled.

"He saw an opportunity and took it." Merlin's eyes twinkled as he settled his gaze on Keitaro standing across from him. "One of the first rules of good kingship and captaining… as well as fighting in the mud."

"Good one, nephew," Haruka smiled, exhaling a congratulatory cloud of smoke.

Merlin smiled at Haruka, seemingly in reaction. Haruka in response took another deep drag of her cigarette.

Tsuruko cleared her throat weakly, raising her hand gracefully. "If myself and Motoko-han may, we would like to show Keitaro-san some basic stances now, Merlin-sama."

Motoko blushed, in spite of the churning in her stomach.

Merlin indicated they could with a musical flourish of hands.

Merlin took several strides away towards the back of the small crowd, immediately producing a banana he borrowed from Suu from his robes and silently began eating it.

Tsuruko and Motoko took Merlin's place. Tsuruko smiled a touch to Keitaro (who noted she seemed to be sweating a bit; but he told himself it was likely her and Motoko's morning practice) as the Aoyama sisters took their place before him.

"Urashima-san," Motoko stated amid red cheeks, "charge us."

"Charge you?" Keitaro asked, bewildered. "With what? I'm not a cop!"

Merlin laughed.

Tsuruko groaned audibly, shaking her head. "Motoko-han means for you to attack us. Anyway you wish."

Keitaro nodded; understanding striking through his dense tendencies. He took their advice, advancing forward swiftly. So swiftly in fact, he lost his footing. He was unable to recover said footing even with his arms flailing comically as he attempted to stop himself from colliding with Motoko and Tsuruko.

Keitaro failed in his attempts. Miserably.

There was much grumbling in the heap on the ground of hands and legs attempting to disentangle and stand up. Keitaro mumbled an apology but found his mouth was full of the sleeve of Motoko's gi.

Merlin laughed joyously.

Tsuruko successfully untangled herself first and rose to her feet. She opened her mouth to speak, but immediately closed it once she thought better of it.

Motoko did the same, she looked at Keitaro, then her eyes widened… then widened some more. She pressed her hand to her mouth and immediately bolted past Keitaro and towards the corner of the Inn, intent on disappearing as soon as possible.

Tsuruko watched her little sister go, once Motoko was around the corner her ears were rewarded with the unmistakable sound of Motoko vomiting.

Keitaro's eyes widened, immediately turned on one heel and made to go to Motoko's aide when he *felt* Tsuruko dart past him and around the corner.

As Keitaro's feet took him over and around this now very popular corner of the Inn, the unmistakable scent of vomit (a lot of it) assailed his nostrils before his eyes confirmed the sight of both Aoyama sisters bent over against the outside wall of the Hinata Inn; their last two meals on the ground at their feet.

In horror, Keitaro realized that it was his fault as his eyes verified that the offending contents of the Aoyama sisters' stomach was partially digested chocolate cake. Mentally, the constant observer in the back of Keitaro's mind remarked that he did a good job remembering his human biology textbook chapter on digestion.

Keitaro's mouth began working instinctively, stammering out apologies as he scampered over to the spigot on the wall and the attached garden hose. His first priority, cool, clean water for Tsuruko and Motoko, his second, cleaning up the vomit before anyone else can see it in order to preserve their honor.

As Keitaro brought the now running garden hose over to Tsuruko and Motoko; his non-stop stream of consciousness apologies never ceased.

First Tsuruko, then Motoko gratefully partook of the water to clean their mouths of the nauseous residue. Once they regained their bearings, their ears focused on Keitaro's babbling.

"THIS IS *NOT* YOUR FAULT!" Tsuruko and Motoko rasped in unison, speaking as loud as they could.

"I'm so-what?" Keitaro blinked, he almost felt like fainting.

"Big sister and I should have been more prudent in allowing proper time and less intense work-out this morning," Motoko said to Keitaro, blushing sharply.

"Motoko-han is correct; the fault was ours entirely." Tsuruko smiled wanly. "Indeed, it is us who should be apologizing to you, Keitaro-san."

"Huh?!" Keitaro asked dumbly.

"That your excellent craftsmanship with confectionery should end up on the grass is definitely a tragedy," Tsuruko shook her head in regret.

"It was *still* delicious," Motoko crossed her arms, attempting to regain some dignity. However, her face fell when she realized the possible literal interpretation of her statement. "Last night, that is."

"R-right," Keitaro exhaled in relief as he returned to his determined task of trying to clean up the vomit on the grass with the garden hose.

Tsuruko and Motoko quickly tried to make themselves more presentable and Keitaro hurried to finish his task as the voices of Merlin, Haruka, and everyone else came closer from the other side of the building.

Merlin rounded the corner first. He took one look at the scene, took a breath then proclaimed: "PATHETIC!"

Haruka followed Merlin. "Disgusting, ladies," she said, balancing a cigarette on her lips effortlessly.

Keitaro frowned. "No one else needs to see this!" He looked with concern at Motoko just beside him and between the forming crowd and Tsuruko on his other side still trying to straighten herself out.

Almost in response, Kitsune peeked her head around the corner, and began snickering. "Really smooth, ladies!"

Tsuruko, Motoko and Keitaro groaned.

"Hey," Keitaro said to his new audience. "We'll be back around in a few minutes, Motoko-chan and Tsuruko-san just need to get cleaned up." Keitaro took a step forward to emphasize the point he did not feel this warranted any further loss of face for the Aoyama sisters; but that step ended with him snagging his left foot in a loop in the hose.

"Urk!" was all Keitaro managed as he tried to take another step and found himself leaning forward towards Motoko. Before he knew it, his arms were flailing in some kind of lame cartwheel motion as he careened into Motoko. The younger Aoyama sister never saw it coming as her back had been turned. Before she knew it, a large weight hit her back and knocked her onto the wet grass and mud.

'Urashima, you were doing so well, too.' A voice in Motoko's head shook its head as she toppled over.

Tsuruko blinked, her mouth pursed into a line watching, completely helpless and mentally chastising herself for not being able to stop it.

To Keitaro's credit in Motoko's mind, he tried mightily to extract himself from Motoko (sprawled out underneath him pressed into the grass; his lower parts weighted against her lower parts), but his feet and hands slipped in the wet grass and earth and he fell back down, once again pressing his weight into Motoko's backside.

Motoko grit her teeth, thankful her blush was buried in wet grass as indignation rose within her. It practically radiated off of her.

Tsuruko, seeing this, took a stride forward and dismissed Merlin, Kitsune, and Haruka with a decisive wave of her hand.

Once any observers were gone, Kanako gulped visibly and steeled herself. She took a step forward, her eyes trained on Motoko and Keitaro (blushing sharply) finally succeeded in extracting himself from her backside.

"... P-P-PERVERT URASHIMA!" an almost inhuman, throaty growl issued from Motoko as she rose and raised her shaking fist.

Tsuruko was already in motion as she told Kanako to stand down, but ready, with a look. Tsuruko placed herself between her little sister and now legal husband.

Keitaro, still blushing, instinctively turned his body so his groin was facing away from the now angry Motoko and the resolute Tsuruko. He shared a fearful, but calm, look with Kanako as his mind valiantly tried to bury the mental image of the position he had found himself in with Motoko on the grass; a position that bore more than a passing resemblance to an activity he hoped to someday engage in with his future wife.

Just who his wife-to-be would be now seemed to be up in the air, a jeering part of Keitaro's mind laughed at his predicament, regardless of legal trickery on his grandmother's part.

Motoko shook, the blush still on her face, her eyes glaring. "PERVERT!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" Keitaro wailed.

"Obviously, he did not mean to do *that*!" Tsuruko shouted in Motoko's face, loud enough to cause Motoko to close her eyes and wince at the tone.

Motoko swallowed. "... he had a perverted reaction!"

"One, he did not premeditate his action; as it was an accident. Two, even in an accidental situation where a man collides with a woman-in an embarrassingly intimate way-it is not uncommon for the man to have a natural, instinctive *male* reaction." Tsuruko explained, patiently but firmly.

Keitaro began reviewing plans to slowly, silently slink away and hide in the Inn's tunnel network.

Motoko gritted her teeth in a way that an ironic part of Kanako's mind thought they might shatter like glass. "It is still *perverted.*" Motoko harrumphed, petulantly.

"No. It is not," Tsuruko's patience and indulgence was at an end. Either it was her still feeling nauseous or deciding it was time to demand Motoko finally grow up. "It would only be perverted if the man in such a situation forced or coerced the woman into something against her will," Tsuruko glared daggers at her little sister. "Even if the woman decided at a later date that she regretted her choice of partner in that moment when she was acting on her own sound mind and free will."

"So, a lecture now," Motoko hissed.

"Your actions demanded it!" Tsuruko hissed back. "If I and my servant had not been here; you would have knocked Keitaro-san halfway to the moon by now!"

Motoko glared back, said nothing, but to Tsuruko's relief was still listening. If this event had occurred a year ago, she had no doubt Keitaro would have been airborne despite her and Kanako's best efforts and Motoko would have run off loudly yelling that all men needed to be castrated. Finally, Motoko fired back. "Men always have that *one* thing on their mind!"

Tsuruko sighed, deciding she needed to continue her lecture. Her throat was getting dry, and her words were rasping again. "It is part of their nature, the call of its ki. What they choose to do and how they conduct themselves is how you can see if they have honor," Tsuruko gave Keitaro a wan smile. "Such as Keitaro-san; when he has a mishap like this, does he not always apologize, try to make amends, and control *himself?*"

Motoko flushed. "... yes, but something *else* always happens!"

Tsuruko rubbed her forehead. "Yes, you have mentioned those incidents in your letters. Why have you ever not learned how to lock a water closet door or post a simple "Occupied" sign?"

Motoko's eyes widened in cold terror.

"You mean… your honorable little sister never locked doors when locks are available, my Lady?" Kanako asked incredulously.

"Never," Tsuruko shook her head from side to side.

Kanako stifled a giggle. "Pardon me," she recovered.

Keitaro began inching his bottom on the wet grass and resulting mud away from the center of attention.

Motoko blushed. "Be that as it may… men have craven desires and body parts to match them!"

'Now she is grasping at straws to try and win the argument by any means necessary,' Tsuruko thought. It was time for some shock treatment.

"Those 'craven desires' and 'body parts' are also why we are alive; for father had a male reaction to mother that was inseparable from the love they felt in their marriage," Tsuruko calmly recited.

Motoko's face somehow found a shade of red brighter than before. "... do not speak of our mother and father in such a vulgar way!"

By this time, Keitaro had managed to make his body lay flat on the grass as he made progress. Kanako made no indication she noticed; though she had.

Tsuruko sighed. This had to be done. "Motoko-han, father and mother *made* love, which means father with mother's eager agreement and active participation used *his* manhood to-"

"-STOP IT! T-U-R-T-L-E!" Motoko bellowed so loud Keitaro feared he would have another broken window to clean up. She immediately looked down, eyes on the grass but not noticing Keitaro's withdrawal from the field of battle.

Tsuruko blinked. "Are you *still* fixated on that time?!" Now it was Tsuruko's turn to hiss.

"What about a turtle?" Kanako asked, curious at the terror from Motoko and the sudden hot fury from Tsuruko.

Almost on cue, Tama-chan decided to fly around the corner of the house, charting a meandering but swift course for Motoko.

"Stay back!" Motoko flailed her arms towards the hot springs turtle. "Vile creature with the head of manhood!"

"I must say," Kanako commented offhand, "I am a bit at a loss."

"It is simply immature girlhood and invasion of privacy from *years* ago." Tsuruko explained with finality and venom, motioning to Motoko for Kanako's sake.

"The way *he* looked at you, seemed so… so… possessed!" Motoko shook her head from side to side.

"My former husband and I loved each other! Of course the look in his eyes would look different!" Tsuruko bit back.

"B-but his hakama fell down and his… his male appendage was… *big*!" Motoko almost shrieked.

Tama-chan happily flew around, "myuh-myuhing" not drawing any attention to Keitaro as he slunk away.

Kanako tried valiantly to compose herself, to prevent the growing grin on her lips. She failed.

Motoko's eyes tore away from Tsuruko, zeroing in on Tama-chan. "Like that vile turtle's head!"

"I really do not think most men would think of their lower appendages in that state as resembling a turtle's head." Kanako stated matter-of-factly.

"I can tell you from personal experience that my former husband most certainly did not, dear servant." Tsuruko deadpanned.

"It… is so terrifying!" Motoko said, her eyes keeping a wary fix on Tama-chan; merrily flying around all three of them now.

Tsuruko's lips thinned into a line. "Then I invite you to speak with the therapist your friends talk to now. However, from now on I will not have Keitaro-san harmed because of human mistakes. If he is more prone to those mistakes than others, then we are obliged to assist during his training minimizing said mistakes. Are we clear on this, Motoko-han?"

"... I must meditate-" Motoko began unsteadily.

"-time for meditation is over, dear sister. You are a grown woman; I expect you to conduct yourself as such." Tsuruko took a resolute step towards Motoko.

Motoko took a breath, in and out and in and out slowly. She steadied herself. "Very well,"

"This is my final judgment on the matter, Motoko-han. Do you understand?" Tsuruko's tone was low and dark.

"I do…" Motoko looked down, then over to where Keitaro had been. Her eyes and recovering ki confirmed the apartment manager was suddenly absent from the immediate area. "Where did Urashima go?"

"He escaped," Kanako crossed her arms. "Quite expertly too, I might add, while you were occupied with your 'birds and the bees' talk with the Lady."

Motoko shot Kanako a death glare.

"A very stealthy escape," Tsuruko commented, nodding slowly. "Impressive. I was not aware of it."

"Oh me oh my!" Mutsumi's voice was heard calling from around the corner of the house. "Tama-chan! Tama-chan! Whereforever have you gone to? It is time for your morning bath so I can scrub that gorgeous head of yours that looks so much like what I've heard Keitaro's manhood looks like!"

"For heaven's sakes!" Tsuruko exclaimed, perhaps louder than she intended.

Kanako cracked up in laughter.

"The horror!" Motoko wailed.

Mutsumi came around the corner, a sunny smile on her face to match the morning sun. "Oh me oh my! Did I miss something of importance sleeping in?"

000

Keitaro had crawled like a worm along the side of the Hinata Inn and around the corner away from the commotion towards where he knew a basement window was. In less than three seconds he had produced a small key from a discrete key-ring in his back pocket and was busy with unlocking the window when he heard a leaf crumple beside him.

"That was a good tactical retreat," Merlin laughed. "But not good enough."

"I guess I should prepare myself for another thrashing. Right?" Keitaro asked, shaking his head and preparing himself.

"Your cleverness and improvement deserve some meager reward," Merlin shrugged. "But I do recommend you rise to your feet before your court arrives."

"Yup, the Knights of the Round," Keitaro chuckled as he stood.

Merlin scoffed, but did not rebuke Keitaro.

"So… level with me, Merlin-sama," Keitaro lowered his voice, afraid someone would overhear. "How did I do, for real?"

"Well," Merlin laughed musically, "everything you just experienced was real. Every. Last. Embarrassing. Moment." That flourish of hands again. "But if you mean in my experience; you were hardly the worst I have trained; and you show promise if you work at it."

Keitaro nodded. "I'm just happy not everyone was out to see it."

"Everyone who missed this momentous occasion will be given a full report at table, my liege." Merlin smiled.

"That is what I was afraid of," Keitaro hung his head.

000

God's Cry Shrine…

Mountains outside of Kyoto City…

000

Chisako had read Motoko's letter; twice, in fact. First, she sent the trainer katana by emergency courier to her youngest daughter post haste. Chisako enclosed a simple letter instructing Motoko of her love as a mother but also her authority as interim head of the clan; she wanted the trainer katana well cared for and shined very well indeed. She closed the short letter by letting Motoko know of another, longer letter arriving by conventional post soon.

Chisako then started to meditate on recent events eastward in Hinata City. Both from what she had learned from Motoko's letter but also shared from reports by Hina's agents. The Aoyama matriarch's mouth quivered into a smile with the thought of Motoko struggling with the mental dilemma of teaching two young males kendo...

Once that was done, Chisako mentally had the basics down for what she would write in her long-form letter to Motoko. She was about to complete her task when her own sister Hime's insistent rap was heard on her shoji screen.

Chisako rose efficiently and silently and slid open the screen with a prepared smile. "Dear sister, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Hime gave an almost imperceptible bow. "I see you sent a bundle by private courier. Very expensive. Must be important."

Chisako reflected, briefly amused, that one of the (few) things that came to mind about her sister that were endearing was that she spoke in clear, concise sentences. Chisako wet her lips. "Dear Sister, Motoko-chan sent an update; she needed the trainer katana as soon as possible. You read the report from Hinata City; you know why."

"Yes, my niece has gone through two katanas in such a short period of time, should she not be disciplined?" Hime's tone was even.

"It seems Tsuruko-chan and outside events are already taking care of Motoko-chan's 'lesson,' as it were." Chisako smiled kindly.

"Elder Hina's doing, mostly." Hime shook her head. "Ought not Motoko-chan's continuing education and discipline be carried on within the dojo? Here, in a secure location?"

Chisako considered this point for a moment. "No, dear sister. I feel summoning Motoko-chan's back here would only bring back and intensify the traits that led her to the Hinata Inn just when she seems to wish to mature."

Hime's lips thinned in thought. "And with that maturity, should not the desire to be at her family's inheritance be burgeoning in her heart?"

Chisako took a deep breath before speaking what she felt was at play for her youngest daughter. "I feel Motoko-chan needs both maturity as a woman and samurai; and to follow her heart, even if that road may lead her to pain; but the wisdom gained will ultimately benefit the dojo."

Hime nodded slowly. "Still, meditate longer on asking not just Motoko to return, but also Tsuruko."

Chisako raised an eyebrow. "Tsuruko-chan?"

"Yes, she can still be a housemother and assist Urashima-san while spending time here." HIme smiled.

Chisako considered this for a moment. Suddenly, almost like a light being turned on, it did seem a point worthy of further consideration. "I will meditate on it, sister."

Hime bowed, wished Chisako a good afternoon and excused herself.

For a brief moment before it left her mind (leaving no trace it had been there in the first place), Chisako reflected that Hime's smile seemed so kind, understanding, and wise.

000

Sakata took a long look at the sun as it neared its arc against the western mountain range of the wilds of Kyoto. He wanted to be underway back to Hinata City before dark.

"Are you two done yet?" Sakata called back to Shirai and Haitani.

Haitani and Shirai checked the securing straps and buckles securing Seta's beat-up van to the wrecker. Studiously, to Sakata's pride, Keitaro's cram school chums meticulously followed the garage's check-list for making sure a vehicle was secure to the bed of the wrecker.

'Almost like they're sending a rocket to the moon,' Sakata thought, amused.

"Final check complete!" Haitani called back. The tall, thin boy adjusting his glasses.

"Awaiting your orders!" Shirai snapped a happy salute. The short and stout boy adjusted his own glasses, his uniform visibly baggy in the darkness. 'Well, he has been losing weight lately,' Sakata thought. 'I'll have to tell him to get a smaller uniform before he violates the company dress code.'

"Only thing missing is the captain's hat," Sakata chuckled. His face turned serious abruptly. "It would impress the ones tailing us."

Shirai and Haitani were off of the wrecker and by his side by the time Sakata crossed his arms across his chest.

"You might as well come out, we're wasting daylight!" Sakata called out ahead of them, indirectly facing some bushes.

"How very perceptive of you," a figure called out from behind Sakata, Haitani and Shirai.

Sakata laughed, spun around on one heel to bring himself face to face with a man in a white suit and dour expression on his face. "Is there any point in asking who you are?"

A mirthless chuckle. "It's enough *I* know who you are, Kentaro Sakata."

"Should we even waste time introducing ourselves?" Haitani asked, just ready to go home.

"It's not like we're breaking any laws," Shirai grinned. "And if helping out a friend of the gorgeous goddess Haruka Urashima is a crime; then I am the most guilty man on Earth!"

Haitani spun around to face Shirai. "Dude, did you just blab to a government agent about your Christmas Cake crush?!"

"It's called 'bearing witness' and 'testify to the truth'!" Shirai beamed proudly, evident in front of his mind's eye in that moment was Haruka probably smoking and issuing some kind of back-handed compliment or damning with faint praise. "You should do it more often, Masayuki-kun!"

Haitani groaned loudly, but fell silent after seeing Sakata make a slashing motion across his neck.

Shirai saw the signal from Sakata and fell silent too; the silly grin remained.

A pained sigh was heard from the man in front of them. Then a paper-thin chuckle. "Never claimed you gentleman were," the man in white reached into his overcoat and extracted a card, handing it to Sakata.

Kentaro took one look at it and burst out laughing. "'Agent of the Organization?' Not even bothering with a code name or letter?"

The man shook his head from side to side very slowly. "All of the good ones were taken."

"I sympathize." Sakata replied. "Go ahead and say what you need to say."

"Your friends are attracting a lot of attention; some of that attention may become a bit unmanageable. Some less savory elements may try to get to you three in order to get to your friend Urashima-san. If you see, hear, or feel anything that seems out of the ordinary immediately call that number. Please." The man bowed formally, signalling that is all he would say.

"Keitaro always keeps things lively, doesn't he?" Haitani muttered.

"No shit," Shirai sighed.

The man in white paid the two bespectacled friends no mind. He kept his attention firmly on Sakata. "I advise you also that formerly trusted friends or groups may come to be threats to you and your friends."

"Oh?" Sakata asked. "Care to detail such a pithy comment, dear fellow?"

"Just watch your ass, kid, and theirs." The man in white bit back.

"Sorry, my door doesn't swing *that* way dude." Sakata laughed easily, waving his hand.

"Shut up, pay attention, and keep that card!" The man said, angered. Sakata clearly miscalculated the man in white's tolerance of tomfoolery.

"My apologies," Sakata held up his hands. "You see, it's been kind of serious lately."

"Sorry to disappoint, but it's most likely going to get a whole lot more serious." The man's tone softened.

Haitani and Shirai shared a bewildered shrug as Sakata laughed.

"I don't suppose," Sakata ventured, "that I can ask you a question-a real question?"

"Fine, go ahead." The man in white replied.

"Since you've been tailing us since we left Hinata City, why not just have your colleagues bring Seta-sensei's van back for him as a courtesy?" Sakata waved back to where Shirai and Haitani were standing next to the wrecker with the van secured on top of it.

"Do you think we allowed you three to come out here to the middle of nowhere in order to waylay you idiots?" The man rubbed his forehead, clearly feeling the beginnings of a tension headache.

"It would be the obvious choice, if that's what you wanted to do." Sakata replied tersely.

"Therefore the idiotic choice," the man shot back. "Like it or not, currently we are trying to be of some assistance to you. Now, you and your friends better hurry along before your mothers get worried."

Sakata laughed. "I speak for all three of us; trust me our mothers are not worried."

"Yeah," Haitani interjected, "they know we're men on the job."

"On the way to becoming men of leisure in the good graces of Haruka-san!" Shirai grinned.

The man in white face-palmed. "To hell with this," he bit back in disgust as he spun on one heel and stalked off into the gathering gloom of the rural Kyoto evening without a further word.

"Not very polite," Sakata shrugged, "but at least he wasn't harassing me about having an unlicensed nuclear powered vessel in my possession."

"They haven't even tried to deport Suu-chan yet," Haitani yawned. "What did you expect?"

"An armed government escort?" Shirai shrugged. "Still, not sure how else this conversation could have ended considering how charming you are, Ken."

Sakata groaned. "I was trying to be polite but make clear I'm getting sick of all of this guess-work with all the crap that's been going on lately." He stretched. "Let's get home, boys."

"On the double, fearless leader!" Haitani and Shirai snapped back a mock salute, perfectly matching each other in tone and action.

In spite of his fatigue and the odd exchange with the man in white, Sakata laughed. "You two might be loyal troopers yet!"

000

"So that's what happened this mornin'," Kitsune finished her story for Himiko with a snicker.

"Glad I missed it," Naru commented, "seeing and hearing Tsuruko-sama and Motoko-chan vomit is something that I would not want to miss sleep for."

"It sounds like this 'practice' for your manager friend turned into an unqualified disaster," Himiko summed up.

"No, my part-timer still made some progress," Seta smiled, "it just came at a significant cost."

"He still looked cute," Kitsune smiled, "even if he wa' cleaning up the kendo ladies vomit... or after the wizard found him out crawlin' like a worm away from the commotion!"

"If you say so," Naru sighed. "I've seen Keitaro get his ass kicked, mostly by myself, to know I still made the right choice by catching up on sleep."

"How have you been sleeping, Naru-san?" Himiko asked.

"Better," Naru replied with a firm nod.

"And you two?" Himiko cast her eyes on Kitsune and Seta.

Kitsune shrugged, "not bad, I guess."

"Been busy," Seta replied.

"Care to elaborate?" Himiko asked softly.

"Unfortunately, I cannot." Seta smiled, gently putting up his hands apologetically.

Himiko nodded ever so slightly. She moved on. "How is everyone's feelings since our last session?"

Seta frowned. "Still get cold chills, sometimes..."

Both Kitsune and Naru looked to Seta with a start. "Seta-kun! You two?!" Naru gasped.

"That is normal after encounters such as these," Himiko told Seta reassuringly.

Seta nodded, giving Himiko a wan smile.

"Well, he's not Superman, 'ya know," Kitsune said to Naru in a lowered tone.

"I know that!" Naru hissed back, suddenly flushing.

Kitsune tittered.

Seta cracked a smile. Somehow, the mental image of himself in a cape flying through the air had a certain kind of bent appeal in that moment.

Unbidden, Naru had a mental image of herself in the part of Lois Lane, and blushed. At the same time, Seta's thoughts were likely running in the same direction and the professor blushed too.

"Hmm," KItsune grinned, but said nothing.

"How are things at the Hinata Inn?" Himiko asked. "Other than the manager's pratfalls."

"The usual family sitcom level drama," Naru shrugged, grateful to Himiko for the change in topic.

Kitsune nodded her agreement. "Just getting used to our new arrivals."

"Including me on an extended basis," Seta supplied.

Himiko smiled generously. "My husband Tenchi could tell a story or two on that topic."

"A mostly redacted story or a full story?" Seta asked wryly.

Himiko leveled a sober look at Seta. "I think you know the answer to that one, Seta-sensei."

Seta gave a thin smile to Himiko. He had heard rumors and hearsay about the rural areas of Okayama outside of the city of Kurashiki. "Fair enough."

"What is the value of conversations in the house nowadays?" Himiko asked.

All three of her patients shared a contemplative look, then Kitsune spoke: "Their… more 'to the point,' I guess."

"I agree," Naru concurred. "It seems like we're past the old stuff."

"Except when a rip-roaring good time can be had!" Kitsune laughed.

"I do trust you are trying to be more… centered… Konno-san," Himiko smiled at Kitsune kindly.

Kitsune blinked. Or, for her what passed for blinking. "You mean the booze?"

"You do consume a lot," Himiko replied.

"I've…" Kitsune furrowed her brow. "I have cut down a bit." Then she flashed a fox smile. "I want to be sharp for whatever insanity our new arrivals bring our way."

Himiko simply jotted down a note and smiled. "Splendid."

"I'm thinkin' of asking for some trainin'." Kitsune drawled.

"Oh?" Himiko asked. "What kind?"

"Meditation," Kitsune nodded firmy for emphasis.

Seta and Naru shared a surprised look. This was different from Kitsune.

"Do you need a teacher?" Himiko touched her free finger to her lip. " I know a few."

"Oh, I have someone in mind," Kitsune smirked. "Our new housemother."

"A great choice," Seta commented, "but she might only have limited time for you due to all of her other responsibilities."

"'Ya, I know but she already offered to help." KItsune smiled.

Seta's eyes widened a touch. "You are lucky, Kits."

Himiko turned to Naru. "Narusegawa-san?"

"Yes?"

"How are you?" Himiko asked.

Naru looked down. "Talking to my family more when I'm not with my friends."

"That is very good." Himiko smiled. She looked to the other two. "Well, it seems everyone is making progress. Very good. If anyone wants to talk before the next session; you have my number."

000

Three days after Motoko had sent her letter to Hajime, as evening started to fall across the Hinata Inn, Motoko puzzled with apprehension at two factors. One, was the disastrous training session with Keitaro and the lecture she received from her older sister. Two, the very simple but politely worded response letter from Hajime confirming his attendance.

Motoko prepared for her meeting with Hajime. The family courier dutifully delivered the trainer katana with a short note from her mother stating expectation of a well-cared for sword and a longer letter at a later time. There was also a puzzling post-script of Chisako suggesting Motoko think of a proper name for the well-worn trainer blade.

Motoko's preparations consisted of meditation followed by stretching and mentally going over the ways she could mete out just punishment if the need arose.

The younger Aoyama sister looked at her clock, compared it to her mental reckoning of time and confirmed it would be time to meet Kanako at the front of Hinata City train station. Motoko was thankful she had the forethought to tell Kanako to meet her at the train station and not in front of the Inn; Motoko needed the time to think and collect herself especially after the training debacle. She had no doubt that Kanako would be professional about things, but Motoko supposed "professional to a fault," could be the term that was coming to mind about the dark-haired Urashima adopted sister since their first meeting.

'She is very focused on a goal; currently that goal is serving my honorable older sister and Urashima… which currently seems to involve fate deciding to cloud my focus on training and honor.' Motoko thought as she left the house, thankfully no one was around to see her leave as she put on her shoes. As for her attire for the meeting, Motoko decided to treat it as a job interview. In many ways, it was. Dark formal dress slacks and a white blouse that almost succeeded in masquerading as a men's dress shirt.

'Formal, business-like and curt,' Motoko thought with satisfaction as she walked across the courtyard and started down the stone staircase. "If the male is intimidated and runs away; one less problem for me to deal with."

Motoko walked past the tea house. Mentally thankful she did not see anyone outside she knew.

Efficiently, Motoko made it to the train station where Kanako was sitting on a bench, dressed in her usual black silk dress and her hands were folded in her lap.

As Motoko approached, her ki ticked. Kanako was meditating. With her eyes wide open, observing the world around her but not paying attention to it.

"Urashima-san..?" Motoko bowed.

If Motoko's senses had not been focused directly on observing Kanako, she would have missed the *flicker* in her eyes that signalled Kanako coming out of her trance. "Ah, Aoyama-sama." Kanako rose and bowed. "I was taking the opportunity to enjoy the evening and meditating prior to the meeting with this young man seeking help."

Motoko stopped. Her ki ticked once again, there was nothing menacing or of concern in Kanako; rather it seemed ever since the incident with Merlin's arrival at the Hinata Inn and the wholesale destruction of the ruins of the Inn's Annex, that Kanako was almost always in a state of deep meditation. Motoko knew that considering what Kanako had experienced, this was to be expected. But for the first time Motoko wondered just how *deep* into a meditative state Kanako could reach.

"If he actually is in so much dire need of help," Motoko ground her teeth slightly. Mentally hearing her own voice over the years giving pronouncements against the male of the species.

Kanako gave a short smile. "We shall see." The midnight haired girl nodded over Motoko's shoulder. "I believe that is him."

Motoko turned around to see a young male by his facial features and gait, but… he was shorter than the man she had the most experience observing (previously with wary eyes); Keitaro, but only by a few centimeters. He had a closely cropped slightly dark hair, was wearing a simple male school uniform and carried a nondescript brown satchel with him. To Motoko's surprise, he approached slowly but warily (casting quick glances from side to side) either afraid someone would see him meeting her, or…

'If someone would see him in a place where he does not belong,' Motoko mentally remarked to herself.

Kanako watched the young man's approach; sensing no ill intent towards them, just an apprehensive stance that seemed so ingrained as to be second nature. 'A cautious one, I hope it reflects well with Aoyama-sama's decision,' Kanako thought hopefully.

The young man stopped. He bowed shortly to first Motoko and then Kanako. "Good evening, ladies; I am here to meet an esteemed kendo captain who attends Raika Girls' High School." He stopped speaking, eyeing the two of them carefully.

Kanako noted the way the young man (she reminded herself the name Motoko had told her during a brief moment alone in the changing room for the hot spring; Hajime Yoshida) spoke. The words and inflection seemed carefully rehearsed-the boy must have been thinking of how to address whoever was waiting for him once he reached the meeting place at the agreed upon time-but the lack of… emotion in his voice raised an alarm of concern for Kanako.

For her part, Motoko was observing his eyes as he looked at her and Kanako. Her senses and ki were slightly surprised he was just simply trying to gauge (perhaps almost as a percentage?) if Motoko and/or Kanako were who he was supposed to meet, someone unrelated to his purpose… or someone to be feared?

Motoko drew a breath in slowly. Her concerns about him ever so slightly allayed. She spoke clearly and deliberately. "I am Motoko Aoyama; captain of the Raika Girls' High School kendo club and this is Kanako Urashima… sister of my apartment manager and an associate of my elder sister, Tsuruko."

"I am Hajime Yoshida," he bowed once again. Once that was done, he narrowed his gaze at Kanako. "Are you also a kendo instructor, Urashima-san?" Hajime's question was reserved but direct.

Kanako smiled warmly. "No, but I am well-versed in my family's arts; Urashima… well," she chuckled, "arts."

"Not very well known, then? A smaller school of martial arts?" Hajime asked, clearly curious.

"More like the Urashima family is very durable," Motoko deadpanned.

"That is one way to put it," Kanako continued smiling warmly. Clearly showing she agreed with Motoko's very basic explanation.

Motoko smiled thinly, finding she did not want Kanako to perceive her comment as a slight in any way shape or form. 'Well, the Urashimas *are* remarkably durable,' Motoko thought reasonably. Without asking for it, a part of Motoko's mind quizzed the other part just what other areas of strenuous activity Keitaro would prove similarly durable in? Motoko proudly suppressed a blush as she returned her full attention to Hajime. "Yoshida-san, I thank you for your punctuality. I know all of our time is valuable so I suggest you get right down to the point."

Hajime nodded slowly. Without anything else he stated: "I wish for myself and my little brother to undergo combat kendo training so we can defend ourselves against our older sister."

Motoko almost told him to turn himself around and immediately walk away from them and never bother her or anyone she knew again, but her ki detected no deception or humor in his words. Watching his eyes and stance also told her this was something both painfully embarrassing for him to be asking; but also supremely necessary.

Kanako blinked, cocking her head to the side ever so slightly. This was not something she expected to hear to say the least.

"You will have to elaborate, Yoshida-san." Motoko stated, crossing her arm.

Hajime inclined his head forward ever so slightly. He was prepared for this reaction. "Our older sister, Tomoko, is a Tokyo U student who is also a championship judo star; my little brother and I are her favorite targets when something does not go her way in class or in her club… in her personal life… or just to 'keep us in our place,' as she constantly screams at us."

Motoko and Kanako briefly shared a look, both of their eyebrows raised curiously.

Hajime exhaled slowly. "Hardly a day goes by without myself or my little brother Kazuo getting slugged for some reason or no reason by our sister."

"... I do not believe you." Motoko replied, carefully watching for Hajime's reaction.

None.

Motoko thought on this before continuing. Was Hajime so controlled and stoic that he was able to control his reaction to Motoko saying she does not think he is being accurate in his statement; or was it something he had heard many times before? Motoko chose her next words carefully. "I am certain if she has been forced to utilize her fists it was in response to something you or your little brother did."

Kanako took one step back to have a wider view of both Motoko and Hajime. She did not care for Motoko's question, but decided to hold her comments until later befitting what Motoko asked of her.

"I understand." Hajime nodded slowly. "We have asked ourselves this question over the years, as well as our mother and father. They gave us no explanation."

"And your sister?" Motoko prompted.

"She says she beats us because 'we're being too loud,' or 'we have not hung towels in the bathroom right,' or a door was not closed quietly enough." Hajime closed his eyes, clearly focusing.

Motoko pursed her lips. "Yoshida-san, I do not believe you are telling me *everything.*"

Kanako's attention was on Hajime even more than before. Not just his responses to Motoko, but what he was watching out for around them. Kanako was impressed with his spatial awareness for someone who had no stated prior training.

"*Everything?*" Hajime asked, curiously.

Motoko raised a finger in a way that Kanako, watching, felt was a trifle bit pompous. "You and your little brother being male, most likely aroused righteous indignation and your sister's equally righteous wrath by looking in on her while bathing, changing, or using the bathroom."

Hajime's eye twitched. He spoke his truth. "My brother and I are not allowed to use the bathroom at home so my mother and father's prized 'judo champ' can feel completely comfortable." Hajime took a breath. "I apologize, Aoyama-san." He hastily bowed. "I came here looking for Motoko Aoyama the kendo captain; not Aoyama the Pervert."

Kanako chuckled. She hastily composed herself. "Pardon me." She had not intended to be seen as laughing at Hajime's confession (which Kanako's senses told her was what Hajime felt was the truth) but Motoko being called a pervert by a man was just so unexpected.

Motoko recoiled as if she had been hit herself. This was not the response she expected to say the least. "Wha-what did you just say?!"

"Given your word choice and tone of voice I see you are not the one I was seeking, instead it seems you *enjoy* thinking about brothers doing that to their sisters." Hajime's voice stoically answered, but his eyes betrayed a glance that Motoko never thought she would ever see from someone directed at her; male or female. Disdain and disgust.

Motoko blinked, still totally shocked.

Hajime sighed loudly, he bowed. "I take my leave of both of you and wish you both a good even-"

"Yoshida-san!" Kanako raised her voice in the authoritative tones that her Granny Hina had taught her when the need arose.

"Yes?" Hajime stopped, surprised.

"You brought a guest with you, is it your little brother?" Kanako asked, nodding vaguely over Hajime's shoulder.

Hajime smiled genuinely. "... you're right. He is inside the train station."

"Watching us?" Kanako asked.

"No, studying." Hajime shrugged. "I told him not to watch as it would draw attention."

Kanako chuckled. "Very smart. You almost have eyes in the back of your head. I would not have realized you were keeping the train station in mind except for how you kept watching our facial expressions. Using myself and Aoyama-sama to be those 'eyes in the back of your head,' as it were."

"Yes, very impressive." Motoko composed herself hastily. "Yoshida-san… I am not a pervert. I will say that right now as a samurai of the Aoyama clan!"

"That's delightful; neither am I or my brother!" Hajime answered with enthusiasm.

Motoko took a breath, trying to game out how to proceed with her next line of questioning. "If you and your brother do not use the bathroom at home." She thought for a moment, still at a loss. "Where do you go?"

Hajime gave Motoko a look as if she had just said in English, 'this is a pen,' from Elementary school English texts. "Public bathhouses are convenient; so are the showers and bathrooms at our own school."

"I believe Aoyama-sama is still recovering from the shock of your request and the reason why," Kanako broke in, trying to save Motoko some dignity and make this meeting a constructive one.

"Aoyama-san," Hajime sighed. "You're either going to believe me or don't believe me. But I humbly request a firm answer."

"I need some time to meditate on your request, Yoshida-san." Motoko said, regaining her composure.

"Feel free to send a private eye to tail me and my brother to find out our sister beats us up." Hajime offered.

Kanako blinked. "Are you joking about the private eye, Yoshida-san?"

"Practically any help right now would be a gift from above," Hajime muttered. "When will I have your answer, Aoyama-san? And how?"

"Within three days," Motoko replied curtly. "It will be by mail; as before."

"Very well," Hajime bowed to Motoko and Kanako. "I have the honor to wish you both a good evening once again." Hajime spun on one heel and was face-to-face with a minutely shorter young man with wavy dark brown hair and a self-effacing smile on his face.

"I hate it when you do that, little brother." Hajime sighed without seeming surprised in the least.

"Little brother? Only by minutes." The young man snickered.

"According to our mother. Sometimes I wish we were adopted, it would explain our sister's behavior better." Hajime replied darkly, then shrugged. "Well, you had better introduce yourself properly."

The young man took a couple steps forward, then bowed to first Motoko and then Kanako in a quick, efficient manner. "Good evening, I'm Kazuo Yoshida."

Motoko and Kanako returned the bow.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance," Motoko said deliberately. "Please rest assured I will give the request your brother has made all the consideration that it deserves."

"And I am pleased to meet your acquaintance as well," Kanako replied politely. She glanced at Motoko, thinking: 'She is not being truthful.'

"I'm sure my brother has already begged enough," Kazuo's face fell a touch. "But he is not exaggerating. We'll be eagerly waiting to hear from you."

Motoko simply nodded slowly.

Kanako could see the meeting was over. She gave a look to Motoko, who picked up on it and with a glance Kanako proceeded. "It is time for us to take our leave," Kanako bowed, "we wish you both a good night once again."

Motoko politely bowed again, turned on one heel and with Kanako they walked away from the Yoshida brothers.

In fact, they kept walking for a while in silence as nightfall blanketed Hinata City until they were well past Haruka's tea house and the stone stairs that led up to the Hinata Inn.

"Where are we going, Urashima-san?" Motoko asked, teresly.

"Hmm?" Kanako's eyes widened in mock realization. "I apologize, Aoyama-sama, I was following you!" Kanako replied dryly.

Motoko face-palmed.

Kanako and Motoko stopped walking. The young witch turned to face the young samurai. "I take it you do not wish to take on two *male* students, am I correct?"

Motoko frowned. "I am apprehensive about that, yes." She crossed her arms. "But I have yet to make my final decision."

Kanako "hmm'd" in deep thought. "Would more intelligence on the situation be of help?"

"What do you mean?" Motoko asked, surprised.

Kanako smiled. "We have some resources at our disposal to help prove or disprove the boys' story."

Motoko thought it over. On one hand, she was not quite ready or willing to take the two Yoshida brothers at their word. On the other hand, she felt… vaguely tarnished by the idea of distrusting them for what they said. Motoko was also a bit disquieted at where her mind went with the "resources" Kanako mentioned.

"... you are going to send Granny Hina's agents to tail them, are you not?" Motoko pointed to Kanako in a somewhat accusing manner.

This suggestion stunned Kanako. Then she laughed. "Of course not, that'd be a distraction from their other duties." Kanako's expression turned serious again. "We have a far more skilled practitioner of... certain arts in residence among us."

"That infernal old man," Motoko sighed. "I doubt he would tell *me* what the trees can tell of those boys."

"I think he might tell the King's little sister," Kanako smiled.

Motoko shook her head. "I do not think this is quite that important for such tactics."

"Then why does it cause your need for 'more meditation' on this issue?" Kanako shook her head at Motoko. "Are you just afraid of confronting young men who just might have been mistreated by a woman?"

Motoko looked down. "It would be… easier to continue that way, would it not?"

Kanako was about to respond with something resembling losing her temper but Motoko saved her the trouble.

"But I remember something that Merlin-sama said about the Seraphim's plan," Motoko closed her eyes. "I will not bore you with the exact words, but the sense I got was the beast's plan to steadily wear us down and get us used to the world being dark and evil and forget anything ever being better." Motoko looked up at Kanako.

Kanako nodded for Motoko to continue.

"If I choose to assist those brothers, am I breaking with the cursed patterns of the past or am I erratically seeking change for the sake of change in itself and not on its own merits? That is what I am struggling with." Motoko now looked up at the sky, as if waiting for an answer.

"You wonder how much of your distrust of the boys' motive is part of the clouding evil of the Seraphim, how much is just your own personal demons, and how much is them asking desperately for help?" Kanako summed up.

Motoko returned her gaze to Kanako, a small smile on the raven haired samurai's face. "Yes, I suppose that clarifies it somewhat."

"Take your time to meditate, samurai of the Aoyama clan," Kanako bowed. "But I must confess if you do not choose to train those boys, then I will request permission from the Lady so I may train them on my own in the Urashima arts."

Motoko blinked. "... you are serious, are you not?"

Kanako nodded confidently. "My mind is made up."

Motoko closed her eyes, exhaling slowly.

Kanako crossed her arms, a small smile on her face. "I will wait until you have 'meditated more,' as you have said before making my request to the Lady."

Motoko sighed. "You are more like your grandmother than your big brother."

"By necessity. We leave the niceties to Big Brother in my family," Kanako chuckled.

"I promise you my answer will be clear and unambiguous with its reasoning; once I know it." Motoko stated.

"Oh me, oh my!" the sweet tones of Mutsumi's voice filled the evening air as she walked up behind them. "Where did that little fruit stand go..?"

Motoko nodded in greeting to Mutsumi. "The vendor moved to the main shopping district a few days before you arrived, Mutsumi-san."

"A bit late to go out fruit shopping…" Kanako trailed off with a sly look at Mutsumi.

Mutsumi scratched the back of her head and giggled. "I also wanted to make sure you two girls got home all right. Tama-chan was sooo worried about you, Motoko-san!"

Motoko's eyes widened in terror.

Kanako giggled and matched Mutsumi's smile. "We were just on our way back now. I believe a nice long bath will do the troubled mind good. Don't you think, Aoyama-sama?"

"Yes, I believe it would." Motoko smiled.

"Goodie! Tama-chan will be pleased as punch!" Mutsumi clap-clapped her hands.

Motoko suppressed the urge to scream and flail her arms.

000

End Chapter 9.

AFTERWARD: We humbly apologize for the long wait for this chapter. But life and world events happen. As time allows, it is one with chapter 10 and, I guess, 11 after that, isn't it? Thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following.