The Reason Why

Prologue

Slowly opening her eyes Kanako blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling above her. It took her a moment to remember that she and her family had arrived at Hinata Sou late last night and that she had been put straight to bed by her brother. Twitching her nose Kanako smiled as she recognised the scent that woke her. It was the unmistakable smell of her brothers specially prepared breakfast that he only ever made her on special occasions.

Tilting her head Kanako saw that a tray filled with food was laid across her lap. Sitting up Kanako couldn't help but smile at the sight of the delicious breakfast that was presented to her. "It's about time you woke up." An amused voice said to her side. Turning Kanako saw her big brother sitting next to her bed with that small smile of his that she loved on his face. "If you'd stayed asleep any longer I'd have had to remake it." He told her.

"Onii-san." She smiled at him.

"Happy birthday Kana-chan." He grinned as he leaned in to press his lips against her forehead making her blush and giggle happily. Shifting so that he was sitting on the bed next to her Keitaro grabbed a morsel of food and held it to her mouth. "Here you go Kana-chan, eat up." Opening her mouth Kanako allowed her beloved brother to feed her. "How is it?" he asked "Is it good?"

"It's delicious Onii-san." She said blissfully as she devoured the food.

"I'm glad." He smiled and petted her head affectionately "I wanted today to be special for you. After all it isn't everyday a girl turns thirteen." He told her.

"Thank you Onii-san." She smiled at him "Where is everyone else?"

Keitaro made a face. "Unfortunately it will just be us for a little while. Aunty Haru is helping Granny down at the tea shop and mum and dad forgot something at home so they won't be back until lunchtime. That's alright isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes Onii-san." She nodded as she leaned against him with her head resting on his arm. In truth she couldn't imagine a more perfect birthday.

"Good." He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist with a smile. "Now, do you want your present now or later?" he teased her.

"Now!" she declared excitedly.

"OK, close your eyes." He told her. Doing as she was told, Kanako closed her eyes and waited for her brother to tell her what to do next. Feeling him place a small lump in her lap she heard him say "OK Kana-chan, you can open your eyes now."

Opening her eyes Kanako stared down at her lap and saw a small bundle of fur looking up at her with big red eyes "It's a kitten!" Kanako cried happily as the small cat stood up and butted its head against her chin; its large ears tickling her and making her giggle. "What's his name?" she asked looking up at her brother.

"That's up to you Kana-chan." He said as he brushed her hair out of her face, loving the happy look on his sister's face.

Picking up the kitten Kanako stared into the cats large eyes before saying "I think I'll call you Kuro." She decided.

Keitaro raised an eyebrow "eh? You're gonna call a black cat Kuro? You have no imagination Kana-chan." He teased as he poked her cheek, making her giggle. "Now this is a big responsibility and I'm trusting you to look after him OK? You have to promise to feed him and give him lots of love."

"I promise." She nodded her head happily as she rubbed her cheek against the kittens head.

"Good girl." He smiled and gave her forehead a kiss. "Now what do you want to do while we're waiting for mum and dad to get back?"

"Spend time with you." She said without a moment's hesitation.

"Well, how about we have a dip in the springs to start the day?" he suggested as he petted her head.

"Can Kuro come too?" she asked.

"So long as you keep him out of the water. Cats don't like water." He told her with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her small body and picked her up, making her squeal happily in surprise. Grinning down at the girl in his arms Keitaro said "Come on, let's go."

-X-X-X-X-

In The Hot Springs

Letting out a content sigh Keitaro smiled down at the young girl sitting on his lap who was humming happily with her kitten perched safely on her head. Resting his arms on the side of the springs Keitaro said "You know Kana-chan, you're thirteen now. That means you should be sleeping by yourself from now on rather than with me." He told her. Seeing the horrified look on her face as she turned to look up at him Keitaro quickly retracted his statement "OK, OK you can keep sleeping with me." He allowed as he pinched her cheek. "But only until I get into Tokyo U. next year." He said resolutely "After that you would be much too old to be sleeping with me at night."

"OK Onii-san." She smiled. A year was plenty of time to convince him otherwise. Leaning back against him Kanako smiled happily as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Onii-san, what are you going to study when you get into university?" she asked. There was no question about if he was going to get in; their whole family had every confidence that he was going to pass with flying colours. Whenever their parents talked about it Keitaro would always wave off their praise with modesty though it usually only served to encourage them.

"Well, I was thinking about the archaeology program." He explained "You know Seta Ji-san, Aunty's friend? Well, he was telling me about the stuff he teaches at Tokyo U. He even said that once I get in I could become his assistant and go on digs with him." He said passionately.

"Could I come along with you?" she asked.

"I don't think you would have much fun Kana-chan." He told her "It's just a lot of digging and there won't be much to do." He cautioned her.

"I don't mind." She insisted.

"mmm, I suppose so." He allowed. "I would have to check with mum, dad and Seta Ji-san before hand and it would have to be during your holidays."

"But I could come with you?" she wondered.

"We'll see." He allowed.

"Thank you Onii-san." She grinned as she turned on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck before pressing her lips to his.

Wrapping his arms around her body Keitaro smiled at her "You're far too skinny Kana-chan." He pointed out as he ran his fingers up and down her sides making her laugh as he tickled her.

"Onii-san!" Kanako giggled happily.

"What? It's true." He grinned at his giggling sister. "And if you plan on travelling on digs with me you're gonna have to put some meat on your bones." He insisted as he pulled her close to him so that their chests were pressed against each other's and their foreheads rested together. "Come on, let's get out of here." He said as he picked her up and made his way to the changing rooms.

-X-X-X-X-

Setting the girl on the floor Keitaro grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her small body. Drying her off Keitaro kissed the top of her head helped her get dressed. Once the small purple yukata was secured around her, Keitaro slipped on his own green yukata and picked up the girl once again. "Let's go for a walk." He suggested.

"Sure Onii-san." She smiled as she hugged him tightly around his neck and nuzzled into his chest.

Leaving the changing room Keitaro escorted his darling little sister around the building, the two enjoying each other's company as they engaged in quiet conversation. Eventually making their way out front of the building Keitaro smiled at the cherry trees in full blossom. Plucking one of the petals from her hair Keitaro leaned against the small wall that bordered the courtyard that topped the hill and looked down at the small girl who was staring fondly up at the old building. "You really like Hinata Sou don't you Kana-chan?"

"Uhuh." She nodded as she stroked the kitten in her arms.

"Well, you know Granny is going to give it to me one day." He told her. Receiving a nod Keitaro continued "When she does, would you like to run Hinata Sou with me?" he asked.

Her head shooting up with her eyes wide Kanako asked "Really?"

"Yep." He grinned, loving the happy smile on her face. "I'll need help looking after this place and it would be best if it was someone who loved this place as much as I do."

"I'd love to Onii-san!" She declared happily as she hugged him tightly.

Grinning at her Keitaro said "Calm down now, Kana-chan. It probably won't be until after I get into Tokyo U." he warned.

"I don't care." She insisted as she nuzzled into his chest.

Running his fingers through her hair Keitaro smiled and said "Good, it's decided then."

"And I'll be your wife." She decided with a happy grin.

"Oh?" Keitaro asked as he raised an eyebrow with an amused smile "Is that so?"

"Uhuh." She nodded her head happily.

"But you're my sister." He reminded her.

"Your adopted sister." She pointed out.

"True." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "But let's just wait until we get a little older before discussing our nuptials OK?"

"Sure Onii-san." She smiled and nuzzled her face into his neck. Smiling at his sister Keitaro ran his fingers through her soft hair and stayed like this; enjoying the closeness. While Kanako did the same she also considered her future with her brother. If he did enrol in the archaeology program that would mean he would be gone for long periods of time and while she didn't mind playing the devoted wife and looking after their household while he was away, that didn't mean she wouldn't prefer her husband-to-be to stay with her. Of course if he didn't get into Tokyo U... "Onii-san, why do you want to go to Tokyo U.?"

Looking down at the girl in his arms Keitaro replied "Well, many years ago when I was younger than you are now I made a promise to someone that we'd meet again once we get into Tokyo U." he explained.

"But that was so long ago." She pointed out. "What if they don't remember about the promise?"

"That doesn't matter Kana-chan." He told her. "What matters is if I keep the promise." He explained. "Tokyo U. is one of the hardest universities in the country and the chances of getting into it are slim so there's a good chance that even if I get in there is a good chance that they won't and I won't meet them but that doesn't matter. I will keep my promise because that is what us Urashima's do Kana-chan." He told her solemnly "If we make a promise then we do everything in our power to keep it. That is why we don't make promises lightly. The same goes for you Kana-chan." He said as he cupped her cheek "While you may not be an Urashima by blood but I fully expect you to live up to our name." He told her.

"I will Onii-san." She nodded.

"I know you will." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I know you will make me proud." He said stroking her cheek.

With a happy blush on her face Kanako stared up at him with love filled adoration. Her brother always left her awestruck. He was absolutely amazing. No matter what it was he excelled at anything he attempted. Be it academic or athletic he was top of his class and Kanako had admired him ever since they had first met; and the thought of her brother being proud of her made happiness blossom in her heart.

Smiling up at him Kanako asked "Then promise me that we'll be get married when we run Hinata Sou together."

Raising an eyebrow at her Keitaro said "I don't know if I can promise that Kana-chan." He told her "After all, you may get yourself a boyfriend by the time we run Hinata Sou." He teased her making her blush.

"No I won't." She objected fiercely. "Onii-san's the only one I want to marry."

"Is that so?" he pondered as he affectionately petted her head "Well, I won't promise we will get married though I promise we'll wait and see. If by the time we run Hinata Sou we are both single and you still want to get married I will consider it." He told her.

Grinning widely Kanako hugged him tightly and nuzzled into his chest. "It's a promise." She declared happily.

Letting out a small chuckle Keitaro petted her head and said "It's a promise." He agreed as he buried his nose in her hair.

"Oi!" a voice called out to them. Breaking their hug Keitaro and Kanako saw their parents making their way up the long stone stairway, each of the holding a present in their hands. "Are you two enjoying yourselves?" their father called out.

"They're back!" Kanako said excitedly. Hopping out of her brothers arms Kanako ran down the stairs to greet them while holding Kuro up for them to see "Mum! Dad! Look what Onii-san got me!" she called out to them happily as she raced down the stairs with her brother following her. She had gotten halfway to her parents when one of the slippers she had been wearing flew off and made her stumble and fall.

With Kuro flying from her hands the world seemed to move in slow motion as she fell. As the hard, stone steps raced up to meet her face Kanako clenched her eyes shut and braced for the inevitable pain that was about to come when she heard her bother cry out "Kanako!" and a pair of strong arms wrap around her small body.

The last this Kanako heard before darkness engulfed her was her mother screaming in terror...

-X-X-X-X-

Three Days Later

"Urashima?" the doctor asked as he entered the waiting room.

"Is our son alright?" Keitaro's mother cried.

"Keitaro-san just woke up." He reported. Seeing the relieved look on all of their faces the doctor quickly continued "Before I let you see him there is something you should know."

"What is it?" Hina asked desperately "He is alright isn't he?"

The doctor paused for a moment before saying "During the fall your son sustained massive head trauma, and this caused him severe brain damage."

The Urashima's gave the doctor a horrified look "What...What does this mean?" Keitaro's father asked.

Pulling an x-ray out of a folder the doctor placed it on a lit screen. "These are scans of your son's brain that we took just after he woke up. As you can see these areas are still swollen so we can't make any guarantees until it goes down and we run more tests but I can give you some educated guesses if you like."

"Please..." Hina said.

"Well, in cases such as these there are two worst case scenarios. The first being the patient falls into a coma. The second is that they enter a persistent vegetative state. Fortunately, your son is already awake and responding to stimuli and is even talking so it is unlikely that either of those those will be the case." Gesturing to the x-ray the doctor continued "As you can see here, these areas are damaged. This one here deals with memory."

"Did he...?" Haruka started, unable to finish the question.

"We don't know yet. At worst he will have lost his memory and at best he will have lost a few days before the fall." Seeing the horrified look on their faces the doctor paused and said "I should tell you this. Regardless of how much memory he has lost; the damage done will mean he will always have trouble recalling things from his past with some things being completely lost to him." He told them solemnly. "Then there is this area. This controls things like balance and fine motor skills."

"Motor skills?" Keitaro's mother wept "Does that mean our son is crippled?" she cried as she held onto her husband tightly.

"No, it just means that he will have trouble using his hands to do things such as holding chopsticks or a pen. Physical therapy will help with that and he should at least be able to write but I'm afraid he shall have trouble with balance and coordination. It is very likely that he will always be clumsy and prone to falling over." He told them "That is the only fortunate thing about the fall that his body was largely uninjured."

"Is that all doctor?" Hina asked with trepidation.

"I'm afraid not." He said sadly. "You see this area here?" he said as he pointed towards another area on the scan. "This area controls how the brain processes new information and how he perceives the world around him."

"What does that mean?" Keitaro's father demanded. "Are you saying he is mentally retarded?"

"Not exactly no. It is what is called cognitive dysfunction. This means he will have trouble learning new things and will often have to repeat the same thing over and over again before it will stick. He will also have problems when he is interacting with people. It's highly likely that he will be unable to read social cues so he will have trouble telling when someone is lying to him or if someone is angry at him he won't understand why and may get confused and upset." The doctor told them. Seeing the distraught looks on their faces he tried to offer the some small comfort by saying "He will still be able to live a reasonably normal life. Given time and understanding he can get a job so long as it's not too complicated and doesn't require much training"

"He was going to apply for Tokyo U. next year." Haruka murmured quietly.

"Oh..." The doctor replied sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"Is there nothing that you can do for him?" Keitaro's mother cried.

"I'm afraid we won't know until we run more tests but this kind of brain damage isn't something that you can recover from." He warned them.

As the doctor continued to the adult Urashima's Kanako stared up at them with a confused look on her face. She knew that they were talking about her brother but was unsure what exactly they meant although if her mothers' weeping was any indicator it was bad news. Deciding that she needed to see her brother for herself and that it would take too long to wait for the adults to finish talking Kanako silently sneaked out of the room, struggling to open the door silently with her arm in a sling. During the fall Keitaro had managed to protect her from the worst of the damage but she had still sustained a broken arm and a cut on the head that needed bandaging.

Hurrying along the hall to the room where her brother was resting Kanako pushed open the door and saw Keitaro lying in bed with his head wrapped in a bandage and turned away from the door. Striding towards the bed Kanako climbed onto the bed attracting his attention. "Kana-chan? Is that you?" he asked as he squinted at her.

"Yes Onii-san." She nodded, relief filling her heart as she realised that he remembered her.

"I'm glad you came to visit. I was getting lonely without my cute little sister around." He smiled at her.

"Are you feeling alight Onii-san?" she asked.

"Just a bit sore." He assured her "And confused. Do you know why I'm here?"

"You don't remember?" she frowned with worry on her face.

"Not really." He admitted.

"We fell down the stairs." She reported.

"We did?" he wondered as he tilted his head "Wait, we? Are you alright Kana-chan?" he asked with worry evident in his voice.

"I'm fine Onii-san." She assured him.

"I'm glad." He sighed as she petted her head.

"Do you really not remember what happened?" she asked.

"Nope." He shook his head. "Not a thing." He said as he stroked her hair.

Biting her bottom lip Kanako asked "What about our promise? Do you remember out promise?" she wondered.

Keitaro frowned as he attempted to recall what she was talking about before his face lit up in realisation. "Of course I remember." He grinned as he hugged her, making the girl smile happily and nuzzle into his chest. "I'll always look after you." He smiled as he buried his nose in her hair.

Hearing this, Kanako's face fell. That wasn't the promise she was talking about. That was promise he had made her when they first met. When she had been shyly hiding behind her new mother's leg as she was introduced to her brother; Keitaro had knelt in front of her, petted her head and promised that her new big brother would always look after her. That was the first thing he had said to her and that was when she fell in love with him.

With her eyes filling up with tears Kanako buried her face into his chest; her whole body shuddering as she tried to hold back the tears. Feeling her shake violently, Keitaro wrapped his arms around the small girl and gently stroked her back. "There, there Kana-chan. It's alright." He murmured to her. "I'll be up and about in no time." He promised "You'll see; I'll be alright."

"I know Onii-san." Kanako sniffed as she buried her face into his chest to hide the tears falling down her face as she tightly held onto his shirt. 'I promise I'll make sure that you're alright.' She silently vowed and she nuzzled into his chest.

-X-X-X-X-

Authors Note

Yet another new story that I recently thought up and wanted to get down before my final year of university starts next week. This chapter will serve as the prologue/oneshot for this fic though in all honesty I've only got ideas for a couple of chapters and don't really have an idea of where I want this to go or how I want it to eventually end so we'll see how it goes. Anyway, as I've already said I'm starting uni again so I won't be able to write much as I'll have to work on my final year project that's worth about 30% of my degree and even then this will be on the backburner with regards to KK2 and Ancestor as I want to at least get Ancestor out of the way since it's only got a few chapters left and want to finish it off. If I don't update before hand, the next chapter that will likely be posted will be a Christmas chapter of KK2 and that will be released sometime around the holiday.

Anyway for some reason I don't feel this chapter is up to my usual standard of work so I'd appreciate it if you could leave me a review to tell me what you think.