Love Hina Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Twine Hearts and Blades ❯ Twine Hearts and Blades Chapter 06 ( Chapter 6 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Ruisu 
...and the aftermath begins...
Anime/Manga: Love Hina Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 02.27.2002 | Updated On: 03.05.2002 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.3K | Visits: 487 | Status: Work In Progress
...and the aftermath begins...
Anime/Manga: Love Hina Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 02.27.2002 | Updated On: 03.05.2002 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.3K | Visits: 487 | Status: Work In Progress
*Ruisu walks onto a stage with a single microphone, dressed in a tuxedo*
Ahem...well, as most of you know, Love Hina, Ranma ½ and their characters belong to Akamatsu Ken and Takahashi Rumiko respectively. I am not making any money out of this, since I do this for fun. Now, for your reading pleasure...
*Tama-chan attaches itself to the camera, a sticker on its stomach that says...*
Twine Hearts and Blades
The week had been rather tough for Saotome Ranma. Since his grades weren't exactly passing, the principal had assigned him to attend summer sessions while the rest of his class was on a field trip to Okinawa. In a way this was a good thing, since Akane was gone for the next week and a half. Nabiki had stayed behind, promising the youngest Tendo not to let Ranma do anything perverted. He still had Shampoo to deal with, as well as Mousse and Kuno, yet none of these nuisances were too hard to handle, especially Kuno. The once pompous and long-winded Kuno Tatewaki had been replaced by a quieter version of himself, one of less talk and more fighting. In fact, in the last week that he had been fighting Kuno, the Blue Thunder had not mentioned "Saotome's evil plots" or the "enslavement of Akane and the pig-tailed girl"; he simply waited near the gates of the school and ordered Ranma to spar with him. The result was still the same, since Ranma won every bout, but he had noticed that Kuno had become a lot harder to put down these days. It was as if something had made the guy a lot more dedicated to his art, and enhanced his entire perception of things. He wasn't just spouting challenges anymore; He was starting to back up his claims; yet when he lost he simply picked himself up and walked away. No insults or denials.
This morning was no different, as Ranma once again saw Kuno near the gates of Furinkan High School. He was still using his hakama and gi despite the summer weather, yet his face showed no discomfort. Ranma set his bag to the side and took a fighting stance, knowing the words Kuno was about to utter.
"Spar with me, Saotome!" Kuno then took the stance of the Hokushin Ittou Ryu; a stance he had been using a lot this week.
Ranma smirked at his words. "Great! I get to warm up before classes..." Then the battle began.
Chapter 6: A sleeping heart
Today's fight had not gone that bad for Kuno. He still lost, but the way Saotome had finally gone all out on him meant that he was that much of a challenge. In a way, Tatewaki was glad that these matches seemed to keep him in shape; much unlike the sporadic challenges he used to spout. The fact that he was facing a top-notch martial artist like Saotome also helped him improve his ability to read an opponent. The only problem was that Ranma was not taking these as simple sparring matches; he still saw them as challenges for Akane's hand. This didn't really bother Tatewaki, since it meant that there would be no holding back during these battles.
As he looked outside his window, a very pleasant memory emerged from the depths of his mind: his date with Aoyama Motoko one week ago. Initially, he was trying to think nothing of it, since it was seemingly a one in a lifetime kind of event. Many things had changed because of this outing, however. Despite the fact that he was back in the insanity that was Nerima, his focus seemed to have returned. His teacher had taken notice of this, and even deemed him worthy of learning some techniques of the Hokushin Ittou Ryu.
His views of Akane and the pig-tailed girl had changed as well in this short amount of time. Every time he would think of one of them, the image would slowly change into one of Motoko. It was odd, since he at one point thought of Akane as the epitome of womanhood, with the pig-tailed girl as her equal. Now, however, he was starting to find flaws in what he though was perfect. Akane's stubbornness, her inability to cook, violent reactions and even her pride had reared their ugly heads at him. The pig-tailed girl just had her looks going for her, since she lacked in other faculties like behavior, tact, and intelligence. He didn't want to let go of either, but their flaws ended up making them seem rather ordinary. They weren't the tigresses that were to be tamed, as he once thought, but just plain girls with plain beliefs and plain personalities; incredibly one-dimensional when compared to Motoko, who seemed to be in a class of her own sometimes. She bore elegance and tradition in her nature, yet had the strength and courage that separated her from the frail women. Her anger was obviously something to be feared, given the way she fought him, while her doubt would fuel that anger at some points. He cracked a smile as he thought how cute she looked when flustered, yet how much at a loss he was when she was mad. Such a complex personality, but there was obviously more to the enigma that was Aoyama Motoko.
A sudden knock on the door pulled him from his musings. Turning to the clock on the wall, Kuno realized it was almost four in the afternoon. From out in the hall, Sazuke's voice could be heard. "Tatewaki-sama, a letter for you has just arrived." The ninja opened the door and handed over a small envelope. Opening the letter, he read it out loud.
"Tatewaki, this is where we'll train next. I think it's perfect for some exercises that you need to work on. The map that is with this letter should help you. See you in two days. Oogami Kazuya."
Tatewaki looked at the map attached to the letter and prepared for his training trip to Kegon Waterfall.
The residents of Hinata-sou had noticed a very odd change in Motoko's behavior. She was spending more time on the roof practicing, only to come down for lunch and dinner. Many thought that it was due to the idleness that summer provided; Kitsune thought different, having studied Motoko's behavior patterns leading to and after the date. Knowing the way Motoko would react, she was probably not ready to recognize the feelings that now were awake in her heart. Thus, the only way she would not have to face such feelings would be to immerse herself in rigorous kendo practice.
This course of action was taking its toll on her, however, since Motoko was starting to look a little pale, and she would space out a lot during lunch and dinnertime. Kaolla had suggested that the kendo girl cut her practices short to allow her body to recuperate; a suggestion Motoko merely nodded at before going up to practice again.
Even though the residents had agreed to stay out of her way, Motoko still felt chaos in her mind; something was still amiss, and she blamed this on the presence of everyone else. Upon reaching this conclusion Motoko packed her suitcase and left on a training trip without letting anyone know. Her destination: The Shinmei Ryu training grounds at Kegon Waterfall.
When they realized she had left, Naru was all for sending the 'Motoko Recovery Squad', also known as Keitaro, Shinobu and Kaolla, after the missing kendo girl. Kitsune quickly stopped them, knowing that Motoko would come back for sure; the girl just needed some time to sort things out. Despite Naru's protests, the other residents decided to let Motoko be for now, but had to keep Kitsune from sneaking out on her own to follow the kendo girl.
It had taken a day and a half by foot, but Tatewaki had finally reached Kegon Waterfall. Taking out the map he received in the mail, his search for the trail that led to the upper terrains began. The hike itself was not that bad, and upon reaching what the map defined as his goal, his vision found only a small building. He stopped after hearing sounds coming from inside. They sounded like the kiia's that kendo practitioners would yell when striking. The kiia's became weaker and weaker, as if the person making them was getting tired, and this suspicion was confirmed when a thud was heard from inside. Kuno quickly opened the doors to find a collapsed girl in the middle of the floor. A shinnai was in her hands, and she was dressed in a white gi with a red hakama. Looking at her face, his heart leapt as he noticed it was Aoyama Motoko.
Not letting his hormones get the better of him, he felt her forehead, his eyes widening at how hot it was. 'This girl was training with a fever? What was she thinking?' Kuno looked at his backpack, deciding that taking care of her came first. With that idea, he began his work.
Motoko's consciousness returned to her by nightfall. Her body ached all over, and she felt very cold, even trembling as a reaction to her fever. She slowly turned her head to the right and saw someone with his back turned to her looking at the candles that had been set to light up the room. His voice was all she needed to recognize him.
"Are you awake yet?" Asked a slightly tired Kuno Tatewaki as he turned to see the surprised look on Motoko's face. He sat by her and placed his hand on her forehead, not surprised that her fever was still high. "You know, it is very reckless of you to jeopardize your health like this." Kuno then placed a cold compress on her forehead, deciding that he would not rest until the fever went down.
Motoko was very surprised to not only see Kuno caring for her in sickness, but for being near her at all. "K-Kuno-san...why...why are you here?" She tried to get up, but Tatewaki placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Please do not move. Your body seems to be in an exhausted stage, so it is for the best that you rest. As for your question, I was supposed to meet sensei here for training, but he has not arrived." He replaced the compress on Motoko's head, dipping the first one in cold water and leaving it there. "I lack medicines to lower your fever, but this method has been effective in the past..." He kept looking over her, not saying anything nor moving; just replacing the compress on her forehead every now and then.
After what seemed like an eternity, Motoko's fever had gone down considerably, her chills becoming nonexistent. As if predicting the sudden hunger she had, Kuno walked to his pack and pulled out a bento with chopsticks. "Here...you should eat now that the fever is gone." Motoko accepted the bento, and after opening it, she noticed it was tempura. Tatewaki's face showed signs of red as he turned his face away from her. "I was...wondering why you like tempura so much, so I had Sazuke make some for me..." He turned even redder as the kendo girl smiled and began eating.
After having her temperature checked one last time, Motoko went to sleep, followed by Tatewaki, who set his sleeping bag a small distance from hers. His gaze softened as he noticed the peaceful look on her face as she slept. His last thought before closing his eyes was 'kawaii...'
Somewhere in the middle of Kyoto, a man ran in the darkness, searching for sanctuary from the full moon. That time of the month had come, where once again his strength and stamina would be put to the test by the most fearsome of enemies. Oogami Kazuya looked up to the heavens as he ran, asking why this had to happen every month. In his distraction, he became the victim to a wisely hidden net that rose from the ground. As he hung in the air, his wife Tsuruko emerged from the shadows, smiling at his attempts to free himself. "A~na~ta! To think you would want to leave without helping me clean the bath...I'm hurt..."
Kazuya looked down from where he was at his wife, who held that lustful look in her eyes that promised no rest for him until she was 'satisfied'. "Um...I'm supposed to go to Nerima to instruct Tatewaki...so I thought I might get an early start..."
Tsuruko shook her head, smiling the entire time. "Don't worry about that...it is all taken care of. Now for the bath..." Kazuya cringed at the fate that awaited him as his wife dragged him back into the house.
Author's Notes:
I'm such an a$$. ^_^
Anyway, I know people will want my head on a silver platter for this filler chapter, but I think it was necessary once again for the progression of the story. Also, I just KNOW that someone will want to do a "John the Baptist" on me because of that last part with Tsuruko. I just ask of you guys, the readers, to take that bit with as much humor as you can, with the knowledge that this is all fiction and that I DO know what "that time of the month" really means. Anyway, I can't just jump around phases of a relationship without some events to connect them and all, ya know?
Not much that needs to be explained for this chapter, other than the fact that according to what I read, the Japanese go to school all year long, but usually during summer break classes go on field trips and such. I'm under the assumption that students can decline going, but I'm not really sure about that. Any questions, comments, death threats and insults, please direct to Ruisu7@hotmail.com.
Ahem...well, as most of you know, Love Hina, Ranma ½ and their characters belong to Akamatsu Ken and Takahashi Rumiko respectively. I am not making any money out of this, since I do this for fun. Now, for your reading pleasure...
*Tama-chan attaches itself to the camera, a sticker on its stomach that says...*
Twine Hearts and Blades
The week had been rather tough for Saotome Ranma. Since his grades weren't exactly passing, the principal had assigned him to attend summer sessions while the rest of his class was on a field trip to Okinawa. In a way this was a good thing, since Akane was gone for the next week and a half. Nabiki had stayed behind, promising the youngest Tendo not to let Ranma do anything perverted. He still had Shampoo to deal with, as well as Mousse and Kuno, yet none of these nuisances were too hard to handle, especially Kuno. The once pompous and long-winded Kuno Tatewaki had been replaced by a quieter version of himself, one of less talk and more fighting. In fact, in the last week that he had been fighting Kuno, the Blue Thunder had not mentioned "Saotome's evil plots" or the "enslavement of Akane and the pig-tailed girl"; he simply waited near the gates of the school and ordered Ranma to spar with him. The result was still the same, since Ranma won every bout, but he had noticed that Kuno had become a lot harder to put down these days. It was as if something had made the guy a lot more dedicated to his art, and enhanced his entire perception of things. He wasn't just spouting challenges anymore; He was starting to back up his claims; yet when he lost he simply picked himself up and walked away. No insults or denials.
This morning was no different, as Ranma once again saw Kuno near the gates of Furinkan High School. He was still using his hakama and gi despite the summer weather, yet his face showed no discomfort. Ranma set his bag to the side and took a fighting stance, knowing the words Kuno was about to utter.
"Spar with me, Saotome!" Kuno then took the stance of the Hokushin Ittou Ryu; a stance he had been using a lot this week.
Ranma smirked at his words. "Great! I get to warm up before classes..." Then the battle began.
Chapter 6: A sleeping heart
Today's fight had not gone that bad for Kuno. He still lost, but the way Saotome had finally gone all out on him meant that he was that much of a challenge. In a way, Tatewaki was glad that these matches seemed to keep him in shape; much unlike the sporadic challenges he used to spout. The fact that he was facing a top-notch martial artist like Saotome also helped him improve his ability to read an opponent. The only problem was that Ranma was not taking these as simple sparring matches; he still saw them as challenges for Akane's hand. This didn't really bother Tatewaki, since it meant that there would be no holding back during these battles.
As he looked outside his window, a very pleasant memory emerged from the depths of his mind: his date with Aoyama Motoko one week ago. Initially, he was trying to think nothing of it, since it was seemingly a one in a lifetime kind of event. Many things had changed because of this outing, however. Despite the fact that he was back in the insanity that was Nerima, his focus seemed to have returned. His teacher had taken notice of this, and even deemed him worthy of learning some techniques of the Hokushin Ittou Ryu.
His views of Akane and the pig-tailed girl had changed as well in this short amount of time. Every time he would think of one of them, the image would slowly change into one of Motoko. It was odd, since he at one point thought of Akane as the epitome of womanhood, with the pig-tailed girl as her equal. Now, however, he was starting to find flaws in what he though was perfect. Akane's stubbornness, her inability to cook, violent reactions and even her pride had reared their ugly heads at him. The pig-tailed girl just had her looks going for her, since she lacked in other faculties like behavior, tact, and intelligence. He didn't want to let go of either, but their flaws ended up making them seem rather ordinary. They weren't the tigresses that were to be tamed, as he once thought, but just plain girls with plain beliefs and plain personalities; incredibly one-dimensional when compared to Motoko, who seemed to be in a class of her own sometimes. She bore elegance and tradition in her nature, yet had the strength and courage that separated her from the frail women. Her anger was obviously something to be feared, given the way she fought him, while her doubt would fuel that anger at some points. He cracked a smile as he thought how cute she looked when flustered, yet how much at a loss he was when she was mad. Such a complex personality, but there was obviously more to the enigma that was Aoyama Motoko.
A sudden knock on the door pulled him from his musings. Turning to the clock on the wall, Kuno realized it was almost four in the afternoon. From out in the hall, Sazuke's voice could be heard. "Tatewaki-sama, a letter for you has just arrived." The ninja opened the door and handed over a small envelope. Opening the letter, he read it out loud.
"Tatewaki, this is where we'll train next. I think it's perfect for some exercises that you need to work on. The map that is with this letter should help you. See you in two days. Oogami Kazuya."
Tatewaki looked at the map attached to the letter and prepared for his training trip to Kegon Waterfall.
The residents of Hinata-sou had noticed a very odd change in Motoko's behavior. She was spending more time on the roof practicing, only to come down for lunch and dinner. Many thought that it was due to the idleness that summer provided; Kitsune thought different, having studied Motoko's behavior patterns leading to and after the date. Knowing the way Motoko would react, she was probably not ready to recognize the feelings that now were awake in her heart. Thus, the only way she would not have to face such feelings would be to immerse herself in rigorous kendo practice.
This course of action was taking its toll on her, however, since Motoko was starting to look a little pale, and she would space out a lot during lunch and dinnertime. Kaolla had suggested that the kendo girl cut her practices short to allow her body to recuperate; a suggestion Motoko merely nodded at before going up to practice again.
Even though the residents had agreed to stay out of her way, Motoko still felt chaos in her mind; something was still amiss, and she blamed this on the presence of everyone else. Upon reaching this conclusion Motoko packed her suitcase and left on a training trip without letting anyone know. Her destination: The Shinmei Ryu training grounds at Kegon Waterfall.
When they realized she had left, Naru was all for sending the 'Motoko Recovery Squad', also known as Keitaro, Shinobu and Kaolla, after the missing kendo girl. Kitsune quickly stopped them, knowing that Motoko would come back for sure; the girl just needed some time to sort things out. Despite Naru's protests, the other residents decided to let Motoko be for now, but had to keep Kitsune from sneaking out on her own to follow the kendo girl.
It had taken a day and a half by foot, but Tatewaki had finally reached Kegon Waterfall. Taking out the map he received in the mail, his search for the trail that led to the upper terrains began. The hike itself was not that bad, and upon reaching what the map defined as his goal, his vision found only a small building. He stopped after hearing sounds coming from inside. They sounded like the kiia's that kendo practitioners would yell when striking. The kiia's became weaker and weaker, as if the person making them was getting tired, and this suspicion was confirmed when a thud was heard from inside. Kuno quickly opened the doors to find a collapsed girl in the middle of the floor. A shinnai was in her hands, and she was dressed in a white gi with a red hakama. Looking at her face, his heart leapt as he noticed it was Aoyama Motoko.
Not letting his hormones get the better of him, he felt her forehead, his eyes widening at how hot it was. 'This girl was training with a fever? What was she thinking?' Kuno looked at his backpack, deciding that taking care of her came first. With that idea, he began his work.
Motoko's consciousness returned to her by nightfall. Her body ached all over, and she felt very cold, even trembling as a reaction to her fever. She slowly turned her head to the right and saw someone with his back turned to her looking at the candles that had been set to light up the room. His voice was all she needed to recognize him.
"Are you awake yet?" Asked a slightly tired Kuno Tatewaki as he turned to see the surprised look on Motoko's face. He sat by her and placed his hand on her forehead, not surprised that her fever was still high. "You know, it is very reckless of you to jeopardize your health like this." Kuno then placed a cold compress on her forehead, deciding that he would not rest until the fever went down.
Motoko was very surprised to not only see Kuno caring for her in sickness, but for being near her at all. "K-Kuno-san...why...why are you here?" She tried to get up, but Tatewaki placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Please do not move. Your body seems to be in an exhausted stage, so it is for the best that you rest. As for your question, I was supposed to meet sensei here for training, but he has not arrived." He replaced the compress on Motoko's head, dipping the first one in cold water and leaving it there. "I lack medicines to lower your fever, but this method has been effective in the past..." He kept looking over her, not saying anything nor moving; just replacing the compress on her forehead every now and then.
After what seemed like an eternity, Motoko's fever had gone down considerably, her chills becoming nonexistent. As if predicting the sudden hunger she had, Kuno walked to his pack and pulled out a bento with chopsticks. "Here...you should eat now that the fever is gone." Motoko accepted the bento, and after opening it, she noticed it was tempura. Tatewaki's face showed signs of red as he turned his face away from her. "I was...wondering why you like tempura so much, so I had Sazuke make some for me..." He turned even redder as the kendo girl smiled and began eating.
After having her temperature checked one last time, Motoko went to sleep, followed by Tatewaki, who set his sleeping bag a small distance from hers. His gaze softened as he noticed the peaceful look on her face as she slept. His last thought before closing his eyes was 'kawaii...'
Somewhere in the middle of Kyoto, a man ran in the darkness, searching for sanctuary from the full moon. That time of the month had come, where once again his strength and stamina would be put to the test by the most fearsome of enemies. Oogami Kazuya looked up to the heavens as he ran, asking why this had to happen every month. In his distraction, he became the victim to a wisely hidden net that rose from the ground. As he hung in the air, his wife Tsuruko emerged from the shadows, smiling at his attempts to free himself. "A~na~ta! To think you would want to leave without helping me clean the bath...I'm hurt..."
Kazuya looked down from where he was at his wife, who held that lustful look in her eyes that promised no rest for him until she was 'satisfied'. "Um...I'm supposed to go to Nerima to instruct Tatewaki...so I thought I might get an early start..."
Tsuruko shook her head, smiling the entire time. "Don't worry about that...it is all taken care of. Now for the bath..." Kazuya cringed at the fate that awaited him as his wife dragged him back into the house.
Author's Notes:
I'm such an a$$. ^_^
Anyway, I know people will want my head on a silver platter for this filler chapter, but I think it was necessary once again for the progression of the story. Also, I just KNOW that someone will want to do a "John the Baptist" on me because of that last part with Tsuruko. I just ask of you guys, the readers, to take that bit with as much humor as you can, with the knowledge that this is all fiction and that I DO know what "that time of the month" really means. Anyway, I can't just jump around phases of a relationship without some events to connect them and all, ya know?
Not much that needs to be explained for this chapter, other than the fact that according to what I read, the Japanese go to school all year long, but usually during summer break classes go on field trips and such. I'm under the assumption that students can decline going, but I'm not really sure about that. Any questions, comments, death threats and insults, please direct to Ruisu7@hotmail.com.