Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Brother's Keeper ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

-This is Chapter 3 of “Brother's Keeper”!

 

-I started writing this during Winter Break. The hope being that I get SOMETHING out before the New Years after “Fullmetal Evangelion”. Well, it is now 2006, and so, didn't happen!

 

-I'm still in the process of acquiring the mangas. Right now, I've added the one with Kanako to my collection; so, her characterization should be pretty fleshed out hopefully. If I get around to reading it of course (holding off since I always felt that reading it from the beginning through is better. But if that doesn't pan out…).

 

-Lastly…like the first chapter, there have been tons of hits (before the counter was reset)…but few reviews (all positive reviews, but still few reviews)! Since this is again, a darkfic, I guess that should be expected. For those that are not turned off with the coming darkness, thanks for reading, and thanks for your support!

 

-Oh yeah, and if you haven't already, read Hawker-748's story, “Ships in the Night”, go do it right now! Great story that is based on my story idea that I mentioned in the first chapter, and that I have yet to write!

 

-Before I bore you with my rants, without further ado, on with the story!

 

Streets of Yokohama - Near Keitaro and Naru's Apartment

 

The police officer was not in a cheerful mood. It was nearing the end of his long shift that started with a brazen afternoon robbery at a nearby convenient store, a carjacking report that turned out to be false (the old lady just forget where she parked her car), and the ever so fun domestic disturbance call. In that case, he had to restrain the woman from seriously hurting her husband who had forgotten to take out the trash the night before. He could still feel the bruises that woman inflicted on him during her struggle to get free. `Some people are just not meant to be together', he thought wearily.

 

He was looking forward to a nice long sleep in his modest twin sized mattress in his American style bed. Maybe even a long bath before it in order to forget the troubles of the day. But no, that plan was put on hold as he got a call from dispatch that sent all available units to this block. It appeared that a neighbor noticed a few black SUVs rushing out of the area. At first, this neighbor didn't think much of it until he noticed the door to an apartment occupied by a Keitaro Urashima, a national hero of sorts with his discoveries, and his wife Naru Narusegawa, was wide open. With much courage, the man called the police to report the incident given his fear that organized crime was involved. While there was no evidence so far that this was the doing of the Yakuza (especially given Ketiaro Urashima's fame throughout the country, and the world for that matter, it was questionable that they would target him. At least this blatantly), that possibility couldn't be discounted either. And if it were the Yakuza, and they found out that the neighbor witnessed more than he should have, lets just say that his body would've been found floating in a river…from an apparent `accident' or possibly `suicide' in short order.

 

Even so, he wasn't sure why there had to be this much police protection to an apparent kidnapping. `So what if this Urashima guy was a national hero? No one should receive special treatment!' Of course, though he wasn't much into archeology that this Urashima guy was into, and why he was famous, he would be lying if he said he didn't know quite a bit about him. After all, he was all over the news, on newspaper headlines, on magazine covers, in documentaries, you name it, he was in it. Still, he didn't see what all the fuss was about. All he did was uncover some ruins in some country or other. Heck, they weren't even Japanese ruins either but from this country he had never heard of called Molmol. Recent rumors have had that this the princess of this nation was going to Tokyo University, but he never really cared about celebrity gossip (not that he mattered since he never knew this Molmol existed in the first place. Why would he care if the princess of said nation showed up in front of him?). Nonetheless, here he was, keeping curious onlookers, the media, and worried fans and students away. `And speaking of worried fans, here comes some now.' He mused darkly.

 

A girl, around twenty or so, rushed up to him. Her short dark blue hair fluttered from side to side. Her eyes showed that of pure dread. She separated by mere inches. If he was in a different state of mind and situation, he might have actually found her quite attractive given that she had all the right curves in the right places, and possibly would've hit on her with one of his many `mildly successful' pickup lines. But given said situation, and the fact that she was in full panic mode in front of him, this was neither the time nor the place. He took a deep breath before droning on with his official police statement. “Okay ma'am, please stay back. This is a police matter…”

 

“What happened?” The girl's frighten voice spoke through. “It had nothing to do with sem…Keitaro does it?”

 

`Fans. As I thought.' The police officer gave a nod. “Yes, it does concern Professor Urash…”

 

The blue haired girl was suddenly pushed to the side by another girl, this one not as tall, and as filled out as the other. She also had longer hair and was wearing glasses. “Something bad can't happen to Keitaro! He promised!”

 

The officer raised an eyebrow at the girl's odd statement. “Promised? Promised what?”

 

“He promised that he would be my Professor if I passed the Todai exam!” The meek little girl replied in a panicky voice.

 

A huge sweatdrop appeared on the officer. `And now we have a student.' The officer rolled his eyes. `I'm also sure that there is something more important right now. Like his safety that she should be concerned about. Anyways…' “I'm sorry, but we just don't know…”

 

“Let us through!” The girl with long hair and glasses tried to go around the officer. “We have to see him!”

 

“Keitaro can't be hurt!” The blue haired girl also tried to push her way through the barricade.

 

The officer grabbed both women by the waist. `Great, now I'm restraining TWO girls! NOT what how I've wanted to spend my evening.' “I can't let either of you through.” He said with little pizzazz. He really wanted to be anywhere, BUT here. “You can't interfere with an ongoing police investigation.” Carrying the two girls, he walked over to a street corner. “Now please calm down.” After a few moments, the two girls finally calmed down. He lowered them onto the corner and let them go. “Now, mind telling me your names?”

 

“Shinobu.” The blue haired girl quietly answered. “Shinobu Maehara.”

 

The other girl looked up and stared into the officer's eyes. “Ema Maeda.”

 

“I see.” The officer nodded. “I take it that you two know Professor Urashima?” He watched as both nodded in affirmation before he continued. “Just let the forensics team continues their work. If you have any pertinent information, you can let Inspector Ishikawa over there know about it.” He pointed to said man who was currently interviewing a few of the onlookers. “Otherwise, it would be better if neither of you interfere. It could help us find out what happened to Professor Urashima and Misses Naruse…”

 

“SOMETHING HAPPENED TO NARU TOO?” Shinobu and Ema cried out after the mention of her name.

 

“But…why?” Tears were now forming around Ema's eyes. “She was…I mean, she's pregnant! Who would do something to her?”

 

“Pregnant?” The officer sighed again. `Shit. Can this get any worse?' “I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to figure out what happen. Now please calm down…”

 

“What exactly happened to them?” Shinobu panicky asked, her voice quivering with each word. “Are they…were they…mu…mu…mur…”

 

The officer quickly shook his head, easing the girl's fears a bit. “No. As much as I can say…they appeared to have been kidnapped.”

 

“Kidnapped?” The two girls again yelled out at full volume, hurting the poor officer's ears. “Who? Why? Why Keitaro? And why Naru? Why now?”

 

“We don't know.” The officer replied. He looked at the two, and then at Inspector Ishikawa. `Well, I don't think he should see them in this state. Might as well as the questions for him then.' “Now, do you two have any information that could help us in the investigation? Even something minor could be important.”

 

After a moment of silence, where both girls again calmed down, Ema lightly shook her head. “I do know that…he…he was teaching a class today.”

 

“I see.” The officer took out a notepad. “Do you know when his class ended?”

 

“I'm not quiet sure. I think maybe around seven?” Ema said trailing off a bit, as she was unsure if that was correct.

 

“Okay. Now, do you know if he goes home right after class ends or not?”

 

“No.” Shinobu said jumping into the conversation. “At least, not every time. I do know that he has office hours after class.”

 

“Hmm.” The officer nodded lightly. “We can get information from Tokyo University to help confirm this. Thanks by the way. This will help us greatly when coming up with a timeline of events.” He then looked up from his notes back to the girls. “Oh, and is there anything else that you can think of that could be helpful to us?”

 

Both girls lightly shook their head.

 

“Well, if there is anything you can think of, please feel free to talk to Inspector Ishikawa.” The officer pointed to the man that looked every bit the part of an inspector, with his brown long coat, bald, and wearing a mustache. The only thing missing might be a bowler cap covering his head. The officer then returned his attention to the girls. “Otherwise, I suggest going home, and leaving the rest to us.” He closed his notepad and started walking to said person. “Oh, and before I forget, my name is Tomoko Kawakami! If you need any help, just call me.” The officer gave them his business card before heading off to talk to the Inspector.

 

The two girls watched the tired officer stagger his way to the Inspector before either of them spoke up. Shinobu had to admit, that the officer was kind of cute. However, she pushed those thoughts out immediately when they came to being since this was neither the time, nor the place for them.

 

“We have to tell the others!” Shinobu said as she watched the many officers go in and out of Keitaro's and Naru's apartment.

 

“But…but…but what are we going to tell them?” The panicky Ema replied shakily. “I mean we can't…”

 

“But we have to. The others have to know before…” Shinobu looked off to the side and noticed a television camera and a reporter standing in front of the barricade. `They have to know before they find out through the news!' She got up and took out her cell phone and called the first person she could think of.

 

“Hello Shinobu!” Kitsune cheerful voice sounded on the other side of the line. “So, how did the lug take it?”

 

“Kitsune…he…he…Sempai and Naru-sempai have been kidnapped!” Shinobu shakily said.

 

Tea Shop

 

“Come again?” Kitsune replied, still slightly cheery, despite the gallons of sweat dripping down from her face, and the tons of food stains on her clothes that weren't there just a few minutes ago. She did, after all, have to keep her image as a carefree fun loving girl, even if her aching back wasn't helping any. “I thought you just said that they were kidnapped.”

 

“That's what I said.” Shinobu quietly said.

 

“Tell me you are joking Shinobu.” Kitsune said, her smile now completely faded, and a sickening feeling was coming over her. While she hoped that was the case, knowing Shinobu, her hope was near nil.

 

“NO!” Shinobu cried out on the other side of the line. “I'm serious! Keitaro and Naru…they have been kidnapped!”

 

Kitsune wasn't sure how to react. This was not the news that she wasn't expecting to hear, nor hoped to hear. The mask she put up obviously shattered at that moment. “Okay, um…let me tell the others. You…umm…do something.”

 

“Okay…” Shinobu quietly replied before Kitsune heard the click.

 

Kitsune's shoulders sank. She was anticipating throwing the party for Ema back at the Hinata Sou. Especially with all the work she had to do once Shinobu dumped it all on her. `Damn that girl works hard! Even with the extra help, I could barely keep up with the orders! And it's almost closing time!' Kitsune shook her head. `And then, she dumps this on me! Great.' She kept the phone to her ear and dialed the number to the Hinata Sou. `I hope this is Keitaro's way of revenge against all that we've done to him since he arrived at the Hinata Sou.' After a few seconds of ringing, she hears a familiar voice on the other end.

 

“Moshi Moshi!” Mutsumi's voice rang through. “Hinata Sou dormitory. How can I be of service?”

 

“Mutsumi, it's me.” Kitsune replied, without the zeal in her voice that she usually has.

 

“Ara, is something wrong?” Mutsumi said, noting that Kitsune wasn't sounding her usual self.

 

“Are you sitting down?” Kitsune asked before she continued.

 

“Huh?” Mutsumi said with slight confusion.

 

“Nevermind.” Kitsune said, shaking her head. She took a deep breath before she continued. “Keitaro…has been kidnapped.”

 

“Kei-kun has been KIDNAPPED?” Mutsumi cried out at the shocking news.

 

“And Naru…”

 

“Naru TOO?” A plopping sound suddenly rang through the phone.

 

“Hello? Mutsumi are you there?” Kitsune slapped herself on the forehead. “I should've told her in person.” She looked at the remaining customers in the restaurant. “Okay everyone! Everyone out! Restuant is closed until further notice!” After a few glaring stares, she growled. “I said out!” She waved her arms trying to get them out of there fast.

 

Hinata Sou

 

Motoko was sitting in her sparsely furnished room, polishing her katana. The smell of the oil permeated throughout the room. As she took great care slowly polishes the blade, making sure that she gave the right amount, her mind however was on a different matter. `I hope the new students can handle the routines. This new group that just came in…I'm not so sure.'

 

Earlier in the day, a new group of eager young students enrolled in her dojo. Given that this was her summer vacation from her studies at Tokyo U, and always welcomed the extra money it brought in, she gladly welcomed them at first. All were eager to start `playing with swords' so to speak. All female of course given that Motoko was still weary about teaching a male, this despite her more forgiving nature towards them (all thanks to Keitaro). And that included the ones that came from the local primary school. And given how even this group of female students turned out, her bias again teaching them was greater. `If the females are like this, I shiver at the thought of what it would be like to teach a male.' This group, much to Motoko's concern, had no concept of what it truly meant to be a swordwomen. After she lectured about honor and loyalty to the sword, the students complained that they didn't sign up for that, and only wanted to `play with blades'. While she was happy that they were interested in the sword, they were also interested in the wrong aspect of it. `I can't teach these ingrates!' Her resolve was solidified when she began doing some basic routines with the bokens. `Half the group ignored my orders, the other half simply whined that they weren't using the real thing!' From her estimation, only one or two of this group will be around by the end of the week before she starts kicking them out and probably bans them from ever entering her dojo. `What's wrong with kids today?'

 

The sound of the front door bursting open outside her room interrupted her thoughts. She zeroed in on where the sound came from with great interest. “Who could that be?” She wondered as she put the bottle and rag down, and got up from her position. She picked up her sword and placed it in its sheath just incase the intruder wasn't one of the residence. She slowly opened the door and glared down the hallway.

 

She calmly walked down the hallway, and made her way down the stairs, fully alert to anything that would be amiss. She was taken aback when she noticed someone lying on the floor. Unconscious. “Mutsumi!” She rushed up to her and held the anemic girl up in a sitting position. She lightly shook the girl in the hope of getting her to wake up. “Mutsumi! Answer me!”

 

Mutsumi's eyes slowly open. “Ara…”

 

“What happened?” Motoko asked concerned. While it wasn't rare to see the girl faint, given that no one was in the room to `save' her this time, it was quite distressing.

 

“Ara?” Mutsumi zoomed her head from side to side. “I don't remember! Last thing I remember was something about Keitaro and Naru…”

 

“Are kidnapped!” Kitsune said between long pants.

 

“Aiee!” Motoko instinctively reached for her sword at the sudden interloper.

 

“Whoa!” Kitsune covered her face. “It's just me Motoko!”

 

Motoko slowly let go of the hilt and frowned. Both, for the fact that Kitsune was able to sneak up on her, and what she just said. “What do you mean by kidnapped?”

 

“I mean just that.” Kitsune said with a deep frown. “They have been kidnapped!”

 

“Kidnapped?” Mutsumi eyes closed as she slumped into Motoko's arms.

 

Kitsune sighed at the now fainted girl.

 

Motoko eyed Mutsumi again and shook her head. However, she now had a more worrisome situation on her hand. “This isn't some sort of…”

 

“Believe me, I wish it was.” Kitsune said shaking her head. “But unless Shinobu developed a cruel sense of…”

 

“Hiya Kitsune!” Su, despite being around twenty, bounced into the room like a child.

 

Kitsune however, was not in the mood for her antics. “Su…I have something to tell you…”

 

“That Keitaro and Naru have been kidnapped?”

 

“Yes…” Kitsune's eyes then widened. “Wait, you knew? How? Did you overhear?”

 

“It's all over the news on all the major networks!” Su said as she pointed to the television.

 

Kitsune and Motoko both turned to the television. Any hope that this was some sick joke ended that instant.

 

On the screen, a television news reporter was standing in front of the complex that they have all been familiar with since Keitaro and Naru moved out of the Hinata Sou. The reporter was constantly shifting her attention from the camera to the scene behind her as she tried to speak in a calm but serious tone. “…we don't have much information right now! All we know is that Tokyo University Professor Keitaro Urashima and his wife Naru Narusegawa…”

 

-Later…

 

Streets of Yokohama - Near Keitaro and Naru's Apartment

 

“You have to let us through!” Su cried to officer Tomoko, who had a number of officers backing him due to this new influx. Her eyes were on the verge of tears.

 

“Could you just let us see?” Shinobu pleaded. “We promise not to…”

 

Tomoko took a deep breath. The night just didn't seem to end. “Look, you can all just stop it right now! We don't care that you're friends of Professor Urashima and his wife, no one is allowed in or out of that apartment at this moment except law enforcement. Who knows what evidence you might compromise! Now, unless you have something that could pertain to the investigation, all of you should take my advice and just go home!”

 

Inspector Ishikawa frowned after he saw the commotion. He then bustled his way to where Tomoko was and yelled his disapproval. “What's going on here? Why the hell do we have six officers in this location?”

 

“I'm sorry sir.” Tomoko bowed slightly to the Inspector. “But this group refuses to leave. Especially these two who I have already spoken to earlier.” He gave a disapproving glace at Shinobu and Ema.

 

“Eep!” Ema squeaked out in fear and started to sputter out her words. “Well, you see…I wanted to go but…”

 

Shinobu instantly covered Ema's mouth. “But we had to find out what happened to Keitaro!”

 

The Inspector simply rolled his eyes at Shinobu's comments. “What do you think we've been doing for the last two hours or so?” His eyes flashed with rage.

“Um, Inspector…” Tomoko butted in trying to calm down the older man. “Remember watch your blood pressure sir. And, about them, just keep in mind that they are just worried. I would be too in this situation. But again…” He glared at the group with a disapproving frown.

 

“We can find Keitaro!” Su said confidently. “We've done it before, we will do it again!”

 

The Inspector took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he responded to the dark skinned girl. He crossed his arm in disbelief at who he could obviously see was a foreigner. “Look, you might have been able to find Professor Urashima during some silly hide and seek game, but this is completely serious matter!”

 

“But it wasn't just a game!” Shinobu cried out. Tears were now forming around the rims of her eyes.

 

“That is true!” Su yelled concurring with what Shinobu said. “I have my ways of finding him.” Su turned back and looked up into the eyes of the swordswoman. “Isn't that right Motoko?”

 

Motoko eye's shifted between the ones that were speaking. At the moment, the most talkative were Su and Shinobu, as well as the warn out officer, and the inspector on their side. Kitsune had kept quiet since she didn't have much to offer. Mutsumi didn't speak since she was, well, Mutsumi. If she did speak, it probably would actually be detrimental to whatever they wanted to accomplish. Speaking of which, she was unclear what they were trying to accomplish at this point. The original intention of getting as much information about what the police knew was abandoned when it became clear that they were unwilling to give up any new information beyond what they knew from the media as well as Shinobu and Ema. But instead of going home defeated, Su wanted to play (the word used lightly here given the seriousness of the situation) detective and join in on the investigation. While she was deeply worried about the situation of Keitaro and Naru, and would do almost anything in her power to find them and deal punishment to their captors, at the same time, she knew that preventing law enforcement from doing their job wasn't exactly wise move on their part either.

 

Now that the attention was focused on her, she had no choice but to respond. “While I still have my misgivings about interfering in your important work, what she says is true. Su had…invented quite a few devices that have been successful in tracking down Professor Urashima when he was still the manager of the Hinata Sou.”

 

Inspector looked at Motoko unconvinced. “So you're saying this girl…” He looked at Su and noted her age. “This…foreigner… Invented a machine that can track down Professor Urashima…while he was still manager of the Hinata Sou? If memory serves me right, that would be around five to ten years ago.”

 

“Around that time correct.” Motoko lightly nodded. While she didn't appreciate people questioning her, nor people that seem to have an obvious bias against `foreigners', she had to admit that what she was saying was still pretty amazing. And that didn't include the years of adventures they had spent together with the former manager where, if there was a novel written about them, no one would believe it if it was in the non-fiction section. After all, with the exception of a few adventures, like the ones dealing with Molmol, most of the particularly wild ones have stayed within the confines of the Hinata Sou and its residence. To put it simply, whatever happens in the Hinata Sou stays in the Hinata Sou, or within their group or…whatever.

 

The Inspector sighed and shook his head as he tries to keep his temper in check. “Look, even if I somehow believe all of this…then what? Let's say you DO find them and their kidnappers. What are you going to do to them?” He then noted the sword on placed firmly on her side. “Are you planning on some sort of vigilante justice here?”

 

“Well…we…” Shinobu looked down at her feet as she suddenly realized that she hadn't really thought that far ahead. “We will tie them up…so that you can take them?”

 

“Ara…” Mutsumi finally spoke up. “That reminds me of a story about Liddy-Kun and the burglar…”

 

“All we wanted was to help.” Motoko cut in before Mutsumi continued on her usual stories about Liddy-Kun that always ended badly.

 

“Then you can help us by not interfering.” The Inspector rubbed his forehead could feel a headache approaching. “Look, we're not doing this because we are a bunch of assholes, we are doing this because we are concerned about the safety of not only Professor Urashima and Misses Narusegawa, but yours as well! As we have said before, we have no clue who did this, how many, nor do we know how dangerous they are. We can't risk anymore innocent lives to come into harms way.”

 

Su sniffled. “But we…”

 

“I said no!” The Inspector, his patience cracked, bellowed at Su, causing her to shrink down. “Now, if you have anything that could help with this case, you can come to the station and talk about it! Otherwise, you should all go home and wait for us to finish our job!” As the Inspector shoved Tomoko away and started to leave the group, the police behind him formed a line that completely blocked any of the girls just in case any of them didn't take up the Inspector's advice.

 

Tomoko sighed and shook his head at the situation. “You heard the man…”

 

The group walked half a block away from the barricade before they all stopped to assess their next move.

 

Kitsune raised her hand in the air in defeat. “I told you that this wouldn't do any good.”

 

Motoko eyed Kitsune with suspicion. “Don't you mean what I said?”

 

Su, who was still staring at the apartment complex, spun around and wiped a tear off from her face. Her eyes were immediately dry and her expression changed instantly to that of determination, indicating that her previous cry fest wasn't exactly genuine. Though she is concerned about Keitaro and Naru, and absolutely sickened of what could possibly have happened to them, she wasn't an emotional wreck either. Unfortunately for her, the police officers were unmoved, forcing her to think of a plan B. She slammed her right fist into her hand. “We have to get into that apartment at all cost!” At first, she thought about building a boring machine that would go throught the earth, and into Keitaro's and Naru's apartment, but that would take too much work. Not to mention all the attention that would bring would certainly not be positive. There was another option, but she wasn't sure if she should do it…

 

“And once you get into their apartment, then what?” A certain woman said to the side of the group.

 

“Well…I…umm…” Su said trailing off, she hasn't thought that far ahead. She was certain there was a clue to Keitaro and Naru's whereabouts in there. She just needs to get it before the police do! Suddenly, her eyes widened as the voice sounded very familiar to her. She instantly shot her head at the woman.

 

The others also recognized the voice and they all shot their head to her. “HARUKA?”

 

Haruka was wearing a normal dress shirt, and long brown pants. Her hair was the same short length, and a cigarette was hanging from her mouth. She leaned on a nearby vehicle that was presumably hers. “Hi girls.” She said in her mostly emotionless voice.

 

“Oh Haruka! It's so great to see you!” Shinobu rushed up to greet her, opening her arms and hugging her. Seeing no reaction from Haruka, other than another puff from her cigarette that was dangling in her mouth, Shinobu backed up and blushed at her rash action. “Um…”

 

“Ara!” Mutsumi was the next to hug Haruka. “This is a great surprise!”

 

Haruka eyed Mutsumi with suspicion. `Didn't change I see.'

 

“Um, hi Misses Urashima! Or is it…um…Misses Noriyashi?” Ema hesitantly said.

 

“Haruka is just fine.” Haruka said to the newest member of the Hinata gang. She crossed her arms as her eyes seem to darken.

 

“So I take it the dig is finished? Where's Seta and Sarah?” Kitsune cheerfully said as she scanned the nearby surroundings for them. Kitsune was glad to have her foxy grin on her face, if only for a moment given what happened behind her.

 

Haruka glared Kitsune with cold dead eyes, causing Kitsune to lose just said grin. “No, the dig is not finished. And no, they are not here.”

 

“Not here?” Kitsune said in a lower less cheery tone. “Um, something happen?” Kitsune cautiously said, hoping not to draw her ire by probing into something she wasn't supposed to be in.

 

“You could say that.” Haruka said, taking a deep drag from her cigarette.

 

“Um, why are you here then?” Motoko cautiously said, hoping not to upset the older woman.

 

“Let's just say Seta and I have a few issues that need to be worked out.” Haruka's usually emotionless expression was shattered a bit as she deeply frowned. Her fingers dug into her forearm. “So I decided a break from it all would be in order, and I decided a visit home would be in order, to see how the tea shop was going, and how our favorite couple is doing.” She eyed the apartment complex for a moment before returning her attention to the group. “Obviously, those plans have definitely changed.”

 

“Yeah.” The girls collectively murmured.

 

“But we will get them back!” Su raised her fist with zeal. “And with you back, you can help convince law enforcement to let us into their apartment! Right?”

 

Haruka stared at Su for a moment, before she responded. “I was actually thinking that we should just let the police do their job.”

 

“My sentiments exactly.” Motoko nodded. “As concerned as I am about their well being, it is wise not to interfere.”

 

“But Haruka!” Shinobu cried out at her. “We can't just sit here and do nothing!”

 

“We are not.” Haruka eyed the blue haired girl. “We're simply staying out of the way of those that I believe are perfectly capable of finding them.”

 

“But what if they are too late?” Mutsumi spoke up, causing everyone to turn to her. “What if some group of people kidnapped them so that they would be sacrificed to the turtle god in two weeks? What if right now, they are removing the organs and…”

 

“That's enough!” Huraka said as she shook her head in disbelief. `Where does she come up with this stuff?'

 

“Sa…sa…sacrificed?” Shinobu shakily replied.

 

“I'm pretty sure that's not the case Shinobu.” Haruka took a deep drag, and puffed out a long think smoke into the air. “Look, it is better for us if we just wait for the police to do their job. I'm sure it will all turn out well in the end.”

 

Su dropped her head as her expression darkened. “Not acceptable.”

 

Motoko placed an arm over Su's shoulder. “Su, I know it is difficult, but…”

 

“No!” Su slapped Motoko's hand away, a move that shocked the swordswoman into backing up. “We have to find them before something bad happens!” She spun around and started walking back to where the police officers were. “Yokohama Police! You have to let me through! For I am the Princess of Molmol and we demand justice!”

 

-------End of Chapter 3

 

I posted a progress report on Shinji Sharing Inc. Forum to see what others will say about it, and so far, despite 97 or so hits, no one has replied with a comment, question, or concern. I'm going to be cautiously optimistic and think that they had nothing bad to say about it, and that I'm on a perfectly good track with this story, just didn't say anything about it. Of course, the other rule might apply and that they didn't say anything since it stinks, but I'm trying not to think about that. :-P

 

I'm also going out on a limb and say that, I think this is probably my `best' written story so far. FAR from perfect, but still, the `best'! Why? Well, probably because my vocab is much greater (thanks to an online Thesaurus) and my skill at `showing not telling' has also greatly improved. Plot wise is another matter entirely, though it is probably my most thought out story if that means anything. Now, it is far from my most popular story (that being “Fullmetal Evangelion” followed by “Silent Titan”) and I could probably blame that on it being a darkfic (not to mention the fact that it only has three chapters after this one). Still, it is a personal favorite of mine and I hope everyone still reading enjoys it!

 

I had expected to go a little further than this bit, but to keep the chapters at a similar length (around 4000-5000 words or so).

 

Oh, and this chapter, at the moment, is still considered to be a WIP if only since things can change once I get…(and what is starting to sound like a broken record at this moment), the rest of the mangas. ESPECIALLY characterization. While I'm glad to have finally started this story after Volume 14, not having the others…well, as I've said before, still hinders this story at the moment. Also, though I somewhat know the ages of the girls after Volume 14, and a semi-idea of how far in the future it is, I'm still holding off on given exact dates and so forth until…(hmm. Now what do I want to say? Something to do with the mangas and getting them…?).

 

-Next Chapter…Does Su gets her way and enters Keitaro's and Naru's Apartment? What about Keitaro and Naru? Until then…later!