Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Fuyuoka ❯ Entry: Seta and Sarah ( Chapter 4 )

From this point onward, Fuyuoka's format will be normal story-form. Enjoy!

“Sarah, what are you doing?” Seta emerged into the sideroom of his office, to see his adopted daughter giggling over his new part-time worker, who looked green and positively ill.

“Daddy Daddy! He gets sick when I hold the green rock near him! Look!” Sarah pushed the pendant into Keitaro's face, the skin closest to contact beginning to distort into ugly, sick green veins. Keitaro moaned in pain.

“Sarah, stop it! You're hurting him!” Seta grabbed Sarah and pulled her away, before taking the pendant into his hand and tossing it away. Keitaro began breathing normally, though he still looked pale. The archaeologist frowned and stared at somewhere to Keitaro's right.

“Uh… Thanks, Dr. Noriyasu… It was-Hey!” Seta had grabbed another pendant hanging off Keitaro's neck, and examined it closely. His eyes widened behind his glasses, as he stared hard at Keitaro.

“Part-timer… Where did you get this?” Seta turned the shield-shaped pendant around, showing the S-shaped symbol emblazoned on it. Keitaro gulped.

“Uh… It was… A gift from my mother…”

“Why does it have Turtlese written on it?” Seta pressed. Keitaro shrugged, beginning to sweat nervously.

“Uh… I'm not sure… I mean, she got it at this, uh, garage sale and-”

“You're lying, part-timer,” Seta said, his face growing dark. “Tell me the truth… Now.”

“Yeah! Don't you dare lie to Daddy!” Sarah piped up, holding the green kryptonite necklace up, and once again Keitaro groaned in pain as the small meteor rocks did their terrible magic to him.

“Hmmm…” Seta rubbed his chin thoughtfully, before turning away. “Sarah, keep him here. Keep using the necklace.” Keitaro looked up in disbelief.

“Dr… Seta? What are you… Doing?” The archaeologist ignored Keitaro, rummaging around in some boxes, before producing a small cube with intricate designs carved into it. He walked back, knelt next to Keitaro, took his hand, and placed it over the cube. It began to glow bright blue, as the carvings began to move. Seta smiled in triumph, as Keitaro watched in growing horror.

“Yes… Yes… It all makes sense now,” Seta whispered, grinning eerily. “It was said that the ancestors of the Turtlese Civilization were not of this Earth… And that only one of their direct descendants could make sense of their remains. It also says, that only a member of the first race of the Turtlese can bring any of their artifacts to life…” Keitaro gasped, as Sarah shoved the necklace at him threateningly.

“He's an alien, daddy?” Seta nodded.

“An alien… The last of his kind, I'm guessing.” Seta grinned. “And you've been hiding out here on Earth for, what… Thousands of years?”

“No… No, it's not… Like that,” Keitaro gasped, wincing at the kryptonite's proximity. Seta scratched his chin.

“No, no… The texts themselves say that the first ones weren't immortal… Isn't it interesting, Sarah? That the world our part-timer came from seems to not be where the ancient texts describe it being?” Seta smiled, nodding. “Of course… They sent you here. Where they'd been before…” Seta grinned.

“Part-Timer… You're going to make me the most famous scientist in human history.” Keitaro shook his head violently, gasping for breath.

“No… No, please! I… I don't want to be famous! I just want to be normal! Please!”

“You're not normal, Urashima,” Seta said gravely. “You never were. You should just give up trying, Keitaro. Trying to be something you're not, and never will be.”

“That's… Not true! I'm human!” Keitaro insisted. Seta laughed, shaking his head.

“No, you're not, Urashima… The sooner you figure that out, the better you'll be off.”

“Daddy! Can I keep him?” Sarah asked hopefully. “My own pet alien dork!”

“Maybe later, Sarah,” Seta said, humoring her. “At the moment, we need him for something more important.” The archaeologist looked intently at Keitaro.

“You see, Keitaro, there are the ruins of a Turtlese settlement underneath the mountains near your inn. The carvings on it don't make any sense… But, if you were to activate them-”

“I'm not doing it!” Keitaro bit out. “I'm not going to help you!”

“Then I'll tell everyone your secret, Keitaro… And then you'll have to help me anyway,” Seta said calmly. Keitaro's eyes widened.

“Why… Why are you doing this?” Seta smiled darkly.

“For years, I've been thought of as a nutcase, for my Turtlese civilization theories. I've sacrificed everything-My family, my home, my girlfriends-In order to prove I'm right. In order to vindicate myself. And finally, I have the chance to do so.” Seta looked down at Keitaro, hard.

“And you would deny me the chance to realize my life's work?”

Keitaro glared back.

“I… Am NOT… Going to use my origins for your gain!”

“Yes, you will,” Seta said quietly. “You have no choice. You are mine to do with as I please.” Keitaro gaped at him.

“You're… You're insane!”

“No… I'm merely determined,” Seta replied evenly. “Now, Sarah? Let's get going.” Seta hefted Keitaro to his feet, who was trying to struggle away. However, with the kryptonite's influence on him, his normally incredible powers were now dormant. The archaeologist dragged him out, while his daughter followed, giggling as she continued to wave the deadly rock after Keitaro.

Outside the window, a little turtle flew off, faster than lightening, for her home in the hills…

“Myuh! Myuh myuuuuh myuuuh!” Tama-chan cried as she flew into the Hinata's living room. Motoko shrieked and dove under a table, shivering as the turtle continued to fly about, myuhing frantically.

“ACK! T-T-Turtle! Get it away! Get it away! Get it away!” Motoko cried. Kitsune rolled her eyes as the turtle flapped it's flippers wildly.

“What's Tama-chan's problem?” Asked Naru, as she came into the room. She frowned as her joint-pet with Keitaro (well, Tama-chan seemed to like her, so that's how she thought of the strange flying turtle) began myuhing frantically in her face, waving her fins.

“I… I can't understand you, Tama-chan,” Naru said uncertainly. “What's-HEY!” Tama-chan had flown behind Naru, lifted her over her little yellow head, and began flying off through the window.

“HELP! HELP! TAMA-CHAN, PUT ME DOWN!” Naru screamed. Kitsune, Shinobu, Suu, and Motoko all watched through the window as Tama-chan vanished with her unwilling passenger over the treetops.

“That… Is one strong turtle,” Kitsune noted. “How the devil did it do that?”

“Because Tama-chan is an alien turtle! Just like Kei-Mmph!” Suu's outburst was cut short by Shinobu covering the foreigner's mouth. Kitsune and Motoko looked at Shinobu oddly. She blushed.

“Ah… Suu! How dare you say naughty things in your native tongue! Really!” Shinobu smiled nervously. “Ah, but why don't we go after Tama! We need to rescue Naru-sempai, after all!”

“Agreed, from that fiendish turtle demon!” Motoko declared. She then glowered. “Where the devil is that weakling Urashima? It's his pet… He should be responsible for it!”

“Tama-chan is not an it, she's a she!” Shinobu protested. “But that's not important! C'mon! Let's go!”

“Allright! Time for the Hinata Rescue Team to go into action!” Kitsune declared dramatically, suddenly dressed like a desert commando. Motoko, Suu, and Shinobu found themselves in similar garb.

“Huh?”

“Um, Kitsune? Why are we dressed like this?” Motoko asked. Kitsune cocked her heavy assault rifle.

“It's not important, soldier! Off we go!”

“Look, if this is about those sunflower seeds I fed you, I'm sorry! I didn't know they had been sitting on a shelf for ten years! Please, Tama-chan!” Naru pleaded with the turtle, who continued flying her over the forest and towards the mountains. The redhead sighed and held her forehead. Why did everything happen to her?

Tama-chan abruptly shifted position, flying backwards as she pulled Naru along with her. Naru gasped and twisted her head to look over her shoulder. They were headed for a sheer rock face, that had no obvious entrances. Naru paled.

“Tama-chan… TAMA-CHAN! PULL UP! We're going to crash! TAMA-CHAN!”

FITZZZZZ!

Naru opened her eyes. She was expecting to be dead about now, but apparently she was now alive. How had-

She watched a long tunnel of rapidly cooling rock pass over her. She gaped, and looked over her shoulder again.

Tama-chan's eyes were producing some kind of strange beams, that vaporized the rock before them and quickly cooled as the super-turtle and the redhead passed through. Naru felt like passing out.

“Tama… Chan? What… Are you?” She murmured in shock. Tama only myuh'd in response, as they finally reached an underground tunnel not of their making. Tama-chan gently set the shaken Naru down on the dirt floor of the tunnel, where the girl collapsed, breathing heavily. Tama-chan hovered nearby.

“Myuh?”

“Tama… What… Are you?” Naru murmured again. Tama-chan nuzzled her nose comfortingly.

“Myuh! Myuh myuh myuh!” Tama-chan turned and slowly flew down the tunnel, her small eyes glowing softly to produce light. Naru, not sure what choice she had, followed the flying turtle.

They went on in silence for a while, before Tama myuh'd happily and turned back, beckoning Naru forward. Cautiously, the red head walked into a massive chamber.

And her jaw met the floor.

“Holy…”

The chamber walls ascended in every direction around her, all covered in millions upon millions of strange hieroglyphics and lines. They were all seemingly connected, a great tapestry of carved stone lines. At the center of the chamber was a short obelisk that seemed to glow with a faint blue inner light. Naru felt faint.

“Wow…”

“Yes, it is impressive, isn't it?” Naru started and turned. She gasped.

“S-Seta?” Her old tutor/crush was indeed standing before her, smiling in his old, slightly vacant way, a lit cigarette at the corner of his mouth. At his side was-

“Keitaro? What are you doing here?” Naru felt a bit irritated that Keitaro had gotten to see Seta before her… But then she noticed how sickly the manager of her dorm looked. He was being held up by the scruff of his neck in the firm hand of Seta. A little blonde girl, who was grinning, was poking him with a strange, green pendant that was glowing.

“What… What happened to him? Why is he with you?” Naru asked, feeling concerned. Seta's smile seemed off. He dragged Keitaro along, past Naru.

“Wait! Seta! What-What are you doing?” Seta let Keitaro drop on the ground at the foot of the obelisk, where he moaned painfully. Naru had heard Keitaro groan and sigh a lot-He was a whiner and a total loser-But never with such despair and agony behind his voice.

“It's simple, Naru. You, me, my adopted daughter, and your pet turtle? We are all about to become famous. We are all about to witness a wonder of the ages, something that will be remembered for a thousand years to come.” Seta grinned and pulled Keitaro back up to his feet.

“Sarah, douse the pendant for a moment, please.” The blonde girl shoved the pendant into a little metal box. The moment it closed, Keitaro's skin began to gain it's color back. He began to stand on his own two feet, though he still looked very weak. Naru walked over to his side and put a hand tentatively on his shoulder.

“Keitaro? Are you… Are you allright?”

“It's the rock, Naru,” Seta said flatly. “One of the last bits of his homeworld that followed him to Earth.” Naru gaped at Seta, and shifted her gaze, back to Keitaro, and back to her old crush.

“What… What do you mean? He's… This loser pervert's some kind of… Alien?” Keitaro grimaced and stood up fully. He looked Naru in the eyes with a frightening determination. Naru took a step back, never seeing this emotion from the ronin's eyes before.

“Yes, Naru. I am. And if I don't reveal the secret of this place to Seta… He's going to kill me,” Keitaro sighed. Naru shook her head, incredulous.

“You're… You're joking! This is a joke! Seta would never kill anyone!”

“Actually, I would,” Seta remarked cheerfully. “I have. In order to get what I want. Of course… If Keitaro is dead, he can't unlock the secret of this chamber, now can he?” Naru shook her head again, aghast. She was beginning to feel ill. No…

“You… But I…”

“I know it's a lot to take in, Naru, but we have a job to do. Now, Keitaro. Since we are cut off from the sun-Which I presume is the source of your powers-you're not much of a threat right now, are you?” Keitaro glared at him.

“Guess Haruka was right about you-The only thing that matters to you is yourself and your damn research.” Seta smirked.

“She always did get me the best. Now, Keitaro, if you don't mind-WOAH!” Seta barely dodged a heat vision blast from Tama. She myuhed in rage as she dove to protect her friends, knocking the archaeologist away. Sarah gasped and pulled out the kryptonite, at which both Tama and Keitaro began to fail again. Naru tried to hold Keitaro up as he slumped again. Seta readjusted his glasses and walked over to the fallen Tama-chan. She was myuhing quietly.

“Ah… A little pet from your homeworld?” Seta picked Tama-chan up and shoved her into his pocket. “I'll just hang onto her for now. So, Keitaro… Are we going to do this or what?” Keitaro glared weakly at Seta, before reaching a hand out to the obelisk. The moment it touched the artifact, the obelisk began to glow brightly. A startled gasp from Naru heralded bright blue lines of energy that lanced out from the obelisk, through the lines and carvings and lighting up every single hieroglyph. The chamber was awash in bright blue light, as the countless symbols began to rotate above them.

“Incredible… Simply, incredible…” Seta breathed. He turned to Keitaro. “What does it say?” Keitaro grimaced.

“I… I don't know… I can't read Kryptonian…” Seta grabbed Keitaro by the throat, his face ugly with rage.

“Liar! You're from the same world! You have artifacts of it! How could you not know the writing of your own planet!”

“This… is my planet,” Keitaro grunted defiantly. Seta glowered… Before looking over the obelisk's surface. His eyes widened.

“Of course… I should have realized he wouldn't be enough…” Seta grabbed the pendant around Keitaro's neck, breaking it off, before pressing it into a small indention on the surface of the obelisk. It too began to glow, as the symbols high above began to spin faster and faster.

“Yes… Yes…” Seta grinned. The symbols coalesced into a single bright point above their heads, and descended, floating just above the obelisk. Seta reached out a hand to take the glowing orb…ZAP! The archaeologist bellowed in agony as the orb blasted him away, slamming him against the now bare walls of the chamber.

“Daddy!” Sarah cried out, running to him. Naru was left to watch in wonder as the orb finally merged with the obelisk, before it's energy shot out into Keitaro. She shrieked in fear, before noticing that the energy was simply merging with Keitaro, not destroying him. The ronin stood up as the glow vanished, his posture strong and self-assured, his eyes set in determination. He pulled his glasses off and handed them to Naru.

“Hold these for me, please,” he said with a small smile. Naru nodded numbly. An instant later, Keitaro was in front of Sarah, who squeaked in fear. She tried to open the metal container containing the kryptonite, but Keitaro snatched it out of her hands. He was then right back next to Naru again, and handed her the box.

“Put the pendant into the same hole,” he said simply. Just before Seta's arm surrounded his neck. “Urk!” Seta bodily dragged him off, and the two began to wrestle. Naru watched in shock, before turning to the obelisk again. Slowly, she took the pendant out and pressed it into the obelisk.

Keitaro grabbed Seta's wrists and threw him against the far wall, as the green energy of the kryptonite pendant spread through the lines of the chamber. This time, however, the lines began to crack and splinter apart, the kryptonite's killing energies destroying the ancient technology.

“NOOOOOO!” Seta roared, watching in horror as the chamber collapsed into rubble above them. Both he and Sarah were blasted by energy beams and screamed, collapsing to the ground. An instant later, both were grabbed by Keitaro, as he ran, carrying a stunned Naru back through the tunnel at superspeed.

“Keitaro! We're not gonna make it! The whole mountains' coming down on us!” Naru wailed. Keitaro smirked.

“Yes we will.” It was then they began moving even faster than before, and the literal light at the end of the tunnel began to grow, even as the roof came down upon them all. Naru screamed and clutched Keitaro's neck, as they blasted through the final few meters and into the bright sunlight…

Naru blinked awkwardly, the bright light the only thing she could see...

“… ru? Naru, can you hear me? Naru?” The vague shape of Kitsune's head appeared over her.

“Hey… She's coming around… Hey Naru, babe, you okay?” Kitsune asked, her brow etched in concern. Naru blinked, and slowly tilted her head.

“What… What happened?” Kitsune smiled softly.

“Well, it looks like when Tama dropped you, you hit your head and were out for a few hours in the woods. We found you and brought you back here.” Naru blinked owlishly.

“What… What do you mean? I… Where's Keitaro? And… And Seta?” Kitsune shook her head with a frown.

“Seta's in the hospital, Naru. Got into a car wreck. And Keitaro's been working all afternoon.”

“But… But I saw them! They were…” Naru looked down at clothes she'd expected to be covered in dust from a cavein, but only slightly marred by some dirt from the forest. She gawked at it. She turned her head to the sound of someone entering the room.

“Hey Naru… Got you some soup,” Keitaro said with a small smile. Naru blinked at him, her mouth gaping.

“But-But I saw you! Keitaro, you're an alien! I saw you! I saw the chamber! And the writing and the glowing energy and-” Keitaro blinked at her, confused.

“Uh, sure Naru… Whatever you say,” he replied nervously. Naru got up, stalked over to him, and glared into his eyes. Keitaro cowered.

“I didn't mean to say you were crazy! Honest! I mean, I didn't mean to imply it! Really!” Naru glared at him for a few more moments, before sighing in relief and disgust.

“Yeah… Like you could ever be an alien, pathetic pervert,” she grumbled, walking over to her futon and sitting down. “Give me the soup and get out!”

“Er, right Naru,” Keitaro said sheepishly, doing as she said. Naru shook her head, glaring down into her soup. Kitsune raised an eyebrow.

“What was that all about?”

“… Nothing…” Naru frowned heavily. “Nothing at all…”

“Looks like Naru-Naru bought the story, yes?” Suu giggled, walking on her hands and grinning up at Keitaro. Shinobu, nearby, sat on the patio railing, watching the sunset.

“Looks like,” Keitaro sighed. “Seta was the only one who knew where the chamber was. He dug it himself. No one will believe them… If they ever remember what happened.”

“What do you mean, sempai?” Shinobu asked. Keitaro smiled slightly.

“The data that the device downloaded into me? Was meant for Kryptonians… And Kryptonians only. Anyone else trying it will suffer intense memory loss within a few minutes of trying to process it.”

“What does he remember?” Shinobu murmured. Keitaro shrugged.

“Nothing of today. The `car accident' will make it look like he suffered some mild brain damage. Sarah, too, won't remember anything about that day.”

“And without the kryptonite pendant, it's safe to go work for him again, right?” Shinobu asked. Keitaro shrugged.

“I'm not sure, Shinobu-chan… But, I can't exactly get another job around here, can I?” The Kryptonian man looked down at the hardwood patio below him. Shinobu smiled comfortingly, and took his hand.

“Don't worry, Urashima-sempai… You will be fine…” She frowned slightly.

“What was in those walls, anyway?” Keitaro smiled.

“The complete history, writings, and knowledge of Krypton… It's all right up here.” He tapped the side of his temple. He shrugged. “I know all of the customs, religions, legends… All of it, from my home planet. But… It doesn't really matter much anymore.”

“Why not?” Shinobu asked, perplexed. Keitaro smiled sadly.

“Because… Krypton is gone. And while I may have been born there, I was raised on Earth. Earth… Is my home, Shinobu. And it always will be. It's nice to have the memories of Krypton… But Earth will always be first in my heart.”

TBC…

I decided to go for a more “Smallville” feel to the story, and hold off on Keitaro donning the blue and red for now.

Next time: The Hinata Summer Tea House is open for business! But why is Keitaro acting so strangely? And what's with the red ring he found?