Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Immortal Flame ❯ Chapter 3: The Rebirth ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: The Rebirth

It had only been a few hours since Keitaro had awakened, and the doctors had become stumped. Physically and mentally, they could find no damage or atrophy. In fact, they couldn't find anything wrong with him in any way. He was the picture of health, aside from the scars he had from when he first arrived. Reluctantly, the doctors had discharged him from the hospital, going so far as to even waive the fees. Happy to be out of there, Keitaro stretched as if he had just woken up from a short nap, “The walk home is going to be nice.”

Unknowing what to say or think, the residents of Hinata Inn followed their reawakened manager with bewilderment running amongst them. Not the most confused of which was Motoko. Inhaling deeply, Motoko focused on Keitaro, `I don't know why I'm feeling this enormous power. And even more bewildering is why it's emanating from Urashima.'

Naru on the other hand, had found herself encircled by his arms since he had quite literally walked out of the operating room. Though this whole situation didn't make any sense at all, she gave it credit as a miracle. She had Keitaro back, and for now that was all that mattered.

The walk back to the Hinata Inn was a long one, but they arrived in what seemed like minutes. The steps loomed ahead of them and Keitaro smiled, “Good to see these steps.”

Then out of the blue, Keitaro swept Naru off her feet and into his arms. Before she could even cry out, Keitaro had started leaping up the steps. His jumps impressed everyone there. Motoko's jaw dropped as she watched not just Keitaro, but him carrying Naru leaping up the steps as if they were a child's plaything. Running to catch up with them, the girls caught up with Keitaro as he stood there twirling with a shocked Naru in his arms. And most confusing of all was that he was laughing about it. Setting a shocked Naru down, Keitaro continued to chuckle slightly as he looked about the girls,” That was fun.”

Then his eyes settled on Haruka, and his smile decreased slightly but remained intact. He fixed Haruka with a light hearted stare, “I have to talk to you later, Haruka.”

Haruka nodded in understanding, not wanting to spill the beans until Keitaro was ready to handle the backlash of emotions. Keitaro said nothing more as he turned to face the building he'd come to call home. His smile broadened when the door opened, and from within the wooden building came Takeru. His violet hair was just the same, but his attire was slightly different. It no longer held the sterile white, but shone with the hues of blue and violet. His long hair and jacket fluttered in the wind as he crossed the distance between himself and Keitaro. Instinctively, Motoko jumped forward, readying her sword. She positioned herself between the unknown man and Keitaro, “Who are you and why are you here at Hinata Inn?”

Takeru looked between Motoko and Keitaro. When his eyes met Keitaro's, they began to chuckle until at last they could no longer contain their laughter. Motoko looked at Keitaro, but kept the unknown man in the corner of her eye,” What's so funny, Urashima?”

“You can relax, Motoko,” Keitaro said through laughs. He pulled himself upright and smiled, “He's a friend of mine.”

Accepting the answer, Motoko reluctantly moved her hand away from her sword. Stepping forward, Keitaro extended a hand to Takeru, “Good to see you in the flesh.”

Takeru smiled, “I told you I'd be waiting, brother.”

Keitaro turned to introduce him to the others, but was met with gaping astonishment at the exchange they had witnessed. Keitaro knew already what they would begin to ask, but found that the answer might have been too much for them. Turning back to them he noticed the confused looks, but above all else, he noticed Motoko's glaring eyes. He looked at her questioningly, “Motoko, what's wrong?”

Motoko felt her grip on her sword tighten, “Stand back Urashima. I feel a powerful energy swirling around him.” She looked between Keitaro and the new arrival. Keitaro should have guessed that she would sense their powers before the others would know about, but this was way to fast. Motoko slowly drew her sword, this time with the full intention of using it on Takeru. Her stance shifted into her common battle stance, “This man must be a demon. And he's already confused you.”

Before another word could be said, she lunged at the young man in front of her. Takeru placed his hands behind his back, and just as Motoko's sword came down, he dodged so fast that Motoko hardly could see him move. Again she swung, but receiving the same results. Motoko, not believing that anyone could avoid her attacks, pressed hard against her opponent, letting loose everything she had. However, Takeru dodged her every swing and thrust, making it seem like child's play. Motoko soon swung wildly, noticing that her opponent didn't even flinch as the blade neared him. Her smile shone briefly, until the blade found its arc halted by Takeru's hand. There the blade sat, neatly rested between his thumb and forefinger. Motoko pulled and tugged at the blade, but Takeru's grip on the sword never faltered. Finally with one quick, fluid movement, Takeru sent Motoko and the blade to the ground in separate directions. Standing to his fullest, Takeru smiled, “Sorry, Motoko. However, I suppose I should have warned you that I'm well versed in multiple fighting styles, the least of which includes your Shinmeiryu School of swordsmanship.”

Motoko sat there, shock apparent on her face. Takeru, being the gentleman he is, offered the fallen warrior a hand. Looking between it and Takeru, Motoko gave a look of skepticism, “Don't worry, Motoko. I don't bite.”

She looked between him and the hand, trying to see any unseen danger. Cautiously, she raised her hand to take his and when she did, he lifted her to her feet gently. Standing on her feet once more, Motoko walked over to her sword and picked it up. Sheathing it, she faced Takeru, “That's something that only a handful of other people have done. How did you beat me?”

Takeru frowned, “You're too arrogant. You attack without knowing what your opponent can do.”

Motoko looked away, ashamed she hadn't used her head before rushing into a fight. Keitaro sighed, shaking his head, “Don't worry, Motoko. Takeru is always this critical.”

“Yes, he's right,” Takeru responded, realizing what he had unintentionally done. He bowed low to Motoko, “I apologize for any offense you may have incurred from our sparring match.”

Motoko stood there silently, watching the young man as he bowed and offered an apology. Takeru soon stood back up, and looked to Keitaro, “Kei, perhaps we should now have some tea.”

Keitaro clapped his hands together, “Good idea. Everyone let's settle in and have some tea.”

The stunned residents of the Hinata Inn looked between themselves and the two young men standing in front of them. Su perked up at the idea of some tea or food or anything to put on her stomach, while Sarah liked the idea so that she could finally poke fun at Keitaro. Running inside the two disappeared from sight, Shinobu running after them, “I'll get the tea ready!”

“Wait, Shinobu….” Keitaro had begun, but was unable to finish his statement as she had already disappeared into the house. He shook his head in defeat, and turned back to face the others. There stood the elder women of the Hinata Inn, waiting for some kind, if any kind of explanation. Keitaro looked to Takeru, and all he received was a shrug. Keitaro knew that he'd have to be the one to explain it, but the time and place was of his choosing as well. He looked between the four gathered in front of him, and grimaced, `Well I guess I'd better say something.'

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Shinobu leaned out the door and told them the tea was ready. Motoko gathered herself and walked into the house without as much as a peep. Kitsune and Mutsumi were trading glances with each other, and looking at Takeru. Naru, still shocked at all this, looked at Keitaro, “What happened to you?”

Keitaro shrugged, “What do you mean?”

“Well…,” Naru began, searching for her words. Takeru lightly put a hand on Keitaro's shoulder and whispered into his ear.

“You're dense, you know that right?”

Keitaro mentally smacked himself as he turned back to Naru, looking into her pleading brown eyes. He took her into his arms, holding her gently, “I'm still me, Naru. I've just changed for the better.”

Naru buried her head into his chest, “You've really changed, Keitaro. I want to know what happened to the clumsy dork you were.”

“Well,” Keitaro said drawing a long breath. He knew this was coming, but that hadn't made it any easier. He slowly released the breath, “While I was in the coma, Takeru there, helped me realize something. That I'm only half of what I really am.”

“Half of what you are?” Naru said, pulling back to look at him. Her eyes were slightly moist from unshed tears, “And how did you see him in your sleep? What, did you have one of those very weird dreams and he knew about it thing?”

Keitaro scratched the back of his head, “More like he physically was there in my dreams kind a thing.” His explanation was still confusing. Naru looked down for a moment, until she felt Keitaro's hand on her chin. Gently he pulled her face up to look at him, “I'm whole as a being, Naru. But despite what you're thinking, I'll always need you.”

Naru suddenly felt her tears begin to come forward, “That's all I wanted to hear.”

Keitaro lowered his head down so he could capture her lips in a warm and gentle kiss. Their lips met and love flowed from both of their souls. Keitaro became overwhelmed by the sensation, his feelings overpowered by his love for her. The kiss felt like an eternity, though it had only been a few seconds. The kiss was broken and they pulled back to look into the others arms. That's when Naru noticed something out of place. She nearly screamed as she looked at Keitaro, “Keitaro! You're on fire!”

Keitaro looked down at himself, and chuckled. Naru looked at him trying to figure out a way to put the flames on him out when she heard him laugh. Still frantically trying to find something, she yelled at him, “What's so funny! You're on fire, Keitaro!”

“I know,” Keitaro said calmly. Slowly he closed his eyes, and after a few seconds, the flames dissipated. Naru stood there, disbelief on her face as she looked at Keitaro. Keitaro smiled slightly, “I guess now is the time to tell you that I'm not entirely human.”

“What” was the only thing Naru could find to say, “How can you not be entirely human?”

Keitaro rubbed the back of his head, “Because, Naru. I'm a Phoenix.”

Naru laughed, “Come on Keitaro, quit joking around.”

Keitaro looked her dead in the eyes with a look of seriousness on his face that she'd never seen before, “Yes, Naru. I am.”

Naru stood there, digesting the information as she felt her knees get wobbly. Finally her knees buckled as she began to lose her vision. The last thing she saw before she completely fainted was Keitaro holding her, “Naru!”

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Naru awoke in her room, the shades drawn to dim the light that entered. A moist cloth was placed lightly on her fore head, supposedly to bring down a small fever. Sitting up she looked around the room. Off to her right sat Keitaro, scribbling something in a notepad as he sat near her side. She half smiled at him, “How long was I out?”

Keitaro's head snapped up and he dropped his pencil, “Naru you're awake. Are you feeling alright?”

Naru nodded her head, “For a minute there I thought that you'd said you were a Phoenix, Kei.”

“Funny you should mention that,” Keitaro began, trailing off at the end. His eyes drifted from her form, and Naru's feelings were realized. He returned his gentle gaze back at her, noticing the now forming tears in her eyes. Slowly, he moved towards her and brushed aside her hair, “Naru, I'm sorry. I didn't even know about it till Takeru told me. But, if you think about it, it kind of makes sense.”

Naru suppressed a sniffle, “How does it make sense?”

“Well,” Keitaro began, choosing his words carefully. He tossed several around in his before he spoke, “It explains why I've survived your punches and Motoko's sword abilities.”

Naru took in the information, tossing over the probabilities in her head. Though there was probably a logical explanation to explain it, this was the most powerful argument. Looking up at Keitaro, she looked into his dark brown eyes, “I guess it does.”

Keitaro gazed back into her chocolate brown eyes, “So, where do we go from here?”

Naru smiled slightly, staring back into his walnut eyes. Leaning forward, she brought her lips close to his, “From right here.”

Their lips met once again in a passionate kiss, as the heatless flames ushered forth from Keitaro's body, wrapping them in the fire of their love.

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Takeru gingerly set his teacup down; aware of the gazes he was receiving. For the first time in his life, he enjoyed the attention. A smile spread across his face, noticing the young blue haired girl's eyes on him. He cleared his throat, noticing her jump in fright, “It's not polite to stare, miss.”

“S-s-sorry!” Shinobu cried out as she lowered her eyes away from Takeru. A light blush spread across her face. Takeru suddenly looked at her with a smile, “It's alright. I don't mind really, Miss?”

Shinobu glanced up at him, “S-Shinobu. My name is Shinobu.”

“Miss Shinobu. That's a beautiful name.” Takeru smiled again, brighter than before. Motoko suddenly stood up, startling the other tenants, but not so much as even making Takeru flinch, “Shinobu, please go outside and play. That includes you two as well.”

Su and Sarah gave a collective moan as they stood up and wandered outside behind Shinobu. Motoko watched them as they went, and then returned her gaze to Takeru, “Those innocent young girls do not need your poisoning compliments, Demon.”

Takeru, not even batting an eye, returned her words, “I'm no demon, Arrogant Sword-swinger.”

Motoko nearly pulled her sword right then, but felt a hand on her arm. She looked down to see Kitsune holding her arm. Kitsune, however, was watching the young man across from them, “Relax, Motoko. I get the feeling he isn't here to `taint' the kids.”

With a snort of disapproval, Motoko took her seat. Takeru frowned slightly, “Why are you so obsessed with considering me a demon, Motoko? Is it just because I'm a male, is that all?”

Motoko chortled, “Not in the least. If only you could see your own aura, you'd have mistaken yourself for one.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Takeru scolded her as one would a child. He lowered his eyes from her and crossed his arms across his chest, “I'm surprised at you, Motoko. I'm surprised you can't tell the difference between an evil aura and a good one. I guess that explains why Keitaro went through all the beatings.”

Kitsune interrupted the one sided argument, “By the way, I never caught your name, Sugar.”

Takeru opened his eyes and bowed his head slightly, “My name is Takeru. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh, the pleasure is all ours,” came the reply from Mutsumi. Her bubble-headed nature apparent, she smiled at Takeru, “My name is Mutsumi Otohime.”

“And mine is Mitsune, but you can call me Kitsune.” The she leaned forward at Takeru. Her voice dripped with lust, “But you handsome, can call me anything you want.”

Takeru didn't even as much as blink, “I think Kitsune will do just fine. But thanks for the offer.”

Kitsune leaned back stunned. Takeru looked at the look on her face and laughed to himself, “And dear Haruka. I must say it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you.”

Haruka stared daggers into the young man, “Get to the point.”

“All business I see,” Takeru said, shaking his head. His demeanor changed quickly, the air now pulsing with a sense of urgency and secrecy, “I'm afraid I must speak to you in private.”

Motoko shot up out of her seat, “Absolutely not! I will not allow our house mother to be defiled by…”

“Save it, Motoko.” Haruka said, shutting Motoko up. Before another word could be said, Haruka noticed the Takeru's eyes fleetingly dart about the girl's then return to hers. Looking at the other tenants, Haruka glared, “He and I have important business to attend to alone. And that means just that: alone. If I even so much as think your eavesdropping, I swear I'll rip your ears off. Understood?”

The girls, pale in fright nodded. Standing up, they left quickly and with little noise. Motoko stopped shortly at the door and glared at Takeru over her shoulder, then stepped out of the room. Haruka, nodding that they were completely alone, looked at the youth in front of her, “Sorry about Motoko. She's a little quick to judge.”

“Understandable,” Takeru said, waving a hand in the air. His focus then fell deathly serious at the matter at hand, “I take it I don't have to inform you of the situation since by being here is sign enough.”

Haruka nodded, “Then it's as I feared. Is there any idea when they'll strike?”

“No,” Takeru shook his head. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table, moving closer to Haruka, “But we think it'll be very soon. We do know that it will be here somewhere in Japan. Possibly in the Tokyo or Kyoto area.”

The expression on Haruka's face dropped, “That's a rather large area.”

“I know,” Takeru frowned, “But it's all we've got to go on right now. The last spy we heard from turned up dead two days later, so we're at a loss for info on the situation.”

“I guess then the only thing we can do,” Haruka began, stopping to light a cigarette. Inhaling the toxic smoke, she let out a long puff of smoke, “is to let them make the first move and clean up the mess afterwards.”

Looking down at the table, Takeru grimaced, “I hate waiting.”

End Chapter 3