Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Legacy ❯ Chapter 17

“Are you sure you won't come back with us?” asked Keitaro, patting Nyamo's head fondly. “I know that Shinobu-chan would love to have you visit again,” he enticed the girl. Smiling, Nyamo shook her head. Keitaro sighed, glancing at Haruka. She shrugged. “Well, feel free to drop by any time you want, Nyamo,” said the young man. “I'll come see you when I can,” he added, smiling at her. Nyamo beamed back a smile as she hugged him tightly. When she let go of him, she hugged Haruka to her in a close hug.

 

“You know,” said Seta, looking on from the deck of the ship, “you don't have to go back right away,” he said, speaking to Keitaro, but looking at Haruka.

 

“Yes, actually we do,” Haruka said. “You really should come see Sarah before too long, Seta,” she reminded the wayward man. God knows, we'll probably need her out of the Hinata when the girls make their announcement, mused the woman, smiling a little.

 

“You're right,” Seta mumbled. “Maybe I should come back with you, and leave the dig in Keitaro's hands for a week more or so,” he suggested.

 

“Get back to work,” snapped Haruka firmly. Nyamo released her and lightly jumped down to the deck of the ship she, Seta and a pair of Todai archeology interns would be sailing back to the site. The deck area was carefully filled with tightly-packed and professionally-lashed cargo and supplies. The plan was to make a stop at the atoll alter site to offload some bulky gear, then head for the main site. Once the ship beached, the entire team would ferry materials to the site, package the processed artifacts in the shipping materials that were on the ship, load the ready-to-ship artifacts, and sail back to the town, where arrangements would be made to have the items shipped to Todai. With that done, the ship would be sailed back to the site and anchored just off shore, to serve as a go-for vessel and to make coming and going from the alter site easier.

 

Nyamo's wooden hulled sailing boat was tied to a deck cleat at the stern, and would serve as a secondary boat if something went sideways on them. A life-raft capsule was secured just behind the piloting station, over the engine deck, just in case. “The GPS of the alter site and the main camp is already inputted as navigation way-points, so just keep the course marker on the navigation line and you can't get lost,” Haruka repeated herself to the interns and Seta. “And for the love of god, never let Seta steer this thing!” she added.

 

“Right!” called back the interns she had selected to be the captain of the ship. When Haru and Keitaro began unmooring the lines, he fired up the engine as Seta and the other intern collected and coiled the mooring lines. Shifting the boat into gear, he waved once more as he pulled away from the dock. Haruka and Keitaro watched the ship move out toward open water before turning to run along the coast of the island about a mile out to sea. Looking through compact binoculars, Haruka made sure that Nyamo's wooden boat was riding smoothly behind the larger craft, and that nothing she could detect was acting up. When the ship and its crew disappeared from view, she tucked the binoculars away.

 

“Haru?” came Keitaro's voice. Haruka glanced over at him. Smiling, she took his hand in her own.

 

“Might as well get started back,” Haruka said. Keitaro nodded. Moving back to the room they had shared, the pair picked up their packs. Stopping long enough to pay the wife of the homeowner who had rented them their room, they bid them farewell and moved toward the small, family-styled restaurant the two had eaten at most often. Their ship wasn't leaving for the nearest island with an airport for another two hours, so they figured they might as well have lunch.

 

Sitting down to a fruit and cheese platter with some breaded fillets, the two ate more or less quietly, sipping their tea and enjoying themselves. As the last of the mango, pineapple, and passion fruit squares were consumed, the two waited out the last fifteen minutes, their hands joined on the table. “So,” said Haruka quietly, “we should be back at the Hinata in a couple of days.”

 

“Yeah,” Keitaro nodded.

 

“And we'll find out how it turned out,” Haruka went on. Keitaro nodded.

 

“That we will,” agreed the young man.

 

“Nervous?” asked Haruka. Keitaro shook his head. “That's good,” Haru smiled. “You know,” continued the woman, “I think this trip has been good for both of us.”

 

“Me, too.”

 

“Regrets? About anything?” whispered Haruka. After a moment, Keitaro shook his head.

 

“None,” he answered. Haruka smiled.

 

“That's good.” A little more than five minutes of silence later, the pair stood and moved to the dock, seeing the ship that was making a run to the other island group just preparing to get under way. Greeting the captain of the boat, the two set aside their packs and gave the two-man crew a hand getting everything ready. Mid-afternoon sun beat down when the boat cast off and began the run. They would make the other island about midnight if nothing went wrong. Haruka and Keitaro had made pay-on-boarding reservations for a flight mid-morning the next day, so they had a pad of time for unexpected mishaps.

 

Once in the open ocean, the two found a quiet piece of the deck and settled down, preferring the open air to the worn cabin where the two crewmen were smoking and playing cards. Watching the sun set into the ocean, the two saw a fleeting green flash just as the sun vanished. It was the first time that Keitaro had seen the phenomenon, and the second Haruka had seen it.

 

As the stars came out overhead, the two quietly talked of small things and fond memories. Haruka shared a little of her former adventures, and Keitaro told her some secrets he had with the girls at the Hinata. While Haruka knew a great deal about the goings-on at the Hinata, she was impressed with how much she didn't know about what had been going on behind the scenes. She found herself wondering how she could have missed some of what Keitaro told her.

 

“Who do you want to have waiting for you back home?” wondered Haruka after hearing a tale about what had really transpired during a mishap on one of the unplanned trips from the Hinata between himself and Motoko. Keitaro considered that.

 

“I…really don't know,” he answered her truthfully. “I was serious when I said that any of the girls would be fine, but as for who I want? I can't really think of any that I love more than the other.”

 

“That might not be such a bad thing,” murmured Haruka.

 

“Well, yeah, I might be better off married to Shinobu or Tsuruko than, say, Su or Naru, but I honestly can't say that I prefer those two over any of the others,” he hurriedly shored up his earlier statement, as if he expected Haru to challenge him on it. “Besides, it will probably be to one of the Aoyama sisters,” he predicted. “Not like the other girls can really push them around like they do me, huh?” he offered her a smile and weak laugh.

 

“Depends on what front they push,” Haru replied nonchalantly. “And who does the pushing,” added the woman, smiling at some thought or another.

 

“I don't think the girls are much of a danger to Motoko or Tsuruko, but I do worry that Kanako-chan might be causing trouble,” he confided in his cousin. Haruka shrugged before leaning closer into his embrace.

 

“She might be,” said Haruka, “but then, if the Aoyama can't handle her, they aren't really strong enough to be married to you, either,” she said. Keitaro frowned.

 

“What does that mean?” wondered the young man. Haruka shook her head, refusing to clarify or comment on her cryptic statement.

 

“Want to just stay out here until we reach port?” asked the woman. Keitaro nodded. The weather was nice, the boat wasn't pitching too much, and the stars were bright.

 

“Sure, Haru,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Haruka happily rested her head on his shoulder, one hand holding his free hand in his lap. The pair slept lightly through the hours the ship steamed toward port.

 

-

 

“Sign here,” said the cop, tapping a spot on the large legal form on the desk in front of him. Slowly, the man signed. “Initial here,” continued the man, turning a page in the sheaf of papers. Again, the man did as instructed. “Put your hanko there,” the cop finished. Fishing around in his pocket, the man found his seal and stamped. The cop reviewed the paperwork once more, nodded to himself and tucked the papers into his out box. “You are free to go,” he said.

 

Shuffling toward the door to the police station, the man wondered what he had done to deserve such treatment. It wasn't like yelling at his neighbor was grounds to throw him in jail, or to put such a large bail on him. It had taken him four hours of degrading begging to arrange for the bail to be posted, and now, he was free until his court date. The man would have sneered, but his face hurt too much. Passing people on the street, he saw them go out of their way to avoid him, and more than once, he heard mothers out with their children whisper about drunks and homeless people dragging society down.

 

He caught his reflection in the glass of a store he passed, and stopped. He was wearing what he had been wearing last night, though it was looking the worse for wear this morning. His slacks were torn and stained, his shirt was missing a sleeve and had a tear from the collar to mid-side. It was no longer white, but an assortment of colors. He didn't have shoes - just socks. His belt was missing, but it wasn't immediately obvious since what was left of his dress shirt wasn't tucked in.

 

Looking at his face, he saw that he had two black eyes, a split lip, and his nose was swollen. His right cheek was dark and his entire head hurt. Hearing more whispering, he resumed his walk. He had little choice, since he had no money for a taxi and his rail card was at his apartment. If I look this bad, then that bastard must look worse, he consoled himself. He had to have been winning; if not, why would the cops beat on him and not the other guy?

 

His last lucid thought was running to his door to teach his moronic neighbor a lesson. His next lucid thought was in a jail cell in the police station. Between the two, there was nothing. He sort of recalled fighting with his neighbor, but nothing clear or certain. He dismissed the thought, and focused on getting home. After far too long of a walk in his socked feet, he reached his apartment. Fishing around for his keys, he discovered that he had left them in his apartment, and was now locked out. He had had to get the building manager to let him in.

 

What he noticed first was that his power was back on. What he noticed second was that his cell phone had three messages on it. Checking the messages, he groaned. The first was from the garage he had been forced to tow his car to. It would cost more to fix the car than he had paid for it. And with no insurance coverage for what had happened to him, he had just lost his savings and his car. The second was a message from the school, informing him that questions had been raised about his behavior and there would be a hearing the following week on his professional competency. Even though he had been placed on administrative leave, he was expected to attend the hearings, since they would determine if he could keep his job or not. The third message was from the police. Looking at the time stamp, he realized that the call had been made while he was walking back to his apartment. It informed him that charges had been pressed against him for assault in addition to the charges the police had informed him he was due in court to answer for.

 

“Could this get any worse?” he asked himself. Dropping his cell phone to the table, he made his way to the bathroom for a shower and some clean clothes. Before he left the living room/dining room of his economy apartment, he paused to look at Maehara's folder one more time. Seeing the girl's school picture picked up his spirits. “Don't worry, Maehara,” he said to the picture, “I won't let this stop me.”

 

He was about half-way done with his shower when he hear someone pounding on the door. Getting out of his shower, he wrapped a towel around himself as he went to see who it was this time. Maybe my Maehara came to ask why I wasn't at school, he hoped. Opening the door, he found himself looking at a rotund man in a cheap suit. “Can I help you?” he asked.

 

“Inspector Iwatani, police,” the man said, flashing a badge. “This is for you,” he said, holding out a piece of paper. Taking it, the teacher blinked at the words.

 

“A search warrant?” he asked. The inspector nodded.

 

“Exactly,” the man said, pushing past the teacher. “A complaint was made about you removing school files without permission, and the school asked us to look around,” the man said. The teacher hurried after the Inspector, remembering to his horror that he had left Maehara's school folder open on his table.

 

“That's ridiculous!” he said indignantly. The older inspector turned to look at him, Shinobu's folder in his hands.

 

“Is it now?” he asked, tapping the folder against his opposite palm. The teacher bit back a groan.

 

“I can explain that,” he said as calmly as possible. The inspector just hummed. Looking at his still-open door, he saw two uniformed cops entering.

 

“Sure you can, sport,” said the Inspector. “These two officers will make sure you get dressed, and after I finish looking around, we can all go discuss this at the station,” he said. The teacher wasn't sure if he was mad or frustrated. As the two officers herded him to the bedroom to get him something to wear, the Inspector sighed, tucking the school folder into his coat. Sitting down at the man's computer, he turned it on and began looking. So far, the information we have been given is panning out nicely, the inspector thought to himself. I can't help but wonder, though, who it is feeding it to us, and why they are so interested in this matter, mused the man.

 

-

 

“Are you sure you want to go to school today, Shinobu?” wondered Naru, sipping her coffee. She had come down stairs and found Shinobu going through the normal morning routine, dressed in her uniform. She had asked, and Shinobu had said she was going to school.

 

“It will be ok,” said Shinobu. Naru had considered that as she sipped her coffee.

 

“Maybe I should go with you,” mused Naru. “At least long enough to see if this creep is going to harassing you,” she corrected herself.

 

“It's ok, Naru-sempai,” Shinobu said. “You have tests in two of your classes today, so you need to go to Todai,” reminded the younger girl. Naru sighed.

 

“I know,” she said. “But you are more important to us than tests, Shinobu,” she reminded the younger girl. Shinobu gave her a grateful smile.

 

“Just knowing that is a relief,” the girl said. Naru smiled. Glancing at the clock, Shinobu moved closer to Naru. “Naru-sempai,” she whispered in the brunette's ear, “I want to talk to you tonight; privately,” the girl whispered. “It's…about Keitaro,” she admitted, blushing. Naru felt herself blush as well.

 

“O…ok,” she stammered back. Does this mean that she trusts me again?! wondered Naru, her heart pounding. As her therapy progressed, she had come to realize just how much damage she had done to her relationship with not only Keitaro and her sister, but also to her relationships with the girls she shared the house with. To hear Shinobu speaking to her in confidence eased a lot of the anxiety she had carried since therapy had begun and she had gotten a look at where she stood. “Uh, after supper? Maybe go to the back of the property?” she suggested. Shinobu nodded her assent.

 

Just then, the two heard footsteps on the wooden stairs and knew that the Aoyama women were arriving. Shinobu stepped to the stove and began pouring water in preparation for the tea the two preferred in the mornings. “Good morning, Motoko-sempai, Tsuruko-sempai,” said the girl, not having to look to know who was there.

 

“Good morning, Shinobu,” replied Motoko for both sisters. “How are you feeling?”

 

“I'm feeling fine, Motoko-sempai,” replied the girl, turning toward the table to deliver the tea. Looking at Motoko and Tsuruko, she blinked. The pair usually wore their hakamas and gi outfits to breakfast, since they normally came straight from practice to breakfast. This morning, however, the pair were dressed in street clothes. Tsuruko was wearing a skirt and blouse that looked like what a lot of the women in management wore, while Motoko was wearing a miniskirt and blouse, her hair done up in twin ponytails, one on each side, so the thick falls of hair lay over her shoulder blades.

 

“We will be escorting you to school, Shinobu-chan,” said Tsuruko. Shinobu blinked.

 

“Um, ok,” she replied. As the two sisters ate breakfast, Kanako appeared in the kitchen, taking a warm croissant, smearing some mango jelly over it and consuming it in two bites before pouring a cup of coffee for herself. “Kanako? Don't you want breakfast?” wondered Shinobu. Kanako shook her head.

 

“I have business to attend to,” said the girl without explaining anything. She was dressed in a black, knee-length dress with ivory accents on the bodice. Below the hem of the dress, she was wearing understated boots. “Call me if you need me,” she said to Shinobu, giving the girl a brief hug before moving out of the Hinata.

 

“Oh, my! That smells wonderful!” came Mutsumi's cheerful voice. Shinobu smiled at the bustiest girl in the house.

 

“Thank you, Mutsumi-sempai,” she replied happily. Mutsumi hugged the girl fondly before sitting down to breakfast. “Will your mother be joining us this morning?” wondered Shinobu.

 

“Mother is speaking with Granny about something or other,” Mutsumi said disinterestedly.

 

“Oh, ok,” Shinobu blinked.

 

“Leave the dishes, honey,” came Kitsune's voice. “I'll take care of them for you,” the slacker explained, entering the kitchen a step in front of Amalla.

 

“Don't forget to check the schedule, Kitsune,” Motoko murmured before finishing her meal and rising to put her plate in the sink.

 

“Good morning, dear!” came the boisterous voice of Su, the younger Molmolian sister leaping through the door to land beside Shinobu. Standing, she pulled the dark-haired girl to her, kissing her on the lips without the slightest hint of embarrassment or hesitation. “Breakfast tastes yummy!” she announced when she released Shinobu's lips.

 

“How would you know? You haven't even eaten yet,” Amalla said dryly.

 

“Shinobu's cooking is always delicious,” shrugged Kaolla. Grabbing a massive hand of bananas, she all but inhaled them. “Mm,” the girl sighed happily. “Now I am prepared to fight for my wife!” she said, pulling a strange-looking item from her school bag. “Prepared to be groined, creepy teacher!” she laughed madly, pressing a button on the cylindrical device in her hand. A crackling, buzzing hiss filled the room as a coldly-bright blade of energy erupted from the device in her hand, extending about three feet before ending in a very angular tip.

 

“Did you make a light saber?” asked Kitsune, sipping coffee. Su looked at the fox girl blankly.

 

“What's a light saber? Is it good to eat?” she asked. Kitsune waved her hand.

 

“Never mind.”

 

“What is that, Su?” wondered Naru. Kaolla smiled at the brunette innocently.

 

“I told you last night I would smote teacher with my ionized plasma blade, didn't I?” she asked, a grin on her face. “This is it! Isn't it cool?!” she asked the others.

 

“It bears a striking resemblance to a katana,” opinioned Motoko. Su nodded eagerly.

 

“I used your knife as a reference when crafting the focusing and intensifying fields for the plasma,” she revealed. Motoko frowned.

 

“You touched my sword?” asked the girl. No one should ever touch my sword, frowned the girl. She held the Hinata blade, after all, and that thing was dangerous, containing a demon and all as it did.

 

“Didn't need to,” Su said, totally unconcerned, “I have tons of footage of you using it on Keitaro,” she said, deactivating the device and tossing it into her book bag. Tsuruko noticed a guilty flinch from Motoko upon hearing Su's remark. “We're off!” she said, grabbing Shinobu's hand and hurrying the girl out the door with her, cackling happily as she eagerly shared with Shinobu what she planned to do to the teacher. Motoko and Tsuruko hurried after them. Moments later, Naru rose and departed. Mutsumi, Kitsune and Amalla remained, having a more sedate breakfast.

 

-

 

“So, what now?” wondered Keitaro, stretching as he and Haru finally got off the plane that was supposed to take them to the Philippines but had been forced to turn back because of a major storm system half-way to the next lay-over on their way home.

 

“Welcome to Indonesia, I guess,” shrugged Haru, hiding a yawn. Looking at the flight boards, she pursed her lips, thinking. “Might as well find a place to sleep,” she said, “looks like flights are all being delayed or cancelled.”

 

“For how long?” wondered Keitaro. Haruka shrugged.

 

“Few hours, few days - hard to tell with these kind of storms,” the woman said. Truthfully, she wasn't at all upset about putting off the return to the Hinata. Right now, I have Keitaro all to myself, thought the woman, a little selfishly.

 

“So, um, stay in the terminal?” he wondered. Haruka considered that.

 

“For now. We'll give a few hours and see what the situation looks like then. If it is still going to be delayed, we can either find a route around this thing, or find a hotel somewhere,” the older Urashima said. “For now, let's get something to eat,” she suggested, leading Keitaro toward one of the small eateries situated on the concourse. With no checked baggage, the pair were fairly mobile.

 

Settling in a small booth with the over-priced and uninspired food, the two slowly ate. At one point, Haruka paused to pull out her cell phone. After a moment, she was satisfied that she had air, and sent off a text message. “Who are you texting?” wondered Keitaro.

 

“Granny,” said Haruka. “She likes to know where her grandchildren are,” smiled the woman. Closing her phone, she sipped her cola. Keitaro finished off his food and sighed.

 

“I wish I had some of Shinobu's cooking,” he said absently.

 

Haruka nodded. “Me, too,” she agreed. Looking at the small smile on Keitaro's face, she smiled as well. “Thinking of her?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

 

“Yeah,” admitted Keitaro.

 

“Hey, Keitaro,” Haruka said, leaning closer to him, “have you given any thought to what to do after you find out who your bride is?” she murmured. Keitaro blinked.

 

“What do you mean, after?” he wondered.

 

“I mean, once you are married, what next?” Haruka repeated. Keitaro frowned.

 

“Not really,” he said slowly. “I guess…” he stopped, his frown deepening. Haruka sighed softly, shaking her head.

 

“You will have to make some decisions, you know,” she said, leaning back a little. “For one thing, you will have to decide about children.”

 

“C…children?” gaped Keitaro. Haruka nodded.

 

“One of the main reasons behind all this is children, Keitaro,” she said matter-of-factly. “You are more or less expected to produce children; especially if you are married to an Aoyama,” pointed out Haruka. “Children from that marriage will be inheriting both families' holdings, influence and honor. Also, there is the matter of the curses,” recalled Haru. Keitaro gulped, but didn't panic. Looking at him, Haruka felt a strong sense of smug self-satisfaction. He's not who he was before this trip, that's for certain! she gloated.

 

“I guess you have a point,” he mumbled, more to himself than to her. I never really thought about it, but that is the point of all this, he realized. He suddenly found himself trying to picture himself as a father, the girls in the Hina cycling through his mind. Shinobu will make a great mother, he thought, smiling a little, and so will Mutsumi! Naru probably will, if she would calm down. I'm not so sure about Su or Kitsune. As for Motoko and Tsuruko, I don't think that they would be bad mothers, but I wonder if they would be happy being mothers? he wondered.

 

“Wondering about the Aoyama sisters?” Haru seemed to read his mind. “I admit, I have my questions about them, but you should know that of all the women, those two are the ones most likely to be looking for children from this,” she baited him.

 

“I guess,” he said, looking into her eyes, “but do you think they would make good mothers?” he wondered. Haruka blinked.

 

“Honestly? I don't know,” she said. “But, I think that there is no question that they would do their very best to be,” she tried to reassure him. Keitaro mulled that over. “What are you thinking, Keitaro?” asked Haruka, reaching over to catch his hand with hers.

 

“Well, you know that Motoko was trying for Todai,” Keitaro said. “If she is waiting for me, and is under pressure to have children immediately, she probably won't get to attend Todai, right?” Haruka nodded. “Same goes for Shinobu. She has been aiming for Todai since I met her, and if she gets married and becomes pregnant, then she won't be able to go to Todai; or probably any university. Naru is in the same position, though maybe it would work out with her, since she is more than half way to her degree,” he related.

 

“You are thinking that Tsuruko and Kitsune are safer choices in that regard?” Haru suggested. Keitaro shrugged.

 

“I don't know,” he replied. “I think the best thing is to let the girls decide on who, and then let that girl decide on this matter.”

 

“A safe strategy,” commended Haruka. “Though, I think you might be missing some details in regard to the girls,” she grinned.

 

Keitaro frowned. “What do you mean?” he wondered. Haruka shook her head.

 

“Don't worry about it,” she said. “But I think you might be underestimating the girls; that's all.” Shinobu would not care one bit about Todai if she gets to marry you, Keitaro, Haruka thought to herself. Motoko is only after Todai because of you as well, and if she marries you, there is no point to her pursuing Todai either. No, I think you are overlooking the key piece of the puzzle, lover, she mused.

 

Rising, she pulled him up as well. “Might as well find a comfortable place to wait,” she said, leading him back toward the seating area in the terminal they would need to board from. Finding a comfortable corner, she settled in, Keitaro close to her. Pulling out a pack of cards, she waggled them under Keitaro's nose. “How about we play cards?” she grinned.