Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Pride and Honor ❯ Dark Fire: The Bandit ( Chapter 5 )

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A/N: Hum... I wonder if anyone will tell me what they think about this fic? I think some of the people on FF.net liked it, but I'm not so sure when I get here. Maybe if it was a lemon... The people on Mediaminer seem to LOVE lemons...

Just kidding. I don't write lemons (but I might start if it ever passes my fancy).

All right, on to business. I do not own Love Hina, and never will. Furthermore, I am receiving no money for this. So enjoy, and don't try to sue me.

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Pride and Honor: Chapter 04 - Dark Fire ~ The Bandit

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Summary:

Motoko recalls the events years ago that resulted in her best friend's disappearance, and the death of a loved one. What triggered the memory was Suu's story about Sora's hair turning white while battling mecha tama. When asked to explain, the young ninja tells Motoko to gather the residents of the Hinata.

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Narusegawa Naru sat in the hot springs along with Maehara Shinobu and Konno Mitsune. None of them were saying much, mostly worn out by their day. Naru's study session with Keitaro was rather frustrating. It seemed that the ronin was being stupid on purpose. His practice test scores were low and he seemed more distracted than ever.

Mitsune's job hunt was beginning to wear on her as well. "Man," she sighed. "I don't understand why every employer wants someone with experience! How does a person even go about getting experience when nobody will hire them?" A sympathetic murmur passed around the hot springs, but no one was really listening at the moment.

Shinobu was a little worn out as well. Sora was being a pain throughout the day. She had spent most of lunchtime trying to convince him to stay for dinner, and only received a non-committal grunt in response. She hadn't seen the boy for three hours now, but she had a sneaking suspicion that he was still somewhere in the Hinata. "You really shouldn't let that boy bother you like that," Naru said, noting the young girl's unease. "You should be more assertive."

"W-What are you talking about?" Shinobu asked innocently.

"Oh come on, Shinobu-chan, I was sitting at lunch as well. You spent the entire time pleading with Urashima-kun. You'll NEVER get him to do anything like that," Naru said shaking a finger.

Mitsune grinned, "You should listen to her, Shinobu-chan. Naru-chan has got Kei-kun eating out of her hand."

"Quiet, Kitsune!" she snapped. She saw Naru tense up and knew she struck a chord. //You're too easy to tease, Naru-chan...//

"Uh... Naru-sempai?" Shinobu asked timidly, "I don't think I can treat Bandit the way you treat Keitaro-sempai..."

"Nonsense," Naru waved the young girl's question off. "All boys are the same. I bet he'll fold right up."

//How would she know?// Shinobu wondered. //I don't think Bandit has even spoken to her yet...//

Naru then noticed Aoyama Motoko approaching. By the look on the young samurai's face, Naru could tell that Motoko was having a bad day as well. Her eyes were slightly red as if she had just woken up and they darted around nervously as if something dangerous was occurring.

"Hello, Motoko-chan," Naru greeted. "Why are you dressed? You're not coming in?"

Motoko shook her head. "No, Naru-sempai, I won't be joining you right now. The demon told me to gather everyone, and even though I hate delivering his message, I urge you to hear what he has to say."

Shinobu's ears perked up. "What could it be? He's not leaving already, is he?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure he couldn't possibly find a better living arrangement than here," Mitsune smirked. "Any thirteen year-old boy would kill to be surrounded by all these women."

Naru rose out of the water. "Well, now is a good time as any to find out what he has to say," she said as she wrapped her towel around her. "Let's go."

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Urashima Sora was lying on the couch, pondering his next move. His face didn't show much aside from his usual calm, but he was racking his brains for a way to explain his power to the other residents. Eventually, he gave up, deciding that evasiveness would help nothing. Looking up, he saw Suu buzzing around the room, making plenty of noise for the both of them.

"Suu-chan, do you think I'm a monster," he asked suddenly. He needed an opinion and Suu was the only one of the girls that had seen him in action.

"Of course!" she chirped loudly, nodding in the affirmative and smiling. She came over to the couch and hugged him. "Yup! You're my monster!" She then got up and went completely insane, pretending to be destroying a city.

"Okay, forget I asked!" Sora broke in, but it was too late. The girl was no longer listening to him. Sora sweatdropped. //SHE'S in a good mood...// Groaning in supreme irritation Sora covered his ears. //I DON'T need this right now...// He tuned the girl out as she resumed her rampage and lost himself again in his thoughts.

Suddenly, the door opened and four girls entered the room, Keitaro right behind them. Sora made sure not to look at them, trying to stall for a few more seconds before he would have to explain himself.

"Well, demon," Motoko said as she approached Sora. He noted with some dismay that she now had her sword, her right hand gripping the hilt. "I think this is everybody. Now let us hear what you have to say."

Sora waited as everyone got themselves situated, he himself standing in the middle of the room. The girls formed a circle around him, all waiting impatiently for him to begin. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for bothering you all, but I decided I should tell you a little about my background if I'm going to be staying here.

"I suppose you have all heard the term 'Dark Fire' before, and you all know that I am a ninja. The name I received upon my birth was Auron Sora, but was changed after my late father's death and the ensuing marriage between my mother and Keitaro. Both the Auron and the Kato are known as the 'Dark Fire', a clan of ninja that are known to be extremely dangerous."

"That is an understatement, ninja," Motoko broke in.

"But Sora has been here a whole week and hasn't done anything," Shinobu pointed out.

"Yeah, even I look stronger than him," Naru said. "How is it that such a small kid can be associated with such a deadly clan of ninja?"

"I don't know, Naru, I think anyone that can bring down a mecha tama with a staff and some darts is rather powerful," Mitsune broke in. "But he hasn't even hinted at aggression."

"Yeah, Bandit saved the town from Suu-chan's mecha tama," Suu broke in. "He didn't have to, but he did it anyway."

"What Aoyama-san says has a good amount of truth to it," Sora said quietly. All eyes turned back to the boy. "She is the only one here except for myself and otousan that have confronted the 'Dark Fire' before. Make no mistake about it. I'm a killer. And I'm NOT a nice person. I am a demon, just as Aoyama-san says."

"Maybe you should know a little more about the 'Dark Fire'," Keitaro said after Sora had gone quiet. "The Auron is one of the older ninja clans. It is suspected that the clan, as a whole, is responsible for the deaths of nearly thirty-five million people throughout history. The 'Dark Fire' was a name given to them by the people that feared them. They move swiftly through the night, sneaking into towns or military bases, and completely destroying them and vanishing once again, hence the name 'Dark Fire'."

Everyone sat a moment, allowing the last bit of information sink in. They were all in the presence of an accomplished killer. They ate, slept, bathed, and spoke with a boy that could have murdered them all in the night. Naru spared an apprehensive glance at Sora before continuing. "Wait a minute, Keitaro..." Naru asked. "What about you? Are you a part of this clan as well?"

An uncomfortable silence passed, as all eyes turned to Keitaro. Keitaro sat up a little straighter, trying to keep his gaze level.

"Otousan is not a ninja," Sora replied before Keitaro could open his mouth. "If he was, he would've tried to kill me." Naru was about to further question the boy when Motoko spoke.

"Enough of this," she broke in harshly. "So what: You're a demon! I knew that already! What I want to know is how you defeated Suu-chan's mecha tama."

Sora's eye twitched slightly, and the other girls watched as he the two fighters glared at each other for a moment before Sora shrugged and begun to leave. "Follow me," he instructed. The other girls complied readily.

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While walking up to the flat roof, the girls talked amongst themselves. "I don't get it..." Shinobu said sadly, "He's KILLED people before?"

Motoko scoffed, "I don't know why you're so surprised. He is a ninja, and all they're good for is murder."

"Well, the kid IS rather scary-looking," Mitsune said as they continued along. "I think we should be more careful around him. Keitaro too."

"No!" Suu objected loudly. "Bandit's nice! He hasn't hurt Suu-chan at all, and Keitaro would never hurt anybody!"

"I think we should hear them out first," Naru said.

"Oh please, Naru-sempai, you're smarter than that!" Motoko spat. "The child is EVIL, and his father could be worse!"

"That isn't true," Shinobu broke in, "Keitaro has been here for a while now and hasn't even fought back when you and Naru-sempai hit him."

"Well, let's see what this kid can do. We can decide if he's dangerous afterwards," Naru said, shrugging.

"Of course he's dangerous," Mitsune said calmly. "He can enter and exit rooms without us noticing, he has a full arsenal of weapons in his room, he's powerful... but what can we do about it? I say we just listen to what they say..." She trailed off.

"He won't hurt us," Shinobu replied quietly. "I've been alone with him in the kitchen several times this week and he hasn't done anything."

"You talk as if you know him, Shinobu-chan," Motoko rolled her eyes. "He's only been here a week."

"That means you can't judge him as well," Shinobu replied.

"Look," Naru cut in, "This is POINTLESS. Let's just see what they'll do, okay?"

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Sora and Keitaro faced off against each other on the flat roof, the girls watching earnestly. A cold wind blew through the area, as Sora prepared himself mentally to begin the show. "Are you sure about this, otousan?" he asked. "You know it is impossible to fully control the 'Dark Fire'... I might kill you."

"Please, I've taken plenty of abuse in my life. A little more won't kill me," Keitaro smiled. "Especially from you, slacker."

Sora nodded and undid the knot on his bandana, pulling it off. He walked over to Shinobu, bowed, and offered it to her. "Hold this for me, please?"

Shinobu bowed back and accepted the item, confused as to why he was removing it in the first place. //The bandana seems to be important to him... Maybe he just doesn't want to get it dirty.// Sora removed his gloves and dropped them on the floor, feeling odd (naked almost) without his bandana and gloves on. Walking back over Keitaro, they bowed to each other and got into fighting stances.

A moment passed as both fighters assessed each other. Both waited for a moment of weakness, balancing easily in their stances. The girls watched tensely, preparing themselves to witness a fight between their beloved manager and his son. Motoko gripped her handle as she felt both warrior's power increase drastically. //Since when did they get this strong?// she wondered. //Whoever these two are, they are definitely not normal...// Sora slid forward slightly, still looking for an opening. Then Keitaro blinked.

Instantly, Sora charged forward and swung with his fists. Keitaro sidestepped, moving so quickly that an outline of his figure was left behind in his place. Spinning around, Sora crossed his arms across his face, blocking Keitaro's flying kick. He forced the leg back, knocking Keitaro off-balance and he followed up with a flurry of punches that only Motoko could follow. Keitaro kept busy, dodging and blocking blows as he was driven back. Suddenly, he caught Sora's arm and delivered a powerful elbow to his side, sending the boy skidding across the ground. As he slid, Sora put a hand to floor and used his momentum to execute a back flip off the ground.

Sora slid back into his stance, quickly becoming impatient. He charged again, this time unleashing a quick flurry of kicks. Keitaro answered, matching his combo perfectly and effectively canceling it. Both fighters ended off with their legs crossed in the air in an X shape. Sora leapt away from him and shrugged.

"As you can see this battle is going nowhere. Bandit is withholding his energy at the moment, using his 'normal' form for the time being," Keitaro said, sweating slightly from the brief stint of action. "Time for you to use the 'Trance'." He said to Sora.

Sora nodded and shut his eyes, clenching his fists tightly at his sides. He stood there, silent for a moment with his head down. Suddenly, his hair whipped backwards, blowing in a wind that seemed to have just picked up, before it shimmered and turned white. His hair stood straight backwards, as if he was victim of an electric shock. Looking up slowly, Sora opened his eyes, which were glowing an ugly red. He lifted his left hand and showed it to the girls. On it was the kanji for 'Evil', glowing as red as his eyes.

The girls unconsciously took a step back. //Oh Kami...// Motoko thought. //The boy IS a demon...// the boy looked like he was possessed, glaring darkly at the girls. Motoko could feel his energy quite clearly now.

Turning angrily to Keitaro, Sora resumed his attack, seemingly disappearing from his spot on the roof. Keitaro was driven up into the air with a somersault, and the boy followed up his attack, moving so fast that Keitaro was suspended in mid-air. //This can't be real...// Motoko thought to herself. All she could see were flashes of light, and Keitaro spinning and jolting around crazily in the air. Finally Sora reappeared above Keitaro where they both appeared to hover in the air a moment. Sora raised both hands above his head, preparing for the final blow. The girls watched, stunned, as he brought both fists down with a battle cry, his small fists flying down and connect right on the top of Keitaro's head. On impact, a flash of energy seemed to explode from Sora's body. Keitaro flew straight through the roof, a shockwave of wood pieces and wind assaulting the girls as Keitaro continued to fly through the inn, before landing on the bottom level. Naru let out a strangled cry as the dust settled.

Sora landed on the roof, dropping to one knee and holding the position for a second. //Damn it, otousan, I told you... It's impossible to fully control the 'Dark Fire'...//

He rose slowly, once again looking at the girls with his blood red eyes. Naru glared at the boy for a moment. //He's crazy...// she thought. //No... he's a demon...// turned away, angrily, and ran downstairs to check on Keitaro. Mitsune followed her friend silently. Shinobu approached Sora cautiously, being careful not to look at him.

"You hurt sempai," she said softly.

"I know," Sora replied. His voice sound artificial, almost like that of a robot. It sent an odd tingle down the girl's spine.

"Why? Why did you have to?" she asked, tears brimming in her eyes. "Do you hate him?"

"I was only showing you what I could do. Otousan told me not to hold back, so I didn't," Sora said unconsciously rubbing his side where Keitaro had elbowed him. //He sure wasn't...//

//So cold...// Shinobu thought to herself. She couldn't bring herself to look at his eyes. //So this is the real Bandit?// "Monster..." she said softly. "Motoko-sempai was right, you ARE a monster!" She threw his bandana at him and fled.

//I'm kinda getting tired of hearing that... Can't people be a little more original when they try to hurt my feelings?// Sora thought as he let his energy fade and his body relax. His hair and eyes changed back to their original color. Sora picked his bandana up off the floor and went to gather his gloves. //Well, I'm leaving soon anyway.//

As he was tying the knot on his bandana Motoko stood in front of him with Suu clinging to her back.

"Congratulations, demon," she said evenly. "Not only have you managed to scare everyone here, you might have actually managed to kill Urashima-san."

"Does that mean I scare you as well," Sora replied icily.

"Of course not," Motoko scoffed. Sora noticed that she was gripping the hilt of her katana tightly. When he looked back up, his eyes were glowing red once again.

"So," he said, narrowing his eyes, "I suppose you grip the hilt of your sword as a gesture of good will?"

Motoko gritted her teeth. "Demon... You've just injured your father. He's down there and he could be dying, yet you sit here and act like the same unfeeling monster you have been ever since you've come here."

"He's alive," Sora spat, his red eyes flashing. "You can sense him just as well as I can!"

"Well you didn't have to continue," Motoko said harshly.

"Yes I did!" Sora shouted, shocking both of the girls. Sora hadn't even raised his voice the whole week he was at the Hinata. He continued speaking, this time at his normal volume. "The technique I used to transform myself is called the 'Trance'. That was the lowest level of the trance, commonly called a 'Majin' form. As I ascend, my body becomes less and less human, making it so my actions are a little harder to control. I've come close to controlling the Majin form, but I still get a little excited during battle, often hurting opponents more than I want to."

"You can't control it then?" Motoko asked.

"I won't go on a rampage and kill everyone here, unless you force me into combat, if that is what has you so scared," Sora said turning away.

"I'm not scared of you demon," Motoko spat.

"That's right," Sora shot back ruthlessly, transforming into a Majin once again. "You're terrified. I've seen the look many times, Aoyama-san. So tell me, Aoyama-san, did you lose anyone special when your dojo was attacked? The look in your eye suggests something more than a mere loss of face."

Motoko gritted here teeth, "That is none of your business, demon!"

Sora walked a bit closer and stood on his toes to get a better look at Motoko's face. She pulled away quickly, her sword singing from her sheath. Suu leapt off of Motoko's back and kept her distance from her friend. Sora avoided the attack easily, disappearing and reappearing right behind Motoko. "Hm... must've been a boy... You were in love, weren't you?"

"Shut up!" Motoko shouted. She struck out desperately with her sword, but Sora evaded her effortlessly.

He continued ruthlessly. "I thought so. It was definitely love. I usually feel sick when I see the look of somebody who lost a lover... It's usually too painful to watch. But on you, it doesn't seem that bad... So, did you ever tell him?"

Sora could almost feel her heart constrict after he said this. If it had been anybody else, he would've thought that the girl was about to cry, but he knew better. Motoko let out another yell as she continued her onslaught, but to no avail. Sora nodded gravely. "No, huh? That's really too bad... but I suppose it's better that way, ne? You didn't have much time to enjoy his company anyway..."

Motoko continued to attack, her blade only striking out at air as Sora continued to dodge lazily. "I wonder what he felt..." Sora said as he sidestepped a downward thrust. "He probably screamed your name before-- "

"Stop it!" Motoko screamed, too exhausted to continue her assault. "Just stop..."

Sora stood silently a moment before speaking. "I was wondering how long it would take you to realize you can't beat me in your current form."

Motoko spat into the floor while she caught her breath. "You've never spoken this much to me before. Why are you so vocal now?"

"Because I'm trying to figure why you've been such a bitch to me ever since I've arrived," Sora said plainly. "Do you think I happen to like samurai? I you do, you're wrong. Dead wrong. I hate the samurai with everything that I am. I hate their arrogance, I hate bushido, and I hate you. Are you happy now?"

"Thrilled," Motoko replied, regaining some of her former confidence. "I assume that your clan feels the same way?"

"Yes," Sora replied, "They do." His eyes seemed to flare up a bit brighter than normal, the red glow crackling around Sora's eyes lightning. "You are all arrogant fools, frankly. Especially that kid, Toma Jeros." Motoko tried to hide her gasp, but Sora caught it. "Looks like I found our mystery man. So, you took a liking to the coward?"

Motoko shut her eyes tightly, gritting her teeth. "Silence!" she shouted. "Jeros was no coward! He fought bravely and died for his clan!"

"Sure, real brave. Jeros only struck down one ninja on that raid on the Kato. A wounded ninja who didn't even have his sword with him." Sora's voice suddenly went ice-cold. "And do you know who that ninja happened to be? Auron Ryu, my father who wasn't even a Kato ninja. Is this what you samurai call bravery? Sure, ninja don't use very straightforward tactics, but we don't confuse our treachery with bravery."

"Shut up!" Motoko said, covering her ears. "SHUT UP!!!"

Sora ignored her pleas and continued. "Don't want to believe me, huh? Well I don't blame you, but you can take my word for it; I was standing right there when the killing blow was dealt." Sora shrugged, "He challenge me after that: a distressed, little, nine year-old with only a bokken to defend himself with. I was forced to run..."

"Shut up..." Motoko mumbled, running low on steam. "Enough lies..."

"Of course, he had that foolish samurai habit of announcing his full name and rank to his opponents. Maybe back when the shogunate was still in power, this information wouldn't help possible pursuers that much, but let's face it: We're in the 90's. Just because we're ninja doesn't mean we can't use the Internet," Sora smirked slightly, his red eyes sending a chill down Motoko's spine. "I bet Jeros didn't look so brave when my uncle Ryo shoved a staff trough his throat... He probably made it very painful, too. Uncle Ryo loved his brother dearly..."

Motoko's sword wobbled in her grip, the blade slowly rose to point at Sora. Then she charged one final time, refusing to back down. Sora lifted his left hand. the kanji inscribed in it shimmered white, and a glowing white card appeared in his hand. Sora drew his arm back and threw it, hitting Motoko in the right leg. Her leg crackled with energy as she fell over, her right leg now completely paralyzed. She hit the floor and continued skidding, stopping right at Sora's feet. His face was now stone cold, the energy in his eyes crackling again. He stomped on Motoko's wrist, forcing the sword from her grasp.

"So, if you hated me from the beginning, why did you kneel to me the first time I challenged you?" Motoko asked, as she prepared for death.

"I knew you wouldn't actually kill me if I conceded. You didn't have the eyes of a killer," Sora said.

"True," Motoko replied. "But nobody has the eyes of a killer until they have killed somebody."

"Also true," Sora replied in a monotone. "And if I had fought you that day, you would have killed me. In a fight, it is easy to forget the human part of our minds. It would've been you or me, and you would make the obvious choice, killing me instead of having me kill you. But, by not fighting you, I put you against yourself. You were forced to try and overcome your conscience and you failed."

"What use was all of this, though? You knew you are stronger than me, and would've won that battle," Motoko pointed out.

"That's the thing: I wasn't sure if you were stronger than me or not. I'm a ninja, remember? I don't throw myself into impossible battles. I don't assume I'm stronger than my enemies, but I find ways to weaken them until I'm assured a victory." Sora lifted his left hand, the kanji glowing white yet again. "And now, it's over," he said coldly. A ball of energy swirled in Sora's hand, the energy in his eyes crackled like mad. In between his fingers, Sora could see Motoko sit up as straight as she could with her useless leg.

Sora paused when he heard a light sniffing. He didn't think too much of it at first, until it got a little louder. He looked up and saw Suu watching them with tears running down her face. She seemed to be repeating something over and over again, but no sound was escaping her lips. Sora's aim wavered a moment as he recalled the faces of other people who witnessed him destroying targets. //Usually, they scream and wail, and I thought that was a bad as it got. But Suu... she's completely silent... It's eerie...// Before Sora could steel himself, Suu ran over and hugged Motoko tightly. Sora's energy flickered a moment, then faded completely as he dropped his hand. //She's beaten me. Good move, Suu-chan...// Sora thought to himself as he left.

For a long moment, the two girls sat there hugging each other. Finally, when she was sure no one else was around, Motoko began crying for the first time in years, once again remembering the two friends that were lost years ago.

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A/N: Okay, I'm done here...

--Stizzo Out