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Loss and Redemption	By : hawker748 Category: +G to L > Love Hina Views: 24929 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements,
flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and
reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Once again, I would like to thank all
reviewers for the feedback that was provided.

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both
of them.

�*� Spoken words

�*� Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter Seven: All�s Fair In Love and War

By: hawker_748

**LIME CONTENT WARNING!**

Later that
evening, Keitaro was laying on his futon thinking about what had happened
earlier. Two incredibly beautiful women had kissed him, and had told him that
they cared for him. While this might have seemed to be a dream come true for
most warm-blooded males, if one stopped to really think about it, this was
actually quite a complicated situation. What made matters even more difficult
was that he cared deeply for both of them in return.

Naru Narusegawa. Beautiful and witty, she
had been the sun in his sky for a long time. While thinking back to their first
meeting in the bstilstill made him cringe in embarrassment, he couldn�t even
imagine a life without knowing her. He loved to see her smile; when they got
along, he felt like he could fly. When she was upset with him, the pain in his
heart dwarfed the pain she usually inflicted on him.

That was the main problem in their
relationship; Naru was either affectionate with him or attempting to make him
the first man in orbit without a spacecraft. �I wish things could have been
easier for us Naru,� he reflected. It�s a pity that I seem to have a gift for
sticking my foot into my mouth.�

Keitaro then started thinking about the
other important woman in his life. Motoko Aoyama. Attractive and graceful, the
two of them had gotten off on an even worse footing than him and Naru. Where
Naru had been content to just deck him, Motoko had appeared quite ready to kill
him. There had been times when he suspected that the only things keeping him
alive were witnesses and the potential difficulty in disposing of his corpse.

She had eventually become more accepting
of him and had even started to grow fond of him, before a strange twist of fate
had forced them together. An attempt to deceive Motoko�s older sister Tsuruko
had backfired when she had forced the two of them to marry in a ceremony of
uncertain legality.

While Keitaro would admit that being
married to Motoko wouldn�t have been such a bad thing, he had still been carrying
a torch for Naru. The thought of losing her had been emotionally devastating.
But as bad as it had been for him, it was far worse for his �bride�. Motoko had
also been banished from the Shinmei School, and had everything she had ever
worked for ripped away.

He had been forced to act as a crutch for
Motoko, something he couldn�t bring himself to resent, even saving her life in
a suicide attempt. The sadness he�d felt at having to temporarily let Naru go
had been replaced with acceptance of Motoko, then affection, and possibly even
love. Without intention, he�d fallen for Motoko, and he was now willing to
spend the rest of his life with her.

The only problem was, he had realized
that he still cared for Naru, and he couldn�t just let her go. He was now in
the unfortunate situation of having to choose between the two of them. But he
didn�t want to, at least not now. If he made a choice, the possible
consequences would be enormous. Hinata House would never be the same, and every
resident would be affected. It was better to stay the course, and hope that
things would work themselves out on their own.

�So what now?� Keitaro wondered. �Am I
supposed to make a decision? And how do I do that? Flip a coin?
Rock-paper-scissors?� He snorted at that thought. �That�s just stupid. Maybe
things will be easier in the morning.� With that thought, Keitaro slid under
the covers and prepared to turn of the light and go to sleep.

At this point Motoko walked in and
started getting ready for bed. �Ready for another early class tomorrow?� she
asked as she started to get undressed.

�Back to the early grind.� �Yeah, I�ll be
ready,� he replied, although his tone indicated that he had liked being able to
sleep in today.

Motoko gave him a winning smile. �Glad to
hear it,� she said as she removed her hakama and started unwrapping her
bindings with her back to him.

Keitaro looked up and froze when he
realized what he was seeing. Transfixed, he watched as her wrap was removed,
layer after layer, until only the smooth skin of her back was visible. Without
turning around, but making no attempt to cover up either, she walked to the
dresser clad only in her panties. She reached into a drawer and pulled out not
her usual nightshirt, but a bra. �Jesus,� he thought, �I know that bra!� He had
bought it for Motoko as a Christmas present.

Motoko looked over her shoulder, saw
Keitaro gaping at her, and had to work hard to keep from laughing. �He�s cute
when he�s flustered,� she considered. She put her arms through the straps,
pulled it into place and called out to him. �Keitaro, could you help me
please?�

Keitaro�s brow twitched once. �Excuse
me?� he replied quietly.

Motoko looked straight at him and said,
�Could you come here and do this up for me?�

For a split second, Keitaro�s heart stopped.
Then it started beating like a jackhammer. His blood pressure could have
inflated a tire. �Alright,� he croaked out, his throat as dry as cotton. He
slowly stood up and started walking towards Motoko, remembering how embarrassed
he had been buying that bra. It had been a humiliating experience, hearing all
those snickers from the women in the shop. When that clerk had asked him if he
was certain that this was his size, he�d wanted to die right there. Then she
had given the knife another twist and said that he�d probably look better in a
red lace teddy.

When he�d given it to Motoko, he�d never
expected to see it again, except maybe in the laundry, never mind being asked
to do it up! As he grasped each of the ends in his trembling hands, he rasped
out, �Which ones?�

< lan lang=EN-CA>

It took Motoko a moment to realize he
meant which loop on the strip he should hook into. �The first one,� she
replied. She felt him hook it together and was little disappointed that he had
barely touched her. �He�s probably just being a gentleman,� she thought to
herself in consolation.

For Keitaro, it had taken all of the
willpower he had to stop herself from letting go of the straps and gently
running his hands along Motoko�s smooth skin. Even now his hands were reaching
out to touch her, despite his brain screaming at them to cease and desist.
Finally, they acknowledged the orders and fell to his sides, not a split second
before Motoko turned around.

�Time for bed,� she said, and proceeded
to walk over to the futon and lay down on it.

After a moment, Keitaro walked over as
well, all the while trying to use his hands to nonchalantly conceal a sign of
his excitement from Motoko. He figured that she probably knew it was there, but
it was still kind of embarrassing walking around with one. He lay down, quickly
covered himself to the waist, and reached over to turn out the light.
�Goodnight Motoko,� he said as he turned off the light.

He put his head down on the pillow when
he felt what seemed to be silk fall against his face. He realized it was
Motoko�s hair just before he felt her lips press against his own. He felt his
arms reach up and embrace Motoko as he returned the kiss willingly.

Much too soon for Keitaro�s liking,
Motoko broke the kiss, placed her lips next to his ear and whispered �Goodnight
Kei-kun,� in a throaty voice that nearly turned his blood to fire. She then
rested her head on his chest, wrapped her arms around him, and snuggled in
close.

Keitaro kept her in an embrace as he
struggled to calm himself down. �Mint,� he thought idly to himself, �she must
have used my mouthwash.� He lay there, just enjoying the feeling of closeness,
and thinking back on what had occurred earlier. He and Motoko had gone for a
picnic, admitted that they cared for each other, and had almost ended up making
love.

Then, when they had gotten back to Hinata
House, Naru had kissed him, admitted that she cared for him, and had said that
she didn�t want to lose him. That one revelation had thrown his mind for a loop
and had reminded him of how much he cared for Naru.

All and all, it meant that despite how
tired he was, and how nice it felt to have Motoko in his arms, sleep didn�t
come easy that night.

***

The next morning Naru was awakened by the
sounds of Keitaro and Motoko heading for the roof to train. She sat there for a
few moments, trying to figure out a way to talk to Keitaro without Motoko being
there. In a flash an idea came to her. She got up and stealthily walked into
Keitaro�s bathroom. Finding the water supply handles, she turned off the flow to
the little bathroom. A pair of quick hard twists, and the handles snapped off.
She then crept back into her room and waited to start the next phase of her
plan.

A little over a hour later, Keitaro
walked into his bathroom and discovered, to his chagrin, that there was no
water, and that he�d have to replace the handles. He decided to go have
breakfast and ask for permission to use the outdoor bath after everyone was
done with it.

At the breakfast table, Keitaro�s
enjoyment of the foas mas marred by how filthy he was feeling and by Kitsune�s
cracks about making sure that he was downwind of her. He noticed that Naru
wasn�t present at the table, but he didn�t think too much about that. After
eating, he gratefully walked into the outdoor bath and delighted in getting
himself clean again. After washing, he just sat there and soaked, trying to
sort out all of the confusing feelings he was having.

o:p>

Sleeping next to Motoko felt� right
somehow, but Naru had been his first real love, and he couldn�t easily let her
go. �Pity I can�t have both of them,� he thought to himself. At this thought,
his mind immediately visualized having the both of them at the same time.

Literally.

The resulting rush of blood to his face
and someplace else caused him to wonder if his other organs were getting enough
blood. �I didn�t mean like that!� he yelled internally at his mind, which had
developed a real perverted side recently.

His ruminations were disrupted when he
heard the unmistakeable sound of someone entering the bath. �What the Hell? I
put up the sign!� His mind ran through the probable scenario if he was
discovered. Surprise. Screams. Ballistic flight. Extreme pain and
embarrassment. He looked around desperately, trying to find a place to hide
before he was discovered. If anyone found him in here, it�d be his fault, even
with the sign up, he always ended up�

�Hello Keitaro.�

Naru�s voice cut through all of his
mental ramblings like a razor. He looked up and saw her standing there, naked.
She was kept semi-decent only by the way her hair was falling over her
shoulders and the steam rising from the water. Keitaro stood there completely
stunned. Naru was standing naked in front of him with a pleasant expression on
her face. There was no hint of impending shock, anger, or violence. Just that
soft smile that had always made him feel like he was on top of the world.

Remembering that she had talked to him,
Keitaro wracked his brain for a suitable reply. �Didn�t you see the sign?� he
asked weakly.

�Yes I did,� she replied.

�Then why�?� he broke off, unable to
finish the question.

�I wanted to see you.�

Keitaro just stood there for a minute,
thinking about that. He lowered his head to avoid staring at Naru�

�and then realized that she could �see�
more of him than was probably appropriate. He yelped and quickly sat down, his
face going beet-red. �AUGH, I�m sorry Naru!� He put up his hands and prepared
for impact. Which never came. He lowered his hands and saw Naru walking towards
him, still smiling.

�You don�t have to be, you know how I
feel about you,� she replied calmly.

�Like when you threw me through the
trapdoor?� his mind asked silently. His eyes widened slightly at that thought,
as it had come up involuntarily. He accepted Naru�s faults, Motoko�s as well,
without complaint because they were an integral part of what he loved about
them.

The awkward situation was made even more
so with the addition of the third side of the love triangle. �Kei-kun, are you
all right?� called out Motoko from the changing area.

Keitaro blanched. �Motoko?! I�m dead!� He
was naked, Naru was naked; she�d take one look at this situation, jump to the
wrong conclusion, and kill him. DNA would be needed to identify his remains.
Realizing that there was nowhere to run or hide, he decided not to move and
resigned himself to his fate. Sure enough, there she was, looking at the scene
before her. She�d pull her sword out and then�

Hold it.

Where was Motoko�s sword? Never mind
that, where the hell were her clothes? Why was she naked? If she thought he was
in trouble then she wouldn�t have�

Oh.

�She must have decided to surprise me,�
Keitaro mused. �Guess she got more of a surprise than she was expecting.�

There was dead quiet throughout the
women�s bath. Even the wind and the cicadas had the good sense not to break the
silence that now reigned supreme. Motoko and Naru stared at each other, two
sets of eyes narrowing. Keitaro�s survival instincts started screaming at him
to get the hell outta Dodge City NOW. He stood up to leave, but then he
hesitated. He cared for both of these women, and he didn�t want to see any
violence between them. But as he stood there paralysed, he realized that he
wasn�t sure he could keep the two of them apart if they decided to come to
blows.

Naru glared at Motoko, much like she had
before she had left. But now Motoko was glaring back at her with a look that
was fiercer than any look she�d ever given Keitaro. Naru noticed that Motoko�s
hands were twitching, and slowly moving to her side. A chill came over her as
she realized that Motoko was unconsciously reaching for her sword. Naru then
belatedly realized that she was now standing on the balls of her feet and that
her fists were clenched.

�What are you doing in here?� hissed
Naru. She began slowly moving out of the water towards Motoko. She was trying
to reach the entrance where she�d have better footing if a fight ended up
breaking out.

�What about you? Didn�t you see the
sign?� spat Motoko. Motoko saw Naru approaching and automatically started
moving around Naru, attempting to size her opponent up. If she�d had her sword
with her it would have been no contest. However, she was unarmed, and Naru was
formidable in hand-to-hand combat.

�I saw it didn�t you?� Naru replied,
venom dripping from every syllable.

At this point the two of them were slowly
circling each other, looking for an excuse to commence hostilities. Naru was
enraged that Motoko had interrupted her attempt to be with Keitaro. Motoko was
livid at Naru for attempting to get close to �her� Keitaro.

�Then why did you come in?� demanded
Motoko.

Naru considered giving a lengthy
explanation, but then decided the simple truth would work best. �For the same
reason you did.�

Motoko saw red at that response. She was
only vaguely aware of her hand swinging up in a fast arc, barely registered the
feel of the impact with Naru�s cheek, and didn�t even notice the �crack� of
skin against skin. She did remember a feeling of satisfaction upon seeing the
surprised look on Naru�s face.

For a moment, Naru just stood there,
shocked at what had just happened. Then her rage flared up like a volcano, and
she swung her right arm in a backhanded arc, her closed fist striking Motoko on
the side of the jaw. The force of the blow sent Motoko staggering, her head
knocked to one side.

The sight of the two women he cared for ing ing to blows finally shook Keitaro out of his stupor. Throwing caution to
the wind, he started running full tilt towards the combatants, who were now
trading punches. This was nothing like a �catfight�; there was no hair pulling
or scratching. There was only two women standing their ground and swinging at
each other.

Keitaro had no idea how to stop the
fight, so he tried placing himself between the two women, and got nailed by the
both of them for his trouble. The twin blow knocked him senseless to the floor,
but it had accomplished his goal of stopping the fight. Motoko and Naru�s rage
was instantly forgotten as a more important issue came up. They both dropped to
the floor and attempted to revive the stunned Keitaro.

As they tried to help Keitaro get his
bearings back, the two of them continued to glare at each other. �STAY AWAY
FROM HIM!� was the politest thought that each of them had for the other. They
then looked down and saw Keitaro staring up at the both of them, the hurt look
on his face probably having nothing to do with his injuries.

�Are you alright?� Naru asked a split
second before Motoko.

�I, I�m alright,� he replied, getting to
his feet and spurning both of their offers for help. �Just leave me alone,� he
muttered softly.

A wave of guilt and shame washed over
Naru and Motoko. Knowing that there was nothing that the two of them could say,
they walked out of the bath, all of their anger temporarily burned away. Once
they were gone, the only sound in the tub was Keitaro�s soft sobbing.

***

After getting dressed, Motoko went
looking for Keitaro. She found him sitting on the roof of Hinata House, lost in
thought. She considered joining him but vetoed thea, fa, figuring that Keitaro
only went up there when he wanted to be alone. She headed back to her room, her
anger returning as she remembered what Naru had attempted. The fact that she
had done exactly the same thing was irrelevant to her.

Once inside she began to pace as she
considered the possible implications of Naru taking a more active approach with
Keitaro. �I would have never figured on her doing something like that,� she
mused. �Kitsune, sure, but Naru?� She shook her head as she realized that she�d
underestimated Naru�s determination. She needed to do something that would
prevent Naru from making another move like that. As her jaw throbbed, she also
made a mental note that from now on, she�d take her sword everywhere.

Motoko stopped in mid-stride as an idea
hit her. She took a minute to consider the possible outcome, and then nodded to
herself as she realized that this idea would kill two birds with one stone. It
would keep Naru and Keitaro apart and it would bring him and her together.

It would even help wits kes kendo a
little.

And so, for the next half hour, Motoko
was a whirlwind of activity, getting what she needed for her plan ready.
Finally finished, she put the required equipment into the closet and closed it.
Fate seemed to be smiling on her as Keitaro entered the room at that moment,
meaning that she didn�t even need to go get him.

Satisfied that everything was ready,
Motoko launched the next phase of her plan. �Are you alright Kei-kun?� she
asked.

Her use of the honorific stopped him
cold. �Kei-kun?� he repeated.

�Is something wrong with that?� Motoko
asked innocently.

�No, no, nothing at all,� Keitaro
replied.

�Kei-kun, I, I�m sorry for hitting you in
the bath. It an an accident,� she said apologetically.

�I know,� he replied. �You and Naru were
trying to clock each other, I just got in the way.� The thought depressed him
even further, as it reminded him of the conflict that he had unwittingly set in
motion.

ndifndif]>

�Kei-kun,� Motoko continued, �would you
like to a chance to really improve your abilities and get away from all of the
distractions for awhile?�

Keitaro considered what she was saying.
He remembered the battle in the bath, and he wasn�t stupid enough to think that
this had had nothing to do with Motoko�s suggestion. That coupled with
yesterday�s revelations made it certain that Motoko was taking the gloves off
in her relationship with him. Curious about what Motoko had in mind Keitaro
asked, �What do you mean?�

Motoko took a deep breath to steady her
nerves and said, �Would you like to come with me on a training trip? Just the
two of us?�

�Thought so.� Still, the idea of spending
time with Motoko was pleasant; he did like her, possibly even loved her, and
the idea of just the two of them� �No, I shouldn�t, what would the others
think?� Then another idea occurred to him. �It might give me some time to think
about what I have to do, and at least Motoko and Naru won�t be fighting.�

With this thought going through his mind,
he nodded and replied, �Yes, I�d very much like that, Motoko.� All that he had
to do was make sure that nothing happened between them. Thinking about Naru and
Motoko fighting would work wonders for killing his libido.

�Do you mind leaving now?� she asked.

�Now? Why?� he replied.

�We�d be going someplace further away
than that last time and it will be a longer trip.� �The sooner I get you away
from Naru the better. I don�t want any unexpected visitors this time.�

�But I have to get ready��

�Don�t worry, I�ve got everything taken
care of,� Motoko replied as she went to the closet and pulled out the two
backpacks she had prepared. �I�ve got everything you need in here.�

Keitaro gave Motoko a sideways glance as
he took the pack from her. �My, she�s gotten quite resourceful, hasn�t she?� he
asked himself rhetorically. �Alright then,� he said, shouldering his load. �Let�s
go.�

The two of them walked through Hinata
House to the main door. As they put on their shoes Keitaro asked, �Shouldn�t we
tell the othe

�Don�t worry, I left a note,� Motoko said
casually. She didn�t mention that the note had read:

I�m ng mng my husband on a training
trip.

See you all later.

Motoko Urashima

With that, the two of them walked down
the steps and headed for the mountains of Hinata.

***

When Kitsune found the note an hour
later, she found herself wishing that she had tried harder to help Naru. The
way things were going right now, it wasn�t looking good for her at all. Keitaro
and Motoko had effectively run away together, and if Naru didn�t act fast she
was dead on arrival. Realizing that there was no time for niceties, she marched
towards Naru�s room, entered without knocking and thrust the note in her face.
She was a little taken aback when she noticed that Naru seemed to have recently
picked up a shiner.

�What the hell are you doing Kitsune?!�
Naru demanded.

�Read it,� Kitsune replied tersely.

&nb>

Naru took the note from Kitsune and read
it. For a sec seconds there was no reaction. Then a vein appeared on her
temple, her face went crimson, and the note was crumpled in her hands. �That
bitch! How dare she?!� Naru shrieked. �Where is she, I�ll��

�They�re gone. I don�t know where,�
Kitsune replied tonelessly.

�We, we�ve got to find them, how do we��

�Leave that to me.� Kitsune walked out
the door and motioned for Naru to follow her. The two of them marched into the
kitchen. Without any preamble, Kitsune went up to Shinobu and ordered, �Start
melting some chocolate.� Unnerved by Kitsune�s behaviour, Shinobu complied
unquestioningly. Kitsune then went to the pantry and pulled out several bunchef baf bananas. �Start peeling,� she told Naru.

�What is this?� asked Naru.

�Trust me,� replied Kitsune in a voice
that brooked no argument. Taking a bunch for herself, Kitsune then started
peeling. After a few minutes all of the bananas were peeled and the chocolate
was melted. �Dunk �em,� Kitsune told Shinobu.

Shinobu worked in silence, too nervous to
ask questions. Naru didn�t even consider asking any questions, as she knew her
friend wouldn�t give her an answer until she was ready.ew mew minutes later,
there was a plate full of chocolate covered bananas cooling on a plate.

�Come with me,� said Kitsune. Naru
followed her wordlessly, with Shinobu tagging along, curious as to what was
going on. Sarah saw the strange procession and decided to join it just for fun.
When Kitsune reached her destination she stopped, knocked on the door and
waited. When Su finally opened the door, Kitsune held up the plate, smiled and
said, �Su, can we ask you for a small favour?�

***

After a bus ride and a couple hours of
walking, Keitaro and Motoko arrived at their destination. It was a remote area
that had many trees, some clearings, and a briskly running stream. There was a
mountain cabin nearby as well and that suited Motoko just fine. She had heard
about this place, but had never been here before or told anyone else about it.
It was her secret, and she figured that this was as private a place as they
could get without actually leaving the district.

They rested for a while in the shade of a
tree, leaning against the trunk and eating a small meal. After the stress and
tension of the war in the bath, the two of them just wished to relax and take
an opportunity to try to calm down. Little was said as both of them found the
solitude comforting.

After about half an hour, Motoko figured
that it was time to train for a while. She started drilling Keitaro on his
footwork and was surprised that there was some noticeable improvement. He�d
never be mistaken for Musashi, but his footwork was no longer quite so clumsy.
When she asked him what he was doing different, he thought for a moment, and
then replied that he wasn�t really thinking about it. He then proceeded to trip
over a rock and fall on his ass.

< lan lang=EN-CA>Once an hour of working on footwork was
completed, Motoko decided to see how well Keitaro could handle the blade
itself. She demonstrated a simple slashing cut on a small tree that was about
five inches thick; one quick slash later, and there was enough firewood for a
couple of days. Keitaro then took a swing at a little sapling that wasn�t even
an inch thick. It took him five minutes to wiggle the blade loose after it got
stuck halfway through. Another hour of trying resulted in many trees of similar
sizes with large notches in them befor fin finally was able to take one down in
one swing.

By now it was getting close to supper
hour, and the two of them had worked up an appetite. The two headed for the
cabin, Motoko figuring that they could make a meal from the supplies they�d
brought. After dinner, she�d talk to Keitaro and tell him that she wanted to be
with him regardless of the cost. She got to the cabin, opened the door and�

Motoko was familiar with deja-vu, but she
had never encountered it until now. A part of her mind was chiding her for
thinking that she could get away it it all that easily. Sure enough, ththerther Hinata House residents, even Tama-chan, were waiting for them in the
cabin.

Keitaro walked in a second later and
nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of the others. �How, how did you
find us?� he finally stammered after he got his mouth to work.

�Details, details,� Su said dismissively
as she shut her laptop, which was currently hacked into a U.S. photo
reconnaissance spy satellite. The other residents called out greetings to them
as Motoko and Keitaro just stood there, shocked into paralysis.

Keitaro came out of his stupor and
noticed that the cabin seemed to have been retrofitted with running water and
electricity, the source of which was a small black box. This box bore both the
three-eyed emblem that was Su�s trademark and what looked like a radiation-warning
symbol. Keitaro didn�t look too close as he realized that he didn�t really want
to know.

Motoko was shaken out of her paralysis at
the sight of Naru sitting in the cabin, smiling pleasantly at Keitaro. However,
when Naru noticed Motoko staring at her, the smile evaporated from her face and
her jaw muscles tightened reflexively. The temperature in the cabin seemed to
plummet as Naru and Motoko glared at each other. Motoko�s teeth became visible,
ber eer expression was nothing like a smile as she demanded, �Why did you come
here?�

Naru slowly stood up and through tightly
clenched teeth replied, �We wanted to cheer him on in his training.� Kitsune
and Shinobu nodded in agreement at that reply, the two of them seemingly
unfazed by the battle of wills going on in the cabin.

For Motoko and Naru, the cabin, the other
residents, even Keitaro seemed to disappear. The two of them were locked into a
staring match in which the loser would probably take the first hit. Naru
clenched her fists and leaned forward on the balls of the feet, and Motoko
quickly drew her sword in response. This prompted a panicked reaction from the
others; Keitaro grabbed Motoko�s sword arm and held on for dear life while
Kitsune jumped up and attempted to hold Naru�s arms behind her.

Motoko and Naru struggled briefly against
those restraining them until Keitaro�s desperate plea reached their ears. �Stop
this please! I don�t want this! Please, please stop!� No other person on the
planet could have cut through their fog of rage. As it was, they continued to
struggle for a few more seconds before finally relenting. As they reluctantly
tried to calm down, they finally noticed the horrified looks on the other
residents. The worst of which was on Keitaro, who looked absolutely stricken by
what had nearly happened.

Not a word was spoken, as everyone was
deathly afraid of unintentionally stoking the fire and causing another flare
up. Shinobu had prepared dinner, but no one had much of an appetite anymore.
Even Su was restrained in her eating that night. The tension in the cabin was
even worse than it had been when the situation had first started. Motoko and
Naru sat as far apart as they could and still remain in the cabin. Keitaro made
a point of sitting in between the two so as not to be seen as favouring either
of them.

After the deathwatch that was
euphemistically called �dinner�, the residents had nothing that they could do
but try to avoid rocking the boat. Conversation was impossible, even though
that was precisely what was needed to try to defuse the situation. Keitaro
realized that the current situation could not be allowed to continue, but if he
tried to resolve it now, it could result in all out war. Besides, he wasn�t
sure how he wanted to end it anyway. For the entire evening Keitaro felt like
he was trapped in a nest of vipers, and any wrong movement would be fatal.

Finally it was tfor for bed, and the near
blow-up as well as the presence of the other residents effectively ruined
Motoko�s plans for that night; it also meant that there was no reason to change
into the black �baby doll� that she had slipped into her pack. Keitaro slipped
into his sleeping bag, which he noticed seemed to be suspiciously large for
just one person, and lay down in the center of the cabin. Naru and Motoko set
themselves down on either sid him him, and the others arranged themselves where
ever they could find room. Tama-chan used Shinobu�s sleeping bag as a landing
pad and went to sleep there.

Keitaro wasn�t surprised tte tte that
both Motoko and Naru were sleeping as close as they could to him without
actually joining him in his sleeping bag. He was a little surprised when Motoko
kissed him goodnight in full view of the others, especially Naru. The resulting
glare Naru gave Motoko before she settled down to sleep could have shattered
Est.

***

In the middle of the night Keitaro woke
with a start. It wasn�t the first time that he had been awakened by a dream,
but this was the first one in a while that that wouldn�t have needed an �X�
rating. He had dreamt that Naru and Motoko were having a tug-of-war to win him,
and had used him as the rope. It had felt like he was being drawn and
quartered.

He noticed that he was the only one awake
and that Motoko wasn�t holding him in her sleep. Feeling that sleep wouldn�t be
possible for a while, he got out of his sleeping bag, carefully stepped over
the other residents and exited the cabin.

The cool night air felt both exhilarating
and relaxing to him, and this far out of the city the stars were amazing. He
walked over to a tree, sat down under it and just gazed in awe at the sky. In
comparison to all that was out there, his problems seemed insignificant by
comparison. He�d never watched the night sky before, and he regretted that he
hadn�t done this earlier. As many poets could attest to, the stars could do
many things to a man.

�Keitaro?�

His contemplation of the universe was
interrupted as Naru called out for him quietly as she walked out of the cabin.
�I�m over here,� he responded. As he returned to his star gazing, Keitaro only
half noticed that she walked over and sat down next to him.

�What are you doing?� she asked.

�Just look up,� he replied.

Naru did just that and was amazed at the
beauty of the heavens. Like Keitaro she had never actually just watched the
stars before. Like many before her, she was struck speechless by what she saw.
Millions of stars, all in their assigned places, making all who saw them feel
small. Naru didn�t believe in astrology, but she now understood why some
believed that they controlled fate.

Thinking of fate reminded her about why
she had gone in search of Keitaro when she had awoken and noticed that he was
gone. �Keitaro, can I ask you something?� she said quietly.

Keitaro was disappointed that his star
watching and contemplation had been interrupted, but something about the tone
of her voice caused him to sit up and take notice. Realizing that this was
probably going to be an exceptionally important talk, he replied, �Sure, go
ahead.�

�Why are you with Motoko?� No subtlety, no
beating around the bush, right to the point.

Keitaro didn�t want to answer that. More
accurately, he didn�t want to give Naru an answer to that. Still, he had to
give her a reply of some sort, so he temporized a little. �We, we�re sort of
married, aren�t we?� he replied as he indicated the gold band on his left hand.

Naru narrowed her eyes at his evasive
response. �If it wasn�t your choice, why are you living with her, staying with
her, sleeping with her?�

Keitaro felt his own hackles rise at her
insinuation. �It�s not like you objected that much either,� he replied. �You
left without saying goodbye, and Motoko, she, she needed me.�

�What do you mean �she needed me�?� Naru
asked tersely.

Keitaro opened his mouth to reply and
then closed it. He thought back to that night; it had been much like this one,
except he hadn�t been watching the stars, he�d been trying to save Motoko�s
life. The scars on his hands itched as they remembered the feel of razor sharp,
multi-laminated, high carbon steel. The sound of anguished sobbing resonated in
his mind, along with the feeling of absolute and total despair.

A vow. Unspoken and silent, but binding
all the same. TELL NO ONE. They�d kept that vow, only he and Motoko knew what
had happened. Tsuruko had figured it out, but her ability to reason things out
bordered on the supernatural. No one else knew or suspected how close Motoko
had come to annihilating herself.

Did he care for Naru? Absolutely.

Could he possibly even love her? Yes.

Would he betray Motoko�s trust for her?
NEVER.

�I, I can�t tell you Naru,� he finally
answered. �I just can�t.�

Naru just stared at him. When she finally
found her voice again, she asked him. �Why can�t you tell me? What are you
hiding?�

Keitaro noticed that tears appeared to be
forming in the corners of Naru�s eyes. He felt a wave of guilt washing over
him, and he almost answered her question. He hated to see someone he cared for
suffer like this, and he�d do almost anything to end it.

Anything but betray a trust.

�A promise. Please don�t ask me Naru,� he
pleaded. �I, I just can�t tell you, I can�t tell anyone. I�m sorry, but I just
can�t.� �Why have I been put in a situation like this?� he asked miserably.
�Why does it seem that every choice I make causes someone pain?�

Naru couldn�t bear to hear any more. The
man she loved, and who seemed to love her, was keeping something important from
her. If he�d only tell her why, she might understand why he did what he did.
Instead, he was trying to conceal the truth from her. She felt, quite rightly,
that she was at least entitled to that.

Not knowinat tat to say, Naru just got up
and walked back to the cabin. When she reached it she looked back over her
shoulder at Keitaro, and he was able to clearly see the sad and forlorn look
that was etched on her beautiful features.

She carefully walked back inside and
closed the door. Careful not to step on the other dead to the world residents,
she got back into her sleeping bag. As she fell back asleep, she found herself
wondering if there was anything else she could do to make Keitaro hers.

Back outside, Keitaro was having troubled
thoughts. �I�ve got to end this, I can�t do this anymore!� he raged. �I�m
hurting two people I love dearly.� He paused to consider this. �Yes, I DO love
them both. So what the hell do I do now?�

Briefly, and for the first time since
this whole situation had started, Keitaro found himself considering the idea of
running away. Just giving up, disappearing to parts unknown. It would eliminate
the rancour between Naru and Motoko, they would have to move on without him,
and maybe they�d be better off without him.

�Yeah,� he mused, �that might just work.�
There was only one little problem with that. It would result in the shattering
of three hearts, his included. While running away would allow for some
temporary relief from this anguish, it would only prolong it. Besides, he
didn�t think that he could live without either of them anymore, and he had no
desire to try.

He happened to glance back up at the sky
and saw a shooting star streak across the sky. He remembered hearing that they
could grant wishes. He closed his eyes and made a wish from the bottom of his
heart and soul.

�I wish to be able to do what is right.�

He opened his eyes and saw five more
shooting stars streak across the sky in almost perfect echelon formation. For
the briefest of moments, he wondered if they were UFO�s. Putting that
nonsensical thought out of his head, he decided that it had to be good omen.

After they all returned to Hinata House,
he was going to make a stand. It was time to end all of this tension and
rivalry between Naru and Motoko. He was going to make a final decision, and
give his heart, fully and permanently, to the woman he wanted to spend the rest
of his life with.

But he was damned if he knew which of
them it would be.

End Chapter Seven

Coming Soon: Chapter Eight: INTERLUDE:
Shinobu�s Decision

Pre-read was once again done by Harvey
Bautista.

I hope to have the next chapter ready in
abouo weo weeks.

I would like to invite all readers to
tell me what about this story they have found interesting, confusing,
enjoyable, or disagreeable. Feel free to email me your response, or post it in
the feedback section.

OMAKE! OMAKE!
OMAKE! OMAKE!

OMAKE ONE:

Motoko opened
the door, causing Keitaro to jump in surprise. �Motoko, I, I didn�t expect you
to be back so soon,� he stammered.

Motoko walked
into the room and locked the door behind her. �Keitaro, stand up.�

Nervously,
Keitaro did what he was told.

With a voice
that was sweet as wild honey, Motoko said, �Keitaro, take off my hakama.�

With beads of
sweat starting to appear on his forehead, he did so.

Still wearing a
beatific smile, Motoko said, �Keitaro, take off my pants.�

His shaking
hands were barely able to accomplish this.

In a husky voice
Motoko told him to, �Take off my wraps.�

By now Keitaro�s
breathing was shallow and ragged. Willing his hands to stay steady, he was just
able to remove the wrap.

In a voice that
was barely above a whisper, Motoko said, �Take off my panties.�

It took Keitaro
three tries before he succeeded.

As soon as he was done, the smile on
Motoko�s face vanished, only to be replaced by a scowl that was truly
frightening. She drew swo sword and held it under his throat. Staring him
straight in the eyes, she hissed, �If I EVER catch you wearing my clothes
again��

End OMAKE ONE

OMAKE TWO: Special Edition

Note: I originally wrote this scene while
Chapter Six was in pre-read. As a result of suggestions from Harvey, I made a
change in how that chapter ended. As a result, how this chapter unfolded was
changed, and this scene just didn�t fit anymore. I couldn�t fit it in with this
version, so I scrapped it. However, since I had put some effort into it, and
since I realized that this scene gave me the same smirk that my coworkers have
come to know and fear, I couldn�t bring myself to just delete it. So now, for
your reading pleasure, the lost scene from �All�s Fair In Love and War.�

***

�Hiya!� Su cried as she put a foot into
Keitaro�s face as a way of greeting. �I�ve got a way to stop you from being so
clumsy!�

�You gonna splice his DNA with a
ballerina�s?� asked Kitsune with a smirk.

�Don�t be silly, that would take too
long. I�ve made a special co-ordination trainer, �Barak-chan�!�

At first glance �Barak-chan� appeared to
be a �Dance Dance Revolution� arcade game. In fact it WAS a �Dance Dance
Revolution� arcade game. However, the presence of a three-eyed symbol and the
label �Built by Koalla� showed that it was no longer a stock arcade game.

�So how does it work?� Keitaro asked
warily as he eyed the machine.

�Watch,� replied Su. �Motoko, could you
come here please?�

�What is it Su?� Motoko asked, also
giving the contraption a critical eye.

�Please step inside so I can show how it
works.�

Somewhat hesitantly, Motoko stepped into
�Barak-chan�. �What do I do now?� she asked.

�Press start and follow the character on
the screen.�

Motoko pressed start and a digital
version of her appeared on the screen. This brought a smile to her face as her
digital avatar told her to follow its movements. �Chibi-Motoko� then started
performing a kendo kata, which Motoko was able to follow easily, placing her
feet on the appropriate pads. This went on for a couple of minutes before the
song ended. �Chibi-Motoko� said �Congratulations! Perfect Score!� and the game
ended.

�Well, what do you think?� asked Su.

�It couldn�t hurt,� responded Motoko.
�Why don�t you give it a try Keitaro?�

It seemed harmless enough, and maybe it
would even help. �Sure, I�ll do it,� Keitaro replied as he headed for the
machine.

�Wait Keitaro,� Su called out, �you need
to wear this!� Su handed him a headband, which he looked at curiously.

�Special training aid,� replied Su as she
placed it on his head and pushed him the rest of the way onto the machine.

Keitaro pressed start and once again
�Chibi-Motoko� told him to follow her movements. He was able to match the first
two moves but he missed the third one. When this happened the headband he was
wearing hit him with a jarring electric shock.

�Gah! What�s happening?�

�When you miss a move you get zapped,� Su
replied casually.

�Forget this!� Keitaro moved to get off
the machine, receiving several more shocks in the process.

�Nope! You have to finish it!� called out
Su as she pressed a button on her remote control. Several bars sprang up from
the base of the machine, effectively trapping Keitaro inside. �Finish the song
and the shocks will stop.�

Keitaro, realizing that he�d soon be
labelled �extra crispy� if he di do do something quick, tried to resume the
kata. He was able to get maybe one move in five correct, but even this was just
enough to give his body a bit of respite.

While watching this Sarah had a sudden
inspiration and ran for the kitchen. She came running out with a bag of microwave
popcorn, which she threw at Keitaro. �Hey dork, catch!�

Keitaro grabbed the package out of reflex
and missed another step in the process.

Shinobu watched the entire spectacle with
a sense of disbelief. After Keitaro let out another cry when another shock hit
him, she finally was shaken out of her paralysis. �Sempai!� she cried out.
�Stop this Su, you�re killing him!�

Su shook her head dismissively. �It�s all
volts, no amps. He�ll be fine.�

�Don�t worry Shinobu,� seconded Kitsune.
�Su knows what she�s doing. Although��

�What, what!?� Shinobu cried out in
desparation.

�I don�t think all of the hair gel in the
world will be able to fix that hairstyle he�s got,� Kitsune replied.

Finally the song ended. �Chibi-Motoko�
scolded the player for a poor performance, said try again, and wished the
player good luck. The bars dropped and Keitaro crumpled to the floor, smoking,
twitching violently, and his hair slightly singed. He looked like he�d french
kissed a light socket.

Sarah ran up to him, took the fully
cooked popcorn from his hand, smiled warmly, and said, �Thank you Keitaro!� She
then walked off as Su tried to steal some of her snack.

END OMAKE TWO

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Loss and Redemption