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Loss and Redemption	By : hawker748 Category: +G to L > Love Hina Views: 24928 -:- 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
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Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of
Ken Akamatsu, TV Tokyo, and probably enough lawyers to sink an aircraft
carrier. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only, and may not be
distributed for profit. I�m not making any money off of this; I am doing it
just for personal enjoyment. Please don�t sue.

Besides, most of my money is already
spoken for by my friendly neighborhood Snap-On tools distributor.

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

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

�*� Spoken
words

�*�
Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Prologue: Lifeless Eyes

By:
hawker_748

�I do.�

Those two simple words can have a
dramatic effect on a persons life, especially at a wedding. Even more so if one
person is reluctant to say them. But when both parties are forced to say those
two little innocuous words, the results can be catastrophic.

A small section of Keitaro Urashima�s brain was
mulling over this fact as he rode the train back to Hinata, but the majority of
his thought process was, �What the hell are we going to do now?�

The �we� in question was himself; Naru
Narusegawa, his friend, study partner, and possible romantic interest. And
Motoko Aoyama, his new bride. �That�s Motoko Urashima now, I suppose,� he
corrected himself. He turned his head slightly, to take a look at his �wife� of
less than three hours.

To the casubserbserver, Motoko would have
looked like the regal, graceful kendoist she had always been, but to Keitaro
the difference from the day before was startling, She was slumped over
slightly, not obviously, but for someone who even while relaxing had always
carried herself gracefully, a shocking change. But the greatest change was in
her eyes. Motoko�s eyes had always had a fierce fire burning in them, black
marbles with a diamond core. Now they were cold and dead, like a porcelain
doll.

Fire belonged in Motoko�s eyes, even when it
was, usually, directed at him. But the way she was now� Keitaro would have
given anything to have Motoko get angry with him again, and take a swipe at him
with her sword. He�d be willing to accept more injuries, even another broken
leg, to bring back some of Motoko�s spirit. But it seemed that there was little
chance of her getting excited over anything for the foreseeable future.

Motoko�s orderly world had been broadsided
twice in a short period of time, by of all people, her beloved older sister
Tsuruko. After she had lost to her sister, Motoko had been forced to marry
Keitaro as a result, this being the cause of most of the trouble. But to make
matters worse, Motoko�s sister had stripped her of any rank in the Shinmei
School, in affect disowning her from the art she had loved all of her life. The
first fate was bad enough, but to force Motoko to give up her greatest love was
the on wrong side of cruel.

The marriage had been a quick affair at a small
shrine that Tsuruko had produced. �Where in the HELL did she have that?!�
Keitaro wondered, �I mean Su has always been able to pull electronics out of
thin air. Hell, Mutsumi once produced a damn raft, for cryin� out loud, but a
shrine?!� A few words had been spoken, some ritual sake had been drunk, and
*poof!* instant husband and wife.

�Tsuruko was thorough,� he had to admit, she
even had had two rings with the date and initials engraved on the inside edge
made up and ready for this occasion. He fingered the gold band idly, thinking
�these are supposed to be bands of love, but to Motoko they would be bands of
shame.� While Keitaro had conceded that being married to Motoko wouldn�t be a
bad thing, he would have never wanted it like this, a forced, loveless
coupling. Keitaro had the sinking feeling that even if the marriage wasn�t
legal in the eyes of he law, Motoko would stick to it out of honor alone.

�And while I�m on the subject of love, what
happens now between me and Naru?� Keitaro wondered. �I think I may love her,
but I�m married now for all intents and purposes. Is it fair to either of them
to think of Naru like that anymore? And am I supposed to live with Motoko now?
What about consummation? She�s attractive, sure, but I don�t want anyone like
this! How could I look at myself in the mirror if I did?�

Keitaro hadn�t been able to talk to Naru since
the �wedding�, in fact she hadn�t spoken to anyone since then. She was riding in
a different car, purposely avoiding Keitaro and Motoko. She seemed to be
perfectly calm, but her behavior reminded him of the first time that she had
failed the Tokyo University entrance exam, and after that, she had had a mini,
or more likely, not so mini meltdown. Hinata House�s newest couple hadn�t
spoken much either, as Motoko seemed unwilling to initiate a conversation, and
Keitaro was too afraid to. �Show some nerve man,� Keitaro told himself, �she�s
your wife now, talk to her dammit!�

�Are you feeling O.K. Motoko?� Keitaro asked,
and then mentally kicked himself. �Great question dumbass! Of course she�s not
O.K.!�

Motoko turned to face him, gave a smile that
didn�t even approach her eyes and said, �Honored Husband, Of course I am O.K.
I�m feeling wonderful!�

Keitaro barely stopped himself from shuddering
at the sound of her voice. When he was younger, he along with Haitani and
Shirai had watched �The Terminator�. He had always remembered how unemotional
and lifeless Arnold Schwarzenegger�s voice had been. Well, Motoko�s response
had made Arnolds� voice seem as lively as Su�s in comparison. Even Stephen
Hawking�s voice was more emotional than Motoko�s. And the expression �Honored
Husband�� it had sounded as at home in Motoko�s mouth as a Martin Lawrence
comedy routine would have been in Shinobu�s.

�Motoko, you don�t have to call me that, just
Keitaro, or even Urashima will be fine.�

�Nonsense Honored Husband, since I am no longer
a warrior, I will become the perfect wife.�

�Uh-oh. I think that she�s about to snap! Last
time that happened, she tried to cut me in two.� �Motoko, we, we need to sit
down and talk about what�s happened, and what we need to do about it.�

�If you say so Honored Husband. Perhaps after we
get back and get settled in together we can talk.�

�Yeah, that�s good Motoko, we�ll do it then,�
Keitaro replied, more relieved than cared to admit at not having to discuss it
right away. He sat back in his chair, and tried to compose his thoughts. Suddenly,
something that Motoko had said registered with him. �Get settled? Does she mean
move in together? Oh hell, this is gonna be fun,� he mentally sighed as he
contemplated the reactions of his housemates.

***

�This is gonna be FUN!� shouted Kitsune, giddy
at the thought of the homecoming/victory party that was ready to begin, just
awaiting the guests of honor.

Su was, as usual, bounding around with Sarah,
as Shinobu put the finishing touches on the food while Haruka watched
stoically.

�It�ll be wonderful to have them all back,
especially Urashima-sempai,� Shinobu thought with her usual blush.
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Loss and Redemption