Motoko Aoyama: Sorry for the late update. I know I really should update sooner, but my lost of interest really affected my writing speed. However, I’m happy to announce that reading Negima has helped me pick up my interest in this story again! Hopefully I’ll be able to write better with this newfound enthusiasm. My thanks go to my reviewers: Motoko’s one true love (Yuri actually means lily, but then there is that slang meaning…I was thinking of Yuri from Bara no Tameni when I gave her that name, lol), kidcrud, Zero-Nightmare (Motoko-chan is fine with me), Enigmaticknight, Lord Balmung, Wonderbee31, absolutechaosreigns and Konankt. Thanks again for the support!

Disclaimer: I don’t own Love Hina, otherwise I would make Motoko the most kick-ass swordswoman ever! Wait…isn’t she one already? ARIGATOU AKAMATSU-SENSEI!

Forgotten Promise

Chapter 21 – Aoi no Senko

It was the usual Hinatasou…well, usual as in how it had been for the past few days. Ever since Keitaro had returned, there had always been that invisible mask in the air. Kitsune stared back and forth between the residents, noting the way they were eating. Kenjiro was digging into his rice quickly and systematically as usual. She mused that he looked rather like a robot. On the other hand, Yuri was really taking her time, glancing at the others just as she was. Before the kid could catch her staring, the older female shifted her gaze onto Naru who was happily chatting with Keitaro, her rice untouched. The kanrinrin, however, seemed a bit strained, an awkward smile plastered on his face.

“I’m done. Thank you for the food,” Motoko said, interrupting Kitsune from her thoughts. She leaned her head back to follow Motoko with her eyes, watching her walk around the table and into the kitchen to do her own dishes.

“Motoko-chan sure is tense lately, huh…a good match with Kenjiro,” she said, hoping for a response from Naru. However, the woman just paused talking with the kanrinrin and blinked twice at the fox lady.

“Huh? Did you say something about Kenjiro?”

“Nevermind that…what did you say you were gonna do with Keitaro after breakfast?”

“We were just going to walk around for a bit,” Naru answered, taking the kanrinrin by his hand while they left for the door. Keitaro was so surprised by her move that he forgot his shoes while he walked outside.

The fox sighed at the kanrinrin's clumsiness, but her fun ended quickly when she looked around, seeing nobody around.

“What in the world…EH!? Where are the others?”

She was only met by Yuri’s voice.

“Sake is not good for your health, Mitsune-san,” Yuri’s words drifted off while she carried the wine bottle far, far away, “Try pop next time…”

Yes, that was the most important point. Kitsune's sake bottle was missing too!

“POP ISN’T FUCKING HEALTHY EITHER!!”

It turned out that Motoko and Kenjiro had gone onto the roof. While Motoko practiced swinging the Aoryuken once again, Kenjiro unsheathed his blade from behind her.

“Here I come!” he yelled, rushing in her direction. She nearly slipped while she tried to evade, surprised at his attack as he spoke again, “You were totally off guard! What have you been doing lately? Do you want to hand me the sakabatou like this?”

His sword was quick, slicing the air in front of her as her light steps sounded while she retreated across the roof. Reaching the railing, Motoko used the wood as her launching point, allowing her to jump above Kenjiro and land behind him, giving her enough time to attack. His reflexes were good though. Easily, his hand twisted the katana in his grasp so that it clanged onto the sheath of the Aoryuken.

“Not bad, but not enough,” he muttered, “I can only become stronger if you are stronger as well!”

Motoko narrowed her eyes, sliding back in her steps with no hesitation. The distance allowed her to infuse her ki in her left palm so that when Kenjiro came once more, she locked their weapons and fired a bullet of energy at him.

Kenjiro gasped in surprise, but twisted his body quickly enough so that he avoided the hit. The slight pause of attack was enough for Motoko to close in of him, this time aiming to punch him with the Gurenken.

“HA…” Kenjiro panted while lashing out a whirl of ki to neutralize the energy. It was to no avail though. The sheath of the Aoryuken came plummeting forward with no reserve to follow up the attack. With his quick hand, he grabbed onto the saya, but it left him no hands to defend himself from Motoko’s next attack. The swordswoman placed her left hand on his shoulder, her right leg around his ankle. While she dexterously flipped in the air, he was slammed onto the ground.

“That was…” he said, struggling to stand again.

“Ukigumo - Tsumuji Issen,” she answered, but was not pausing between her words. She seemed to be on fire, her eyes only concentrated on victory. She spared no sympathy on her sparring partner as she leapt forward with a pierce. Kenjiro managed to ready himself into a battou-jutsu, but just when he drew the sword, Motoko’s body twisted so abruptly that his eyes couldn’t follow the movement.

It was not Shinmeiryuu…it was the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu!

“Ryu Kan Sen!” Motoko yelled, slamming the sheath onto the back of Kenjiro’s neck. If not for the saya that sheathed the blade, Kenjiro would’ve lost his life.

“Sugoi…” Kenjiro muttered, still a bit dazed from the attack. He, nonetheless, continued to grasp onto his katana.

“Are you sure you want to continue?” Motoko voice resonated with a chilling quality. She wasn’t just aiming for training…her sword was full of emotion. Each hit was like a slap in the face!

“Let’s end this in one strike,” Kenjiro answered, sheathing his sword again, “I’m sure I can hit you this time.”

She closed her eyes, her mind concentrating on the whirling ki of her katana, but she felt not raw power. It was something gentler…like a whispering voice.

Let go…let go…

“AOI NO SENKO!” she yelled, looking at the path of Kenjiro’s ki infused blade. She was going to lash the green light of the Aoryuken at that weak spot in his defense, but…

Let go…let go… let go…let go…

She pulled back on the power, instead just bringing the sheath to that point. His katana shook so much from the impact that it was flung out of Kenjiro’s grasp. The voice was silenced. Her emotions calmed, just like her blade that didn’t even quiver as it stayed on his shoulder, lightly…

“That was good practice. Arigatou, Kenjiro,” Motoko said, smiling genuinely for the first time in quite a while. After that, she placed her sword back on her belt, “Shall we go? Yuri might’ve prepared some drinks for us as she usually does.”

The sand was golden in his hands, shining in the afternoon sunlight. While he relaxed his fingers, the sparkling particles drained out like water slipping down a sink. It was just as he had remembered from his dream, but like in his reminiscence, he felt like a stranger in the playground.

“Do you remember our yakusoku now, Keitaro?” Naru asked, building a statue of Liddo-kun with the sand. Keitaro shook his head a little. Yes, he understood Naru’s story of her promise, but in the back of his mind, that voice continued to ring.

Yakusoku…yakusoku…

Naru’s promise was Naru’s promise, but he was sure his was something different. Subconsciously, he shifted his gaze onto a cherry blossom tree beside them, still bare from the winter cold. For some reason, he really yearned for them to bloom again.

It was the sakura that made him feel complete inside.

Motoko Aoyama: Sorry for the short chapter. I somewhat ran out of ideas again at this moment, so instead of trying to drag the story on with more useless descriptions, I decided to leave it here. Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you liked it anyway! Please, please, please tell me how I did! I really need your support! Any comments, suggestions, constructive criticism are welcome! As long as you’re not flaming me, I would be very, very happy to hear what you have to say! Next Installment: His wish finally comes true. The sakura blooms again. Chapter 22 – Flower Watching. Look forward to it!