Love Hina Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Limitations of Bushido ❯ An Interloper? Trial by Zanma-ken! ( Prologue )

This fanfiction is a continuation of my previous stories, and it is a Love Hina crossover with Digimon. It will make a lot more sense if you read those 2 fanfics first, as some of the names and references won't make sense to you otherwise. More tributes to LotR! Hope you like it!

The Limitations of Bushido

Chapter 1: An Interloper!?!? Trial by Zanma-Ken!

After the children had prepared for their visit to the Hinata Lodge, they set out for the nearby Tea House, hoping to catch a quick meal before reaching their destination. Although the threat from heaven had been recently averted, everywhere they went they caught the attention of prying eyes - both intrigued and fearful. Soon, however, Yolei asked Hugh if he could take on a form that was more pleasing to the eye. She watched her words, wanting to ensure that she would not offend him. Immediately, Hugh complied, seeming to take on the countenance he had before his traumatizing division.

"Thanks, Hugh," said Yolei, "Now no one will look at us strangely…it was as if Death itself walked amongst them." After hearing this, Hugh chuckled to himself at the irony of her statement. Yolei sighed in exasperated exhaustion and stated plainly, "If only they knew you as we do. Well, no sense in forcing them to see something they won't. Oh wait…I meant to ask you…Hugh, what motivated you to come rescue me? I was certain that you would snatch your crest from Gennai, wreak your vengeance, and control the world that had been so cruel to you. After all, we had taken advantage of you…even I am not blameless. I would not have blamed you if you had chosen to set yourself up as the Lord of the Earth. After all, at first I wanted you for my own sake - to make me happy. Then I realized that that was wrong - I was causing more grief than happiness."

"Yolei, there is no mystery here; my motives are as simple as the flow of time. I didn't abuse my power because I knew that you didn't want me to."

"Well, yes, I suppose…" agreed Yolei.

"As for my what drove me on to rescue you, I merely imagined how angry and furious you would be, but especially, how disappointed and sad you would be with me if I failed. I engraved this image into my mind's eye, and laboured day and night in the bowels of Hell for months to ensure our victory."

"You said before that you would not abuse your power…but you never told us what you would use it for."

"Well, while I was still bound to obey each and every command I was given, that did not mean I could not think for myself. For many long millennia I have contemplated what I might do, should I finally be free from obligation, with my life as my own. Just because my final choice is `noble' doesn't mean that I have always felt this way. My thoughts have been self-serving and malevolent at times. More than once I have thought of ripping the world asunder and enslaving those who survived. Those thoughts have fuelled my fantasies on numerous occasions. But after further scrutiny, I realized that that would make me just as bad as those who enslaved me, if not worse. I finally resolved that I would never visit the horrors I have experienced on others. My motto now is to respect free will and the autonomy that all should have over their own lives. I shall help anyone in need, but I will cease my interloping if they tell me that my help is not wanted - after all, they may not see it as help."

As they continued, conversations between the children became more light-hearted and cheerful, as though they had a great weight lifted from them, and they did not know when they would have to face a similar ordeal, but they were glad that their troubles were over for the time being.

They took a train to the hot springs, but it was cramped and there was no room for them to sit. Of course they could have easily asked Hugh to teleport them to their destination, but he disagreed, stating that the residents would be alarmed and be less likely to welcome them with open arms. When they arrived at the Hinata teahouse, they found it deserted, with a `closed until further notice' sign. Nevertheless, Yolei and Kari needed a toilet stop, so they took a short respite from their journey to facilitate this, and to stretch their sore limbs from their long trip. Fortunately, although closed, the owner of the teahouse had not locked any doors or barred any windows; it seemed as though they were forced to leave from fear of the impending invasion, without any time for final preparations. It was as though they never expected to be able to return.

On the way out of the restroom, Yolei saw the three council elders muttering to themselves:

"Is it a wolf in sheep's clothing?"

"Is it the other way around?"

"The footsteps of doom approach…"

Yolei pondered their words as they walked away, but was more amazed by the fact that they displayed themselves so openly and without fear, while all other residents had either locked themselves inside, or fled. Perhaps, she thought to herself, they somehow know that the threat is passed…I certainly hope they don't refer to Hugh as the `footsteps of doom.'

When the Hinata-sou came into visual range, the children noticed the cheerful, relaxed atmosphere they had expected to encounter was non-existent. Instead of the sounds of bathing, gossip and laughter they anticipated, a damning calm prevailed. The reached the front gates, which were barred and secured against entry. A barbed-wire fence was atop the gates, which surrounded the perimeter of the apartment complex. Whoever resided here either valued their privacy as tantamount to food and drink, or was fearful of an attack. The children all thought that it must be the latter reason, given the evidence of the havoc that Gemma and his forces wreaked across Japan.

As TK went forward to knock on the gate, he inadvertently triggered one of the intruder alarms that Kaolla had installed. It blared a hideous screech that caused all of the companions, save The Watcher to slam their hands against their ears to blot out the auditory pain. Alerted by the sound, the residents - Naru, Motoko, Kaolla, Sarah, Haruka, Kitsune, Mutsumi, Kanako and Shinobu - rushed to the gates in full army gear (except for Motoko and Shinobu - they were dressed as Samurai warriors), ready to deal with any threat to their beloved Hot Springs Inn, with Keitaro creeping slowly behind them. Kaolla pressed a button that turned off the "`Silent' Alarm", as she called it, although the children were still temporarily incapacitated, the vibrations still reverberating in their ears. Naru got tired of Keitaro's cowardly demeanor and gave him an `Iron Fist Punch' to help him on his way. He landed outside the gate, right in front of Hugh. When he looked up, the figure that stared back into his eyes, piercing his mind, caused him to tremble wildly in fear.

However, the main reason for his shock was looking up - things appear taller than when viewed standing up - and when Keitaro stood up and looked back at Hugh, he saw that they were around the same height. Because of this, he realized that part of his fear was groundless, or so he thought.

By now, the girls had arrived. Their wariness and distrust of outsiders was forced upon them - they had to be careful of any visitors, else they be overrun by spies of the enemy. Motoko had her katana poised to perform seppuku on the unwilling victims that lay unconscious.

Kistune had changed into her `Sherlock Holmes' outfit, and chewed on her pipe.

"What's going on here? And why are you still conscious. It seems our preliminary defenses weren't adequate, but know this - you cannot enter this place so easily. Suu! Administer the test!"

"Roger!"

Kaolla took a torch from her pack and was about to shine it on the `intruders'.

"Holy Deception-Removal Light!"

"No need for that." Hugh said, gently holding his open hand out to give a message of reassurance. To everyone's surprise, Kaolla gave him the benefit of the doubt, holding back her torch, but slowly backing away. "I can understand your emphasis on the truth, however fearsome or unpleasant it may be. Please, do not be alarmed."

With those words, he removed the illusion that beguiled them, appearing once more as a floating corpse with two pale blue flames for eyes.

"Ano KISAMA (You BASTARD!)!" Naru screamed, rushing forward to punch what she perceived as a fiend with her `Super Naru Punch'.

"I had not expected the angels to send one such as you here! They couldn't do it on their own, so they sent you, is that it?" Naru continued, still trying to land a single blow. However, her intended target bucked and weaved out of the way. If he was startled by Narusegawa's reaction, he did not showed it in neither his expression nor his `eyes'.

"Wait, Naru," interjected Motoko.

"Are you insane?" she blurted at the Samurai. "Look at him - he must be a demon - just like the turtle that attacked your sister all those years ago!"

"No, Naru. The nature of demons is to strike first and eat their prey later. He is either a benevolent demon, or something else entirely. Exactly what, I am unsure of. However, I understand your concern, and there is a method to discern his true nature." Motoko turned to face Hugh, and continued, "Trial by Zanma-Ken."

The other girls whispered amongst themselves about the technique used against Kanako.

"Silence, please," continued Motoko, "I cannot concentrate sufficiently for such a Jutsu (Spell) with all this noise. The Zanma-Ken, or Evil Cutter, obliterates evil, leaving only the pure-hearted unharmed."

"Very well, I accept your terms," replied Hugh, removing his red robes.

"Ikuzo (let's go!)! Zanma-Ken!" Motoko yelled, utilizing the full fury of her ki and years of training. The blast struck The Watcher squarely in the chest, but the force of the blow blew his companions back several feet, although leaving them unharmed. Seeing that her blow had no effect, Motoko resheathed her sword, confident that the intruders were of no threat to them. "As your friends were also unharmed, I believe your benevolence. But please, enlighten me. If you were not sent by the angels, who did send you?"

"No one," came the reply, "I came of my own accord. I am glad that you did not believe that I destroyed angels simply to have the `pleasure' of finishing their job. If I wanted to - TRULY wanted to subjugate the world, I would have done so already, and I would not have started here. I came here to -"

"You slew their Okashira (Commander)?" asked an incredulous Motoko, betraying her emotionless Samurai demeanor. "You truly must have great power. But…apart from your skeletal appearance, I must say that you do not have the look of a murderer upon you."

"You'd be surprised how much my past has been stained, and not just with blood." continued Hugh, "I came here to find out about this one bastion that was kept safe from the impending onslaught, when all other resistance had lost."

"I see," replied Motoko, back in "Samurai Mode" again. "Well, I am sure that you and your friends could stay here. We could learn a lot more from you than you could from us, that I am sure of."

"No, you flatter me, Samurai-sama," replied Hugh, bowing his head.

"Call me Motoko. And this is…" Motoko introduced Hugh and his party to the residents, who introduced themselves in turn. As they made preparations to reduce security around the complex, Naru grabbed Motoko's arm and pulled her aside as they were walking back in.

"Are you nuts, Aoyama?!?! Who knows what this guy can do! Even though he's peaceful now, what guarantee do we have that he'll stay that way? If what he says is true, then we are in really deep shit!"

"Don't fret, Naru. There is something about his…nature…I am not sure what it is…but he won't prove a liability. Besides, if he is a `demon', more likely than not he will be able to drive away other demons, keeping us safe."

"I hope you're right, Kendo Girl. I still don't trust him."

Naru cautiously kept both eyes on Hugh as they all walked to the apartment complex.

End of Chapter 1

Well how was it? I hope you liked it, more to come soon (I hope, if work doesn't get me)!