Story: Cognitive Process (chapter 5)

Authors: Fang

Back to chapter list

Chapter 5

Title: Five

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to . . . The Gatherer.

Disclaim: Refer to chapter 1.
Cognitive Process
Chapter 5: Of 'Ni no Tachi' and turtles?

Tsuruko rose from the table like a bat out of hell, eyes glittering, mouth twisted in a mockingly innocent smile, energy rolling off of her. She grabbed Motoko by the hair, and with respect for the Hinata house, started to drag her outside.

"Wahh! Oneesan! What are you doing? What did I do? Let me go!" Motoko cried as she was pulled, kicking and screaming, from the table into the hallway where she was then thrown from the window. Tsuruko leaped out behind her sister, pulling out her katana as she landed.

"You know it's not right to /lie/ to me Motoko-han! I will /not/ allow it. FIGHT ME!"

Motoko skidded to a halt and watched, paralyzed, as her sister glided towards Motoko in all her demonic glory. 'Gah! I have to fight, but more than that I HAVE to win! Otherwise, I will have to tell her, most likely in front of everyone and I can't do that!'

Motoko stood, drew the ever present Hina blade, and took up her fighting stance. Tsuruko watched the changes overcome her younger sister, watched as her usually gentle eyes became possessed and sinister, watched as she became one with the creatures the Shinmei school works so hard to seal. Tsuruko watched as Motoko became like her, prepared for maximum battle, one with the demon within, one with the world around, and Tsuruko knew. A small, sincere smile briefly flittered across her face before she attacked.

(Motoko POV)

I stood while I pulled out the Hina blade, the same blade Keitaro gave me to defeat my sister last time, and a new feeling overcame me. 'What is this? I. . . I feel so calm, so ready. I also. . . I also feel as if. . . something were off, but that that off feeling seems to be radiating an eagerness. It's taut, ready, for battle.' I stare at my sister, and I swear that I saw a brief smile.

'Did I really see that? Damn, that's creepy! Why is everything so clear?' I look to my friends, and see them back away a little. My eyes widen in shock, 'I'm demonized, I've only been half there before. Here she comes!'

I leap out of the way as she attacks with a lightning fast slash. She disappears for a moment before I sense her to my right. I jump up to land briefly on the roof to gather a quick survey of the ever-changing landscape of the Hinata house grounds. Tsuruko is where I last felt her, waiting calmly.

Smirking, 'I think I'll play with her,' I leap up into the air and land in a tree. Climbing down gently, I basically teleport behind her.

"I won't let you win, Oneesama." I whisper in her ear before bounding off to hide near a rock. I smile when there is no visible change. Knowing I'm probably pushing my luck, this time I teleport to her side, and lean close to her ear, "I promise I'll prove myself worthy this time." As I bound away, I can feel her following me.

I whirl around, "THUNDER BLADE," and watch as my katana completely misses, but the after wave managed to blow Oneesan away from me, giving me the chance to prepare after my little stunt.

"Ho ho ho! You're pathetic if you think that will stop me!" Tsuruko taunted.

(3rd POV)

The two women stare at each other, demon possessed eyes into demon possessed eyes. For an eternity they stared, until they abruptly flew at each other. Hack. Slash. Thrust. Block. Fly apart. Diagonal up slash. MIST FURY SLASH! Dodge. AIR SPLITTING SWORD. Slash. Feint.

The two women were a barely perceivable mass of motion. The on lookers at the balcony only see the two sisters when their weapons meet, even then only for half of an instant. Finally, "Shinmeiryuu Ougi Zanmaken: NI-NO-TACHI," one sister fell, while the other remained standing, at least for only an instant, before she too fell.

Motoko and Tsuruko pulled their bodies towards each other, panting, bruised, and sweating. Motoko was the first to speak, "So, who won?"

Tsuruko just smiled. Gazing absently at the sky, she noticed the residents of Hinata dorm standing by the window, watching Motoko and her. "I don't know, Imouto, why don't we ask them?"

Motoko looked to where her elder sister was gazing and noticed, for the first time, that everyone was staring at them. She sighed and started the long voyage to a standing position. Once she was standing, she looked up to her friends, "Hey guys, who won?"

The group continued to stare at the siblings, perhaps in shock, perhaps in a daze. Motoko grew impatient with their silence, "Hey! Pay attention!" The gang blinked a collective blink, which was slightly comical, and turned their restored gaze to her. "Who won?"

They all broke out into smiles. "Who's standing, Motoko?"

Motoko glared, "I am, but I fell! I have no idea who fell first! It's who fell first that matters, not who's standing NOW."

"Oh me oh my. Motoko, it appeared that you were the second to fall. I believe that means you win," Mutsumi beamed down at Motoko.

"YAH! MOTOKO YOU'RE SO COOL!" Kaolla yelled, as Motoko fell back down.

"I won? I actually won? I did it. YATTA!" Motoko stared up at the sky, which was almost completely dark, if not for the stars and bright moon. 'I did it, I finally won. I've proved my worth as a swordsman. I can finally. . .'

"Come on, Imouto. It's time to go in." Tsuruko was holding her hand out to Motoko, who grabbed it and pulled herself up. The two sisters, who now looked completely untouched and not at all like they just fought, walked back into the Hinata house.

They took a quick dip in the Springs, but didn't stay long. Motoko opened the door to her room, and let her sister enter first. The weary woman entered, unsuspecting. "Wha-"

Motoko ran into the room after her sister, and couldn't help but laugh. Tsuruko had been caught in Kaolla's trap, a trap obviously meant for Motoko. She was hanging from the ceiling by rope over a pot of something. A few feet away Tamago was similarly trussed up, over a similar, but smaller, pot. A very short distance away was the funniest thing to Motoko: a glazed eyed, drooling Kaolla.

Motoko was nearly collapsed from laughter, before she realized that the rope was slowly lowering Tsuruko into the pot. Sobering slightly, she jumped up, grabbed her sister, and cut the rope as she came down on the other side of the pot. Setting her sister down, she moved towards Kaolla.

"Su! As much as I don't like that thing, you can't eat her!" Kaolla looked up at Motoko, reluctant to draw her gaze from the slowly descending Tamago.

"But she's my ultimate rival! The only one I can't defeat! Why can't I have some turtle soup?"

Motoko tried to think of a good enough reason. "Uh . . . because everyone would miss her? Besides isn't she Naru's or Keitaro's?"

Kaolla grew exasperated, "If the Turtle Lady would just hand over a male! I could have tons of Tamas, and create a feast!"

'I got to think of something, because there is no way /I'm/ untying that thing. What could I possibly use to convince Kaolla /not/ to eat the stupid turtle, at least not right now.' Motoko thought hard, and she would have thought long, but she didn't have the time. Then, a lightning bolt struck her. 'I swear I'm so slow! Why didn't I think of this earlier?'

"Su, it's time for bed. You need to put your paraphernalia away so we can go to sleep." Kaolla deflated like a popped balloon. Sluggishly Kaolla released Tamago from her bonds. After the worst part was over, Kaolla conjured up a remote, pushed the red button on it, and they all watched as the two pots mysteriously vanished.

Leaping up to hang off of Motoko, it was obvious Kaolla was back to herself. "Motoko, am I ever going to catch you? How do you always escape the clutches of my traps?"

Motoko laughed, "You missed me today, Su, but you got Oneesan." Motoko smirked down at Kaolla, then whispered, "And I think you caught the harder target. Besides, I'm on to you, you've made me one paranoid person!"

Kaolla beamed at Motoko, then bounced off of her right into bed. "Beddie- time. Sleep, and sheep for all on board." She pulled the cover up over her head as she burrowed into the futon.

Motoko looked at her sister, who was in bed and already asleep, and smiled. Quietly, she whispered, "Night Ruko-chan," as she shut off the light. Lying down, she noticed Tsuruko's bird, Kou. Her last conscious thought was, 'When did the bird show up again?'

. . . . . .

End Chapter 5

All right! You'll have to forgive my less than good fight scene, because I've never written one before. I'm actually sure if I did a little research on sword fighting to learn some of the names for the moves, it would have been better. But I'm lazy, and could come up with a thousand excuses, but let's just say I didn't feel like it.

Oh! Although I have been informed that Kou is suppose to be called Shippu, I'm not going to change it. Mainly because I don't want to read book 13 yet, and I'd already named the bird. Bai bai

Back to chapter list