Tenjou Utena strode up the stone steps, her pink hair flowing back over her shoulders. She was wearing a dark blue skirt a little uncomfortably, the matching shirt unbuttoned at the neck. The last place she would have planned to visit was a hot springs village, but there was someone here that she had promised to come see, here at the Hinata Inn. A black haired young woman was supervising as several women in matching uniforms helped clean up the yard, oddly a single strand of her hair stuck straight up from her head. "Thanks, everyone," she said coolly, "it looks much better now." "You're very welcome, Kanako," the black haired younger woman beamed. "I'm sorry to interrupt your studies, Shinobu, Su, Motoko," gravely Kanako bowed to them once again. "Hey, company!" the dusky skinned blonde grinned, nearly pouncing on Utena with immense personal energy. "Su!" the taller young woman protested, oddly carrying what looked like a katana. "Sorry, Motoko," Su sheepishly let go of her death grip around Utena's neck and slid down from where she had glommed onto her back. Utena rubbed at her throat and smiled wryly, "Don't worry, I used to have a friend who did that to me all the time." With a half bow she said, "My name is Tenjou Utena, and I'm looking for Ms. Himemiya Anthy?" "Ah, our latest arrival," Kanako nodded in recognition, "I think she's home today." A bit sheepishly she said, "I'm sorry that I have my duties to attend to, but I'm sure one of the others could take you to her." "Of course," Motoko agreed then turned to Utena and said, "come with me." The tall young woman had short hair, stopping at the base of her neck and a kind of serenity about her, a deep pool of personal calm. Utena followed her inside through the front hall as she quietly asked, "Has Anthy been living here for long?" "A few months," Motoko answered, "she has fit in here very well." A slight smile, "Though we have learned not to let her take a turn cooking." Utena felt herself smiling at the memory, "She does do a very good shaved ice, though." She looked over at the younger woman thoughtfully, "You're in university?" "I'm a sophomore at Tokyo University," Motoko verified as they went down the hall, "after a difficult year of being a ronin." Utena smiled wryly, feeling a slight pang that she hadn't attended university herself. 'One day,' she promised herself. Motoko looked over at Utena a moment before she asked her, "You're a swordswoman as well, aren't you?" Utena looked surprised, "Yes, how did you know?" "The position of the calluses on your hands," Motoko said with a nod, "maybe we could practice together sometime." "That might be interesting," Utena said as they came to a stop in front of one of the doors. "Good," Motoko knocked as she called out, "Anthy, there's a guest here to see you." A moment later and the door slid aside, Anthy's face lighting up as she saw Utena there. Instead of her usual clothes the dusky skinned woman was dressed in a kimono, her long violet hair flowing in a gentle wave down her back. Utena felt herself blush, though she couldn't quite explain why. "You invited me to visit," she said, "I thought I'd take you up on that." "Welcome," Anthy reached out to take Utena's hand, gently tugging her inside. The room they entered was comfortable, neatly maintained but not as terribly clean as Anthy used to keep their old room at Ohtori. "Your timing's very good," Anthy said as she sat Utena down by the low table and poured them each some tea, "I just got back from my fortune telling job." "You know, I almost didn't believe you were doing that..." Utena trailed off as she saw what looked like a turtle fly right past the open window. "Did I just see that?" she asked Anthy. "Tama-chan," Anthy nodded serenely, "a rare breed of hotsprings turtle." She smiled, "After a while, I just decided not to ask." "Speaking of asking," Utena fiddled with her teacup a moment, "I was wondering what happened to Chu Chu?" Anthy smiled sadly, drinking some of her own tea. "Gone," she finally said, "he returned to being a part of me once you became victor of the duels." At Utena's stunned look she sighed, "It's complicated to explain, but he was an... aspect of myself, one I split off to try and preserve." Utena took a drink of tea, "It makes an odd kind of sense, I think." She looked at Anthy thoughtfully, "A piece of your humanity?" "My humanity and much of my emotions," Anthy agreed. She drank, "Akio and I had lived in Ohtori a long time, and more and more I found it harder to cope. Creating Chu Chu gave me someone I could trust, whom I could interact with." "It must have been lonely," Utena reached out, laying her hand on Anthy's. "There were occasionally duelists I could connect with, whom were kind to me," Anthy said sadly, "but they were few and far between." She brightened considerably as she linked her fingers with Utena's, "Of course that changed when I met you." "I'm glad," Utena smiled. "How is your aunt?" Anthy asked curiously, remembering that Utena had mentioned her the last time they had met. "Aunt Yurika?" Utena flashed a smile, "I think she'd like to disapprove, but my inheritance means I'm pretty much independent." "But you still live together?" Anthy asked as she finished her tea. "For now," Utena nodded, "though I'm looking for a place of my own, maybe an Tokyo apartment I can sublet from someone." "You could always stay with me," Anthy offered warmly. Utena blushed slightly, "I wonder if your landlord would approve?" "Kanako?" Anthy looked thoughtful, "Somehow, I don't think she'd mind." Meanwhile, in the kitchen of the Hinata Inn a rapid discussion was taking place. "So," the sandy haired blonde said with a twinkle in her eye, "our mysterious Anthy has a guest?" "Don't read too much into it, Kitsune," Motoko said sternly. "What do you two think?" Kitsune looked over at the younger girls. "Utena reminds me a little of Motoko," Su volunteered cheerfully. Shinobu nodded, "She seems very cool." "What are you all talking about?" the taller girl walked into the room, Tama-chan fluttering around her happily. "Hey Mitsumi," Kitsune called out cheerfully, "I think Anthy has a girlfriend." "The woman she's been searching for?" an eager Mitsumi asked as she settled into a seat. Motoko looked thoughtful, "It would explain a great deal." "What would explain a great deal?" Kanako asked with her usual gravity as the black clad young woman strode inside. "Kitsune thinks Anthy's guest is her girlfriend," Su piped up. "This Utena seems like a respectable young woman," Kanako said simply, "I fail to see any problem with that." To be continued... Author's Note: The Hinata Inn in this story is a hybrid of the manga version and the state it was left in at the end of the Love Hina Again anime. Kanako Urashima is running the place, with much of the cast of Love Hina still living there, while Naru and Keitaro have moved out to be together.
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