Fujioka Family Home
Meito, Nagoya
Japan
November 17, 2006
They arrived at Dee's grandparents' house to find Yasu's husband, Fumio, sitting in the family room with their middle daughter, Chouko, watching TV. Yasu went with her father back to the shrine for the last of the preparations for the next day and took Yuuki with them. Yasu's and Fumio's oldest son, Norio, and his wife, Miya, were also there.
"Obasan!" Fumio exclaimed, standing up. "Welcome home. Did you enjoy your travels with Daisuke and his family?"
"I did very much, Fumio," Sakura said with a smile for her niece's husband. She smiled at the others in the room. "Hello Chouko. Norio, it is good to see you and Miya."
"Papa invited us to stay tonight so we can help get things ready tomorrow," Norio stated. He went over to Dee and Ryo. "It is good to see you again, Dee. Was your trip what you expected of it?"
"Much more," Dee replied. "Most of that had to do with having first Papa and Chichi and then Obāsan with us, and meeting other members of our family."
"You met the Osaka Fujiokas then?" Fumio asked with amusement. "They are an enjoyable bunch to spend time with."
"Yes, they are that," Dee had to agree.
"That had to be shocking comparing to the rest of us." He let out a laugh. "Outsiders find it hard to believe we're the same family. I understand they will be here tomorrow?" Fumio asked.
"They will all be here for at least the party. Hitoshi and Kyoshii will be here for the ceremony," Sakura replied.
"I'm looking forward to seeing them," Norio said. "It's been a while."
"You were with them in Osaka last week," Fumio said and laughed.
"That's been a while," Chouko commented with a smirk. "It's been even longer since I saw them, so I'm really looking forward to seeing Uncle Hitoshi and Uncle Kyoshii."
"Where's Yasu?" Dee asked, noticing that she was not in the room.
"Her and Yuuki are at the shrine with my father-in-law," Fumio replied. "They want to make sure everything is perfect for tomorrow. They should be returning shortly."
"Where is my husband?" Sakura asked.
"He is in his study. He said he wanted to assure nothing will pull him away from the festivities tomorrow," Fumio stated.
"If you will excuse us, we need to speak to Ryoichi. When we are done, I will join you in watching some TV before getting unpacked," Sakura stated.
"We can take your bags to your room, Obasan," Norio offered.
"That would be so kind of you, Norio. Thank you," Sakura said. "We left them in the genkan for now. Please excuse us. I need to speak to my husband, and I need my son and grandsons with me. And their families."
"Is Yoshio with Kiyoshi and Tatsuya?" Fumio asked.
"Yes. It is their bedtime," Dafydd replied. "It was best not to drag them along to bring Obāsan home. Dee and Ryo let Bikky and Carol go out exploring Nagoya for a while, and we also decided Ryoko and Darin would be best settled for the night."
"After the past week and a half, it's a good idea to get them back on something of a schedule finally," Dee stated. "They've been pretty good so far, but we don't want to take a chance on them being cranky for their big day tomorrow."
"This is true. I look forward to their Naming Ceremony tomorrow and then the big party," said Fumio.
As much as Yoshio wanted to know what his husband's father was up to, it was decided not to take the young children with them, and Yoshio offered to stay behind and watch his grandchildren. He knew he would know everything that had happened. Saburo would fill him in once they were back home. He also looked forward to talking to Bikky and Carol for a bit before letting them go out for a while.
Sakura led them from the living area to the hallway leading to one of the other wings of the house. They walked from the hallway along the engawa to Ryoichi's study. They passed Sakura's studio. Sakura kept a small desk in her studio where she worked on her foundation and charity work, but she also kept her arts and crafts supplies in the room. She also had a comfortable couch and armchairs in her studio. Along the engawa, all the itado doors, were closed, like all the other rooms on the lower level of the wing. The amado exterior sliding doors, which were the heavier rain doors, and also extra protection at night were also closed, effectively making the engawa seem like just another corridor around the outer perimeter of the building.
A couple of rooms down from Sakura's studio, she slid open the wood panel door. Ryoichi looked up and smiled when he saw his wife. "Sakura!" he greeted. "I missed you." Dee could see that Ryoichi had missed his wife and was genuinely glad to see her. He had no doubt that his grandfather loved his grandmother very much. Ryoichi started to stand up to go over to his wife but paused when he noticed the others behind her, and Sakura started to frown.
"Sit down, Ryoichi," Sakura demanded. "Before we act as if everything is fine between us, you are going to answer some questions we have. And before that, I must warn you that whatever happens tonight, it will not affect tomorrow."
"Of course," Ryoichi said. "I will not allow anything to get in the way of our great-grandchildren's Naming Day. It is a big day for them."
"I do hope you feel that way about your great-grandchildren," Sakura remarked.
"I do. They are our great-grandchildren that we never thought we'd have," Ryoichi stated.
"Even if they are gaijin?" Sakura asked, starting to seethe. She gave Dee a look and went back to staring down her husband.
"It does not matter to me. They are Daisuke's children. They are the children of one of our firstborn grandchildren that we thought we lost."
Dee could not help the snort at his grandfather using his birth name. Sakura gave him a mild glare of warning, but she also winked at him. Apparently, his grandfather referred to him as Daisuke when speaking to his grandmother. Sakura had shared that information during their travels. Dee figured his grandfather did so because his grandmother was not having any of the nonsense behind why Ryoichi called Dee that name he grew up. From his grandfather, it was an insult against who he was, unlike the other relatives who just decided to call him the name he was most familiar with.
"What is this about?" Ryoichi asked. "And I am not complaining about the company, but I have a feeling this is not a friendly drop in to say hello."
"No, this is not," Sakura stated. "I do not think Daisuke and his family would feel comfortable enough to drop by and say hello to you. You did not give them anything to obtain that comfort." She waved him off when Ryoichi opened his mouth. "Never mind that. What I want to know is how long before Dafydd came back from Tokyo with Daisuke did you know our grandson was alive?"
"What are you talking about, Sakura? That Sunday was the first I heard of it, with you."
Dee's eyes were fixed on his grandfather, looking for tells. He knew his grandfather was lying, but the old man was good at telling lies. Dee looked at Dafydd, who shrugged slightly. Even his twin brother who knew their grandfather all his life and was also a detective did not see anything. A quick glance at his father showed that Saburo was frowning more than when Sakura opened the door to the study.
"Daisuke, show your grandfather that picture Ryo's aunt sent you," Sakura said, turning her back to her husband.
Dee already had the picture up on his phone while they were in the family room. He knew his grandfather would have the audacity to deny it. He didn't believe the man was stupid, but he did suspect Ryoichi Fujioka felt he could talk his way out of anything, and probably believe he was smarter than everyone else.
Dee stepped past his grandmother and held the phone out. "Explain this then please, Grandfather."
Sakura turned back to her husband after Dee passed her and stared him down, which was impressive since he was a few inches taller than her. "Don't deny that's you at New York's City Hall watching Daisuke speak. Don't bother. What I do want to know is why you couldn't say anything. And how long before then did you know? Because you had to know something to be there."
Ryoichi looked at the photo and sighed. "I could have gone just because of the reason for the gathering?" Ryoichi asked his wife. "I was in New York for business that week, and yes, I did hear of New York's mayor signing new laws for Carrier Protection, so of course, I had to go since I was free at the time. I don't often get to see history making events protecting Carriers outside Japan."
"And was surprised by seeing my twin brother as the key speaker?" Dafydd asked angrily. "So surprised that it made you forget to tell us when you got home?" Dafydd folded his arms and gave his grandfather a harsh stare. "You knew my twin was speaking that day and that's why you went," he accused. "You're always going on about how you follow Carrier issues around the world, and especially in America." Dafydd started to look more upset. "I didn't want to believe it at first, but I think I was just protecting you. I know better now. If you follow so closely, you most certain have seen pictures of Dee before that ceremony." He looked at Dee. "You did mention it in Tokyo, but I didn't want to believe it."
"I guess I didn't either," Dee admitted, "because I allowed you to convince me."
Ryoichi let out a heavy sigh and sat back down in his chair, looking like he had the wind knocked out of him. "You're right. I did know. I first saw his picture from the coverage of that first press conference. What I wondered was, when any of you would finally pick up something from America and notice Daisuke. He was in the newspapers, in magazines and even on TV. Somehow I was the only one in our family who noticed him."
"Did you know that was Dafydd's twin when you first saw the pictures?" Sakura asked.
Ryoichi looked at Dee, and then Dafydd. Looking back to his wife, he answered, "Of course I had no doubt it was Daisuke in the first photo I had seen. Which is what prompted me to search for more and to follow the events of the Carrier Killer case in New York." His eyes turned sad as he looked back to Dee. "I am glad that rogue cop did not kill you and your unborn twins. That would have been a tragedy greater than when we first lost you. To be so close to you coming back to us only to lose you only because you were Carrying those darling twins of yours."
Dee took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. If he lost it now, he had no idea what would happen. He might actually rush forward to strike or throttle his grandfather, and no matter how pissed everyone was at the man at the moment, that would not be good for him with the rest of his family. Besides, the situation needed some control, and Dee could tell by both his father's, grandmother's and twin's body language, it was about to explode. It was possible they were all feeling the same urge as he was but if any of them attacked the patriarch of his family, they might very likely be pardoned from rejection from the rest of the family. However, Dee did not want his future visits to Japan to see his family include going to a Japanese prison to see his father, brother or grandmother.
"It makes me happy to hear you feel that way, Grandfather, but may I ask how you knew I would be returning to the family soon?" Dee asked, his voice strained from sounding calm. He felt Ryo take his hand and squeeze it. Ryo wasn't far behind the rest of his family in wanting to jump and strike his grandfather.
Ryoichi held out his hand. "Daisuke, you must understand that if I was able to go up to you and tell you that I was you grandfather, I would have. But I couldn't. I was warned to stay away from the ceremony but having a chance to see you in action standing up against those who wish harm against Carriers was too much a temptation to resist. I was so proud watching you, all I wanted to do was tell everyone near me that you were my grandson, but again, I couldn't. I shouldn't have been there, but I just wanted to see my grandson again and that was the best situation." Looking at Sakura again he said, "I really did have a meeting in Philadelphia with the Japanese Carrier community. Philadelphia may be watching how New York handles the situation with intent to follow, but that is all that is being done right now. Carriers in Philadelphia do not have what New York is offering yet. And Japanese Carriers who moved there from Japan, as you know, are a different type of gene, and some have the twin gene as well. They are starting to raise suspicion. New York did not make the connection yet, but that is most likely because of how large the city is, and Carriers are looked at as individuals rather than part of an ethnic group. Philadelphia is one of the first cities that have done studies based on race. Questions are starting to be asked. I was requested to go and speak to the community leaders to give advice. To be honest, my advice to the Japanese there, if I was to give only my opinion, is to return to Japan."
Dee heard a small sound of realization come from Ryo. He wondered if Ryo was thinking the same thing he was, and for a small split second, Dee wanted to kiss the man before them for giving them one answer in how to track Carriers and reach out to them.
"That all sounds very honorable and grand, Otōsan," Saburo curtly snapped, "but what does that do with you not telling us about Daisuke?"
"I am telling you. I was sent by the Japanese government to speak to this community in Philadelphia. I was to arrive in Philadelphia the day after your mayor signed those new bills. Upon finding out about this, I altered my plans to be in New York, just so I could see you. As I said, the temptation was too strong to ignore. I was warned that I shouldn't go, but if I did go to New York, I was under strict orders not to engage with you. I had to keep my distance." He stood up again. "Please, I request everyone to come completely in and sit down. I will answer your questions the best I can."
"The best you can?" Sakura asked, as she ushered everyone into Ryoichi's study. Three of the wooden walls had built in shelves filled with books, many of them old. Not just books in Japanese, but in English. The last wall was a shoji itado wall that they entered through, which slid open to reveal the engawa and outer wall that opened to the outside. The study was a large space with a leather couch and two matching armchairs that looked like European antiques. They were old, but upon sitting on, they were also comfortable and in good shape. A wooden coffee table was before the couch. The table was chabudai, a Japanese design with low legs, and had panels that Dee was now used to finding, which probably opened to reveal cups and utensils to serve tea. The table also looked old, but in excellent condition. There was also a small table next to Ryoichi's large wooden desk with an electric water heater, tins for tea, a small jar of Japanese instant coffee, a cup that held tubes of sugar, and a tin that looked like it held something to snack on along with the tea. On Ryoichi's desk was a coffee mug. He had a large computer monitor and keyboard on the desk, along with scattered papers. The computer looked much like the one Saburo had and much more advanced than Dee was used to back in America.
"Can I make anyone some tea?" Ryoichi asked. "The water is still hot. I had just made a cup of coffee."
"I will make it," Sakura offered. "The most civil way of having a discussion is over tea," she reasoned. As she went over to the table, she glared at her husband, "but I cannot promise it will keep me from hurting you before this is over."
The time it took for Sakura to get the tea ready in a clay pot that was on a lower shelf on the table was spent with everyone trying to get their emotions under control. It was not completely a successful endeavor, but Dee, at least, felt like he was no longer on the edge of hurting his grandfather. Being the closest to the panel on the coffee table, he reached out to take out the teacups, placing them before everyone and placing one before the empty space between him and Saburo which was where his grandmother had settled before jumping up to make the tea. Dafydd sat on the other side of Saburo, while Momo and Ryo took the armchairs.
Once Sakura was settled again on the couch, Ryoichi stood and walked around his desk. He leaned against the front of the desk to face everyone.
"Who gave you these orders not to approach Daisuke?" Saburo asked.
"We already caught you in one lie, Ryoichi," Sakura warned. "Do not let me catch you in another, or our marriage will be in more dire trouble than it already is. Your answers from here on will determine where you will be sleeping tonight."
Dee caught Dafydd lower his head and a glimpse of a smirk on his brother's face before Dafydd covered his face with his hand. Dafydd let out a little yelp when Saburo elbowed him, but Dee caught the smirk on his father's face too.
"What I want to know is why you did not tell anyone when you first saw my photo," Dee said, getting his grandfather's attention on him. "Also, why you felt that I was going to return to the family."
"I see you did catch that," Ryoichi stated, nodding his head with approval. "I see in Dafydd's eyes that he also did. This is what makes you both excellent at what you do, and for you, Daisuke, that means well for the Carriers in New York, at the very least." He took a deep breath. "From the time you went missing so long ago, it has been suspected that you and Dafydd are the prophecy twins." Ryoichi paused as Dafydd let out a gasp, his eyes wide with shock.
Momo looked just as stricken. Dee remembered back in Tokyo when Dafydd and Momo told Dee and Ryo about the prophecy. For a moment, the thought came to his brother and sister-in-law, but then it was quickly dismissed as impossible. For one, the prophecy was just a legend, and while born from some small truths, legends are just that. Stories that hold some part of a culture long ago, but with no truths.
"That's not possible!" Saburo exclaimed, looking extremely concerned.
"Oh, not this Prophecy Twins garbage again!" Sakura exclaimed. "I have heard too much of it over the years. It's just a story, Ryoichi!"
Ryoichi shrugged. "Tell that to the Emperor and his council. Word of Alun's and Daisuke's deaths reached the Emperor and his council determined that Daisuke might be alive but only time would tell if that was true. If he was then it was likely Daisuke, along with Dafydd, were the twins of prophecy."
Saburo let out an angry sound. "Are you telling us that all this time you believed that Daisuke might have been alive? And you did not allow me to go to New York and search for him?" He grasped onto Dee's arm tightly.
Dee winched, not wanting to let Saburo know he was hurting him, because he understood the reason for the death grip hold on his arm.
Ryoichi looked first at Saburo and opened his mouth. His glance shifted to his wife and he closed his mouth and pinched the bridge of his nose with the fingers of his right hand. "I was under orders by the Emperor," he finally said. "I was not to say anything about the possibility, and I was to keep you from searching. The prophecy had to play out if Dafydd and Daisuke were indeed the Prophecy Twins."
Dee finally let out a gasp as he saw Ryo's mouth drop. "How the hell did the Emperor get word of us anyway?" Dee demanded.
"His Majesty is informed of all twins who are separated, and he relates the information to his council. From then on, it is the council who advises the Emperor. This has been the way since the prophecy first was told. There was only one time before, almost a hundred years ago, when it was thought a set of twins that were separated could be them, but obviously they were not. For one reason, the time was not right."
"How would they know what the right time would be?" Ryo finally spoke up, still looking shocked about mention of the Emperor.
"They have their methods which I was not privy to learn. All I know is what I am told by the Emperor. It was our previous late Emperor who had reached out to me about your situation, Daisuke, and I have been under orders since. I have also been under watch to assure I did nothing to get in the way of the prophecy playing out. When I first saw your picture earlier this year, I was not certain you would find your way to us. It was the Emperor's council who did the research and discovered that Dafydd was married to a member of Ryo's family. It was then that it was determined it was a matter of time. By the time I went to New York, we already knew of Momo's plans to attend Aoki-san's party in Tokyo. Whether Dafydd went or not, Momo was the key player. She would have known that Dee Laytner-MacLean was her husband's twin brother that Dafydd believed was alive." Ryoichi looked at Dafydd. "I had to deny the possibility, but I never once got in the way of you searching for your brother. I was under orders not to assist. I was someone who could not step in. According to the Emperor's council, my interference would null your reunion as prophecy. However, if your wife happened to meet Daisuke and bring him to your attention, that was okay. She was considered as a random factor to bring you two together."
He moved from his desk and went to stand before the coffee table, looking down at Saburo and Dafydd. "Had any of you happened upon news from New York and come across Daisuke's photos, and reached out to him, then it was still prophecy. However, since I was given certain information by the Emperor, I was taken out of the play. I could not have done anything to bring Daisuke and Dafydd together. I just had to sit back and hope it would happen. As I said, thankfully by the time I went to New York, I knew it would be just a matter of time before I would be standing before and talking to you, Daisuke," Ryoichi finished, looking down at Dee. "I could have waited a couple of more weeks, but I couldn't. Especially having business in a city so close to New York around the time. It made it easier watching you make your speech and then watching all those strangers approaching you, while I had to remain in the distance."
"So, you knew Daisuke could have been alive back then," Saburo accused his father.
"I was not sure when Alun was killed, but it was a possibility. It was when Dafydd started to insist that he felt his twin was alive that gave me reason to hope. I was also obligated to report it back to the Emperor. We all knew about twin sense, and the Emperor and his council were waiting to see if Dafydd would sense Daisuke being alive. I was then told to convince you it was what you wanted to believe and nothing more. It was my job to make everyone believe that Dafydd was wrong, to prevent any searches to get in the way of the prophecy being fulfilled." Looking at Dafydd, he added, "It was the council's hope that once you were old enough, you would start searching for your twin despite our insistence that he was killed with Alun. You did not disappoint, but I was still not allowed to support you, other than giving you financial aid to go to university in New York. It was something I would have done anyway, regardless of your reasons for attending a school in whatever city of choice. After all, the prophecy is the twins finding their way to each other. Which is what happened, and now the Emperor and his council are all convinced that you two are the Prophecy Twins."
"We are not done with your involvement with His Majesty, but I also understand what it means to be under his orders." Sakura stood up and walked around the table to stand next to her husband. She was still mad, but not as much as before. Staring up at him, she said, "However, when you decided to go to New York, did it not occur to you that you would end up in photos?"
"I thought if I did, it was just as another face in the background. I did try to avoid cameras when I saw them, but I couldn't avoid them all. If no one in this family paid close attention to the Carrier Killer case and as a result, Daisuke's media attention, then I was certain no one would be looking at photos from the ceremony at City Hall." He sighed and then shrugged as he glanced at Ryo. "What I did not consider is that the event was going to be covered by Ryo's aunt. That is something the council did not tell me about Ryo's family, for whatever reason they had."
"So, all your research on my husband was not done by you?" Dee asked, looking confused.
"I had everything they thought I needed from the council," Ryoichi replied. "And already knew enough about Ryo's grandmother in Japan because of her companies' reputations and of her as a businesswoman. There were not many women of her time who inherited from her family without her family 'adopting' her husband. She had also inherited her husband's estate. Not only did she inherit twice, but she continued the businesses, making them very lucrative. I also knew more than I wanted about his grandparents in New York. And yes, I was also given the information about the MacLean association with the ACC. This is being tracked too by the council and how it is handled. I have to add that no one in this room is to inform MacLean-san of this fact. To do so, the council would consider what he does will be compromised and could mean consequences for you, too, Ryo, in relation to your husband."
Dee's fists tightened as he felt that was a threat to his family. "I don't care if the Emperor demands me to leave my husband, because fuck him! I would never let that happen!" he roared.
"Daisuke!" Sakura exclaimed at the same time Saburo put his arm around Dee and pulled him close. Dafydd also put a comforting hand on Dee's shoulder. "Do not worry yourself about such nonsense," she stated firmly and then stared down her husband. "No one is going to attempt to separate your husband from you and your children. That is just not going to happen." She glared at her husband, and Dee knew right then that if it came to it, if anyone was going to tell the Emperor of Japan to go fuck himself, it was going to be his grandmother.
"If we keep this little fact between us and inside this room, there will be no need for worry," Ryoichi stated. "I'm just letting you know how it might be viewed." Looking at Ryo, he stated, "As I said, I have no problem with you married to my grandson, and I welcome you to our family with open arms. I also admire the turn around your grandfather had taken. He could have rejected Ryoko and Darin, as well as Daisuke. Instead he named your twins his heirs after you and welcomed Daisuke to the family, including opening the family purse to him. I am sure a lot of his change of views had to do with your lovely grandmother. I can understand his position of having such a strong-willed wife. I have one myself, after all, and find nothing wrong with that at all. I also see everything he does now, he does willingly, understanding that to make the world better for his own family, he has to help others. But he needs to find his own way out of the current situation."
"Dee and I had been thinking about it since you first mentioned it, and I have spoken to my grandparents since then. My grandfather is working on the situation, along with assistance from those in our unit. He even found one of the contributors and is working on a solution to prevent it from happening again. What would happen if Dee and I came up with an idea to assist him? We have been working on it too, at least talk about it since we have been a bit busy meeting more of the Fujioka family and sightseeing around Japan, but if we had an idea to bring to my grandfather, now that you told us this, does it mean we cannot?"
"You can," Ryoichi stated. "Because what is being monitored is how he handles suggestions to bring this situation to an end, not who gives him ideas. I can even give him advice, if I had any to give. Assuming he would listen to me. He cannot be told that his actions are being monitored because the council believes it will compromise the situation."
"I have gotten the chance to speak to Estelle-san," Sakura stated. "She is very much looking forward to meeting us as Daisuke's grandparents whenever we have a chance. I am certain I can get Franklin-san to listen, if you have any suggestions."
"My grandfather already has strong ideas on who else might be involved, but he doesn't have enough proof to take action against them yet," Ryo said. "And I know he is already working on his options on the best action to take once they can prove it. Those who are giving to the ACC are not within the inner family but have somehow managed to still get their fingers in family money."
"That is good to hear," Ryoichi said. He looked at his wife and then to the rest of them. "Do you have anything else you need to know about my trip to New York to watch my grandson? Believe me, I would have said something if I was at liberty to. Since I was under order by His Majesty not to say anything, to do so would have been treason to our Emperor and Japan. That would not have been good for our family."
Saburo let out a long, heavy sigh. "And we do have Daisuke back with us. I'm not happy about it, but I do understand why, Otōsan. It teaches me that I should be more aware of affairs outside of Japan. If I was, then I would have noticed all those articles earlier in the year."
"If you had, then I know Dafydd would have known too, and you both would have been reaching out to Daisuke. Unfortunately, that is not the way it happened, but thankfully we do have Daisuke with us now. Dafydd? Any questions?" Ryoichi asked.
Dafydd shook his head and seemed to release most of his anger. "What Papa said," he replied. "I should have paid more attention to Carrier Affairs overseas. I can't believe I didn't think to include news in America to find my twin." He shrugged. "I never considered either of us to be newsworthy." He looked at Dee, who nodded in agreement. Dafydd smirked. "At the least, not as Japanese pop stars."
Everyone, even Ryoichi chuckled when Dee stuck his tongue out at Dafydd.
"The only questions I do have is the why," Dafydd stated. "I'm not sure what it means about being Prophecy Twins."
"Same here," Dee said. "Sounds like a load of bull to me."
"Me too," Sakura stated. "Yes, the prophecy does come up at times for most Japanese, but we seem to hear about it all the time in this family."
"Because a long time ago, it was said that they were Fujioka," Ryoichi said. He held his hands up. "Something else I was privy to that I was not allowed to speak of unless I found myself with both of you together. Which you are, so I can admit it now."
Dee had to do a double-take, because he swore he heard a soft growl coming from his grandmother. Saburo let out a frustrated sigh. Both Ryo and Momo started to frown again.
Dafydd also looked annoyed, but he continued with his question. Dee understood why. There seemed to be a lot of secrecy and lies going on since Dee and Dafydd were separated, at the least, with the Emperor and this mysterious council of the Emperor's, who seemed to concern themselves more than what should have been normal. All because of the prophecy, which was affecting their family now. Dee was also curious to find out what the Prophecy Twins were supposed to do to warrant all that trouble and attention.
"What are we expected to do? The prophecy is very vague - both of them," Dafydd asked.
"Dafydd!" Sakura exclaimed. "Don't encourage your grandfather."
It was Dee's turn to let out a heavy sigh. Yes, he was still pissed at the lies and deception when it came to his grandfather. And yet, he realized that he was not angry for himself. He barely knew the man, except for what he had heard for the last two weeks, a lot of it was good. He also knew from his own limited experience with the man, that he wasn't impressed and thought him to be an ass, and did hold a bit of a grudge over being called gaijin by his grandfather and how Ryo was cornered at the party two weeks ago, but his anger was more for his father, grandmother and twin brother than for himself.
However, he also still did agree with Dafydd asking. There was also being in the line of work that he was, Dee did understand what it meant to be under orders and the need to know. He really understood it when his career as a detective started to blend into the world of the FBI because of Diana and having worked cases with her, and most recently when his own unit was a combination of the NYPD and the FBI, which blurred the lines for the NYPD detectives when the need arose to cross jurisdictions. He was sure Ryo also understood, and once he let go of his anger would have more a reason to respect being under orders since Ryo was once in the military.
As long as everyone let their emotions lead the discussion, they were not going to get anywhere. He really hoped his grandmother would see his reasoning. After getting to know about his grandfather through his grandmother's words, he knew that they both really loved each other, and if Ryoichi had one saving grace, it was his love for his wife. He hated to see his grandparents fall apart, especially since it was basically because of him, even if he had never done anything. It was his mere existence and separation from the family which was becoming a wedge between his grandparents. And even between his father and grandfather.
"Obāsan," Dee started gently. "Please. I need to know too. I mean, from what we've been told, the Emperor of Japan and this council of his seemed to have gone through great lengths over this and involved Grandfather. All because I ended up separated from my family for all these years. I need to know more to understand all the lies and secrecy that is threatening to pull this family – my family that in the last two weeks I discovered I love very much and proud to be part of – apart."
Sakura looked at Dee and her face softened. She nodded her head. "Yes, you make sense, Daisuke. I assume that Dafydd has similar reasons?"
"Yes, I do, Obāsan," Dafydd replied. "Pretty much all of it except for the obvious."
Sakura moved close to Ryoichi again and looked up at him. "Go ahead, Ryoichi. You said that you would answer questions. Answer Dafydd's question."
"I had hoped it wasn't true," Ryoichi admitted, finally able to put his arm around his wife and pull her close. "I did not want any grandsons of mine to be those twins, but according to the Emperor and council, now that you have been reunited, you are them. I can assume that eventually I will be told what is expected of you. As of now, I know nothing more than what everyone else knows about the prophecy."
"Except that you were told it was to happen in our family and never said anything," Sakura said, pulling away from Ryoichi and glaring at him.
"I was told Fujioka, just as my father and my grandfather were told. There was no guarantee that it was going to happen to us until Saburo and Alun decided to split up in Los Angeles, which also separated Dafydd and Daisuke. Then Alun was killed and it was assumed so was Daisuke. The proof was enough to convince me. Yet, there was still that possibility that Daisuke was alive and would reunite with Dafydd, and the rest of us. But to get back to Dafydd's question, I don't know. Honestly."
"Other than to save the human race," Momo remarked, making a face.
"Or destroying it," Dafydd pointed out.
"You are Fujioka!" Ryoichi exclaimed proudly. "There will be no destroying the human race." He stared down both Dafydd and Dee. "That I can assure you. Something the two of you do together will save the human race. What that is, I do not know, but chances are the council will eventually let us know."
"Do you ever speak to this council, or is all communication through His Majesty?" Dee asked. "Who, I assume, was filled in about this from his father before the previous Emperor's passing?"
"I do receive communication from the council, especially in matters concerning GPN, but for things that they feel I need to be under orders, they have the Emperor contact me," Ryoichi admitted.
"Which puts the threat of committing treason over your head," Saburo summed up.
"Exactly."
"Damn!" Dafydd exclaimed. "You actually get to talk to His Majesty?" He suddenly looked amazed. "I know we ate with the Imperial Family once, but that was some formal function where family was invited. But I didn't realize that you and the Emperor talk on a regular basis."
"Our current Emperor and I go way back," Ryoichi stated. "We were roommates for a short while in university and remained friends since. I still could call him a friend. I do at times, even advise him, but that is a completely other story to tell and it is getting late. Do we not have an important day tomorrow?"
"We do," Sakura stated.
"Are there any other questions?" Ryoichi asked. "Momo? Ryo?"
Ryo gave Dee a curious look before he shook his head. "No. I don't like it, but I guess I understand."
Dee found himself nodding to what Ryo said. "All I ask of you is no more lies," Dee said.
"As long as I do not get further orders to remain silent," Ryoichi replied. He pulled Sakura closer. "And as much as it would be entertaining, you will not tell His Majesty where to put it if he gives me more information that I would not be at liberty to divulge."
"Like Ryo said, I don't like it," Saburo said. "I feel manipulated somehow."
"We all were," Ryoichi admitted, "but we are Japanese, so we will respect the word of our Emperor. Even if we do not like it. Saburo, I assure you what your father-in-law did with the yakuza was of his own will. No one foresaw that or the results. And yes, I insisted that you and Alun leave Japan with your twin sons in hopes to keep you all safe. We almost succeeded. We lost only Alun in the long run. Of course, we did lose Daisuke for all these years, but at least he survived and had a good life, and now his life includes us."
Saburo hugged Dee again. "Yes, I have to agree with you on that, Otōsan. Both Dafydd and Daisuke are alive and that's all that matters to me. I couldn't care less about that Prophecy Twins stuff. I'm just thankful to have both my firstborn twins with me again."
"Are we good now?" Ryoichi asked. "Can we now talk about more pleasant things? Like Darin's and Ryoko's Naming Ceremony and the big party later in the day?" He smiled at everyone, his smile turning warmer as he directed it at his wife.
Sakura returned the smile. "Tomorrow is going to be exciting," she exclaimed. "Saburo have you taken Daisuke's and Dafydd's clothes out of storage?"
"They have been taken out of storage and cleaned. They are ready for Ryoko and Darin to wear tomorrow."
"You should give Darin a Japanese name," Ryoichi stated. "I already have something made with Darin in katakana but left a space for you to write the kanji for his Japanese name, should you decide on one."
"Obāsan already brought it up," Dee said. "Darin means great, so we decided on Daiki for his Japanese name. Ryo's grandmother had brought it up when we had their naming ceremony in New York, but since it was more to introduce the twins to our friends and family, and not much of a Japanese ceremony except to make her happy, we did not use it for the ceremony. Since this one is more official, even if a little late, then that is the name we will use." Dee started to smirk and looked at his father. "Dafydd is not a Japanese name, so was he given one at the time of our ceremony?"
"He was, but like with Darin, it is understood that it is not his given name. He did try once to go by Daichi when he was younger, but I stopped that," Saburo said. "He was named by his late father and that is the name he should be known as."
Dafydd shrugged and held his hands up. "I tried. Perhaps if you were around it might have stuck," Dafydd said to Dee. "Isn't that right, Ryo?"
"Well, not only is Ryo my Japanese name, but it is on my very American birth certificate as my middle name," Ryo stated with a smirk. "Can you say the same?"
"No, he cannot," Ryoichi replied for Dafydd. "And that is only because I allowed for you to have a non-Japanese name, but I was not going to allow Saburo to give you two middle names. And while Dafydd is not a Japanese name, I must stand behind your father that it was the name given to you by your fathers, so that is the name you go by."
"I do have a special stamp for the very official documents that using a Japanese name is preferred and it has Daichi Fujioka, but I don't use it often. The last time was for my paperwork to become a cop," Dafydd said.
"Darin will have a stamp much like that, in case he ever has need in Japan," Ryoichi stated. "Ryoko will too but Darin's will have Daiki. He may be American now, but one never knows about the future. I am working on getting permission to grant Daisuke dual citizenship. If I can make that happen, then that will be extended to Ryo and Bikky, should they decide to accept it, and will definitely apply to Darin and Ryoko, since they are your children and of Fujioka blood. Since I mention this, I should ask if my efforts will be in vain or not?"
"If I am allowed to maintain my American citizenship, I have no problem also having Japanese," Dee replied, "and both Ryo and Bikky will be honored as well if they are allowed."
"That pleases me to hear that. I will reach out to you once I receive an answer," Ryoichi said. "I think we are done for now. Everything is prepared for tomorrow, including the clothes Darin and Ryoko will be wearing. I hear from Tomoko that the party will be the best she and Kimi have ever put together. I do look forward to tomorrow."
"We look forward to it," Dee said.
They said their goodnights to Sakura and Ryoichi, Dee and Ryo taking the time to kiss her and let her know how much they enjoyed having her with them for the week. As they left the house, saying goodnight to those who were around, including Takahiro, who had recently returned home and was relaxing in the family area and watching the news, Dee was still amazed that this was his grandparents' home.
When they arrived at Dafydd's house, Yoshio informed them that Bikky and Carol had gone out after the three had some time to talk, and obviously they were still out. Dee and Ryo did mention before leaving that the two were allowed to go out and gave them a time to be back. It was before 11, so they still had time before they had to be back. Yoshio had put Tatsuya and Kiyoshi to bed after having story time including Darin and Ryoko. Yoshio said that the two boys had also taken time to read to their baby cousins and helped get them ready bed before having to get ready themselves. Yoshio showed the video of the boys reading to Dee and Ryo and said he already had sent the video to their email.
Saburo and Yoshio stayed for a while, enjoying hot sake and rice crackers while Dafydd put on a movie. Dafydd also took out a bag of shrimp flavored rice puffs and dried squid to have besides the crackers. After Saburo and Yoshio left, Dee, Ryo, Dafydd and Momo finished watching the movie. At one point, Ryo ended up with Mochi on his lap, while Dee also would spare a hand to pet the puppy's head. It was pretty much a given that Mochi was their dog but decided to wait out until they were ready to go back to New York to give the puppy enough time to mature before being removed from his mother. The puppy seemed to have picked them, as he was in the lead of the puppy charge when everyone returned to Dafydd's house and Mochi went right up to Dee, barking and hopping around, and then to Ryo, and seemed happy when Dee picked him up and started to rub his little belly before giving him to Ryo, who cuddled the puppy.
When Bikky and Carol got back, the group sat in the living room for a while, asking the teens about their time around Nagoya on their own. Bikky sat on the floor, with Mochi wiggling happily around his lap, while Carol kept the other puppies busy with Dafydd's help. Bikky and Carol said they took the train to Sakae, mostly walking around and did a couple of videos for Carol's You Tube channel, including from the spaceship's roof of Oasis 21 and started to describe how cool it was at night and all the illuminations that were now at Central Park and Nagoya TV Tower. Even Oasis 21 at times would be lit up in green, red and white instead of blue, reminding them of a candy cane.
When Bikky asked about what happened at the grandparents' house, Dee and Dafydd gave Bikky a brief explanation, with Dee and Ryo promising to fill him in more at a later time, since the full story would take too long and they should be calling it a night soon. Dafydd concluded stating they were at a truce with Ryoichi and Momo pointed out that nothing that happened that evening should come up during the next day, for it was to celebrate.
Dafydd looked at Dee. "While we're on the subject, I want to ask you about that unexpected turnabout you took. I think I understand, but I want to make sure it was for the same reason I thought you did."
Dee shrugged, spreading his hands out. "I don't know. I guess I understand following orders and the need to know. If our grandfather is telling the truth, then he had no choice but to follow orders. It couldn't have been easy for him."
"That's what I thought. I agree. We should speak more to Papa about it, and make sure he understands," Dafydd said.
"I know. We need to, but I understand why we didn't tonight. He did seem okay, but it won't hurt to make sure soon that he is with how we feel," Dee said. He looked at Ryo. "What about you?"
"I still don't like it, but yes I do understand your grandfather's situation. And won't hold that against him," Ryo stated.
"I'm willing to meet my grandfather halfway, but the rest will have to be up to him. Boy, I'm glad Obāsan brought up the dual citizenship thing while we were in Osaka, and we all had a chance to talk about it," Dee stated. "I knew the answer for all of us when I gave it to my grandfather. Geez, thinking back to what Hitoshi's family said about having dual citizenship after learning that my grandfather is friends with the Emperor, I would say our chances are pretty good."
Bikky's eyes went wide. "What? Wait, you didn't mention that! I mean about your grandfather being friends with the Emperor. I know he met him a few times, but geez!"
"Oh, sorry, Biks," Dee said. "I'm having trouble believing it."
"Me too," Dafydd agreed.
"Maybe your family is a bit more important after all," Ryo stated.
"Yeah, no shit," commented Bikky, still seeming in shock.
"Bikky!" Ryo warned.
"Sorry, Pops." He looked at Dafydd and Momo. "Sorry Uncle Dafydd and Aunt Momo."
"No offense taken," Dafydd said. "I have to mirror it."
Momo nodded. "Me too. I mean, talk when we had dinner at the Imperial Palace was pretty formal. It seemed like a polite extension to some business talk. I had no clue that your grandfather was actual friends with the Emperor."
"Carol, you're awfully quiet," Ryo stated.
Dee let out a laugh. "I discover I have a sister who is Carol's favorite Jpop idol. I don't think anything tops that."
"Yeah, but the Emperor is the most important person in Japan, except for the Prime Minister. Right? That is very impressive," Carol stated.
"You're right," Ryo agreed.
"Great," Dee moaned. "And we're supposed to sleep on this knowledge."
Ryo started to laugh. "Don't worry, Dee. We'll find a way to get some good sleep to get through tomorrow."
"Pops! Eww!" Bikky claimed.
With a wicked grin, Ryo said, "I didn't say anything. In fact, I didn't mean that, but you thought it."
"Geez," Bikky remarked, dropping his head, but they all caught the deep blush already.
It gave everyone a good laugh.
"And on that note, I think we all should be thinking about getting to bed," Momo said. "Bikky, Chichi said that Tatsuya and Kiyoshi are sharing Kiyoshi's bed. You can sleep in Tatsuya's. I changed the sheets earlier, and Chichi left the curtains open so you know which one."
"Thank you, Aunt Momo," Bikky said.
"And remember if you decide you want away from the monsters, grab a futon and bedding from the closet and take over the tatami room," Dafydd stated.
"I'll remember, but I don't think it will be that much trouble," Bikky said. "They are sleeping, right?"
"They might sense when you're in bed and wake up to say goodnight," Dafydd warned. "If they don't go back to sleep right away, tell them that you're going to get me or Momo. I promise you, we won't be doing anything you can walk into tonight. Just in case."
"Uncle Dafydd! Oh geez…." Bikky said blushing more. Even Carol started to blush, even though she was laughing.
Momo added, "Or you can just tell them that obake will come into the room if they don't go to sleep."
"Obake?" Bikky asked.
"Scary mythological creatures," Ryo replied. "My mother and Obaasan would tell that to me when I was younger and didn't want to go to sleep, or get into something I wasn't supposed to. Much like the boogeyman in America."
"We don't really like telling them that," Dafydd said, "but a few times that was the only thing to get them to behave."
"I would like to know more about obake," Bikky said.
"Not tonight," Ryo said. "Because if you don't start getting ready for bed, obake will come for you." He smirked at Bikky. "We'll tell you about it, but we could also find a book about Japanese mythological creatures."
"Not in Japanese, I hope," Bikky said. "'Cause I wouldn't be able to read it for a while."
The adults and Carol laughed. "No, not in Japanese, smartass," Dee remarked amused.
"There is a book for children learning English," Dafydd said. "I was going to buy it for our little monsters to help them. It's in both Japanese and English. I'll bet it will help you too. You can read and learn about the types of obake and also maybe pick up a little more Japanese."
"Okay, that sounds good, Uncle Dafydd," Bikky said.
"Then I guess I'm going to buy two books," Dafydd said.
"And now that we have settled, time for bed," Ryo said, standing up.
"What my cousin said," Momo added.
OoOoOoO