DISCLAMER: I unfortunately DO NOT own Flame of Recca. It belongs to the wonderful Anzai Nobuyuki who created this wonderful manga.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just so you know, I haven't seen the anime in a while. But I do own most of volumes of the manga, in Japanese. (I'm from Japan, just in case you didn't know.) So my stories follow the manga version, and rarely the anime version.

THANKS TO: Diamond-Crest for once again reviewing!!! I will try to update as soon as possible, and in later chapters I will clarify on the part of Nae's madougu. I'm not so sure myself what it actually does. All I know is that the element it uses is water. I will work on it. Actually I already have the next chapter ready, but I'm not quite satisfied with it yet, so as soon as I am, it'll be posted.



A NEW BEGINNING

CHAP 6

Melting the Ice *-Mikagami Tokiya's story-*

It was a bright sunny day; the light was coming in from the window. Mikagami Tokiya, had decided to cut school for the week, since he would have to start looking for his madougu. For the last 4 days he had been searching places he had meaning to, such as the old apartment he lived in with his sister, his house before his parents died, where he was trained by Meguri Kyouza, and even SODOM. But he had no luck.

As the light crawled in through the window, he opened his eyes. The first thing that came to his mind was the face of his sister. He hadn't seen her face in a while. She was always deep in his heart, but he had not seen her face in his mind, for a while ever since...ever since they got back from Sodom, after the death of his Master, and Grandfather, he avoided her face because it brought back the bitter truth. The truth that he wasted 7 years trying to avenge her death. He had been trying to get over the past, and actually start living. He had waster 7 years of his life, dwelling in the past. It was finally time to move on.

He didn't know why all of a sudden his nee-san's face appeared. She didn't look too happy. She seemed...worried?? He had to go visit her. He quickly got out of his bed, and changed into some black jeans, and a t- shirt. The t-shirt was a bit torn, and faded. It was the last thing his sister bought him before she died. It fit perfectly now because they had accidentally bought one two sizes too big for Mikagami.

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He stood in front of his sister's grave. On the stone is engraved "Mikagami Ke No Haka" (Grave of the Mikagami Family) Next to the stone is a long tall thin sign made of wood. On the sign "Meguri Kyouza" is written in black. He had that made, and put next to his sister's grave after he came back from SODOM. He wanted his grandfather to be buried next to his sister along with his mother, and father, but his body is buried in the territory that use to be Sodom. He visited him when he went to SODOM to search for the Ensui.

"Nee-san..." He said towards his sister's grave as he put down the flowers, and put his hands together to say his prayers.

He wanted to see his sister again, just like the time when he saw her before he left for Sodom. Before he knew the truth. Before he knew his Master was his grandfather. So much has happened since then.

He waited for her to come to him. He wanted to see her one last time. Just so he can be sure that he was all right. He wanted her to come out, and embrace him with her loving arms, and tell him it would all be all right. He was so confused lately, and not to mention stress from all the recent surprising events.

He waited, but she didn't come to him. He had to figure things out by himself, without her now. He felt a bit lonely from that.

He walked away from the grave.

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He kept walking. He didn't know where he was going. Without noticing, he was out in the city. Walking along in the busy streets, with businessmen talking on their cell phones, teenage girls walking around chatting amongst themselves. Homeless men sleeping on the steps. The world was busy with their lives.

The world was busy..living in peace. He was living in peace for almost a year with no problems, but there was one thing that was always on his mind. Why did he continue to hang around the Hokage gang. He was wondering why he had to keep on working with the Hokage. Was it duty? He had only joined the Hokage because he wanted to avenge his sister's death. Now he had done that. Although he felt that he, and the rest of the Hokage gang have a relationship that can't be cut, but what was this feeling inside him? He wasn't sure what it was, but did he still have to work with the Hokage?

As he was thinking he heard a song coming from somewhere. He looked up, and it was from the huge screen TV from the building next to him. He stopped, and looked at the TV.

On the huge TV screen, of a building there was the daily CD HIT ranking on. Today's number two single of the HIT RANKING as the DJ who addressed him as "Blue" announced was a song called "Akashi". It was song by a group of 4 teenage girls named ZONE. (Author's note: Yes, the song exists, and ZONE is a real group.) In their video they were dressed like a bunch of punk- band girls. Mikagami thought the music of teenagers were a bit ridiculous these days. Some of them didn't even know how to sing. He took a quick glance at the TV, and then began to walk away. When the group began to sing, he stopped, and looked up at the TV again.

This song, "Akashi" (it means proof in Japanese) was singing something that was so familiar to him. A feeling that was so familiar was written in this song, that was sung by these four typical teenage girls. On the bottom of the screen were the words:

Today's NUMBER 2: Akashi By: ZONE (ZONE are: TAKAYO, MAIKO, MIYU, MIZUHO)

They were holding instruments, and singing. Three of them were standing in the front, holding guitars, and a bass. The other girl was in the back playing the drums. The middle one in the front began to sing, as the other three joined her later in the song.

Naze boke ha koko ni iru? Doshaburi no ame no naka de

(Why am I here? In this pouring rain?)

Ashita no tame ni boku ha irunoka? Nani ga dekirunoka?

(Am I here for the future? Will I be able to do something?)

Dare ka oshiete. Dareka kizuite. Dareka bokuni sono kotae wo.

(Someone tell me. Someone notice. Someone give that answer...)

Hito no uzu, mayoi konde. Miageta biru no hazama de chiisaku mieta chigireta sora nomikomaresou.

(Lost in the maelstrom of humans. The building I look up into, between the torn sky, I feel like being swallowed.)

Dare ka oshiete. Dareka kizuite. Dareka bokuni sono kotae wo.

(Someone tell me. Someone notice. Someone give that answer...)

Ima boku ga ikiru jibun no ibasho sagashimotomete sakenderu. Mayoi tsukaretemo sakebi tsukaretemo mou nigetakunaiyo...

(The reason I am living. Searching for my place. Even is I get tired of getting lost, even if I get tired of screaming, I don't want to run away anymore...)

Nani mo nai. Kono heya no sumi uzukumari. Tsukare hatete. Nemuru koto sae obieteita kizutsuita boku.

(There is nothing. In this room, I dwell in the corner, all worn out. I was so hurt, I was even afraid to fall asleep. )

Dare ka oshiete. Dareka kizuite. Dareka bokuni sono kotae wo.

(Someone tell me. Someone notice. Someone give that answer...)

Ima boku ga ikiru jibun no ibasho sagashimotomete sakenderu. Mayoi tsukaretemo sakebi tsukaretemo mou nigetakunaiyo...

(The reason I am living. Searching for my place. Even is I get tired of getting lost, even if I get tired of screaming, I don't want to run away anymore...)

Moshi boku ga shindemo namida wo nagasu hito ga irunara...x x x x x

(If I die, and there is someone who will shed a tear... x x x x x )

Namida ga hidari no kodou wo yurasu Furueagaru akashiwo. Boku ha koko ni iru. Ima ikiteiru, sakebitsuzukete, susume...

Tears make my left pulse, shaking with the proof. I am here right now, living, as I continue to scream, and keep on going...



The song reminded him of something familiar.

That song, "Akashi" was the song of his life, before he met, Recca. Before he met Yanagi. Before he met, Domon, Fuuko, Koganei, and Kagerou. Before he met Hokage. The champions of the Urabutou Satsujin III. His...friends. How could he have forgotten that? He always hated to admit to other that he was friends with those monkeys, and he probably would never admit it to them either. But deep down inside, he was thankful that he had met them. That he was, and still is part of Team Hokage. His place, the place he belongs. He wasn't alone anymore. When his sister didn't answer him earlier, he though he was alone. He was wrong, now he had friends. His mates that would guide him if he ever got lost. People who care about him, people who he cares about.

After the girls stopped playing, he turned back to where he had came from earlier. He walked up the long heavy stone stairs to the cemetery where his mother, father, and sister was. His Master Meguri Kyouza, or his Grandfather was there too, if not in body, then by soul.

When he went earlier, he was having doubts. Maybe the reason he couldn't find his madougu anywhere was because he wasn't meant to find it. He was just running away. But now he knows, that he is going to find it. That song had told him the truth.

He use to hate songs. It always had a cheerful image. Like in music class in school everyone would be singing with a smile, where he didn't know how to smile. He had forgotten how to smile, until Yanagi showed him how good it felt to smile.

He finally finished walking up the stone steps. He walked to the edge of the cemetery where his parents, and sister were buried.

"Nee-san, I found my answer." He said with his face looking down, starring at his shoes.

"Earlier when I came here. I was running away from my feelings. I didn't want to admit that I had friends. I didn't want to admit that I cared about anyone."

He took a deep breath. He was going to let out his feelings for the first time in 7 years.

"I was always so lonely. Everyone around me had a family, they looked so happy. The only thing that was keeping me from taking my own life was my will to avenge your death, nee-san." He took another deep breath.

It felt good, it felt right that he was letting out all that had been building up in his soul for all these years.

"After I found out the truth from my Master, my Grandfather, our Grandfather, I felt something snap inside of me. Like some rubber band that had been ready to snap free for a while, but never did. I didn't know what I was living for anymore." He took another deep breath, realizing how good it felt to let out his feelings. All that had been building up inside of him.

"Now, I do. I know that I have friends that care about me that embrace me. (sometimes too hard, but) I care about them too. Before I wasn't sure if I still wanted to fight with them. I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay by their side. But..now I have my answer. I do. I want to fight alongside them because they are my friends. I want to live, I want to stop running away, and start walking towards the wind that had been pushing me backwards. I've finally found my place, and I am going start walking towards the wind, that's trying to blow me away."

He said as he looked up, and saw his sister, and grandfather looking at him dearly.

"Nee-san, Ojii-san." He said, with misty eyes.

"You've finally found your answer, your place Tokiya." His sister said as she embraced him once again.

"Now I can rest in peace, without worrying over you all the time."

"Nee-san" Mikagami was lost in words. He didn't know what to say.

"You've found your place a long time ago, you were just too stubborn to admit it. I was so worried when you were about to let go of your friends. When you were wondering whether you should fight alongside them, or not. But the thing is Tokiya, now you know where your place is, and I know you won't run away." His sister said giving him a sweet smile that he loved so much.

"You have done well, Tokiya. You've finally found your answer." His grandfather said as he smiled at his grandson.

"Ojii-san.."

"You've finally found it, your place." Mifuyu said giving him one last smile, before she, and her grandfather faded away.

"Nee-san, Ojii-san, thank you." Mikagami said smiling.

It wasn't one of those slight smiles he gives, but a real smile.

He closed his eyes for a few moments remembering the memories, of his sister. The memories of his Master Meguri Kyouza, and his last words to him in SODOM, when he told him the truth.

When he opened his eyes, there was something dug into the dirt in front of the wooded sign that read, "Meguri Kyouza". It looked like a small knife made of stone. On the tip of the hilt there was a stone with the symbol of water on it.

It was the Ensui. The gift that was given to him by his sister, and his grandfather had given him in the past.

Once again, it was in the hands of Mikagami Tokiya. But this time it was different. The ice that had been frozen in his eyes for a long time, had now been melted by the love that he has received from others.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: At first I hadn't planned on putting the song by ZONE in it. I was downloading the song while I was writing part of this chap. I played it right after it finished downloading, and I thought it fit in with Mikagami's character. I dunno that's just me. If you agree, or think otherwise, doesn't matter just review!!!! How do you guys like the story so far? I dunno if anyone's reading it cuz I don't get much reviews. So if you're reading it just let me know. The song "Akashi" by ZONE does really exist, and I put the whole song in this chap. Also if you want to use the English translation of the song go ahead. I did the translation myself.

DISCLAMER: I DO NOT own the song "Akashi" by ZONE in anyway either. I just borrowed it to help write this chapter.