Disclaimer: I don't own the original FY characters; I own Kei, Taki, Lily, Jason, their kids and any other person who isn't a FY character.
Thoughts
Memories
Summary: The book was supposed to be sealed forever, never to trouble the real world again. But when the child of a seishi and descendant of a miko finds it 20 years later, there's no telling what could happen. When 17-year-old Akane finds the book, she understands what her parents tried to teach her through out her life. When she meets the son of her father's best friend, old ideals clash with modern thinking and sparks will fly. She and her cousins will learn about their parents' past and why they had hoped to leave it behind.
~*~Review Response~*~
~Cortney - Hi again! Why weren't they told much? Well, when you look at it, Nuriko was a man, he died at one point, Hotohori and Kei too. That's not the type of thing you want to tell your kids. And, the book was supposed to be sealed and if they went into detail about it, kids always ask for proof and there was none, not good enough for a child's curiosity anyway, IMO.
~Jamie - Ask away with the questions! I'll happily answer any of them I can here and if they give a lot away, I can always send you the answers. Short review, long review, it doesn't really matter. You do what you can when you can.
~Silverwing Walker - I'm glad you like my writing. I wish I could say the same about my English teacher. He's certainly not the biggest of me and my writing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Akane moaned slightly as she began to regain consciousness. "Wh…where am I?" She tried to move her arms but to no avail. He arms and legs were bound with chains. She tried to look around. She was in a darkened room, empty, except for a few bags and traveling supplies.
It hurt too much to move. She put her head down on the floor again, closing her eye and trying to ignore the pain. She also knew her head was bleeding. There was blood on the floor and she had no doubt it was her own.
"Kano…" She weakly murmured.
"He cannot help you, you little bitch." The only door in the room swung open, letting in a great amount of light. Akane yelped in pain. The person who entered the room laughed at her. It was a woman.
"Where am I?" Akane couldn't face the woman, it hurt too much to look at the light.
"You will find out later." The woman roughly grabbed her and dragged her up.
Akane let out another yelp of pain and surprise. "Kanako…"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kano groaned in pain as he slumped back against a wall. "You bastard…" He glared at the blonde general who just sent him into the wall. "Where is she?!?!?!"
"You're in no position to ask questions, boy. But I will tell you this: she is alive, for now."
"For now? What did you do to her?!?!" Kano felt his rage boiling.
"Nothing, yet. Her survival depends on you though, my dear little brother." Reizo smirked as Kano's eyes widened.
"Brother? What are you talking about? I don't have any brothers!" He growled.
Reizo laughed spitefully at his younger brother. "Oh you naïve fool, how little you claim to know. We bother know our mother, Lady Kanako, is not the greatest woman to ever live. You never thought she may have had more children?"
"Where's Akane?" Kano growled again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Kanako…"
"I am flattered you remember me. Too bad it won't help you."
"Help me what?"
"Survive. My son has plans to kill you. I thought you should know, even if there's no way of stopping him."
"Why would Kano…"
"Stupid girl. Not Kano, though he may very well be ordered to do it, but his brother, Reizo. My older son."
'Reizo…he's the one Hiroshi and the others said was out to kill me…' "And you're helping him?"
"I just want Kano back. I want to be his mother. I want to have my family. I do not care what Reizo does to you."
"Kano doesn't want you for a mother…" Akane whispered. It hurt to talk, to move, to live. "You abandoned him…"
"I was wrong back then, but I am ready to make him happy."
"He was happy with out you, you and you psycho son. "
Kanako's hand crossed Akane's face with a loud crack. "You will not insult my son like that." Her voice was level, though Akane sensed her anger.
Akane groaned. "Watch me…" She spat out some blood.
"Pride goes before the fall, child. Watch what you say." Kanako pushed her to the floor again.
Akane landed with a dull thud. "I won't fall…ever…"
"Foolish girl…" Kanako left the dark room. "What a fool…"
"Kano…" Akane weakly murmured and passed out from the pain again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where's Akane?"
"Unless you listen to everything I say, you will not see her alive again." Reizo stepped back from Kano. "What is your choice, brother? Will she live or die?"
Kano studied Reizo for any signs of bluffing. He found none. The general before him was unreadable and he couldn't risk anything happening to Akane because of him. He clenched his fists.
"Have you come to a decision? Time is passing and you must decide. I would hate to have to subject you to her agonizing screams as she is killed because you could not decide fast enough." 'Then again…truth be told, I'd probably love that…'
Kano never felt so helpless in all of his life. Akane's life was in his hands now. If he screwed up, she would be killed, in front of him no less… "I…I…" He clenched his fists tightly, so tightly, his nails cut small crescents into his palms.
"Stop rushing him Reizo. I believe he wants to take the time to think over the life or death decision." Kano swallowed hard when his mother stepped into the room. "Go deal with the girl and I'll look after him."
Reizo thought about it for a moment. "Very well…" His boots clicked across the floor as he left.
Kano glared at his mother. "Kanako…"
"You wound me, Kano. I am you mother. You should address me as such."
"Never. I never had a mother."
"I am trying to do what is right." She frowned.
"You think this is the way to do it? You're a psychopath!" He growled.
"Hold your tongue! Your little whore's life is in your hands. If you anger me, I can order to have her killed."
"You…you wouldn't…"
"Don't try me…you may be my son, but I will not take the insults."
Kano lowered his head. "I can understand why you're doing this…but why this way?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Following Reizo…he's…"
"He is my son. He offered to help me get my family back together."
"And you're believing him?" The anger left his voice. It was filled with more pity than anything.
"I trust my son. He would not betray me."
"I was angry at you before, now I just feel sorry for you…"
Kanako smacked him hard. "You should learn to trust in your family."
"He's just a murderer's son…that's all…not my family…" Kano wouldn't face her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Reizo opened the door where Akane was being held. She lay in a heap on the floor. He smiled evilly.
'Beautiful…almost seems a shame to kill her…almost.' "Get up, woman." He kicked her in the side.
Her eyes shot open and she groaned. She looked up to face the blonde child of the late Seiryuu seishi. "Who are…"
"Reizo…I am the one who will kill you."
She closed her eyes and coughed. "Why?"
"You deserve to die. You are the child of a murderer, my father's murderer." He kicked her again. "I can only wonder what you are capable of."
She hissed through her teeth. "Corruption of blood doesn't work, Reizo. I'm not my father and your father should have died sooner." She struggled into a kneeling position and spat at him.
He smacked her. "You know nothing of my father! You have no right to speak of him!"
She smirked. "Truth hurts, don't it? Have you ever looked at the things your father's done?"
"He did what he did for the good of our country!"
"He killed my mother for the good of a country? He killed so many people for a country? Your logic is twisted."
He looked down at her. "Mother was right. Even now, you are nearly dead and you still find the energy to waste talking back to someone who could kill you right now."
"I'd rather go down fighting to the best of my ability."
"You know, I almost hate to kill you. Do not mistake me though, I will kill you, I just may have fun with you before doing so."
Her eyes widened in fear, knowing exactly what he meant. "You…you wouldn't…"
"Watch me, woman. Watch me." He raised his hand to knock her out again.
A ball of red light suddenly formed between the two. It froze Reizo in his tracks. "What did you do? Answer me!"
"I didn't do anything!"
"Liar!" He made another attempt to hit her.
"Don't move another inch, boy!" A voice boomed and the light shone brighter. "You won't lay another hand on that girl!"
"Wha…what the hell?" Reizo stepped back as the light took on a human form.
Akane's jaw hung open. The light took on a feminine form with floor length black hair. It reminded her of her mother.
"Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter who I am. Stay away from her." The woman raised her hand and blew Reizo out of the room with a powerful, red ki blast. She sealed the door with another spell and turned to face Akane.
"Mommy?" The woman standing above her matched her mother's looks right down to her distinctly amethyst eyes.
She knelt down and put Akane's head in her lap. "Not really, dear. I'm the goddess that used to live in your mother's mind."
"The Guardian?" Akane felt her soothing hand push her bloody hair from her face.
"Yes…my name is Nozomi." She gently stroked Akane hair.
"Are you here to help us?" Akane's voice was strained. It hurt to do anything and she was still chained up.
"I don't know how much I can, but I will do everything I can." Nozomi broke the chains on her wrists and ankles. "Anything broken?"
"I don't think so…" Akane forced herself into a more comfortable position. "But it hurts all over."
Nozomi pushed back her hair to reveal a large gash across her forehead. "Doesn't surprise me…"
"Do you know where Kano is? Are you going to help us get out?"
"Akane…worry about yourself first. He's he far less danger than you are. You're nearly dead…and yet you worry about him so much…"
"It happens sometimes…love does things like that to people."
"You love him?"
"Uh-huh…and I'm not afraid to admit it to myself…"
"Will you admit it to him?"
"Someday…someday if I live long enough…"
"Akane…as long as I'm living, I will make sure you are safe and I am immortal."
"Okay…is it okay if I sleep now?"
"Yes…get some rest, dear. You're going to need it…"
Akane finally actually fell asleep instead of passing out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Reizo tried in vain to open the sealed door. 'Seiryuu, damn her! She has that damn goddess on her side! I won't be able to touch her now…though luckily…he still can…dear brother…you will be more important to me than you know…'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kimiko stared out the window of her window in the palace. They had been brought there while they were unconscious outside the city. She felt out of place. She wasn't the child of any of these 'seishi' she was learning about right now. She found herself to be rather lonely. The only people around were servants and they were afraid to talk to anyone. The other kids were being looked after since they were the seishi's children.
Kimiko sat up in the window. She was given everything she needed, wanted, ever cared for. But it was still a little empty. She felt unneeded and debated the point of coming here in the first place. "Hiroshi was right…I didn't need to come…I shouldn't have come…"
Suddenly she heard running outside her door. She was going to get up to check, but before she could reach the door, it swung open and Hiroshi came in. He was dressed in the emperor's robes and looking like a deer in headlights.
"Hiroshi?"
"Shhh!" He covered her mouth with his hand. She looked shocked as he watched the door. Quick footsteps moved around and passed her doorway. After they were gone, Hiroshi breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Finally…"
She giggled. "What's wrong, Hiroshi? Not liking the royal treatment?"
"Sh…shut up! I'm hating this!" He flailed about in the dress like robes. "I feel like an idiot!"
"Rightly so…" She murmured under her breath, noticing the large shoes under the hem.
"I heard that…" He muttered. "I don't wanna be an emperor! I'm 15! And I'm not my father either! I can't be an emperor…"
"Hiroshi…do you…do you wanna wait here till they stop looking around for now?"
"Can I?"
"Sure…it's your palace after all." She giggled, unable to resist the teasing.
"Shut up!" He moaned. "I hate this. I wish they'd ignore me." He sat on the edge of her bed and buried his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry…" She climbed onto the bed and folded her legs underneath herself. "I couldn't resist one more, you know me."
"Yeah…I guess I do…" He managed a small smile and pulled the bucket-like crown out of his hair. His long silver hair spilled out down his back. "I feel so…so…I dunno…"
Kimiko tentatively touched his shoulder. "I think you do, you just don't wanna talk about it."
He looked deep into her bright green eyes. "You're probably right." He sighed.
"If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. I'd understand. I don't like to pry."
"Thanks…" He looked incredibly relieved. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Probably still be running." She smiled.
"Probably…" He smiled at her. Oh, how he wished he could tell her he loved her, how he'd always been in love with her since the day he saw her.
Kimiko watched the young emperor to be. She still didn't understand why a cute, rich boy like him would want to hang around with her. She always considered herself pretty average. She hated herself for growing to like Hiroshi, after all, he'd never go for an average girl like her when he could have any and every girl in their school. She turned to look out the window again.
"Kimiko…" Hiroshi whispered.
"What?" She looked up to meet his eyes, concerned by the way he whispered her name.
Hiroshi decided to take the biggest risk of his life. He leaned forward and kissed her. Her eyes widened in shock. 'What's he doing?!?!' She could barely move. In the back of her mind, she was finally putting together of why Hiroshi stayed by her.
Hiroshi backed away from her. "S…sorry…I don't think I should've…"
"Don't be sorry." Kimiko smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It wasn't that bad."
He smiled and pulled her closer to kiss her again. This time, Kimiko didn't freeze. She eased into his arms and returned his kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Akane watching in horror as Kano bowed to Reizo. She had been rebound and dragged into Reizo's room. Kano was staring at the floor, but Akane saw how dull his eyes looked. He wasn't himself, they'd done something to him.
A headband was tied tightly around his head. Reizo looked down at the boy and smirked. 'As long as he cannot break the spell, the boy will never discover who he is…'
Akane felt tears roll down her cheeks. She knew why Kano was letting them do this to him. She knew he was trying to protect her. "Kano…" She whispered and lowered her head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Has anyone figured out Kano's secret now?
If Kano's brainwashed, how can he and Akane ever get out?
Review please!
~*~Shadow Hawk~*~
3/29/03