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~*~
~Jamie - Please stop smacking yourself. That can't be healthy. If you think it's good Kanako's making amends, I believe you'll find this chapter interesting. I was laughing while writing the Kimiko/Hiroshi part, glad you find it so cute.
~Lady Hecate - *Scratches head* You really think my stuff is the best you've read? Oh my, you should read more fan fiction. I certainly don't consider it above any other fic out there. Certainly not worth bowing over…
~Skye-lark913 - Akane's a much prettier, smarter, stronger, all around better Miaka. I wasn't thinking about that when I wrote it…funny…
~Tempest Break - Tamahome should die. He's evil. He's stupid. I'll never understand why he gets to be the main character of FY…any way, Kano only talks to himself when he's alone. He didn't happen to inherit that little quirk from his dad. Sorry.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
…Oni…
…Kano bore the symbol of a Suzaku seishi…
…Kano was the new Tamahome…
Kano stared at his glowing hands. He'd never felt this sort of power flow through him…
He stared over at his mother and Akane. They were both smiling. 'Why is Kanako helping now? She was trying to kill Akane before…but then again…people can change…' He grabbed Reizo by the neck. 'Some anyway…' "I'm gonna kill you, asshole."
Reizo gasped for air. "You would not kill your family, would you?" Now he was trying to pry Kano's hand off.
"I'd never lay a hand on my mother or my father. You're different." He kneed Reizo in the stomach. "You're an inhuman monster…" He watched Reizo fall to his knees. "Maybe you are my brother, but that doesn't excuse what you've done to Akane." He kicked Reizo in the jaw. "Mom…please, take Akane out of here."
"But Kano, I wanna stay here." Akane pleaded.
"You'll be safer somewhere else." He grabbed Reizo again and dashed his head into the wall. "Please, get out of here…"
Kanako grabbed her by the arm. "We have to get you to safety." The older woman dragged the protesting girl out of the room.
"Why can't I stay? I wanna be with Kano!" She tried to squirm from her grasp.
"No! Kano knows what he is doing. Let him do what he has to."
"Fine…" Akane limped with Kanako's help into the quiet royal gardens. She slumped to the ground, exhausted.
"Akane-sama…I don't know if I can ever be forgiven for what I have done but…"
"Don't worry about it…" Akane smiled gently. "You're trying…that's what counts…"
"AKANE!!!" A loud, female voice called out.
Akane turned around quickly. "Who's there?"
Kimiko fell out of a bush followed by Hiroshi and the two sets of twins. "Uh…hi…" She waved sheepishly.
Kanako and Akane stared at each other. "Are these friends of yours?"
"Uh…yeah…" Akane bit her lip.
"No offense to them, but it is not the most effective rescue attempt I've ever seen…"
"I know…"
"Hey, who's this?" The kids got closer to the two women.
Kanako bowed to them. "No one in particular." She turned to Akane. "Since your friends are here, I will be going."
"Where?" Akane started to get up.
Kanako pushed her down. "Kano told you to stay away. He never said I could not go back. You're to injured to go anywhere."
"But…"
"The lady's right, Akane." Hiroshi grabbed her hand. "Is Kano okay?"
"He may be…" Kanako whispered and left them.
Akane slumped again. She began to cry.
Kimiko knelt next to here. "Kano will be fine. I know he will. Come on. You've been hurt bad. Let's get you bandaged up…" Kimiko put down her bag, which was filled with medical supplies. "Who was that woman?"
"Kano and Reizo's mother…"
The kids stared at her blankly. "No way…"
Kanako ran down the halls of the palace, praying neither of her sons were dead. She heard the crashing about in the room. The two were still fighting. She opened the door again. Most of the furniture had been destroyed because of the fighting. Both boys were beaten up badly and exhausted. The left side of Reizo's face was covered in blood. Kano was limping on his left leg.
Kano saw his mother out of the corner of his eye. "You shouldn't have come back in here Mom…it's too dangerous…"
"I have made my choice." She stood there.
"The fight's over anyway…" Kano straightened up. "I've won…"
"You have done nothing of the sort!" Reizo shouted angrily. "I am not done yet!"
Kano scoffed. "You can barely stand…" He turned his back on the general and looked over his shoulder. The glow was still on his forehead. "This was over before it started…"
"Never…" Reizo growled.
"Kano…your friends are waiting in the gardens. You can go home."
"But…what about you?" He looked concerned. "I can't leave you here…"
Kanako shook her head. "I do not belong anywhere, Kano…I have no right to go back to Konan…"
"That's not true…"
While Kano and Kanako argued, Reizo reached into his bloodied shirt and produced a gleaming knife. He aimed for Kano's back and threw it with deadly accuracy.
Kano barely heard the whizzing of the knife in the air. Kanako knew what was happening before he did.
"Kano! Get down!" Faster than he realized, Kanako shoved him out of the path of the knife. Kano watched in horror as the knife was embedded in her chest.
"NO! MOM!" Kanako began to fall. Reizo couldn't believe what he just saw. Kano caught the dying woman and laid her on the ground. "YOU BASTARD!" Kano's rage erupted again. The Oni symbol flared up again. "You murderer!" He ran towards Reizo at an alarming speed and tackled him to the ground. "First you tried to kill the girl I love, now you kill my mother! Our mother!" He let his tears flow as he beat Reizo.
Reizo was still too shocked to move. He couldn't defend himself from Kano's onslaught. Kanako watched Kano beat Reizo through her blurred vision. "Kano…please stop…" Her voice was too weak to hear.
When Reizo lay in a bloody heap, Kano stopped. He wasn't sure if his older brother was dead, but he hoped he was. Kano fell to him knees next to Kanako. "Mom…" He stared at the knife. "Why did you do that? You might…"
"I will, Kano…" Kanako hissed in pain. "I will die from this…"
"But why?" Kano started crying harder.
"I will not let my children kill each other…not while I am alive anyway…" She chuckled bitterly.
"D…don't say that…" Kano picked up his mother and cradled her in his arms. "You'll be okay, Mom…"
"It is nice to hear you call me that…" She closed her eyes.
"Please don't close your eyes…" Kano carried her out of the room. "Don't die on me…"
"Kano!" Hiroshi appeared from around a corner. "Akane made me see if…what the hell happened?!?!?!" The younger boy was shocked by what he saw.
"It…it's a long story…" Kano sighed. "Where's Akane?"
"In…in the garden with the others…" Hiroshi swallowed hard. "How could…? We just saw her like, a minute ago and she was fine…who is she?"
"She's my mom…" He tried to look straight ahead. "Let's just get back to the other…"
"Uh…right…" Hiroshi led Kano back to the gardens. Kimiko was finishing up with Akane's wounds. Akane struggled to her feet.
"Kano! You're back!" She saw Kanako. "What happened to her?!?! Miss Kanako!"
"Can we talk about this later? I just…" Kano laid his mother on the ground. "I just wanna go home…" The Oni symbol was fading from his forehead as exhaustion set in. He knelt and clutched at his head. "I just wanna go home…"
"Kano…" Akane wrapped her arms around Kano and cradled him to her. He cried in her arms. She looked at Toru and Toshiro. "Guys, let's go back…"
They nodded and began chanting a teleportation spell. They were very adept at magic like their father and seemed to just fall into it. Bright red light engulfed them and obscured their surroundings. When the light cleared, they were in the Konan gardens.
Kouji and the advisors were waiting. Kouji felt sick when he saw Kanako lying motionless on the ground. "What the hell?" Akane and Kano were kneeling near each other. The other kids were standing around not really sure of what to say.
Kouji turned to his son. "Kano, what happened? Why is Kanako…"
"She was protecting me…Reizo made a last ditch effort to kill me…she knew it before I did and she…" He felt his throat tighten again. "She…" He tried to hold back his tears, but to no avail.
Kanako slowly opened her eyes. She could barely make out Kouji's figure. "Kouji? Is that you?"
"Kanako…I'm here…" It hurt so much to see the woman he still loved, dying in front of him and not able to do anything to save her. He brushed her dark brown hair from her face.
"Kouji…I'm so sorry…I was such a failure as a mother…as a person…" She began to cry.
"No…no, you aren't…you aren't a failure…you are a mother to the end…"
"I was a mother in the end…but it cannot make up for everything I have done…and what I did not do before…" She turned her head from Kouji.
"Kanako…" He cradled her against his chest. "You saved out son's life…that's all that matters…" His tears fell onto her cheek.
"Stop crying, Kouji…please…I am not worth wasting the tears…you were right before…I am not Kano's mother…he is your son alone. I do not deserve to call him mine…"
"I'm begging you, Kanako…stop it…" Kouji whispered. "Stop saying you're worthless. I always loved you. I always will. Nothing can change that…"
Kanako's bright green eyes began to close again. "I love you too, Kouji…I always wanted you to hold me the way you used to…too bad it is at a time like this…"
Kano replayed the events that unfolded in the palace over and over. Why wasn't there another way? Why did someone have to die? He felt worthless. He couldn't believe his mother died protecting him. He looked to his parents. "Good bye, Mom…" Without another word, he got up and ran from the gardens. He didn't want to see her die.
"Kano…" Akane got up to follow him.
Kanako weakly turned to her. "Do not follow…"
"But Kano…"
"Let him go…" Her breathing was becoming more labored. "He should not have to watch his mother die…he most likely wants to be alone now…"
Akane wiped away her tears. "Miss Kanako…thanks for helping us…I'm sorry that you're…"
"Dying? Nothing can be done about it. I made my choice, Akane-sama…I am fine with it." She stared up towards the sky. "Maybe I can find a little bit of peace now…"
Kouji shed the last of his tears. "Good bye Kanako…"
"Good bye Kouji…maybe we'll see each other again someday…" She closed her eyes. Her breathing stopped. Kanako was dead.
The kids were dead silent. They didn't know what to do. None of them, except for Kimiko, ever had to deal with losing someone. The most the others had to deal with was a dead goldfish or something like that. Kimiko lost her father 3 years ago, around the time she officially met Hiroshi. While the others were quiet, Kimiko snuck away to see Kano.
She found him, crying, outside the shrine to Suzaku. She stood next to him. He was surprised to see her. "Kimiko?"
"Yep. Just me." She stared up at the sky. "How ya feeling?"
"How do you think?" He growled.
"Sorry…I just…I know how you feel…"
"How could you?" He looked to the sky.
"I lost my dad 3 years ago."
"Oh…I didn't know…"
"I never talk about it…which is a bad thing…" She sighed. "You really should talk about it with someone."
"Did you bottle it up?"
"Yeah…I was sick a lot…I got really mean…Hiroshi can confirm that. I took a lot of it out on him before I actually told him…"
"But how do you even start to talk?"
"I'd suggest either someone close or a total stranger…"
"Why a stranger?" He looked at her funny.
She hopped up on the rail and dangled her legs over the side. "Sometimes it's easier to talk about difficult things with strangers. They don't know you, you don't know them, there can't be any assumption or anything like that."
"I never thought about it like that…"
"Then again, sometimes you need someone close…sometimes both. It depends on the person. I think you should talk to Akane later though…"
"Maybe…" He stared up at the stars.
"If it helps…before I understood what happened to my dad, my mom found this one star and told me it was my dad, watching over me. Maybe you could find one."
"Sounds like a good idea…"
She hopped down. "Look, whatever you choose to do, just don't keep it all in. I did. I thought there was no one who understood my pain…but that's not true. There are a lot of people who will listen…don't forget that…"
"I won't…" He smiled slightly. "Thanks Kimiko…"
"Sure…" She began to walk back to Hiroshi's and her room.
"So you aren't the ice queen you usually make yourself out to be, huh?" Hiroshi's voice scared the crap out of her.
"Hiroshi! Don't do that!" She pouted.
He chuckled. "Sorry…how is he?"
"Okay…I mean…okay, considering…"
"Yeah…I guess so…" They walked down the hall together.
"How's Akane?" Kimiko slipped her hand into his. "She was really beat up…"
"She's exhausted. The servants took her to a room of her own. She's probably asleep…" He sighed. "I just can't believe everything that's happened…"
"No one said we had to believe it immediately…" She looked up at him. Hiroshi stood a good half-foot taller than her or so and always made her feel small even though she was pretty tall considering most of the people she went to school with.
"I know…but it's all so…you know…" He pushed open the door to their room and let her pass.
"Yeah…it is…I know what you mean…" She walked in and sat on the bad. "Ever wonder if this is a dream?"
"More than once…" He untied a sword from his belt, his father's sword, and stared at it. "I can't believe I'm the son of an emperor…it's so surreal…"
"I think it's kinda cool…in a really weird way…" She gave him a small smile and ran her fingers through his long, silky hair. She was almost jealous of his hair.
He shrugged. "Feel free to feel that way. You're not the one being dragged into a lineage you know nothing about…"
"You know… even if you are an emperor's son, even if we do get married, it won't matter in the end… we're gonna go back home and be regular kids again…go back to being friends…"
"Just friends?" He sat next to her. His eyes were very serious.
"What?" She looked at him questioningly.
"Never mind…" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's late…let's just get changed and go to bed…" He got up and grabbed some nightclothes.
She just watched him go into the adjoining room to change. 'Why did he ask me that?'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kano stepped into Akane's room. She was asleep in the lavishly decorated room. Guilt struck him hard when he looked at her heavily bandaged body. He didn't want to think about which of the numerous cuts and bruises were his fault. 'Damn it…I told her I'd protect her…that I'd help her get home…and what did I do? I nearly killed her…' He unconsciously brushed a hand over his forehead. 'I shouldn't be Tamahome…why me? The only bandit ever worthy enough to be a seishi was her father…I'm just supposed to be a normal bandit…Fate chose the wrong guy…'
Akane stirred as he watched over her. "Kano? What are you doing up? Isn't it late?"
"Kinda…" He shrugged. "How're you feeling?"
"Better, I guess…" She struggled to sit up.
He gently forced her down and sat on the edge of the bed. "Don't. You won't get any better forcing yourself…"
"Yes, Dr. Kano…" She giggled, then winced.
He managed a small smile before guilt hit again. "I…uh…I should let you got some rest…"
"Don't go…I can't sleep in this bed." She grumbled. "I've been tossing and turning so much…"
"Really? I'd have thought these would be really comfortable…"
"Not really…I liked your bed better…it was easier to fall asleep…" She watched him try to avoid eye contact with her. "Kano?"
"Yeah?"
"Why won't you look at me?" She rested her hand on his.
His face flushed. "What do you mean?"
"You keep looking around the room…what's wrong?"
"Nothing…I…" He stared at the bed.
"You're doing it again…" Something struck her and she made another attempt to sit up. "You're feeling guilty, aren't you?"
"Stop trying to get up!" He put hit hands on her shoulders. "And no! That isn't it!"
"Yes, it is! Why the hell are you feeling guilty?!?!" She struggled with him. "You have no reason to!"
"Yes I do! …I mean…" He pulled back.
"So it is guilt!" She sighed. "It's about what happened in Kutou, isn't it?" It was more of a statement than question, really.
"Akane…Reizo nearly…I nearly killed you…" He averted his eyes again. "I should go…"
"Don't you dare, Kano!" She yelled to the best of her ability. "Don't you dare walk out…" She fell back into the bed, exhausted again.
"I shouldn't be in here…" He stood up to leave.
"No…don't…" Her voice had gone from forceful to pathetic. She had lost her second wind. "Please…"
"Ah…okay…" The desperateness of her voice compelled him to stay. He sat back down.
"Kano…what happened in Kutou…none of it was your fault, it was Reizo…you can't blame yourself…"
"But he had complete control of me…I let him make me do what I did…"
"Kanako told me why you let Reizo poison you…"
"She…she did?" He swallowed hard.
"Yeah…" Akane's strength was fading fast. "Believe me, you shouldn't feel guilty…" She wrapped her fingers loosely around his hand. "Tell me you won't feel guilty."
"I…I won't…" He sat so that she could lay her head in his lap. "I promise…" He
"Good…now stay here." She smiled. "I was thinking…maybe it wasn't the bed that was more comfortable…"
"Wh…what?" He blushed a deep crimson.
She was already asleep though, smiling. Kano ran his fingers through her hair. It had been such a long day. He slowly drifted off to sleep next to her.
Kouji walked past the slightly open door. Although he was still saddened by Kanako's death, he smiled to see Kano and Akane together. He shut the door quietly and continued on his way.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Will Kanako ever be seen again?
Is Reizo dead?
Of course not, that would be too easy.
What sort of mischief will Reizo make for our little heroes?
Review please!
Argh…my computer completely stopped working this weekend. I've been without it for a good day and a half. This would have been finished Saturday night if the video card in my computer hadn't up and died. God, I love my computer…'scuse me while I go in my room and scream about my computer's problems for a while.
~*~Shadow Hawk~*~
4/7/03