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' and why they had hoped to leave it behind.
~*~Review Response~*~
~Jamie - Don't worry, Kimiko won't become a ditz or weak. I'm not that mean. I may leave cliffhangers, but I'd never make you a ditz. You'll see that Kimiko is still plenty brave. Wow, I wish I was Akane. I don't consider myself to be like any of my creations. I probably come closest to Lily or Taki.
~Cortney - Fantastic story. Double Phoenixes was great. I'll do my best with making the meeting comical, no guarantees though. And it's not really bad having break now, it's just I have no one to talk to online all day since most of my friends go to different schools.
~Weegie - I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
~CarrCarr - Recover yet? I love it when the story shocks people. Don't know how much more shock will be coming though. After all, I make it up as I go along. Nothing here is planned. It all just happens.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The small troop of kids traveled quietly through the woods. No one knew what to expect when they reached the town. Akane knew full well she couldn't tell her parents who they were, they didn't exactly like each other when they met. Akane stared up as she walked. Her mind buzzed with questions. Would Reizo be there? Would he have Kano? If he did, could they save him? What in the world would she and the others say to their parents?
Hiroshi was having many of the same thoughts as they walked. Kimiko walked next to him. "What's on your mind?"
"My parents. I mean…they won't be together when I see them. My mom kinda hated men before she met Dad…what if I accidentally call them Mom and Dad?"
"I wouldn't worry. I mean…even if you do, they won't believe it."
"I suppose…"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Across the forest later that day, 19-year-old Kei was watching the seishi talk about her in front of her face. 'Losers…I can't believe I'm stuck here. I come here fated to die for people who don't even like me. Fate bites…' She crossed her arms and stared into the forest. 'I could be a mile outta here before they even knew it…' After taking one last look at the small group on the other side of the fire where the bandits cooked, she turned to run into the forest.
She didn't get very far. Before her foot even touched the ground, she was struck with the sudden image of a tall blonde man killing a small child. A girl that reminded Kei of herself screamed when the child was killed. At this girl's side, an older blue haired boy gasped in pain, fell to the ground, dead, and faded away.
The image overwhelmed her and she dropped to her knees. Her pupils became as small as pinholes and she let out a small, strangled cry that caught the attention of the seishi and Kouji as she clutched at her head. Tears filled her eyes. She could feel the pain of the girl when both boys died. It shot through her heart like nothing she'd ever felt before. It was like an icy hand had taken its grip around her heart and ripped it out. Tasuki was the first to reach her.
"Kei?" He was mildly concerned but he didn't know what was wrong or if he could help. "What's wrong?"
She couldn't find her voice for a moment. The other seishi and Kouji approached her. Chichiri crouched next to her. 'Her eyes…' He noted the vibrant purple color. "Are you alright, no da?"
In the blink of an eye, Kei grabbed Chichiri by the collar and stared him in the face. "Where is the closest town?" She growled low.
"Wh…what, no da?" The monk was taken off guard by her speed.
"I asked 'Where is the closest town?' Answer me!" She rose to her feet taking the taller man with her and still having a death grip on his shirt.
"Ah…it's about a 10 minute walk east, no da." Chichiri was actually afraid of the girl, not knowing a thing she was capable of.
The sudden pounding of horse hooves made everyone turn. A rather distraught bandit rode into the clearing. "Kouji-san!"
"What?" He faced the bandit on horseback.
"It…it's your son…he's been kidnapped…"
Kouji and Tasuki froze. Kei didn't bother thinking, she just ran. She knew. The child she saw killed had the same skin tone and hair color as Kouji. 'I'm not the president of the Kouji fan club…but the kid's gonna die…and that other one…who was he? That girl too…her pain was so…real…I've never felt anything like it…'
"By who?" Kouji demanded. "Who took Kano?"
The other seishi looked at each other. They didn't know Kouji had any kids. The bandit got off the horse. "Black cloaked soldiers…"
"Kutou soldiers…" Tasuki whispered. "What would they want with Kano?"
"I have to find him." Kouji mounted the horse the other bandit came in on.
"You don't even know where to start, no da!"
"I'll follow the girl. I'd bet my life on it that she knows something." 'And my son's may depend on it…' He took off after Kei.
The others nodded to each other. They got up onto the horses and rode towards the town.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At the town in question, the 8 kids were sitting at a table in a corner of the restaurant. Hiroshi spotted his mother and Lily at a table. They were talking quietly to each other.
"Where do we look for her now?" Lily stared at her drink.
"Dunno…we're kinda outta clues. She could be anywhere." Taki was looking around the room. "That's weird…"
"What?"
"Look at those kids over there…" She discreetly pointed the Akane and her party. "That girl looks like Kei…and there's another one with silver hair."
"That girl's wearing a school uniform from our world…I dunno what school it is though…" Lily set down her cup and stood up.
"What are you doing?!" Taki hissed and pulled her down.
"I wanna know where that uniform came from…" Lily shook off Taki's hand and approached the table of kids.
Akane was the first to notice. "What do you want?"
Lily was surprised by the intensity of her amber eyes, though she regained her stoic personality quickly. "I want to know why that girl has on clothes like that." Lily pointed to Kimiko.
"That's for us to know and you to wonder about." Kano said smugly.
"You little punk…" Lily clenched her fist. She was going to attack when Taki was suddenly at her side.
"Quit it. We aren't here for a fight." Taki forced Lily to let go of her fist. "We have work to do. Sorry 'bout that." She smiled at the group. "You'll have to excuse her. She's under a lot of stress."
Akane smiled. "No harm, no foul. Don't worry about it, Aun…any one want more to drink?" Akane did her best to smooth over her near slip and picked up a bottle of sake.
Taki dragged the older woman away. "What the hell do you think you're doing? We need information here, not black eyes…"
"I know…I know…I'm sorry. I am under a lot of stress…"
"I know…we both are…" They sat back down at their table. Thoughts of their missing friend filled their minds.
"Wow, you mom's got a temper…" Naoko whistled.
"It was only before she met Dad…" Toshiro defended his mother.
Akane scanned the room. She saw a black figure hunched over in a corner. A hood covered its face, nothing could be discerned about it. "How much you wanna bet that's who we're looking for?"
"I'd put a lot on that one…" Kimiko saw the figure.
"So what do we do? He probably has me…er…the kid…" Kano scratched his head.
"We wait, then follow. Though somebody should go outside in case he leaves." Toru assessed the area.
The others nodded. Kano and Akane got up and left. They waited outside in an inconspicuous area of the road. Some people who actually noticed him noted Kano's resemblance to Kouji.
Inside, Taki and Lily noticed the kids' interest in the cloaked figure at the counter. They thought it was very odd. After what felt like hours of waiting, the cloaked figure got up and left.
Akane and Kano approached it, one on each side and facing the opposite direction of the figure.
"So, have I been caught so soon?" The familiar voice of Reizo floated to their ears from under the hood.
"You don't play fair Reizo…" Akane glanced to her left side where Reizo was standing.
"I do play for keeps however." Reizo looked at Kano. "How fun. You brought him too. I can see you die twice in one blow."
"Fat chance, bastard. Where's the kid?" He growled.
A chuckle escaped Reizo's lips. "Looking for yourself, Brother?"
"Don't call me that, bastard."
"Do not make me angry. I control your life now…"
The three stood in a stale mate at the moment. The other kids had left the restaurant to watch. Out of curiosity, so had Lily and Taki.
~*~*~*~*~
Kei and Kouji were the first to reach the town. They stood next to each other. Kouji scanned the general area. "Why'd you come?"
"I…" How could she say she saw the kid killed? "I…"
"Maybe I won't bother asking…" He began to walk around town. Kei followed. "What are you doing?"
"Following. Not like I know my way around here."
"Why are you so concerned about my son? It's not like I've treated you very well."
"I don't care. The kid's gonna die if something isn't done…that's what I saw…"
"What you saw? Are you some kind of prophet?"
"I dunno…I don't know what I am…" She lied. She knew exactly what she was.
"Whatever…" Kouji was preoccupied with his own problems to worry about her.
As they walked Kei noticed a townsperson staring at them. "What is that guy looking at us for?"
"Dunno… Old man! What the fuck is your problem?" He yelled.
The older man was surprised they had noticed him. "Oh…Kouji-san…it's you again…I see you're still with that girl."
"Again? Still? Are you losing it, old man?" Kouji scoffed.
"You were just over by the inn with her, weren't you?"
They stared at each other. "No…" They muttered.
"Then I wonder who those two were over there…" The old man wandered off back to his home.
By this time the other seishi had arrived and Miaka and Taka had joined up with them. Tasuki ran over to Kouji. "Any sign?"
"Nah…just a confused old man who thinks he saw us near the restaurant…"
Taka suddenly realized that Kei was standing there. "You!"
She looked up and sweat dropped. "YOU! What the fuck?!?!"
Everyone else sweat dropped. They didn't know why Kei and Taka knew each other.
Kouji groaned. "We don't have time for this…Kano might be killed."
"Which way is the restaurant?" Kei asked.
Miaka smiled. "I always knew you were a woman after my own heart. To the food! It's in the center of town." Miaka was about to hug her when Kei sidestepped the hyper active miko.
"I'm no such thing, baka. I want to see this girl who looks like me." Kei turned away from the group and took off. Other people who had seen Akane before stared at Kei questioningly.
~*~*~*~*~
Reizo removed his cloak. Baby Kano was in his right arm. "So…is this who you are looking for?"
Kano suppressed his urge to rush his brother. "Give him back."
"No. Where would the fun be in that?" Reizo smirked. "I would rather see you die twice."
The other kids were frozen near the door they came out of. Lily and Taki were behind them. "Why don't you do something?"
"We can't, Mo…man…what a bastard…" Toru cursed himself and Reizo at the same time. He almost made the same mistake as Akane. "He's too strong and we can't risk anything happening to the kid…"
"What's so important about him?" Taki asked.
"He's important to us. That's really all that matters." Taki accepted the answer from the silver haired boy.
"Can't we make a deal Reizo?" Akane offered. "Maybe we won't have to kill you."
"No deals. I will have my revenge."
"And destroy time as we know it?" Akane turned to face and approach him.
"Brave girl." Lily remarked, not able to understand what Akane had said, just judging on her stance and the look on her face.
Nyoko smiled. "It comes from her mom…"
"Hell of a woman then…"
"You have no idea…"
Kano growled. "Do you have any idea what you could do if you kill me as a kid?"
"I do not care. I am beyond caring."
"You really are a psychopath, aren't you…Brother?" Kano sneered.
"Maybe…maybe I am…"
~*~*~*~*~
Hotohori noticed a large group of people growing near the restaurant. "I believe whatever we are looking for is over there."
The group joined the rest of the townspeople. Kei saw the small child she saw die with the blonde man. The older blue haired boy and the girl that looked like her stood close by. Her throat tightened up. 'Oh man…what to do, what to do, what to do?'
Chichiri saw the fear in Kei's eyes. 'She saw something before…she must have…she knows what could happen…'
~*~*~*~*~
"News travels fast around here fast, huh Lily?"
"Yeah. For not having telephones, they get here fast." Lily scanned the crowd. "Hey, look." Lily pointed to Kei. "We didn't have to do much searching…"
"I'll say."
The kids watched Taki and Lily weave their way through the crowd to Kei. Kimiko sighed. "Well, that was difficult."
They nodded. "At least we can talk freely now." Hiroshi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah. Somebody almost blew it before." Toshiro glanced at his brother.
"Shut up." He growled.
"Later, not now." Hiroshi eyed the twins.
~*~*~*~*~
Lily and Taki reached Kei while Akane, Kano and Reizo still stood in their stand off. Kei saw them.
"Lily! Taki!" She smiled. "I don't think I'll ask how you got here."
The seishi were confused again. Taka glared at Lily. "You!"
"Oh joy…" Lily rolled her eyes. "Who let you in here?"
"This is my world! Who let you in here?" He growled at the blonde woman.
"That's my business, ass hole." She crossed her arms.
"Why you stupid…" Taka lunged at Lily only to be met with the scabbard of the sword she carried. A glowing red lump formed on his head.
Taki flipped her hair over her shoulder. "You know Taka, personal vendettas are gonna have to take a back seat until tall, blonde and evil over there is taken care of, okay?" She smiled sweetly, yet sarcastically.
He grumbled as Lily laughed at him. "You are such a loser, Taka."
Once again, the rest of the seishi could only look at each other in confusion.
~*~*~*~*~
"You know Reizo…the game changes when we aren't drugged and tied up…" Akane smirked.
"Maybe it does. I am still holding the child's life in my hands. What kind of chances are you willing to take?"
The other kids had finally come to join Akane and Kano. Hiroshi had his hand on the hilt of the sword. "Eight against one doesn't look good for you."
"It is not as easy as you make it out to be, boy." Reizo faced Hiroshi. "I am not going to lose this fight."
"Yeah, ya will. Quit acting so high and mighty." Naoko scoffed at him.
"You have an awfully big mouth for someone so small." Reizo glared at her.
"Don't make cracks about my height ass hole!" She fumed.
~*~*~*~*~
"Ya know, that guy looks a lot like Nakago…" Tasuki remarked.
"He does, no da." Chichiri shook his head. "I still don't understand the fight over Kouji's son, no da. Did anyone even know you had a son, Kouji?"
"Just the bandits. You don't think someone is a traitor to Konan? No, that couldn't be true. But it is possible isn't it? Maybe, though that would be very terrible…"
Taki leaned towards Kei. "Why does that guy keep saying 'no da' after everything? And the other one is talking to himself…" She whispered.
"Dunno…must be a regional thing." She shrugged.
"Sounds reasonable…"
Lily watched the eight kids surround the one guy. The tension in the air was palpable. Her blood burned with an intense anxiousness to get involved. Though she held back. This wasn't her fight. It belonged to the strange kids who seemed bent on saving the even stranger bandit's son.
"You seem to want to get involved, Miss…I don't know your name no da…"
"Lily…just Lily. To fight is my nature. It always has been. I'm tempted to jump in the fight…but I can't."
"Why is that, no da?"
"It isn't my fight to fight. I don't want people to fight my battles, I won't fight someone else's. That's why."
"Good words to live by, no da."
"I've always thought so…" Lily saw the girl in the school uniform crouching down. "What's she doing?"
"Who, no da?"
"That girl…" Lily motioned to Kimiko.
~*~*~*~*~
Kimiko had taken off her shoe. Hiroshi cast a glance at her. "What are you doing?"
"You'll see." She got a firm grip on the shoe. "I am not our school's best pitcher for nothing." She whipped it with amazing speed at Reizo's head.
The rubber soul got him in the side of the head, immediately leaving a giant red welt on the side of his face. That moment of distraction was all that was needed. Reizo completely lost it. His attention was torn from the child in his arms to the rather insulting blow just dealt to him. "Who did that?!?!"
"Me!" Kimiko smiled and waved, angering him even more.
"Why you stupid…"
That split second of distraction was all Akane need. With the speed of her father, she rushed Reizo and tore baby Kano from him.
The tension in the air snapped so suddenly you could almost hear it. Kano ran towards Reizo and punched him in the other side of the face. He stumbled backwards. Akane stood there with the baby in her arms.
She stopped for a moment to look at him. Kano was an absolutely adorable baby. 'Too bad he grows up to be a bit of a jackass when you first meet him…he does get better though…' She looked over at her Kano. Kano was engaged in a fierce fistfight with Reizo. "Guess you gotta go back to Daddy, huh?" Baby Kano cooed in her arms. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'll see you again in about 18 years." She whispered as she walked towards Kouji.
Kouji's skin was pale. Akane stood in front of him and held baby Kano out to him. "Keep him safe, will ya?"
"Sure…" Kouji cautiously took his son back. "Who are you?"
"I don't have time to answer that. After the fight, maybe." Akane shook her head and turned to join her Kano.
Tasuki grabbed her by the arm. "Make time."
"I said I can't. Let go." She moved backwards. The others had already circled around, all curious as to who she and her friends were. "My friends need me."
"No. Not until you answer." He tugged her forward again. "This isn't a game."
"I never said it was." Akane looked over her shoulder to see how Kano and the others were doing. She dug her nails into heis hand. "Just let me go."
"I want an answer." Tasuki winced but his grip tightened.
Akane was getting flustered by everyone's close proximity. "Let me go! I don't have time, Dad!" She yelled and slapped him with her free hand.
Tasuki let go and stumbled back. Her actions and words surprised him. He touched his cheek with his hand and stared at her. "What did you call me?"
Everyone was shocked. How could Tasuki have a daughter, let alone on that didn't look much younger than him? Akane covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh God I'm sorry…I didn't mean to do that…" She turned and ran back towards Reizo and Kano.
The others stood immobile, except for baby Kano who was blissfully unaware of the situation. Kouji turned to him. "What haven't you been tellin' me, Genrou?"
"I…I don't have any kids…"
"At least you don't think you do." Kei smirked. "How do we know you haven't gotten busy once or twice?"
"Hey! She's too old. I'm only 21 she looks like she at least over 16." He snorted.
"Hmm…the plot thickens…" Taki mused.
~*~*~*~*~
"I'll make sure you don't make it outta the past alive." Kano growled and punched Reizo again.
"Then neither one of us will get out of here." Reizo pulled out a long sword.
"It that how it's gonna be?" Kano drew out his long knives. "We can play that way too."
Kimiko was hopping on one foot getting her shoe back on. Akane joined her. "Is baby Kano okay?"
"Yeah…"
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Yeah…I just called Tasuki 'Dad'." Kimiko gasped. "I know! I didn't mean to…we have to hurry this up. You guys get outta here. Kano and I can finish here."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Go." Akane urged her.
"Well, I'm not going to. Never know what's gonna happen." Akane gave her an annoyed look. "Oh stop. You know the others won't leave either."
"Fine, whatever." Akane rolled her eyes and went to join Kano. Akane drew the knives Kano gave her. She noticed blood on Kano's shoulder. Nothing serious, just a deep scratch. "Care to take a rest?"
Kano ducked under a sword slash from Reizo. "Couldn't hurt. Be careful."
"As always." Akane smiled and picked up exactly where Kano left off. "Ask Kimiko to look at your shoulder."
"Pay more attention to your own life, woman!" Reizo growled.
"You aren't worth paying attention to!" Akane hissed and sliced his cheek open with one slash.
"Bitch." Reizo's attacks became faster. Akane picked up her own pace.
~*~*~*~*~
"She's really good." Lily nodded. "She'd make a good opponent. Unlike some…" She looked at Taka.
Kei smoothed her hair back. "Don't make him feel too bad. You already did that last year." A smirk crossed her face. Something else soon caught her attention.
Taki was looking around the houses, not at the fight. Someone was watching. Someone was waiting. Hotohori looked down at her. "What the are you looking for?"
"Not sure yet…"
"What?"
"Someone's watching…other than the whole town…"
Whatever Taki felt, Hotohori did too. It sent chills down his spine. "Where is it coming from?"
"That's what I was tryin' to figure out…damn…it's cold…" She wrapped her arms around herself. The day was actually quite warm, it was the evil she felt that around them.
"I have yet to know your name, Miss…" They both continued to look around.
"Taki. Matsumoto Taki." Suddenly Taki realized something. "Oh no…"
"What?"
She looked at the group. "Where's Kei?"
No one saw her around. They looked over the crowd. Her black leather coat or red shirt couldn't be seen. Tasuki looked up. "Over there!" A small figure was running on rooftops.
"What the hell is she doing?" Lily's eyes widened.
Chichiri saw what she was going for. Another, much taller figure stood on a nearby rooftop. A blue glow could be seen around its hand. "There, no da!"
Kei moved her legs as fast as they'd go. Before the figure realized she was there, Kei tackled it. They went tumbling off the roof to the ground. Reizo and Akane were both distracted by it.
Kei landed on her side while the figure was on its back.
'Mom…' Akane ran to help her mother. She offered the older girl a hand. Kei grabbed it and pulled herself up.
"And you are?"
"I'll explain later…I'll try anyway…" The two women turned to Reizo and the other cloaked figure. The hood had fallen back. It stood up straight and removed the cloak.
The other seishi and girls approached the center where the Seiryuu seishi was. "Nakago!"
Akane eyed the two blonde men and put her pinky up against the side of her mouth. "Well, well, if it isn't Dr. Evil and Mini-Me…how fun…"
Kei looked her up and down. "I take it you're not from around here, are you?"
"What tipped you off? The attitude or the pants?" Akane made a point. No women around here wore pants. They all wore ankle length skirts. Akane was also far more vocal than any woman around.
"Little of both." Kei smiled.
Nakago and Reizo were standing next to each other. "Reizo, we have to go. This will not work right now."
"You are right, Father. We will retreat for now…" Reizo wiped the blood from his face. The Kutou soldiers began to back away as the others from both groups were approaching.
"We will figure out another way to kill them later." Nakago cast a spell that would teleport them back to their own country.
"Damn…missed him…" Akane sheathed her knives.
Kano was standing next to her. "You okay?"
"Only thing hurt was my pride. I was hoping to kill him now and be done with it."
"It's never that easy…"
"I think it just go a lot more complicated." Kimiko murmured nervously. 'Wow…for once I'm glad I'm not in the family…' The kids found themselves facing some rather confused and annoyed seishi and their mothers.
Akane looked at her father as if he was a hive of angry bees she just hit with a large stick. "We're really in trouble now…"
Naoko and Nyoko were noticing their 'mother'. Naoko looked at Nyoko and whispered. "Does something look different about Mom?"
"Yeah…her hair is short and she's…I dunno…a lot more flat around the…you know…"
"Yeah…she is…" Naoko eyed her 'mother' carefully. "She looks a little more masculine to…"
Nuriko noticed how the small girls were staring at him. "What?"
"Nothing…" The girls turned from their 'mother'.
Kano looked down at them and their confusion. "What are you doing?"
"Mom looks different." Nyoko whispered.
"Which one's your mom?" He asked quietly.
"Nuriko…"
"Nuriko can't be your mother…"
"Why not? She is. I think I'd know my own mother." Naoko hissed.
"Suzaku seishi Nuriko is a man. Always has been." Kano whispered.
Their eyes widened. Nyoko was freaked out. "Mom can't be a guy!" All eyes turned to her. "Ooo…I said that out loud, didn't I?" The young girl clamped her hands over her mouth.
Naoko's jaw dropped. Kano and Akane smacked their foreheads. 'And I thought I blew it before…' Hiroshi and Kimiko gave each other nervous glanced. Toru nudged Toshiro. "And you thought I'd blow it." He whispered. The eyes of the others turned to Nuriko who was just shocked.
"Oh man…now we're really SOL…even more so than before…" Akane muttered.
"Meaning?" Kano was unfamiliar with the term.
"Shit. Outta. Luck." Hiroshi finished for her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nyoko, the quiet one, just blew it.
With the seishi of the past breathing down their necks, how will they smooth this over?
Nakago knows Reizo is his son. How did that happen?
Fun, fun, fun for everyone.
Another incredibly long chapter for your reading enjoyment. As always I hope you enjoyed it and please review.
~*~Shadow Hawk~*~
3/19/03