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

~*~Review Response~*~

            Jamie - That was a really cool twist you told me about. Hope you get the chance to update soon.

CarrCarr - Complications will abound. I'm hoping it'll all work together okay, but only time will tell.

Cat - Reizo is indeed a psychopath. I didn't intent for him to get that bad, but it kinda ended up that way…Hmm…Kimiko have hidden powers? Well, we'll just have to see about that.

Marcy213 - Thanks a bunch!

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"What do you mean Daddy's going away?" A young Kimiko stood with her mother and brother outside a hospital room. Her mother was crying hard. "Daddy's been away on business before. He always comes back."

Kimiko's mother was too upset to talk. Akira pulled her to the side. "Dad's not coming back this time…"

"Huh? No…Akira, he always comes back…" She refused to believe her older brother.

"Kimi-chan…he's not going away for business. It's more serious. We're in a hospital, not an airport."

"So? I came back when I broke my leg. It's no big deal."

"Dad's got more than a broken leg. Kimiko, try to understand what I'm telling you…" He crouched down to look her in the face. "Remember our dog, Momo?"

"Yeah…he was a silly puppy…"

"I know…I know…but remember what happened to him? When he got hit by a car?"

"He died…I know…" She began to get teary-eyed. "I miss him a lot."

"Dad got hit by a car too…" Akira closed his eyes.

"N…no…" Kimiko realized what he was trying to say. "Daddy's not gonna die!"

"Kimiko…" Akira tried to hug his sister.

She started punching his shoulder. "Don't lie to me, Akira! Daddy will be fine." She began crying. "Daddy's…Daddy's gonna be fine…"

Hearing Kimiko only made her mother cry harder. Kimiko squirmed out of her brother's arms and went into her father's room. "Kimiko! Don't!" Akira went for the door, but she got through and locked it too fast.

"Daddy?" Kimiko approached her sleeping father. An oxygen mask over his mouth, a needle in his arm attached to some sort of bag, machines beeping all around, she was terrified. "Daddy?"

His eyes opened slightly. "Kimi-chan?"

"Daddy…when are you coming home? Akira says you're not but he's lying, isn't he?" She came up to his side and put her hands on the bed. "Isn't he?

"I'm sorry Kimiko…I can't come home…" He took her hand in his. "I wanted to though…"

"Daddy…" She cried. "You're being unfair…why are you leaving?"

"I don't have much of a choice, honey…just some bad luck on my part." His bright green eyes met hers.

"But you're making Mommy cry…" Tears fell faster down her cheeks.

He reached over and brushed her tears away. "I said I was sorry…but please don't worry. I'll see you again Kimiko."

"When?"

"Dad!" Akira finally got the door unlocked. "I'm sorry." He grabbed Kimiko's hand. "She got away."

"It's okay, Akira. Watch over her now, okay?"

"Yeah…I will…" He picked her up. "Let Dad get some rest."

"But he was gonna tell me something! When, Daddy? You gotta tell me!"

"You'll know…" He tried to smile. His bright red hair fell messily over his half open green eyes.

"But that doesn't tell me anything!" Kimiko tried to get back to him but Akira had too strong a grip. "Daddy!"

Akira finally pulled her out of the room. "Kimiko! Stop!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kimiko! Stop!" A pair of hands was desperately trying to wake her up. "Stop dreaming!"

"Daddy!" Kimiko sat up and screamed. "Wh…what?" She looked around in the dark. She was surrounded by Naoko, Nyoko and Akane. They all looked worried. "What happened?"

"You were dreaming." Akane let go of her. "You kept screaming 'Daddy!' over and over. What happened?"

"I…I don't know…I had a dream about the day my dad died…" She touched her face. She had been crying.

Naoko put her hand against Kimiko's forehead. "You're burning up. What happened it the dream?"

"It…it's no biggie…" She ran her hands through her hair. "Just bad dream…"

"Are you sure?" Nyoko handed her a glass of water.

She drank it slowly. "Yeah…" She got up. "I…I need a little air first though. I'll be back in a bit."

"You sure? One of us could go with you." Akane offered.

"Thanks, but I'm not a little kid. I'll be fine." She smiled and left the room. The others just stared at the door.

The cool night air felt refreshing against her burning skin. 'I haven't thought about Daddy in a long time…why here? Why now?' The entire inn was still and quiet except for her. Her shaky breath echoed in the dark halls. She prayed no one would hear her and follow.

Bugs chirped in the dark outside. She walked out to a bridge over a small river in the middle of town. The moon reflected a lot of light off the surface. She leaned over the side. "Daddy, what were you trying to tell me? Am I just being naïve to think I'd really see you again? Were you just being nice?" She looked into her moonlit reflection.

"I never did do well with death…I guess I shoulda tried harder. I still believe you…I still believe I'll see you again…" She scoffed at herself. "Jeez…I'm so immature…"

"It's not immature to have a little hope." Hiroshi's reflection joined hers.

"Where did you come from?" She looked up at him, startled.

"The inn." He chuckled when she glared at him.

"I'm guessing Akane thought I wouldn't be okay…" She rested her elbows on the rail.

"No…I heard you screaming. I wanted to see if you were okay though…"

"I'm fine. It was just a bad dream."

"What happened?" He stared at her.

"Well, if it's all the same to you…"

"It isn't…"

"I'd rather not talk about it…" She stared up at the moon. "It makes me uncomfortable."

"Funny…"

"Huh?"

"Weren't you the one who told Kano you'd explode if you held things in?" He forced her to look at him.

"It's different with me…"

"How?"

"I…it…it just is." She turned away from him.

"Kimiko, please don't be difficult." He gently wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Whatever's bothering you, let me help…"

"I don't know…" She reached up and touched his hand. "I'm still used to handling things on my own…"

"Kimiko…"

"I know…I don't have to, but I do…" She turned around in his arms. "I just…I never liked talking about when my dad died…"

"What does your dad have to do with this?"

"That was what the dream was about, when I was at the hospital with Akira and Mom…"

He smoothed down her hair. "What else?"

"He said I'd see him again…" She bit her lip. "I always did believe him…I knew he was dead…but I wanted so much to believe him…"

"No one wants to believe their loved ones are gone…" He pulled her closer as she gripped at his shirt.

"Did you ever meet my dad?" She whispered against his body.

"I don't think so. What was he like?" He rubbed her shoulders comfortingly.

"He was really nice. He loved us a lot. Pretty tall, green eyes, red hair. I always thought it was odd for him to have such bright red hair…"

"I wish I coulda met him…"

"Me too." She buried her head in his shoulder. "But dead people don't come back…"

'Aunt Kei did…' "I know…" Hiroshi kissed the top of her head.

"Do you think I'm immature for believing him for so long?"

"No…I don't…" He took her hand in his. "It isn't wrong to hope."

"But he's gone…I should accept it…"

"Maybe, maybe not." He let her go. "Feeling better?"

"A little. Thanks." She dropped her hands to her sides. She yawned. "I'm sleepy now…"

"It is the middle of the night…" They began to walk back towards the inn.

"Shut up…"

"Sorry." They walked hand in hand back to the inn.

As they walked, Hiroshi couldn't shake the feeling that someone, or something, was watching them. He didn't let Kimiko see his suspicion though.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nozomi slowly walked up to a large looking glass. In it, Hiroshi and Kimiko were walking together in the dark.

She casually snapped her fingers and three figures entered the room. The human forms of Seiryuu and Suzaku stood in front while Nozomi's agent stood behind them.

"Yes, my lady?" The all knelt down.

"Seiryuu, take my agent and go keep an eye on Nakago and Reizo. Suzaku, we have to have a talk."

Seiryuu and the agent disappeared in a flash. Suzaku looked almost nervous. "Is there something you wanted, my lady?"

"You're playing with her."

"Ma'am, I would never…"

"Bullshit, Suzaku. You're playing with her emotions too much." She pointed at him. "Either stay away from her or tell her."

"But she's…"

"I know what she is. You know as well. Hurry up and figure out what you're going to do about it." She frowned. "The longer you wait, the harder it will be if you choose to tell her."

"I know, my lady."

"Then why haven't you done a damn thing about it?" She shouted angrily.

"She…she is already unsure of herself and her feelings as is." Suzaku backed away from the angered goddess. "If I tell her, she would no doubt take it badly."

"She needs to know the entire truth, who she is, what she can do, all of it. If Reizo had a way of knowing Tasuki and Kei had a child, there's no doubt he'll find a way to learn about her. If she doesn't know her power, she'll be in incredible danger."

"Don't you think I know that?" The southern god snapped, though immediately he regretted his actions.

"Are you getting annoyed with me, Suzaku?" The ebony haired goddess tapped her foot on the floor.

"N…no ma'am…I…I just don't know what to do yet…" He bowed his head.

"We don't have much time…" She said softly. "You do have to decide soon…go. Decide what you're going to do with her."

"Yes, my lady." The fire haired god left Nozomi alone.

She looked back to her looking glass. With a wave of her hand, the image changed to another inn where the children's future parents were resting.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Where do we go from here?" Taki sat on a bed with her back to the wall. She stared up at the wooden ceiling. "We don't have much of a chance of finding those kids."

"We should head back to the palace. It's safer there." Hotohori considered the girls and Jason since they were from the miko's world and Kouji's son since he was a newly discovered seishi.

Jason sat in a chair in the corner of the room staring out the window for a moment. The sky was darkened, which reminded him this was the second night he was spending here, ending roughly his first 24 hours. He was incredibly uncomfortable. 'A palace? When did a palace become part of this mess? Hell, when did I become part of this mess?' He stared at the floor. 'According to Naoko, I shouldn't be a part of it yet…'

"Something interesting on the floor?" Lily tossed a ring at him from across the room to get his attention.

He caught it in the air and tossed it back to her. "Nothing." He almost hissed. "Nothing at all…"

Kouji sat with his son in his lap. "And what am I supposed to do with Kano? I can't take him back to the stronghold…" Thoughts of Kanako raced through his mind. 'Another kid with Reizo? Why would she sleep with him? How did she get over to Kutou?'

"Hey Hotohori, can't Kouji bring 'im to the palace?" Tasuki looked over at his fellow seishi and emperor.

"Of course. They are welcome to stay as long as they need." He nodded to Kouji.

Kei looked between Tasuki and Hotohori. "Did I miss something? Why do you need to ask him?"

"Because Hotohori's our emperor." Nuriko cut in.

The three girls and Jason looked at each other. Taki sighed. "We learn more all the time."

"That's usually what happens when people come here for the first time, no da."

"Isn't that another question we have to answer? Why we're all here?" Lily asked.

Kei silently wished she didn't know what she was. She did have to wonder though, why had her friends been brought here and Jason too. Jason was the last person she expected to have a purpose in a place like Konan. 'Do you constantly have to think about others instead of yourself?' 'Go away…' 'You know I can't…' 'Why not?' 'Fate binds us together.' 'Fate bites, big time…' 'I won't argue with you on that one…'

Jason was the only one who really noticed how quiet Kei was while the others talked about why they were there. She saw him watching her. Kei could tell by the look on Jason's face that he was curious as to what was wrong. She simply shook her head. He didn't like the semi-there answer, but he knew he wouldn't get anything else out of the younger girl.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Naoko woke up before the other girls did. She slipped out of her pajamas and into some jeans and a t-shirt. Birds were already chirping and people were moving out and about the town. 'Cripes…and I though I'd have a hard time waking up without an alarm clock…' She rubbed her eyes and pulled her dog tags out of her shirt. 'I hope I didn't scare you too much Daddy…if I did, I didn't mean to…'

She left the girls' room almost at the same time Toshiro left the boys' room. "Morning…" He murmured sleepily.

"Yep. Sure is." She nodded to him.

"That wasn't what I meant…" He gave her an annoyed look.

"I know." The older girl smiled. "How'd you sleep?"

"Okay…it makes me nervous to know that just a little ways away our parents, who technically aren't our parents, are sitting around wondering where we are. Who knows what our real parents are thinking if they're watching us…"

"I know…it is kinda unnerving."

"I wonder what Kano's thinking. He has to see himself as a baby."

"That's gotta be weird…"

"You don't know the half of it." Kano appeared behind the two other kids. He rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Guess you're right." They both shrugged.

After a quick breakfast, they left town before anyone realized how similar they looked to their parents.

With the sun high above their heads, they sat in silence, all wondering what to do next. Akane sat with her back to a tree in another clearing they found. She found it funny how many clearings they came across. Kano lay in the grass staring at the sky. She nudged him with her foot.

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?"

He looked back at her. "Nothin'." His typical response to many of her questions.

She rolled her eyes. "Sure it's nothing…" She nudged him again. "What's really up?"

"Everything. I wish my life hadn't gone from utterly simplistic to hopelessly complicated in a week. If it had been a month, fine, a year, fine…I could have dealt with that…but I don't wanna be a seishi…I don't wanna fight for thousands of people I don't know…I don't know if I could handle actually seeing the god I've been taught to worship all my life…"

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "If it's any consolation, I did just find out my mother's been dead before and there's a psychopath out to kill my family."

He closed his eyes and chuckled. "I guess that puts things in perspective for me…"

She brought her knees up to her chin and hugged her knees. "It's creepy, ya know? I never knew how much my parents went through to be together. I knew my mom had been through a lot…but a goddess in her head? Dying to save my father? I don't like seeing her now. She's practically dead set on dying…"

"It is creepy." He got up and moved to sit next to her. "All our parents changed from this time until the time we know them. I mean…I think I really hurt my dad when I told him about Mom's other kid…" He plucked a blade of grass from the ground and twirled it in his fingers. "I don't even want to think about it…"

"No one said you had to…" She rested her head on his shoulder. She cursed herself silently. 'Why does every situation I get into with him end up romantic in some way? I know I like him, but I don't know how much he likes me…he even told me he wasn't quite sure of how he felt about me…'

With Akane so close, he couldn't help but smell her perfume. He wasn't sure what it was, probably something from her world, but he liked it. He rested his chin on her head. "Even if I don't think about it though, it'll still be there…"

"I know…but you can forget about it once in a while." She covered his hand with hers. "We've got a few moments of quiet time."

"I wish that wasn't all we had…" He whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

"Me too…" Kano turned his hand over and linked his fingers with hers. "Is there more of an us now?"

"Uh-huh…" A small smile played across his lips.

Toru flicked the rings on his staff back and forth. He wondered how something like this could be of use to him. It made a lot of noise and was a little top heavy.

Nyoko watched him. "Having fun?"

"Sure, why not?" He shrugged.

She giggled. "Not getting used to playing the role of the monk?"

"I am so not a monk. If that was my father's thing, okay. But obviously it didn't last when he met my mom though."

"That's gross, Toru…" She wrinkled her nose. "I don't want to think about your parents doing…doing…"

"It?" He smirked.

"Yeah…that…" She shuddered.

"Hey, don't get so freaked. My parents did it, yours did too." He raised an eyebrow.

"EW! Shut up!" She covered her ears with her hands. "That is so not what I want to hear in the morning!"

Toru laughed at the rather conservative girl. He was now coming to realize how much he was like his mother rather than father. He was tougher, blunter and rather skeptical.

Naoko watched Toshiro looking at the sky. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Just…just watching. The sky looks so much brighter here."

"Well duh. We're in the Konan. They don't have cars and stuff. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one." She smirked.

"Hey, watch it. I just accepted this place was real a little while ago. Gimme a break."

"Maybe just a little one." She giggled.

"What is it with you?"

"Hey relax, will ya? We don't get the chance to make fun of you very often. You've always got something good to come back with."

"I do, don't I?"

"Shut up, smart ass." Naoko sneered. "You are one cocky bastard."

"I'll tell when we get home."

"I've called you that before and they probably already know. Chances are they're watching us from the book."

"I guess…" Toshiro shrugged.

Kimiko had nodded off in the shade of a large tree. Hiroshi sat near her, thinking. 'Why did she get so upset over remembering her dad? I mean sure he isn't around any more, but it was like she didn't want to remember…' Her hair lazily fell over her face. He pushed it back and she smiled. 'That description she gave me of her father bothers me…I know that somewhere I've seen someone that looked like that, but I'm sure I never saw her father…'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nakago sank into his chair. He'd never been bombarded with so many things at once. In the corner of the room, a three-year-old Reizo slept peacefully. He wondered if everything the blonde man who showed up at the palace a few days ago really was his son from the future. He was busy trying to get a goddess on his side, he didn't have time for fatherless boys who claimed to be from the future.

A slight breeze came in from the window. It made his only son shiver. He got up to close it. When he turned around he was met by the same clocked figure that Reizo saw before.

"Who are you?"

"Who do you think?" The hood figure looked up.

Nakago pulled out his sword. "I have never met you. How did you get in here? The guards should have stopped you."

"They can't stop what they can't touch." A pale, almost translucent hand reached up and pulled back the hood of its robe.

Nakago gasped when he saw the face underneath the hood.

He was staring at himself.

Though the image he was looking at seemed to be merely a ghost of the real thing.

"You…you're…"

"That's right. I'm you. A little wiser, a little kinder, a little more useful and a little more dead." He smirked.

"Dead?"

"Dead."

"Get out of here."

"Make me."

"What do you want?"

"To get you to stop you insane power quest. It'll only fail."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The only thing that can come out of it is your death. Stop before it's too late."

"Why should I believe you?"

"That's up to you to decide." The pale illusion of Nakago faded away, leaving the living Nakago chilled to the bone. He frowned.

Reizo entered the room. "Father, are you alright? I thought I heard voices."

"Fine…everything is fine." He shook his head. 'What in the name of the four Beast Gods is going on?'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

What is going on in Kimiko's dreams? Can Hiroshi help her figure it out? After seeing himself, will Nakago change or is that too much to hope for? Are Akane and Kano getting any closer?

~*~Shadow Hawk~*~

           5/17/03