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~*~
~Lady Viola - Nice to see you again! I'm happy for any reviews. It's okay if you don't have much time. And thanks for checking out The Crying Nightingale.
~Jamie - I'm back to save your sanity again. I was thinking, Kimiko's mom needs a name too. Do you want to give her a name? Because I could try but either way is fine.
~CarrCarr - Well, I think they'll see their parents start to get together, but not be like telling each other they love each other. Akane and Kano will get caught, but I can almost guarantee you won't be able to guess who's going to find them. Maybe in this chapter, I'm not sure, but soon.
~Marcy213 - I appreciate the support, but I'd really like it if your reviews were a little longer.
~Cat - Thanks for the support!
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"You ready to go back?"
"I don't know. It's been a while."
"20 years. Think anyone remembers us?"
"You're pretty unforgettable."
"I can't believe there's a way back."
"Yeah. Didn't you say we couldn't?"
"Do things ever work the way they're supposed to with you people?"
"Let's just drop it and go."
"We have to find them as soon as possible."
"Now that that's settled, I can get you back."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kimiko stared blankly up at the sky for a while. She was wondering how her family was, how much time had passed since she got here, if her mother even realized she was gone. 'How can I keep what I know to myself? Can I really keep it a secret that Dad's not dead and he's really an ancient Chinese god? How could this have happened to me? I just had to follow Hiroshi here…' She shook her head. 'He should have tried harder to keep me home…instead he ends up telling me he loves me on a romantic starlit night. Do 15 year olds fall in love and stay in love, like for real?' Her fingers curled around the phoenix pendant. 'I hope so…I want to stay with him…but what does being a goddess mean? Will I really be able to stay with him?'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ow…I'm too old for this…" Kei groaned as she tried to get her leg out from underneath her husband.
"You're too old? I'm older than you…" Jason muttered with both Taki and Lily onto of him.
"Why must we go through this every time we go from world to world, no da?" Chichiri groaned.
"We're just that special." Nuriko picked up Hotohori and Tasuki. "Well, what do ya know? I still got it."
"Put me down right now Nuriko…" Tasuki growled.
"Are you people having fun?" Kouji stared dumbfounded at the group he hadn't seen in almost 20 years. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, Kouji." Hotohori chuckled.
"Uh, sorry your highness." Kouji bowed slightly. "But you gotta admit it's weird."
Tasuki was glad to see his old friend. "And sending our kids into the past to find the deranged son of a Seiryuu seishi isn't?"
Kouji smiled and shook his head. "You win. You win…"
Kei popped her back. "Man…I hate that landing."
Kouji glanced over at her. "What? You can take care of Akane and Tasuki and not handle a little fall? Leave it to you two to call a girl a warrior and have her live up to that…"
Kei laughed while Tasuki snorted. "Maybe you're right."
"Can we please hurry up and get the kids?" Taki was edgy.
"We should take a bit of time to get used to Konan again. It has been 20 years…" Hotohori touched his wife's arm.
"I agree." Lily sighed. "I feel really lightheaded. Maybe that's my age though."
"Stop. You're not old, no da."
"It's almost lunch time. We can get some food and you people can explain to me what the hell is going on. Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad to see you, but I am a little confused. I thought you guys weren't coming back."
"Neither did we. But, when have things ever been the way they were suppose to be with us?" Nuriko smiled at the older bandit.
Kouji blinked a few times. "When did that happen?"
Nuriko's arms flew up over her chest. "Blunt as ever…"
"Well, they're kinda hard to miss…" Kouji would have continued, but Jason grabbed him by the back of the neck.
"I think you should shut up now…"
"So do I…" Kouji pushed himself out of the taller man's grasp. "Sorry."
"We should get some lunch, no da." Chichiri stepped between the two men. "This is going to be a long story…"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kano sat on the limb of a tree watching Akane and the purple haired twins with Nuriko and Kei. He took a large bite of the apple in his hand. Something was finally making sense to him. 'I remember…when Akane first came here, Dad said she looked familiar…when I found out who her mother was, I thought that was it…Akane saved my life before. Dad knew who she was…it's just that it was so long ago…he probably forgot…'
"Hey kid, what's the matter?" Kouji stood underneath his son.
"Nothin'…" Kano muttered and bit into the apple again.
"You've been starin' at 'er for a long time now…"
"I know…something was bothering me before, but it isn't anymore…"
"So you keep staring at her because?"
"I think you know…" Kano huffed.
Kouji leaned against the tree. "It might do you some good to say it yourself."
Kano glared at his father. "I hate you sometimes…"
"I'm your father. You're not supposed to like me."
"Whatever…" Kano stared up at the sky and closed his eyes.
"Do you hate me that much?"
"I don't hate you. I just don't wanna be here. We don't belong here. We've kinda changed the past…"
"Well, you still exist so I wouldn't worry about it."
"Whatever."
"Is that a habit of yours?"
"What?"
"The 'whatever' thing."
"Yeah…" Kano jumped out of the tree. "No big deal though."
"It's annoying."
"Whatever…" Kano walked away from his father to join Akane and the others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kouji rubbed his eyes. "If that story had come from anyone else, I wouldn't have believed it…"
"We know." Kei set down her drink. "Sometimes I'm not sure I do."
"And now you're gonna follow them and do what?"
"Bring them home." Hotohori answered him.
"You sure that's a good idea?"
"What do you mean, no da?"
"Well, it's bad enough they're in the past." He looked at Kei and Tasuki. "You two hated each other when you met. What do you think is going though your minds as a teenage girl pops up out of nowhere and says that she's your kid? You wanna make it weirder by walking in there married?"
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
"We don't exactly have a choice though. We're the ones who know how to get Reizo back here." Lily shrugged.
"So you're really gonna do it?"
"Yeah. Why? You wanna come?" Tasuki looked at his old friend.
"Hell yes. Kano's being a pain in the ass."
"Then let's hurry up and go." Jason muttered.
"Relax will you? We can head back to any time in the past we want. We'll get there in time to help them." Nuriko put her arm on her husband's arm.
He sighed. "Right…"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Akane rested her head on Kano's shoulder. They'd gone off again to be alone. "One of these times, someone's gonna catch us…"
"And?" Kano brushed his lips against hers.
"Aren't you nervous?" She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Nah…" He kissed her a little harder. "What's the point? If we get caught, we get caught…"
"I suppose…"
"Now, come on and relax." He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her again.
"Well, I guess I can't ignore that…" Akane giggled.
They stood there for a while, embraced and kissing. That is, until a surge of energy nearby startled them both.
"Did you feel that?" Akane snapped away from Kano.
"Yeah…that was big…" He held his arm in front of her protectively.
"Should we go back to the others?" She put her hand on his arm.
"Maybe…but what would we say?"
"Good point…" Her eyes scanned the bushes. "Does this mean we should go find the thing?"
"I didn't say that…"
"Make up your mind, will you?" Akane snapped at him out of nervousness.
"Sorry! It's just kinda hard to decide…"
"Let's not sneak off anymore…"
"Maybe you're right…"
Akane gripped his arm tightly. "I still don't see anything."
"Well, something's out there…" Kano took a few steps away from Akane.
"Well, we could be something but we're really more of a someone…" Akane gasped when her mother came into view.
"M…M…Mom?"
"What?" Kano looked shocked.
"Akane." Kei nodded.
"Mommy!" Akane ran to her mother and nearly tackled her. "Mommy!"
"Do I get a hug?" Tasuki was soon standing next to her.
"Daddy!" Akane flung her arms around her father's neck.
"What the hell?" Kano shook his head in disbelief.
A hand was suddenly on his shoulder. "Anything's possible."
Kano gasped and nearly fell over. "Dad!" He shot out a finger. "How the hell did you get here?!?!"
"It ain't nice to talk to your father like that." Kouji chuckled.
"S…sorry…" Kano lowered his head as the other adults began to come out.
Akane let go of her father and stared at her aunts and uncles. "Pardon me, but I gotta ask the same question as Kano. How the hell did you get here? I mean…it's not like I'm not happy…but Hiroshi did say you guys couldn't come back."
"Well, that was before we got through another loophole…" Taki smiled.
"And you know what I've said about that…" Kei started.
"I know, I know. 'Loopholes make the world go 'round.' Mom, you're a lawyer. You live to find loopholes." She shrugged. "Not that that's a bad thing…"
"So uh…what are you doing here? And why is it that all 9 of you had to come?"
"Just to shock ourselves." Lily chuckled. "But seriously, we have a way to get Reizo back into the future."
"You do?" Both teens were shocked. "And here we were planning on killing him…" Akane sighed.
"This may be Konan, but you can't go around killing people." Hotohori frowned at his niece.
"Who said he was a person?" Kano snapped. "Reizo's an inhuman monster."
"I suppose, no da…"
"You suppose?" Akane stared at him, shocked. "He tried to kill me and he killed his own mother! There's nothing inside him that even remotely resembles humanity! Kutou would be better off without him! We all would!" She was on the verge of tears.
"She's right…there's nothing good about him…" Jason sighed.
"We need to get him back to where he can do less damage, then we'll figure out how to deal with him." Kei took a deep breath.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nakago's soul sat in the gardens of Nozomi's Spirit Palace. He had been thinking for a long time. His son's actions disturbed him very much. It made him feel worse that it was indirectly his fault.
'If I had just gotten off the power trip…I wouldn't be dead…I could have raised him myself…Kanako wouldn't be dead…' He sighed. Yes, he cared for Kanako, though probably not as much as he could have. He still had strong feelings for Soi.
"Nakago? Are you still out here?" Nozomi approached him.
"Yes…" He spoke softly.
"Brooding won't help…" She sat down with him.
"Nothing will…" He sighed.
"Do you have a preference as to how this turns out?"
"No…I just wish I had been alive to stop him…" He turned to her. "Why didn't I see the truth sooner? Why didn't I see how twisted I was until I saw Reizo with myself in the past?"
"The answer isn't pretty…"
"I deserve no beauty in my after life. I was a monster when I was alive. I deserve to suffer for what I did."
"Nakago, please don't be so negative." She sighed. "You are making up for it now by helping the children's Circle."
"It's too little too late…"
Nozomi stared up into the sky. "I want your opinion on something."
"What?"
"Before Akane came to Konan, Reizo was looking for a way to break my seal, yes, but do you think maybe it wasn't him that actually broke it?"
"Who else would though?"
"I think Akane may have broken it."
"Why?"
"She and Kano are destined to be together. I forgot that when I sealed the book."
"Are you trying to say you think love conquers all?"
"Not in so many words but yes." She stood up. "Come on. We need to eat."
"No offense, my lady, but I'm dead. I can't die of starvation. I'm not hungry." He shrugged her off.
"Your spirit needs food. You've been dead about 20 years. You should know this by now."
"Fine…seeing as how you won't take no for an answer." He grudgingly got up.
"That's right. I can't have your soul suddenly poof out of existence because you didn't take care of yourself."
"Poof out of existence? You've been around those kids too long. That sounds like something they would say." He almost smiled.
"They aren't that bad…it's nice to hang around with them."
"If you say so…" They began walking back to the palace.
"That's the spirit! Oh, pardon the pun…" Nozomi giggled.
Nakago finally cracked a smile. "I didn't think a goddess could be so…"
"Annoying? Immature? Talkative? Stupid?" She named a few things that some higher gods had told her she was after giving Kei her life back. They thought she should have kept the body for her own use.
"Fun." He finished his sentence. "Has someone called you those things?"
"A few other, older gods…"
"Why?"
"They think I'm stupid for just having a spirit body and not keeping Kei's."
"But that was your choice…"
"I know…they don't like it though. Personally, I don't like having a human body. Spirit bodies don't have restrictions like corporeal ones."
"They're too old to understand."
"Well, I'm glad someone agrees with me." She smiled and they kept walking.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hiroshi impatiently waited for his cousin to show up again. She and Kano had been gone for a while, longer at least than any of the other times they'd gone off.
'You know…I can't sneak off with Kimiko…why do they get to go?' He sighed to himself. 'Must be a bandit thing…'
"You okay?" Taki glanced over at him.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking."
"Looked to me like you were spacing off…"
"Maybe a little…"
Kimiko watched Hiroshi talk to his mother. Her eyes drifted to Hotohori. The resemblance between the two was remarkable. 'Hmmm, I hope Hiroshi looks as good as his dad when we're older…' Hiroshi was already growing up to look pretty much exactly like his father except for the hair. She had always liked Hiroshi's father. Though she wondered how much he'd care for her now that she almost bit his hand off.
Toshiro and Toru sat with their father, getting magic tips. After all, they weren't the most experienced teenage magicians around.
Chichiri liked the two boys. It seemed to him like they really could be his sons, now he just questioned the validity of Lily as his wife.
A rustle in the trees caught his attention. He stood up.
"What's wrong?" Toshiro got up next.
"We're being watched again. Someone's there, no da." He began to look into the trees.
Lily came over. "What's up?"
Toru looked at his mother. "He says there's someone watching us…"
"I see…"
"Wouldn't surprise me if Reizo sent more soldiers after us…" Toru muttered. "That psychopath never gives up…"
"But would he attack us again so soon, no da? It wasn't that long ago."
A soldier jumping out of the trees and knocking Lily onto her back was his answer.
"You bastard!" Lily put her feet into his chest and flipped him over her head. "That hurt."
"Here we go again…" Naoko jumped away from another soldier leaping from the trees. "Where are Akane and Kano?"
"They never came back…" Hiroshi muttered.
"Great…" Kei kicked one of the soldiers in the face. 'I have an irresponsible daughter…hmmm…reminds me of me…'
Akane and Kano suddenly came running out of the forest to help. Akane ended up back to back with Kimiko.
"What took you so long?"
"We had some business to take care of…"
"Making out doesn't qualify as business…" Kimiko muttered while sending a fireball at an approaching soldier. "Wow. I didn't know I could do that…"
"We're gonna have to figure out what you can do as we go along." Kimiko's previous statement suddenly registered in her mind. "And it was more than making out."
Kimiko's eyes widened. "You were doing…that? With Kano? Just now?"
"NO!" Akane hissed. "Get your mind out of the gutter!"
"Then what the hell did you mean?"
Before Akane could answer, a soldier with a large curved saber leapt at them, ready to slice them in two. They both screamed.
Kei thought she was closest and turned on her heel to help the younger girls. A black streak reached the kids before she could. Kei was shocked by the figure that stood in front of the two girls.
"What the hell?" Kimiko and Kei shouted.
"Feels good to fight again…" Kei stretched her arms out. "Haven't gotten in a good fight in at least 15 years…"
"Who the hell are you?!?!" Younger Kei stared herself in older form.
"Wow, I was a vulgar young adult…" Older Kei smirked.
Kimiko blinked "You weren't suppose to be able to get here!"
Older Tasuki sent another soldier flying. "Wow, I've missed this a lot…"
"See what ya miss when ya run off with real world women?" Older Kouji laughed.
Everyone was falling into a state of shock, soldiers, kids and younger adults, sans Kano and Akane.
"Akane…you need to explain…" Kimiko sounded irked.
"I will…when there's not a whole crap load of sword wielding psychos trying to kill us!" Akane dove underneath another one.
Lily had her hands filled with two more that had gone after the twin boys. 'Dammit! I don't like taking two people at once when they have weapons and I don't…'
She didn't have to do it for long though. Someone dropped out of the trees and knocked out both soldiers.
Lily's jaw dropped when she saw herself and an older Chichiri behind her. "Ah, nothing like fighting a good fight…"
"Lily, I distinctly remember that phrase as 'fighting the good fight'…" Older Taki muttered as she and her husband joined in.
"Now you've lived in this family long enough. You should know that it's just a good fight by now." Older Jason laughed as he and Nuriko joined in as well.
The soldier began to get scared and scatter. They didn't know what was going on, not that many members of the group knew what was going on.
After the soldiers scattered, the clearing was now occupied by three groups, the young adults, the older adults and the kids. Most of them looked to Akane for an explanation.
"What?!?!" She squeaked. " Why is everyone staring at me?!?!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And now it's time to freak out. The young adults will have, to say the least, a lot of questions.
~*~Shadow Hawk~*~
6/16/03