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~*~

~To Everyone – Oi…have I been gone long enough? Lack of inspiration and near death by school has prohibited me from doing much of anything on this story. I'm sorry. I've just been far more inspired to work on Red Wings of Fate and I'm doing my research paper.. This story's nearing the end, so I suppose I'm a little sad to see it winding down…

And please note, this chapter is kinda like filler between coming back to Konan and fighting Reizo. Not a whole lot of anything going on. Maybe a couple of tear jerker moments, maybe not. Depends on how sensitive you are to stuff like that.

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Kimiko sighed as she stared out the window at the setting sun. The day had been quiet. Well…other than Hotohori's old advisors freaking out over the fact that their emperor had returned. Most of them were still hell bent on arranging her and Hiroshi's marriage. Luckily no one told them about her parentage. She didn't want to think about what they'd do if they found out about her father.

"Finally got a moment to breathe huh?" Akane smiled at her cousin's girlfriend.

"Finally is the word." She rolled her eyes. "You know…it's funny…"

"What?"

"Looking back, I should have known my dad was more than human…I could always feel something different about him…" Kimiko sighed.

"I wouldn't be to hard on myself…you were too young to understand what you felt. I mean, good Lord…my father was some holy warrior and my mother was possessed by some supernatural entity…" Suddenly Akane began to laugh.

Kimiko stared at her funny, as if the older girl had lost her mind. "What on Earth is so funny?!"

"Most kids our age complain about their parents being old fashioned or uncool…look at us…we're talking about our parents having mystical powers…"

In an odd way, the thought struck Kimiko as funny as well. She leaned her head on the wall and chuckled while she shook her head. "Like we could be so lucky to have uncool parents."

"Do you think we'll have to go to therapy for this?" She asked with a smirk.

"They'd lock us up for sure." The young goddess answered with a good-natured sigh. "Ever wonder if all this is some screwed up dream of ours?"

"At the beginning yes…I wondered a lot…but I suppose seeing them in the real world made it more…real…for lack of a better phrase."

Kimiko needed no clarification for the 'them'. She would have had to have had her head under a rock for the past few months not to know. "I guess so. I want them to come back to our world…" She paused. "Feels funny saying that…considering we technically have two worlds we could call home…"

"I agree with you on both points…I wish Kano could stay…and I think I'll always call the modern world home…I don't know how long I could actually live here…"

"And if it was the only way for you and Kano to be together?"

Akane shook her head sadly. "Don't make me choose. I can't…"

"Just a rhetoric question." Kimiko put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I know you and Kano will be happy…somehow I just do. I'll raise hell with my father if not."

The raven-haired girl laughed. "Thanks. I needed that."

"What are friend's for?" She smiled.

"True." Akane headed for the door. "See ya later."

"Later."

Akane walked down the halls of the palace she was barely familiar with. A tall shadowed figure at the end of the hall caught her attention. She approached cautiously with bated breath.

"It's alright Akane. It's just me." The man straightened a little.

Akane let out a sigh. "Uncle Jason, you really shouldn't stand in the shadows like that. It's kinda creepy."

Jason laughed and ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair, accented by gray streaks. "Sorry. Just thinking about all the memories here…"

"Good or bad?"

"Both." He sighed.

"I can imagine. Are they hard to think about?"

"You sort of have to decide for yourself. How many of your memories from this place will you want to remember when this is over?"

"Depends on how it happens I suppose… " Akane became quiet.

"That's a good answer." He nodded. "You never can tell what this palace will bring…"

"Uncle Jason?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever think about looking for your real parents?" She looked up at him.

"Why would I?"

"Don't you wonder who they were? Where you come from?"

"I think more about where I'm going. The past is the past. Yes, I think about it from time to time, but if they had kept me I doubt I ever would have met everyone else."

"I suppose." She marveled at her uncle's strength. She always had.

"It's starting to get late. You should head in."

Akane nodded and hurried off. "G'Night Uncle Jason."

After she disappeared down the hall, Nuriko emerged from their room. She wordlessly stood next to her husband and embraced him. Jason returned the embrace.

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

Hiroshi opened the door to his cousins' room. Toru was the only one in the room. "Hey, where's Toshiro?"

"Exploring the palace grounds I think."

"And you're not with him?"

"I got my fill last time we were here."

"Ah. I see. You two certainly have changed…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing bad. Just observing." Hiroshi answered quickly.

"I guess you're right though."

"All this from a book…"

"Some times I still can't wrap my head around it."

"We probably never will either…"

"That's true too…"

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

Kano slowly traced the characters engraved in his mother's tombstone with his finger. He was looking at it for the first time. He'd refused to go near it when Kanako first died. He was too hurt and confused.

Kano knelt down in the grass and closed his eyes.

'Mom…what am I supposed to do? Please help me…I know Reizo's my brother, but I can't let him to hurt the girl I love…we're going to have to fight him soon…the end is coming…I'm confused…'

A warm breeze blew by. Kano could have sworn he felt his mother's presence. It was comforting. It reminded him of the way he felt when he was around Tora.

'Have you seen Dad and Tora? They seemed so happy together…are you okay with that? I mean, seems like you wanted the best for us…'

Do what you think is right when you fight Reizo. A voice spoke directly into Kano's mind.

He stood up rapidly and looked for the voice. "Who's there?

Kano, there's more to being a brother than blood. Think about it. You have to do what's right.

"How am I supposed to know what's right?"

You've got a good heart, Kano. You'll know.

"And if I don't?"

"If you don't what?" Kouji stared at Kano questioningly.

"Umm…never mind…How long have you been there?"

"I just got here…"

"Oh…" Kano gave the immediate area one more quick sweep with his eyes.

"Were you talking to someone?"

"I…I don't think so…"

"You don't think so?"

"Don't ask." He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah…I'll be fine…" Kano shook his head. "I miss her…I can't believe I miss her…"

Kouji shrugged. "She saved your life. Akane's too…"

"But she was never there for the rest of my life!" Kano growled. "She was the reason we were in danger in the first place!" He took in a long, shaky breath, trying to keep himself in check.

Kouji stood quietly with his son. "Yet in the last moments of her life, she knew what she'd done wrong. If she had lived longer, she probably would have tried to continue making up for what she'd done."

"I just don't know what to think. I wanna go back to Akane's world. I didn't have to think about it there. Life was just easier."

"I know…we'll get back there somehow…but we have things to take care of now, things that can't wait."

"I know…" Kano solemnly nodded. "Won't be much longer now…" 'I'll do what's right…whatever that is…'

Kano left the area, leaving Kouji alone with his late lover's grave. He sighed. "I think about you a lot, you know…about what things would have been like if we had stayed together. Something tells me it wouldn't have worked…we were too different and at the same time too similar. Too stubborn for our own good with two very different ways of life…" He put his hand on the tall stone. "Ever think it was for the best that we never got along? The gods always have strange plans for their people, huh?

"Goodbye Kanako."

Goodbye Kouji.

The voice didn't surprise the old bandit much. He'd seen too many things in his life to be surprised by much now. He smiled and headed back to the palace quite a ways behind Kano.

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

Nakago slowly opened one eye when he heard the soft patter of Nozomi's shoes on the marble floors. He'd been sleeping. Not to say dead people really needed sleep, he just did it for old times sake.

"Nakago, are you ready?"

"I suppose."

"You don't exactly sound happy."

"Have I ever been one to ever show that much emotion? After all, I'm helping my former enemies kill my son. Granted he does seem to be some personification of evil…"

"I wish it hadn't come to this either, but it's going to. There are some things that no one can control, much less even predict."

"True…"

"And…this will help you in your final judgment…"

"My what?"

"Your final judgment. When it's decided whether or not your rot for eternity in some hellish place."

"Fantastic." Nakago rolled his eyes.

Nozomi blushed. "Okay…I was a little to perky when I said that, but I mean it. Even one good deed can save your soul. And you've already helped out a considerable amount. I think things are looking good."

"I hope your right…but I may not deserve to keep my soul…"

"Don't be so negative." Nozomi held out two things to the former general. "You'll need these."

Nakago recognized the items, his sword and his whip. It almost made him sick to see the whip. He took the sword. "I don't want the whip."

"Take it. You're really going to need it."

Nakago tentatively took the coiled whip from the goddess' pale hands. "Fine…only because you're insisting on it."

"Trust me."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well, no." Nozomi smiled.

Nakago once again rolled his eyes.

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

Reizo watched the black flames dance. He'd enlisted various dark magicians and necromancers to help him take on his adversaries. They were summoning a whole army of demons.

'Those worthless little children will not stand a chance against my new army. I will have my victory and regain my pride. Those worthless bandit children will be the first to die, the first of many.'

            Reizo began to laugh. His demonic laughter began to echo throughout the chamber of the sorcerers as it became louder and louder along with the dark chants being used to summon the dead and demonic.

            Though it went unnoticed by everyone in the room, a figure stood in the corner, watching them. It carefully looked at Reizo. The flames cast dancing shadows across the wall. Reizo's shadow was not his own though. It appeared to be the shadows of an entire army of demons.

            "Victory will be mine!"

The figure shook it's head and sighed. It faded back into the shadows and disappeared.

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Tora felt a chill run down her spine after she read about Reizo's plan. She closed her eyes. 'Suzaku keep them safe from that mad man…'

She knew she'd probably be here reading the rest of the night. She wasn't about to take the book home and risk Akira seeing it. He was a good kid, but very curious. He went through everything, much of which wasn't his.

She picked up the phone and called home. "Akira, it me…yes, Kouji went home…Well, we're not sure if they'll come back…anyway, I'm at Kei and Tasuki's house. I'll probably be here until late. We'll probably go out for drinks or something…Kimiko's going to sleep over here too…bye for now, honey." She hung up and picked up the book again. She opened up the pages where the silken bookmark was and began to read.

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So how bad was it? I'm hoping the next will be better.

~*~Shadow Hawk~*~