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Naoko stretched out on her couch and yawned. Now about 21 years old, she moved out of the house and had an apartment with another girl she met in college.
"Guess I should do some work before I fall asleep here." She got off the couch and went to her workroom. She grabbed her history textbook and assignment sheet. "Page 78…" She flipped to the page. "Intro to Ancient China…"
She sighed. "Just doesn't go away does it?" Naoko closed the book. "Nothing compares to what I went through…I can't look at a text book." She pushed a strand of short hair out of her face and stared out the window looking for something to distract her.
Seven years ago…I know it was real, yet it feels like a dream…
I remember the stories so well. We thought they were just bedtime stories…
Well…all of us except for Akane. She always wanted to believe them. I suppose I can't blame her. They were great stories…
I remember laughing at Hiroshi when he told us what happened. Our parents took it seriously and it's not like we could have known he was serious.
Then we were there…my mother's world…
That little adventure changed everyone. Akane the most, I think…
She had a strange relationship with Kano. They always fought, but I think even when they first met, they would have died to protect each other. But on the other hand, there's never been a more perfect couple. I know there's no guy in this world that could handle Akane.
While Akane and Kano were in Kutou, I guess the mood was lightened a little by seeing Hiroshi in those robes. I've never laughed so hard in my life. And the thought of him getting married to Kimiko there…Man, it took him so long to tell her. Everyone knew it except for them.
Traveling into the past was such a weird experience. I'll never forget learning about my mother. She used to be a guy. She's still my mother and I'll always love her, but it's hard to swallow, you know? You can't just let something like that pass you by.
I remember the look on my young father's face when I told him who I was. He looked so calm on the outside, but I could tell he was freaking out. He could barely handle accepting he was inside a book. Dad's always been a logical person. Ancient gods and magic doesn't sit all that well with him.
It was so much fun having Kano around in the real world. He fit in so well. No one ever suspected the stories we told about him were fake. It was pretty damn amusing.
And then we went back…
Reizo scared me to death. How could someone be so hell bent on revenge like that? Why didn't he accept what happened and move on? Reizo could have used some therapy early in life. Or maybe prison. He really needed some help. Seeing him on that battlefield…he was beyond all logic and went right to deranged.
I guess at that point it was right for him to die. What else was there for him? He was beyond the point of no return. It was the last fight between Akane, Kano and Reizo. I don't know what happened in that dome, I just remember fighting the zombie things. He gave 'em a name, I just wasn't paying attention.
Not like it was really important. They were trying to kill us and we had to stop them.
Then one of them got Hiroshi. His was the first death that really hurt. Akane's great grandmother died a long time ago, I don't even remember if I was alive at the time…Kano's mother was killed by Reizo, but I didn't know her…Hiroshi mattered though. As long as I can remember, it was always the six of us. We might as well have been brothers and sisters.
Kimiko's seen a lot of death. I don't what went though her mind when he fell, but it must have been too much. I blinked and the zombies were gone. So were Kimiko and Hiroshi.
Akane and Kano came stumbling out of the dome, she was mumbling something about killing Reizo…then we just went back to the palace. Akane cried in her sleep…
Hiroshi and Kimiko came back while Akane was asleep. We were so happy to see them.
Then we woke up at Akane's house, practically the same time we left. I think maybe one night passed by. We were all okay, just Kano and Kouji-less.
It was kinda quiet until that cruise. They were back and everything was okay. We've all been perfectly content since then. Life is quiet now. Maybe I miss it a little, but at the same time I don't think you could get me to ever go back.
"Naoko, you okay?" Her roommate shook Naoko.
"Huh? What?" She looked up at her red headed roommate.
"How long have you been staring out the window?"
"Ummm…I dunno…" She got up. "I umm…I'm gonna go take a walk…"
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"My boyfriend and I are going to the club tonight. Wanna come?"
"No…I'd be a third wheel."
"We always go out in a big group. There're more than 15 of us."
"It's cool. Thanks for the offer though." She grabbed her coat and left the apartment. She headed towards the local gym where Nyoko was practicing for her next performance.
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Nyoko stared at herself in the wall mirror as she started another short routine. Between school and dance, she hardly had time for anything else. A lot of people thought she was too dedicated, but she liked being busy.
When she finished dancing, she shut off the music and sat next to the mirror. She pulled her hair out of the bun and began combing it. She worked out the tangles and pulled it back again. Nyoko took off her ballet shoes and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt over her leotard and a pair of sandals.
She stuffed her other things into her bag and left the dance studio. She walked down to the main gym where a girl of about her age was practicing gymnastics.
"Hi Nyoko!"
"Hey!" She waved to the black haired girl.
"Done for today?"
"Yeah. I'm heading home now."
"Lucky you. I'll be here till morning if I'm lucky."
"Practice makes perfect. Good luck!"
"Thanks. See ya!"
Nyoko smiled and went outside. It was late, but all the lights in the city made it seem like day. She sighed and started walking, thinking about how nights in Konan were never this bright.
Seven years ago…I know it was real, yet it feels like a dream…
I was raised on stories of Konan. Who would have thought they were real? Certainly not me…
Then Akane disappeared and that goddess person appeared in the living room. She told us so much in one sitting and sent us away in a couple of hours.
Konan was beautiful. I loved it there. Even the constant danger we were in didn't stop me from loving that place. I'd love to go back again.
Reizo was the only bad thing about it and he's gone now…gone forever. So are a lot of people though…
I wish I had known Kano's mother a little more. She didn't seem so bad once she realized Reizo was wrong. She died for her son for goodness sake…
And that trip into the past. Note to self: Never time travel again. That was too weird. I mean, our parents and their past selves in the same place at the same time…that's gotta mess with something…
Well, of course it messed with something. Dad met Mom before he was supposed to, found out he was going to be married and have twins before he was supposed to…they all found out about their kids too early.
I wonder if I was supposed to know about Mom being a guy. That was probably the weirdest thing. But if there's one thing I've learned from everything is that anything that happens there, it happens for a reason and is to be accepted. If you question Konan too much, your head might explode.
Kimiko got quite a system shock too…her father was…is…Suzaku. I don't blame her for being mad at him. For a god, Suzaku certainly screws up a lot. But everything happens for a reason…I have to believe that…I have to…I have to hang onto that belief no matter what.
Then we came home. And Kouji and Tora found each other. It was so beautiful. After everything those two went through, they found each other. I suppose that's the reason behind what Suzaku did. I felt so bad that they had to leave each other. But we had to fight…
We're a close family and if one of us is in trouble, we all help. He went after Akane and Kano once; we weren't going to let him have his way again…We would stop him no matter what.
Akane and Kano never talk about their fight with Reizo…I imaging they don't want to. I wouldn't want to talk about killing someone. I don't like thinking about Hiroshi dying…Kimiko gave up a lot for him, but not giving up part of herself would have been worse.
Then as soon as it happened it was over. Barely any time passed when we were in the book. We must have spent months there…it was like a dream. What seemed like months was a few hours…and we went back to our lives.
Until that little cruise. The gods picked a great place to reunite the group. Nothing like getting together in the Caribbean. So romantic…I am such a sap. That's really all there is to it.
She smiled to herself and sat on a bench in the park. She was almost home. She stared at the stars for a moment. "Not so many around here…"
"Not so many what?"
Nyoko nearly jumped out of her skin. Then she realized it was her sister. "Are you trying to kill me?!"
"No. That was on accident." Naoko laughed. "What were you talking about?"
"Here compared to Konan…"
"Oh…still wanna go back huh?" Naoko sat next to her sister.
"I always will I think."
"Not me." She sighed. "Gimme modern plumbing and convenient stores any day."
"I'm gonna move out to the country when I'm older."
"You're what?
"I want to live in the country."
"That was random, but okay. It's your life."
The sister looked at each other. After a moment, they both got up and walked out of the park.
"Good night, Naoko."
"Night, Nyoko."
"Do you ever speak properly?"
"No."
"Sometimes I wonder about you."
"I always wonder about me!" She laughed.
"Night."
"Good night."
They smiled at each other and started going their separate ways. They had always been the same and yet different. It was just something about being twins.
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~*~Shadow Hawk~*~