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[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

On Thursday just a couple of hours after landing in Tokyo, Shiro begins observing the Buddhist festival of Obon. He takes Alex to visit his parents' graves and the two have a discussion about "could be's".


The thing about Obon that Shiro liked the least and the most simultaneously was visiting his parents' graves. He missed them a great deal and wanted to be near them, but he never knew what to do once we got there. But after the most tumultuous year he's ever had, he needed parental advice. Leyu had stayed at home, not comfortable at the graveyard, and both Mariko and Keniuchio were doing their deeds as son and daughter by Shingen Yashida's grave. So that left Shiro and Alex at Saburo and Shinobu Yoshida's.

Shiro recited the requisite prayers and left a small plate of vegetables by his parents' graves, offering them to invite their spirits to return to the land of the living for just the four days of Obon. After another few moments spent in silent meditation, he stood up, wearing a sad look upon his face.

Alex stood back from the grave site, his arms cross as he watched Shiro perform the rites. In a way, he was jealous because he had no idea where his parents were buried, or even if enough of them were found to bury. He couldn't even remember the date of the plane crash so he didn't even have a day to remember them on. So when Shiro had asked Alex to come with him on this special day, how could he say no? This may be his one chance to properly say good bye to his parents. Shiro had explained what was going on the way there, and Alex thought the prayers, in English, as Shiro spoke them. He was so lost in thought, he didn't even notice when Shiro came toward him.

Shiro didn't say a word. It would have been rude, to say the least, to interrupt someone venerating their deceased parents. So he stood a few feet away, face down, waiting patiently until Alex was done. He glanced at Saburo's grave, then at Shinobu's, and then at a much smaller one next to his mother's. One that Shiro was very unhappy to have seen anywhere near her. It belonged it his uncle Tomo.

Alex blinked, almost forgetting where he was until he saw Shiro standing near him. Shivering a bit, despite the nice weather, Alex asked softly, "Done?"

Shiro nodded, eyes still glued on Tomo. How many times had he begged Mariko to have had his ashes buried in an unmarked grave? Or at the very least, at a different cemetery than Saburo? The man was a murderer, and he did not deserve the honor of a proper burial. Five years is not enough time to forgive. "Yes. Are you? You seemed . . . preoccupied."

Alex's gaze had again gone off into space as well as his thoughts but Shiro's voice brought him back. "Yeah, I think...Just...trying to remember them..it gets harder every day."

"I understand," Shiro said softly. "How old were you when you lost them?" He realized as he asked that he and Alex had never actually brought up this subject. Discussions of family were usually restricted to Shiro praising Mariko or complaining about Leyu, or Alex bemoaning his stuck-up older brother.

Alex thought a moment. "I was 8 when the plane exploded. Scott was 14, I think...It's hard to remember the details." He looked up at Shiro, he himself realizing they had never brought this up. Alex hadn't even realized Shiro was parentless like himself until Shiro told him where they were going today. "What about you?"

"My mother died from complications giving birth to Leyu-chan nine years ago," Shiro explained, "when I was 8. My father . . . was murdered by my uncle when I was 12. In front of my eyes." He clenched his fists and could feel his mutant powers coursing through his veins. It was only through sheer force of will that he kept it to himself instead of exploding as he remembered the sight of Tomo raising his gun and shooting Saburo in the heart twice.

"Both pretty violent..." Alex mumured to himself. "And both at 8 years old..." Then he looked up at Shiro. "Do you remember them?" That was the thing that scared Alex the most, him forgetting his parents.

"I try. My mother was always a sickly woman. Her parents were affected by the holocaust at Hiroshima, and I suppose that she got bad genes from that. As for my father, he worked a lot. But when he was home, he was . . . Well, it is surprising that I turned out the way I did when I had such a great man for a father." Shiro smiled wryly.

Alex couldn't help but smile at that. "Hey, you didn't turn out so bad. And if I could have taken you seriously just then...you could say the same for Scott. From what I remember, both of our parents were pretty easy going for a military family." That made Alex sigh. "Maybe Scott wouldn't have such a stick shoved up his ass if..." He stopped himself, not wanting to finish that thought and winced for even thinking it.

Shiro let it slide, knowing what Alex was about to say. "Harada-san and Onee-san have been very good to Leyu-chan and me since they became our guardians after my father was murdered, so I can't complain." He sighed , crossing his arms over his chest and looking at is parents' tombstones longingly. "But I have always wondered what life would have been like if they were still around."

Alex nodded. Since coming to the mansion, he had wondered many things; what would have happened if his parents had survived, if he and Scott hadn't been separated or even...if they had never found each other. All were scenarios Alex could barely imagine. "Yeah...I know that feeling. I wish it hadn't happened, but then...look at all what I would be missing. I'd never gotten to live in Hawaii, that's for sure." He grinned slightly.

Shiro couldn't help but smile at that. "There are a lot of things that would not have happened if my parents had not died. Life would be very different."

"Like...you might never have come to the mansion...and that would have sucked." Alex laughed, "Who would have helped me kick Angelo out of the room?"

"It wouldn't have been long before you found someone," Shiro responded, unable to silence his laughter. "But you're right about coming to Xavier's. I don't think my father would have sent me."

Alex shrugged. "Hey man, I'm glad it's you." He sighed and looked out over the graveyard. "There're so many things that could have happened...that could still happen." He looked back at Shiro. "Did you hear that Lorna's officially joined the X-men? As a full time member..."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Shiro left his parents' graves, leading Alex to Shingen's where they would meet up with his cousins before returning home. "No, I hadn't. Does that mean that you will join too? To be with your brother and your girlfriend."

Alex snorted. "Not likely. I don't...I guess I just don't believe in myself or the dream enough. No..." He looked at his feet. "After what happened to our parents...I'm afraid, they won't come back from a mission, and I'll be alone again."

"They both take care of themselves," Shiro reassured Alex. "And even in the unlikely event that they did get hurt, you wouldn't be alone." The 'you'll still have me' was left unsaid, but Shiro knew that Alex understood.

Alex looked up through blonde bangs, a grin on his face. He nodded, leaving his answer unspoken but let his grin speak for him, that he appreciated more then Shiro could ever know. "So, where's this place we're meeting the rest of your family?"

Shiro nodded slightly, his smile softening to a friendly grin. "Harada-san and Onee-san are both at their father's grave. Yashida Shingen. He was a great man, very powerful. He was a politician, I believe." And also a Yakuza boss, but that was unnecessary to mention.

Alex nodded. "So, is that where we're going right now? What else is involved in this celebration thing?"

"Yes, this is it for now. In a couple of days, we will send the ancestral spirits back to the Realm of the Dead." Shiro's grin widened. "You will even get to wear a kimono."

Alex blinked. "You're kidding right?"

"No. And if you're lucky, we will even include you in the bon odori. That's the ritual dance."

He blinked. "That is a good thing right?" He couldn't help but be skeptic from the grin on Shiro's face.

"Now that depends. Do you like to dance in front of lots of people?"

There went the blinking thing again. "You're smiling. Why do I always get this bad feeling when you smile like that..." His tone showed he was joking, but still a bit nervous.

"You will just have to wait and see, Alex, won't you?" Shiro sounded as serious as normal, and the look in his eyes suggested as much.

Alex couldn't help but laugh. "Why do I have a feeling I'm going to regret this...Just Scott hears nothing about this, alright?"

"I won't say a word," Shiro said with a wink, making a mental note to post a picture of Alex dancing in a kimono on the journal system.

"Why don't I believe you but come on, let's go do this.." He grinned and walked a bit faster.




And later that night, Alex has jetlag and can't sleep, so he does what everyone does when they have insomnia: stuff himself. Shiro's little sister Leyu joins him, and they make plans to drag Shiro around Tokyo. It's all very cute.


Usually, Leyu could fall asleep the moment her head hit her giant blue Doraemon pilow. But she was way too excited to possibly sleep tonight. Her big brother was home for the first time in months. She never realized just how much she missed him. It made her too bouncy. With an angry sigh, she threw off her covers and softly padded to the kitchen. Maybe some cookies would help calm her.

Alex also couldn't sleep. Damn jetlag. So he was downstairs raiding the kitchen, hoping Shiro's family wouldn't mind, as they had already told him to make himself at home. Usually, he wouldn't indulge like this but he was awake and, well, hungry. Finally he pulled out some milk and some carrots.

Leyu covered her mouth with her hands to stop a gasp from escaping. Nii-san's friend was in the kitchen too. Nii-san's really cute friend, she amended. She felt herself blush. Standing in the doorway, she realized that she had two choices: either go back to bed or join Alex for a midnight snack. What to do?

Alex happened to hear someone come in behind him and looked quickly over his shoulder. When he saw Shiro's little sister, he smiled. "Hey there. Guess I'm not the only one who can't sleep huh?"

Alex made her decision for her. Wearing a tired smile, Leyu entered the kitchen and bowed slightly. "Hello," she said meekly, her accent heavy but not incomprehensible. "Is your bed not comfortable?"

Alex shook his head as he brought his snack to the table. "Nah, just the time difference is keeping me awake. What about you?" He stood up and went back to the counter. "Can I get you anything?"

He's really nice, Leyu decided. And tall. Which means no climbing up on chairs to get the good cookies. "There is a jar of cookies on the top of the refrigerator," she said, pointing at it.

Alex's eyes followed to where she pointed and found the cookie jar. Easily, he reached up and brought it down and over to the table. "Want some milk to go with your cookies?" He went over to the cabinets to get another glass.

"Just a small glass, please," she said softly. She took the top off the jar and greedily grabbed a handful. As she stuffed one cookie in her mouth, she looked at Alex pouring her a drink. He really was nice and seemed really sweet, too. How could he be friends with Nii-san? That made about as much sense as Keni-nii-san forgoing bushido to become a missionary.

Alex returned the milk to the fridge before coming back to the table and setting her glass down in front of her, and picked up one of his carrots. "So, what are you doing up so late at night?"

Leyu muttered a "thank you" before taking a sip to wash down her snack. "I cannot sleep." Duh. Could you make even more of a dummy of yourself, Leyu? "I-I'm excited to see you and Nii-san," she added, stuffing another cookie into her mouth instead of her foot.

Alex couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure you are. It's been a long time since you've seen your brother I bet. Did you know, I have a big brother too? We have something in common."

"Really?" Leyu asked a bit too enthusiastically. She was curious about her brother's friend, but it wouldn't do her any good to fangirl him like Shiro does to Yuna. "Anoo, what's he like?"

Alex laughed a bit, thinking the best way to describe Scott. "Well, he's a bit stiff, like Shiro...but underneath it all, he's got a good heart that he'll only show to certain people." He laughed again, just realizing what he was saying. "Again a lot like your brother. Maybe it's why I get along with Shiro so well."

Leyu scoffed, nearly spitting her cookie all over the table. "Nii-san? Good heart? He has been fooling you. He's a . . . anoo, a dumbhead!" Great, real mature, Leyu. "He tries so much to be like Keni-nii-san."

That caused Alex to giggle a bit, which he muffled by taking a bite of carrot. "You'd be surprised. Your brother pulled me through a pretty tough time when it was obvious he didn't like anyone at the mansion." He shrugged. "But you know what, I'm not gonna bore you. What do you wanna do tomorrow? I've never been to Toyko and I'm expecting a personal tour."

"Ooh!" Leyu was almost bouncing in excitement. It would be no problem to convince Shiro to let her tag along. She always gets what she wants eventually. "We can do anything you want! We have everything you could possibly want to do here. We could go to Toshimaen. That's an amusement park. It's so cool! There are roller coasters and slides and pools and water rides. Oh! We could go to the zoo in Ueno. They have pandas. They're so so cute! Have you ever seen a real live panda before?"

Alex shook his head. "They didn't have a good quality zoo in Hawaii, where I used to live. I'd love for you to show me the pandas." He smiled at her. "And it's up to you. I wanna see what you and Shiro do for fun around here."

She couldn't sit down anymore. Leyu jumped off her seat (knocking it over and barely catching it before it fell over), smiling brightly. "There's so much! Nii-san likes the martial arts demonstrations, but that's because he is a boring person. OH!" She clamped her hands over her mouth, embarrassed by her outburst and silently praying that she didn't wake anyone. "Disneyland! We should go to Disneyland!"

Alex eyes lit up, like he was nine along with Leyu. "I've never been to Disneyland. I'd love to go with you."

"Sugoi!" she squealed. "I've only been there a couple of times, but it's so much fun! There is even a Pirates of the Carob-bean ride!"

Alex laughed at her enthusiasm, then made a motion for her to quiet down a bit. "Shhh...don't wanna wake anyone up. And between you and me, let's keep our plan a secret from Shiro until we get there so he can't back out." Alex's eyes lit up with a mischievous light.

Leyu giggled. "Right. He hates Disney so much. But we'll make him have a good time even if it kills him, ne?"

Alex nodded. "Definitely, babe." He gave her a playful wink before standing up to put his now empty glass in the sink. He yawned as he turned back to her. "Well I think I'm ready for bed now. Need anything before I turn in?"

Leyu turned away and made to grab the cookie jar so she could hide her blush from Alex. "I need to put these away so Keni-nii-san does not know that I ate them so late at night." She held the jar out to Alex. "Can you please put these back?"
Smiling, Alex gladly replaced the cookie jar for her. "And if anyone asks, you can tell them I ate them. Shiro will know I have a huge appetite at all hours, day or night."

Giggling, Leyu made a small but awkward bow to Alex, feeling more excited that she's been in a long time, but also exhausted enough to sleep. And she knew that she'd need it for Disneyland, especially with her brother in tow. "Okay. Good night, Alex-san! Pleasant dreams."

Alex grinned as he put away the other remains of their snack. "Good night Leyu. See you in the morning."

[Translation note: (O)nii-san means older brother, (O)nee-san means older sister, and sugoi means cool or awesome.