Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Where Are You Now? ❯ Chapter 8: A Long Lost Sister ( Chapter 9 )

AN: Hey I'm back again but this time I plan on giving you guys a little more to think about. BWAHAHAHAHA, me so evil! I've kept the identity of the Okashira Phoenix secret for long enough, time to give you guys some hints on to who this woman is.

Disclaimer: PMK Rocks! Oh, Samurai X and RK are kool to, but they don't have as many Shinsengumi scenes as they do in PMK! So I say it again, I don't own anything except this story.

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Where Are You Now?

Chapter 8: A long lost sister

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"It's what I see, and what I know, that when on knee it's all for show. Your truth backed by lie, your lie backed by trust. But for when it will die All your lust for lust. A darkened gate, for mysteries to keep, can't not be late. Plans not shallow, deep. Evil shinning less overcome by good. Secret men they bless, showing how she could." -Shana Tout

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"For crying out loud, where the hell did he leave now?"

Yep, this was one of those days in which nothing but anger flashed in his leader's eyes, maybe he should just sit back and watch the same old argument roll over and over again. Mareo's tossed back and forth as he continued to watch Qi pace the floor, she strangely enough wasn't in her usual mood, possibly just irritated.

"He's late, for being the son of Master, he's absolutely late!"

The young boy just rested his head onto his hand, a samurai sword resting by him, he was still to young to handle it but someday he would use it to fight for justice and for peace. Finally Qi stopped in mid-stride for in the doorway of the hut was Long, but not a 'in peak condition' Long, Mareo almost ran behind his leader in fear. Blood coursed down his body from several wounds, his shirt was only hanging from only a few threads, and his hair was no longer in its usual braid but now his hair mostly stuck to his body and covered his sweaty face.

Qi didn't stutter though, her body kept straight and guarded. Clearly she could tell the wounds on him were not of any sword but of a spear. The difference between the two was only a small margarine but enough to show someone like her that the cut was thick, if it were a sword then he would've been sliced into pieces surely. Mareo continued to look at the two then glancing back to Qi then to Long, it was very disturbing. Their eyes may have looked stricken but usually Long or leader looks away, not now, their eyes stayed locked to each other.

"Mareo, go get some bandages and medicine quickly."

Before the boy could even stand up and walk out the door, Long's legs went limp instantly making him fall from his standing position. A red liquid went everywhere onto the floor when the sudden thump was heard. Standing there in shock, Mareo had forgotten his job and watched his leader's reaction, her mouth slightly opened, and her hands were clamped tight. It seemed that her brain was fighting itself on what to do.

'Damn Long, what did he do now?'

Moving her legs toward the breathing heavily body, she was trying to decide if the only option was to kill the poor man. Something in her though fought that idea back, and as graceful as she was when she was a little girl kneeled down by his bleeding right shoulder. A slight grin crossed her face as she looked up to the wall.

"Didn't I tell you to get something?"

Just like he was waken up from a nightmare, Mareo jumped a bit until he finally realized he hadn't been moving since this whole thing occurred.

"Oh yeah, bandages and medicine!"

His child-like actions could've reminded her of her young days, but being shipped to a place where either you live and die by the hands of Chinese swordsman. Then being saved by a ninja, her life seemed to turn at that point. Qi looked down at Long, spotting that some blood had already began to course from his mouth. Laying her hand down onto his head, she pushed the hair away from his face.

"W-why are you d-doing this?"

Releasing more blood as he spoke, Qi narrowed her brown eyes and laid her hand onto his wet shoulder and pushed him over to his back.

"Because I have to…"

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"Okita would you please and do me a favor?"

Looking up from the engawa his gaze landed onto Tokio who looked like she was having problems, he brought up a huge smile as he tried to look as sympathetic as he could. Her hair was bundled up in a mess, and her brows were furrowed, nonetheless, it was a comical sight.

"Hai Tokio-san?"

"Could you possibly take care of Tsutomu, I really have no time right now and he's already started to hurt himself."

Okita let out a short chuckle as he nodded his head; she was doing much more work then usual and he really hadn't been doing that much to help around so it was the least he could do. He stood up and proceeded to the next room where much of the ruckus was coming from, finding Tsutomu crying and Eiji was probably outside. A smile crossed his boyish features, he hated to say this but Tsutomu kind of reminded him of Takara.

That's right, Takara, she had disappeared such a long time ago, Okita wondered if the girl was still alive. Walking over to the crying first-year-old he gently put his hands under the child's armpits and lifted him up from his spot on the floor. Raising him up to eye level, Tsutomu gave a few sniffs and pouts before conceiving the fact that he was being held by a man with black hair. Soon then replacing his sorrowful face to one that said 'YAY!'

'I wonder how Aiko ever faired off when knowing that her sister was somewhere all alone.'

Suddenly, his smile slowly dropped and so did Okita, nearly collapsing to the floor with poor Tsutomu. Covering his face so that the boy didn't see him, Okita told Tsutomu to go outside to see Eiji, maybe get told more stories. At first he didn't want to leave but having a first-year-old brain said that he'd rather stay with the older man. This wasn't what Okita wanted though, he could already feel it working up in his chest and could start to tell that this one wasn't going to be a breeze. Standing up as quickly as he could to run away from the little child, Okita stumbled over to his room down the engawa.

Now the pain began to worsen and he could start to feel his chest lock up, breathing in now felt like hell burning over him. Opening the shoji and closing it behind him, Okita fell prey to the disease in his lungs. One of his coughing fits began some coughing hurt more then others and some seemed like he was choking on something. Falling down onto the floor, he kept one hand to his mouth and the other to his chest that was begging to be relieved, but there wasn't going to be any relieving for the moment. His body's energy ran down hill, he shook incredibly violently and then he fell completely to the floor. Lying on his stomach, or rather his chest was something that made him feel more horrible. Before any more thoughts were made, Okita suddenly felt the want of sleep tug on his soul.

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No crying, no laughing, just…….storytelling? That was awfully strange, the only person in this whole house at the moment was only Eiji who loved storytelling. The only time he did it was when Tsutomu was out there making a ruckus, but didn't she leave her son with the helpful hands of Okita. Curiosity finally peaked when she only heard just those two, and stopped what she was doing to casually walk over to the door where she found only two boys and no Okita. Ignoring the fact that the presence of her son was annoying Eiji, she began to walk down the engawa. Okita's room was right around the corner; the strange thing was he usually told her where he was going.

As if by instinct, her hand went to the wall to guide her to the place that her mind was leading her to. The soft texture of the wood and the shining surface of the engawa could help anyone relax in this era. Turning the corner she hoped to find Okita when she only noticed that he was no where to be found on the porch so he must've been in his room. The shoji's where only a few steps further and her hand that was drifting against the wall fell onto the rice-paper doors and slowly opened them. First, the room was black, like the color of night, but as the door opened the light immediately made it's way in. Falling upon one object that stopped all possible movements together. There was the man she was looking for, sprawled out onto the floor with his hand close to the bottom of his face.

Tokio's eyes remained open on the body in front of her, he wasn't dead because she could easily see his rising and falling form. His lips parting and closing every so often. She was stunned, unable to move from her spot. Maybe she just was to runaway or slam the door closed and fine Aiko, but she just couldn't move. Then, a hand landed on her shoulder, startling the woman a bit but only enough to make her look behind herself. A dark blue jacket covered her vision and soon afterward she felt his hand make his way down to hers to remove it's grip from the shoji and the soft rubbing sound of wood against wood made its way to her ears.

"Hajime."

Releasing her hand from his he turned himself around and began to walk down the engawa. Leaving a very shocked wife behind him, without him knowing it she was shaking inconsiderably.

"Hajime….."

He didn't stop, but just continued his way down the porch, his boots making clicking sounds against it.

"Tell me….."

No, she wouldn't be able to handle the truth, she would be afraid of it so the best thing was for him to stay quiet.

"Please Hajime…….tell me."

How irritating, she just wouldn't leave the subject alone, maybe he was just growing to soft with her being his wife. Saitou stopped in his tracks as he listened to Tokio's mumbles. She needed to learn on her own that she couldn't always have someone show her the way she needed to go to find answers.

"Ask him when he wakes up."

With those last words he wandered away, her head felt heavy and her eyesight quickly made it's way down to the boards under her. He wouldn't tell her, she would have to ask the man that had the answer, either that, or ask the only other person that knew of it.

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"Tofu!"

The market place was busy as usual; people here to buy things that were needed back at home. The two men were very tired from their long journey from China to Yokohama then Osaka then to Tokyo, really, the man that they were going to meet had to bring them back to a place they thought they would never see again. Unlike the common folk, the taller of the two had black short spiked hair and a few old scars on his face. The shorter one, which looked about the age of twenty, had orange hair tugged back into a messy ponytail, or what ever it truly was.

They had stopped by an inn earlier, dropping off their stuff on large bags. Both seemed extremely tired from their traveling, slightly leaning forward as they walked in the direction that they were going.

"Oi, what do you think that this guy wants?" Said the taller of the two, a piece of wood sticking out of the side of his mouth.

"Whenever a guy hires you pal, they always want dirty work done."

The shortest gave a stiff sigh, Japan; a country in which they had protected during the years of the Tokogawa Shogunate had become a bustling place of foreigners and a place of fake piece. It was just like what his old friend had told him, the imperialists were hoping for a fake peace, the Meiji era. The place in which they were proceeding to was called the Akabeko, a fine restaurant for many people.

"Hey, Shinpachi-san do you think that we'll meet anyone from our days."

"I really have no idea…."

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The smell of roasting meat made her stomach to turn upside down, and the thought of them chopping off a chicken's head made her gag. A sweaty hand went up to her forehead, feeling a bit queasy she set down the cup of green tea and took a deep breath. Today wasn't really the greatest of days for her, the sun pouring all of its heat down onto her healing world.

Customers seemed to be rushing in from the heat for every second or two there would be the same old boring line again and again.

"Welcome to Akabeko!"

Why was she hear again, oh yes that's right, to get out of the sun and have a nice green tea to pass by the time. She had some extra money so it couldn't be much of a problem.

"Hey Shinpachi-san, I'd have to say that she is a beauty wouldn't you agree?"

'Shinpachi?'

"Hai, hai, very much so Sano!"

'Sano?'

Aiko retracted her stunned gaze from the cup in her hands to the front door of the restaurant. Two men, short and tall stood in the middle of the hallway, grinning as big as perverted men could. Their faces covered in sweat and dirt, and their bangs stuck to their foreheads like rice paper and glue. Rather disgusting, men were the most filthiest things on the planet……….what was she saying?

Men……Okita……Men……Okita… ;…

What was she thinking, Okita is a man!

Aiko gave a sigh of defeat…..

'Okay -not- all men are that bad.' Was Aiko's only reasoning, but the fact that they were calling each other 'Shinpachi' and 'Sano' really shocked her. As they began to walk down the hallway, Aiko's breathing nearly dropped, it was them. Nagakura looking much older then he did back in the past, and Harada, well scars and longer hair only changed about him. Some of the people from the Shinsengumi were still alive.

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Flashback

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The sun finally covered its rays from the fields before the great port of Osaka, the birds already starting to nest themselves in the trees. Cold darkness making its way upon all of their backs, a little girl looks up at her confused sister. Short black hair swishing back and forth, an old Shinsengumi haori she wore, and holding onto her hand was not her father, but a man who always appeared to be around her sister now. Short orange hair that ended right above the ears and blue eyes that looked at the disappointed girl.

Then the man noticed her stare at him and glanced down very confusedly, noticing that he was looking behind her, the older girl looked back to see the younger one. The girl gave a smile of relief, closing her eyes just like someone else had before her. Her sister's eyes softened as they continued on their journey into Osaka.

The sound of grass shredding made everyone stop a whole remaining group of men stood with their swords tucked to their sides. Jumping out of the weeds and into the view of others, a man with yellow eyes starred painfully into the one in front. The man who was being starred down by looked back to the children that had been running along a man with orange hair.

"Take Takara and run."

(End)

Aiko stood up from her spot by the table, wondering if they were going to recognize who she was. Step by step they got closer, both of them acting high and mighty as they walked by men, women, and children. But Aiko didn't care; she'd make them realize who she was. First it was Nagakura, not paying any heed to her presence as he walked on by. Quickly and gracefully she walked right by him as well, 'What a -stiff- you've become!' Next was Harada, who looked at the young woman as he strolled on by with a provocative look, but soon became as stiff as a board, and looked back to her slowly passing body.

Grabbing Nagakura's shoulders and tugging him back to where he was; Harada made him stare at the leaving woman. Not getting the point of his older companion Nagakura just simply ignored his friend's behavior and continued to walk after the lady in a striped orange kimono, but was once again pulled back by Harada and knocked on the head by his fist.

"ITAI! I'm not a punching bag Sano, what is it?!"

"That woman, she was!"

"Um sirs, are you going to follow me?"

Both Nagakura and Harada looked back to the woman who had been patiently waiting for them to follow her. Her brown hair tied up into a bun and her eyes closed, eyebrows slightly raised at the men. Nagakura's eyes narrowed at his comrade, now look what he had done they have a person to meet, can't he even see that?!

"Oi, let's go already Sano!"

Harada couldn't help but look at the retreating form in the hallway; she had grown up so much so that at first he didn't even recognize her. Releasing a kept up sigh, Harada turned back to his short friend and continued on his way up the stairs. They were old stairs he could easily tell that because of how rotten they looked. But compared to China, Japan was certainly a poor country right now.

Maybe after their meeting they would be able to talk to the girl for old time's sake. Reaching the top of the staircase the two were ushered to a small room where the only light that was visible was a small candle sitting on a square table in the middle of the room. Behind all this was a dark figure in a black hood and cape, an envelope lying in front of him. The pair quickly found themselves sitting at the head of the table in front of the shadowed figure. They sat quietly waiting for the figure to start the ominous conversation. Harada slapped his hands behind his head and looked at the person ahead of him.

"So what is it that you want? Your woman cheating on ya? A few grandparents taken out to get you wealthy. Or merely just a guy you don't like, you name it, we'll do it!"

Nagakura shook his head and sighed out dejectedly, "Sano."

Harada looked down at the slouching Nagakura who appeared to be tired from all of the traveling.

"Hey come'on, I'm hungry, you're sleepy, and we have no money! How 'bout we get this thing over with and get some grub!"

A dark and mysterious sigh came the silhouetted person who had his arms now resting on the table.

"Actually, I would like you to kill the Okashira Phoenix."

Immediately, Harada and Nagakura stiffened but soon loosened up when the thought of the man must have been joking. Looking back at each other, they began to laugh their little hearts out.

"Ya jokin' right?"

An uncomfortable silence passed between the three that made Harada and Nagakura realize that the man was stupid. Nagakura's logical part suddenly kicked in.

"-The- Okashira Phoenix."

"Yes."

The same thought came into their minds, 'Is this guy serious?'

The man leaned forward into the candlelight showing the two a very bemused expression.

"I'll even pay you extra if you do this."

Without even thinking, Harada's hand flew into the air and a wide grin crossed his face. He was finally going to get food!

"I'm IN!"

A more regretful slouch came over Nagakura as he silently prayed, 'Kami help us now.' He didn't know what in the world they had gotten themselves into but he did know that it wasn't an easy job like the rest. The man's hand touched the envelope on the table and he pushed it toward the men on the other side. Both looked down at the white wrapper under their noses and returned their gazes to the mysterious man.

"Inside this you will see all the information that you need to know."

With this said the man stood from his side of the table and left the rather dark room. Following his figure as he disappeared out of the light. Harada smiling his little heart out and Nagakura simply glaring at him, he would do anything to get some food in his stomach. Really, it was amazing how much this guy could eat.

"Do you have any idea on what you just got ourselves into you big MORON!"

Glancing back at his angry friend, he starred confusedly into the little guy's blue eyes.

"What did I do?"

"BAKA!!"

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Fujita residence

4:00 PM

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A slow soft sound came from the front door and behind it was the sweating Aiko. Beads of sweat rolled down the front of her face, it was usually one of these days when she would stay in the house and do more housework. Her heavy pink kimono slowing her down ever so slightly, she needed a nice drink of water. Her hand used the wall for some support as she began to walk into the colder confines of Tokio-san's house. The smell of fresh soba filling the air inside the house, if it weren't for the heat she would've become hungry. Walking into the kitchen she found Tokio mixing many ingredients for tonight's dinner, there by her was a bucket full of water where she could possibly get a drink.

"Tokio, may I have some water?"

Tokio jumped and turned around to look at the smiling Aiko, her hands at her sides as she walked closer to the elder woman.

"Oh Aiko you must get out of that kimono, it is certainly to hot to wear it now." Said the concerned mother as she starred at Aiko; even she couldn't wear her nice kimonos anymore. Today she just decided to wear an old kimono, one that her father long ago gave her. It was white and her obi was a delicate green, kind of matching her mother-like features.

"Ano . . . Tokio, where did Okita go to?"

The wooden spoon that was in her hand nearly dropped into the pot, 'That's right Okita was still in his room.

"He's in his room sleeping."

Sleeping, Okita never slept during the day unless he had . . . . Aiko took a step away from the woman who had once again begun on the soba, for some odd reason she didn't feel thirsty anymore. Her body quickly ran out of the kitchen making loud thumping noises as she did so. She had to make her way to his room, last time that this happened he fell unconscious and then began to act strange after that. He spent less time with her after that night, he'd talk more to Saitou and less to her. No, she wouldn't let him be alone right now, he had been away from her for to long.

Aiko's hand desperately reached for his shoji, at the rate she was going she could've broken down the door. Slamming the door open, she let in the light, which had disappeared from Okita's room. The sight she saw made her fall to the floor in weariness, there on the floor was Okita's sleeping body. Was there anything she could do for him, could she possibly help to take away his pain? Leaning forward onto the palms of her hands, Aiko tried desperately to retrieve all the air that she had lost. Taking a deep breath she stood up once again and stumbled over to the futon that was at the end of the room. Her hands removed the pillow from the top of it and set it down beside her. Next, she tugged on the heavy fabric to lay it out into a bed.

She knew that he was ill, she knew ever since she was a little girl that he had tuberculosis. Someday it will consume him whole and he will lay victim to the disease, coughing up the very thing that kept him alive. Aiko had to shove out those thoughts, to think of his death would only bring her into worry. Grabbing onto his gi, Aiko tugged on it to pull him onto his futon. She only managed to get him half on, her body beginning to only feel tired from moving his body. Guessing that it was more than enough for the moment, she picked up his legs and relocated them onto the blanket. Taking a deep breath Aiko kneeled beside him, peering down to his clammy face she began to replay the images with him and her together.

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"Hey boss, aren't yer wife waitin' for yer to come home?"

Saitou looked above the newspaper that he was silently reading to see the very top of the man's head. Sure enough there was long blonde hair sticking up, Chou the sword collector was standing there concerned as usual. Flicking his cigarette bud, he laid down the newspaper onto many other newspapers and stared at the man in front of him.

"Hn."

"Ain't she gonna be worrien her little head off if you don't come home soon?

"Ahou."

Dropping his gaze back down to the picture in the newspaper, Saitou starred at it only for a moment before folding it and sticking it in his coat pocket. A picture that Okita would be more than willing to see at the time. That man had been doing so much to help Saitou, he would leave home and go searching through town to see if he could find any suspicious looking characters. He would leave someone very dear to him just to help Saitou find anyone who might be linked to the Okashira.

Standing up from his paper-covered desk, he finally decided that he was going home. If he stayed any longer he wouldn't be worrying just Tokio. The wolf's eyes fell upon Chou the yellow haired moron, who was frightened by something behind him. Both eyes were wide open and his mouth slightly dropping to one side. Turning around, Saitou only came face to face with lightning, and in it was a silhouetted figure on the nearest house. Another flash of lightning came and the figure had disappeared.

'Okashira Phoenix.'

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The upcoming storm began to make Qi nervous, if it started to rain in the summer then that was a clue of bad fortune. Not only that the rain would make the roofs slippery making it hard for her to jump from building to building. The clouds soon covered the moon's gaze on Tokyo; drops of water touched her running prone. She needed to find shelter quickly; another pounding jump she made pushing herself high into the sky. It was only when she landed that she felt her foot slip from under her. Losing her balance Qi made her decent downwards onto the streets of mud, a thick texture covering most of her clothing. Never in her life had she lost her balance, it was something that her father most forbid.

'Losing your balance in a battle can cause either your death or the death of others!'

Her left arm pushed her off the ground to stand up from the ground that was becoming moist with raindrops. Straightening her back and raising her head to view of the long street, Qi narrowed her eyes in the darkness. Nothing, rain, buildings and everything else looked the same from her past. Oh yes, how could she have forgotten her past, one full of doubt and of fear. She could remember how pathetic she was, crying only because she had fallen. A smirk crossed her features, those were the days when the Shogunate ruled Japan, days where her father was widely known.

Stomping her right foot onto the earth, Qi managed to push herself into the sky once more and land on the building that had made her slip. Again starting off in a quick jog on the narrowed part of the building, leaping from one construction to the next she came to a long gate in which tiles were not used. She hopped over to the ledge and stopped midway in her tracks; there was a girl with a white umbrella sitting in the middle of the rain. Qi, with her natural instincts, ducked down to a sitting position. The woman wore a rose-colored kimono; maybe because of the darkness it had become an even darker color then what it was suppose to be.

Suddenly, Qi could feel her own heart jump when the lady in front of her looked up from the ground and connected her sight with the younger girl on the gate. Standing up as she continued to stare into the younger one's eyes, for some odd reason she couldn't turn from them. Qi had troubles moving and grabbing her knife for her hand refused to actually move out of its place. Something had came across her, and that something wouldn't let go and that something was her face. Qi knew that face as if it were still yesterday; it was just those eyes that shocked her more then anything. Here she was sitting on a ledge with brown pants and shirt the only thing keeping them together was her ribbon that tied at her waist. Then the woman in front of her had long black hair cascading down her rosy kimono with her hand holding onto the umbrella.

It was her sister, it was the only person she could really hold onto……

'Aiko-chan.'

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Next Chapter

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…. I really don't know yet.

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AN: EHEHEHE! I am now a 'REALLY bad Okita-sama fan' for I have now in my own possession a *drum roll, holds up long piece of fabric turning out to be a blanket* A OKITA-SAMA BLANKET!!!!!! *laughs hysterically* *cough, cough* guess to much laughing..

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Reviews

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OH do I love you all for reviewing, man was I surprised by the amount of reviews I got for this chapter.

AngryBee: *raises eyebrow* So you liked that part EH? Sad to say it I got a lot of help from my best best best friend MysticInca, I just watched and looked over to see any mishaps. Yeah, Tokio does have a miscarriage kinda scared me when you said you'd sick Okita on anyone that stole some of your work…so I ran behind a door and looked over my shoulder just in case you thought I was lying. Phew, what a relief!

JadeGoddess: WOW, another reviewer, I'm going to say what AngryBee once said to me "Yes, come with me! Come into the darkness" or light, whichever u prefer.

CeeCee: Yeah, but sad to tell you this…READ Hajime and Tokio made by AngryBee, or if you have already please just tell me what ya think!

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Fanfic by ione