Title: Reflection through the broken glass.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Clamp.
Summary: A psychological dark piece featuring two very special characters.
Warnings: Spoilers about Yuko's true nature so don't read if you haven't read the latest xxxHolic, incest implied.
Characters: Yuko, Setsuka Maro Moro and Mokonas. Mentioned: Seishiro and the Sumeragi. Clow Reed implied.
It wasn't very often that the she found herself in a dark mood Ichihara Yuko was one to appreciate life to the fullest, a lesson that came with a very severe cost for her too take in and so she always pushed any dark feelings she had aside and kept an appareled optimism that came in contrast to her very existence as a "a being frozen in time" and the burdens that came with her role as the space time witch. But today she found herself drained and tired, lying on the porch of her shop like a broken statue of an Egyptian forgotten goddess, looking with blank eyes at the setting sun that had painted the sky in crimson and purple colors giving birth to a dark moonless night. Not unjustified though she had a very ominous day, she had a nightmare the night before about the Promised Day Of the End Of The World particularly of Tokyo as it is going to become before the Earth cleanses itself, full of dead people and ruins and sand, full of death and hopelessness and the potential of Man unfulfilled. The first time she saw visions about the End was when her powers were blooming a long time ago, since then her powers and knowledge had hit their pick, she had travelled to other worlds that were going to be spared of such Fate and others that such a thing wasn't even needed, and above all she knew that everything happens for a reason and the Apocalypse was the greatest proof of that ideal after all.
So Yuko just stood leaned on one of the porches' beams wearing a black kimono adorned with blooming red camellias as the main motif and falling cheery petals on the back, her black straight hair were held in a bun by her favorite comb, she picked it out as an attempt to change the heavy air of the day sort of like having the person that gave it to her as a support even though he was long gone. The only moves she made were to smoke from her long pipe and to drink her whiskey, she had no company, she had Maro and Moro sleep as a precaution and the Mokonas were in their glass cases. She wondered if she would have the chance to release them considering her dream, called herself an idiot, chuckled and gulped down one whole glass of whiskey as an attempt to snap her self out of the negative spiral. She took a clamp in her hand in order to refill her glass with ice when she felt a jolt of power rushing through her body dropping the clamp feeling a dizziness, she felt something approaching, her mystic senses screamed at her like nails in a black board warning her, she took a long breath and calmed herself stretching out her consciousness to the "outside world". In her minds eye she saw the street outside the shop, people walking up and down the pavement cars passing by, nothing out of the ordinary except for the approaching black limo. There was an aura a black ooze swirling around it signifying an accumulation of sin that many people or objects exceed after they have gathered a large amount, but this one was kind of "tricky" if anyone could call a pattern of energy that. This one made itself vanish and reappear from one moment to the next, it seemed that one passenger was trying to get as closer as possible to the shop unnoticed. The limo stopped in front of the gate, all doors thrusted open four men dressed in black suits that could pass as identical quadruplets came out surrounding the limo, a strange sight that no one seemed to notice. Yuko although saw them as empty living shadows a piece of black paper in the place were the heart should be, she knew what they were , and she also knew that they could neither cause her any harm or be responsible of the coming danger she felt. They had to get into the shop to do that and since they were just magical crafted undead they had no wishes and thus did not qualify the criteria to enter. But the last person to get out of the black car was another thing entirely. She was a beautiful young girl with a small porcelain face like a Venetian mask, with long black hair and red glass eyes, her petite body enwrapped in a white kimono small black inverted pentacles on its sleeves, a red sash around her waist, and ghostly sakura petals flowing around her in a spiral like a hurricane with her being the eye.
And as Yuko saw the girl approaching her gates she broke in mad laughter. Everything from her dream to her mood made sense now, and she found the cause ridiculous, self preservation. Her basic instincts were warning her that today the mystics' world's greatest assassin was coming to see her and perhaps even try to take her life, a pretty morbid joke. Even the Sakurazukamori couldn't make her time move. But as her laughter died she knew that jokes aside the girl was here for business and the witch was one to take her business seriously as deadly perhaps as her approaching client.
When the girl entered her garden grin met grin, both fake of course radiating false cheerfulness like a hyenas closing on a pray. Which one was the predator Yuko couldn't tell. The girl started waltzing towards the porch small arms open like a leaf carried by the wind, her body dancing in the melody of a song only she could hear. Finally the wind up doll stopped in front of the Space time witch took a bow and in a child-like tone introduced herself.
"An honor to meet you Great Holic I am Sakurazukamori. " When she raised her head she showed a deadly smile, and Yuko shrugged for a moment. Touché she remarked with her inner voice, certainly the Keeper of The Cherry Tree was quiet mad, and weaker than Yuko, that was proven by her failed attempt to come unnoticed, but naïve she was not. The girl had addressed her with her title of titles the one that infuriating sorcerer had given her, which meant that the assassin knew full well all of her abilities and it wouldn't be wise on her part to try and entangle her client in her own karma as she usually did with others of her alignment.
"I wouldn't be bald enough to dare." Yuko replied in a casual manner.
"Dare what?" the girl said with an inquisitive tone but Yuko wasn't fooled instead she gave her a nod to sit beside her. There was no point for further introductions, neither would give an actual name to other they were both top of their trade and knew how meaningless such questions were.
"Would you like refreshments? I could call my help." But Yuko's question made her client give off genuine surprise.
"There are other people here?" she asked this time sincerely.
"Don't worry about it…" Yuko answered with a small laugh "…my servants are very much like your chaperones and your senses are more attuned to living people."
"The better way to hunt them." This time the other giggled but Yuko didn't find it funny although she did not show her disapproval.
"I will not bother you with hosting duties, being able to see such beautiful children is pleasant enough for me." And she took a moment to gaze at the cherry trees ever blossoming in the shops' garden.
"You did not come here just so you could say hello to my trees now, did you?"Yuko inquired.
"You have a wish and I would very much like to hear it. Although I don't mind your presence, the scent of blood smells quite sweet." She offered the compliment as honeyed trap for her guest, in order to speed things up and she thought that girl even if she could tell the truth wouldn't be offended.
"I am seeking a gift for the most beautiful of things my son." The deadly bird sung.
"Are you talking about your cherry tree or do you actually have such a creature? Because if it's the first one I can't offer you a sacrifice, it's against my rules to kill." Yuko clarified as if murder was far beneath her.
"No, no I gave birth to a little boy some time ago he's a little angel." The Sakurazukamori answered and her face lit up, and Yuko showed her a genuine smile this time, because the Intel that the Sakurazukamori had produced an heir was a very powerful piece of information even more when it was clear that it had a humanizing effect on the mother, the Sumeragi Clan would pay a hefty price for it.
"You will of course deduct that from the price oh, great witch?" the girl cooed.
"You didn't have to ask that. Now about the gift…." Yuko replied "…shall we step inside I have a mountain of treasure from which you can pick." Yuko said in a business like tone and stood up but the girl didn't move an inch.
"No." she said coldly "I can't."
Yuko raised an eyebrow.
"Can't?" she asked and the other nodded.
"I can't choose Holic, that's why I came here. In order to choose I have to like one thing more than the other and the only thing I like is my little boy." When she finished explaining it became obvious to Yuko why the Sakurazukamori had blurted that information earlier and it wasn't the only piece she gave either Yuko thought about the "little angel" comment. She had been trying to reduce the price, a futile attempt. She had very little to give in the first place, she couldn't even trade her powers, those belonged to the Cherry Tree after all, and trading the feelings for her son would make the wish invalid since she wouldn't have any use for the gift then. Yuko started pitying the creature, giving a gift to your special person should be a gesture free of rules but her client was anything but free much like herself.
"Even with the two treasures you've given me Sakurazukamori I still have to take one more precious thing. You know you have only two things left to give. I will let you pick. " She stood in silence waiting armed crossed, this was a difficult choice, two lives hang on balance.
"Setsuka." The girl said and stood up, smiling a big weight lifted from her shoulders.
"I'm surprised Setsuka-chan, I didn't believe the Sakurazukamori able to sacrifice themselves for the well-being of others." Yuko sincerely commented.
"I thought that as well but you know Holic, love can drive you to do impossible things." Setsuka's eyes sparkled, and Yuko didn't judge this time when she understood the type of love.
Yuko reached with her left hand the back of her head and took her red comb out, her silky black hair unraveled.
"Take this." Yuko said warmly, and with her other hand she took Setsuka's ignoring how inhumanly cold it was and finally placed it in her palm.
Setsuka took the object examined it and smiled.
"Could this be something precious to you Witch?" Setsuka asked and tilted her little head.
"Are you curious about me Setsuka-chan?" Yuko asked back and the assassin laughed carefree, turned and run towards the exit.
She stopped at the exit and waved goodbye like a child to its mother, before crossing to the "outside world".
"Goodbye my dark reflection." Yuko said solemnly and sat down to again once more to refill her glass so she could make a toast. She smiled by herself musing that the 12th Sumeragi head wouldn't be able to buy the information after all. It came with lot of feelings attached.
Ending Notes: This piece turned out big, but for the life of me I couldn't break it in chapters. Avoiding not naming Setsuka for the most part was hell! The similarities between the two actually came to me as I was writing, it was supposed to be a simple piece of Setsuka visiting Yuko. Anyway some explanations: the rules about names can be found in Tokyo Babylon and xxxHolic and the gist of it is that with a persons' name you can control his destiny its something that magic users have to take into very serious account. The men in black are of course the famous Curse Zombies from X, I didn't want to go on details how Setsuka made arrangements to be allowed to go out from her cell or how she was going to deliver the gift and make long story longer. Speaking of the comb it's the comb from Seishiro's Monologue one of the two appearances of Setsuka. Any criticism and I mean ANY is very much appreciated.