Author's note: So take the cliché of having the X cast in divine entities and try and write a good conspiracy plot and this is what I got! Let me know what you think! Oh and please forgive the whole wannabe-archaic language in the beginning. Please ignore the inaccuracies and read on, thank you!
Disclaimer: I do not own X or its characters, plot, storyline, etc.
And th' Lord of Hell spreadeth great wings, and fire burneth the horizon. Th' Archangel of Judgement drew his chariot across the ruby sky, and met he the Devil in duel most tremendous that the very foundation of the Father's beloved Earth seemeth shooken.
"Dost thou deny thy Love for me?" The devil asketh, even as his sword spawned flames against the Blade of Fire.
"I abjure thee, for I despise thee," came answer of th' Archangel, but through his eyes, shone a grief profound, for felt he his heart that wouldst with every stroke and hammer, break yet with abundance.
- 13th Battle of Seishirou and Subaru
Ruins of Babylon, Hanging Gardens
6th Book of War
Library Archive—Heaven
Subaru put the book down, ears and cheeks burning in horrified embarrassment. Hinoto, the angel of knowledge, calmly summoned the book towards her and flicked her hand in the direction of its shelf. The book sailed across thin air and slotted itself in.
"I take it that that wasn't exactly what happened?"
"It was really more along the lines of 'Do you hate me?' and 'You're evil.'"
Hinoto smiled in kind amusement.
"That's hardly romantic, Subaru-san."
Subaru sighed.
"At least it's the truth."
"I wonder if the archive in Hell told it differently."
He looked at Hinoto in slight shock.
"They wouldn't."
Hinoto shrugged gracefully.
"Seeing as its Hell we're talking about, and Sakurazuka…I don't suppose he might have made you seem more...well…they probably…"
Put in lots of unnecessary sex scenes, Subaru continued mentally, and then blanched at the thought. Really, Hell's history archives read too much like porn books (you could get copies of any book from both realms in Purgatory's Library), not that he knew what those were like, but he could guess…
No. Stave off the bad thoughts. He was supposed to be holy.
"Subaru-san?"
Subaru blinked.
"Ah. Sorry about that."
"It's okay. But I was just thinking, if you want me to re-write-"
Before Hinoto could finish her sentence, a signature cracked through the air as an immense amount of power rose… and refocused itself on Earth.
Subaru paled.
He'd recognise that aura anywhere.
"Please excuse me, Hinoto-san; I think…I need to descend."
Prologue: In the Beginning…(which is actually happening at almost the same time as the bit above, give and take a few minutes here and there)
1st Jan 1999
Friday
Tokyo
CLAMP Campus
High School Division
09.30 am
There were two school subjects, Kamui thought, that were definitely invented by the Devil. Such banes like Maths and Physical Education could only be the creation of a sick mind twisted and corrupted by sadism and a penchant for evil.
It didn't help that teachers had to be the spawn of hell, simply because they just seemed to bear this innate dislike for him.
"Shirou! Answer the question on the board!"
Just dandy. And it had to be a confusing one too.
As an angel, Kamui found it nigh impossible to calculate the infinite term of a geometric series. That wasn't technically his fault; it's just that the formula taught to them was heinously inaccurate to him- he could quite certainly contemplate infinity.
That, however, wasn't a good reason to his teachers. Detention convinced him of that.
"I-"
"Excuse me sir, if I may?"
And there was Him. If teachers were the spawn of hell, then the new student belonged to Hell's Aristocracy.
Kamui had said this countless times to his best friends Kotori and Keiichi. They nodded sympathetically and tried to console him for having such a terrible rival.
No one and it must be repeated here, no one, took Kamui seriously.
Fuuma smirked a little, concealing it expertly behind a studious serious look. He approached the blackboard, and wrote out the answer meticulously, even drawing the infinity sign with a little mocking flourish.
It was a perfect answer. It also wasn't fair that Fuuma, who was quite obviously radiating demonic waves, could ignore the contemplation of something stupidly simple like infinity, and thus, do terribly difficult sums on the topic.
Fuuma turned a blind ear to his teacher's gushing praises, choosing instead to throw a smug smile at Kamui and wink.
Really, the angel was too cute for his own good. Without knowing it, that epitome of goodliness was walking temptation. If nothing else, he was making the corruption of those around him far far easier than it would have been without such physical enticement around.
Kamui glared, pretty violet eyes flashing angrily. Fuuma was impressed. If angels could glare like that…well, they'd have to be quite feisty. Maybe if he could convince Kamui to Fall the bump and grind way, he'd have the opportunity to find out for himself.
Fuuma broke away his discerning gaze and turned back to his worksheet…which suddenly had very strange ancient latin words all over it.
With copious amounts of translation (meaning put into a modern language and adding in the author's intended style), it said something like:
Good morning, Fuuma. I'm about to visit in a while; most young'uns wouldn't notice, but seeing as you're hardly like the normal little demons running around, I'm certain you'll feel the weight of all your ages (yes, before and after reincarnation; add them up, tha's a good boy) when I shift my power up to Earth; never mind that you're pretending to be all inexperienced and green.
I'd say sucks to be you; but that's hardly my style.
Yours Sincerely,
Sakurazuka
Fuuma hardly had time to finish the letter when the power-shift hit him like a rampant truck. He gasped sharply, missing both his teacher's look of concern and Kamui's slight confusion (while it was technically sinful to wish ill on someone else, Kamui didn't think God would mind if it was a demon. Still, it was rather shocking to have your wish fulfilled in front of your very eyes.).
Boom, went the power-shift.
Fuck,went Fuuma.
Seishirou, that bastard. Probably spent hours timing this so that I won't have time to shield, but just enough time to be properly terrified.
When the fit finally faded away, Fuuma took a breath and smiled ruefully. It was a shame he was on Earth, really, if Seishirou was coming up. It would be good fun to be in Hell when it went to pieces with the internal rivalry, backstabbing and plotting that would definitely ensue with the Devil's absence.
Wait.
Who the hell was left in charge?
Ah, whatever. If anyone tried to steal his territory, Kakyou would let him know. The Demon of Knowledge was actually quite a sucker for his irresistible charm.
As Fuuma wiled away on those thoughts, he felt another power-shift coming on, but slowly and cautiously; it was done as gently as possible. An angel, then. Quite definitely. And from the amount of power he could feel radiating from the descending core, it had to be one who had achieved Arch-status.
Fuuma shielded himself effectively and smirked. It was too much of a coincidence. Besides, the power was not just the blinding white light normally expected of the Archangels; it was tinged slightly with silver. Therefore…it could only be the Archangel of Death and Judgement.
So the Sumeragi had answered the challenge.
Fuuma threw a glance over at Kamui; he probably wasn't strong enough yet to feel Seishirou's descent (lucky him) but Sumeragi's was done to announce his presence; gentle prodding so as to not sneak up on anyone unexpectedly.
True enough, Kamui was…smiling, actually, a breathtaking smile, normally deep purple eyes softening to the palest lavender. Fuuma tore his eyes away in disgust. Best not to let these wishy-washy things affect you.
His gaze landed on the date on the top right hand corner of his worksheet.
It read: 1999.
Consoling himself with a vicious smile, Fuuma proceeded to answer all the questions correctly in his maths worksheet (sweet glorious maths, he never quite got over its invention). Three hundred and sixty-four more days to the apocalypse, and he wouldn't miss it for the world.
25th Jan 1999
Monday
Tokyo
Ueno Sakuragi-cho
Cherry Blossom Café
16.45 pm
The quaint alfresco café was filled to the brim with people. Women chattered excitedly, men laughed, loud enough to show pleasure, but soft enough to not sound boisterous. Voices and activity swirled around a man in a white trench coat; the only one seated alone.
He seemed young, definitely, and ethereally handsome; his skin was pale to the point of luminosity; if anyone had stared hard enough (meaning, crossing the boundaries of polite, interested observation, which was what he was receiving from quite a few ladies (and even some men), and going to the point of flat, outright staring), they would have realised that he was in fact, glowing.
He couldn't help it. Power like he had was difficult to conceal, even behind a mortal frame.
His ebony hair was as dark as night; probably because that's exactly the shade it was created with. But the dead giveaway of celestial status was his eyes. Green eyes that would have made any mortal envious; emeralds paled in comparison. What would have been chiselled features, however, was marred slightly by the fact that he couldn't stop frowning.
Kamui was late.
Far too late.
He glanced once again at his watch (take the time in heaven and count back by "far too many" hours) and sighed.
He would have met Kamui earlier in the month, but he had needed to find himself housing arrangements (pent house apartment) and get used to his human form (he was suffering from a very divine version of jetlag; angels didn't exactly need sleep).
Ordering another cup of tea, Subaru picked up a book and tried to look as normal as possible. He'd rather hoped he got the dressing down pat. He stirred the Earl Grey absent-mindedly, until his tea began talking to him.
Spluttering, Subaru snuck a peek around him, just to check that no one else had noticed.
"Subaru-san! Really sorry to disturb! Hope this doesn't put you off your tea!"
Oh, just peachy. Of all angels, it had to be Sorata; the one Archangel that could sound really loud even through a divine communication line.
"Sorata-san," he hissed under his breath, "now's not exactly the best of times."
"Oh? Why not? Ah! Are you playing us angels out? Having a rendezvous with the Devil?" Sorata's image bobbed around the cup, as though trying to see over its rim.
"NO! It's just that people think I'm talking to my tea!"
Unfortunately for Subaru, his sudden outburst didn't go unheard, and he began receiving even more attention.
"Yes, but I have something important to tell you! Just now, Kakyou-you know Kakyou? Demon of Knowledge and all that? He passed a message through Kanoe, Keeper of the Keys of Purgatory, who passed it on to her sister who then passed it to Daisuke, poor secretary that he is, who then relayed it to Nee-chan who told it to me to tell it to you."
"Yes?"
"Sakurazuka says dinner's at eight, in the Ritz Carlton. Meet him at the entrance."
Subaru felt his blood run cold. Rendezvous in a hotel?! Chances are, that was where Seishirou was staying. Was that his indirect way of telling Subaru? Cheeks threatened to turn pink.
"Subaru-san! Subaru-san Are you BLUSHING?"
Sorata's voice became louder and even more annoying. In desperation, Subaru did the only thing he could think of.
He downed the tea like it was a shot of tequila.
"HEY!SUBARU-SAn, wait…"
Kamui had better have a good reason for being late.
25th Jan 1999
Monday
Tokyo
Ueno Sakuragi-cho
Cherry Blossom Café
18.00 pm
"Subaru! I'm so sorry! I got held back for Maths remedial even though I tried explaining that I've got to meet someone very important but they said that they'll kick me out of Maths class and I couldn't afford that and-and-"
Kamui threw his bag haphazardly onto the floor, and Subaru couldn't help but smile at the look of flustered apology on Kamui's face.
"Don't worry, I don't have anything important on till later. So how have you been?"
"I'm fine. Still trying to protect the Messiah."
"Oh?" Subaru said, his voice sounding casually interested; Kamui missed the slight wavering note of trepidation.
"Yea. You know, Kamui's human incarnation."
Subaru laughed.
"You're still alive, you know."
Kamui choked.
"Not me!!! You know, the legendary Archangel that I'm named after. ThatKamui. I'm nothing compared, no idea why you named me Kamui either."
Subaru smiled fondly at the memory.
"Yes, I did, didn't I?"
Ever since Kamui could remember, Subaru had been with him; it had confused many angels; none would admit to jealousy, but many did think secretly that Subaru was playing favourites. Personally, Kamui didn't know why Subaru, an Archangel and thus right at the very top of the ranks, would bother paying him any attention.
Kamui knew that many people thought that it was because Subaru found him beautiful and had unhealthy un-angel-ish motives. But he personally felt-no, he knew that there was more to it than that.
When Kamui first became conscious, Subaru had been the only one present. He remembered opening his eyes for the first time to find himself cradled in Subaru's arms, pearl-like tears falling freely from anguished green eyes.
I'm Sumeragi Subaru.
And you're Kamui…Shirou Kamui.
I'm crying now but I promise I'll stop.
I promise I'll take care of you.
Subaru had been good to his word ever since.
"…And now I need to meet him for dinner."
Kamui froze. Wait. What? He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't listen to what Subaru was saying.
"Meet who?"
Subaru let the corner of his lips curl upwards in amusement.
"I didn't think you were listening. I just told you that Seishirou-san was on Earth."
Oh yuck.
Kamui didn't know much about the Devil, other than the fact that Subaru always addressed him with a polite suffix and a great deal of resigned fondness (although Kamui suspected that Subaru wasn't aware of the latter).
Besides, so what if Sakurazuka was on Earth? It's not like it was anything to him…unless…he'd have to involve himself if Subaru did anything stupid like…
"YOU'RE MEETING HIM FOR DINNER?!"
Nervous laughter.
"Like I said…I didn't exactly initiate it."
"Where."
More nervous laughter.
"TheRitzCarlton."
Oh yay. Hotel.
"You don't have to go."
Subaru frowned.
"You know I do."
Kamui honestly believed that if Sakurazuka told Subaru to sell him heaven for a hug or something equally ridiculous, Subaru would have no qualms…oh wait. That was blasphemous thinking.
Muttering an apology under his breath, Kamui set out to change Subaru's mind.
"You don't need to."
"Oh? What if he let's slip something important, say, something about the apocalypse."
"If he was half as careless as that, he'd have been overthrown a long time ago."
"True. What's your point?"
"That you're going only because you want to, and not because you need to."
"That's not true! I-"
"Isn't lying a sin?"
"I'm not lying – I"
An hour later, he'd convinced Subaru to at least call to ensure he's alright at the end of it all.
"I promise," Subaru said kindly, face an odd mixture of relief and happiness but Kamui was far from assured.
Things were moving far too quickly for his liking…which brings him to something rather important that he had to ask Subaru before the other angel left.
"Subaru, have you heard of Fuuma?"
25th Jan 1999
Monday
Tokyo
The Ritz Carlton
Grand Entrance
20.00pm
It was just as well, Seishirou thought, that he had told Subaru to meet him at the entrance. They didn't permit smoking in the lobby, and although he was sorely tempted to go ahead anyway, the hotel staff would probably be compelled to stop him, then he would have to do something terribly drastic like damn them all.
Somehow, he suspected that that may be quite the mood-ruiner.
Really, he wasn't down here this time for some earth-shattering Armageddon; he'll unwrap his Christmas present when the time comes, thank you.
No, he was just looking forward to some friendly reacquainting, and to see if four centuries of separation had helped to relax Subaru's prudish sense of propriety. Why he wasn't the Angel of Chastity, Seishirou didn't know.
As if on cue, Seishirou saw a slender figure running towards him from the distance, white trench coat billowing in the wind. He took a long drag and admired the view.
Subaru ran right up to him, pace not even slowing a bit.
Then he did something totally unexpected.
Drawing back his right hand, he slapped Seishirou as hard as he could.
"Ouch, " Seishirou said politely.
"You bas-" Subaru hissed, before stopping short. Oops. Must not swear.
"I'm sorry Subaru-kun, if leering offends you, remind me. I can't guarantee I'll stop though."
Now, normally, Subaru would have flushed to the hair roots, or at least said angrily "That's not funny, Seishirou-san." This time however, he just brushed that baiting remark aside and continued on as if he hadn't heard it.
"Pick Fuuma up and throw him back down to Hell right now. Tell him to stay away from Kamui."
Seishirou drew out another cigarette and snapped his fingers to ignite it. Subaru looked at him disapprovingly, but refrained from commenting. It was none of his business if the Devil tried to give himself lung cancer prematurely. Nevermind that said Devil was technically immortal and happened to be his one time beloved.
That's the key, Subaru thought; remind yourself that it was a one time thing.
"Why should I bother with Fuuma?" Seishirou asked nonchalantly, after he had exhaled that last breath.
Subaru glared at him. "Because Kamui is far too young to deal with this; he doesn't even know that he's the Messiah, and he's happier this way. I don't want him to suffer, Seishirou-san."
Seishirou smiled in amused mockery.
"I'm surprised that you assumed I would care."
Subaru winced, and then covered it quickly with his usual stern gaze.
"I don't assume that."
"Then why ask me?"
A noise of frustration.
"I don't have any choice!"
There was a long pause as Subaru was given a once over by the ex-angel that he would love to hate, and then Seishirou smiled.
Subaru felt cold.
"Kamui holds vital importance to you, then? Do I have cause to be jealous, Subaru-kun?"
Subaru looked away from Seishirou's mismatched eyes.
"You've known all along that there is only you."
"Oh?" An amused chuckle, followed by, "but if I recall correctly, you said that you despised me at Babylon."
"I was angry then. You'd corrupted a beautiful wondrous city that I loved."
The devil reached out and gently tilted Subaru's chin towards him.
"I'd build the tower this time, and make it a direct challenge to God," he whispered softly, seductively, and Subaru trembled slightly from the close vicinity.
Without waiting for a reply to that, Seishirou pressed on.
"And that is why I cannot tell Fuuma to back down. Because this IS the last apocalypse; or at least, it's fated to be. So someone better shake Kamui awake. "
"The last one?" Stunned, Subaru broke out of his reverie.
"But as long as the Messiah does not awake before 1999 ends, it won't be the last one, it can't be the last one," he continued, refusing to believe that after all these centuries, he was once again going to fail to protect Kamui from impending disaster.
"But he'll wake up; Subaru-kun, because it's inevitably the course his destiny will take."
Subaru tried to retort, to say anything that could possibly refute that point, but Seishirou interrupted him smoothly.
"Enough of that. Dinner first, and maybe later, we can bargain out a solution." He paused here, and smirked, in his head already knowing what Subaru would ask.
"Bargain? With what?"
Subaru's eyes held sneaking suspicion, fading slowly into dread.
"With anything you can possibly tempt me with, of course."
"But I can't tempt! That's sinful!"
"Your problem, not mine. Now let's eat."
Author's Note: So that's the prologue! There may be even more inaccuracies with the various place locations on Earth, such as how I have no idea whether there is a grand entrance in the Ritz Carlton, etc. So please try to ignore that as well, thank you very much. Reviews and constructive criticism is much appreciated.