Graduation.

1. Shinken.

T: Firstly I need to say that the CCD crossover becomes more prevalent in this one; however, I'm twiddling with the characters a little so you'll only need a basic knowledge of the series. Secondly, this is a sequel to 'Education' and you defiantly have to read that one before this will make sense! There shall be a little more angst in this one…please don't let that fact scare you away!

I own nothing apart from the plot…something for which I hope you will forgive me!

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Keiichi eventually leaves at the stroke of ten with the promise to return as soon as he can manage with Kamui's assignments for the week and with any 'gossip' he thought Kamui would have want to hear.

Kamui remains awake for another hour after that, his mind bent on the sudden revelation he had come to and what he planned to do now that he knew this truth.

He then falls into a restless sleep full of an odd dream that, thought oblique, makes an odd sort of sense to him.

…He was dancing in darkness, the one light source coming from above his head.

…Mirrors surrounded him, suddenly, and in each of the reflections he saw Fuuma's face rather than his own.

….The mirrors shatter and suddenly he is bathed in the smoky lights of a club.

….All about him is the press of bodies and the smiling faces of strangers.

…Stood the edges of the crowd were five individuals, their backs turned away from Kamui.

…A sixth figure stands towards him, its face, for the moment, hidden within shadow.

….He begins to push his way through the crowd, a desperation within him to see this other's face.

…He is but an arms reach from the figure when he realises that there is another stood a little behind him.

…This other has a thick black cloth about his eyes and yet he knows it still to be Seishiro.

…The Sakurazuka smiles and pushes his companion into the light.

…Kamui regards Subaru's face a long while and then the Sumeragi places his hands before his eyes.

….The scars burn upon the backs of his hands and Kamui is all but hypnotised by their light when a hand comes to rest on his shoulder.

He registers the soothing vermilion of Keiichi's eyes before the tendrils of the dream begin to decompose and he wakes into the muggy twilight of the early morning.

There is a note awaiting his inspection when he steps into the living room, the intricate curl of the hand writing a perfection he associates instantly with Seishiro.

'Kamui-kun,

I have been unexpectedly called away for the day and I fear I must ask you to fend for yourself.

There is a little yen in the wooden pot on the bedroom windowsill, please use it to purchase yourself some food and, should the fancy take you, a little entertainment.

I should be home by late afternoon, otherwise I shall call you.

Seishiro.'

He spends an hour from the house collecting a few basic supplies and enjoying the fine summer day and, upon returning, he finds Noruko waiting patiently for him on the doorstep.

The Imonoyama looks paler than is his want and his breathing contains an alarming rasping note that is more than a little disconcerting.

"Is something wrong, Imonoyama-san?"

"Not precisely, no." He recognises the hesitancy in the others voice and, fumbling for the key, he remarks,

"Come in, please."

The Imonoyama seems to settle a little once in the warmth of the house and Kamui allows him a moment of silence before enquiring,

"What is wrong?"

"We were called away early yesterday by a phone call from Akira-kun..."

There is a concern in Akira's eyes that tells him quickly that this is a very serious matter and, a dread filling his stomach, he enquires,

"Has something occurred to the Shinken?"

"I have, upon your instruction, been maintaining a constant surveillance upon the integrity of the seal upon the Shinken and I have noticed several anomalies beginning to appear in the structure of the shield."

A image of the Shinken appears on the main screen and Akira types in a sequence of codes to begin the assessment protocol.

Noruko can see the 'anomalies' the instant they begin to appear and, after a moment assessing their progress, he has come up with an answer for why they are there and a solution to destroy them.

"This is clearly the work of the 'computer mistress' who resides on the side of the Angles. That being the case the current shield will be unable to retain its integrity for much longer."

"Noruko, I hope that you are not thinking as I believe you may be."

There is a dangerous look in Suoh's eyes and, in order to placate the other, he replies,

"I do not know what you mean."

They discuss the matter for an hour more and then Noruko asks for a little time to think on the problem alone.

He is aware of Suoh's eyes upon him as the other leaves and yet he can not quite bring himself to act out some action that will convince the other that he is still considering possible solutions to this issue, rather than simply waiting for the moment when he can continue with his initial idea.

"What was your solution?"

"I have bound my essence into the shield upon the Shinken."

"I do not understand what you mean by that, Imonoyama-san."

"The flaw with the previous shield was that it was designed to prevent the onslaught of either a physical or a spiritual attack, the energy of the 'computer mistress' is a composite of both these energies and thus the shield could not prevent it from entering into its matrix and weakening it from within.

"The logical solution was to create an equal composite energy within the shield that could match her attacks and defend from them. Such a thing would be risky, however, for damage to the shield would reflect back onto whomever had bound a little of their essence into the matrix.

"Thus it seemed logical that for one such as I to shoulder the burden…" The Imonoyama's 'mask' slips a little then and Kamui is given a glimpse at the true heart of the other. "I have been very selfish with my life, Kamui…have used my power and my influence to twist things until they fit into my plan.

"Thus I can not help but think that everything would be better without me…that he could be happier if I were gone."

"Yet to do something like this…"

"It has been my destiny to do this from the instant the Shinken crossed onto the campus."

He wishes to ask why this is, why the Imonoyama is talking as though he shall not live to see the conclusion of this war and yet…

He is afraid to learn the truth.

Is afraid to learn that yet another innocent life had been added to his tab.

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T: Yeh I'm not sure where I'm going with this either! Don't be afraid to comment…I really need the encouragement for this one! Next chapter up on Wednesday.