A/N: This is an overall revision and completion of my 'Illusion' fic, thought it needed some tender loving care so I've tried my best. Tried to improve my grammar in this although there probably isn't much change. Anyhoo, hope you enjoy the fic… again, and to those of you who haven't read it, please read and enjoy. Characters, specialist words, X/1999 all copyrighted to CLAMP
:Chapter 1 – Death:.
"Shinigami demo Akuma demo nai. Tada no hitogoroshi sa."
'Neither Death nor the Devil, I am only a murderer'
It looked like an endless mechanical labyrinth – a network of mismatched buildings and streets setting up an intricate noise-enhanced maze. This intricate maze was Tokyo and he was standing right in the middle of it. It was sheer pandemonium in the streets yet for some reason this disorder fascinated him every time – the buzz of voices and the roar of engines enveloped him entirely. Closing his mismatched eyes behind the darkened lenses of his glasses, he breathed in the amalgamated smell of smoke, noodles and what could only be described as the distinct aroma of humans - a pungent scent that tantalised his senses, re-awaking with him his deep embedded destiny once more. Even though he was amidst thousands, he felt hidden, disregarded – aiding him in ways they would never understand.
Looking up to the sky, an array of shimmering stars greeted him, their pale light somehow piercing through the hazy fog – infinite and timeless. The gentlest of breezes tussled his dark silken hair causing stray tendrils to blow across his ashen face, obstructing his vision. With his pale hand he swept his hair back, ruffling it. Time seemed to stand still when he was in Tokyo, especially when he was walking amongst the bustling, ignorant crowds. Somehow everything just seemed to stop… allowing him to savour the feeling of being unnoticed – just the way he wanted it. He could stand for hours observing them, watching them go about their lives without scant regard for what was approaching them. A stifled grin flashed across his face, and disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared... an illusion. He cared nothing for the Earth even though it was his preordained destiny to do so. Smirking at the irony, he removed a cigarette from the crumpled packet found in his trench coat and lit it. The pale flame from the lighter danced in his eyes – the amber hues in one were accentuated to a point that could be considered warm – almost friendly, whilst the milky complexion of the other eye remained cold – untouchable even to light. The smoke from the cigarette coiled around his hand like a serpent, hazily weaving its way between the tapered fingers, gliding over the glass-like fingernails. Mesmerised by the intricacy of the smoke, everything else faded into oblivion – silence descended upon the streets of Tokyo. However, he was not alone – the whispers of the Sakura Barrow wrapped themselves about his consciousness bringing to surface the true nature of the sakurazukamori.
The sakurazukamori opened his eyes and pandemonium prevailed once more. The tree needed feeding - it needed a soul. The dark haired assassin advanced down the congested street, searching for his next victim. Something caused him to stop abruptly and turn, something told him to look towards a nearby nondescript sushi bar – the dark onmyouji grinned. Leaning up against a nearby street lamp, the Blossom Star folded his arms across his chest and observed his prey's every move, both his eyes intently transfixed on watching how his victim drank his soft drink and how he picked at his food like a vulture. This inherent normality, the conventional humanity surrounding this man again made a grin flash across the assassin's face. In his eyes a rock had the same value as a human life – the humanity of humans made no difference to him. The guttural call of his shikigami broke his gaze on the young entrepreneur. He felt the black shadow eagle land gently on his shoulder yet its razored talons pierced his flesh as if it were paper; a feeling he had become accustomed too.
The gentle breeze that caressed his hair brought a flurry of sakura petals with it. His pallid hand snatched the petals from the air, caging them in its firm grasp. He opened his hand looking at the way they had become crumpled – imperfect. The sakurazukamori returned his gaze to the carefree businessman. This man was clever, excelling in providing cheaper, yet more effective, pharmaceutical products to the less fortunate. However, key businesses were suffering, losing money – many wished for his death, the onmyouji was only happy to oblige but, somehow, this businessman was different to many of his previous victims. He was kind and, to some, could be seen as having a good soul, but that had no consequence to a dark assassin such as himself. There was something though about this man's innate kindness that was not at all dissimilar to that of someone else he knew – someone who also took joy in helping others, someone he knew well. A slight smile passed across the Blossom Star's lips once more as he thought back to that fateful day under the Sakura Barrow, the day he made that uncompromising bet. The shriek of his shikigami brought him out of his mental illusion, informing him of the swift departure of his victim from the sushi bar. Unfolding his arms and fixing his glasses, the assassin began to steadily follow this intelligent businessman with the penchant for helping others, smiling as he hunted his prey.
The silhouette of the shadow eagle flew ahead of his master, its beady eyes bored deep into the soul of the sakurazukamori's prey. Oblivious to the fact he was being stalked, the businessman halted at a set traffic lights, impatiently glancing at his watch, and jabbing at the button used to operate the lights. The assassin appeared behind him as if out of nowhere accompanied with a scattering of sakura petals that were whisked away by a sharp wind, dispersing themselves into the night. Once more his shikigami settled on his broad shoulder – both fixed their amber gazes on the back of the man's head. The familiar tune of the lights changing sounded and the entrepreneur hastily crossed the busy road and disappeared down a less congested, more desolate street – again he was stalked, his time almost up.
The young businessman had a meeting with his M.D so it was imperative for him to get to the meeting on time. Dashing down a back street, he knew the risk he was taking especially with the increase in gang crimes, but he had to get to his meeting and this was the quickest route. Not looking as to where he was going his feet betrayed him as he tripped and fell on his front, hitting his head against the cracked concrete surface beneath him. He lifted up his head and saw a crimson smear tainting the surface of the pavement. Bringing a hand up to his head, he felt blood on the tips of his fingers. He pushed himself up with the palms of his hands and staggered to his feet – disorientated and light headed. He could swear he saw a man clad in black walking towards him, an over coat wrapping itself about his hidden frame. The young man's pupils dilated as he strained to see the facial details of this mysterious man. There was something about this black-cloaked stranger that was reminiscent of Death – it was at this point of realisation that something embedded deep in the man's psyche told him that he was in danger and that he needed to run. He turned and started but found he could not move, that all of his limbs had become leaden. It was almost like an unseen force was holding him there, holding him there until Death consumed him.
The mysterious stranger grew closer to him, smiling as he saw his victim struggling to move, laughing as he saw tears of trepidation burn down the young man's paling cheeks. The businessman struggled in vain, but still he could not move. Momentarily he closed his eyes praying for his safety, however when he opened his eyes he found himself underneath a gnarled, twisted Sakura tree with the mysterious figure from the backstreet in front of him. Somehow, the alleyway had disappeared and he was trapped in an endless oblivion.
"Wha-? W-where am I!" the young man screamed insanely, more tears streaming down his face. "Who are you?"
The assassin smirked as he observed the dread that spread across his victim's face as the Sakura Barrow's contorted vines stroked his own face and caressed his powerful frame. He knew it was time to offer the soul of this victim to the Barrow. The fate of this innocent was sealed.
"Adieu," he whispered in his victim's ear. "Adieu."
The young man looked down at his hands; they were no longer constituted of flesh and blood, but petals, countless sakura petals. He felt his fingers disintegrate as if sections of them were being stripped off and peeled away. The sensation was agonizing, but the mental torture was worse. He could see what was happening to himself, he could see himself decaying, watching as he became nothing but pink sakura petals. He shrieked as he watched his legs and lower abdomen flutter away into oblivion. The sakurazukamori stood and watched with intent as the young businessman disintegrated, he observed the way his eyes held a sense of pleading. He had seen this face before… at this point his eyes betrayed him. He swore he had seen that face, that pleading face…
"Subaru-kun?" he exclaimed, shocked.
He removed his tinted glasses and stared at his victim's face. The pleading face from his past flashed before his eyes again. A surge of memories rushed through him as he remembered the look on the boy's face before he tried to kill him – those same pleading emerald eyes. The Blossom Star smiled.
It was only a matter of time before his victim fell silent as the pastel petals began peeling away from his thorax, taking away his ability to breathe and scream. The shadow onmyouji came closer, leering over his victim. The businessman's face began to flutter away, his eyes becoming nothing but a flurry of sakura petals. The Sakurazuka assassin turned from the remains of his victim and lit a cigarette, casting the empty packet asunder. The sakura petals and the Sakura Barrow disappeared leaving the onmyouji standing in the middle of the desolate backstreet where he had encountered his victim one last time. He reached into the top pocket of his over coat with his free hand and placed his sunglasses back on. With this habitual action fulfilled, his mind wandered to other matters. Inhaling the bitter smoke from his cigarette, he cast his mind back to his victim's face – it was so uncanny. Smiling, he slowly exhaled the smoke out into the night air. I wonder how my prey is doing.