PREMISE: Tokyo Babylon and X both occur in the year 1999. This means that Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto retain their TB ages/personalities.
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.
Be Careful What You Wish For
Chapter 1: The Contract
The door was made of solid metal, cold to the touch. Kamui hesitated, withdrawing his fingers, and then knocked.
Instantly, a small panel roughly two inches tall and five inches wide opened and curious eyes peered out. "Yes?"
Kamui stepped back. "Uh... is this where I can... uh... get my Wish fulfilled?" he asked, feeling somewhat idiotic.
The panel closed and Kamui was left to stand in the alley alone, wondering if he had fallen for yet another of Sorata's lame jokes. But before he could contemplate leaving, the door opened and a figure in white stood before him.
It was difficult to tell what gender the person was. He/she had short hair — white, strangely enough — but fashionably arranged so that it could have suited a girl. The clothes were also non-gender specific, and baggy enough to hide the figure beneath. A long scarf adorned the outfit and trailed behind the wearer.
"Are you male or female?" Kamui finally asked, unable to discern for himself.
"I am Nataku," he/she said in reply, voice also giving no hint in either direction. "I just am, as my master Wishes me to be."
Okay, so not human. Kamui blinked, then nodded. It wasn't important. "And is your master the one that grants Wishes?"
"Yes," it answered, moving aside. "Please, come in." Kamui stepped in and Nataku closed the door behind them, sliding what sounded like heavy, reinforced steel bolts into place.
The only source of light was the candle Nataku held and it was moving rapidly away from him, down the hallway. Kamui hurried to follow, tracking the gleaming white clothes to avoid running into things in the near-dark.
There was no conversation as they traversed past closed doorways that were briefly illuminated and then disappeared within the shadows as soon as the two passed. Down the stairs they went, and twisted around more corridors before Nataku came to a halt, Kamui stumbling almost into him.
"Here."
Kamui looked from his guide to the closed, unmarked door in front of him, marvelling that Nataku could distinguish one from the other.
"Your Wish is in there."
And then Nataku strode down the way they had come, leaving him completely alone and in the dark.
Kamui reached out and fumbled along until he felt the smooth contours of the doorknob. Filled with unexplainable dread, he stood there, wondering what the hell he was doing.
Maybe he should go back. He thought back to the number of different paths they had encountered on the way here, and decided that he couldn't find his way back, even if he wanted to. So really, there was no option but to go forward.
But still, he hesitated.
Pull yourself together, he told himself firmly. It's not like Satan himself is behind this door.
Giving a small shake of his head at the ridiculous thought, he swung the door open and entered.
He was faced with darkness. Almost disappointed by the lack of drama, Kamui let out a quiet sigh.
Multiple lights flared up and he jumped, turning around frantically to find the source. Torches that lined the walls of the rather spacious room flickered cheerfully, even as the door slammed shut behind him.
"Welcome." Kamui's eyes grew wide as he turned ever-so-slowly toward the smooth low voice that greeted him, expecting the worst.
A handsome boy — a mere boy! — met his gaze with amusement.
"Y-you're?"
"Expecting something different?" the boy purred, planting a leg casually over the arm of the throne he was perched upon. One elbow rested on the other and his chin was propped up by the attached hand. There was little other furniture in the room, save for a few decorative pedestals that held ornate vases with colorful bursts of flowers. Kamui wondered if they were fake. Surely, nothing could bloom so beautifully in this dark, windowless room.
It was a rather gloomy place otherwise, practically screaming medieval torture. Kamui eyed the manacles and chains hanging in a corner distrustfully.
"I... don't know what I was expecting," Kamui admitted as he refocused on the boy. In contrast to his servant, this boy was dressed all in black, the clothes clinging to him like second skin. His eyes were a strange shade of red, fixed with an eternal cat-ate-the-canary gleam. But despite the sinister appearance, he looked young, only a few years older than Kamui.
And hot, his mind supplied, very, very hot. Kamui flushed and looked away.
"So, Kamui," the boy purred, startling him. He hadn't told him his name, so how did the boy know it already?
"You're in love. But the object of your affection is happily occupied with someone else."
"H-how did you know?" Kamui asked, extremely unnerved. He took an unconscious half-step back.
The boy smiled. "It's my business to know." He closed his eyes and ran a thumb gently over his lower lip, looking sensual and inviting with his body sprawled out so carelessly.
Kamui felt himself flushing even more and berated his body for acting so strangely. True, the boy was extremely attractive, but Kamui wasn't so superficial to want someone based solely on looks.
"Can you help?"
"Of course."
Kamui stepped back forward, eyes brightening.
"Th—"
The boy held up a hand, halting his words of gratitude. "Of course, there's a price."
Kamui faltered and slumped his shoulders. "Of course," he agreed resignedly. "But I'd do anything to see Seishirou and Subaru broken up... so that I could have the chance to be with him." Him being Subaru, quite possibly the most caring, perfect individual to grace God's green earth.
"That's a good attitude to have."
"So, what's the price?"
Kamui could swear he felt a chill in the air after his question. The boy's smile widened even more as he replied breezily, "Oh, the usual. Your soul."
"My what?!?!"
The boy hopped off the throne in one smooth movement and made his way toward Kamui. Stopping a few feet away, he smiled disarmingly. "Well, you want the guy, right? You can get your Wish and look, the soul isn't collectible until after your death, when you won't need it anyway."
"I... guess..."
"Great!" The boy clapped. "Yuuto! Bring over the paperwork," he called out.
A swirl of water shot up from one of the vase and spiraled down next to them, forming into a congenially smiling blond man. He held out a sheaf of paper clipped to a board and a pen, tip pointing to himself.
"You need to sign here, here, and here, Shirou-san," Yuuto said, indicating the spots. Kamui took the proffered pen and bit his lip.
"Go ahead," the boy said encouragingly.
Taking a deep breath, Kamui quickly scrawled his name. He braced himself for pain as the deal went through, like he had seen in The Little Mermaid, which he'd seen with the Sumeragi twins years ago. Not that he was an anorexic teenaged girl pining over an unreachable love or anything. He was a boy, damnit, no matter how many straight guys mistakenly hit on him.
But it seemed paperwork was dull and inocuous even in this magical realm.
He watched as Yuuto took back the papers and filled in the some of the blank spots. "Now you, Monou-san," he announced, handing it over.
Kamui read the upside-down letters as the boy signed messily.
Monou Fuuma.
"Everything seems to be in order," Yuuto said in satisfaction.
"Uh... is that all?" Kamui asked faintly.
"If you can wait a minute, I'll fetch you a photocopy to retain for your own records."
"Um. Thanks."
Fuuma just smiled.
tbc...
----------
September 30, 2002
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.
Chapter 1: The Contract
The door was made of solid metal, cold to the touch. Kamui hesitated, withdrawing his fingers, and then knocked.
Instantly, a small panel roughly two inches tall and five inches wide opened and curious eyes peered out. "Yes?"
Kamui stepped back. "Uh... is this where I can... uh... get my Wish fulfilled?" he asked, feeling somewhat idiotic.
The panel closed and Kamui was left to stand in the alley alone, wondering if he had fallen for yet another of Sorata's lame jokes. But before he could contemplate leaving, the door opened and a figure in white stood before him.
It was difficult to tell what gender the person was. He/she had short hair — white, strangely enough — but fashionably arranged so that it could have suited a girl. The clothes were also non-gender specific, and baggy enough to hide the figure beneath. A long scarf adorned the outfit and trailed behind the wearer.
"Are you male or female?" Kamui finally asked, unable to discern for himself.
"I am Nataku," he/she said in reply, voice also giving no hint in either direction. "I just am, as my master Wishes me to be."
Okay, so not human. Kamui blinked, then nodded. It wasn't important. "And is your master the one that grants Wishes?"
"Yes," it answered, moving aside. "Please, come in." Kamui stepped in and Nataku closed the door behind them, sliding what sounded like heavy, reinforced steel bolts into place.
The only source of light was the candle Nataku held and it was moving rapidly away from him, down the hallway. Kamui hurried to follow, tracking the gleaming white clothes to avoid running into things in the near-dark.
There was no conversation as they traversed past closed doorways that were briefly illuminated and then disappeared within the shadows as soon as the two passed. Down the stairs they went, and twisted around more corridors before Nataku came to a halt, Kamui stumbling almost into him.
"Here."
Kamui looked from his guide to the closed, unmarked door in front of him, marvelling that Nataku could distinguish one from the other.
"Your Wish is in there."
And then Nataku strode down the way they had come, leaving him completely alone and in the dark.
Kamui reached out and fumbled along until he felt the smooth contours of the doorknob. Filled with unexplainable dread, he stood there, wondering what the hell he was doing.
Maybe he should go back. He thought back to the number of different paths they had encountered on the way here, and decided that he couldn't find his way back, even if he wanted to. So really, there was no option but to go forward.
But still, he hesitated.
Pull yourself together, he told himself firmly. It's not like Satan himself is behind this door.
Giving a small shake of his head at the ridiculous thought, he swung the door open and entered.
He was faced with darkness. Almost disappointed by the lack of drama, Kamui let out a quiet sigh.
Multiple lights flared up and he jumped, turning around frantically to find the source. Torches that lined the walls of the rather spacious room flickered cheerfully, even as the door slammed shut behind him.
"Welcome." Kamui's eyes grew wide as he turned ever-so-slowly toward the smooth low voice that greeted him, expecting the worst.
A handsome boy — a mere boy! — met his gaze with amusement.
"Y-you're?"
"Expecting something different?" the boy purred, planting a leg casually over the arm of the throne he was perched upon. One elbow rested on the other and his chin was propped up by the attached hand. There was little other furniture in the room, save for a few decorative pedestals that held ornate vases with colorful bursts of flowers. Kamui wondered if they were fake. Surely, nothing could bloom so beautifully in this dark, windowless room.
It was a rather gloomy place otherwise, practically screaming medieval torture. Kamui eyed the manacles and chains hanging in a corner distrustfully.
"I... don't know what I was expecting," Kamui admitted as he refocused on the boy. In contrast to his servant, this boy was dressed all in black, the clothes clinging to him like second skin. His eyes were a strange shade of red, fixed with an eternal cat-ate-the-canary gleam. But despite the sinister appearance, he looked young, only a few years older than Kamui.
And hot, his mind supplied, very, very hot. Kamui flushed and looked away.
"So, Kamui," the boy purred, startling him. He hadn't told him his name, so how did the boy know it already?
"You're in love. But the object of your affection is happily occupied with someone else."
"H-how did you know?" Kamui asked, extremely unnerved. He took an unconscious half-step back.
The boy smiled. "It's my business to know." He closed his eyes and ran a thumb gently over his lower lip, looking sensual and inviting with his body sprawled out so carelessly.
Kamui felt himself flushing even more and berated his body for acting so strangely. True, the boy was extremely attractive, but Kamui wasn't so superficial to want someone based solely on looks.
"Can you help?"
"Of course."
Kamui stepped back forward, eyes brightening.
"Th—"
The boy held up a hand, halting his words of gratitude. "Of course, there's a price."
Kamui faltered and slumped his shoulders. "Of course," he agreed resignedly. "But I'd do anything to see Seishirou and Subaru broken up... so that I could have the chance to be with him." Him being Subaru, quite possibly the most caring, perfect individual to grace God's green earth.
"That's a good attitude to have."
"So, what's the price?"
Kamui could swear he felt a chill in the air after his question. The boy's smile widened even more as he replied breezily, "Oh, the usual. Your soul."
"My what?!?!"
The boy hopped off the throne in one smooth movement and made his way toward Kamui. Stopping a few feet away, he smiled disarmingly. "Well, you want the guy, right? You can get your Wish and look, the soul isn't collectible until after your death, when you won't need it anyway."
"I... guess..."
"Great!" The boy clapped. "Yuuto! Bring over the paperwork," he called out.
A swirl of water shot up from one of the vase and spiraled down next to them, forming into a congenially smiling blond man. He held out a sheaf of paper clipped to a board and a pen, tip pointing to himself.
"You need to sign here, here, and here, Shirou-san," Yuuto said, indicating the spots. Kamui took the proffered pen and bit his lip.
"Go ahead," the boy said encouragingly.
Taking a deep breath, Kamui quickly scrawled his name. He braced himself for pain as the deal went through, like he had seen in The Little Mermaid, which he'd seen with the Sumeragi twins years ago. Not that he was an anorexic teenaged girl pining over an unreachable love or anything. He was a boy, damnit, no matter how many straight guys mistakenly hit on him.
But it seemed paperwork was dull and inocuous even in this magical realm.
He watched as Yuuto took back the papers and filled in the some of the blank spots. "Now you, Monou-san," he announced, handing it over.
Kamui read the upside-down letters as the boy signed messily.
Monou Fuuma.
"Everything seems to be in order," Yuuto said in satisfaction.
"Uh... is that all?" Kamui asked faintly.
"If you can wait a minute, I'll fetch you a photocopy to retain for your own records."
"Um. Thanks."
Fuuma just smiled.
tbc...
----------
September 30, 2002