AN: This fanfic is a Christmas present for the CLAMP fandom on tumblr.
Warnings: The story contains SeiSub and is based on the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own any of CLAMP's series. If I did precious baby Subaru and precious baby Kamui wouldn't have been tortured so much.
Summary: Seishirou Sakurazuka has always believed he couldn't feel anything. Can three ghosts prove him wrong?
Can the Sakurazukamori sing carols?
Family gatherings, delicious dinners, presents, carols. Christmas was definitely an important day for many people. However, for Seishirou Sakurazuka was a day like all the others. Maybe it was even worse because people sure became annoying. Kamui for example was writing a list with things he could do to the other Kamui so he wasn't an exception either. What was so special about Christmas anyway? That he didn't know. Seishirou unlocked the door to his apartment and walked in. He was about to take off his shoes when he felt a chill behind him and turned around to see noone else but his mother. Seishirou was pretty sure he'd fed her to the tree and the souls the tree had eaten were done for so he wondered how exactly was his mother there.
''Hello, Seishirou.''
Already regained his, cool Seishirou smiled at her.
''Hello, mother. Would you mind telling me why you're here?'' he asked.
''I've came to warn you, my child.''
''Warn me? For what?''
''The way you live…nothing good will come out of it.'' Seishirou looked at her as she talked, he couldn't really get what she meant. ''Look what happened to me.'' It was then that he realized Sekka was wearing chains.''If you don't change the same thing will happen to you. I loved you but that wasn't enough. You can't change your life but if you let love into your heart your fate may be better than mine.''
Seishirou smirked at that. Let love into his heart? Was she joking? Loving someone was impossible for him. And that definitely wasn't his mother, she couldn't be there. This was definitely a trick and he had to praise whoever had done it but it couldn't fool him.
''And why should I believe you?''
''Because if you don't you're done for.''
He chuckled at that.
''How do I know that you're really my mother? You could be an imposter, actually you probably are.''
'' No matter if you believe me or not I won't give up on you because you're the person I love the most in this world. Tonight you're gonna be visited by three ghosts. If even after that you still won't change your mind it'll be all over.''
After saying that she disappeared.
''What a joke. Whoever is doing it is only wasting time.''
Seishirou slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them. Had he fallen asleep? That was unusual. Huh? He was pretty sure he had just heard a familiar voice and it was definitely a girl. Was he hearing things?
''WAKE UP YOU LAZY BUM!'' yelled the same voice and someone hit him on the head. Now that hurt.
Fully awake now he stared at the person in front of him. His eyes widened when he recognized her – it was no one else but Hokuto Sumeragi wearing the most ridiculous Christmas outfit he had ever seen. Well the outfit was something to be expected when it came to Hokuto but she on the other hand was something different because he had never expected to see her again.
''Making a woman wait for you while you sleep, that's so rude of you, Sei-chan.'' she shook her head.
''Hokuto-chan? May I ask what are you doing in my apartment?'' More like why are you even alive.
''I'm the Ghost of your Christmas Past. I'd really love to talk to you about this and that but unfortunately I have no time. We need to go.''
''Go? Where do we-''
He wasn't able to finish because the girl grabbed his hand in pulled him towards the wall. To his surprise they didn't crash but went through it instead. Maybe she really was a ghost. How amusing. They were traveling in the sky for a while when Hokuto stopped and landed on the ground. Seishirou looked around, they were in the garden of the Sakurazuka house, the place he had grown up in. What could they do here?
''Look there Sei-chan, it's you as a child. You were so adorable.'' Hokuto squealed.
He had thought that after her death she'll calm down but she was even more hyper then he remembered her. But she was right, at the door was standing a young Seishirou with a maid. He was looking at the passing people with a bored expression and the maid tried her best to make him have fun but her efforts were all in vain.
''So you have always been a pain in the gut, huh.'' the Sumeragi girl sighed.
''Celebrations were never really my thing, Hokuto-chan.''
''I knew you would say that but I'll prove you wrong.''
She grabbed him by the hand again and they traveled to another place and time. They were celebrating Christmas in the twins's apartment while the year of the bet still hadn't come to an end.
Subaru was tiptoing and trying to put a golden star on the top of the Christmas tree. Unfortunately the tree was way too tall and he couldn't reach.
''Seishirou-san, couldn't you help me with the star.''
''Everything for my beloved Subaru-kun.'' Seishirou's doppelganger said.
This of course made the boy blush, he lost his balance and was going to fall if the man hadn't been there to catch him.
''T-thanks.''
The veterinarian took the star and put in on the top of the tree.
''All done. It looks great, Subaru-kun.''
''The cookies are ready.'' Hokuto yelled and ran into the room with a tray of cookies.
The three of them gathered around the tray and started eating.
''We really had a lot of fun back then.'' The ghost of Hokuto said.
''It was all during the year of the bet, nothing I said or did was true. I wasn't having fun and you know that, Hokuto-chan.''
''What a liar you are.'' The girl whispered.
''Huh? Did you say something?''
She shook her head.
''It was nothing but more importantly it's time to go back. The second ghost will be coming soon.''
Everything became black and Seishirou was in his room again.
'It was nice seeing you again, Sei-chan.' He heard Hokuto's voice but she was nowhere to be found.
''Umm excuse me, would you mind waking up?''
This time when Seishirou opened his eyes he saw a girl with long curly hazel hair and eyes of the same color with big white wings on her back. He was sure he had seen her somewhere before. Oh yeah, she was the girl who was with Kamui when he trapped him in the maboroshi, the little sister of their Kamui.
''My name is Kotori Monou and I'm the Ghost of your present Christmas. I will show you what the people you know are doing on Christmas. Come with me.''
She smiled at him and held out her hand. Seishirou was interested in what exactly was going to happen so he took her hand and when he did that they teleported somewhere else. They were in the Tokyo Government building where Satsuki, Yuuto and Kanoe were having a little Christmas dinner after exchanging presents. The yumemi - Kakyo -was sleeping as always but he was definitely having a nice dream because he was smiling. Nataku was quite interested in his present – a ball – and was playing with it on the floor.Kamui was sitting on his chair checking his list of 'Things to do to Kamui' for maybe the hundredth time to see if he had missed something. Okay maybe that idea wasn't so bad, he could write a list of 'Thinks to do to Subaru-kun' when he was back home.
''See, even the Dragons of Earth are having fun. Why aren't you?'' Kotori asked him.
''Not my thing.''
''No way. You said the same thing to Hokuto-chan.'' She pouted a bit at the realization that their plan wasn't working as good as they thought it would. ''Let's go, we have more places to go to.''
She took him by the hand and they appeared in a place the Sakurazukamori had never seen before.
''That's the place where almost all Dragons of Heaven live.'' Kotori explained. ''They are having so much fun, aren't they?'' she said as she cleaned the glass and looked inside.
Seishirou looked through the window and had to admit the girl was right, they seemed to be having fun, more fun then the Dragons of Earth but that was to be expected. Even Kamui actually looked happy.
''Listen everyone, we'll exchange presents after we eat the magnificent dinner prepared by nee-chan, Yuzu-chan and Kamui – the three best wives in the whole universe.'' Sorata announced.
There was cheering from the others plus a 'I'm a boy. How can I possibly be a wife?!'.
Seishirou looked around and counted the people in the room. One, two, three, four, five, six… Yeah they were definitely only six.
''Where is Subaru-kun?''
Kotori giggled.
''I was hoping you would ask.''
They teleported again, this time in a place Seishirou recognized right away – the Ueno park. There they saw Subaru Sumeragi standing under a cherry tree which was still in full bloom even though it was winter.
''I should have expected him to be here.'' Seishirou admitted.
''He tried to spend Christmas with the other Dragons of Heaven, he really did but in the end he wanted to be with you and his sister. That's why he came here.''
''Can he see us?''
Kotori shook her head.
''No.''
Snowflakes started falling down from the sky. Kotori shivered but not because she was cold. She stared in shock at the cloaked figure in front of them.
''It is time. We did what we could, now it's up to you.'' She whispered and disappeared into the night. Subaru was also gone.
''I guess you must be the Ghost of my Christmas future.'' Seishirou asked the cloaked man.
The man nodded. He started to walk away and Seishirou followed him.
''So where are we going?''
Silence. Everything was becoming a little creepy now. He definitely prefered Hokuto talking all the time than that person who didn't say anything. They disappeared into a thick fog and before he realized Seishirou was yet again in the Tokyo Government building. Kamui was sitting in his chair but his pet Nataku was gone.
''Did he die?''
The ghost of the Christmas future nodded.
They were again surrounded by fog, the Tokyo Government building disappeared and in it's place appeared a graveyard. There near a grave Karen was kneeling and praying. Kamui was standing behind her keeping silence in memory of the dead person. Seishirou looked closer and managed to read the name – this was Nataku's grave. He was quite interested as to what had happened but he was sure his companion wouldn't tell him. The two of them continued walking around Tokyo, once such a wonderful city but now it was like a living hell. He saw Dragons of Heaven, Earth and even a few normal people that still hadn't moved out but there was one person that was missing.
''Where is Subaru-kun?'' he asked not really expecting an answer.
However, to his surprise the the ghost took off his cloak and revealed Subaru Sumeragi dressed in black and looking at him with mismatched eyes – one green and one golden. Seishirou stared at him in shock.
''Why is Subaru-kun the ghost? Aren't ghosts supposed to be I don't know - dead? He can't be dead.''
''I'm alive but my heart is dead.'' the Subaru look alike said for the first time. '' After your death I didn't really have anything to live for. I decided to become the next Sakurazukamori in order to get closer to you.''
''Why would you do that? You never wanted to hurt anyone.''
''Because I loved you, Seishirou-san. And because I still do.'' Subaru said almost in a whisper and disappeared.
Seishirou was left all alone in the darkness. For the first time he felt emptiness. Something had gone wrong. Suddenly everything went black. He was lost.
'We believe in you.' he heard the voices of Hokuto, Kotori and Subaru.
'You still have a chance to fix everything.' this whisper was the voice of his mother.
Seishirou woke up in his bedroom as if nothing had happened but somehow he knew it did. He got up, got dressed up as fast as possible and ran to a nearby store. It had been a long time since he'd bought a Christmas present. Having prepared everything he walked to Ueno park where he knew he could find the person he was looking for. As expected under his tree was standing Subaru Sumeragi.
''Merry Christmas, Subaru-kun.''
Subaru turned around and looked at him in shock.
''S-Seishirou-san…''
He walked closer to the Sumeragi but he didn't move.
''Close your eyes.''
Subaru did as he was told. Seishirou put on his head a red and black hat, just like the ones Hokuto was always making him wear before.
''Red really does suit you the most.'' he admitted.
Subaru opened his eyes and looked straight at Seishirou.
''What is this supposed to mean?''
The Sakurazukamori pulled the Sumeragi into an embrace.
''Something very unusual happened to me, the details are not important but I saw the future and I didn't like it. I'm not sure if I can love you as much as you love me or if I can love you at all but I can try. I can try because I don't want to see such a thing ever again. ''
Subaru stood there speechless, his face red. He didn't know if this was reality or he was dreaming.
''Would you give me another chance, Subaru-kun?'' Seishirou whispered in his ear.
Subaru nodded his head.
''Yes because I still love you, Seishirou-san.''