One week after 'the incident', as his mind had come to refer to his encounter with the Traveler, Captain Doumeki found himself in the training fields outside the 4th Division's barracks with the new recruits. He'd just gotten the fidgety youngsters to gather their practice equipment and line up for archery practice and already he felt a headache growing.

He couldn't stop thinking about the mark the Traveler had left behind on him. Two days after the incident the captain had removed the bandages from his wound and inspected the damage in his mirror. What he found had astounded him.

It had been completely healed. It looked like it could have been nothing more than an old birthmark, a small arch of red skin that was hardly discernable from his normal skin tone. The cynical side of his mind thought it somewhat resembled the arch of a bow, but the most prominent thing Doumeki was reminded of every time he looked at it was the row of teeth that had bitten down into him. A week later and there was no change at all to the new mark. He had a hunch that the mark was at the state where it wasn't going to change anymore.

Six rounds into practice saw Doumeki's headache increase. These louts only had three good shots between all of them, and not one of the recruits stood out from the rest. He restrained a pained sigh as he drew his own bow and strung it accordingly. He blew his whistle and halted the practice.

"You're not concentrating properly," he told all of them as he walked up and down their line. "Do not be concerned with missing. If that is your focus you will miss every time. You must calm your mind. That target is yours. It is yours to strike, and yours to claim. Guide your arrow with carefulness and determination. Respect what you are using to acquire your target, and do it with reverence. Your arrows will thank you."

At this, Doumeki reached back and removed two arrows from his quiver. Even the most skilled of archers had a difficult time with multiple arrows. He never bothered with them himself because of the decrease of the chance of hitting his target, but if he could give these morons something amazing to aspire to it might be worth it.

With a meditative sigh so controlled it was not noticeable, Doumeki took his position and lined up his shot. The recruits were silent with anticipation behind him. Even they had heard of the legendary archery skills their new captain possessed. It was said that Doumeki Shizuka never missed his mark.

When the targets were in his sight and they were all he could see he released his arrows and felt the satisfaction run through him as they neared the bulls-eyes.

When they actually hit their target was a different matter entirely. Doumeki couldn't even blink before the two targets he'd aimed for, and the ones sitting next to them, exploded in a bright burst of hay and ripped canvas material. Sparks flittered about like insects before striking the ground and lighting the displaced heaps of hay on fire.

As the recruits gasped at the sight Doumeki felt himself flush with frustration and embarrassment. That wasn't supposed to happen! He'd never been able to make anything blow up with his arrows before without attaching a charm on them first. What the hell had just happened?

And how the hell was he going to cover up for this?

Just as the talking behind him grew louder Doumeki snapped back around and barked his orders. "Clean up the mess. Next time don't miss while practicing and you won't be given more work to do. When you're finished, report to the kitchens for supper duties. I don't want to see any of you otherwise until daybreak for morning reveille."

With more instructions to follow, the recruits snapped a salute. "Yes, Sir!" They chorused.

Doumeki rushed out of the training grounds and headed straight for his quarters. With barely restrained anger he stuffed his bag with a few provisions and grabbed his weapons. He didn't even bother to close his door as he ran towards the stables and saddled his horse.

Was this another effect of the curse? What else had changed in him? He needed solitude to find these answers. Doumeki was so wrapped up in his worried and harried thoughts that he didn't notice a pair of concerned eyes watch him as he mounted his horse and sped away into the surrounding woodlands.

He rode hard for a solid hour before he allowed the horse to stop and drop its head. Sweat dripped down the poor creature's back like rivers and its sides heaved with gasping breaths. Doumeki spared the beast a brief bit of guilt before he dismounted and loosely wrapped the reins around a nearby low-hanging branch.

He was far enough away from any of the villages or nearby hunter outposts that he could practice in relative solitude and safety. If his arrows were going to blow things up, who knew what his other weapons would do.

With a grunt of roiling anger Doumeki grabbed his bow and quiver of arrows and moved away from his tired horse. He found a few trees that were very old within the forest that hadn't sprouted leaves that year. They were, thankfully, separated from anything that could catch fire if he used these for target practice. Doumeki carefully examined the first arrow he pulled from his quiver. It was an ordinary wood bow, small but sharp falcon feathers on one end and a bound metal arrow head on the other. No charms, no magic, no special wood or enchanted feathers. No paper wards were wrapped around the shaft, and no keystone powder dusted over the wood or protection bells attached anywhere. An average, normal, unimpressive arrow.

Doumeki took a controlled breath, docked the arrow in his bow, aimed carefully, and released his hold.

Both trees exploded in a shower of gold sparks and dancing flames. Clods of dirt flew up in the air that caused dust granules to lodge in his eyes and he blinked rapidly.

His anger spilled over. With no one in sight to see his predicament Doumeki scowled, drew his long sword and growled as he rushed at the base of a tree trunk next to him. He swung with all his might and watched with avid, fascinated horror as the trunk, which had been as thick as three full grown men, was sliced cleanly by his sword's edge. The stories-tall pine groaned in a strange kind of distinguished agony before it rolled away and landed heavily on its side. The noise echoed around him and it was so loud as it reverberated in his ears Doumeki thought maybe he was in another world where sound acted differently and everything felt surreal instead of alive.

What had Watanuki done to him? He felt no different but this power was overwhelming in its effects. The Hunter's Council would lock him up as a traitor the moment they saw this. Hunters, not even witches had powers such as these, not without breaking terrible sweats and passing out from the overload of the magic.

Doumeki... by all the gods that never listened to mortals...he hadn't even blinked to cause such damage. He yelled angrily, dropped to his knees, and punched the ground. He coughed when the dirt flew up and in his face and then away, and then there was a hole in front of him large enough to fill a boulder. He felt like screaming and crying and cursing everything that ever lived.

There had to be a way to control this. He may not have much luck with his archery but if he was gentle enough with his fists and his sword and daggers he might be able to make it through most of his fights and training without anyone becoming the wiser.

A chill slithered up his spine, bright and cold and alert. Doumeki's head popped up and he scanned the horizons around him. Shadows were swirling and coalescing some distance to the north of him.

Maybe it was a witch that was casting a summons. Doumeki almost relished the thought of releasing his pent up anger on a deserving enemy. Swiftly he sheathed his sword and grabbed his bow and dashed towards the collecting shadows. Distantly he heard his horse neigh and protest on the other side of the hill, but he would have to worry about that later.

The shadows screamed, and Doumeki ran until he hit a wall of wind whipping around a central figure cloaked in darkness. A screech to his right drew his attention from the center cacophony and the captain saw a figure stumble out of the windy shadows and lurch towards him.

It was a girl that looked like she'd been a witch for far too long. Her hair was long, tangled and ragged, and her face was sunken around her bones and her eyes looked nearly hollow. Her mouth opened too far for normal human mouths to do and she screeched at him again. This witch was very old. It appeared that her existence had already passed over into the spirit world.

The spirits of dead witches were terrible things. They were things that every hunter dreaded, and no recruit was allowed to go near. They were dangerous, deadly, powerful, and cruel.

Doumeki swung his sword out in a long arch towards the witch. With a flash of sparks and heat her body detached at the middle. Black and blue blood was swept up into the winds and her body soon followed. Doumeki almost allowed himself a howl of triumph as he headed for the next bodies that were making it his way.

There was a good ten minutes of fighting before the tornado of shadows and – now that he knew what they were – spirits in front of him screamed so loudly he thought he might go deaf.

A voice cried out from within. "This is enough! It ends now!"

Captain Doumeki's chest lurched painfully when a powerful force pushed him back and he flew away, his back pushed along the ground a good eight feet before he found purchase on a boulder to keep from going further.

The silence afterward was nearly as loud as well. The captain's ears buzzed painfully. His hands felt wet and sore, and when he looked at them he saw that the skin of his palms had broken open as he'd clung to the boulder.

He looked up and focused his sharp yellow eyes to the center of the chaos that had once stood there. His eyebrows furrowed and his blood boiled as he rose to his feet. "You."

Watanuki Kimihiro turned slightly to fix his piercing blue eyes on the hunter. "Shizuka." He laughed lightly, breathy. "It's only been a week. Did you come to look for me already?" He grinned sedately as he pulled his clothing back in order. The shadows, wind, and witches from before were gone.

He was not wearing a fancy kimono this time, but his clothing was still ornate and ceremonial in appearance. Pants, boots, a long jacket that fell past his knees. The patterning was richly detailed and seemed to hold symbols of meaning but they were alien to Doumeki's eyes. Dainty chains wrapped from in front of Watanuki's chest around his shoulders. Interestingly enough he wore no jewelry.

"What have you done to me?" Doumeki demanded. He stood but dared not get any closer to the Traveler.

The pretty man laughed again. The hunter had only to blink before the distant face was suddenly only an inch away from his own and hands were touching his neck and pulling his hair. Doumeki valiantly made no noise as the invisible bindings returned to him and held him firmly in place.

"Shizuka, why would I do anything to you?"

"Stop calling me that," he ground out.

Watanuki clucked his tongue and pulled back to look Doumeki in the eyes. His hands cupped the hunter's face again, his thumbs sliding and smoothing over the shaved skin with delicate care.

"What was all of that just now?" Doumeki pressed for another answer.

Watanuki blinked in what looked like surprise, his eyes wide and, though Doumeki did not believe it for a moment, openly honest. "The witches?"

"Yes." Doumeki grunted. "I've never seen so many souls gather like that before."

The hands at his arms and shoulders squeezed. "Did you supposed a being such as myself would be free of their pursuits? They hunt me, Shizuka, just as surely as you hunt them. Why else would you think I'd love a hunter such as you to be mine?" Watanuki smiled at his little revelation.

"I won't," Doumeki stressed again.

"My dear hunter, still you fight me after all I've given you?"

Doumeki's body twitched as he struggled. "You cursed me."

Watanuki lowered his mouth to the area the mark was on the hunter's shoulder. With no trouble he removed the clothing in the way and greedily tasted the mark. "You think so little of me, love. This is no curse. This is my seal. No one can take it from you. It will protect you, make you stronger-"

"Bind me from speaking of you, force me to obey you," the captain finished for him.

"Hmm," Watanuki contemplated. He moved his lips up to Doumeki's ear. "Yes, you must not speak of me. Things would be...troublesome otherwise. Your council is a wicked and corrupted thing, noble as their intentions are. But force you? Shizuka," Watanuki admonished. He chuckled. "You'll do what I ask of your own free will. There will be no force involved."

Doumeki growled. "Violating my mind is force."

The grin the man gave him was chilling. "No more violating than pleasures of the flesh. I would never do either in a way that caused actual harm."

And then the Traveler kissed him. It was a hard kiss, it forced his mouth open and a hot tongue caressed everything it came in contact with. Hands were pulling at him again and then there was skin on skin, but they were still standing and Watanuki was oddly just a little shorter than him, so he was not surprised when he felt his body suddenly thrust to the ground and thin but strong legs straddle him.

Doumeki tried not to admit to himself that Watanuki tasted better than any food he'd ever eaten. A spark of warmth pooled into his stomach like thick syrup and those hands suddenly felt hotter than they ever had before when they grabbed at his suddenly throbbing erection. "Ah," Watanuki gasped with a breathy smile before diving back into their kiss. He seemed incredibly pleased by the reaction he was getting from the hunter's treacherous body.

"Oh, Shizuka..."

"Nnngh..." Doumeki panted.

Watanuki laughed in a way the hunter had never heard before. "...You taste even better than Haruka did."

Doumeki's eyes snapped open and hatred filled him. "You took him." His body trembled as his struggles against his binding did not cease. "I'll kill you." The fact that Watanuki held no shame, no remorse, only amusement at his reaction angered him further. He hated this being with every fiber of his existence.

"Only because he asked me to, Shizuka."

It was no wonder Haruka had not been able to fight. It was Watanuki Kimihiro that had taken him. Watanuki Kimihiro that looked no older than someone in their early twenties.

"Because you forced him to!"

Those bright oceanic eyes softened as they gazed down at him. "No...with Haruka, I forced nothing. He begged me to take him."

"He wouldn't-!"

"You do not know the pain of the Hunter's Heart Attack, do you Shizuka?"

The what? While Doumeki writhed and simmered he had to admit he did not know of anything called the 'Hunter's Heart Attack.'

"When a hunter becomes old his body breaks down from the strain of the witches' magic. The pain he feels when his heart finally stops... my dear hunter. It is a mercy to slit his throat first."

"You're lying."

"No." Watanuki's fingers curled in the captain's hair. "Just ask your Commander Sakurazuka. He's a cruel man, Shizuka. He will not garnish the truth of it." He smiled almost sadly. "Hate me if you must. I will not apologize. He was a magnificent man, and it was a tragedy the day the world lost him. But...even still. You will come to me, in the end."

"Why do you do this to me?"

Watanuki smiled. "You are my Intended. I will never leave you alone."

Author's Note:

I apologize for not putting this up on the first chapter. It was quite late a night and I simply forgot. Yes! I did get the inspiration for this story from another xxxHolic fanfiction. I could not post it for reference because I had sadly forgotten it, and I only wrote this because it wouldn't leave me alone and it has been nearly a year since the last update on the fic that inspired this story. The name of the story is Unnatural Light by Imbrii. It is fantastic, and even though it isn't finished I suggest it for some good reading anyway. Here's the link if it will work: http : / . net /s/5879473/1/Unnatural_Light

I hope this chapter wasn't too shocking of a revelation. I promise that Watanuki really does have good reasoning for this insanity and it will all be revealed in good time.

Please also note that I will be using characters from Legal Drug, X/1999, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, and anything else CLAMP as I need characters. CLAMP does it, alternate universes are canon, so by gumb it I will hold true to the belief that any and all good fanfictions are canon too! Who says they couldn't happen?

Anyway, if there are any other questions I will answer them as I can through either pm's or reviews. Thank you.