Umm... summer sucks... I've had no time to myself... School is starting back up... I'll have more time to update now. Sadly, summer days are generally spent making connections and traveling. School days are generally spent in school for a while with the rest of the day off.

In other news -- I had a revelation. I kinda wanna start an RPG that has all the CLAMP characters in it. And other people can join and play as their favorite CLAMP character... Maybe I've spent too much time out in the sun? Umm, let me know what you think of this idea?

And the next chapter will be longer than this one. I just made this one short because I didn't want too many scene changes. There will be more in the next one. And it'll be longer...

Track: 03

...The Wheels Turn Slowly...

The day after Kamui arrived had dawned at Subaru's house and began uneventfully. Well, it did for the slumbering Sumeragi anyway, having taken a nap shortly after leaving Kamui's room that had stretched onward into the next day. Now, he awoke at seven and was slightly surprised to find the alarm clock ringing. Funny, it was only supposed to do that in the mornings…

He had slept much longer than planned, and, with a heavy heart, he crept out of his comfy bed and stumbled into the living room.

What met his gaze was not something he had been expecting.

Kamui was sprawled out on the floor covered by a large blanket that had previously occupied the boy's closet, if Subaru remembered correctly. He was watching some new, cheesy anime with a bored look on his face, one hand absently stroking his Angel's fur while the other stretched out toward Subaru in a sort of vague wave.

Situated in a comfortable position, Spinel Sun was neatly curled around the boy's back, not quite touching, paws and head inches from the messy locks, sticking up in random places upon Kamui's head. And, in front of Kamui in such a way so as to not block Subaru's flat-screen, Kerberos lounged, the remains of some liquid staining his muzzle a murky hue.

"Well, this is rather cozy." Subaru wasn't exactly a morning person. And his stupid cat wasn't exactly supposed to be hanging out with some little brat. Sarcasm was obvious when these two factors played into the scenario.

Kamui was apparently feeling better as well. "You're a bad host; I woke up at four and found out that you, asshole, don't understand the meaning of the phrase 'expiration date'." A raised eyebrow was all he got out of Subaru.

"Some of your food had mold growing on it."

"Well, there was a reason why it was shoved in the back. Genius." If the kid wanted an argument, so be it. However, the boy's sneering did nothing except make a smirk of Subaru's own creation slink across his lips.

"If you had thrown it out or maybe eaten it, then it wouldn't have spoiled you—mmph! "

Spinel Sun promptly ended this discussion by wrapping his jet-black tail around Kamui's head, the furry tip finding its way onto his lips and then into his mouth when the youth tried valiantly to continue his speech.

Finally, Kamui make a disgusted spitting noise, discarding the tail from his mouth and sticking out his tongue in obvious displeasure as Subaru chuckled lightly. Kamui merely gave him the finger and received a clout from Spinel Sun for his troubles.

"Be a good boy, Kamui."

"But Spinel Suuuuun!" The named cat only snorted in reply and rolled away from Kamui and onto his paws, padding to stand beside Subaru, ending the matter before Kamui could let loose another plea.

Keroberos, for his part, was content to wash his face as his charge grumbled about unfair this and unfair that. He couldn't have cared less, so long as Kamui was not in any danger. The clout had sparked his suspicion, yes, but he would not act until further proof was shown that his intervention was needed.

Said proof came in the form of Subaru whispering something to Spinel Sun and the ink-colored cat returning to Kamui and falling on top of him, cutting off any means of escape with his weight (though he wasn't truly going to crush the boy), ebony paws placed carefully on either side of his head and legs, effectively trapping him.

The boy, naturally, became rather still, eyes swiveling back and forth between the cat above him and its master, trying to decide which one was in charge of this, which one would be more likely to help him escape.

He couldn't decide, though, for Keroberos was just as quickly out of his relaxed state and crouching beside Spinel Sun, sunk low on his haunches as his muscles quivered in anticipation of an upcoming battle. It seemed the other Angel was just as ready, for Spinel Sun was off Kamui and rolling around with Keroberos in a mere fraction of a second.

Kamui, with a rather pale face, turned narrowed mauve eyes in Subaru's direction. But, they quickly filled with something akin to pity as he saw the man's state. At first, it was snide, full of spiteful humor directed at Kamui. However, as he watched, that mask was replaced by a look of self-loathing, bitterness, horror.

And Subaru was gone, having left the room, cold voice spitting out that he was going to fix himself coffee. The cats didn't pause in their mock (or last least Kamui thought it was) fight, only snarling at a higher pitch, though their ears weren't yet flattened nor were the guard hairs located on their necks raised.

Kamui was faced with a rather uncomfortable decision. He could stay here and possibly be rolled over/stepped on/ slapped around/ bitten or he could chase after Subaru and pray that nothing bad would happen.

Kamui didn't know what that bad thing was that had his so worried. Rather, he simply had this gut feeling telling him to stay away from older human beings. 'They'll hurt you; they'll make you cry. Don't touch them, and don't let them touch you. Refuse their care, and reject their offers. Or, at the very least: stay with Keroberos!'

Five seconds later, Kamui was scuttling out of the room and following the hallway that Subaru had taken, a vase crashing in his wake as the feline powerhouses began to growl in earnest now, though there was still a playful ring to it. Or so Kamui hoped.

It was hard to navigate the house, Kamui would admit to that much. Thankfully, just when he felt that he had passed the same door three times already, he smelled coffee, freshly brewed. Following his nose led him to the rather spacious kitchen that Spinel Sun had brought him to earlier. The youth made a mental note to get a map of the house drawn up, since he wasn't so good at remembering what routes he had taken.

Actually, when he thought about it, he wasn't very good at remembering quite a few things.

But, he quickly shook out of his thoughts, trying to find the source of the scent that continued to tickle his senses. Better than that chocolate milk Spinel Sun had forced down Kero-chan's and his throat.

What Kamui wasn't expecting was for a slender, yet larger than his, hand to place itself upon one of his narrow shoulders, applying some pressure and startling the boy rather badly.

"Aa, Subaru!" Feisty little tyke, wasn't he? The older man simply shoved him further into the kitchen in acknowledgement, following behind silently.

Though Kamui was roughly pushed into a chair (western in origin with cool metal wires twisting together to make a back), he felt better than to cry out, instead watching as Subaru pulled a pot of coffee from some unknown source before withdrawing two mugs from one of the upper cabinets that lined the kitchen's three walls.

The older man effectively filled them with the steaming brew, dropping a lump of sugar into one before bringing them both to the boy, one outstretched hand offering the sugared coffee to him.

Kamui shot the elder man a questioning glance as he took it, blowing gently across the top in an effort to cool it slightly.

"Like you really drank that milk Spinel offered willingly." Subaru only received a wry smile in answer.

Kamui, deciding the coffee was drinkable, took a long draught. He immediately swallowed and partially yelped in pain as the searing liquid left his burned mouth and scorched down his throat. At the same time, his eyes narrowed in obvious distaste and he spat out, "B-bitter!" while Subaru rolled his eyes.

"Once again, a sixteen-year-old has reached a startling revelation. Coffee with only one cube of sugar and fresh out of the pot is not at all agreeable with one's mouth. Remarkable."

The boy only fanned at his open mouth in reply, eyes watering slightly.

Subaru finally took pity on Kamui, dropping an ice cube into the still-steaming mug and adding cream to the concoction as well. When the youth tried some this time, ever-so-slowly, he sighed, taste buds appeased.

For a minute, silence reigned, Kamui having decided to shut up and drink his beverage while Subaru sipped carefully from his own cup. The two took that peaceful moment to size the other up, in reference for future confrontations.

While Kamui was deciding that Subaru was obviously bi-polar and a hermit, the older man had figured that any attempts at gentleness would be shot down by this punk, so to hell with "Nice" Subaru.

Kamui was apparently terrible with quiet of any kind, since he kept fidgeting after that decision and announced in the end that Spinel Sun wasn't all that bad but Subaru was in need of some medication.

This made the older man chuckle darkly and ask, "For what, exactly?"

"You're showing signs of having multiple personalities. Besides that, you've taken in a young boy, and I have yet to see any pictures of a boyfriend-slash-girlfriend. I've deducted that you might be harboring a bit of a Shotacon complex, considering the fact that you're how many years older than me?

"Now that I think about it, counseling would be good too."

Well, that was unexpected. But, if Kamui had been with Spinel Sun for three hours, Subaru could hardly blame the lad. "Spinel Sun go off on one of his rants again?"

Kamui blinked up at him, head cocking ever so slightly, trying to appear innocent, though a wicked gleam was alight in those otherwise dead eyes. "He went off and proceeded to show us his rather large expanse of historical novels dictating the lives of other men that were suffering from the same symptoms as you."

There was a brief pause, in which Kamui downed another gulp of his drink, tongue lapping at his bottom lip in a way far too similar to a cat. And then, the boy continued.

"By the way, what exactly is an on…Om—the hell with this—what exactly are you?" Kamui finally spat the last bit out, eyes narrowed in frustration as the word he struggled to get out eventually caused him to become tongue-twisted. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath, shaking his head violently, as if in a final attempt to bring forth the word he scrambled for.

Subaru regarded the young boy, eyeing him 'till he stopped fidgeting before speaking, a monotonous tone keeping Kamui from sensing the sincerity he felt with explaining his job as well as his rank.

"I'm an Onmyouji. My kind exorcises spirits; send them on their way to the next life. I've been doing such things since I was rather young. Since Spinel Sun has told you about me, or so I assume, you must know that I am current head of the Sumeragi clan, the number one family in Japan that works closely with the government to provide welfare to those poor souls haunted and haunting.

"Of course, it is not by my own choice and the former head, the twelfth and my grandmother, currently handles most of my duties. Still, I deal with actual ghosts that are unable to move on. You see, we exorcist are here to keep the yin and yang levels relatively the same. Without us, there is an unbalancing of nature, this universe, and the powers that hold it together.

"In the end, I am both an ordinary man (well, as ordinary as a clan head can be, especially in a traditional family like the Sumeragi) and the link that unites the world of the dead with this plane the living find themselves located upon."

With that, Subaru drew his little speech to a close, having only gone over the bare bones of his position, his nature, his job, but still hashing out enough information that Kamui wasn't floundering in the dark.

The Sumeragi head knew that if the youth wanted more information, he could easily search it out within the city's rather expansive library. And if not that, then Subaru himself was a prime candidate. If he felt like talking, that is.

When he finally refocused on the younger man, he found bafflement and bemusement, a mixture of both that left him feeling slightly defensive and yet confused. Had he not answered Kamui's question? Perhaps the details had been sketchy and the words had been somewhat shifting, but that was Subaru's way: vague, yet to the point.

Or perhaps he had himself fooled and he really sounded like a mentally retarded child.

Sometimes, the snappier part of Subaru wondered if he had chosen correctly whenever he decided to quit school and focus more so on honing his onmyoujitsu skills. Now was one of those times as Kamui burst out laughing.

"I was talking about a different word," the teenager chuckled, amused greatly. "But thank you for explaining that anyway." Subaru blushed slightly and felt a tinge of irritation when the dark-haired youth just continued to chortle.

Kamui dreams.

He dreams that there is darkness all around him. But he can see things, slowly being shaded in; black and white pictures that could be simple works of art except for the fact that they're moving. And there's this person above him, a mask in place over that face. That face? He knows this person…?

Yes – he does.

That white mask smiles down at him, wicked in its intent. The eyes cannot be seen, though there are two holes punched out for them. There are just black pits, drawing him down into nothingness. A sickly pale hand reaches for him, cufflinks encircling its wrist and that of its brother.

No.

Then another snakes around his waist, the pale limb harshly reprimanding his struggles, cutting off his means of escape, leaving bruises where the blunt nails dig in too deeply. The painted on mouth is laughing at him, taunting him. Kamui's tormentor leans down for a kiss, cold plastic pressing against a suddenly dry mouth. Its then that Kamui realizes that his body is splayed out on a mattress, cheap sheets rustling underneath and cold laughter rings out.

He can't feel Keroberos. When Kamui desperately searches for his Angel, there is yet another void of darkness there – inside his heart, shaking him to the very core. Where is his protector?

What could have been a scream changes to a choking cough as the arm not latched firmly around his waist moves to squeeze his neck, cutting off oxygen. Only tears can gather in his eyes as those fingers travel down his neck to his collarbone, working at the tie found there with ease. Some detached part of Kamui's brain wonders if the hands have done this before.

It's only when a leg works its way between Kamui's own does the boy realize that the reason he had not kicked before was because of that same leg and its twin pressing down on his own, the weight crushing and unforgiving. And it's only when those hands begin to work at the buttons on Kamui's shirt does his mind finally grasp what is happening. And then he loses control.

Two arms that had been trying to push his attacker away now go on the offensive, instead turning to claws and dragging across a clothed chest. But it does no good. Instead, it only brings pain. Kamui tastes blood as teeth dig without care into his neck, breaking skin and leaving the boy panting harshly before a tongue has shot deep into his mouth, the hand that had been working on his trouser buttons tightening around his wounded neck, daring him to fight against the tongue that coats his own in blood, his own crimson liquid.

It works for a few seconds longer before the mouth moves away. Kamui's eyes, having closed of their own accord, reopens to stare at the face. But, the mask is still in place, the only difference being the red splattered sickeningly across the white mask, the only color in this nightmarish place.

Kamui whimpers loudly as the arm around his waist wrenches him up, throwing him unceremoniously onto his side. When the boy scrambles to get back up and away, he realizes that the masked person was planning on it. His shirt has long been gone, but his pants and boxers leave now, forcing Kamui to his hands and knees to avoid falling as they're yanked off.

That's a dangerous mistake.

His arms are held into place by some force; a creature that he cannot see but knows is an Angel. One gone so horribly wrong that Kamui nearly cries again as he realizes the hopelessness of his situation .Then two cold hands grab his hips and Kamui experiences a new kind of pain, one that reaches far beyond the one on his neck and waist did, obliterating his senses except for that terrible hurt.

His entrance is penetrated harshly and the boy screams out. Once more, there is cruel laughter, amid hoarse cries of pleasure that can barely be heard below Kamui's own yells.

By the time the man reaches climax, Kamui is shivering and spent, semen from his own unwanted release covering the twisted sheets below. Kamui's tears look like liquid silver in this haunted place. His cries still ring in his ears.

When the pressure that has held his front end up for so long relents, Kamui immediately collapses, the masked man seeming to have disappeared too. The only thing he can feel is a pounding ache spreading through his body, throbbing hotly in those places that were defiled so ruthlessly. He can't hear anything and everything seems fuzzy to his blurred vision. With a soft sigh that ends in a high whine, Kamui lays his head on the sheets beneath him.

But, where there once was comfort, now there is only darkness, once more swallowing Kamui's senses. But this time, the broken boy welcomes it. He needs rest, and this is as good as it's going to get. Might as well take advantage of what little time he has until that man returns. Kamui can feel it in his blood; he will come back, placing bruises upon split skin, spilling blood upon a battered body. And in the end, Kamui will go to school, act as if nothing has happened.

And when he starts crying for no reason, his Angel locked deep within slowly removing the memories of past times, his teachers will wonder. Will wonder about those tender spots upon his body, will wonder about the missing homework and the parental guardian that seems to be somewhat fake. And when his counselor asks why he is crying, Kamui will whisper because he is not good enough. A victim's choice of words will spill out of his mouth before Keroberos finishes his deeds – and erupts, taking both the masked man and those that dared question Kamui's actions with him. But Keroberos won't be harmed; they will be the ones in caskets, pity and worry forever etched on their faces.

And Keroberos will whisper ever so softly to Kamui, "Forget."

Kamui does not know that this dream is a broken memory of not-so-long-ago.

Kamui can only watch as yet another dream starts, another mask in place, another face twisted and forgotten.

Another night of intense pain before it is washed away.

Forget it all, Kamui. Keroberos passed his angel wings over the sleeping boy's body, capturing those memories that were trying to sneak back to the surface and once more placing them far away. Every night, those memories that were supposedly forgotten would rise up, the mental scarring to great for Keroberos to remove completely. So the winged Angel would instead change them to dreams, nightmares of twisted passion and breaking glass.

When daylight came, they would fade away, as dreams so often do. It is only those that were worth remembering that Keroberos kept: the happiest, the most peaceful. It was these that Kamui would experience in full – fueling his bratty attitude and leaving him laughing like any normal teenager. And those that plagued his subconscious, feasting on his bitterness and negative energies, it was these that Keroberos sealed, blowing them away until yet another night came.

Before, it had been easy. When Kamui had been drugged, it had been only blackness. Before that Keroberos had done as he did now. The only difference was that now someone watched: an Angel with butterfly wings and a teal diamond planted on his forehead. Keroberos sighed in relief when it was done, a scant twenty minutes left until the rising sun would awaken the boy. He moved away, floating off the bed and coming to rest on the carpet, starting for his favorite resting place when a shifting of light caught his golden eyes.

"And what business do you have here, Spinel Sun?" The lion Angel sat back on his haunches, facing the doorway where a sliver of teal could be seen, the only part of the butterfly Angel that was visible. Nosing the open door to where he was able to pass through, Spinel Sun picked his way to sit beside the bed, facing the youth that lay twisted in the comforter, one small foot sticking out from underneath.

"Subaru-kun has barriers set up. While they can only sense magical disturbances outside the house, I can feel them within. Pray tell, what were you doing to your own charge?" Spinel Sun turned grave eyes on the golden feline, the tip of his tail coming to rest centered between his two front paws, twitching back and forth.

"A few spells to sweep away nightmares; nothing more." Keroberos smiled slightly, exposing his canines and the row of teeth that lined his jaw. His eyes were focused on the other's tail, knowing that staring straight in his eyes would give away everything Keroberos had worked for.

"Oh. I see." Spinel Sun ducked his head in acknowledgement, silently accepting the explanation before beginning to head back out the door. His lithe body slipped through the gap followed not long by his tail, the tip curling around the edge of the door and dragging it closed behind him. Keroberos stared after the dark cat, ears slightly back and body rigid. Spinel Sun knew he was lying; that much was certain. But, the golden cat would not act to silence him unless it was required. While he was becoming rather good at it, memory spells were such fickle things.

How could he know that even his own human was beginning to suffer, losing fragments of important memories, those just made and those many years old? But Keroberos would know soon enough, that much was sure. But he could feel that his spells, woven for so long that each was an exact copy of its predecessor, were slowly starting to decay, being broken apart by a being that not even he could stand up against.

"Aa, Kamui, you and I are in a rather strange predicament. Do you think that you could try to make friends with this man? My instincts are whispering of long-dead demons rising up. Ask that man; he may know of such things. Do as I say, boy." Keroberos's eyes glowed completely gold for a moment, no pupil breaking through those impressive magical orbs. And then they faded back to normal, the cat yawning before collapsing in a heap, rearranging his body before drifting off.

Outside, beady black eyes watched the magical auras within; saw the golden waves washing over the amethyst pool, tainting it. Jigsaw's beak clacked once in excitement, and then the DaiAngel was soaring, returning to his human partner. And that man, he was up late, watching the morning news, a spectacular predicament having developed.

It seemed that many of the ArchAngels were dying. Their human partners were being brutally murdered, and there were reports of two great Angels, one made of wires and cables, another made of water – a sea serpent attacking those ArchAngels nearest to the water. But through all this, Kamui and Keroberos slept.

And Subaru stayed awake, nervously smoking on his ninth cigarette of that night while Spinel Sun once more replayed the message left by his grandmother, picked up by his answering machine. "Subaru-san, they are moving, just as it was prophesized. Please – Subaru-san, pick up. The Battle is fast approaching. …Goodbye, Subaru-san. I pray that Spinel Sun has been taking care of you." Spinel Sun continued to stare at the machine, speaking slowly. "Already? Couldn't they have at least waited until August?"

The black cat turned sorrowful eyes on his charge when the man failed to make a reply. "Oh, Subaru-kun; I'm so sorry."

But Subaru wasn't watching him. Instead, those green eyes were focused on a picture set on his nightstand. It contained two teenagers, mirror images of one another, and it held an older man, brown eyes sparkling in good will. The man that should have faced Subaru on the Promised Day, now a decaying corpse but never a distant memory.

:Omake:

--Chibi versions of Kamui, Subaru, Spinel Sun, and Keroberos charge out onto a stage, each carrying a sign. Jigsaw flies in and places a sign with 'a' written on it in the center of the stage. Kamui and Keroberos line up on the left side of it while Subaru and Spinel Sun go to the other side. They each turn their cards to face the audience, the signs reading 'Omake' together. The curtain closes before lifting up to reveal all four without any signs. --

Kamui: Welcome to the after-show!

Subaru: We would have called it Kero's Corner except for the fact such a name has already been used by Card Captor Sakura.

Keroberos & Spinel Sun: Watch it; we're in it!

Kamui: But to talk about my relationship with Keroberos – well, Subaru can ask the questions.

Subaru: --takes out an index card and begins to read off the question penned there--What is Kamui's relationship with Keroberos, exactly?

Kamui: Well, I think of him more as an older brother than anything else. But he's also kind of my best friend in a weird way. --smiles faintly--

Keroberos: And he's sort of my child/slave/other half. So I want to erase all his memories and keep him from coming to harm. And I want to find him someone that won't care about my strange ways.

Subaru & Spinel Sun: --looking faintly disturbed-- Well, that's cool…

Kamui: --reading script for rest of story-- Oww…poor Subaru… Poor me. Gods, this author wants us all to suffer.

Keroberos: That's all the time we have for now. But we hoped you enjoyed the Kamui-getting-raped scene.

Kamui: I just get so abused…

Subaru: At least you're not a fucking pansy in every single fanfic you're featured in.

Spinel Sun: --staring open-mouthed-- Wow… Subaru-kun just cussed…

Subaru: …This is exactly what I'm talking about!

--The screen fades to black with arguing being heard in the background right before the sound cuts off--

I've lost my marbles? We are just now barely getting into the plot? Desen wants to make everyone that will be featured in this story suffer? Well, we know that last one is true…