.:The Two Who are Intertwined.
If Subaru never awoke, if he stayed in this wretched slumber forever, what would he do?
If the hunter caught up with them, what would he do?
What could he do? The vampire shut his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth against the inevitable answer.
Nothing. No matter what, he knew he was doomed to wait helplessly, to be prey to fate…he let out his breath in a long, low hiss of frustration.
"Am I interrupting? Kamui."
Even before he turned, he knew it was Kakyou. "No," he replied, smoothing his expression into nothingness again, "I was waiting for you. Where are the others?"
"They left on a hunt at dawn."
"I see. So…you wanted to see me."
Kakyou nodded. "I had a dream two nights ago."
"I thought so. Continue."
"I foresaw their coming…" Kakyou's hazel eyes turned a flat, empty brown as he relived his prophetic dream. "The four newcomers, that is. In my dream, they came out of a magic circle. They're cross-dimension travelers, apparently." Kamui's eyes narrowed. So he had been right about their origins…
Kakyou's eyebrows pulled together. "I saw…the fighting from yesterday afternoon," he said slowly, "but after that everything is jumbled together – until the last scene."
"Yes?"
"It was clear – so clear. Everyone was there, including those four…"
"Where did it take place?"
"Here." Kakyou looked troubled. "Here, underground."
Kamui's eyes flamed gold. "What?!" he said sharply. If it took place here, Subaru…what if something happened to him– no! – if it had been in Kakyou's dream, it meant something important – could that important be as in something good? Or as in something…terrible? Kamui sucked in a breath, his mind racing with the endless possibilities.
Suddenly catching sight of Kakyou's wary expression, he hastily closed his eyes and willed himself to calm down. No need to get overexcited.
"What happens?" he finally managed, opening his eyes to reveal their newly resumed violet. "What did you see?"
"I don't know. But the atmosphere was full of dread. I felt a great weight here..." He gestured at his chest. "Like nothing would ever be right again." He glanced at the vampire. "…Kamui?"
The other had his head bowed, fingers clasped together as though in prayer, violet eyes staring fixedly into the water. "Kamui?"
As if waking from a deep slumber, the vampire looked up. "Yes…" he said, drawing out the word slowly. "If that takes place here, then…"
"The water supply – and whatever it is that you are protecting here…may be affected," confirmed Kakyou.
"It cannot be avoided, can it."
"I don't think so. All we can do is hope for the best." Kamui groaned inwardly. Again with being vulnerable to fate, again with being helpless to anything that might happen to the one he loved most…
From far away, above ground, he heard panicked voices.
"Where's Kakyou? Someone got trapped under the crumbling pillar – they need to get their wounds treated –"
"The last I saw him was this morning –"
"Couldn't Satsuki treat the wound?"
"But she's nowhere to be seen either. And only guardians have the key to the medicine supply…"
Kamui turned back to the dreamseer. "You're wanted up there," he said dully, jerking his chin upward in the direction of the voices. Kakyou glanced at the vampire for a moment, curiosity in his unusually light brown eyes. Then, without questioning him, he nodded.
"Then…I'd better go. I'll contact you if anything happens." He stood and quickly walked up the stairs and out of sight. When he was gone, Kamui sighed and turned back to the water, thinking. No matter what happened, he finally decided, he would never let anything happen to Subaru. Even if he was rendered near helpless by the events to come, he would protect him – without fail.
"I swear it…" he whispered, almost hissed, to the dark, motionless water. There was no reply from the icy depths below.
Heh…sorry about how short this one is. I'll make the next one longer, I promise! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!
