Disclaimer 1: I don't own X/1999, I didn't come up with any of their brilliant characters, they're the geniuses not me!
The character of Alex though is definitely mine!
Part 6 – The Plan
That evening time all Dragons of Heaven gathered at CLAMP Campus.
They've gathered upon a picnic blanket right in the middle of one of the campus's seemingly endless stretches of lawn. Here, in the warm fresh air of the summer night, where hardly any student passed frequently enough to disturb their conversation, they could talk.
They sat in a circle chatting around waiting for all the members to gather. One by one they arrived at the spot carrying with them a whiff of where they came from, whirling into the heavy destiny soaked atmosphere.
Seiichiro was a bit late, as usual. When he ran over to the meeting spot he was panting, mumbling something about his work. A writer kept him behind waiting for his work to be edited made.
Yuzuriha limped over to the meeting place. To sit she had to lean on Arashi in order not to crash.
Alex cringed when he looked at her, wishing her hospital bed wasn't in earshot from a Harbinger who could listen to their meeting, if it weren't for that they could have come to her sickbed.
Kamui sat by Alex. He spent the waiting time informing the rest of the latest news about him. Karen simply smiled at him and nodded with no big fuss. Yuzuriha gave him a beaming smile. Seiichiro stared but shook himself back to mannered behavior immediately.
Arashi still looked a bit uncomfortable; she sneaked a few glances at Kamui and shot her eyes away again whenever the boy returned a stare. She seemed to be more alert and sensitive to things in him now, as if checking the pace of his change.
Subaru sat a little away from them, dragging at his cigarette madly. He hopped across Tokyo to get all the dragons to hear his message. By the end of it he was feeling a bit tired so he took a cab back to campus. The cab driver didn't let him smoke. It was a long journey in Tokyo's rush hour and many times Subaru was sure his head will explode.
Finally all Dragons were gathered. Alex got up and cleared his throat to stop any chatting and noises and draw all attention to him.
"I called you here, as Subaru had probably mentioned to you, because I have a plan. If my plan goes smoothly then this whole Battle of the Apocalypse won't be even happening. If only some of my plan will be taken out then we'll be showing the Harbingers what we're made of and give them something to think about before they charge at any more kekkais…"
"And if the plan won't go smoothly at all?" Arashi cut his speech quit rudely, her eyes were cynical ice.
"Well….there is little chances for that to happen but it'll make an impression on them anyway."
He turned to the rest of them again "I thought about everything Kamui told me regarding Fuma's behavior before and after the Dragon of Earth came to be. From what it looks like it seems that Fuma is possessed by this Dragon of Earth….what is it Subaru?"
The onemoji had his hand in the air to gesture he wanted to talk; it was also a little hint for Arashi about her earlier behavior. "If he is possessed then I'd be able to recognize it, wouldn't I?"
"I don't think so. First of all because this Dragon is far on a different scale then what you're used to seeing. Second, I'm not sure it's a spirit possessing him. I think it's some sort of an entity that's been created for this battle and possesses Fuma as a vessel, just like a Heaven one is supposed to posses Kamui…."
"The Dragon of Heaven is supposed to be awakened within Kamui anyway, why can't we wait until that happens?" Arashi broke Alex's speech once again, not minding anyone who looked at her questioningly.
"I read the comic books of this story, according to them Kamui's DOH will never awaken, ever, that's why we can't wait. The comic books also tell of a struggle that occurs between you, Karen and Aoki, and two other Harbingers over derailing the Yamanote line. This battle, which was supposed to happen already, didn't happen. That is probably because the Harbingers have to readjust their attacks to the new conditions here. That buys us time; trouble is we don't know how much time.
"My plan is to go into their lair and force the Dragon out of Fuma, I know how…"
"You can't possibly go in there all alone!" Kamui broke into the speech, giving Alex an accusing look.
"I won't go alone, I've made a plan for us to attack the lair, I'll get to it in a minute….yes Yuzuriha?"
"Err….I'm a bit lost here, I think I'm not the only one here" she looked from face to face and met the same slightly confused look "how will that help to stop the Battle?"
Alex scanned his listeners as well, it was true. Apparently he went off rambling to himself because to him everything made sense and left them behind. But they didn't know everything he does, all they see is a bunch of jumbled facts. He took a deep breath and began explaining.
"For the battle to happen two things are needed: a Dragon of Earth, which we already have, and a Dragon of Heaven which we'll never have in time for the battle if we'll ever have at all. So, if we take out the Dragon of Earth we won't have a battle at all.
"Look the Earth is in some sort of a balance now isn't it? Humans don't over pollute the planet; in fact they're becoming more and more aware of their damages as the days go by. On the other side things like earthquakes, floods, tsunamis and the likes only happen on a natural cause not more. If any one the dragons win then this balance will be disrupted and thrown into extreme situations. If the battle won't happen at all then this balance that we have now will last onwards. Is it clearer now?" he waited until they all understood, explaining again to anyone who still didn't understand.
Once it was all settled Alex moved on to the plan itself "Now I'll start giving you roles, feel free to ask questions if you don't understand anything. Don't be shy; tell me if you think it's stupid. Please recommend me to do something if an idea comes to mind, ok?" he scanned their faces; they were all ears.
"The Harbingers, like us, have several stronger aces and several weaker ones. One of the strongest Harbingers is Seishiro. Subaru, can I count on you to deal with him?"
Subaru's eye brows shot high into his forehead. He didn't see that coming, he thought Alex preferred them to not fight at all.
"Call him on his mobile, page him on his beeper, cut down his tree, I don't know what but draw him out and as far away from the lair as possible. And please, just talk to him, please"
Subaru looked up at Alex and smiled "You can count on me"
"Next, Yuzuriha, do the same with Kusanagi. He's pretty powerful and if he uses his power in battle the whole building might topple on us. Draw him as far away from the lair and keep his mind busy on anything but the Battle alright? Can you do that?"
The girl nodded. A little cringe as she moved her head made Alex regret her role a bit.
"Don't push yourself too much, just talk to him. Don't be afraid to leave it in the middle if you don't feel good or anything, ok?"
She nodded again and smiled faintly.
"So, who we're left with in the lair is Nataku, Yutu and Satsuki. Satsuki is one powerful bitch but I have a plan on how to shut her down right on the beginning don't worry about that. That leaves us with two Harbingers…"
"And Fuma" Kamui added
"I'll deal with him myself, that's why I need two more Seals with me to handle Yutu and Nataku. Sorata, you're one of our most powerful Seals, you're with me."
Sorata nodded enthusiastically. Alex never really paid attention to him or spent enough time with him to know him but still he trusted him. Sorata was somewhat proud of himself.
"Now I need another Seal…..this is where I have a hole in my plan, none of you would fit…." He scanned the faces before him.
"I can go" Karen raised her hand.
"No, you can't, you're a fire caster and Yutu's a water caster, if you'll fight there'll be steam everywhere, blinding us all. Sorry."
Seiichiro raised his hand in silence. He did not look very good; dark rings under his eyes, his eyes slightly swollen and reddened showed the signs of his grief over his cousin taking its toll on him.
"No, you can't go Aoki, you have a wife and child and you've already lost one member of the family. I'm not going to make you wife a widow and your child an orphan"
The editor simply nodded and hung his head a little "Thank you" he mumbled.
"I'll go with Sorata" Arashi pointed out, making the priest look at her with big shiny eyes.
"No, you can't go. Especially not with Sorata, he'll die to protect your life. So far every little thing that's about to charge you he's there to protect you from. If he dies I'm left inside the lair with nothing but a girl that has a sword coming out of her hand as backup, that's not very useful"
Arashi narrowed her eyes at Alex and turned her face away angrily.
"I'll go then" Kamui folded his hands on his chest, knowing Alex will object.
"How? Fuma will sense you the moment you enter the building with us, it'll ruin our element of surprise"
"Then I'll wait for you in a safe distance from the lair and once you're in I'll come too, in my fog form. I'll be able to work that if I'll be a vampire again"
Alex was about to say something when Kamui started speaking again. "If you'll change me today it'll be in time for your plan. It'll also solve some other problems" he said suggestively.
Alex smiled at him "Don't distract me"
"So the three of us are left to do what!" Karen asked
"You will wait outside the building in reserves; if anything starts going wrong I'll have to call you in. I'll try not to, I promise." He watched them slowly digest it.
"People" he turned to them one last time "go home. Get some sleep, eat well, rest well. Tomorrow at 20:00 we start the plan so you have about twenty four hours to prepare. Any more questions?" all heads shook. Good.
The group spread away, each to their own home. Each had their own thoughts of what's to come. The plan seemed such a novelty to them they almost didn't believe it.
Sorata was walking with Arashi back to their dorms. They walked in silence, heads sunk in their thoughts.
"Is he right Sorata-san?" Arashi's voice cut through the silence stretched between them in the warm summer night air.
"Right about what?"
"Would you sacrifice yourself to protect me from anything that comes my way?"
Sorata stopped to look at her.
She stopped walking as well, noting he's not by her side. She looked back at him puzzled.
He was smiling softly. He grabbed her and held her in his arms "Of course I will, I've chosen you haven't I? And I've chosen well" he caressed her hair. For the first time in their odd relationship she gave into the hug, comforting in his arms.
Subaru carried Yuzuriha to her bedroom. The girl hardly weighted a thing in his arms, it was like holding a bird, he thought.
When he laid her in her bed and covered her for the night she grabbed his hand before he turned to leave.
She hung huge hopeful eyes at him "Subaru….do you think everything will be alright tomorrow?" her few years shone out through her tone of speech.
He smiled at her kindly "Yes Yuzuriha-san, don't worry. I'm sure you'll do your job on its best side". With that he gave her a light goodnight kiss on the forehead and left, turning off the light and closing the door.
She lay under the covers wondering why he didn't answer her question. He spoke about her part when she wondered about his and the other's parts succeeding. He did it to clear her mind and focus her on better things to think of. He did it out of good intentions.
Yuzuriha snuggled deeper under the covers and let her fatigue kidnap her into sleep.
In his own apartment Subaru found a picture on the floor. It was an old picture with Hokuto, himself and Seishiro from the Year's golden happy days.
They were all smiling happily together without a hint of the tragedies about to unfold on them. It all seemed so far away, the time that was in the picture was taken in, that he could hardly imagine how it was like. This, of all things, seemed to be something from another world.
He sat down on his bed still looking at the picture.
"Hokuto-chan, why didn't you tell me what you planned? You silly little girl….look what happened to me because of it…..and because of him….
"Seishiro-san……(he smiled to himself) don't worry, everything will be alright……
Karen hugged her teddy bear, sitting on the windowsill in her apartment, looking out at the breathtaking view of Tokyo in the night. She was silently praying for tomorrow's success.
She had one hand cradling her teddy and the other holding her crucifix amulet. Her lips were moving at the silent chants she recited.
Seiichiro walked to his home slowly. When he arrived there he called his daughter and wife over to him. He sat on the sofa with them, holding them both close to him in silence. He knew Alex promised to keep him away from the fight as possible, but still, he felt he needed the power his family gave him now. They were the reason why he could form a kekkai; they were the reason why he perfected his skills. Without them he's powerless, without them he's as good as dead.
Kamui and Alex stood in front of each other in Kamui's bedroom. There was tension in the air and an awkward silence spread upon them like a heavy blanket.
"It…feels like the first time we did it, doesn't it?"
Alex nodded. He looked at Kamui a little hesitantly "Are you sure about this?"
"As sure as I was the first time" the boy smiled softly.
They held each other in a long embrace, rebuilding their bond.
Alex nuzzled the line of a main artery in Kamui's neck and bit in.
Hinoto was in a dream. Before her all the symbols of the Battle of the Apocalypse were frozen in time, never to move again. One thing did change though; the Earth was no longer a glass one but a real, unbreakable Earth.
Hinoto looked to her side where in a little distance Kakyou was standing.
The two dreamgazers simply stared forwards. There was nothing they could do about it anyway, nothing to change what was happening, whatever it is.
Yutu was returning from work via train as usual. He was looking around from his paper and though about something. Wasn't there a Kekkai in here somewhere? Perhaps he'll suggest attacking it to his /Kamui, see what he thinks. He returned his random thoughts to his paper.
Satsuki was digging around the world's computers, looking for information about an Alex that matched the picture Beast scanned into itself. She found nothing; there was no Alex in this dimension.
Seishiro was standing on a rooftop from which he had a comfortable view into Subaru's apartment.
He saw the younger man pick up something from the floor and sit on his bed. What was he on about?
Seishiro could feel the change in Subaru, there was something he knew that changed his thoughts and mood towards him.
What did he know now? What had that man told him? What was he planning?
That man….Death….Seishiro met him in Ueno park once while the Dragon was killing Saiki.
Seishiro' right hand was covered in blood but Alex didn't care, he simply smiled knowingly at Seishiro while caressing the cat in his hands.
Seishiro recognized the power emitting from Alex, the power over him. It intrigued him greatly but before he could enquire further Alex disappeared, called over by his love's shouts of pain.
When Seishiro saw Subaru talking to that something he picked from the floor his curiosity couldn't be tolerated anymore. He cast a small spell enabling him to hear what was going on inside the apartment.
"Seishiro-san……(Seishiro could see Subaru was smiling to himself) don't worry, everything will be alright……"
What did he mean! What on earth is going on behind his back! Seishiro never lost grip on what he took hold of, he never lost control. He was losing his grip on Subaru now. Seishiro did not like it.
Nataku was slowly dozing off with his head on his father figure's leg thinking vacant thoughts.
The Dragon sat on his chair seething with anger and frustration. This new challenger, this man who constantly stopped his toying with Kamui, what was he? Who was he? How dare he?
He closed his eyes trying to relax.
Inside him Fuma hung from his restraints, weak and hopeless. The Dragon was showing him everything he was doing with his body. The mental torture was accompanied by physical torture as well, hurting him every time a little more.
By now the youth was beginning to lose hope completely.
The Dragon had told him his plan of the end: he'll let him watch as he kills Kamui, then kill him slowly in horrible torture.
'Funny' thought Fuma 'what was he doing so far if not killing me slowly in horrible torture?'
Kusanagi was walking around in one of his favorite parks, enjoying the wonderful summer night. The air was rich with scents of flowers and freshly cut grass, it enveloped him like walking in a dream.
He closed his eyes and tuned in to the nature around him.
The trees spoke to him of the refreshing evening wind that blew through their leafs. The flowers chirped and babbled mindlessly about the insects who walked on their petals today. The grass moaned lowly.
There was a quiet in the air despite all that noise, quiet in the atmosphere itself, everything was calm.
The night was so peaceful why bother himself with the silence that rang a bell in his head. He ignored the bell and lay on the grass, letting the small animals of the close vicinity gather around him and succumb to this lovely evening together.
He was wrong to ignore the silence; an army man such as himself should know the silence before a war.
(tbc)