Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to any of the CLAMP works.

Things were so much clearer now that Kamui's memories were returned. He remembered everything, and things that he hadn't understood before were becoming obvious.

Things such Subaru's wish, and the reason he had saved Seishiro with his immortal blood.

When he and Subaru had first awakened at the Dimensional Witch's shop, Subaru had told the Witch that he wanted to end the chains of tragedy. The Dimensional Witch had granted that wish by giving them the power to travel through the dimensions, and she had imparted that they would know what to do with this power.

Subaru had indeed known exactly what to do. Without hesitation he'd decided that they would travel to Tokyo, knowing fully well that they would be going back to the past, to that very moment when Subaru had killed Seishiro; and Kamui, never doubtful of his brother's decisions, went along with it easily, despite not knowing of Subaru's true intentions. In the end, Subaru had given his immortal blood to save Seishiro from death, and that had set off the start of their long journey to flee the hunter.

It occurred to Kamui that Subaru had always known that the two of them were not true twins; he had remained quiet about it, but he had never lost his memories of his life prior to becoming a vampire. Likely, Seishiro had also known that Fuuma was not his true brother, but had gone along with his role despite this knowledge for the sake of not further upsetting reality's imbalance.

"Watanuki, the ones who paid my price... they are Fuuma and Subaru, right?"

"Yes, Kamui, they are," Watanuki confirmed.

It was as Kamui had thought then: Fuuma had paid for Kamui to return to Tokyo to revive both Subaru and his past self as vampire's; Subaru had paid for his reunion with Fuuma, because he did not want Kamui and Fuuma to be separated as he and Seishiro had, he had paid to end the chains of tragedy.

"You may want to know," said Watanuki, "that those who'd traveled with you, Syaoran and the others, they have successfully defeated Fei Wong Reed."

"So, everything is normal again?"

Watanuki laughed at that question. "Normal you say! Let me ask you: is it normal when you travel simultaneously into both future and past?"

Kamui felt a cold chill run through his heart. "You knew?"

"Of course I know," Watanuki shook his head at the foolishness of the question, "I'm the successor to Yuuko Ichihara. I can see what happens, what will happen, and what has already happened."

"Then explain to me how such an unnatural thing can happen!" Kamui demanded.

Watanuki held up his hand, asking for calmness. "Something like this can only be in one case scenario," he said. "When future is past, and past is future, something like this can happen."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean," growled Fuuma, who had been silent up until now.

"It means that you have traveled through a time loop," Watanuki revealed.

"WHAT!"

"It's stable," Watanuki added, "at least, as far as I can tell."

"That's... your answer?" Kamui said. "That's the truth you wish to tell us?"

"You already know the answer to those questions... with your memories being restored, and all..."

"If we are inside a time loop, then doesn't that mean we're trapped?" Fuuma surmised.

"Yes."

"Then how do we break out?"

Watanuki sighed, shaking his head. "That's not possible, I'm afraid."

"I don't believe that!" Fuuma felt the anger bubbling inside him. He balled his hands into fists, and declared, "I decide my own faith!"

"But you don't." Fuuma was about to make a retort, when Watanuki interrupted, "I will explain this the easiest way I can." He stood up and opened a window. "Doumeki, can you come here for a sec!" he called out.

It took but a moment, but then Doumeki was climbing through the open window into the shop.

"You could have gone through the door," Watanuki grumbled.

"You wanted me here. Stop complaining," Doumeki riposted.

Watanuki rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Can you show the egg, please?"

Doumeki narrowed his eyes. "That egg?"

Watanuki nodded. "Yes, that egg."

Doumeki blinked, then wordlessly did as he was told. The egg he revealed appeared plain, neither Kamui nor Fuuma could discern anything special about it, yet it appeared to be special and treasured, like an old heirloom.

"Can you tell us about the egg, Doumeki?"

Doumeki slowly nodded, uncertain where Watanuki wanted to go with this request. "This egg is an heirloom," he began. "It was given to my ancestor Shizuka Doumeki by the Witch Yuuko Ichihara. She told him to use it in an important decision, but... I don't think he ever did... at least, it doesn't appear as if this egg has ever been used."

Watanuki smiled. "To a chick an egg is its entire world," he explained. "Fuuma. Kamui. You are the chick; and this egg symbolizes your world."

A heavy feeling set inside Kamui's stomach.

"What... are you talking about?" Fuuma dreadfully asked.

"It means that you're forever trapped, never to see the end, because no decision has been made on it," Watanuki replied. When he realized that neither Kamui nor Fuuma understood this explanation, he continued, "Visualize this world as a story created by an author. The author created a splendid world with magic, adventure, love and friendship, but eventually lost interest in it. That's what happened to this egg, and that's what happened to your story, my friends. Shizuka lost interest in this egg and left it to what it was; so did the author lose interest in your story, abandoning you to this destiny."

It was obvious when the information had finally sunk in, because the moment it did, the twin stars' complexion paled, turning to ash.

"So... this is it?" Kamui asked. "We have no ending?"

Watanuki nodded. "I'm afraid so."

When Watanuki gave them this in answer, both Fuuma and Kamui sagged to the ground and wept in defeat; for the author who dealt them this fate was cruel indeed.

THE END?