Smiles of a Summer Night
Smiles of a Summer Night

By Maria Szabo

Disclaimer: the settings and characters of X belong to CLAMP, their publishers and their respective distributers. This is a work of fanfiction, no profit is being made and copyright infringement is not intended. The title "Smiles of a Summer Night" is a tribute to the 1956 film by Ingmar Bergman and no infringement of his rights or those of his distributors is intended either. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter are from Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" and are used only because I love the musical so much. Please don't sue me!

Part 2

Don't you love farce?

My fault, I fear.

I thought that you'd want what I want

Sorry, my dear

Stephen Sondheim Send in the Clowns

Despite the destruction around it, Hachiko still stood at attention. Through rain, wind, snow and hail, the dog had waited patiently at Shibuya station for his master's return, even after the old man had died. Seishiro Sakurazuka parked himself at the base of the faithful dog's statue and lit a cigarette. He, too, was used to waiting.

A touch of illusion was all it took to fade into the background so that no one would bother him. Hachiko's monument, while still a popular place to meet, was also a notorious pick-up spot and he wanted no such attention today. He watched the people rush around him, busy about their own lives, which even the recent earthquakes could not completely disrupt. In his heart, he used to hate them, for having the normal life that he could just imagine, but that was long ago, in another lifetime, back when he cared. Then he grew up, took on the mantle of responsibility that his birth and rank had forced upon him, and put away such childish things.

Except for that one time…he took a long drag off his cigarette and blew the smoke into a cloud. He used the backdrop to manipulate a picture of a delicate boy in magician's robes, whose green eyes reflected all the tears of the world..so beautiful…

"That's pretty…who is she?"

"My prey." He replied sharply. The illusion dissolved into a vague wisp of smoke. "You're early, Kigai-san."

"So are you." Yuuto Kigai gave his blandest smile. "I take KAMUI contacted you as well, then."

"Do you know what this is about?"

"I was hoping you would. Aren't you hot in that coat?" He was dressed almost casually today, in short sleeves because of the hot August weather. Sakurazuka himself barely noticed such things anymore. "KAMUI said meet him here, so here we meet. He might have picked a place less crowded."

"You wish." He snorted.

"Not around HIM, I don't." Kigai-san gave an apologetic shrug. "And neither will you, if you're smart."

He gave the other man a sharp glance. Kigai-san had not made much of an impression on him the day that they met…pleasant, but inconsequential. Diplomatic to a fault. When he'd found out later that the man was a hydromancer, he'd not been surprised. Those who channel the elements tend to take on their qualities. It seemed there was more him than he'd previously thought.

"You're here. Good." KAMUI stood before them suddenly. The boy seemed to like surprise entrances. He was dressed in a black and white yukata and had the construct with him. "Kazuki, you remember Sakurazuka-san, don't you?"

Nataku stared impassively at him. "Yes."

Seishiro smiled pleasantly at it. "How are you today?"

The thing looked confused. "I…"

"Don't tease her like that." Admonished KAMUI. "You haven't seen Kusanagi-san around, have you?"

Seishiro shook his head. "No." Which was just as well. One elemental magician was bad enough.

KAMUI shrugged. "He probably didn't get my message then."

"He never seems to get any messages." observed Kigai-san.

"Yes," agreed KAMUI, "I really need to talk to him about that. But the rest of you are here. That's good. Let's get going."

"Going? Go where? What are we doing?" asked Kigai-san.

"Out to a festival, of course. We might as well have some fun before we completely destroy the city."

Seishiro laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all. Kazuki here is really looking forward to it." Nataku turned to look at the KAMUI and then turned back, face utterly expressionless. "Don't you like festivals, Sakurazuka-san?"

He really didn't like anything anymore, but that wasn't something that was safe to say to the KAMUI. "So where are the others?"

The KAMUI shrugged. "Satsuki-chan wasn't interested—too boring, she said. Kakyou isn't really in any condition to go anywhere. And who knows where Kusanagi-san is?"

"Who ever knows where he is?" muttered Kigai-san.

"What was that?" KAMUI glared.

Kigai-san smiled. "Nothing. And where's the festival?"

"CLAMP Academy," replied the KAMUI. "You know it?"

"I'm an alumnus, actually." Kigai-san gave a real smile this time. "They're well known for their festivals. You're right, KAMUI, this should be fun."

Sakurazuka rolled his eyes. What a suck-up, he thought. He lit up another cigarette. "I'm very busy right now. Sorry."

The KAMUI didn't bat an eye. "Subaru-kun should be there. He's living at the Academy, you know."

He didn't know, but filed the fact for future reference. "So?"

"So." The boy was really infuriating sometimes. "You're coming, right?"

Seishiro responded with a cloud of sakura petals. When the air was clear, he was gone.

Kamui followed Sorata and his flapping robes through the main line of booths lining the largest path in the park. He'd not paid much attention at his orientation when he'd started CLAMP Academy and was surprised at the size of the festival. He certainly didn't realize there were this many clubs. Sorata seemed unfazed, and also seemed intent on finding one particular booth.

"Where are we going?" KAMUI finally asked.

"The Motor-Club booth." Sorata gave a mysterious smile. "The Chairman told me that it's a little-known secret that they have the very best Yakitori in the city. You like yakitori, don't you?"

"Sure." He had a soft spot for the chicken and veggies on a stick. Mother used to bring some home at times, back in Okinawa.

"Great…and here's the booth!"

The Motor Club booth was pretty easy to disguish with the rebuilt race car sitting in the front. The booth itself wasn't very large and was taken up mostly by a couple of unique portable charcoal-pits that looked liked they'd been souped-up with non-standard materials.

"Welcome to the Motor-Club booth!" chorused a couple of nerdy-looking guys in headbands. One wore a Speed Racer t-shirt under his happi.

"Would you like some yakitori?"

"Best on the Campus, you know!"

"Help us in our attempt to wrest the title from Nekomi Tech!"

"C'mon, Sensei, what'll it be?"

"Order of four," replied Sorata as he fished out a wallet from somewhere in his robes. "How much?"

They walked away with their bounty. Kamui took out a stick and nibbled experimentally on what looked like a piece of chicken. It tasted as good as it smelled.

"Delicious, isn't it?" asked Sorata. He munched enthusiastically on his, careful not to spill anything on his robes.

Kamui nodded. Trust the monk to know where the best food was to be found. They sat on the edge of a fountain and continued their meal.

"So," began Sorata, in between bites, "tell me more about this dream of yours."

"There's not much more to tell."

"Subaru-san seemed a little concerned." The monk's eyes were piercing. "He went pretty white when you mentioned the dragons…em…luuuuv."

"He probably has more to worry about."

"And why is that?"

Kamui stopped right there and wished he could take back his words. Sorata, and the others as well, probably didn't know about Subaru's past with the Sakurazukamori, and it really wasn't his place to talk about it. "Nothing."

"C'mon, Kamui." Sorata's voice lost its usual teasing edge. "I admit, Subaru-san's not my favorite person, and I wouldn't pry if it wasn't tied to the end of the world. Is there some reason for Subaru-san to think he might be one of those mating dragons?"

"….Yes…" admitted Kamui.

"Can you tell me why?"

"I'd rather not." At Sorata's disappointed look, he added, "It's not my place."

The priest seemed to accept that. "Fair enough. Is it safe to say that we'd want to take extra measures to protect him?"

Kamui considered. "Maybe."

Sorata was silent for a moment while he finished his stick of yakitori. "Could it be someone else? One of the girls, maybe?"

"I don't know…perhaps." He thought back, trying to remember who had fought who. "I don't think Arashi has met any of them besides Fuuma, and we know he's not involved. Karen-san, now…"

Sorata picked right up on the idea. "She fought that Nataku-thing, and Kigai-san. Ok, we'll probably need to talk to her. She said she'd try to come by the festival today."

"What about Yuzuriha? There was that girl, the one who blew up Shinjuku?""

"Whoa! Kinky! But…no, no chance. She killed Inuki, remember? Yuzu-chan wouldn't get within 10 feet of her. And besides, she's just a kid."

He had a point. Kamui felt a little better, knowing that things could be whittled down to a manageable amount. "Ok, so who's left? Aoki-san?"

"Nah."

"I didn't think so either. How about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. You've been rather visible."

Sorata blanched. "But…they're all guys! Kamui, I don't DO guys!"

"There's the computer-girl?"

"I never met her. Besides, even if she was a mega-babe, she still couldn't hold a candle to Nee-chan." Sorata actually blushed a little. "Everyone thinks I'm joking, but I really do love her, Kamui." He laughed quietly to himself. "Not that she'd ever believe me."

He ackwardly patted the monk's shoulder. Sorata shook his head, and then laughed.

"Ok!" he said, "We have a plan! We watch out for Subaru-san, and talk to Karen-san. Maybe we can make this prophecy work FOR us, eh, Kamui?"

Kamui nodded. It was worth a shot.

Kusanagi was a little hesitant as he crossed the moat and approached the open gate of the CLAMP Academy. He could sense the wards of protection set about the grounds and hoped his presence wouldn't trigger any reactions. Yuzuriha had spoken excitedly about the size and beauty of the grounds, but it really was something that had to be seen to be believed. The whole place had an air of grandeur and prestige. He felt a little out of place.

He looked at his watch. Early again…but then, he was always early. Even as a child, his mother often teased him about it.

"You'll be early for your own funeral, Kusa-chan." She'd laugh.

"But not to yours." He'd reply with a hug.

And Mother would bite her lip and ruffle his hair and say nothing. Even then, she knew what he was, and that she would probably outlive him. She had settled in Sapporo and he visited when he could get more than a few day's leave. He wondered idly what she would think of Yuzuriha if he brought her home and smiled at the thought. As if we'll live that long.

Yuzuriha. That was another problem. He'd long ago become accustomed to his mission in life, his role as an agent of destruction. His father had told him he was a weapon of the Goddess, it was his name and his purpose. Mother was a little more helpful, telling him to think of himself as a flood, or a wildfire, or a typhoon, or an earthquake. Things that were destructive, but not evil in and of themselves. And as he grew older, and his senses grew keener to the cries of the ravaged earth, he began to wholeheartedly embrace his role as a harbinger of winter, knowing that after a time of death, spring would come again to the earth.

But that was before he met her.

She didn't look anything like what he thought a Dragon of Heaven should be. Instead of a proud, hardened warrior, she was pretty and delicate and sweet, and her eyes shone with an unquenchable thirst for life. Every time he saw her, part of him began to wonder if winter was all that necessary.

Idiot, he told himself. You know this, and yet she calls and you come running. You need to stop this. You have a mission. She's the enemy. Just walk away now, before this goes any further and…

"Kusanagi-san?"

Too late.

He turned at the sound of her voice and blushed a little. "Missy. You surprised me."

She smiled like a cat who'd gotten in the cream. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"No, I was early. You look really pretty today…I don't think I've ever seen you in traditional clothes." The yellow suited her, he thought. "I like the pattern."

She blushed in return. "Thank you. Do you have a yukata, Kusanagi-san?"

"I do. Not as cute as that one. It's just plain—brown and white. It's so hot today, I should have worn it."

Yuzuriha slipped her hand in his. "That's ok. I like the uniform."

"Yeah, right." He snorted. "That's what all the pretty girls say."

She joined his laughter. "You've never been here before, have you? Would you like to take a look around?"

"Sure…but where's Inuki?" A small yip sounded at his ankles. He knelt down and patted the dog, ignoring the startled glances around him. "It seemed a little too quiet around here," he told the puppy and looked up at Yuzuriha. "Where would you like to start?"

"Are you hungry? There are plenty of food booths!"

He smiled. "You must have read my mind, Missy."

She pulled on his hand and he followed her into the crowd. What the hell. It was still summertime. He'd worry about the winter tomorrow.

To be continued