Skinwalker
A Tokyo Babylon/X songfic
By Sakura
Painted desert
Peyote rain
Lord don`t let me
Go insane
Skinwalker
Ooh
Skinwalker
Who am I
Who are you
I was only
Passing through
Skinwalker
Ooh
Skinwalker
Subaru woke with a start. He had the
same dream again. Every night for the past few months he would dream that he
was nine years old again, dressed in his ceremonial onmyoujitsu robes. He was
standing under a large sakura tree in a vast darkness; the tree being the only
source of light.
He
was talking to someone, a boy in a high-school uniform. However, he was never
able to see the boy's face completely. He was haunted by the boy's smile and
the whispered words in his ear, "I'll make a bet with you." He never could stay
asleep long enough to hear what the bet was.
"Who
was that?" the sixteen-year-old onmyouji asked himself. "Was it someone I met
when I first came to Tokyo?"
In another part of Tokyo, Seishirou
smiled; satisfied that he once again managed to keep his prey from remembering.
"It's not time yet for you to remember, Subaru-kun. Just a bit longer."
The
sakurazukamori took out a cigarette and lit it, waiting for his latest victim
to show up. Another soft smile came to his face when he felt Subaru fall back
to sleep. "How time flies when you're having fun," he whispered, remembering
the moment he met the Sumeragi for the second time.
A strange encounter
To be sure
He was wicked
He was pure
Hear him calling
He`s calling for you
Subaru ran along the station,
chasing the black bird only those gifted in onmyoujitsu could see. To the
passengers and passersby, he looked like a typical teenage boy late for the
next train, though he was dressed a bit oddly.
The
black haired boy was oblivious to anything and everything around him, even his
twin sister's incessant shouts to be careful went unheard. So intent was he in
following the shikigami, he didn't see the crack in the tile and so got the toe
of his shoe caught in it.
Subaru
let out a cry as he was suddenly propelled forward. Expecting to hit cold tile,
he was surprised when he bumped into something hard and warm. Strong arms
wrapped around him and gently helped him to stand. "Daijobu ka?" a voice asked.
Looking
up, he saw a tall man with warm gold eyes looking at him with concern. "Gomen,"
he said bowing deeply. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
"It's
all right," the man returned with a smile. 'My how you've grown,' he thought,
recognizing the boy as the little onmyouji he had marked years ago. 'So
kawaii.'
"You
really shouldn't be running like that. This is a dangerous place," he said,
once he came from his reverie.
"Subaru!!
Where are you?!" A girl in a pink butterfly outfit came running up to him.
"Didn't I tell you not to run like that?! Yeesh you're going to be the death of
me one of these days."
"Hokuto-chan!"
the boy said, embarrassed, a faint blush coming to his already rosy cheeks.
"Oh
hello!" the boy's twin sister said noticing the obviously amused stranger
standing next to Subaru.
Come with me
Into the mystic
Come with me
Into the night
We can live
Live forever
Live forever
This night, Seishirou decided to
have a bit of fun with his prey. The poor boy had been stressing himself out
far too much lately. It was his decision to protect Subaru and thus lose
an eye because of it. The little onmyouji cared too much for others for his own
good. Closing the good eye along with the still bandaged one, the
sakurazukamori slipped into the dreams of the boy resting at his bedside.
Subaru
was at the sakura again, but he wasn't the nine-year-old boy this time. He was
his present self and very confused as to why he was standing under a sakura
tree literally in the middle of nowhere. He had a very kawaii perplexed look on
his face.
The
boy started at the sound of soft chuckling behind him. Leaning nonchalantly
against the trunk was Seishirou, his head wrapped in clean white bandages.
"Seishirou-san, I…"
The
vet reached out and silenced Subaru with a light touch to his lips. Subaru
blushed at the sudden contact. Smiling, Seishirou shook his head. "You really
don't have to apologize Subaru-kun. It was something that none of us could stop
from happening."
The
Sumeragi was about to say something, but Seishirou's gaze held him fast. "I'm
not blaming you. Wouldn't you have done the same if it were me in danger?"
The
boy bit his lip, trying to stop the tears from coming. "O-Of course
Seishirou-san! Y-You're…" Another blush came to his face, this one a bit deeper
red. "special to me."
Seishirou
smiled. This particular prey was truly worth the delay. Subaru proved to be
more than just an amusement he was also a fascinating mix of innocence and
compassion. "You're special to me too," he replied gently brushing away a few
tears that managed to slip away from the boy's control. "So no more tears,
Subaru-kun."
Sniffling,
Subaru let the older man hold him close, content to feel Seishirou's heartbeat
next to him. 'Let's see how far I can take this shall we?' the man whispered to
the tree who seemed to be watching the scene with great interest. Seishirou
placed his hand under the boy's chin and lifted his head up.
Subaru
gazed quizzically at his friend then got the shock of his life as Seishirou
closed the gap between them and gently kissed his lips. The younger onmyouji
could only stand still, too shocked to do anything. Moments later, after the
initial shock had worn off, Subaru wrapped his arms around the older man's neck
and shyly began to return the kiss.
Painted desert
Peyote rain
Lord don`t let me
Go insane
Skinwalker
Ooh
Skinwalker
Through your eyes
I can see
You have left
Your mark on me
Skinwalker
Ooh
Skinwalker
Years later,
Subaru stood leaning against the only blooming sakura tree in Ueno Park. He
looked at the faintly glowing stars eternally carved into the back of his
hands. His lower lip fought desperately to keep hold of the cigarette he'd been
smoking.
It
lost the battle and the half smoked butt fell to the grass below. A half
chocked sob forced its way out of the onmyouji's mouth as Subaru quickly
stomped on the smoldering cigarette. He looked at the remains confused as to
why he had put out the fire. Then he turned to the tree. "This is your
fault!" he shouted at it. The tree shook its branches, silently laughing at
him.
"Damn
you! I loved them!" Subaru sighed. Yelling at the tree wouldn't bring him back,
or his sister for that matter. "I really should have let that cigarette burn,"
he said coldly. "Then no one else would have to suffer like I did." More
rustling from the tree mocked him.
"Subaru!!!"
He
looked to see a boy in a CLAMP academy uniform running toward him. Cursing
himself for not noticing the Ten no Ryuu's presence, Subaru sighed; too late to
run now. "Hello Kamui-kun," he said, trying to appear normal.
"Where
have you been?! We were so worried," Kamui said, panting for breath.
"I
needed to be alone for a while, Kamui-kun. I needed to sort things out after…
he died," was the older man's answer.
Kamui
nodded his head in sympathy. He knew exactly what his friend and fellow Ten no
Ryuu was going through. He could still feel the pain of losing his family and
friends. "Y-you'll be coming back soon?" he asked timidly, a faint blush coming
to his face. He desperately missed and needed Subaru's comforting presence.
"I'm
not sure yet," the older Ten no Ryuu said sighing. He had been planning on
disappearing, never to return. But something in the boy's pleading gaze
reminded him of what he'd been so many years ago. 'Was this what it was like
for Seishirou-san and me back then?'
"Please
Subaru?" Tears began to fall silently down Kamui's cheeks.
"Kamui…"
The words never came. The tears wouldn't let the new sakurazukamori speak. It
seemed that the sakura hadn't won after all. Subaru was still ruled by his
emotions, unlike Seishirou.
Sighing,
Subaru wiped the boy's tears away and resigned to letting the Ten no Ryuu lead
him back to the Imonoyama mansion and the others.
'I
hope someone does tear you down!' he shot to the sakura.
The tree shook in mock
anger, knowing full well that as long as it had someone protecting it, that
would never happen.
~Owari~