Okay, this is a rather strange A/U based on a scene I wrote for Yume (but haven't actually released yet.) It's a Yume sidestory and Subaru and Seishirou based.
Seishirou doesn't appear in this part - this one is mostly scene setting. It's next part that the plot begins. I'll post that today as well, I think.
Spoilers for X, book 8 or so. Up to that Subaru and Kamui scene. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you shouldn't read this.
Prologue
A young man walked the streets of Tokyo, looking around as if for the first time. The wind ruffled his shaggy black hair and caused his white trenchcoat to billow out around him. Haunted green eyes stared out at the bare trees of winter, taking note.
"So little has changed," he said to himself. "I thought at least some of the trees would be dead."
But the trees were healthy, strong and tall against the overcast sky.
"Well," he said, with a bitter laugh. "At least the weather matches my mood."
He glanced at the address on a scrap of newspaper that he held, and hailed a taxi to take him there. He paid the fee, and walked over to stand outside the door, bracing himself.
He knocked.
After a moment, the door was opened by a teenager with long black hair and chocolate brown eyes. He blinked at the young man for a moment before his eyes flooded with recognition. "Subaru-san!" exclaimed the boy, sounding shocked.
"Tsuru-san," said Subaru, bowing. "I hear you're the new Clan Head. Congratulations."
The boy blushed. "I'm not ready for it, I think. I'm so young... You would be--" He stopped. "Come in," he said, gesturing for Subaru to enter.
Subaru left his shoes inside the hallway and followed the boy inside. "I'm not going to be Clan Head," he said, once they were sitting down.
"Oh," said Tsuru, seeming disappointed.
"But I will help out. It's a lot of work for one person, I know. I've been there before."
"Really?" said Tsuru, excitedly. "Because it's 1999, only I have school and I so wanted to go to CLAMP University but I don't have enough time for study--"
Subaru smiled. "I understand. That's why I'm here."
A Little Bet
A Yume Side Story.
Chapter One
It was another rainy day. He'd been back in Tokyo for a month and it seemed like all it had done was rain, rain and thunderstorm. Whilst it effectively prevented him from going anywhere that might bring up bad memories, it also left him inside all day with nothing to do but brood. The odd call from Tsuru, regarding a job the current Clan Head couldn't make it to, did very little to alleviate his rapidly increasing depression.
Someone knocked on his door. Subaru paused. He didn't have any friends in Tokyo, and Tsuru should be in school. After a few moments, whoever it was knocked again.
"Coming!" he called, putting on some slippers and making his way to the door.
"Subaru-san!" cried Tsuru, as soon as it was opened. "You have to help me!" The boy looked distraught and was pacing frantically outside the door.
Subaru blinked at him, and then gently guided him inside and onto the sofa. "What's wrong, Tsuru-san?" he asked gently.
"Kamui's gone Within and I can't get him out, even if I go Within him. I don't know what to do, Subaru-san!" said Tsuru - so quickly it took a moment to decipher his meaning.
So, Kamui finally had made his choice. Subaru looked thoughtful. "What happened, exactly?"
Tsuru explained the situation breathlessly.
Subaru sighed. "Let me talk to him. I think we have some things in common."
Tsuru's face lit up. "Will you?"
The other onmyouji nodded. "Just let me get my coat."
Subaru had bought himself a nice little car for his stay in Tokyo, and they used that to make their way to CLAMP Campus. Tsuru led him inside, twisting his hands together nervously.
Two of the other Seals looked up at them as they entered the room.
"Everyone, this is my cousin Subaru. Subaru, these are Sorata and Arashi. Subaru's going see if he can get through to Kamui, okay?"
Sorata looked doubtful. "But you've already tried magic, haven't you?"
"Subaru's much better than I am," gushed Tsuru. "I'm sure--"
"I know what Kamui is going through," interrupted Subaru, quietly. "It won't hurt him if I try."
Tsuru led him through to Kamui's room, followed by Sorata and Arashi.
Subaru knelt by the bed and chanted quietly, ending the spell preparation by placing his fingers on Kamui's forehead.
The boy's mind was a mess of images, all of them bloody and violent. Subaru waded through them stoically, calling Kamui's name the whole time.
When he finally found him, Kamui was hysterical. Kamui's inner self was a very young child, with wide violet eyes that were, at that moment, full of pain.
"Listen to me! Kamui! If you don't escape this dream, nothing will begin and nothing will end. Things will only get worse. Just like what happened to me."
The boy blinked up at him.
"Right now, you are deep within your heart. Something terrible happened, and so you left that world to walk on one of your own. You're running away from reality. "
Kamui turned to look at another image behind him. "Who is that?"
It was inevitable, Subaru supposed, that his own ghosts would begin to appear in this intimate meeting of minds. "My sister," he said, pained. Quietly, he explained how the man he loved had betrayed him and how his sister had given herself up in his own place. "I couldn't do anything to stop her... I didn't even realise what she was going to do, because I was so caught up in myself."
Kamui's eyes were wet with tears.
"It's alright to stay here, if that's what makes you truly happy. But, if you don't get out of here, nothing will begin and nothing will end. You will be stuck as a spectator, just like I was."
The boy stood. "I want to bring Fuuma back. Because I couldn't protect Kotori, now I want to protect Fuuma. And He is not Fuuma."
"Then, for the sake of that wish... Return," said Subaru, gently drawing the boy into a hug and then falling into darkness.
The next thing he was aware of was waking up to see Tsuru hovering over him, looking worried. "Subaru-san! Are you okay?"
He sat up, slowly. "I will be," he said. "Once the backlash wears off."
"Here," said Tsuru. "Let me take you home."
It took Subaru a long time to stop crying before he slept that night.
~ TBC ~
Um, the dialogue for that scene was taken almost directly from Taryn's X scanlations. I would like to thank her very much.
Oh, and meet Tsuru, the unavoidable original character. Just so you know - he's straight. *grins*