*****
The Sumeragi Estate: 11:52 P.M.
Subaru sat cross-legged in the center of the courtyard, basking in the cold moonlight, seeking to soothe his troubled mind long enough to summon enough power. He didn't know whether he could actually exorcise this curse or not; there hadn't been any recorded incidents of a Shinigami being acted on. Surely if the curse was sufficiently potent to carry beyond death, then it would require Subaru's utmost skill to remove
A small breeze brushed a silent lock of his hair over his forehead; somehow, his hair never covered his eyes. Beyond the closed lids, he began to grasp the magic, feeling the pulsations of the ground, the air, the spirits around them, twisting and weaving intricate webs, coming together to form a potent weapon and shield. In his mind, he saw himself drowning in the magic and not caring, being devoured by it but also being reborn, for its every use by the two-faced onmyouji altered its form beyond its original purpose, and then he was still. Another wisp of wind wafted against his face, and Kurosaki Hisoka stepped in front of him.
"Good. You're on time we'll be able to take full advantage of the dormant spirits in the area. Sometimes, during the day, they can interfere with the process." Subaru rose smoothly to his feet, and his white overcoat shimmered in the black light of the night. Hisoka just stood there, nervous, unsure of what to make of all of this. "Take off your shirt."
Hisoka blushed something he normally didn't do. "What?"
"Take off your shirt. It'll allow me to get more contact with you, and interpret the curse's energies more clearly."
Subaru watched as Hisoka stripped off the denim jacket and button-up shirt. With a whispered word, the discarded clothes disappeared from the circle. Reaching out with his arms, he gently pushed down on the younger Shinigami's shoulders until Hisoka was kneeling down. His skin was warm was everybody warmer than Subaru was? Every time he went near somebody, it seemed like he was colder, harsher, somehow withdrawn from the rest of the world. In any case here goes nothing.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes. Is there anything you want me to do?"
"Just hold still until it's finished. You'll go into a sort of trance as I begin the spell it's nothing to be afraid of. Just your internal emotions."
"Hai."
"Ok I'll try to make this as fast as possible." Subaru leaned down and cupped the boy's face in his hands, like he would a small bird, and then touched his forehead to the boy's own. The clock struck midnight, a single tone ringing through the courtyard. At each corner of the pentagram, an unlit candle burst into flame, focusing the magic of the Sumeragi. The jade engravings began to glow a deep emerald. Subaru began chanting softly, began to enter the consciousness of the Shinigami, testing the strength of the bonds that had kept the boy enslaved beyond death.
*****
Tsuzuki watched from beyond the corporeal plane, feeling the energy pulse in and out of the Sumeragi estate. Hisoka was kneeling down, his silken skin pale in contrast to the blood-red lines of Muraki's curse. The purple eyes creased in jealousy as the Sumeragi placed his hands around Soka-chan's head, and then opened wide as the two of them came together. The flow of magic increased, a whirlwind to those who could see it, and then it all became silent.
Tsuzuki began to move toward the compound, seeking to free his friend.
*****
Subaru walked forward, the white coat dripping onto the liquid surface. He could hear Hisoka's anguished sobs coming from somewhere somewhere but he couldn't quite place it. Somehow, the boy symbolized something that Subaru had lost thrice before, and he wouldn't fail again. He approached a door, alone in the oily black of the dreamscape, and tried to open it. A searing pain took his hand, and he released it, watched as the handle glowed a crimson red, guarded by magic.
Subaru furrowed his brow and flung a white ofuda at the door, then five more in an equidistant circle around him. He chanted softly, summoning his exorcist powers, and the pentagram on the door began to glow crimson as well. With a shout, he began to blast the door with a purging force, seeking to implode the bonds that held the boy tied down, tied to something evil and at the same time dreadfully hurt
A harsh laugh boomed in his ears, a deep, melodious voice tuned like the finest instrument. The ofuda on the door shattered, and Subaru was left with one hand facing forward, one finger pointed at the sky. A giant illusion appeared in front of him, a colorless face with platinum hair draped over startlingly piercing eyes. It grew larger and seemed to swallow the small Sumeragi
Subaru shifted his spell's focus, and a series of ripples tore across the dreamscape towards the approaching head, the white magic warping the dream itself
*****
Hisoka buckled from within, screamed loudly, and was dimly aware of the night sky being streaked with violent auroras from the violence inside, of the water of the courtyard beginning to boil as the Sumeragi drew in energy from all his home. Don't give up, Sumeragi-san! The sanguine engravings began to glow a deeper red, and Hisoka screamed.
*****
Subaru withdrew the onslaught, breathing deeply. Casting a lesser spell, he removed most of his fatigue. The door stood before him, impervious to his most powerful exorcisms. The figure would appear often, torturing him, leering at him, taunting him, the flaps of his overcoat dancing to its owner's every word. Time to give it another go
Subaru stopped, sat down on the liquid floor, watched the ripples flow outward from his body Focus. Focus. The power is apart of me, it is one with me. I am the center, yet I can reach anywhere I wish. The words became a mantra, he wrapped it around him like armor Subaru closed his eyes and brought his fingers to his temples. Without uttering a word, the darkened dream was bathed in white light, Subaru's shadow black against the door.
He opened his eyes and focused his spell.
The wind tore at him, ripping the trench coat from his body, then his shirt, leaving him naked above the waist against he onslaught. Blood streaked from a dozen cuts along his body, sheathing the lean youth in fluid. He shouted in challenge and directed the spell against the door, pouring all of his energy into one final shout.
*****
Tsuzuki watched the operation in fascination he never imagined a mortal with such power. In the gale that shook the complex, he watched the two figures huddled in the center, untouched by the wind. Suddenly, the Sumeragi stood bared in the middle, and Hisoka screamed in pain, the emerald eyes glistening with unshed tears, then the boy clutched at the exposed onmyouji.
"Soka-chan!" Tsuzuki's feelings overrode his caution, and he leapt forward to save his friend. Reaching out with his own formidable powers as an onmyouji, he sought to penetrate the barrier that shielded the pair from the kamis of the area
Vines and branches twisted out of nowhere, tearing into the suit and drawing blood from the Shinigami, and as Tsuzuki saw the real world fade into a white background, he saw with despair the five candles at the tips of the pentagram flare once and then go out.
*****
Subaru's voice almost cracked, but somehow, he still sucked in more air, still beat against the door with all of his strength but it was almost gone. He had failed
A shower of sakura petals skittered across his view, distracting him for an instant, and he felt a familiar presence, a lethal presence, a powerful one, offering him visions of power and of blood beyond his dreams, just a small sacrifice, just one more
*****
Hisoka dimly heard Subaru whisper once, "I'm sorry, Hisoka."
Then felt his chest pierced by Subaru's hand, felt it snap his rib cage, felt it steal the life from his body and soul, and Hisoka passed out.
*****
"Well, well, well. What have we here?"
Tsuzuki looked desperately around, trying to find the speaker. The vines held him solid and a scent of sakura drifted slowly around. He heard footsteps behind him, but suddenly the harsh branches cut into his skin, dripping blood, and he couldn't crane his neck around. Kuso! He walks so slowly! No matter how hard Tsuzuki tugged at the branches, he couldn't free himself. He looked down with his eyes and saw a shock of black hair, covering a pair of eyes which in turn were covered by a dark pair of sunglasses. The man was wearing a very fine black suit and overcoat, but he wore the smile much more comfortably than he wore the clothes
That smile
Rage took Tsuzuki again and he flailed impotently at his prison once more, but each successive pull only drove the branches deeper and he felt faint with the small blood loss.
"I wouldn't recommend struggling. The Sakura enjoys blood and struggle. You're only feeding it." The man took out a cigarette and lit it, the pungent odor seeping into Tsuzuki's pores.
"You!!! You're dead. You're the Sakurazukamori, before Subaru was. You can't be here!" Tsuzuki spat out, flecks of red dripping out of his mouth. He was gradually lowered to the ground. The Sakurazukamori walked up to him, slowly Dammit! Hisoka I need to save him! and then took off his sunglasses.
"Ahhh, so much rage for such a beautiful face. It's a pity I didn't meet you earlier" The Sakurazukamori reached up and stroked Tsuzuki's face tenderly, as if he cared, but the leering smile remained. Tsuzuki shuddered involuntarily the touch was warm and loving and lethal all at the same time. Why did he remind Tsuzuki of Muraki so much? "You really shouldn't have tried to interfere with Subaru-kun. The Sakura protects its keeper very well."
"Stop telling me what to do!" seethed Tsuzuki, flinching away from the touch. Seishirou took another step forward, until he was only inches away.
"I could kill you right now if I wanted to," said the assassin simply. "But I won't. It's not my job to kill anymore the only reason I'm here is because Subaru-kun wishes the Sakura to keep me around awhile longer. But you you're here for a different reason. Are you jealous of Subaru-kun? Do you think he loves that young boy?"
Tsuzuki glared, said nothing.
"Ah. So I'm right. Nice to know I can still read my victims as well as I used to." Seishirou winked at Tsuzuki with his blind eye and walked away. "Well, you could summon your shikigami, and I doubt I could stop you. Your powers in that regard far exceed my own." Tsuzuki considered that, then prepared for the firebird. "But if you do, remember that when the maboroshi fails, so will Subaru's hold on the boy. He'll die if the link isn't severed properly. Do you wish that?"
Tsuzuki glared, said nothing. The assassin's light laughter burned at him.
"Didn't think so." Seishirou turned to face the assassin again. "Do try to get along with Subaru-kun. I wouldn't like to have to pay you another visit." With that, the assassin walked away, slowly, taking his damn time, until he was just a small speck in the distance, then the maboroshi disappeared, and Tsuzuki fell to the ground, gasping.
He only saw Hisoka lying on top of Subaru in a pool of slowly drying blood, eerily beautiful in the coming dawn.
*****
Subaru felt his power fade into the dream, the door still impervious to anything he could summon. A shower of sakura petals skittered across his view, distracting him for an instant, and he felt a familiar presence, a lethal presence, a powerful one, offering him dreams of power and of blood beyond his dreams, just a small sacrifice, just one more with that, he charged the door.
His blind eye flashed into a silvery glow, and his hand bled a crimson guard as he plunged it into the door. The power of the Sakura filled him, and the door began to bleed, a trickle at first, then gushing. His hand flared, and fire poured out from around his body, bathing the dream in the orange light. A brilliant explosion tore the door asunder, and suddenly it wasn't a door but the boy Hisoka, and the flames receded to reveal the courtyard. But the light was still shining from his hand, and Hisoka was still screaming, screaming in pain and finally Subaru pulled his hand out with a gush of blood, and fell unconscious to his knees.
The last thing he saw was Seishirou leaning against the Sakura, nodding his approval at the young onmyouji's action, and Subaru smiled.
*****
Tsuzuki forgot his anger and sprinted for the fallen pair. Soka-chan He picked up the boy, the curse marks clearly written in red along the skin, a gaping hole in his chest that fought to close against the air. Tsuzuki cradled his friend against his chest, a tear dropping onto his forehead, and set him down on the grass next to the pond. He turned around and walked purposefully back to where the Sumeragi had collapsed onto the jade pentagram. Hauling the onmyouji to an upright position, Tsuzuki savagely kicked him in the stomach. Subaru doubled over, wrenched back to consciousness, and coughed up blood.
"Nande?" he managed to whisper. Tsuzuki prepared to do it again when Hisoka cried out for him to stop. Whirling on his partner, he spitted Hisoka with a harsh stare.
"You disobeyed a direct order, and he almost killed you! Hisoka, what the hell were you thinking?!" Tsuzuki stormed in a loud voice, his anger overriding his concern.
Hisoka nodded, then dipped his hand into the water next to him. Cupping a small amount of water, Hisoka gently bathed his shoulder and what Tsuzuki had thought was the curse washed away in a bloody solution but the shoulder was clean.
Subaru watched the older Shinigami's reaction with painful satisfaction. The frown disappeared into a neutral face, then the purple eyes turned to stare at him in disbelief. Subaru smiled wanly, said nothing. Hisoka continued to wash away the blood, clearly overexhausted but driven by his hatred for his bondage he found the energy to do so. Subaru looked up at the Shinigami, felt the kindness override the hatred and the jealousy, perceived that his danger was over, then went to sleep.
*****
Subaru stood, fully healed, facing the Shinigami in his standard garb. "Thank you, Sumeragi-san. For everything." Bright emerald eyes shone up at him, but he couldn't bring himself to embrace the smaller one.
"It was nothing. I did it for me. So I should probably apologize."
"There is no need to. I'm free now, but Tsuzuki-kun and I are going to back now. You're in bed, so we couldn't say goodbye, but we won't forget you.
Remember, Sumeragi-san. Nobody should be without friends." With that, Subaru watched the Shinigami fade from his dream, and then he woke up.
*****
The dim lights of the open bedroom didn't hurt his eyes as he opened them. His body was bandaged expertly and the wounds were closing faster than they normally did. He looked at the clock only eleven in the morning. Oh it's tomorrow. Heh. Subaru thought of something, recalled what the Shinigami had told him, then got dressed. The train back to Tokyo left in less than an hour he would have to catch it.
*****
The shrine was overgrown and ill-kept, but the house was clean and the plants well watered. So much stemmed from this house and from these memories that it felt like home though Subaru had never been here before. Subaru walked up to the door, nervous for the first time in a long time. He didn't know what to expect from this meeting, after all, he only barely knew the owner.
But it was the one link to the past that Subaru was willing to accept, because Kamui had been willing to accept him and love him as well.
He knocked on the door, and stood there stoically
"Konnichiwa Eh? Subaru? Is it really you?" A tall figure stood in the doorway, handsome, grown beyond his years, and maybe a friend.
"Hi, Fuuma. I just wanted to talk to you. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting." Subaru felt his cheeks flush at past memories but the teenager didn't seem to notice. Amber eyes pierced at him, no longer full of lust, no longer mocking.
"No, no, not at all. Please, come in." A long arm reached out and embraced him, warm, comforting, authentically friendly, and Subaru finally returned the gesture and allowed himself to be escorted inside.
**
Snick-fwoosh. A thin trail of smoke escaped from his lips as he stood outside, leaning on a tree.
"Good-bye, Subaru-kun." Seishirou smiled, and walked away into the Tokyo night.
*****
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*****
Author's Conclusion: Wow, this is possible the most fun I've ever had writing a fanfiction. I have to give a small apology for making it slightly Subaru/Hisoka I was planning to make it Tsuzuki/Subaru but the plot just didn't unfold that way. I'm sorry that it also wasn't a little more shounen-ai; again, the development of Subaru's character didn't really allow for more than just coincidental contact. I'm planning on writing a Seishirou/Dark Fuuma fanfic next that should me more fanservice while still retaining a serious plot.
I hope you enjoi-ed reading this. It's finished. ^_^
-Tsuriai Yuuto
