A/N: Whew… I was told by a friend that my chapters were too short and looking back at it, I think so too. So I'll try to make the chapters a lot longer from now on. (Hopefully, not running out of ideas while doing that too…)Now should I let this fic have a happy ending or a sad one? Um… I should stop talking now shouldn't I? Okay! On with the story.

NOTE: This chapter takes pact after the events of vol,9 , but before the events of vol.12. (Sometime during the events of vol.10~11)

Disclaimer: For those people who actually bother with this legal crap, I don't own X. CLAMP does but hopefully, someday, I can buy Seishirou and Subaru from them.^-^

Part 3 : Awakening

I feel that I did nothing but toss and turn in my feverish dreams, walking down an endless corridor of nightmares and illusions. I saw fragments of memories in them, as I passed each image from the past. Days when I was still the naïve 16 year old, days when I still saw Seishrou as the kind veterinarian who Hokuto and I were close to. The past replayed itself in a form of an nightmare, giving me a feeling of déjà vu that I knew all too well. I guess that I was awakened from someone shaking me, bringing me out of my nightmare and back into reality. One I couldn't bear.

I opened my eyes slowly and met the face of a young teenager with a feminine-like face and large lavender eyes. He asked,

" Are you okay, Subaru-san? You seemed to be having a nightmare." he sounded concerned as he held my hand .

I nodded and took a look at my surroundings. I wondered where I was, since I couldn't remember anything that happened…besides the fact that Seishirou was the Sakurazukamori; and that he had killed Hokuto. I took a look around again. I seemed to be in a very bleak apartment, with virtually nothing in it but a bed, light and a telephone/answering machine. Strange thing was, I felt like home in the gloomy place. I turned my attention back to the boy and asked,

"Pardon me for asking, but do I know you? " I found it interesting when his large eyes widened at me and he blushed slightly and answered,

"Subaru-san, are you feeling alright? I am Kamui, Dragon of heaven and you are one too. And this is your apartment. " his soft voice echoed slightly in the room

I lifted an hand up to my face and rubbed at my eyes. Hokuto would have a fit at me if she saw me living like this… I bowed my head down and feeling his embarrassment, I grinned awkwardly and said,

" Okay… so you're Kamui-san right? And I'm a Dragon of Heaven… and…please, can you tell me where are we and how did I get here?" I felt really awkward right now. Sitting here with this boy that seems to know me quite well yet, I have no idea who he is. It was really interesting, although I really felt bad for putting him into a position like this.

I smiled genuinely trying to make him feel more comfortable with me and asked,

"I'm sorry for making you feel so awkward, but I really don't know who you are and where I am and what I have to do with this dragon of heaven thing."

I noticed his lavender eyes narrow down slightly in suspicion and he explained everything to me, how he and the other dragons had found me one day after a battle and how I had remained unconscious for several days. I listened carefully the whole time, not sure to believe what was happening. In my mind raced several questions, what happened to Seishirou after he left? Where was Hokuto? What kind of relationship did I exactly have with these strangers. I didn't know and wanted to find out, but thought it was rude to ask.

I simply waited until he was done explaining things to me and I know he was holding some things back. I didn't pry and instead, I asked him if I could have some time alone to rest and think things over. Reluctantly , he left me alone in the room.

I waited a few minutes before getting out of bed. I looked around and found what seemed to be my clothes and put them on. Inwardly, I muffled a giggle. Hokuto would kill me if she ever saw me wearing something like this she would kill me. I paused, thinking about what had happened and decided I wasn't going to think about Hokuto. I couldn't accept what had happened between the last encounter with Hokuto and Seshirou. The last thing I remember, it had been about 6 months after we knew Hokuto was dead.

I opened the door slightly and peeked out, making sure there was no one in the long hallway before I went out. I didn't want anyone to worry about my health and put me back in bed. And I knew that the young boy Kamui was around somewhere, worrying about my physical and mental health. My body felt as if it could really use a long rest, but I decided to head on out.

I managed to sneak all the way to the last door before finally being noticed. In my haste, I bumped into someone when I opened the door. I found myself facing a stoic-looking girl with long black hair, wearing a schoolgirl's uniform and holding flowers. She asked,

"Subaru-san, where are you going? I believe that you are supposed to be in bed."

I bowed, flushed and said," Gomen nasai, but I have something I must do. Please forgive me."

Her eyes narrowed for a moment and her eyes hardened, she said hastily, " It isn't another spirit shield is it? I will go."

I shook my head. And then, I bowed once more saying goodbye and rushed out before anyone could stop me. It seemed that Tokyo was the same city as always, but if one looked closely, you could see the endless destruction done by the infamous Dragons of Earth. People were homeless everywhere, countless building ravaged and there was nothing you could do about it. My heart ached for these people, desperately wanting to help them.

There was a little girl in the rubble of a building that once stood tall, scratching her fragile hands, digging through the mass of refuse, looking for something dear to her. I couldn't help it, walking up to her and kneeling down so I could see her dirty face.

" Miss? What are you looking for? You should find someone to help you find whatever it is that you're looking for."

She looked at me with blank eyes and I stared deep into them. I recognized the look quite well, it was the same one I had after Seishirou had left, telling me that I was nothing more to him than an object. The look that said one had given up on life.

The girl looked at me for a moment. Then whispered, " I am looking…. For mama. She was there one minute then everything fell down. Momma is somewhere under here…"

I stared for a moment in the giant mound, trying to sense any sign of life under there. There wasn't and I didn't know how to break the news to the girl. I didn't want to leave her there, but I also didn't want her to be devastated at the truth. As if she had read my mind, she turned away from my face and said,

"I know mama isn't there is she?… But I still wanna try to find her. I want to see her smile again… and tell me… that everything was okay."

I admired her for her courage. She couldn't have been more than 8 years old. Se continued digging through the rubble stuck in that frame of time when then building had crashed down, burying everything she held dear with it. I wanted to help, but the most I could do was provide her with a temporary illusion… and hope she would find a better place. I continued walking, not aware of someone following me, watching my every move. But I continued moving.

I had arrived at my destination, Ueno Park. I looked up at the Sakura tree, feeling the pain of all the souls trapped in it, and the one person that I cared for most was responsible for their pain. I walked up to the tree, touching it softly I had one wish right now that I was certain of, and that was to see Seishirou again. I wanted him to acknowledge me, see me as something more than an object, as a living being that actually mattered to his cold, dark world. Caught up in my thoughts, I didn't noticed someone behind me.

"Fancy meeting you here, Subaru-kun. Tell me, how have you been? It's been a while since I saw you last."

I knew that voice, scent and presence anywhere. One that I hated, yet loved; one that I admired, yet despised. I forced myself to look at him, willing my eyes to not betray a single emotion to the cold mask on his handsome face.

"Seishirou-san…"

He smiled at me with the ever- polite mask, I could decipher what he was thinking, anticipate what he would do. I was one the edge of a cliff, expecting the unexpected so much that one breeze would push me down.

" Ah, don't the Sakura trees look beautiful today? But I daresay you know the reason for their beautiful pink color. It is because of the people buried under there…"

He was mocking me and I knew it. Knowing I was still nothing but a naïve teenager under everything, no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

" So…" He remarked with a pleasant tone, " Are you here to kill me? To end this cycle of revenge once and for all?" He laughed and said, " you're so cute Subaru-kun." And our fight started.

It happened so quickly, but if felt to me as if it where something totally usual, something I did everyday. I hesitated a bit and Seishirou made the first move.

He threw some of his ofuda at me, chanting some words and transforming them into shinkigami and aiming them at me. I quickly countered it, but did nothing more than that. We did nothing for a while, with him occasionally bombarding me with spells but I did nothing more that defend for them. I was holding back from the fight and it was obvious. He trapped me into a illusion, and I feebly attempted to destroy it. As with everything that you do half-heatedly, it failed. Bound in the branches of the tree, I merely started at the ground, waiting for him to make a move.

He walked up to me and took my face in his hand. I blushed, squirmed and tried to get away but he held on tightly. I looked straight into his sunglasses, unable to see anything behind it.

"Subaru-kun, you're not being very interesting today. What happened to killing me and such? You'll never end up even close to killing me if you continue like this. So tell me, what are you planning?"

The deadly assassin was slowly taking over his polite mask, turning him into his true self, the Sakurazukamori. I looked at him and said,

" Why? Why did you make that bet with me… Why did you have to kill Hokuto and disappear? Why did I have to…"I muttered something I could only hear.

His eye, I believe, widened slightly and it was obvious that he had expected a different reaction from him. He brought his hand to my chest and pushed softly on the spot above my heart. He smirked. Then looked at me again and said,

" You know, Subaru-kun. I could just end this all right now. Kill you after all this time since you're not amusing anymore. And still you wouldn't mean anything to me. But that would be such a waste, wouldn't it? You're too cute to waste too."

I flushed either in anger or embarrassment, and tried to attack him for the first time. The shinkigami I sent out merely grazed his cheek causing a small cut to appear. Seishirou touched it and took a look at his blood. He smiled at the sight of it.

"So… it seems that you do have something left in you after all." I grit my teeth at his remark and chanted a powerful spell, trying to get out of the illusion. I must have been more tired than I thought I was since afterwards, my whole world became black.

A/N: Right now, sei-chan hasn't figured out that Subaru is his 16 year old self yet. We'll see what happens when he does.^-^

My head hurt, and I guess I must have used too much of my powers trying to free myself. I found myself waking up in unfamiliar surroundings again. Ugh… I was slightly annoyed by it, but I looked at myself and saw that someone had bandaged me up. Suddenly, the door opened and a figure walked in. And I blushed immediately as I saw who it was.

" Ohayo, Subaru-kun."

"Seishirou-san!" I pulled the covers up to hide myself. I stammered," What? Wh-what are you doing here?"

He looked at me and replied," Well, the last time I checked, Subaru-kun, this was my apartment. " I noticed a small band-aid on his face. Making sure the covers were secure around me, I walked up to him and looked up at it.

"I'm sorry for the cut, I didn't mean to-" I stopped mid-sentence as he grabbed my hands and pushed me against the wall. I could feel his warm breath on my neck. I turned crimson and looked at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. He made me look at him, and he spoke again.

"You're not acting like yourself Subaru-kun… and if I didn't know better, I'd say you're acting exactly as you did when you were 16. Well?" He looked at me with his single honey-brown eye. I wanted to look away so badly right now, because I felt I was to blame for the loss of his eye.

"I don't… I don't know." Everything was confusing. Kamui had told me that I was 25 now and spent my last 9 years looking for Seishirou. But I don't remember. Seishirou continued hold me down. His face extremely close to mine. And he whispered into my ear.

"You know what Subaru-kun? While you're still like this, I plan on having a little fun. Breaking spirit shields does get quite boring after a while. So, Subaru-kun…"

" I'm going to revive our bet."

I gasped.

A/N: Okay! I counted every page that I did! There should be enough in this update to keep you reading for at least 10 mins. (Hopefully) I don't think there was much action in this chapter but in the next, Seishirou is going to lay the new terms of this bet. We'll just have to see what happens won't we?

Preview:

"Revive the bet?" I didn't know what to think. But it wasn't as if he was offering me a choice here, either to die right here and now or to buy some borrowed time until the Promised day. I had really nothing to lose besides the answers that I wanted from him. After all, if I was killed by him, I would up in with Hokuto in the Sakura tree wouldn't I? And the way life was right now, eternity in the Sakura tree didn't seem so bad because I was about to die from embarrassment , as Seishirou was so close to me.

I hesitated, then pushed away the last of my doubts. " I accept the wager."

Ja ne for now! And please R & R! Thanks…