Note: This takes place before all hell starts breaking loose in Tokyo,
a sort of parallel storyline, if you like. Both sides have been more or less
assembled but there's been no deaths in either side yet, and Subaru is still
visually able. Any screwing around with sequencing of events is for the sake
of the story. Much silliness is ahead, enjoy, and remember that you can influence
the outcome of the story: up first is the casting!
Prologue – The Summoning
It was just your average morning in X-land. The various destiny-carrying Dragons were eating, angsting and being bish, as per usual, scattered in their usual places of residence in the city, completely unaware of the bombshell about to be thrown on the table.
"About now they should be opening their post…"
"Letters, everyone!" Yuzuriha called, chirpily, plonking them down on the table. No one paid much attention at first, with Sorata being whacked by Arashi, and Kamui and Subaru angsting. But after a moment, Sorata, rubbing his head, decided to turn his attention from Arashi to something less hazardous to his health and reached for his letter.
"Why does everyone have envelopes with identical letter heads on them?" Yuzuriha asked, as she shredded her envelope enthusiastically.
"Pfft, probably bills," snorted Sorata, but opened it anyway because he didn't get mail often.
"You did take care in the way you phrased it though… right?"
"What?!" came the horrified chorus of the assembled Dragons of Heaven, as they reached the key sentence in the second paragraph at the same time.
"Just what did you put in those letters?"
"Oh, this is too good," smirked Seishirou, as he put down the letter and took a sip of his coffee.
"Oh, nothing too bad…"
"This isn't happening," muttered Kakyou, "not even I could have seen this coming."
"… I gave them the official story…"
"A charity play? Whose lame idea was that?! Is there even a point to it?!" snorted Sorata.
"I think the point is to raise morale," Arashi said irritably, skim-reading the letter with an icy but strained voice, "because all the damage done by various battles and the earthquakes seemed to have given the public the idea that something is amiss. And it's an election year this year, so it's to the government's advantage, I'm sure."
"..and of course the Dragons of Heaven will agree, either out of wanting to do good towards the human race…"
"I think it's a great idea!" Yuzuriha enthused.
"…or out of suspicion, sensing a trap."
"What I'm curious about is why they chose us," Sorata mused, "it can't be random."
"It could be," Arashi pointed out, "they mention that well-known public figures will be featuring, including the editor of Asuka and the head of the Sumaragi Clan, as well as us. And the letter seems to be talking about Japan showing unity in a troubled times, so if religious and government leaders banded together, along with popular figures, it would enforce their message."
"Then, in that case, why does Kamui have an invitation? As far as those organizing this know, he's -" Subaru started.
" – a nobody," Kamiu finished, looking at the table angstily.
"You sure are," Sorata agreed.
"What?!"
"Nothing."
"But, either way, they've got no choice…"
"Hey, there's more on the back!" Yuzuriha cried.
As one, they turned the page over… and turned pale.
"… trust me, I made sure of it. I tailored each threat individually. Not even the Dragons of Earth will be getting out of this one…"
The Beast whimpered pathetically as Satsuki whispered comfortingly at it, then she emailed a reply, the expression on her face like that of one condemning their first-born child to death.
I'll do it.
"… although I think some of them will just be in to torture their opposite numbers."
"Kamui in pantaloons? Now this I gotta see," crowed Fuuma.
"You are one evil man, Tony."
"Why, yes. Yes, I know."
"So what is this play we've got to do anyway?" came Kamui's slightly strangled voice.
"I think it was Shakespeare," Arashi replied. "Twelfth Night, I believe."
There was a pause.
"Hang on, isn't that the one with the crossdressing?"
He breathed out and a plume of smoke danced up into the night sky. He avoided looking at the other sitting next to him, concentrating only on the cigarette in his fingers.
"I hope you know what you're getting into, Tony-san. No, you can't, you really can't. Otherwise, why are you here?"
He shrugged. "To put on a play and entertain the good people of Japan. To write my thesis on translation across cultures and languages."
"You know what I'm talking about. Why are you really here? What does your government know?"
"That we are facing the world's end and don't want to. Haven't you heard? Australian intelligence isn't an oxymoron after all." He laughed humourlessly. "And so, I'm here. To find out what is going on."
"If your intelligence is so good, then you'd know you've been sent here on a suicide mission. This is nothing to do with explosives and terrorism, it is far beyond that. It is a world you cannot understand."
"Hence my thesis." He let out a cat-like smile. Surely you didn't think I was referring only to classic literature? I'm interested in Omyouji, something which is distinctly Japanese. The Western world doesn't quite have an equivalent."
"You are mad! You are playing with fireworks! You honestly intend to bring the Seals and Angels together just to watch them fight?!"
"Well, no. I did intend to put on a play, you understand. But observing their interactions would be rather entertaining. I hear that they have some incredibly powerful sorcerers among them, although that's not surprising considering they are to bring on the apocalypse. But what is there to fear? The world isn't due to end for another few months anyway, so any battles and property damage which may take place is purely coincidental. This is just to let them kill time… and possibly each other… okay, and a great deal of innocent bystanders."
The Other stared at him. "Knowing all that, you still came here, unprepared? You are no sorcerer, that much I am sure of! How do expect to keep that rabble together without fighting for more than five minutes?"
"Oh? I'm not quite that unprepared. True, I may not be able to summon demons to do my bidding, but I have certain… abilities."
"Namely?"
"Empathy. Among other things. I can play people as you would a piano. And I intend to use this to my full advantage for my true mission."
"What's that?" Suspiciously.
He laughed evilly. "To see Kamui in a dress, what else?"
It was then that the Other started to seriously worry about the fate of the planet… and so, the die was cast.
Skipsida's Note: Hey, it's the first fanfic I've written in ages. And it seems I've jumped series, from FY to X. Well, whatever! Read. Enjoy. Review. Because reviewing will be vital to pick the cast in the next chapter…
Prologue – The Summoning
It was just your average morning in X-land. The various destiny-carrying Dragons were eating, angsting and being bish, as per usual, scattered in their usual places of residence in the city, completely unaware of the bombshell about to be thrown on the table.
"About now they should be opening their post…"
"Letters, everyone!" Yuzuriha called, chirpily, plonking them down on the table. No one paid much attention at first, with Sorata being whacked by Arashi, and Kamui and Subaru angsting. But after a moment, Sorata, rubbing his head, decided to turn his attention from Arashi to something less hazardous to his health and reached for his letter.
"Why does everyone have envelopes with identical letter heads on them?" Yuzuriha asked, as she shredded her envelope enthusiastically.
"Pfft, probably bills," snorted Sorata, but opened it anyway because he didn't get mail often.
"You did take care in the way you phrased it though… right?"
"What?!" came the horrified chorus of the assembled Dragons of Heaven, as they reached the key sentence in the second paragraph at the same time.
"Just what did you put in those letters?"
"Oh, this is too good," smirked Seishirou, as he put down the letter and took a sip of his coffee.
"Oh, nothing too bad…"
"This isn't happening," muttered Kakyou, "not even I could have seen this coming."
"… I gave them the official story…"
"A charity play? Whose lame idea was that?! Is there even a point to it?!" snorted Sorata.
"I think the point is to raise morale," Arashi said irritably, skim-reading the letter with an icy but strained voice, "because all the damage done by various battles and the earthquakes seemed to have given the public the idea that something is amiss. And it's an election year this year, so it's to the government's advantage, I'm sure."
"..and of course the Dragons of Heaven will agree, either out of wanting to do good towards the human race…"
"I think it's a great idea!" Yuzuriha enthused.
"…or out of suspicion, sensing a trap."
"What I'm curious about is why they chose us," Sorata mused, "it can't be random."
"It could be," Arashi pointed out, "they mention that well-known public figures will be featuring, including the editor of Asuka and the head of the Sumaragi Clan, as well as us. And the letter seems to be talking about Japan showing unity in a troubled times, so if religious and government leaders banded together, along with popular figures, it would enforce their message."
"Then, in that case, why does Kamui have an invitation? As far as those organizing this know, he's -" Subaru started.
" – a nobody," Kamiu finished, looking at the table angstily.
"You sure are," Sorata agreed.
"What?!"
"Nothing."
"But, either way, they've got no choice…"
"Hey, there's more on the back!" Yuzuriha cried.
As one, they turned the page over… and turned pale.
"… trust me, I made sure of it. I tailored each threat individually. Not even the Dragons of Earth will be getting out of this one…"
The Beast whimpered pathetically as Satsuki whispered comfortingly at it, then she emailed a reply, the expression on her face like that of one condemning their first-born child to death.
I'll do it.
"… although I think some of them will just be in to torture their opposite numbers."
"Kamui in pantaloons? Now this I gotta see," crowed Fuuma.
"You are one evil man, Tony."
"Why, yes. Yes, I know."
"So what is this play we've got to do anyway?" came Kamui's slightly strangled voice.
"I think it was Shakespeare," Arashi replied. "Twelfth Night, I believe."
There was a pause.
"Hang on, isn't that the one with the crossdressing?"
He breathed out and a plume of smoke danced up into the night sky. He avoided looking at the other sitting next to him, concentrating only on the cigarette in his fingers.
"I hope you know what you're getting into, Tony-san. No, you can't, you really can't. Otherwise, why are you here?"
He shrugged. "To put on a play and entertain the good people of Japan. To write my thesis on translation across cultures and languages."
"You know what I'm talking about. Why are you really here? What does your government know?"
"That we are facing the world's end and don't want to. Haven't you heard? Australian intelligence isn't an oxymoron after all." He laughed humourlessly. "And so, I'm here. To find out what is going on."
"If your intelligence is so good, then you'd know you've been sent here on a suicide mission. This is nothing to do with explosives and terrorism, it is far beyond that. It is a world you cannot understand."
"Hence my thesis." He let out a cat-like smile. Surely you didn't think I was referring only to classic literature? I'm interested in Omyouji, something which is distinctly Japanese. The Western world doesn't quite have an equivalent."
"You are mad! You are playing with fireworks! You honestly intend to bring the Seals and Angels together just to watch them fight?!"
"Well, no. I did intend to put on a play, you understand. But observing their interactions would be rather entertaining. I hear that they have some incredibly powerful sorcerers among them, although that's not surprising considering they are to bring on the apocalypse. But what is there to fear? The world isn't due to end for another few months anyway, so any battles and property damage which may take place is purely coincidental. This is just to let them kill time… and possibly each other… okay, and a great deal of innocent bystanders."
The Other stared at him. "Knowing all that, you still came here, unprepared? You are no sorcerer, that much I am sure of! How do expect to keep that rabble together without fighting for more than five minutes?"
"Oh? I'm not quite that unprepared. True, I may not be able to summon demons to do my bidding, but I have certain… abilities."
"Namely?"
"Empathy. Among other things. I can play people as you would a piano. And I intend to use this to my full advantage for my true mission."
"What's that?" Suspiciously.
He laughed evilly. "To see Kamui in a dress, what else?"
It was then that the Other started to seriously worry about the fate of the planet… and so, the die was cast.
Skipsida's Note: Hey, it's the first fanfic I've written in ages. And it seems I've jumped series, from FY to X. Well, whatever! Read. Enjoy. Review. Because reviewing will be vital to pick the cast in the next chapter…