2. Grief
T: An apology before I get to my reviewers and to disclaimers, My beloved X manga is currently with a friend and so I have had to create my own concept of how Subaru gets brought to see Kamui for the first time…this is probably a good thing as it means I am not treading on Clamp's toes!
Thanks to Silver Salamander for again agreeing to be my Beta…on to the reviewers…
TintAngel: I hate to tell you this but, there is indeed angst on the horizon…as to the Kamui thing…wait and see -
KuraiTsubasa: We are indeed on the X time line and there are some familiar scenes on the horizon. Hokuto is indeed engaged to Kakyo! Oh and keep the questions coming, I love them!
Now that I've risked the safety of this fic I remind readers that I do not own anything here except the rather tiny plot! Warnings remain the same apart from an upage of SLOW UPDATES because I've been off reading the first few Yami No Matsuei manga and thus have yet to actually finish writing chapter three!
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He is out shopping with Seishiro when a heavily accented voice enquires,
"Would you be Sumeragi Subaru?"
Turning a little on his heals he meets the eye of a tall teenaged boy who is dressed in an odd collection of casual clothes.
"Who are you?" He enquires, very much aware, despite the brashness, that he is being a little rude.
"Arisugawa Sorata and I am one of the Dragons of Heaven."
He feels himself tense a little at that, both because he had believed himself free of this situation and because Seishiro was not yet fully aware of his involvement in the Year of Destiny.
Seishiro catches a hold of his hand and informs him,
"I will go and get us some coffee." Before he heads off to Subaru's right.
Once he is gone he smiles a false smile and informs Sorata,
"I had believed that Obaachan had made my position on this regard clear."
"Sumeragi-san, I comprehend why you would wish to stay out of the battle, what with having a happy life and all but…
"I really and truly need your help."
"With what?"
Sorata lets go a breath and his smile faltering just slightly he says,
"Yesterday our Kamui witnessed a terrible thing and he has locked himself into his heart.
"The Seals and I were all but ready to give up on him when I recalled the secret Sumeragi technique.
"With that hope in mind I talked again to your Obaasan and she directed me first to a place where I could see your photo and then in this general direction."
"I will have to see him and I can not guarantee that I can save him."
"I understand, Sumeragi-san, all we ask is that you do your best."
……………………………………………………………………………….
He is slightly surprised to find that the Seals have been given accommodation within the Imonoyama mansion, both because it seems a little more than co-incidental that they have been so close and because he could not link the Imonoyama Noruko that Sorata told him of with the individual that he knew.
It pleased him a little to see Sorata's surprise when he mentioned that he was studying at the University on Campus.
"Really?"
"Yes, I am studying to be a Zoo keeper."
The boy regards him sceptically and he feels a further wash of odd joy before he remarks,
"It was my dream job as a child and I decided to remain committed to it as I grew both because I love animals and because Seishiro said that I should."
They have clearly reached the room that is their destination, for Sorata has stopped, and yet he has made no further move to cross over the threshold and into the space beyond.
"We can not linger, Arisugawa-san."
"I know, it is just…that man…" The other has pinked a little now and smiling Subaru responds,
"He is my lover, Arisugawa-san, if that is what you wish to know."
"Yes…yes, that was it." The pink has faded from his cheeks and there is something in his hesitancy that makes Subaru doubt and yet he has not want to enquire further of the man, both for fear and for the desire to get this over with as swiftly as possible.
A boy of no more than sixteen has been arranged in a semi sitting position at one end of the room, his frail form held up by what seems to be a pile of cushions.
He has, clutched tight against his chest, what appears to be the severed head of an attractive girl whom appears to have been about the boy's age.
Sorata approaches the boy cautiously, as though fearful that a wrong move will shatter the other
"Kamui?" He enquires as he brushes a stray strand of hair away from the other's face, "Kamui I brought someone to see you…his name is Sumeragi Subaru and he is here to help you…"
There is not even the faintest of reactions from the other and Sorata's face falls a little,
"He is all yours, Sumeragi-san."
The wards upon Kamui's mind are strong and he can feel the toll of each resistance as a physical blow upon his body.
He comes, eventually, to the featureless darkness that represents the depths of the boy's heart and, his body broken and bruised, he begins a search for the other.
It is the sound of Kamui's tears that eventually given him away and Subaru regards his overly youthful appearance before he says,
"Kamui, I am Sumeragi Subaru and I have come to bring you back."
"Stay away!"
There is a force behind the words and he feels his body being pushed against.
He pushes back, gently and then he is swamped with the shear force of the boy's emotions…
Is drowning on the other's despair.
He can hear Sorata distantly calling for him to stop and yet he knows he can not…
Not when Kamui is hurting so very much.
"Kamui…you have to come back. Everyone is waiting for you…they want to help you, want to ease your pain."
"Kotori…Fuuma…" There is a flash of blood about them and then Kamui is screaming.
He is older now, perhaps ten or eleven and Subaru takes a little comfort in that.
"Kamui, it was not your fault."
"Fuuma…where is Fuuma?" He enquires, his form blurring again so that he is now all but a breath from his true age.
As they had travelled to the mansion Sorata had told him the details of the incident that had brought Kamui here, something that Subaru is now more than a little grateful for.
"Fuuma has gone away for a while, Kamui…"
"Why? Where is he…I remember blood and a dark voice…"
"Something black has taken him away, Kamui…has hurt one that you cared deeply for.
"But you can not stay here is your heart, because if you do you will never be able to get Fuuma back."
"Could I get him back?" Kamui enquires, his inward appearance now matching his outward.
"If such a thing is your wish and if you believe beyond doubt that he will come back to you."
Kamui regards him sceptically a moment and then the shear choking force of his misery fades into a faint acceptance.
"If I can believe in it and if I wish for it I can get Fuuma back…" He trails and one of his hands tangling into the material of his shirt he enquires, "Is it right for me to want this, even though it would mean hurt for Fuuma?"
"Fuuma will understand, Kamui, this is another thing that you must believe…
"He will understand because he is your friend."
Kamui smiles then, the thing achingly fragile and he reaches to embrace Subaru.
"Thank you." He informs the other before he has gone completely.
He follows Kamui back into the true world and managed to greet him properly before he feels himself teeter.
Warm hands catch him and he hears the comforting melody of Seishiro's voice before he falls, at last, to sleep.
He dreams of the sakura and of the one he had met there so long ago…of the voiceless words that the other had spoken.
'Please, I beg you, leave me alone.' His dream self pleads, his face wet with childish tears.
The other simply remains before him, his smile blank and angry now without true cause, his dream self steps for the other with his fists raised.
…For a moment he recognises the face before him and he feels his heart cease…
…feels a name bubbling on his lips and then he starts into waking,
"Seishiro?" He enquires; the name a hard desperation on his lips.
The other does not respond as he usually does when Subaru is afraid and he turns to see why…
Blood stains the covers and Seishrio is no-where to be found.
He screams and then another's hands are wrapping about him and a voice is offering him much needed comfort.
A dream…
It had all simply been a dream.
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T: Mwa ha ha ha haa…yep the foreshadowing demon has taken over my fingers! R+R Love may remove the power the demon has over me!