3. Destiny.
T: I again apologise for how prolific the CCD crossover has become…kind of backed myself into a corner! Moving on, however, beware the odd logic in this one and the slight cliff hanger ending. Warnings remain the same and I still own nothing!
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When he awakes he is in the familiar white walled prison of a hospital ward and his skin is bound again with white gauze that smells, strongly, of antiseptic.
There is another in the room with him and it takes him but an instant to recognises the closed in features of the campus security secretary.
"Takumura-san?"
The other is at his side but an instant later, his hand pressing to chest in order to prevent him from sitting up.
"Do not move so swiftly, Shirou-kun, you have been greatly injured."
"Yet how? The last I recall I was easting breakfast with Seishiro."
"The other Kamui thought to harm you by harming one you hold dear and thus he thought to destroy the sunshine 60.
"You went to stop him and Sumeragi-san followed in order to give you aid and yet…
"Something occurred and the building began to fall upon you. Luckily Sumeragi-san had had the forethought to contact the other seals and they managed to extricate you before you were too badly crushed."
"What of Keiichi and Subaru?"
"Segawa-kun has been admitted into the hospital but I believe his wounds are deeper emotionally than they are physically. As to Sumeragi-san…"
He is greeted, suddenly, with an image of Fuuma standing over Subaru, his fingers buried deep into the Onmyoji's right side.
"He has lost vision in his right eye?"
"Yes."
There is a moment of silence and then Kamui enquires,
"Why are you here Takumura-san?"
"I wished to ask you a question and yet, in the end, it seems I am too much a coward to do as such."
"You are no coward, Takumura-san."
"No? When I was younger I met a boy who made me feel always uneasy and instead of facing him I turned away.
"Had he not been persistent then I would never have gained the chance to know him or to understand why it was that he so disconcerted me."
"You were you and such a reaction is more than understandable."
"Yet I have done the same thing three times since.
"The first time was when I lied to a woman I considered as a sister, hurt our friendship due to that lie, simply because I was not courageous enough to tell her the truth.
"The second was when I walked away from Noruko rather than remaining at his side, simply for fear of showing him too much of myself.
"The third has been my reluctance to ask you that which I consider the most important of questions."
"I do not see cowardice in these three things, Takumura-san; instead I see compassion, trust and love.
"By telling the woman a lie you showed her compassion, for you understood that lie would hurt her less than the truth.
"In allowing Imonoyama-san time alone when he is in crisis you have shown that you trust him to make a rational judgement.
"Finally in hesitating in asking your question you have shown that you love Imonoyama-san very much and thus fear my answer greatly."
"Sakurazuka-san said that you were 'observant' and that you had a gift for making people believe in a truth they had always before thought foolish, or ignored simply for blind ignorance."
"Then your was the other 'sad face' he saw yesterday?"
"I saw him on the street and my irrational heart took control of my limbs…he trapped me, all but instantly, within an illusion and then asked me why I was being as I was.
"When it became clear to him that I would give no rational answer to that question he let me go with a promise to talk to me again when he better understood.
"It was a promise he fulfilled this morning when our paths again crossed."
"Which is why you came to see me?"
"Yes."
"You wish to ask me 'what has Noruko done', do you not?"
"Yes."
He tells the Takumura everything that the Imonoyama had told him and by the time he concludes the tale the Takumura's face has soured considerably.
"I had feared that he had gone through with the idea and yet I had hoped that my displeasure would be enough for him to hesitate."
"When he talked to me of this being his 'destiny' I wished to know what he meant. However, I was afraid to learn that another innocent life had been added to my tally."
"And now?"
"Now I wish to hear this story in hopes that it may hide a way to protect his life."
"While she was pregnant with Noruko his mother went to see the 'sleeping princess' beneath the Diet Building.
"Hinoto told her of the 'Year of Destiny', of the need for the Shinken to be protected and of the role she would play in this protection.
"Noruko's mother crafted the campus into the layout you see today and, on the day the matrix was complete, she gave birth to her child.
"Each day she brought Noruko to the heart of the pentagram and each day she told him, 'this campus was born on the very day you were born and thus you exist in tandem. The pentagram is the heart and soul of this world and thus it is also your hear and your soul.'
"I believe she meant only to instil a sense of responsibility into her son and yet Noruko took the words to heart…began to believe that his heart and his soul existed for the same purpose as the centre of the pentagram."
"To protect the Shinken?"
"Yes and yet 'protecting' a thing and 'guarding' it are two different concepts. To 'guard' is to keep something from those who would wish it 'harm' while 'protecting' a thing means keeping it from the possession of all individuals.
"Had the intent of the pentagram's centre been merely to 'guard' there would have been a risk that the shadowed Kamui would be able to touch it, for he wishes only to 'harm' his other self.
"Thus the pentagram's centre recognises all individuals as a 'threat' to the Shinken and thus you will be forced to destroy it in order to reclaim your sword."
"Yet if I shatter the protection upon the Shinken."
"Noruko will die."
"Did he know this?"
"Yes."
"Then why would he continue onwards?"
"Because he believed it his destiny, because he wished to help you as much he possibly could and because of myself."
"How can you hold any blame?"
"Because he believes he has hurt me in the most unforgivable of ways…you see the woman that I told you of before had been my girlfriend when I was younger and I believe she held a belief in her mind that I would, one day, propose to her.
"However, I had come to realise, over time, that I loved her only as one loves a sister and that my heart belonged solely to Noruko.
"Such a thing would be unbearable for her to hear, however, and so I told her 'I must dedicate my life completely to my "one" and thus I can not marry.'
"She cried at those words, begged me to let my life as a Takumura go and when I refused she turned cold and walked from my life.
"I believed that would be an end to it and yet she went to Noruko…manipulated him with her tears…
"He was so angry with me, demanded to know why I believed my 'duty' more important than love and, wishing to keep the lie, I had replied that I always kept my promises.
"Thus he began to believe that he had been responsible for the breaking of my 'engagement' and though he has not talked of it since I believe that the guilt of such a thing is what brought about this act."
"You need to tell him the truth, Takumura-san."
"What good would such an action be?"
"He needs to see how foolish he has been, needs to realise that he has made this choice in error and then he will let go his connection to the Shinken."
"I do not know if he can 'let it go'"
"Then I shall find another way to server this bind."
Kamui brightens at the sound of Subaru's voice and yet, as the Sumeragi crosses over the threshold of the room, this joy fades away into uncertainty.
For Subaru is not, as he had expected, blind in one eye.
The organ present now in the right side of his face is not, however, his own, for it is of a unique hazel hue that Kamui had seen only once before.
Subaru notes the weight of Kamui's gaze upon him and raising his fingers to caress the new eye he remarks,
"Seishiro did not appreciate the mar of another's hand upon my face and though I told him that I wished for this…though I little liked to be reminded of his hidden selfishness…he gave me his own eye to erase that mar."
"Then Seishiro…"
"He is blind."
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T: Warned you! Not too much to say here…next chapter Tuesday at the latest until then how about giving generously to a comment deprived authoress?
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