AN:Hello my lovely readers, I missed you all and I'm glad to bring you the next chapter of Ice and Snow. I hope it lives up to your expectations, I did finished it at around 2 am last night and I tried to do a good read over, but I'm pretty tired so I apologizes if any of it came out horrendous. This has been a pretty stressful few months for me but I'll keep at it. If you want to hear the whole story you may check out my profile. Other than that I look forward to hearing from all of you, please enjoy the story.
I don't own Rayearth or any other Clamp works I may mention or allude to.
20. Hitsuzen
"Hitsuzen: A naturally foreordained event; a state in which other outcomes are possible. A result that can only be obtained by a single causality, and other causalities would necessarily create different results."
~Yuko xxxHolic
It really didn't surprise him.
He'd almost come to expect it these days.
Eagle was exhausted and had just collapsed into bed after making sure all of Fahren's and Chizeta's fleet had docked and unloaded; as soon as he started to become drowsy he felt it coming.
So in a moment of self pity or perhaps clarity, which ever you prefer, he opened himself up to his dream and let it engulf him in it's entirety.
Mere seconds before his consciousness slipped into the dream he felt the warmth of a small body lie down beside him and it gave him courage.
The snow falling all around, I'm nearly blinded by it.
So slow and silent.
Painting the world in an eerie, beautiful white.
There's just something about the whiteness that's frightening.
Something that pure, that white, is just asking for trouble.
As if the red that now mars it was inevitable.
So much red…everything…so, so very red.
It's falling, the red, falling, dropping, blooming like small flowers in the freshly fallen snow and I know the blood is mine.
Yet…somehow the pain of this wound feels so distant.
The sensation of falling touches my senses, but everything feels so far away.
"Eagle!" Her shriek cut though the dullness around me. "I need more time, Camry!"
Her cries follow me down…
…into darkness.
Darkness…
Then gradually light…
…
Suddenly the pain is gone and there's only the weight of the motionless body in my arms.
"Eagle…" Camry's beside me. "You can't save her, for her wish was to sacrifice everything, even though she would never be by your side again."
"Then give it back, give her all the time that I have left!"
Camry shook his head. "There is no more time. I can exchange time, not create more of it. No one can restart time that has stopped…"
"There has to be something…"
This kind of pain is too excruciating to bear…
Freezing me…
Like the snow.
Like the cold, still body in my arms.
It really is such a heavy thing.
This sadness.
It falls though you, this kind of feeling, it pulls you down…
…And holds you under.
I didn't know it was possible to love someone so much it could actually, physically hurt.
It hurts so much I feel like I could break…
…if I break will this agony go away?
No…it wouldn't…I can't…
'Don't choose death…' a whispered voice.
'…dying doesn't change anything, if you want things to change and to protect the people you love, you have to live.'
Dying changes nothing, I must do something!
I clutch protectively at her, desperation running like cold fire in my veins and Camry's eyes bore down into mine.
"There must be something I can do…I wont let her die!"
"Pay the price, if you can pay the price to her…" Camry looked down at the motionless girl and then back to me.
For a brief second a pair of dark red eyes, fringed by smooth, black strands of hair, stare back at me and it was like looking into something bottomless. "And your price young man…"
Suddenly the snow blinds me and I know I'll wake from this anguishing nightmare soon.
Awareness creeps into my senses and just before the dream slips away gentle words echo, I know the voice, though I have not herd it in many, many years…
"Eagle my dear child, don't choose death to protect your love, to protect your love…no matter what you must live."
Umi pushed herself up as she felt Eagle roll over in his sleep, his sudden movement had woken her. He groaned and she frowned deeply.
She'd been worried about theses 'dreams' of his, more like nightmares really, and had stayed with him through the night once more. Then again, she wasn't really sure you could really call the eerie, pale muted light filled sky a 'night' at all.
She leaned over him, her long hair cascading down around him, worry filled her thoughts at the pained expression that touched his handsome features. She wanted to wake him, any other time she would have, but she knew he'd been trying so hard to remember his dream.
Biting her lip gently she eased back down beside him. His twitching eased as she settled beside him, she felt some of the tension leave his body and he sighed quietly, relaxing into her.
She had a feeling he'd wake soon.
Time proved her correct when his eyes snapped open a moment later. She felt him take a deep breath and sit up slowly, trying not to wake her, she presumed. He sat on the edge of the bed, taking another deep breath he raked his fingers though his hair.
Eagle groaned quietly, rubbing his eyes, trying to ignore the ghostly taste of blood in his mouth and the cold ache in his shoulder that his dream had left behind.
Umi could lay still no longer, she sat up and slid behind him wrapping her arms around his waist, her slender hands resting across his stomach. One of his hands came up and rested over hers.
"Did I wake you?" he glanced back over his shoulder for a moment.
"Yes, but it's alright." She rested her head against his back, rubbing her cheek in the soft fabric of his shirt.
A breath, she inhaled the crisp smell of his clean clothes, "Your dream?" she asked quietly.
A pause from him, she felt him take in a breath to speak but then let it out again without answering. She waited patiently.
"I think…" he started, "No, I'm nearly certain that something is going to happen to us…something significant. At the very least I know I'm going to be wounded. I think the others will be alright, I've not seen them in any of my dreams. Well except for Camry…" He turned to face her and she released him from her arms.
She studied his gaze as he looked down into her face, his eyes were dark, filled with worry, but not despair. A sharp gleam in them told her he wasn't about to sit by idly and give up, he would do whatever he could, as would she.
"What about Camry?" she asked suddenly.
"He knows." Eagle stated simply.
"Knows what?" she whispered.
"What's going to happen to us…" here he snorted in some form of dark humor, "Lantis tried to uh…force the issue with him…"
Umi raised one perfect eyebrow, "Is that why Camry disappeared yesterday?"
A mild mummer of agreement was all she got out of Eagle.
She sighed, sometimes she really wished she could scold that man, but Hikaru and Clef were about the only ones who could get away with that and, well, live.
She sighed again, "That seems to have gone real well." A pregnant pause lingered between them for a moment, "If your dream is still the same…does that not mean we haven't changed the outcome yet?"
His eyes went to hers and she didn't like the heavy feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach.
"I believe…" he said, hesitating slightly, "That we will have an opportune moment. Camry said changing the future is difficult. I suppose because so many things and moments, words and actions can lead up to a single event; we'll just have one chance. Perhaps the key to understanding that moment is in my dream."
She got up and stood beside him, her pale fingers stroking his hair in a small gesture of comfort.
He sighed and closed his eyes under the gentle movement of her hands. After a moment he reached up and took her hands in his and tilted his head to gaze up at her. "Would you promise me something?"
A sharp intake a breath escaped her at the stillness of his eyes, "Yes." She whispered breathlessly.
"Whatever happens, please look after yourself, even if it means something should happen to me."
"Eagle…" she protested, her voice cracked, betraying her pain at the thought.
"Umi, please, I know I can't keep you from battle, but just promise me that."
She fought back the welling of emotion, not knowing if she could keep that promise even if she gave him her word. Her blue eyes closed for a moment, she managed to blink back the sting of tears and took a shaking breath. Pulling a hand free from his she touched his cheek and answered quietly, "Only if you promise to do the same."
Eagle gazed up at her for a long moment, gold boring into blue, love and anxiety whirling though his thoughts, before he finally nodded gently. "Alright." He still held her hand in his and squeezed it tightly.
Umi nodded in agreement as well. She stood motionless for a moment watching him watch her in the light reflected in his eyes in the dimly lit room. In the brief second it took to draw a breath she felt overwhelmed by such an ardent desire to hold onto him she nearly gasped.
Suddenly he pulled her down to his chest, she nearly fell into him, her knees giving out instantly. A quick sharp breath and they mutually found each other's lips.
Umi didn't know if he'd felt the need himself or just read her aura but she didn't care. His lips tugged at hers, her arms wrapping around his neck, his fingers tangled in her hair. It was a hard kiss, she could even say it hurt a little but the small pain paled in comparison to the tight pain in her chest.
A lone tear escaped her closed blue eyes, sliding down her cheek to fall onto his.
The thought that she might lose this feeling she'd only just come to have scared her and perhaps him as well, because suddenly he deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth slightly as if he kissed her deeply enough the sensation might last forever.
Eagle hadn't known a feeling could be so fierce, this frightening and only when he became slightly light headed from lack of breath did he release her. He pulled back only a fraction and smiled weakly, laying one last light kiss on her swollen lips.
She smiled in return, "It's almost time to get up," she said quietly, "I'll go get us some tea."
"And those little cakes?" he asked catching her hand. Offering her one more small smile trying to lighten the oppressive air.
"I'll see what I can do" she kissed his cheek, "I'm sure we'll be alright." She squeezed his hand before pulling herself from his grasp.
Pushing open her doors; they had stayed in her room this night, mostly to try and hide from a certain dancer's eaves dropping and snooping, she was about to head out when she saw a familiar silhouette turn the corner down the hall.
She dashed back into her room and picked up a pile of clothes from the top of her dresser, tossing Eagle an 'I'll explain later' look. She trotted down the hall, her long legs carrying her in quick strides towards her goal.
She rushed out in such a hurry she did not hear Eagle as he stood, standing by the window, watching the snow fall, "Pay the price to…her?"
Umi's echoing footsteps made her presence known to her quarry a moment later.
"Lady Water Knight?" Camry's ever calm, smooth voice called to her. He'd stopped just a few paces ahead, waiting for her to catch up.
"Camry, I have your clothes." Closing the space between them she held out the outfit to him. "Sorry we couldn't give it to you earlier."
Her tone added to the annoyed expression on her face had Camry assuming she knew what had transpired between he and Lantis. He chuckled to himself, thinking that there really was no hope for Eagle if this pretty young woman could already read him so well.
"I can have Hikaru scold him for bothering you" she added dryly.
At this Camry did laugh out loud. "It's alright." His smiled faded slightly, "It was within reason, from his perspective." He bowed slightly, "Thank you for the clothes."
Umi took in a breath as he turned to head back down the hall, "Camry?"
The older man stopped and turned a knowing pair of maroon eyes to her, as if he knew what she was going to ask.
She hesitated and then sighed, knowing from what Eagle had told her that he wouldn't answer her question. So she asked another in a quiet voice. "Is there any hope, Camry?"
His eyes softened instantly and he set his clothes down on a window ledge and went back to her, grasping her shoulders. "Always." He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, "It's not about what's going to happen, Umi. It's about what you decide afterwards. The both of you, together."
"Decide?" Pale blue eyes searched his face for something to help her put the pieces together.
He squeezed her shoulders gently, "I'm sorry, I can say no more."
She nodded, not really understanding, but let it go.
Camry retrieved his clothes and giving her a last encouraging smile, disappeared around the corner.
o o o
"He's becoming stronger…" Impreza frowned, her pale fingers fluttering rhythmically across the hard metallic armor on her forearm. Her arms were crossed and her sword hung from her side. Her lovely nails clicked out a deadly melody upon the armor. "I was hoping to have this taken care of before any of them became stronger or they called on the other nations, but…" here she paused thoughtfully, "Now I'm glad I waited, we can defeat them now and the other three planets will be far less work."
She gazed at the tiny spire of the castle of Cephiro in the distance, miles and miles of snow in front of her.
Tiny footsteps crunched behind her, "We're ready Lady. He sent lots and lots of them!" Elantra grinned and jumped up and down excitedly.
"Good." Impreza drew her sword, "Let us paint this canvas of snow a more flattering color."
o o o
Eagle sighed as he hurried behind Lantis down the hallway to the throne room.
He'd been quietly waiting on Umi to return, standing and watching the snow fall by his window, when Lantis had knocked and asked him to go with him to speak with Clef.
His mind tumbled over his dream and the images that had flashed through his thoughts. Somehow he got the feeling he wasn't going to be able to prevent what was going to occur to him, but if he could change the outcome of what happened after that…
"Did you figure out the meaning of your dream?" Lantis suddenly asked, pulling Eagle from his thoughts.
The two men were standing outside the throne room, silence was the only reply Lantis got so he presumed that meant no and went to open the doors, but when Eagle finally did speak, he froze and turned to his friend.
"Can I ask a favor of you, Lantis?"
"Yes." The Cail nodded.
"If something should happen to me, please don't…" here Eagle seemed a little unsure how to phrase his request, "Please don't let Umi do anything…drastic…"
Lantis raised an eyebrow, he'd never peg the water knight to do something of the sort. "Is something going to happen to you?" He questioned and did not like the answer reflected in Eagle's dark amber eyes.
Eagle sighed, "It's…a very likely probability." Closing his eyes for a moment he let the memory of his dream wash over him, that deep sadness and despair, the pain of an injury and the cries of the girl he now knew he loved.
'Pay the price', opening his eyes again he glanced up at Lantis. "I don't think I'll be able to stop what's going to happen…" here Lantis tried to interrupt but Eagle stopped him with a raise of his hand, "but what happens after that moment, that I do believe I can change."
A worried frown pulled at Lantis' lips but he nodded and then studied his friend for a moment, "I don't think you'll have to worry about the Water Knight."
Eagle started to protest but Lantis didn't allow him.
"She's far stronger than she seems, you know that. She's called a Magic Knight for a reason, you shouldn't doubt her. Remember? You believe in the people you love." With that Lantis stepped past him into the throne room, leaving Eagle in the empty hallway.
"He's rather pushy isn't he?"
Eagle nearly jumped out of his own skin as Camry came up behind him. He sighed when he caught sight of the familiar man. "Camry, must you always do that?"
"My apologies." Camry bowed his head slightly. "But you know he's right, don't you?"
"Yes…" Eagle answered, "but I can't help myself."
Camry smiled, "Well, that is to be expected. You are in love with her after all."
Eagle gave him an un-amused look at his light teasing and leaned against the door, "Thank you, for your help though."
"It's alright, it's something I wanted to do anyways." Camry joined him in leaning against the throne room doors staring into the empty hallway.
"Why is that?" Eagle asked a question that had come to mind. Just why did he want to help them and him especially?
"Well, I suppose it was out of gratitude at first. For what the Magic Knights did for this country, what all of you did, yourself included. When I started to foresee that something may happen to you I wanted to help, but that's changed slightly now…" Camry's smile faded and became a little sad.
"And now?" Eagle questioned.
Camry sighed and looked down at his hands, twisting a ring around his finger Eagle hadn't noticed before. It was a rather feminine ring and Eagle looked away as he realized it had probably been Solara's. "I'd really hate for you and I have to have the same scar Eagle. I'd rather none of you feel what I'm feeling right now."
Eagle gulped quietly, just the thought of Umi not being with him anymore made his stomach drop. He couldn't imagine what the reality of it felt like for Camry without Solara by his side.
But then again, taking into account the oppressive sadness in his dream, perhaps he could, but he in no way wanted that to become a reality.
o o o
Fuu watched Umi carefully as they headed together down the hall.
Umi had returned to find an empty room and Fuu had told her everyone was gathering in the throne room, breakfast was going to have to wait.
Anticipation filled the air, an invisible humming energy that was only broken by the oppressive silence that hung upon the snow covered land.
"Umi you know if you need any help just ask ok?" Fuu smiled reassuringly.
"Yea, we have to look after each other!" Hikaru added. "If we work together I'm sure everything will be alright."
Umi smiled, "Thanks."
They'd just come into sight of the throne room doors, where Eagle and Camry still stood, when a shutter passed though the palace and ground beneath.
Umi stumbled forward and grabbed hold of the archway to steady herself. Hikaru and Fuu carried out similar movements. Carefully moving forward Umi made it to the throne room doors.
"What's happening now?" Hikaru shoved herself against the doors and Eagle and Camry stumbled into the throne room with the three girls.
Clef, Lantis, Presea and Geo were already there.
Clef instantly opened the viewing mirror above them and every pair of eyes turned upwards.
"Something draws near…" Clef's brow furrowed as he tried to hone in on the threat.
Hikaru drew herself close to Lantis as she gazed heavenwards.
The eerie, pale, muted half light that had been prevalent the last day or so was slowly being consumed by shadow.
No shadow wasn't the right word, void seemed more appropriate, like the emptiness of the other side.
Fuu thought for a moment it was like watching an eclipse, but there was no sun and there was no moon, but a dark shadow still moved across the sky and crept across the faces in the room unit each one was plunged into darkness.
Clef seemed to finally find what he'd been looking for and an image finally came into focus in the viewing mirror.
A lone woman stood upon a hill crest, covered in snow, her auburn hair tossing wildly in the wind. A mass of the strange black and red soldiers were behind her, dotted by monsters she'd brought under her control.
Eagle glanced at Camry and both men's eyes met, for they knew the woman.
"Impreaza." Eagle said glancing once more at Umi.
"They're here…" Camry said quietly.
At that moment an alarm sounded, there was a rush of movement at the door. Ascot came in gasping for breath, his clothing in disarray. It looked like he'd already been fighting.
"We're under attack!"
As if to add emphasis to this statement the castle rocked beneath them once more.
Ascot leaned against the door trying to steady himself, everyone gained their bearings and weapons were drawn and glove gems flashed to life. "They're at the gates!" the boy gasped finally.
The officers from Autozam, plus Geo came quickly to Eagle, who immediately ordered them to the gates and put Geo in charge of their men and the warriors from Farhen and Chizeta.
Clef remained behind to help coordinate and to keep the castle residents protected.
Rushing down the hallway they burst out into the darkness and snow where many of the Cephirian soldiers and their allies were already in combat.
One of Ascot's creatures went past them with a shriek and swooped down onto the melee, grabbing several of the strange soldiers within its talons.
An arrow whizzed past Hikaru's head, she snapped to attention and the three knights rushed forward into the battle.
Eagle stepped out into the snow, everyone of his senses on red alert. He took on several soldiers before his senses were sent blaring. He turned just in time as Impreza to brought her sword down, narrowly avoiding the blade, he knew that one nick could be a death sentence.
"I'll have you now, Autozaman!" She jumped back out of his range before he could retaliate.
Eagle's eyes grew stern and although his dream still haunted him he put that to the back of his mind and turned his thoughts to the woman in front of him.
Camry stood in the midst of the melee of churning magic, blood and bodies and briefly looked up into the empty ski. "The time to make your choice is coming…Eagle"
Umi dodged an arrow and pummeled another mechanical solider into the ground with her magic. They seemed endless in number. Whatever the soldiers were she had a feeling they were not entirely machines, her magical senses told her there was once some part of theses things that was a person, but no longer.
She wasn't really certain if she wanted to know if that was true or not.
Fuu was halfway across the snowy field by now, throwing up a barrier to protect a group of wounded Autozamans.
Hikaru skidded past her, slipping and nearly falling, the snow was melting and turning into a morass of mud and blood as lives were being shredded like paper all around them. Some part of Umi knew this was going to happen. She'd been in battle before, but she had no idea…
This was what it was like to be at war.
The screams of the wounded and dying and the heavy silence of the dead at her feet.
The water knight lurched forward suddenly as she caught the sight of something coming at her from the corner of her eye. She managed to avoid Elantra's attack and caught her scythe with the crossbar of her sword.
"Better pay attention, you just might scar that pretty face of yours." She cackled and sprung at Umi, her knee connecting solidly with the other girl's stomach, knocking the wind out of her instantly.
Umi doubled over in pain dropping to her knees, but forced herself back up again a second later. "Water Dragon!" she threw the magic attack in haste and Elantra was able to dodge most of it.
Elantra swung out, her scythe connected and bit into flesh. Umi fell back, crying out in pain.
Her cry brought Eagle's attention from his own fight to her.
"Umi!" He moved quickly to block Impreza's sword and go to Umi but she parried and swung out whipping his sword from his hand. It went flying, landing in the deep snow with a 'thunk'. She forced him back with a magic attack he couldn't deflect in time and fell back into the snow.
"You'll be a very nice addition, with some work of course, you'll be a good boy this time and do as you're told like my little Elantra does." Impreza pinned him down placing her hands around his throat.
Eagle had a feeling he now knew who Elantra had learned to fight from.
His skin paled, his veins snaking blue and twisting up his skin and creeping into his face like the last time he'd been captured by this woman. That sick churning feeling wormed it's way down to his stomach, fear gripped him as he realized she was trying to implant another one of those wing parities.
That was not going to happen again, not if he could help it. With a quick flick of his wrist he released a small charge he kept inside his arm gauntlet. He used his own weight to throw Impreza back and tossed the small marbled sized weapon at her feet.
Exploding on impact it threw the older woman back along with several of the mechanical soldiers around them.
Elantra hesitated in her attack, "Lady!" she called out to Impreza and it gave Umi enough time to scramble away from her.
Hauling himself up Eagle turned to hurry to Umi, it was a fatal mistake on his part.
"Eagle!" Umi called out a warning to him just as he sensed it.
Turning back, he turned just in time to have an arrow embed itself up to the fletching into his chest.
Impreza lay on the ground not far from him a wicked grin on her face. She was wounded but holding up one of the bow like mechanisms from one of the fallen soldiers beside her.
Eagle staggered forward a bit and felt the gush of hot blood fall into the white snow at his feet. The image was already familiar to him, seared into his mind, his dream. Reacting quickly he reached behind his neck and pulled out the small knife he kept there and threw it.
The weapon flew true and buried its point into Impreza's chest. She clutched at the weapon but her gazed never left him, "You will still have to pay the price…" and suddenly her form shattered instead of slumping forward to join the dead on the battlefield, dissipating into nothingness.
'Magic?' Eagle wondered but all thoughts of such things were quickly forgotten as he stumbled and felt his legs give out beneath him and he fell to his knees. Vaguely he heard Hikaru call out his name and call out to Lantis and Fuu but they were so far away.
Everything was so far away.
As he fell down, his blood melting the snow and pooling all around him, he only felt the horrid pang of loss and could only watch as his dream turned into reality.
Sadness…
…and darkness…
"Eagle!" Umi's cries haunted him as he fell down, cutting though the dullness that began to fill his senses.
"Eagle!"
"Eagle!"
And her cries followed him down.
Into darkness.
AN:Once again thank you for reading and I hope I did well, writing the climax made me very nervous and I hope this and the next chapter (when I get it written, o.o) are not a disappointment to you. Writing the climax of a story always makes me nervous, xD I look forward to your feedback.
VKiera