Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to any of the CLAMP works.

The mystical force pulling Kamui and Fuuma along grew stronger, urging them to move on.

"You should continue your journey," Hokuto said, "I sense that you're merely passing through here on a quest you need to complete."

"Yes." Kamui let go of Hokuto's hand. "Let's go, Fuuma."

With a last wave, the two said their farewell to the girl and let themselves be swept away. Their surroundings grew lighter and lighter, until finally a portal showed up and they were thrown into a new world.

Kamui let out a pained groan when Fuuma landed on top of him. He tried to push the hunter off, but the man was heavy. "Get. Off," he seethed.

Chuckling, Fuuma appeased the vampire by quickly getting up. He send a few leery smiles to the other while brushing some imaginary dust off of him, and, with hint of smugness, said, "Thank you for breaking my fall, Kamui."

Fuuma's cheeky comment annoyed Kamui to no end. He glared, pulling back a fist in order to punch the hunter, but in that moment he caught sight of something towering behind Fuuma. Fuuma witnessed the transformation in the vampire's attitude with some confusion, as Kamui froze in the middle of his attack and his eyes widened in complete shock.

Fuuma blinked, frowning. What was going on?

"Is... something the matter?" When Kamui still didn't say anything, he decided to turn around to look behind himself. He stopped mid-turn. "It can't be..."

The world in which they had landed consisted of many tall buildings of brick and steel, but the one construction that stood out among these imposing skyscrapers was the red tower lighting up the dark night: Tokyo Tower.

"We're in Tokyo," Kamui breathed.

"No," Fuuma vehemently denied, "we're not."

"But that's the Tower you defended, the same one that contained the water reservoir!"

"Look around you, Kamui!" Fuuma cried. He held out his arms, indicating the scene around him, "Just look! What happened to all the broken buildings? Where is the erosion? If we were in the same Tokyo from the acid rains, this would not all be standing here!"

Fuuma had a point. How could buildings which had been destroyed before still be standing tall? It wasn't possible; what was gone could no longer be returned to its previous state; it was against reality's laws. And yet, Kamui remembered Watanuki's - or rather, Clow Reed's - words clearly in his mind:

"... the past, present and future are blurring at this very moment."

He hadn't realized he'd repeated them, until Fuuma asked him for clarification.

"What do you mean?" the hunter demanded.

Kamui looked at Fuuma, giving the hunter a thoughtful stare before he sighed. "I think we traveled through time," he explained, deciding to trust Fuuma with this bit of information. "We went from the future to the past."

Fuuma frowned. "That shouldn't be possible."

"It shouldn't be, it's against the natural law," Kamui conceded, "but I've experienced it before. I went to the Dimensional Witch's place, only to discover that Yuuko was dead, and another had taken her place. But when this new Witch sent me on to my destination, I arrived at a place when Yuuko was alive."

It was clear from his expression that Fuuma wasn't happy with this revelation, but Kamui was surprised that he accepted it so easily nonetheless. The hunter ran his fingers through his hair, sighing, "It's wrong, but laws have been broken before. These things happen when taboos are committed."

"Taboos?"

Fuuma eyed Kamui for a moment, nodding slowly. "Yes. Taboos. Traveling through time, stopping time, turning back time... taboos breed more taboos... they multiply until they tear down the very fabric of reality."

"Then," Kamui swallowed a lump he felt forming in his throat, "what we did; traveling back here; was it taboo?"

Fuuma nodded again. "Yes. Although it wasn't done consciously, it was a taboo; and the effects will ripple through the fabric of reality."

"How do you know all this?"

"I..." Fuuma hesitated. "I once made a wish that can be considered taboo."

TBC...