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

They had found the source of all tragedy: Fei Wong Reed.

"Ding! Ding!" said the seer, an insincere smile firmly plastered on his lips, "that's ten point for the twin stars!"

"Shut up, Hiiragizawa!" Fuuma hissed.

Kamui was uncertain how Eriol Hiiragizawa could agitate Fuuma in this manner, but he knew that the seer had done or said something to bother the hunter, because Fuuma was acting out of his element. Where had that impossible, smooth-talking, and cool-headed man gone?

Two other things mentioned by Eriol was nagging Kamui's mind; one: he mentioned 'twin stars', two: he was called 'Eriol'.

Kamui remembered this name. When he had asked the young Sakura to use her card Loop to bring him to the Dimensional Witch, the creature, Yue, had mentioned that name upon meeting his creator Watanuki.

Clow! How...! But you died a long time ago! You are reborn as Eriol, aren't you?

Those had been Yue's words. It aligned with Eriol's own story about being the afterimage of Clow's wish; in a way, Clow himself was reborn as Eriol, because Eriol was the result of Clow's desire to keep Yuuko alive. Kamui made an effort to order his thoughts. If Eriol, who was standing before them, had been reborn from Clow, or rather Watanuki, who was the successor to Yuuko, then that meant Kamui and Fuuma had traveled to the future.

But Kamui could tell that this world, X, was clearly the past of Tokyo, where the acid rain fell. From that perspective, Kamui and Fuuma had traveled to the past.

Things weren't adding up... They had simultaneously traveled to both the past and the future. That shouldn't be possible, unless...!

Fuuma's warnings flashed though Kamui's head. They had traveled through time, broken a taboo. The effects would ripple through the fabrics of reality and tear it apart.

Kamui clenched his fist.

All this for his twin Subaru.

But Subaru was not his true twin, the presence of the girl Hokuto had made that very clear. Kamui had thus far deducted that his sorrows pertained 'twins'. Now, this seer was speaking of twin stars. What did Eriol mean by that? Kamui needed to find out.

"What do you mean by 'twin stars'?" he demanded.

Eriol turned to look at Kamui. "I see. You no longer know. Well, you will find out soon; that is -inevitable- ...is what she would have said, isn't that so?"

Kamui narrowed his eyes. Yuuko had indeed say that. "What do you mean, I no longer know?"

"Why don't you ask your partner? It's his fault you don't remember," Eriol said. "Ah," he slapped his forehead in a dramatic gesture, "I forgot! He can't remember it either; that was the price he paid!"

Kamui turned to the hunter, who was both angry and confused. "Fuuma?" he prodded the other.

Fuuma glanced at him, then shook his head. "I know he's talking about the taboo I broke with my wish. But I don't know what he's saying, I..." he hesitated, "I don't... remember what wish I made."

Kamui gave him a hard glare. "You stole my memories for your wish? You bargained both our memories and broke taboos just to make a foolish wish you don't even remember?"

"It was not a foolish wish!" Fuuma snapped, glaring right back. "It was important; I can sense that it was very important," he averted his gaze, and softly added, "... to me, at least."

Eriol chuckled. "I see; the body remembers, even when the heart does not. I admire what you've accomplished, Fuuma." He then turned his malicious gaze to Kamui, smiling all the way, as he stared at him with ill intent. "I think I should take note and improve."

"There is nothing to improve!" Kamui yelled.

To this, Eriol inclined his head. "I agree. Were I author of this story, then our worlds would never have collided at all. But the fates are not written by me. I was thrown into this mess, and so I must work with what I have."

"You don't have to do this; you can stop," Kamui pointed out.

"Is that what you want?" Eriol asked. "To have no resolution at all?"

Kamui opened his mouth, but then he hesitated. No resolution meant never finding Subaru. Never finding the answers to the questions he had. Could he give everything up? No, he couldn't. How could Kamui ask of Eriol to give up his wish, when Kamui could not give up his own?

"I want a resolution," Fuuma said in Kamui's stead, "but as you said, Hiiragizawa, the fates aren't written by us. I can't change destiny; what must come, will come; that is inevitable."

Eriol smirked. "Whether you can or can't, one thing is for certain; you will find the answer. The two of you will."

TBC...