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

"Ow..." Kamui cursed softly.

"Be glad that you're on top this time," Fuuma said with a muffled voice, his face pressed awkwardly against Kamui's hair.

Kamui blushed and quickly scrambled onto his feet.

Fuuma chuckled. "You're cute when you're shy," he teased, then ducked when Kamui threw him a punch.

"Please behave, gentlemen, you're scaring off potential clients," a voice called out. They looked up to find the Dimensional Witch peering down at them through half-moon glasses; Watanuki gave them a gentle smile. "Welcome back, you two."

Fuuma looked the boy up and down, "You... seem different."

Kamui snorted softly. "That's because he dresses differently. He's no longer wearing his dull school uniform, but instead a tailored kimono. And he's smoking a pipe. He would never have done that before Yuuko's disappearance."

"Disappearance?!"

Fuuma gave Watanuki an alarmed look, but Watanuki merely smiled sadly. "Yuuko Ichihara hasn't been among us for a long time," he let the hunter know.

"So, we traveled through time again?" Kamui tentatively concluded.

Watanuki sighed. "Do you want to know the truth? The full truth: without any distortions from forgotten memories and the like."

Kamui looked to Fuuma, who shrugged helplessly. "I want to know, but it's not in my right to decide; I was the one who sacrificed our memories in the first place."

Kamui nodded, conveying his understanding to Fuuma and his acceptance of the underlying offer of apology, before turning his attention back to Watanuki. "I assume there is a price. What do Fuuma and I have to pay?" Kamui demanded.

"Your price will be your reunion with Subaru, Kamui; you can never see him again." Watanuki directed his attention from vampire to hunter. "As for you, Fuuma, you will return your ability to travel through dimensions; you won't ever leave this place again."

Kamui considered this for a moment. Seishiro had taken Subaru from him. He'd taken the Subaru and returned him to Hokuto. That girl was nice. Subaru would undoubtedly be happy to finally be reunited with her. He would be alright with her looking out for him.

"It's alright. Eventhough, I want to see Subaru, I know he'll be fine without me. So, it's alright if I pay this price."

"I'm okay with this too," Fuuma added, all the while grinning. "I think I've traveled enough for a lifetime."

"Very well."

Watanuki swished his pipe around, leaving twirling patterns of fragrant smoke. The patterns formed words which Kamui did not recognize. An incantation, Kamui realized; and, though he didn't know its meaning, he knew it was done to retrieve the payment for his and Fuuma's wish to know the truth.

Afterwards, Watanuki stretched out his arm, hand open with his palm facing up. "The payment you retrieved, please," he said to Fuuma.

Fuuma retrieved the crystal ball from his pocket and handed the sphere over to Watanuki.

"The journey has ended. It's time that these memories return to their rightful owners."

Watanuki brought the sphere to his lips and gently kissed it, causing the soft pink glow to expand until it blinded everything. Then the colors within the light broke down and separated, making one half black and one half white, but at the center of each half a pink core remained. Two equal opposites formed one complimenting whole: yin and yang. The two parted and the white half went into Kamui's being. The dark half was absorbed by Fuuma.

It felt warm.

Kamui blinked his eyes. Fuuma took a deep breath.

Watanuki smiled. "You remember now, don't you?"

"Yes," said Kamui, "I remember."

I think one or two more chapters will wrap up this story. There are still revelations that Watanuki needs to make to Kamui and Fuuma, but they would never have understood these revelations as thoroughly as they will now without their memories. Please review to let me know what you think of this story so far & TBC...