Title: "Careful With What You Wish - Chap 16: Oh Fortune"
Author: J.J.
Warning: It's an AU BASED ON THE MANGA. It requires knowledge of the 'X' manga. It contains some Japanese words (the Dictionary is at the bottom), some OOC, a bit of sappiness, twisted relationships, suicide attempts, mentions of abuse, violence, general insanity and other stuffs I might have forgot... Deal with this fic with caution...
Notes: This is dark and twisted, dark and twisted, dark and twisted... have I mentioned it's dark and twisted? It's born to show a less nice Seishiro, how bad is Fuma's idea that Wishes must be fulfilled and how stubborn can be Subaru no matter what happened to him.
Warning over notes: This fic has notes. You will find them at the bottom. Each time you see a number between brackets it means there's a note connected to the word/sentence that preceded it. However I suggest you to read the notes AFTER you finished the fic unless the word/sentence connected to the note is really troublesome for you to understand. Anyway the fic should be still understandable without the notes. Notes are merely extra explanations for who wants to know more.
Disclaimer:
"Tokyo Babylon" and "X" belong to Clamp. I'm merely using their characters because I love them... especially Seishiro and Subaru...
Ehy, Do I own something here? Oh yes, I own the plot and a sensible heart which would surely break if you give me harsh reviews... so please be honest but nice ok?
Thanks:
To Jennifer for betaing this! Thank you a lot!
To Moko, Tanuki-dono, Meffie, Sakanagi and Yupita for supporting me while writing this fic! Thank you a lot!
Summary: After meeting Subaru in his Maboroshi 16 years ago Seishiro chose to keep him and placed him under a spell so that he would obey to him. Now, in the year of the destiny he has to face Sumeragi Hokuto who wants her brother back and Monou Fuma's obsession for fulfilling wishes...

'We should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.' Andy Rooney

"Sors salutis
Et virtutis
Michi nunc contraria
Est affectus
Et defectus
Semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
Sine mora
Cordum pulsum tangite;
Quod per sortem
Sternit fortem,
Mecum omnes plangite!"
("Fate is against me And virtue,
Driven on
And weighted down,
Always enslaved.
So at this hour
Without delay
Pluck the vibrating strings;
Since Fate
Strikes down the strong man,
Everyone weep with me!")
(Carl Orff - "O Fortuna")

Hokuto's heart skipped a beat as she found herself trapped in that odd reality that was the Sakurazukamori's Maboroshi. From the look of it, this one seemed similar to the one used as a trap under the Diet Building and later to trap Kamui-chan when the boy had been alone with poor Kotori-chan. It wasn't exactly the battle ground she would have chosen but she'd gladly take any chance to face Subaru's kidnapper, she decided, straightening herself as she immediately took her Ofuda, ready to face everything the man could throw at her. Oh, and the Sakurazukamori had better not even consider ruining her dress. She particularly liked it.

As soon as he showed himself, still wearing the same black coat and a new, expensive suit she felt an odd mix of disappointment and relief when she noticed Subaru wasn't with him. She didn't want her brother to be involved in the battle but she found it scary not to know where he was.

"Hi. We meet again, Sumeragi Hokuto-chan. The Chi no Ryu's Kamui said you were dying from the Wish to see me," the Sakurazukamori told her in a heavy mocking voice. Without Subaru around he didn't even pretend to be nice, she noticed. He was a dangerous man, used to urdering whoever opposed him without a second thought and she wasn't even remotely close to his level of strength, agility or Onmyoudo, and she knew this. That wouldn't stop her though. Nothing would stop Sumeragi Hokuto.

"His name is Monou Fuma-kun," she replied harshly, determined not to show any fear or hesitation in front of him. This man believed everything should move according to his wishes. She refused to play his game, to follow his rules. "Where's Subaru?" she asked then, trying to keep the anxiety she felt out of her voice. He... he hadn't... hurt... her brother in the months since she'd seen them, had he?

The Sakurazukamori's smile widened maliciously.

"His home, where else? He was a bit tired due to our... recent activities and so I let him rest," he explained with a tone that implied she was retarded for not guessing it herself, and she felt her blood boil. Recent activities. Recent activities! She knew very well what that... that monster was talking about, he didn't need to sugar coat it as if she was a stupid, naïve child. He had... with her innocent brother he had...

"How gracious of you!" she spat with rage. "Subaru isn't your sex-toy and his home is surely not with you! His home is with his family, with the people who love and care for him and whom he loves and cares for in return! You merely warped his mind to make him believe you could mean something to him, that he must listen you, but in truth you're nothing in Subaru's heart! Nothing!" she screamed at him as loud as she could. That man, that horrible man had stolen Subaru from her, her beloved little brother, and now... now he was using him for his pleasure as if Subaru was a toy he could play with, not caring for him or his feelings at all. Her brother... Her sweet, innocent Subaru... Reduced to a mere plaything... No, she couldn't, wouldn't, forgive that man. No matter what, she would never allow him to have her Subaru. She had to kill him and free the world from such a monster.

The Sakurazukamori frowned, as if her words had stuck a nerve and she felt an odd sensation of pleasure at that. She wanted so badly to hurt him, hurt him how he had hurt her and how he surely had hurt Subaru...

"You'll see soon to whom Subaru-kun belongs. He is and always will be mine, not a pathetic girl's who can barely use Onmyoujutsu," the man stated coldly, then he grabbed up a handful of Ofuda and throw them at her, murmuring a spell. Hokuto did the same, determined to not let him win. Their battle had started.(1)

Elsewhere, while Shiro Kamui and Saiki Daisuke were visiting the KaiChou of the Tojyo Seiyaku, Nekoi Yuzuriha was finally enjoying some free time with her most special person, Shiyu Kusanagi. It was unfortunate that her appointment had to be interrupted by another earthquake. And it wasn't even a normal earthquake. Yuzuriha could feel clearly that behind it there was a Chi no Ryu. She sighed as life again reminded her the hard way that she wasn't a common person and that she had an important duty to fulfil. And sadly, duty always came ahead of pleasure, especially in life or death matters.

So Yuzuriha hurriedly made up an excuse, waved goodbye to Kusanagi with the same expression she would have used if nothing had been wrong, and ran away with her Inuki, ran as fast as she could toward the point where she believed the Chi no Ryu that was causing the earthquake was, then, once there, concentrated and created her own Kekkai, a cylindrical shaped structure, trapping inside it only the ones involved in the battle for the destiny of Earth and leaving everyone else out.

Not too far from there Seishiro was standing in the middle of his Maboroshi, alone and not exactly ecstatic to discover that, while he was trapped inside a Ten no Ryu's Kekkai, Sumeragi Hokuto-chan had been left out of it. Odd how his Maboroshi had held even inside the Kekkai, but its presence hadn't been enough to trap Hokuto-chan inside the Kekkai as well. He shook his head cursing fate, the Ten no Ryu and their Kekkai.

He was going to kill the Ten no Ryu who had done this to him!

He dispelled his Maboroshi and started moving toward the point at which a battle was already taking place. He didn't care if Satsuki-chan thought it was her battle, he was going to have that Ten no Ryu's head for ruining his kill like that.

He had had Sumeragi Hokuto-chan trapped and was about to murder her for crying out loud!

He was extremely disappointed when the Kekkai started fading before he managed to reach the Ten no Ryu who had raised it. When he finally was at the point where the battle had taken place, there were no traces of the Ten no Ryu's presence, and the place wasn't safe anymore. He was sure that, in the mess, he would never manage to track Hokuto-chan again. Feeling very close to sulking, he started walking toward home, uncaring of the building crumbling around him or of the people's screams, wondering how Subaru-kun was doing all alone. He shouldn't have let him alone, he knew that Subaru-kun hated it and that it wasn't even completely safe. Maybe he should hurry back.

He had no idea that, no matter how much he hurried, at that point he was already too late.(2)

The Chi no Ryu's Kamui observed the fading Kekkai with disappointment as well. He had completely missed the battle.

Shinjuku's skyscrapers, the one that generated the Shinjuku's Kekkai, would crumble soon.

Oh well, it was the disadvantage of being 'Kamui'.

He had duties to fulfil before having his personal amusement. He should feel proud of himself, he had fulfilled three wishes all in one blow, and his night wasn't over yet. He should, but he wasn't. The worst part of being 'Kamui' was he always felt empty. Keeping himself busy destroying and fulfilling wishes didn't help much. Being 'Kamui' was making him feel as if he had no real identity, no real wishes of his own.

He wondered who he really was. Was he something more than Shiro Kamui's Souhoshi? He didn't know, really. Every time the other Kamui saw him he called him 'Fuma'.

'Fuma'.

Who was 'Fuma', anyway? A substitute, someone born to fill the place the other Kamui would leave empty.

The other Kamui called him 'Fuma', said he wanted 'Fuma' back, but it wasn't 'Fuma' he wanted to see when he faced him. Not really, even if he wasn't conscious of this. He couldn't, wouldn't ever bear to fight Fuma, so he preferred to see someone else, someone who could represent the darkness in Shiro Kamui's heart. He gave him that.

Kotori had wanted a murderer. A murderer, because she preferred to be the one who died rather than the Earth of her beloved Kamui and Fuma. He had given her that.

Kazuki wanted a fatherly figure to replace the one he had lost. He gave him that.

The Sakurazukamori wanted a mix of his precious Subaru-kun and himself. He gave him that.

Kakyou wanted someone who would listen and understand so that he wouldn't feel so desperately alone. He gave him that.

He only gave people what they wished for.

All considered, he was a victim of destiny. He hadn't chosen his role, and he wasn't sure who he was anymore. His only purpose was to be the Chi no Ryu's Kamui and fulfil wishes. That was the only thing that defined him. However, he didn't enjoy it. He didn't dislike it either. He did it and that was all.

In a fashion, it was similar to what Sumeragi Subaru did for the Sakurazukamori. The boy gave him what he wanted, or tried to, no matter the cost.

What had happened that evening had proved it.

The boy hadn't complained when Kamui had beaten and raped him, persuaded that was the Sakurazukamori's Wish. He hadn't said a word or made a sound and not because he couldn't but because he didn't want to. He had just let him and had stared at him, watching him as if he was a bug. He hadn't cared about him or what he was doing. As long as it made the Sakurazukamori happy, he didn't care what happened to himself. Pain and humiliation hadn't been what had moved him to action. To him they were meaningless in face of the Sakurazukamori's wish.

Once Kamui was done with him the Ten no Ryu had merely stood and dressed, his movements stiff and a little awkward but calm and deliberate, as if nothing had happened to him.

It had been when Kamui had revealed to him that what had happened had not been the Sakurazukamori's Wish, and that what the man truly Wished for was to know if his Subaru-kun would ever allow someone else to have him, that the Ten no Ryu had finally reacted.

Sumeragi Subaru lived to fulfil the Sakurazukamori's wishes. He couldn't bear the idea of disappointing the man. Trapped between the impossibility of letting the Sakurazukamori known he had failed him and the impossibility of leaving the house without breaking the Sakurazukamori's orders, the boy's mind had unconsciously broken the spell that had been put on him so long ago. It was either that or go insane, and Kamui had known it. Than, still in shock, the Ten no Ryu had left, probably believing that Kamui was right when he had said the Sakurazukamori would reject him, should he find out what had happened.

Kamui smiled a bitter smile. He had tricked the boy using his only weakness; a weakness the Sakurazukamori had given him, that unconditional loyalty that pushed him into passivity even when his soul screamed at him to do something, and that had forced him to submit to something he didn't want.

He had no regrets. The Sakurazukamori and the Ten no Ryu had both Wished the spell removed, and the Sumeragi girl Wished for her brother back, no matter what. He had given them all what they Wished. Soon Sumeragi Subaru would be returned to his sister and to the other Ten no Ryu. Yet, in the state he was in, he wasn't going to pose a threat to the Chi no Ryu.

Spell or no spell, the young man had no Wishes beyond fulfilling the Sakurazukamori's. Without him he was a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Funny how the Sakurazukamori had never realized it, had never realized how much he mattered to the young man, how much he mattered even without a spell. Kamui had been sure that the Sakurazukamori was smarter than that but, apparently, when it came to feelings the man was lost.

His gaze darkened. It was so difficult normally for people to understand each other, to understand themselves, to understand their Wishes.

The Ten no Ryu's Kamui wasn't even aware of his true wish. Would he ever be? Hopefully before he had to kill him? He had no idea. A corner of his mind rebelled at it, rebelled at the idea of murdering Kamui, his childhood friend, but... but he was the Chi no Ryu's Kamui and he had a destiny to fulfil, a destiny that called him once more when he saw a boy with blond hair jumping from the window of a building. As soon as he had seen him he had just known he had another Wish to fulfil that night, and so he walked toward the unsuspecting boy silently.

"The Chi no Ryu! It's their work!" the teenager exclaimed, looking toward the rising smoke that came from Shinjuku's skyscrapers.

"Don't use the plural... it was only one," Kamui corrected him.

"Who's there?" the boy asked, turning quickly to face him.

"I believe we have met once before," Kamui replied calmly. The boy's eyes widened as he recognized him, wind starting to circle around him. A Kazetsukai. How interesting.

"You are the Chi no Ryu's Kamui?" the boy exclaimed. Kamui didn't reply, busy as he was studying what was in the boy's heart.

"The YumeMi Hime under the parliament house is the one you treasure the most, am I wrong?" Kamui said then quietly. "To protect the YumeMi named Hinoto, that is your Wish," he continued.

"... How do you...?" the boy started to ask, incredulity written in capital letters on his face.

"I know because I am Kamui, 'The One Who Hunts The Power Of Kami-sama'," Kamui explained to him simply.

'... And tonight I will fulfil your Wish... your Wish to protect her with your life...'

To be continued...

JJ's Notes:

1. Okay, for who doesn't have the manga this is the time for a summary about what the other guys had been/are doing. Kamui, after hearing of the death of Segawa Keiichi's mother, had just chosen he's going to raise his own Kekkai. Due to this he visits Hinoto but she can't offer him any helpful advice. In hope to discover something more Kamui goes to visit Tojyo Motoharu, the guy he had saved at Sunshine 60, with Saiki. At the same time Yuzuriha is having a date with Kusanagi at Shinjuku. While she's chatting happily with Kusanagi at an ice cream parlour and Kamui is learning by Tojyo Motoharu that Nataku is a clone the man created, Satsuki attack Shinjuku's skyscrapers with Beast.

2. Second summary for who doesn't have the manga. When Yuzuriha reaches Shinjuku she raises her Kekkai. Kamui senses it and runs to help her leaving Saiki with Tojyo. Meanwhile Satsuki attacks Yuzuriha. When her attacks are deflected she talks to Yuzuriha through a giant screen. Yuzuriha would like to know why she's doing this. Satsuki asks her 'Why humans shouldn't be killed'. Yuzuriha can't find the words to answer and, using her distraction, Satsuki attacks her again. Inuki jumps in front of Yuzuriha to protect her and he is 'killed'. Lost Inuki Yuzuriha is too desperate to fight. Satsuki attacks her again. Kusanagi manages to drag her away but, at this point, Yuzuriha has fainted and her Kekkai is fading. Out of it Kamui sees it fade as well. Saiki too sees it and says to everyone in the room to leave because it's dangerous to stay there before jumping out of the window. Originally in the manga the Chi no Ryu's Kamui witnessed the whole battle but in this story he arrived on the place when it was finished.

JJ's Extra Notes:
What had happened to Subaru had been planned long, long ago, when I started writing a demo version for this fic. I didn't chose this purely for being cruel with Subaru. Considering the relation between him and Seishiro, their respective characters, and the Chi no Ryu's Kamui's way to act that seemed the only possible development. Sure, it would have been nicer if Seishiro had broken the spell on his own or if Hokuto had mattered enough to Subaru to push him to break the spell but right now the only one that matters in Subaru's mind is Seishiro and Seishiro just won't turn back on his actions.
The Chi no Ryu's Kamui monologue was inspired by the dialogue between Kusanagi and Yuzuriha, more precisely by the description that Kusanagi makes of Kamui: 'The person I know, rather than to say that he is like me, he is like anyone, and yet no one. It's as if he has given up himself and plays that someone the others wish him to be. But I don't think that's really a good thing.'

Dictionary:
-chan: Name ending used to express affection and familiarity or to talk with a child
-kun: Young
-sama: "Lord" or "Lady"
-san: "Mr." or "Mrs."
Chi no Ryu: Dragon of Earth
Hime: Princess
KaiChou: President
Kami: God
Kamui: "The One Who Represents The Power Of God" or "The One Who Hunts The Power Of God"
Kazetsukai: Wind Caster
Kekkai: Shield
Maboroshi: Illusion
Ofuda: Short, polite form for 'Ujikofuda' ("Charm for Shrine Visitors"). Rectangular paper "charm" used to cast some spells
Onmyoudo: "Way of Yin and Yang". Yin and Yang are the male and female forces underlying the movement and changes of nature. Onmyoudo is based upon the Chinese arts of astrology, divination and Taoist magic and also represents a mystical way of living in harmony with the forces of nature
Onmyoujutsu: "Art of Yin and Yang". The ability to use Onmyoudo spells
Sakurazukamori: "Guardian of the Cherry Blossom Burial Mound". The assassin who uses Onmyoujutsu to kill who threatens Japan
Seiyaku: Pharmaceutical
Souhoshi: "Accompanying Star" or "Gemini" or "Twin Star"
Ten no Ryu: Dragon of Heaven
YumeMi: "Dreamgazer". Who can see the future in dreams

Replies to reviews:

To Everyone who reviewed: Thank you! You're a great encouragement for me!

To Lady Samurai: The wait ends! Here's the update...

To Gray Wings: I'm really sorry for what Fuma did to Subaru and I swear I don't share his theory about fulfilling wishes no matter what. I hope you won't be too mad at me after this chap...

To My Bloody Hell: Sadly something had happened to Subaru. I feel so sorry for him... I wish you good luck for your exams!

To kurai-tsubasa: I don't know if this chap will fit your definition of good... I've the feeling many will be angry at me for it... Wishes will be deal in future chapters...

To Dark Angel Of Fire Ice: I wouldn't say to Seishiro he's being cute... however when he's not around... BTW I hope to see another chapter of 'Predator, Prey, Possession' soon! You can't let me for so long in suspense! (However I'll understand if you say real life gives you no time to write... it tends to try and do the same with me too...)

To helo: As you could see Fuma did something way worst than telling Subaru that Seishiro was going to kill his sister. Sadly, since Subaru had no memories of her, his reaction wouldn't have been strong enough to break the spell. As for your question... Seishiro left his eye to Subaru (it's not said if it's the left or the right... since we assume the right one was destroied in TB he should have let him the left one and I've no idea how Fuma found it. He said that the eye was all that remained of the Sakurazukamori's body...). Technically Subaru should have eyes of different colour... however the manga is in black and white and since the transplant should have been magical (Fuma gives the eye to Subaru and few hours after Subaru's wandering around with a perfectly seeing eye) we can't know for sure. It's said that Subaru took Seishiro's place as Sakurazukamori and Chi no Ryu however we don't see him killing anyone (mind you, the Sakurazukamori killed people who threatened Japan's well being in the manga, might it be, that since Tokyo was evacuated, there was no one to threaten it...). CLAMP are pretty vague about Subaru's destiny. After Seishiro's death we see him talking to Kamui then he left and disappear for a month. Fuma finds him in the Sakurazukamori's estate garden (where Seishiro killed his mother) and give him Seishiro's eye. Short after with two eyes Subaru witness Nataku's death and talks with Kamui. The we see him during the final battle when Fuma is about to stab Kamui with the ShinKen. He says to Kamui that 'having Fuma back' isn't his true wish. The CLAMP stoped 'X'...

To Momo: Well... from this point things will slowly grow always more different from the manga... Seishiro's very possessive of Subaru. It's his way of caring for him. He won't be happy to discover the boy isn't at home anymore...

Don't grumble silently, please let me know what you're thinking of this!
Send me your comments!