http://clampfix.fanworks.net/x-fix/alaylm5.txt </head><body><pre>A Demented Sisters' Production Author of this part: missa Warnings: AU for both timelines. There be language and angst here; but I haven't killed anyone YET. Pairings: Well, the is 5x2, but well... you'll see. Archive: My site, Miriya's site, Steelsong, anyone who has permission and anyone else who asks first. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters involved with this fic. Various other places such as Bandai and Sunrise own GW and CLAMP own Tokyo Babylon and X. This fic is being written for the pure enjoyment of others which I think are far and few. AN: Yo, missa here. Finally, part 5 of this fic. *listens to the crickets chirp* Yeah. Anyway, I could really use some feedback on this part especially from those of you who know X. Since I am still learning I need to know if I even came close. Also, I have a request. I do not know what X ML's miri-imouto was on and I am only on her ML so would someone who knows what ML's she's on either let me know so I can send this there, or fwd it for me? No big deal tho, she can always send it when she gets back on line in a couple months. [from miri] Hello, happy CLAMPers.... ^_^;; I haven't had much to do with this part, save for the main telling of Subaru's past. Anou...after a long debate, neechan convinced me to take liberty at a certain part in the story...for fictional purposes. Sei-chan, as we all know, really didn't tell Subaru he loved him...but for our purposes, he just did. Just thought you should know... Part 5/?? Wufei stopped his exercise, his concentration once again giving out. He raised an eyebrow and sardonically stated, "Explain to me again exactly why I have to know this in order to get Duo?" Subaru held back his impatience. Something like this should come naturally to a Dragon of Heaven. For the fifth time, he repeated his reasoning. "If you can't protect yourself against magic then your life is basically forfeit. If you die, then how can you get Duo?" Wufei scowled. "I understand _that_. But why is this" He gestured around him, "necessary for that? I haven't learned anything yet and it has been hours! I want to find Duo." Subaru responded quietly. "Wufei, what do you think will happen if you get into a magic fight? What consequences do you think it would have on the environment and the _people_ surrounding your fight?" Wufei grimaced. "Obviously nothing good would happen." "Right. In order to protect them from your fight you need to learn how to set up your kekkai. If you win, then no harm will come to the surrounding area within your shield. If you lose however, then that area and all the lives within it will be destroyed." "Ok. So I am learning how to set up my `kekkai' in order to protect people during my fights. But how will I learn magic in order to even survive the fights?" "It should come naturally with a little practice. Especially after you learn to raise your kekkai." Wufei muttered something under his breath but went back to doing as Subaru instructed him. If he just put his mind to the task then it wouldn't be long before he could go to get his Duo back .Subaru did not mention that in order for Wufei to be able to raise his kekkai that he had to have something that he needed to protect. Subaru thought that the one thing would be Duo, but if Fuuma got a hold of Duo's mind, then Wufei might not even have that left. ~~~~~~~~ Duo walked down the street blending in naturally with his surroundings. It wasn't hard to do, something that he had mastered while being a Gundam pilot. He never thought he would have to use these skills again in his lifetime, but... there was so much at stake. How could he not?After a day of rest Duo felt better about his decision... to kill for Wufei. He didn't question why it didn't bother him as much as it should have, but he had never questioned his instincts before, and he wasn't about to start now. He was on his way to find Wufei. He wanted Wufei to stay with him, to fight by his side to do what was _right_. If they fought together then they would never have to go through the future that they shared together. There would be no war, no pain, nothing. Surely Wufei would understand that. Where would Wufei be? Somehow, Duo didn't think that those people who had Wufei would stay at the same place, it wouldn't have made much sense strategically. Fuuma hadn't been too upset when Duo told him that he was going to go look for Wufei. When he had started searching he really had no place in mind to look, but as he continued walking something called him unerringly in the direction of a park. The trees seemed to blend, blossoming in the spring afternoon, sakura petals dusting the ground, green grass giving way to a white carpet of soft petals. A tree stood out amongst the others, his mind comprehending that it was different somehow than the others. It took him a few moments to actively search through his senses to see what exactly was different about the tree. When it came to him, it puzzled him. The petals of the sakura tree were much darker than the other petals, tinged red. The closer he looked, the redder the petals seemed to become, almost taking on the stain of blood. His hearing picked up on the sounds of soft conversation emerging from the other side of the tree. Without having to see the people, he knew without a doubt that it was Wufei. ~~~~~~~~~~ "There's something…strange about this place." The Chinese boy looked around himself again. Something made him feel uneasy with his surroundings, and it was more than just the unfamiliarity of it. He turned to Subaru, realizing the young Sumeragi was lost in thought. //K'so… he's not even listening to me.// He made a quiet noise of disgust, but refrained from trying to approach Subaru for another few minutes. //He must have a lot on his mind…// Wufei glanced around, wondering why Subaru had chosen this spot...of the whole park he had chosen /this spot./ There was something off about it, Wufei could see the difference from the sakura tree they were underneath from the others, yet here they were. Subaru tried to pay attention to the lesson he was giving Wufei, but being in _this_ spot, remembering _these_ memories... He still wasn't quite sure _why_ he had chosen to come here. Perhaps so that he could be as close to Seishirou as possible, to sit under the tree that had tormented him for so long; or perhaps he was being masochistic. Of the two he was betting on the second option. //It used to be his tree, now it's my tree. The only attachment I feel towards this tree is that it used to be part of _him_. // Subaru's hand caressed the base of the tree, the bark scraping against the inside of his palm, cutting him. //My sacrifice to Seishirou.// Wufei waited in silence for as long as he could bear. He had stopped his exercise more than 5 minutes ago and yet Subaru had not commented like he normally did. What could be bothering Subaru so much that he would lose his concentration? //Should I ask?// Wufei glanced to the side studying the dark-haired young man. //It's not good to be _that_ melancholy.// Making up his mind he asked, "What is bothering you?" Subaru's eyes opened, momentarily forgetting that he was indeed not alone. "Why are you not practicing?"Wufei made a noise in the back of his throat, but did not comment. "I asked what was bothering you. You seemed to be very far away..." Wufei let the comment die down, leaving Subaru a chance to take the opening to talk if he chose to do so. //Not that it matters,// Wufei thought, //he will tell me, I told him what was bothering me, it wouldn't be right for him to have to be so alone when he needs to be surrounded by others.// Subaru closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "It's nothing. Just memories that cannot be forgotten." "Do they make you sad?" Wufei asked. "Sometimes." Subaru responded, resting his head against the Sakura tree, imagining that it was Seishirou he was leaning against. "Then why remember them?" Wufei returned softly. "Because they are all that I have left of him. If I don't have those, then I have nothing." Subaru said, closing his eyes against the inner pain. "Will you tell me?" Wufei asked. "Tell me what he was like, what you were like? Kamui told me some of it, but..." Wufei shrugged. "I would like to know what you felt... how you deal with it. Because..." Wufei took a deep breath. "If what Kamui said is true, then one day I might also be in the position that you were forced into. If that were to happen...I-I don't know what I would do." Wufei stared helplessly at the ground, possible scenarios running through his head, chilling his soul. //Never, I will _never_ hurt my Duo.// Subaru opened his eyes and looked at Wufei. "You might look down on me if you heard the whole story, but since you insist..." Sighing, the onmyouji began his tale. "I first met Seishirou when I was about 9..." Subaru laughed softly, a bitter sound. "My first memory of him... I shouldn't have been there...grandmother had told me to stay where I was. My first memory of him was when he killed a girl…I saw him... And then he saw me…he told me I was supposed to die, that it--" He glanced down at his ungloved hand. He held one up for Wufei to view. "This was the mark he gave me, along with a promise. He would stay with me for a year and try to love me, but if he couldn't...then he would kill me." "Why didn't he kill you right away?" "He never told me. And when I was 16 I met with him again. By that time I had forgotten, or rather, he had blocked out the memory of our first meeting…either way, I didn't recognize him." Wufei watched as Subaru pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it without even looking, an almost habitual gesture that came from years of doing the same thing over and over again. The end caught, and a steady stream of smoke came from the lit end of the cigarette; it curled, then faded into the air. A single emerald eye turned to regard Wufei, narrowing slightly as he remembered. "And, as he'd promised so many years ago, he stayed with me for a year. He…tried to love me…but I wasn't enough. He couldn't tell me from any other object. After all that we'd been through…He, Hokuto…and I." "Hokuto?" Wufei cringed internally for interrupting. "Neesan…" Subaru took a long drag from the cigarette, then looked down at it in disgust, as if it were some remote part of himself. "She was the older of us, and she was supposed to have inherited the power of the Sumeragi…but it didn't work that way. Somehow, it was me…I became the head." Tears stood out in Subaru's eyes, as he relived the past, remembering the last, and just maybe only, times he'd been truly happy. "She was amazing. Everything I'm not…I was a shy, awkward person, and she was so very bright…" Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he continued. "After his part in the bet concluded…he tried to kill me. But my grandmother saved me…and brought me back to the world. But I was helpless. I couldn't do anything. All I thought of was him…I couldn't do…anything at all…I just waited for him to come." Wufei turned to Subaru, reaching a hand out to touch the onmyouji's shoulder. But he couldn't feel it. He was too deep in the memories…"And…I felt it. He killed her…She wanted me to live, so she took my place. I couldn't help her at all…I watched as he killed her, as if it was right in front of me." There was a long moment of silence as Subaru composed himself. "I didn't see him again. Not for many years…not until a very short time ago. But it didn't matter. There wasn't a day I didn't think of him. I wanted to avenge neesan's death, but I knew I couldn't kill him. So once again, even though it would make her sad…I wanted him to finish it. At…Nakano…he toyed with me. I wasn't worth his time to kill... everything-- it meant nothing to him. "When we met again…we fought…I still wanted him to kill me. The end was there, he was finally going to end it…" "Subaru-san…" Wufei murmured quietly, and still he was unheard. "I killed him." The cigarette had burned out long ago, the ashes blown to the winds, and the remnants were burning the filter. Subaru let it go, watched it fall, and then hung his head. "Hokuto-chan, when she died…she cast a spell on Seishirou. So that when he tried to kill me…he would die that way. With these hands, I murdered him…it wasn't supposed to be that way. I should have died there… "But I'm still here. He left me, again…and I'll never get him back." "So, it was a one-sided love?" Wufei asked, trying to understand .Subaru gave a laugh tainted with hysteria and bitterness. "Would it really matter if it was one-sided or not?" He shook his head. "Not to me, it didn't. I loved him. I wanted him to kill me, not the other way around. But it didn't matter. The last thing he said to me was, "I love you." I-I don't know whether to believe that or not, but... I-inside I feel that he was telling the truth. The Sakurazukamori had loved, his final act was to tell me that. I will always wonder if he told me that to hurt me, or because he finally could." "Subaru-san..." Wufei inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly, "I can't act like I can possibly imagine what you've gone through. With my wife, it was something of a similar situation, but... she did not die by my hand. I can't say that I understand the pain you are going through, or the suffering that has damaged your soul. All I can tell is that right here, at this moment, you are suffering horribly." "You should go back to practicing..." Subaru hedged, trying to get Wufei away from this painful subject. "I have another question." "What is it?" Subaru almost sighed. "Why is this tree different from the others in the park?" Wufei asked. //I don't know what it is, but I think that this tree is connected somehow to Subaru's tragic past. It would make sense...// "You really want to know?" Wufei nodded. "This was Seishirou's tree. When I first met him, I'd heard the souls trapped inside and was going to try to exorcise it...it was here that I saw him kill that girl. He told me the very same story that I am going to tell you." Subaru waited for Wufei's nod and steeled his own emotions. Everything having to deal with Seishirou was so difficult to handle emotionally, but he could not tell Wufei to go away and stop asking the questions. //Somehow, somehow this is connected to Wufei as well. Maybe by hearing my tale, my heartache and sorrow, he will never have to experience... or rather, he will be better equipped to deal with such a situation than I was. Because... because I think that he will find himself in that same situation. Kami-sama help him.// "If you notice, the petals of this Sakura tree are pink instead of white. The story behind this is that there is a corpse, or rather corpses, buried beneath this tree, far underneath beneath the roots. The blood of those corpses is what makes these petals pink." Subaru glanced at Wufei seeing if he was comprehending what was being said. Wufei saw the look and responded, "So if this is Seishirou's tree, then he buried some corpses here?" Subaru shrugged. "I'm sure that he did. He was the assassin after all." "So why did he become an assassin?" "Our two clans, the Sumeragi, mine; and the Sakurazuka, his; are like opposite sides of a coin. In my clan, the gift that was bestowed upon me could be considered hereditary passing on to different people throughout the ages. However, for the Sakurazuka clan, who use onmyoujitsu to kill... in order to become the Sakurazukamori, they must kill the previous sakurazukamori. Seishirou killed his mother in order to take his place." "What happens now that he is dead?" "I don't know. There was no successor. It is somewhat of a family inheritance you could say. Seishirou had no family and so when I killed him... maybe it was the end of the assassins. Or... since I killed him I could be the next sakurazukamori." Subaru shrugged. "I seriously doubt that though. Even with my heart as empty as it is now... I still feel. If I didn't, then my heart wouldn't hurt this much." Applause erupted from behind the tree. "What a touching story! So heartfelt and full of sadness!" A somewhat mocking voice said. "Duo!" Wufei jumped back from the tree, twisting in the air so that he was facing his love. Duo gave a little wave of his hand. "In the flesh." "So you escaped?" Wufei asked, edging closer. // I want to run to him and touch him all over to make sure he is really there... but... // Wufei eyed Duo, noting no physical change, but somehow sensing a mental one. // Something is different...// "What? No words of love? C'mon Fei! It's me!" Duo said, looking at Wufei, his heart willing Wufei to come closer. "I'm glad you found me, Duo." Wufei said, hovering closer still but keeping the tree between them. "I have one question." Duo raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be, love?" "Why were you so mean to Subaru right now? You would never, never be that inconsiderate towards someone's feelings, no matter what." Wufei said accusingly. Duo's eyes narrowed as he looked at Subaru, and then glanced up at Wufei. "He was only saying it to get closer to you. He wants you, Wufei and he'll say anything to get you to trust him. Anything to get you. I love you and I'm not about to let no morose looking has been near you!" He declared hotly. Wufei opened his mouth, trying to find the words to tell Duo that he was wrong, but as the words tried to escape his lips Subaru spoke, still leaning against the Sakura tree. "You think that I am trying to steal your boyfriend?" He asked solemnly. "I am sorry that you would believe that. I was only trying to teach him what he needs to learn in order for him to survive this fight. He asked about my past and I told him... besides... there is no one in this world for me but Seishirou-san, and seeing as he is dead there really is no one left for me. Believe me, I have no intention of chasing after your boyfriend." <He's lying to you.> A voice within Duo's head spoke. <He's trying to confuse you to your true purpose. Get _your_ Dragon of Heaven and take him with you. Protect him.> "Come with me, Wufei." Duo spoke softly, effectively putting Subaru's presence out of his mind. "Go with you where? I want you to come with me." Wufei said. //Something's not right.// <He wants to destroy the world. He is a Dragon of Earth.> Wufei stopped, listening to the voice in his own head. Deciding, he looked at Duo again. "What is it you want to do?" Duo looked at Wufei. "I want to destroy this place, this cruel unforgiving world, so that nothing in the future has to happen. No war, no hate, no more killing... no more painful memories." "You're wrong, Duo." Wufei said, taking a step back from Duo. "You are wrong!" "Why would you want to protect something that brings nothing but hate? I don't understand, Wufei!" Duo asked, his voice raising with each word spoken. "Because," Subaru spoke rising from the tree, "For him there is still something left to protect." Duo's eyes narrowed at Subaru. // I hate him...// <Use your power.> The voice spoke again. //What power? // <This power!> Duo felt a surging of energy within him, somehow knowing that it was great spiritual power. <With this power you can even defeat someone as strong as this Sumeragi! While he is weak... Strike!> Duo yelled, charging forward to where Subaru stood. "For using my Fei, I'll kill you!" Subaru stood, making no move to defend himself. "If that is your wish." His eyes closed, one emerald, one white waiting for the inevitable strike. //Why doesn't he dodge?!// Wufei thought. // Why is Duo doing this? Why?// Wufei made a choice, possibly the hardest decision he had ever had to make in his life, and all of it within a split second. "Duo! NO!!!!" Wufei yelled, running forward and leaping over Subaru's head, landing so that he was shielding him. "I won't let you do it!" Duo stopped suddenly, leaping several feet back. //He's protecting _him_!// <He's made his choice.> The voice inside his head said. <Now you must make yours.> "Wufei..." Duo said softly. His eyes hardened. "I will save you. You will see that what I am doing is right. I swear it." "Shall we go, Duo?" Fuuma's voice spoke from within the branches of the Sakura tree. "Yes." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "How is he now?" Fuuma asked. "Resting comfortably." Nataku responded. "Good. We need him to destroy that Seal." Fuuma said. //His mind is confused...oh, how I love playing with this fool's head. Everything is going according to my plans. New people are always the best to play with...And after this is finished, I get to deal with Kamui.// That thought sent thrills of pleasure through his soul. //It's such a good day to be evil.// end part 5 ~missa Sorry about any OOCness in this part and future parts. It looks like from here on out I am going (mostly) solo in writing this... and my knowledge of X isn't as good as miri-imouto's. And asking her is gonna be hard because she is still banned from the net. I've taken to reading what I wrote over the phone and getting her opinion on it. *sweat drop* It's a helluva phone bill and my phonecard is reserved for someone else so I can't use that. >_< miri: Erk...I know that fuumie doesn't think himself evil...but neechan doesn't. ^_^;; again, for our purposes and intents, he knows what he's doing. ^^;; So if that isn't cool to you, gomen nasai.</pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>