http://clampfix.fanworks.net/x-fix/betrayal-e-au.txt </head><body><pre>It's over! Yay! Yay! This was one stressful fic to write, personally. All right, I now welcome all comments, criticisms and brickbats. Please do let me know how much you liked/hated this fic. It'll be a good guage on whether it's wise for me to take up anymore requests/challenges from readers in future. Anyway, I think I've tortured Kamui and Subaru enough for the moment. About time, I turn my evil attentions to the others. ::Rest of X cast busy seeking transfer to CCS world:: All characters are property of CLAMP. Standard disclaimers apply. --- Betrayal (Epilogue - AU) An 'X' fanfic Presented by Alison Koh The sky was free of haze, allowing a clear view of Mount Fuji from the Special Observation Deck of Tokyo Tower. However, even that view was slowly fading as the light of day gave way to evening's dark advance. The young man continued to watch the transitory scene, as he had done for the past hour, barely moving from his position, but he was not there to appreciate the view. He was dimly aware of someone approaching him but he remained still. * /He mourned his great loss but he did not cry. He had no more tears left to cry. In that deafening silence, he watched the blood of Fuuma, Seishirou and Subaru pooled into one. The Shinken was lying enticingly by his side. He reached out to it, his fingers barely touching the warm etchings of the hilt, before he shrank away again. The promise, he made a promise, but could he fulfil it? Nonetheless, he knew that if he reached for the sword, he would certainly be breaking it. A presence materialised beside him. "I am sorry that it had to end this way," he said. Kamui recognised that voice, it was Kakyou, the dreamgazer of the Dragons of Earth. Kamui felt angry all of a sudden. "You said that I could bring Fuuma back with the Shinken, but I didn't. You lied!" "Fuuma did not really exist. If I had told you that, would you have continued with your vow to protect the Earth? I wanted to change the Future so much because I had failed once. I failed to save the Special Person whom I loved. I am very sorry to have caused you so much grief." Kamui clenched his fists on his lap and shook his head. "No, you're right. I would never have fought at all if I knew that there was no hope of Fuuma returning. Whatever happened here was entirely my fault. I was, as the Sakurazukamori had said, too selfish. I was too preoccupied with my own pain, thinking that I was about to lose Subaru to that man. In the end, Subaru died to save me, and still I lost him." "What do you intend to do now?" "I will not kill myself. That would be the ultimate insult to Subaru's sacrifice. I promised to wait for him and I intend to keep it." "Even if the wait might be in vain?" Kamui nodded, "That is my wish." And then he asked the dreamgazer, "And what about you?" Kakyou smiled, "I am already dying. Soon, I will join 'her' in the other side." "If you see Subaru, please let him know that I am waiting." "I shall," promised Kakyou as he slowly faded away. Kamui stood up and looked forward to the arrival of the new dawn./ * The young man felt a hand resting gently on his shoulders. "Will you be returning immediately to Kyoto tomorrow?" Keiichi asked. Kamui nodded, "Lady Sumeragi had entrusted the Clan to me before she died even though I am not a Sumeragi. She meant it well, of course, hoping that the responsibilities would take my mind off the past. The only way I could repay her kindness was to do the job well. "But I must come here on this day every year." "Are you still waiting?" his companion asked, "It's been 18 years." Kamui flashed a wistful half-smile to his companion and said, "I made a promise to him." "You come here every year and wait till dawn the next day. Do you think he would be happy to see you like this?" "I am grateful for your concern, Keiichi, but this is the only thing I can do for him. In fact, I really appreciate your efforts to accompany me like this. It is time you go back. Your family will be waiting for you to return home for dinner." "Yuka-chan understands. Her father fought by your side, remember," Keiichi beamed. He loved his wife, though she was a clear decade younger than he was. She was intelligent, yet devoted and understanding of his constant worries over Kamui. Perhaps it had something to do with her being Aoki Seiichirou's daughter. "If it hadn't been for what you did, I might have lost her, or died myself, to another major earthquake, like I had lost my parents, and never would have known this happiness." "Thanks, Keiichi, but I really think you should go now. I'll be all right." Keiichi hesitated but Kamui's gaze held firm. The former had no choice but to go. With sadness in his heart, Kamui watched his friend leave and disappear from sight. Then, a chatter of female voices attracted his attention and he turned around to see a group of young teenaged girls huddled together in excited council. Their attention was being held by the beautiful lithe form of a young boy, about sixteen, who was busy admiring the evening lights of Tokyo from his vantage point. The teenager tilted his head slightly in Kamui's direction and smiled to him. Kamui had to control himself from gasping aloud, captivated by the luminous depths of those clear green eyes. He almost called out a name, but stopped when another teenager, probably one to two years older, approached the boy, and they chatted in youthful amusement. This newcomer was tall, blessed with a pair of intelligent brown eyes, and seemed to wear a knowing grin on his strongly handsome face all the time. Kamui's heart sank as he noticed the close familiarity between the two youths. "I must not be selfish again," Kamui whispered to himself. He turned around and walked towards the elevator which would bring him back to ground level and away from this place of painful memories. As he waited, he heard the sounds of footsteps running towards him from behind. A voice, beautiful like the graceful tinkling of a wind-chime, called out softly. "Kamui?" The sound of his name pronounced in that voice sent a delightful shiver running down Kamui's spine and he turned around to see the gentle youth with the green eyes gazing warmly at him. "Subaru, is that really you?" he asked, unsure. Meanwhile, his heart was beating frantically. "My name is Takamiya Kiyoshi now. "You have been waiting all this while," Kiyoshi/Subaru noted with a smile. Kamui was stunned for a moment. He had been wishing for this day and now that his wait was almost over, he was at a lost for words. After a long pause, he asked in a halting voice, "Will you forgive me?" "I have never blamed you." Kiyoshi reached out a hand to touch Kamui tenderly on the cheeks. Instinctively, the man grabbed hold of the proffered hand tightly and pressed it to his skin, delighting in its gentle touch. He had yearned for that touch for so long. But then, he remembered something and pulled Kiyoshi's hand away. "What's wrong?" Kiyoshi asked. Kamui replied, "I saw you with him. That was Seishirou, wasn't it?" Kiyoshi understood immediately and smiled brightly, "Yes, and he is also my brother, Tadashirou. But he doesn't remember a thing about the past." The elevator arrived. Kiyoshi suggested, "I think there is a café that serves very good cakes on the ground level. Why don't we go there and talk about our future?" Before Kamui could answer, Kiyoshi had already wrapped an arm around his, gently guiding the older man towards the confines of the elevator. Although he could sense the indignant whispers coming from the group of jealous young girls, Kamui allowed himself to be led. He cared not for their approval. Only Subaru, or rather Kiyoshi, was important to him now. In the distance, Tadashirou silently observed the elevator doors close with his brother and the man inside, and he whispered, "Be happy now, Subaru-kun." ----- Dreams of Sakura Home -- http://www.starhub.net.sg/~alison X Shrine -- http://www.geocities.com/asuka_sg</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>