http://clampfix.fanworks.net/x-fix/betrayal8-au.txt </head><body><pre>All characters are property of CLAMP. Standard disclaimers apply. --- Betrayal (Part 8 - AU) An 'X' fanfic Presented by Alison Koh Kamui pulled out the Shinken with all his might. The Promised Day had finally arrived. * Their dying screams tore into his soul, but Kamui forced himself to remain focused. Most of the Dragons were gone. Sorata and Arashi had destroyed themselves together with their counterparts in Yuuto and Satsuki. Karen had defeated Nataku, though she did not kill him. However, she ultimately sacrificed herself to save Seiichirou, who was then forced to kill the bioroid. Presently, the mild-mannered editor was waiting for the final outcome together with Kusanagi and Yuzuriha, the Angel having wisely decided to stay away from the needless bloodshed. Somewhere within Tokyo Tower, specifically the main observation deck, Subaru was still facing off his nemesis, his kekkai protecting the last important keystone of Tokyo. "You feel their pain," Fuuma remarked, "Soon, your precious Subaru will follow." Kamui tried to keep his simmering emotions under control. He could not fight Fuuma while worrying about Subaru at the same time. Fortunately he could sense that Subaru was still alive and that was all that mattered now. He would mourn for the others later. He raised his Shinken and charged at Fuuma once more. * Seishirou was rather perturbed to see the Sumeragi looking at him patiently with no hint of hate or fury. In fact, his Prey seemed too calm for comfort. The assassin flicked his cigarette to the wind and approached Subaru with his typical smirk on his face. "Are you prepared to die, Subaru-kun?" Subaru walked towards Seishirou at the same time as well. "Yes," he replied, "But are you prepared to kill me?" The Sakurazukamori's expression darkened considerably at the reply but he made no remark. Instead, a shadow hovered about his left shoulder to swiftly materialise into a hawk-like shikigami. A quick command from its owner and the hawk launched itself at Subaru. The Sumeragi, however, was not fazed by the oncoming attack. He calmly transformed a piece of ofuda into a beautiful large white-winged shikigami. The two shikigamis shrieked as their talons tore into each other while their beaks sought the other's throat. Nevertheless, Seishirou's shikigami was the more battle-experienced of the two and readily won. The other shikigami conceded defeat and vanished into a puff of white smoke. Hurt by the loss, Subaru uttered a soft groan as he clutched his chest in pain. Seishirou smirked again. Without giving his opponent time to recover his concentration, Seishirou flicked his wrist and shot out a wave of black ofudas. Subaru saw the attack and immediately struggled to set up a shield. The ofudas crashed fiercely at the psychic barrier but the force of the explosions sent the weakened Sumeragi reeling across the hall. The floor was stained red where Subaru had spat blood. As if luxuriating in his triumph, Seishirou walked slowly across to where the Sumeragi lay. He knelt down on the ground beside the younger man. Subaru looked at him earnestly and said, "Do whatever you wish to do." Seishirou prepared to strike the final blow. * /"What is this place, Uncle Keizo?" the boy asked. The one he called Uncle Keizo replied, "This was where the original Sakura Tree of your family stood." The boy took a good look at the dead, sandy patch where nothing grew and asked again, "What happened?" "One of your ancestors, the sixth Sakurazukamori, killed himself and tried to take the Tree with him. Fortunately, a sapling was grafted from the Tree in time and now a new one stands in Ueno Park in Tokyo where your mother is." "But why did he do it?" "The details are hazy, but the general understanding was that he lost the reason to live. They say that he could not accept the emptiness of his existence anymore." "Must we have a reason to live?" Uncle Keizo smiled regretfully, "Perhaps, but you are a Sakurazuka and devoid of feelings like all your ancestors. Someday, you will be required to kill your mother and I, as well as everyone else around you, in order to officially become the next Sakurazukamori. It makes you a better assassin for it." "When will that be?" "When your mother loses her desire to live. That is the real reason for this seemingly cruel initiation ritual for the new Sakurazukamori. It is to prevent the old one from killing the Tree as your ancestor had done here." "There is nothing that I desire," the boy said. "Yes, there is, my dear Seishirou. You desire "beauty"."/ * Subaru saw the fist coming towards him and he prepared himself to die. However, the strike never came. Instead, Seishirou paused to gaze at Subaru with an odd expression, a look that could be described as 'desire', and yet there was something more, something emotionally substantial behind it. Slowly, the assassin lowered his face towards Subaru, and then their lips locked together in a deeply passionate kiss. * The Shinkens clashed and the clanging sound of steel reverberated in the air. Psychic energies flared but the two Kamuis remained evenly matched. The stalemate continued with neither being able to claim any sort of victory over the other. Fuuma was a little surprised by Kamui's strong will to fight. He regretted not taking out the Sumeragi before the Final Battle. It would have left Kamui vulnerable. Kamui fought valiantly. He did not wish to hurt Fuuma, but he wanted to protect the kekkai, Subaru's kekkai, and the only he could do it was to defeat Fuuma. Besides, he could not die yet. Not when he had made that promise to Subaru. Once the day was over and if they both survived, they would start a new future together. Kamui wanted to protect that future now. "Subaru, you must live," Kamui whispered under his breath. * "You have won after all," Seishirou remarked tenderly as he released the onmyouji. Subaru nodded and said, "Nobody can live and not feel. I saw where the Tree used to stand in Kanazawa, and then I realised what you have been searching for...a purpose for living." Seishirou smiled indulgently, "It's a family curse...but thank you." He leaned over to kiss Subaru again but the latter tilted his head back slightly to avoid it. "What's wrong, Subaru-kun? It's Kamui, isn't it?" "I loved you once, Seishirou-san...but, now, I know that I love Kamui too. It was his devotion and his patience that allowed me to finally fulfil my wish. I have to help him. He needs me." "His friend, Fuuma, never existed." "All the more reason I have to help him." "You are in no condition to fight. I'll go." Subaru gave him a quizzical look. Seishirou explained, "I cannot be a Dragon of Earth when there are things in this world still precious to live for, can I?" He gently embraced Subaru again and said, "Rest here. I'll protect your precious Kamui." Subaru returned his embrace gratefully and was a little disappointed when Seishirou had to release him. The Sakurazukamori gave him one last smile and then disappeared in a flurry of Sakura petals. * Kamui could almost sense the kekkai weakening for a brief moment and was half-afraid that it might disintegrate when the barrier surprisingly held. As he fought hard against his nemesis, the only other thing he could think of was that Subaru was still alive. Naturally he was surprised when a storm of black ofudas suddenly appeared around him, a sign that the Sakurazukamori was already here. He was absolutely shocked when the ofudas flew directly at Fuuma instead. The Dark Kamui was equally bewildered and hurriedly set up a shield to protect himself. A column of Sakura petals danced beside Kamui and the Sakurazukamori soon materialised. He laughed at the sight of the stunned faces of the two 'Kamuis'. "You betrayed me!" Fuuma snarled. Seishirou chuckled, "It wouldn't be the first time I betrayed someone." "Where's Subaru?" Kamui demanded to know. "Subaru-kun will be fine. We have reached a new level of understanding and he has asked me to help you fulfil your wish." Kamui was glad to know that Subaru was all right, and yet Seishirou's words made him feel more desolate than ever. Somehow, the imminent fulfilment of his wish seemed insignificant compared to what he sensed that he was going to lose...Subaru. He stood there silently, tears shimmering in his eyes. "I shall kill all of you then," Fuuma threatened. He cast a beam of raw energy towards his two opponents. Seishirou set up another wave of ofudas to create a shield to counter the attack, while Kamui stood by in glum silence. Fuuma increase the power of his attack and Seishirou called out to the young Seal by his side, "Kamui! Help me!" He sensed the hesitation in the boy and said, "Subaru-kun loves you." Those words achieved their intended effect and Kamui immediately gathered his powers about him to strengthen the Sakurazukamori's shield. However, it was too little, too late as the barrier finally gave way and they were both thrown apart by the resultant explosion. Kamui crashed against a railing and groaned helplessly as he felt the pain where his ribs hit against the metal barrier. He heard footsteps approaching him and glanced up hazily to see the mocking face of Fuuma. "Seishirou would say anything to get your help. It's in his nature to lie. Did you really believe what he said about your Subaru?" Fuuma told him with an indignant smile. Kamui thought about it and sensed another pain, not from his ribs but from his heart, choking him. He struggled to breathe. Fuuma raised his Shinken and said, "Let me end your agony for you now, and then I shall deal with my traitorous Angel." Kamui prepared to welcome the peaceful cold steel of death as Fuuma charged towards him. Instead a vision of white floated in front of him. He blinked his eyes and gazed straight into Subaru's smiling face. Then the serene face contorted in pain as Subaru spat blood all over Kamui's shirtfront. Kamui looked closely and saw the gleaming steel of Fuuma's Shinken driven through Subaru's body, with its owner standing behind the Sumeragi with a contented smirk on his face. Kamui screamed and threw a blast against his twin-star, which hurtled him to the far end of the observation hall, together with the Shinken. "Subaru!" Kamui cried out. Subaru sank into Kamui's arms and weakly said, "Seishirou-san never lies. I love you, Kamui." Subaru's kekkai began to disintegrate. "No!" the boy wailed. A warm light shot forth from Kamui's body. Part of the power went to hold the kekkai in place, while the rest sank deep into the earth, reinforcing the keystone. But the power went deeper than that, straight into the Earth's core and then split off to strengthen all the other kekkais of Earth. But the life was still ebbing from Subaru's body. "Subaru, you cannot die! I promise to wait for you even it's for another ten, twenty, or even hundred years! You must not die!" Kamui pleaded as the tears flowed freely down his face. Subaru tried to answer but the only sound he made was a pained wracking cough. The boy laid the Sumeragi down gently on the floor, hoping that this would make him more comfortable. Fuuma stood up and said, "It's too late. Reinforcing his kekkai will not save him. "But now that your power is holding all the kekkais, all I have to do is kill you and the Earth will instantly be free. Mankind will die soon after." But Kamui was no longer listening, all his attention was focused on the dying Sumeragi. Fuuma was about to attack again, but suddenly found himself surrounded by the darkness of the Sakurazukamori's maboroshi. He flashed a wry grin and said, "Do you really think that this is going to stop me?" * Noting that Fuuma had temporarily disappeared into his illusions, Seishirou ran to Subaru's side. He held his lover's hand and whispered his name tenderly, "Subaru-kun..." Subaru forced himself to look up to the man he once loved, and still do to a certain degree. With his dying breath, he told him, "Please...help...Kamui..." And then the beautiful green eye closed forever. Kamui screamed out Subaru's name in anguish again, and presently felt a stinging pain on his left cheek where Seishirou just slapped him. He blinked hard to clear the moist tears flooding his vision. The assassin eyed him sternly and said, "Your selfishness killed him and will probably kill all your other friends, who are depending on you at this very moment, but I made a promise to Subaru-kun and I am going to keep it. My maboroshi cannot hold the other 'Kamui' forever, but my powers, together with that of the Shinken, should be enough to defeat him. "You promised Subaru-kun that you would wait for him forever. So don't even think of dying until he returns to forgive you." Seishirou bent down to kiss Subaru gently on the forehead and whispered, "In the end, life holds nothing precious for me. Wait for me too, Subaru-kun." He picked up Kamui's fallen Shinken. "Let the sword absorb my powers," he declared and with a quick stroke, plunged the sharp blade through his own heart. The blood of the Sakurazukamori seeped out from the wound and trickle down in rivulets along the blade, staining it a bright red. Kamui stared in stunned silence as Seishirou smiled and gasped feebly, "Now, do what you have to do." Seishirou pulled the sword out of his body and collapsed onto Subaru. His last thoughts were about the first time that he met Subaru under the Sakura Tree, the image of that innocent pair of emerald eyes staring at him. And then he sank into that final sleep. The air sizzled and cracked with magic. There was an explosion of Sakura petals, revealing the ominous presence of Fuuma. He had finally broken out of his illusory prison. His eyes scanned emotionlessly over the two dead bodies in front of Kamui. The young Seal was kneeling with heads bowed over them. Fuuma smiled, "Now there is no one else to help you." Kamui did not say a word though. His hand quietly reached out to the sword lying beside him and he slowly stood up. When he raised his head, Fuuma could see the fire burning fiercely in Kamui's eyes. The violet of his eyes were deep, clear and very tensed, as if all the tragedies of his young life had been distilled into two single points of furious indignation. Fuuma hesitated. For the very first time, he could feel not even a hint of a death wish in his opponent. Instead, Kamui seemed to be filled with a strong passion to live at all costs. But it was too late to back out. Did his dreamgazer, Kakyou, not tell him that the Earth's Future had already been decided? Which meant that Kamui of the Dragons of Heaven would lose this Battle no matter what. The two 'Kamuis' stared coldly at each other as the both raised their Shinkens towards their opponent. Time seemed to stand still between their gaze. Moments passed and then, they both yelled and charged towards the other. One of the Shinkens glowed a bright red. A crunching sound of a blade's deadly thrust. Soon, the floor of the Special Observation Deck of Tokyo Tower was the colour of blood. ----- 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>