http://clampfix.fanworks.net/x-fix/goblin02.txt </head><body><pre>Righ~~~~t... before I go for my vacation, just wanna give this. ^^;;; C&Cs, please? Disclaimer: X and all related are © CLAMP et.al. The Ring and all related are © Suzuki Koji et.al. This fanfic is written by Silver Wind. Warning: spoilers for vol. 15-16 of X. Spoilers for the whole story of The Ring movie. This is based on The Ring movie, not the novel or the TV series. On this fanfic, The Ring 2 doesn't exist You've been warned. Little bit of informations about The Ring: Asakawa Reiko - the main character of The Ring movie. She's a TV reporter who's investigating the rumor of a cursed video. Her curiosity makes her watch it herself, then putting her life in danger. She goes to her ex-husband for help, and he watches the video also. Takayama Ryuji - Asakawa's ex-husband, a mathematician and a psychic. His determination to calm Asakawa urges him to watch the video, thus putting his life under the curse as well. The Video - the cursed video which the theme of The Ring is based on. It's said that after you watch it, you'd get a phone call, and exactly 7 days later, you would die. No matter where you are, what you're doing, whom you're with. The victims of this video are found dead because of heart failure, and with expressions of complete fright on their faces. an X/The Ring crossover fanfiction: Goblins Will Be Thine by Silver Wind anne@silver-shining.net http://silver-shining.net/ | http://sanzo.pitas.com/ Day 2: The Prophecy Sadako. Lady Sumeragi had said the name with fury. And yet, nothing was found in relation with that name. His grandmother herself knew nothing about her, but she was sure the name belonged to the person who caused it all. Subaru was slumped over a huge table covered with books. He sighed. He had stayed up all night in the clan's library, researching the curse. And he found nothing. He hoped that Takayama-san and Asakawa-san were luckier than him. He eyed his mobile phone, lying over a book. He sighed again and reached for it. "Moshi moshi?" Asakawa Reiko's voice answered on the other line. "Asakawa-san," Subaru said, "This is Sumeragi Subaru. Am I disturbing you?" "Not at all, Sumeragi-sama. I haven't slept all night. Ryuji-san is also here." He smiled dryly, "I assume that you're also researching about the curse?" "You too?" despite the weariness, he heard her soft laughter, "When would you be back, Sumeragi-sama? I think we need to talk." "I think so too. We need to share informations," he admitted, "I'd be back in a few hours. I'd just go back to my house and get some clothes, then I'd go straight to your apartment." "Please do," she urged, "And yes, bring some clothes. We might have to go somewhere." They exchanged a few more sentences, and then Subaru said goodbye to his client. He had to go back to Tokyo. As soon as possible. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Imonoyama Mansion. Welcome back to Tokyo, Sumeragi Subaru. He collapsed onto the bed. The eyes closed and his hand moved to the temple, massaging it lightly. He was tired. He was VERY tired. He wished he could've just slept here and now. But he had promised to Asakawa Reiko that he'd be at her apartment soon. And he had a nagging feeling that he had to spend the night there. Or nights. Subaru got up again and started to put some clothes into a small leather bag. A knock on the door interrupted his mechanical movements. "Subaru?" Kamui's voice called softly, "May I come in?" He went to the door and opened it, "Come in, Kamui." Kamui entered the room and sat on the bed. His eyes fell on the bag and the clothes scattered around it. The violet eyes widened. "Are you going somewhere?" he fingered the bag, voice colored with worry. Subaru smiled a little, "I have to go for a few days, maybe. Clan business." The boy looked up at him. Subaru noticed the fear and worried expression on his face. He frowned. "Kamui, are you okay?" he asked with concern. He took a deep breath, "Subaru... I... Hinoto-san sent for me yesterday and I went to see her." "Ah," he nodded, "What did the DreamGazer say? Did she tell you which kekkai is going to be destroyed next?" Kamui clutched the bedsheet tightly. A shiver ran through him. "Kamui?" the older man shook his shoulders gently. He gulped and stared directly at Subaru, "Subaru, Hinoto-san said that you're in a big trouble right now." Subaru dropped his hands from Kamui's shoulder. He raised his eyebrows, trying as hard as he could to mask his uneasiness. "How does she know?" he muttered under his breath, "How does EVERYBODY know? By all the gods--" Mentally, he cursed the DreamGazer for telling that to Kamui. That was the last thing he needed, Kamui's worry. That was just WONDERFUL. "She said that you've been cursed," Kamui whispered, fear in his voice, "She said that you only have 6 more days to live." "I see," he replied with a calmness he didn't feel. "It's true, isn't it?" the younger Seal closed his eyes in pain, "What can I do to help?" The onmyouji looked straight at Kamui, hard. "Absolutely nothing," he answered coolly, "I would like you to stay here and stop worrying about me." Kamui stared at him in disbelief. Subaru's emerald eye was burning with an unknown fire. He folded his arms across his chest, his body shaking slightly. "How?" he asked in a choked voice, "How the hell should I stay here and stop worrying about you while you are under a curse?" Subaru sighed, silently wishing for patience. He had to go and he truly didn't need this from Kamui. "That's why I don't want you to know about this curse, Kamui," he said as patiently as he could, "Now if you would excuse me, I have to go and meet my client." "I can't change your mind, can I?" "Absolutely not," he smiled. "Subaru!" "I don't want you to be involved in this matter and that's final, Kamui!" he surprised himself with his attitude. And Kamui was surprised too, "But--" His expression softened, "Trust me. I WOULD be back," he put a hand on Kamui's shoulder to emphasize his point. "If you need me--" "I KNOW, Kamui," Subaru squeezed the shoulder gently, "I know." "Okay, then," Kamui agreed reluctantly, "Promise me that you'd call every day!" Finally, Subaru laughed, "I promise. I would call you." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Subaru leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes. It had been quite tiring for him to convince Kamui. But at least he had been calm. And he'd even called a cab for Subaru. Although Imonoyama-san had forced him to take one of his cars instead. The poor cab driver had almost fainted at the sight of Imonoyama-san's mansion. He opened his eyes again. The cab stopped in front of an apartment building. "Thank you," Subaru smiled at the old driver, "Please keep the change." The driver bowed down deeply at him several times and went away in his cab. The onmyouji entered the building. He stopped in front of a door and knocked. "Yes, please wait," a woman's voice replied from the inside. The door opened with a soft click and revealed Asakawa Reiko. "Asakawa-san," Subaru bowed, "Good afternoon." She bowed back, "Sumeragi-sama," she gazed at him critically, "You look very tired." They had moved to the hall as they spoke. He had to raise an eyebrow at her statement. "I should say that you look more tired than me," he smiled a little. "But we've got something to make up for it!" Takayama Ryuji appeared from a room and grinned, holding a steaming mug of coffee with one hand, "Come in, Sumeragi- san. Please sit down." He complied and went to sit on the living room. Subaru looked around, noticing the stack of papers scattered everywhere in the room. "As you see, hard work and no play," Ryuji waved a hand dramatically around, "I'd get old in a very little time." Reiko sighed but a small smile tugged her lips, "Really, Ryuji-san, I don't understand how you could joke around, considering the situation." "Maybe that's why you divorced me?" the ex-husband raised an eyebrow teasingly at her and Reiko replied with a patient smile. Subaru ignored them both, concentrating on an old clipping of newspaper that had attracted his attention. "Ah, Sumeragi-san," Ryuji had given up his jokes and crouched in front of Subaru, "There, you see this interesting news?" Female Psychic Demonstrated Her Power. He focused his gaze on to the photograph on the clipping. "I can't believe this--," he whispered. Ryuji nodded seriously, "Yes, it is." The woman on the photograph. And the woman combing her hair on the video. A same person? "Who is she, Takayama-san?" Subaru asked, not tearing his eye off the clipping, "Who is she?" "Her name is Yamamura Shizuko," Reiko answered, her weariness returning to her voice and face, "She was a famous psychic back in the sixties." Subaru looked up at his clients and nodded. "And she's somehow related with this curse," he said what they all were thinking out loud, "And with the name Sadako." "Sadako?" Ryuji shot a questioning look at the onmyouji. Subaru blinked in realization, "That's right. I haven't told you about this. My grandmother mentioned a name when I told her about the curse. Sadako." Reiko sribbled the name on her notepad hurriedly, already turning to her computer to find informations. "So the lady said that, hmm?" the mathematician put one hand under his chin thoughtfully. "That's not all we've found, Sumeragi-sama," the reporter glanced at Ryuji, still typing furiously on the keyboard, "Tell him, Ryuji-san." "That's not all?" Subaru asks to Ryuji. "Yes," Ryuji nodded, "I analyzed the audio from the tape, and I found a sentence spoken over and over again." He showed a sheet of paper silently to Subaru. On the paper, scribbled nine words with Reiko's neat handwriting. FROLIC IN THE BRINE AND GOBLINS WILL BE THINE "Frolic in the brine and goblins will be thine," Subaru said slowly. "The brine," Ryuji repeated, "But which sea does it refer to?" -------------------------------------------------------------- He opened his eyes, glancing around the room. Takayama-san was in the kitchen, making even more coffee. Asakawa-san was speaking on the phone. They hadn't made any improvement at all since the afternoon. Apart from the name Sadako and Yamamura Shizuko, and the sentence deciphered from the video, they were stuck in their investigations. And they were very tired. Reiko replaced the phone back and went to the kitchen. Subaru could hear her and Ryuji speaking softly, although he noted that whatever it was they were talking about, Reiko's voice was very strained. He looked outside the window. The sun nearly set. The day was almost over. He closed his eyes again. So this was what it was like. To have your days numbered. Sadako. Did that name belong to the person who caused the curse? "Sumeragi-sama," Reiko's weary voice surprised him. "What is it, Asakawa-san?" he asked softly. She sighed, "I have to leave you both. I need to bring Yoichi to my father's house. Would it be all right for you?" Yoichi was Asakawa and Takayama's son. A special boy with a very strong supernatural power. He wondered if Asakawa was aware of that. Takayama himself had the gift, so he most likely knew about his son. But Asakawa? "Of course," he smiled a little, "I understand. I assume that Takayama-san has the number of your father's house? We might need to contact you." "Absolutely," she also smiled in relief, "Thank you, Sumeragi-sama." "When would you leave, Asakawa-san?" he couldn't help but asking. She only had 3 days left... "This very hour," Reiko answered firmly, "I don't want to waste anymore time. I'm going to pick Yoichi up first, and then I'd go straight to my father's." "I see--" Ryuji stood at the doorway, his face impassive. He looked... annoyed. He didn't seem to approve Reiko's plan, Subaru noted with puzzlement. But why? Was there going to be anymore danger for his ex-wife and son? "Call me as soon as you get there, Asakawa," Ryuji said coolly. She looked straight at him, "Don't worry, Ryuji-san. I would. And I've asked my juniors to look for informations about Yamamura Shizuko too. If I get any clues, I'd give you a call. See you soon, Ryuji-san." The door closed behind her, leaving the two men in silence. Subaru shot a strange look at Ryuji. He had his face buried in his hands, his aura darkening around him rapidly. "Don't ask," his voice was muffled by his hands, "Please don't ask, Sumeragi-san--" Five days left... to be continued on Day 3: The Encounter Notes: The following day. A certain assassin makes his first appearance. ~__^ C&Cs, please?</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>