http://clampfix.fanworks.net/x-fix/heart5.txt </head><body><pre>All C&C are welcome. Thanks. All characters are property of CLAMP. Standard disclaimers apply. --- Vicissitudes II: The Heart of the Sakura (Part 5) An "X" Fanfic Presented by Alison Koh The room was deathly silent. The Seals were baffled as they stood around the table and watched Yuzuriha's friend, Kusanagi, and the Sakurazukamori stare at each other. Kusanagi looked absolutely pale, whereas the assassin wore his usual knowing smirk. The tension in the air was so thick that one could almost cut through it with a knife. At last, Yuzuriha could stand it no longer and she asked her friend, "Do you know Sakurazuka-san?" Kusanagi did not reply, or perhaps he did not know how to reply. Instead it was the assassin who spoke. "Shiyu-san and I may be considered...colleagues." "Colleagues?" Yuzuriha murmured. She did not understand. However, Subaru did. In the calmest voice he could muster in order not to exacerbate the bad situation, he said, "The Sakurazukamori works alone, so he must be a Dragon of Earth, the last and only one whom we have not fought against yet. Am I right?" "You're very perceptive," Seishirou grinned. Tears began to well under the inugami-mistress' eyes as she tried to digest this unwelcome turn of events. Her Special Person, the first person outside Mitsumine Shrine who befriended her and Inuki, and who had saved her life on several occasions, was one of her enemies. She felt her knees buckle but she forced herself to stand. "Kusanagi-san...is it...true? Are you one of the Seven Angels?" Kusanagi wished he could deny it, but it was the truth and there was no way he could lie about it anymore. He nodded his head reluctantly. Yuzuriha felt herself shaking uncontrollably. Without a word, she turned and was about to bolt out of the room when Kamui caught hold of her. Gently he enfolded his arms around her as she began to sob. Kamui understood the anguish that she was going through and he wanted to comfort her. Besides, there was something unusual about the entire thing, as if Seishirou had planned it all along. He told her softly, "Please don't cry. We must give Shiyu-san a chance to explain himself." Seishirou chuckled, "Kamui-kun is correct. We must be fair to Shiyu-san. Please, Yuzuriha-chan, if it helps, Shiyu-san was not exactly a very hardworking Dragon of Earth." Upon hearing those words, the anger that had been locked within Kusanagi for so long began to float to the surface, and he glared hard at the assassin. He said, "I do not believe in senseless murder. All life is precious. To kill innocents by setting off the earthquakes is wrong." "Try telling that to the other /Kamui/," Seishirou suggested with a dangerous glint in his eye. "What do you mean?" "Do you think he's going to allow a 'life-respecting' traitor by his side?" "He said we could do whatever we wished until the Promised Day arrives." "And you believe him?" Seishirou challenged. Kusanagi pondered hard about the question and almost said something when Karen interrupted. "If Shiyu-san is indeed not responsible for any of the earthquakes, then he is not our enemy, even if he is one of the Seven Angels." Seishirou chuckled in amusement. "If I were planning to have a murderous comrade to dine with us, I would have done better by inviting Fuuma instead." Hearing their words, Yuzuriha began to calm down. She dried her tears and turned back to look at Kusanagi. She asked him, "Why did you hide it from me?" His face softened at the sight of her sadness and he replied, "Because I was afraid that you will hate me. I'm sorry to have hurt you this way." She shook her head and smiled. "No, I'm glad that it turned out this way. If I had known that you were one of the Seven Angels, I might not have given myself the chance to realise what a good person you are." "Ojouchan..." There was a sound of someone clearing his throat. Everyone returned their attention to Seishirou who merely smiled and said, "The food is getting cold. Why don't we have dinner first and talk about this later?" Yuzuriha nodded and returned to her seat. Although Kusanagi felt a little awkward, he was glad that the secret was out and his spirit felt much lighter. Looking at all the Seals, he realised that they were a very understanding group of wonderful people, and he would love to be their friend. However, he was still a little apprehensive about the Sakurazukamori. He knew little about the assassin except that Seishirou often hung out with the Dark Kamui in the past. He could also sense that the assassin was always surrounded by an eerie cry of blood-thirst that seemed to bear a signature unique to the Sakura trees. Nonetheless, currently he noticed that the aura around the assassin seemed to have changed. He wondered about its significance. * Dinner was a quiet affair. Everyone was too caught up in his own thoughts to make conversation. The guest was a Dragon of Earth, and yet he was apparently not an enemy. The Seals were unsure about how to handle this situation. All along, they had been so used to an 'us-versus-them' mentality with the Seven Angels that it would take some adjustment to appraise Kusanagi differently. Even Seishirou was a tolerated presence because they needed him to help Kamui control the Sakura's influence. They would not hesitate to get rid of the assassin if he tried to betray the Seals again. Seishirou himself was not under any illusion about his own precarious position within their circle. However, Kusanagi was different. He had openly admitted his disdain for his comrades' methods, and Seishirou had all but confirmed his words to be true. Did this necessarily mean that they could trust the man? Yuzuriha seemed ready to believe in him, although she was the most affected by the revelation. It was understandable given that he had saved her life before, most notably during the collapse of the Shinjuku Kekkai. If it had not been for Kusanagi, the Seals would have been one person short by now. Soon, dinner was over and everyone proceeded directly to the main hall. They were anxious to get the whole matter over with. "You are aware that the other /Kamui/ has been very unstable lately?" Seishirou questioned Kusanagi. The other man replied, "I have not really been around him but I could sense that the patterns belonging to our side have been very volatile." "I know that you value life highly. Have you ever considered joining the Dragons of Heaven?" Kusanagi paused for an instant. It was a question he had been expecting, just not from the Sakurazukamori. He looked around the faces of the Seals and noted the firm gazes fixed on him as they awaited his reply. Most importantly, he could sense the silent plea shimmering in Yuzuriha's eyes. He did not wish to hurt her. However, he sighed and said, "I do not want to be involved in this battle." "Kusanagi-san..." the inugami-mistress muttered weakly. The disappointment shone clearly on her face. "I'm sorry, Ojouchan. I'm really not interested in being a Dragon of Heaven or Earth. I believe in the tenets of the Dragons of Earth, to protect the Earth and give Her a chance to regenerate and live, but I do not approve of the methods being used to achieve that noble end. I can't help the Dragons of Heaven for the same reason. It would mean going against my principles." This time it was Sorata who spoke. "Has it ever occurred to you that Humanity and Nature could coexist peacefully one day? We are all living creatures dependent on the Earth for survival. Humans will find a way to progress and yet protect the Earth at the same time. The seven of us may be Dragons of Heaven but none of us would wish to see the Earth die. It's just that we have greater faith in humanity to find the correct path. The slaughter of innocent people is not going to prove anything. In fact, it might be even more dangerous if the earthquakes were to topple every man-made structure and release pollutant from chemical and nuclear facilities out into the open where they would be unmanageable. That would cause more immediate harm to the Earth." "Sorata-kun is correct. But there is also the more immediate problem of the other /Kamui/. From the callous way he allowed Satsuki and Yuuto to die, it showed that he did not care about our lives, even though it would seriously cripple our numbers. Even if you do not plan for yourself, you must at least consider the feelings of Yuzuriha-chan," Seishirou said as he pointed to the girl. Kusanagi gazed sadly at her and sighed. He paused to gather his thoughts and finally said, "I need to think about this. If I have a choice I would prefer not to fight in the Promised Day." "I understand your dilemma," Kamui said, "I was once pressured to make such a choice myself and..." He fell silent at this point but it was obvious that he was remembering that fateful day when Kotori died at Fuuma's hand. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and he looked up to see Subaru watching him with concern. "I'm all right," Kamui said and returned his attention to Kusanagi. He told the man, "You may think about our offer. Whenever you decide to join us, we shall always be happy to welcome you." "Thank you," Kusanagi said. Seishirou warned though, "You don't have much time. I hope you'll be careful about Fuuma in the meantime." Kusanagi replied, "I shall. However, I would advise you to do the same. I think you know what I mean." There was no challenge in his voice, only a genuine concern. Seishirou narrowed his eye at the warning but then his thin lips softened into a gentle smile again and he nodded graciously. Everyone now looked at each other in awkward silence, unsure of what to say next, for the discussion was technically over. Suddenly, an amused laughter reverberated across the room and everyone turned to see Karen smiling. She said, "Well, what are we doing here? Isn't this supposed to be Yuzuriha's date?" With her eyes twinkling mischievously in Kamui's direction she added, "You wouldn't want us to spy on you too, Kamui, would you?" Both Kamui and Yuzuriha turned red in the face from Karen's remarks. Seiichirou immediately announced, "Sorry, but I guess it is time for me to get home to my family. Bye!" "I'll see you to the door," Karen said as she ran after the wind-master. Arashi was the next to walk out of the room, followed by Sorata who loudly offered to help her with the kitchen chores. Then Subaru quietly took his embarrassed young friend in the hand and led him out for their regular evening walks. Seishirou observed their exit; his attention no longer focused on his fellow Angel. He then gave a slight bow and left the room finally. With their companions gone, Kusanagi and Yuzuriha looked shyly at each other. At last, Kusanagi said, "Thank you for forgiving me." "Kusanagi-san..." Yuzuriha was at a lost for words. Tears of joy streamed along her cheeks and she struggled to wipe them away. Kusanagi looked around the room. There was a box of tissue lying on a coffee table nearby. He walked over, pulled out a few sheets and returned to offer them to the girl. She thanked him and proceeded to dry the tears. But as he continued to gaze at her with concern, she could take it no longer and she reached out her arms to hold him tightly. "Ojouchan...I..." Kusanagi stammered. "Promise me that you will think about it. Let us be allies instead of enemies," she cried. He gently returned her embrace and said, "I promise. But even if I do not join the Seals, we'll always be friends. I won't let anything or anyone hurt you." "Thank you." Kusanagi then pulled the girl aside and suggested, "Why don't we go out and have some fresh air?" Yuzuriha nodded and immediately caught hold of his hand to lead him to the gardens. Little Inuki who had been quietly watching everything from a discreet corner, yelped cheerfully as he wagged his little tail and bounded after his mistress and her friend. * Something was wrong. Seishirou concentrated his will and tried again. He was not mistaken. Something was definitely different. The Tree was no longer responding to him as readily as before, but that was impossible. "No, it is not impossible," he corrected himself. There was only one reason he could think of. Nevertheless, he had been observing Kamui closely and there was no change in the boy. Even if Kamui could disguise his actions, he could not completely hide his heart from Seishirou, not when Kamui felt so deeply for Subaru, at least deep enough for the Tree to take an unhealthy interest. Whatever it was that caused the change, Seishirou was determined to find out. * The ginger kitten purred as it rubbed against his boots. Kusanagi laughed and picked it up. Cradling it in his bosom, he began to scratch it just behind its little ears. "You look as perky as Ojouchan. I wonder how is she now?" Putting the kitten down, he leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes, listening to the vague whispers of the trees in Ueno Park. It was a simple dialogue. The trees were talking about their wish for Spring to arrive so that their beautiful Sakura flowers might blossom once again. Otherwise it was mainly about their love for sunshine and the songs of the birds. All of a sudden, there was a loud plaintive cry, audible only to him, which reverberated from tree to tree. Most unexpectedly, his own senses as a Dragon of Earth told him that something tragic had happened. He immediately got up and followed his source of his unease. It was not difficult to trace. He knew of this place and the huge ever-blooming Sakura Tree that stood at its heart. The other trees had often talked about it fearfully. He also knew the owner of that particular Tree, the Sakurazukamori himself. The Tree was evil. He could hear it in the way it laughed while the voices of thousands of tortured souls raged from within its heart. He had once thought that he loved every single tree, plant and flower that existed, but now he knew he could still hate one. If there was a tree that he wanted destroyed, it was this Sakura. It was an abomination of Nature, feeding on the pain of its victims' death. It should never have existed. Tears began to well in his eyes as he approached the Tree. The wails from its victims would usually have been too much for him to bear and he would have left immediately. But now, something else caught his attention. An oddly familiar figure was lying near the base of the Tree. Kusanagi approached it cautiously and knelt down beside it. As he carefully turned the body over, he almost cried out in shock. It was Nataku, and a gaping hole had been punched through its chest. Kusanagi felt his mind spin. "Who did..." "I did." Kusanagi looked up. A youth leapt down from one of the thicker branches of the Tree and landed a few steps away from him. "How do you like my handiwork? My first sacrifice to the Tree." "You! Why did you?" The Dark Kamui laughed, "Because it was more useful to me dead than alive. Did you know that it was still calling me 'Daddy' just before it died? But I'll miss it though. It was my most faithful Angel." "You've been abusing its trust all this while." Fuuma smirked, "No, I was only granting its wish. "However, Nataku being a soulless man-made creature, wasn't exactly a very satisfactory sacrifice. I'm glad that you are here." Kusanagi glared at the Dark Kamui. "I won't let you kill me that easily." "Oh really?" Fuuma remarked amusedly. Kusanagi did not reply. He stabbed his fist to the ground, sending a wave of energy vibrating through the earth. The energy twisted itself to where Fuuma stood and exploded beneath him. Suddenly, sharp cries of anguish hit Kusanagi's mind and he almost keeled over. The surrounding trees and plants were suffering from the attack and they were begging him to stop. He blinked his eyes hard and forced himself to look up. He was dismayed but not surprised to note that Fuuma had managed to jump away to safety. Fuuma chuckled, "How are you going to fight me now?" He flicked a bolt of energy towards the military man who hastily put up his shield to block the worst of the hit. Nevertheless, Kusanagi could not hope to survive if he could not fight back. A sinister smile crept up the corner of Fuuma's lips. Instead of aiming at the man, he pointed the index finger on his left hand towards a grove of trees nearby. There was a loud thundering crash as their branches splintered and the trees collapsed. Kusanagi tried to cover his ears from the screams. It was at this moment that Fuuma fired a shot at him. Kusanagi felt the pain tore through his body and he collapsed into the ground. "It is over now," he thought to himself. "Ojouchan, I'm sorry..." ----- 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>