http://clampfix.fanworks.net/x-fix/heart7.txt </head><body><pre>Epilogue coming right up after this. All characters are property of CLAMP. Standard disclaimers apply. --- Vicissitudes II: The Heart of the Sakura (Part 7) An "X" Fanfic Presented by Alison Koh The Dark Kamui was waiting for them, flanked by the heavenly pink majesty of the Sakura Tree in the background. His hands rested on the gilded hilt of his Shinken, which was balanced by its tip to the ground. The Seals surrounded him, supported in their ranks by the presence of Seishirou and Kusanagi, but Fuuma was not the least perturbed. The smile on his lips was utterly calm, and very cold. A gentle breeze wafted in the space between them, sending showers of pale red petals dancing in its wake. "Where is Kamui-kun?" Seishirou demanded to know. Fuuma did not reply but his smile grew wider as he looked up the Tree. The Seals followed his gaze, and they gasped at what they saw. High above them within the Tree, an intricate network of branches and vines combined to form a cocoon-like shell. Nestled within the cocoon was Kamui, still alive from the noticeable cadence of his faint breathing. He was cradling the other Shinken in his arms, protected with a broadcloth around the blade. Upon closer examination, they noticed a delicate webwork of tendrils working their way into Kamui's flesh. The Tree was feeding on the boy. The cruelty that was being inflicted on the frail child shocked even Seishirou. Such slow torture was abhorrent to him and he had always preferred a clean kill. He had to save Kamui somehow, but even with the help of all the other Seals, he was not sure if they were a match for the Dark Kamui, not when the latter possessed the power of the Sakura and that of Kamui as well. "Kamui!" Subaru shouted, but there was no response. A wave of ofudas shot forth from the Sumeragi towards the Tree before Seishirou could stop him. All at once there was a loud explosion as the ofudas crashed against an invisible barrier hanging a few inches away from the Tree. A soft but pained whimper escaped from Kamui's lips. Subaru almost panicked. "One /Kamui/ to serve the Tree, while the other feeds it," Fuuma chuckled as if he was enjoying a private joke. "Attack the Tree and, in order to defend itself, it will have to draw more power from Kamui. You'll only end up hurting him until he dies." "Why do this? Why torture him like this?" Seishirou asked. There was a look of bemusement on Fuuma's face. He replied, "I didn't do anything. Kamui struck a bargain with the Sakura. His power in exchange for your freedom. He did this because he wanted to grant his Special Person the happiness he could not offer himself. Little did he realise that he has instead brought pain to the two people who loved him the most. And now, his sacrifice is going to be all in vain, since all of you are going to die here. At that very moment, Seishirou understood why he failed to sense the presence of the Tree. Not only had Kamui bought him that freedom with his own life, the boy had also chosen to give up his love for Subaru in the hope that Seishirou could provide Subaru with happiness he could not offer, not with the constant threat of the Sakura to his sanity. Seishirou now realised how deeply Kamui loved Subaru, and seeing the anguish that raged wildly in the Sumeragi's eye, he suspected that Subaru must have reached the same conclusions. The realisation brought a genuine feeling of loss to Seishirou's heart, but he now understood the meaning of true love and the sacrifices it entailed. It made him all the more determined to save Kamui. Meanwhile, Subaru was shaking with rage and despair. He could not understand why things had turned out this way. Was he cursed? Everyone he had loved, everyone who was dear to him, had suffered. Perhaps it was truly his fault that Kamui was in this state. His feelings of guilt began to wrap around his heart, constricting it in pain, and he found himself momentarily unable to breathe properly. A firm hand grasped hold of him and he heard Seishirou spoke, "Be strong. We will find a way to save Kamui-kun, but we need to fight off the Dark Kamui first." Subaru nodded as if in a daze. He was too distressed to think properly, but much of what Seishirou had said made sense. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. Perhaps sensing the change in his enemies, Fuuma raised the Shinken in preparation for battle. At the same time, Yuzuriha gave a command and Inuki instantly transformed himself into a sword. From Arashi's outstretched palm, another magic sword materialised. Strong breeze blew across the landscape once more. A pale flower floated before Fuuma, languidly making its way to the ground. After much flirting with the breeze, it finally touched the earth and the battle began in earnest. * "/Kamui, it is time.../" Was that Kakyou's voice I hear? "/Kamui, your friends are here now. They're fighting the other Kamui in order to save you./" It was a female voice this time. "I can't move," I tell them. "It hurts..." "/You must fight the Tree...only you can do it.../" "/You must try.../" "/You must.../" * Despite being outnumbered, Fuuma was not the least outmatched. Seiichirou created wind-scythes that would have torn apart any normal human. However, Fuuma repelled the attack with a quick swing of the holy blade. The psychic force that emanated from that swing propelled itself towards the wind-master, hitting him squarely on his chest. Crimson blood poured forth from the deep wound. "Aoki-san!" Karen immediately rushed to his side while creating a firewall to shield both of them from Fuuma's next attack. Seiichirou was conscious but badly hurt, and would require attention soon. Sorata was not having much success either. His strikes were easily neutralised by a torrent of Sakura petals that would form a thick wall about the Dark Kamui, dispersing the lightning attacks as they fizzled harmlessly into the ground. Arashi and Yuzuriha were barely holding their own against the power of the Shinken, and Kusanagi did the best he could to support Yuzu riha. As the remaining Seals charged towards Fuuma, his aura pulsated with raw psychic energy. There was an earth-shattering explosion, and it threw his attackers aside, sending them crashing to the ground. Subaru forced himself to stand, despite the pain in his body. It was then that he noticed the colours of the petals of the Sakura Tree had turned a deeper shade of pink. Within his cocoon, Kamui was writhing in agony as the parasitic tendrils attached to his body were steeped in the crimson of his blood. "Kamui! No!!" Subaru screamed. The Dark Kamui was feeding off the life of his twin-star. Subaru rushed towards the Tree in an attempt to save the one he loved. However, Seishirou saw the attack, which Subaru failed to notice in his desperation to reach Kamui. "Subaru-kun! Watch out!" Subaru barely had time to set up his shield when the blow struck. He collapsed to the ground, droplets of blood pouring from his mouth. Kusanagi punched his fist into the ground, ignoring the crying voices of the plants and trees, and split the earth separating Fuuma from Subaru. On her part, Karen created a firewall to distract the Dark Kamui while Seishirou rushed to the Sumeragi's aid. He cradled the young man in his arm and called out his name. Subaru blinked hard and said, "I'm...all right. We must...save...Kamui." The pain in his chest forced him to cough and his face contorted in pain. Seishirou nodded in understanding as Subaru grabbed hold of the man's wrist to support himself and get onto his feet. Seishirou glared at Fuuma. "This is unforgivable!" he declared. * In the darkness of his living hell, Kamui felt the pain that came not from his bondage. His Special Person was badly hurt. "Subaru..." he uttered weakly. The cloth protecting the Shinken began to slide from the blade. * The two onmyoujis stood next to each other. Like parallel images, they assumed the same positions, working their hands and fingers into special gestures as they chanted a spell. The others stayed away as potent energies gathered about the two. In contrast, Fuuma was smirking in mild amusement. Black and white ofudas joined together in a strange dance, encircling the two onmyoujis. As the final sacred word was intoned, the ofudas melded together into a giant column of power and hurtled towards the Dark Kamui. Fuuma raised his Shinken, fully confident in his ability to repel the attack. However, the chance never came. A beam of bright light erupted from the Tree. Fuuma screamed in high-pitched agony as a fiery sensation consumed his heart. The onmyoujis' attack tore through his body, blowing it up into many pieces. It was finally over. Overcome by the exertion, Subaru collapsed into Seishirou's arms. However, when the scene cleared, everyone was deep in shock. The once resplendent Sakura Tree was split right down the middle. The colour of its petals was already fading and where the Tree was split, rivulets of blood dripped towards the earth. At its blood-soaked base, the Shinken glimmered proudly. Lying slumped on the ground beside it, was Kamui. "Kamui!" Subaru groaned through his pain. Seishirou felt the rising panic in his own heart as well, but he contained it well enough to help Subaru to the boy. They knelt down beside the unconscious child and Seishirou immediately checked for vital signs. He heaved a sigh of relief when he noted that Kamui was still alive. "But we've got to get him to a hospital quick." "Wait!" Kusanagi suddenly spoke. His demeanour was serious. "What's wrong?" Yuzuriha asked. Kusanagi explained, "The Tree is dying but it is not completely dead yet. I can hear a remnant of its spirit still clinging within Kamui's heart. It is trying to take the boy down with it. If we don't destroy it now, Kamui will die." "No, he won't." Subaru's gentle voice was surprisingly firm. He held out his palms against Kamui's temples and was about to begin his chant when Seishirou stopped him. "It's too dangerous in your present condition." "I've done it once before and it'll be easier for me to try it again. Besides, if Kamui dies, there is no reason for me to live anymore." With those words, he returned to his spell and dived into Kamui's mind. * The journey was much easier this time around because Subaru was no longer an alien presence to Kamui's mind. Nevertheless, he still felt the drain on his weak constitution as he carefully made his way towards the centre of Kamui's heart. It seemed like ages, but soon he found it. A storm of Sakura petals gathered furiously like a hurricane. And in the eye of that storm, Subaru could barely make out the familiar form of Kamui. "Kamui!" he cried out to the boy, hoping to be heard above the cacophony of the Sakura's death cries. But the boy was covering his ears, crying desperately to be released from the nightmare. Subaru approached the boy. * "No! Go away!" "/Die!/" "/You betrayed us!/" "/You shall die with us!/" "No!" Tears were pouring down Kamui's cheeks. /This is only my nightmare./ "/Traitor!/" "I won't give in!" "/We had a pact!!/" "/Your heart belongs to us, just like the other /Kamui/./" "No! No! No!" He covered his ears, trying to block the angry cries. Suddenly, through the storm of petals, he noticed a dark figure approaching. "Go...away!" His mind was weakening. He was not sure how much longer he could fight on. The Sakura continued to scream for his soul. The dark figure stopped outside the storm with hands raised, trying to reach the boy. "I won't let you get me!" Kamui cried, almost hysterical. Instinctively, he raised his fist and struck out towards the unseen enemy. Suddenly a great winged shadow flew straight between him and the mysterious figure, and crashed into the wall of petals. There was a piercing shriek and the Sakura petals disintegrated, only to reveal the very shocked face of Subaru. Kamui was briefly stunned. ----- 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>