http://clampfix.fanworks.net/x-fix/smiles3.txt </head><body><pre>Smiles of a Summer Night By Maria Szabo Disclaimer: the settings and characters of X belong to CLAMP, their publishers and their respective distributers. This is a work of fanfiction, no profit is being made and copyright infringement is not intended. The title "Smiles of a Summer Night" is a tribute to the 1956 film by Ingmar Bergman and no infringement of his rights or those of his distributors is intended either. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter are from Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" and are used only because I love the musical so much. Please don't sue me! Part 3 Think of how I adore you Think of how much you love me If I were perfect for you Wouldn't you tire of me Soon? All too soon? Stephen Sondheim Soon Kamui was right, thought Subaru Sumeragi as he and Arashi wandered into yet another booth. The boy had insisted on him coming to the festival, saying that the distraction might do him good. And strangely enough, he was feeling better. Although he'd offered to accompany Arashi mainly to annoy Arisugawa-kun, he found that he was enjoying her company. She seemed to be enjoying looking around the booths, but said very little and didn't seem to care that he also was quiet. He watched her as she browsed through the Textile Arts Club booth now, occasionally picking up an item to admire the handiwork. Despite the sometimes haunted look in her eyes, she was very beautiful, with a mystic, cool grace that he very much admired, and he had to admit that if he was the sort to be interested in women, he could have fallen in love with her as easily as Arisugawa-kun obviously had. She turned and beckoned to him, smiling. "I'm sorry. This must be boring you." She said. "No, no. Not at all." "Is there something else you'd rather be doing? I don't mind." "I'm a little hungry. Is there a food booth nearby?" She looked around. "There's one. Do you like fried noodles?" "Yes, of course. Why don't you take a seat over there, then?" Subaru indicated an open tent that had several tables and chairs lined up, "I'll go get the food." It was early enough in the evening that the noodles were fresh and hot, with plenty of vegetables. He paid for the items, accepted the thanks of the grateful Audio-Video Club members who ran the booth, and brought the hot dishes to the table where Arashi was sitting. "It smells wonderful." She said. She poked at the food a little. "Thank you for escorting me." "No, it's nothing. I'm enjoying this." She was quiet for another moment. "I'm sorry I'm not better company." "You're fine." "I don't mean to be ignoring you. I just never know what to say." "That's alright. I'm not very good at that either. My sister used to make fun me because of it." "Really? I didn't know you had a sister, Subaru-san." Kamui must not have told the others then. "Yes. She died a few years ago." "Oh." Arashi reddened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." "It's ok. I don't mind speaking about her. And remembering her during a festival, it's fitting, somehow. She was very festive." "What was she like?" How on earth did one describe Hokuto? He wondered. Even when she was alive, she was a mystery to him. One he loved dearly, but a mystery, nonetheless. "Noisy," he finally said. "Energetic. Very enthusiastic-Yuzuriha-chan often reminds me of her. She liked to design clothes and make me wear them." "That sounds nice." "Not really," he laughed. "She had abominable taste. But it made her happy to see me in her designs. And I would do anything to make her happy." Even live, he added silently. That's what you wanted, wasn't it, Nee-san? "Subaru-kun! Arashi-chan! I thought it was you!" Karen Kasumi ran up to the table. She wore a elegant sundress and a blue hat on her bright hair. "I had no idea there would be this many people here-I wasn't sure I would find anyone I knew!" "Please join us," Arashi gestured towards an open chair. "I wouldn't want to interrupt a date..." "We were just seeing the festival together," replied Subaru, while Arashi blushed. "We would be happy for you to join us." Karen giggled. "Then I won't insult you by saying no." she sat down in the empty chair. "Hot, isn't it?" "Very," replied Arashi. "You don't have to work today?" asked Subaru. "Sundays are usually pretty quiet in my line of work. Most of the men spend time with their families." He didn't quite know how to respond to that. "Oh." Karen-san seemed to sense his unease. "So I was really glad to hear from Kamui, when he called this morning to ask me to come. He's such a cutie, I just couldn't turn him down. Are all the others here as well?" "The ones who live here are. I don't know about Aoki-san." "I talked to him on the phone this morning. He said he'd be here-with his family." Was it his imagination, or did Karen-san's smile fade a little? She seemed to notice his regard, then, and quickly changed the subject. "So, are they having any fireworks tonight?" At a table not far away, KAMUI watched the three Dragons of Heaven converse. It was rather boring, actually, but it wasn't his own reaction he was interested in. Nataku followed his gaze and stiffened. "Do you want me to deal with them?" it asked. "No, no, that won't be necessary. We're here to have fun, and that would be too much like work. But, you might want to keep out of their sight." "But what if they look over here?" "Then pretend you don't see them." He wanted no trouble today. He had a mystery to solve. It was really too bad that Seishiro refused to join them-with the young onmyouji sitting so close, he thought he'd get a quick answer to the riddle that Kakyou had presented. Mating dragons, he thought. And their union might affect the outcome of the prophecy-the same prophecy that was currently favoring him. Love like that had not touched his own life, but he knew, better than most, the power of the human heart. So it was vital that he nip this little passion in the bud-whichever little passion it happened to be. Hence, the outing to the festival. Satsuki, he knew, was beyond reproach. The girl loved nothing better than knowledge, except for the piece of her than yearned after Yuuto. Kakyou was enamoured of a dead woman. Nataku/Kazuki had no emotions. So that left Kusanagi, Seishiro and Yuuto, who was making his way back to the table laden with beverages. The forever-absent Kusanagi was a complete mystery-the only reason KAMUI had tried to invite him was that odd encounter with that little girl from the Dragons of Heaven. Before she'd produced that puppy to chase him off, she'd called out Kusanagi's name. It was worth looking into. But once again, Kusanagi never showed up. He hoped the soldier would at least have the courtesy to make it to the Last Battle. For all his illusions, Seishiro-san was an open book. He didn't even bother hiding his interest in the Sumeragi. But whether that interest was to continue torturing his rival or something else was hard to tell. And Yuuto...well, after watching the water-master effortlessly juggle both Kanoe-san and Satsuki-chan, KAMUI would be stupid not to consider Yuuto. "Here we go. Tea for me, soda for you and a fruit juice for Nataku." The blond man passed out the drinks and took his seat. "Hot, isn't it?" "Enjoying yourself, Yuuto-san?" "I am. It's been a while since I've been back here. And you, KAMUI?" "I've been enjoying the sights." He jerked his head towards the direction of the three Dragons of Heaven. Yuuto saw them right away. "Oh, dear. We're not going to fight them, are we?" "There's no point. The kekkai here is bolstered by at least three more still intact in the city. Even if we beat them, we'd have a hard time of it. Better to wait." "Good idea." Yuuto went back to sipping his tea. KAMUI eyed him. "You know, the dreamseer showed me a vision last night." "Really?" "Hmmm. A Dragon of Earth mated to a Dragon of Heaven." "Really!" "What do you think, Yuuto?" He considered for a moment. "That's a strange dream. Do you know who it is?" "Oh, I don't know. You, maybe?" "Me?" Yuuto laughed, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I guess that's a fair assumption, huh? I mean, if she were a woman, and pretty..." "Like those two?" KAMUI indicated the other table and took a drink from his soda, watching the other man carefully. Yuuto studied the women and was quiet for a moment. "I hadn't seen the dark-haired one before. She's lovely. A bit formal for my taste. That other one, though, the redhead...we've met before." His eyes grew hot. "She's powerful, that one. I'm interested, I won't deny it. Given the opportunity, I'd take her in an instant. But..." "But?" He shrugged. "It'd be too much work. See the man that just walked up there?" A tall, bespectacled man with a small child was standing at the table now, talking to the others. The expression on the red-head's face spoke volumes. "I see," said KAMUI. "Thought you would. I take it Sakurazuka-san was also under suspicion?" "Can you think of anyone else?" He furrowed his eyebrow. "No, not really, unless you count Kusanagi-san. He's never around, though, and really, could you imagine HIM with any of those pretty girls?" "You have a point. Stranger things have happened though." "Maybe. I still think the Sakurazukamori's your best bet." Yuuto finished up his tea. "Are we done here, then? I've got some old friends I'd like to look up." KAMUI stared at the man just long enough to make him nervous. "Go on. We'll probably raze this place before you get another opportunity." Yuuto just smiled. "Then I best be on my way." Yuzuriha was in heaven, or as close to heaven as a crowded summer festival could be. The day was very hot, but the evening was coming in, bring with it a refreshing breeze. She strolled down the main fairway, hand in hand with Kusanagi-san, with Inuki trotting at their heels. She couldn't believe she'd really asked him out on a date. No, what she really couldn't believe was that he accepted. The sad, lonely part of her that she didn't like to acknowledge sometimes brought up the fact that there was no way a grown-up man like him could possibly be the least interested in her. That he was just being nice to her because he felt sorry for her. But if that was true, why did he look at her the way he did? Why did he take care of her when she was hurt? He didn't have to visit her in the hospital, or answer her letters, or meet her for ice cream, did he? "So many booths. This school of yours must be huge." Kusanagi-san commented. It was a welcome distraction from her thoughts. "A lot of them are school clubs, but there's also a bunch of the local merchants as well. This place is almost like a small city." "I can see that. Mitsumine Shrine must be wealthier than I thought, to afford to send you here." She shook her head. "Hardly! I'm on a scholarship." He let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. "That's good. I wouldn't know what to say to a rich girl." "You're not rich, are you?" "What a question, Missy!" he teased. "Of course I'm not rich. I'm an enlisted man in the Self-Defense Force...if you want money, you need to date someone else." "No, that's alright." They stopped to watch some young men in the shooting gallery, aiming their cork pop-guns towards the cheap toys that were lined up as prizes. "Do you have a gun?" she asked him. It still fascinated her that he was a soldier. "No, they issue them out to us when we deploy." "Deploy?" He grinned down at her. "Sorry. When the brass sends us out in the field, if they think we need guns, they'll give them to us." "So you know how to shoot?" "Yeah." "Really well?" "Yeah." He followed her eyes to the booth. "But I probably couldn't do you much good here, Missy. Those aren't real guns. And they're usually off-balance, to keep you from winning." "Oh." He must have seen her face fall, for he pulled her to another booth, this one with balls that were thrown towards a target. "How about this? Is there something here you fancy?" "Oh!" It was the Manga-club booth, with all kinds of great prizes. There was a plush dog with markings like Inuki, it's paw raised in greeting. "That one? What do you think, Inuki?" The puppy growled uncertainly. "Don't be jealous! It's just a toy!" She bent down and cuddled the puppy. "It could never replace my Inuki!" "Miss? What are you doing?" asked the boy manning the booth, obviously puzzled. The girls with him tittered. A sick familiar feeling overtook her. "I..." "She was petting the dog," said Kusanagi-san, calmly. "It was just there...didn't you see it?" "I ...must have missed it, then." Stammered the boy. "Sorry, sir, I didn't mean..." "Of course not. Why don't you give me three of those balls, there?" He paid the vendor. She watched him as he weighed one of the balls in his hand, and looked at the target. He then was very still. "Sir? Are you going to throw that or not?" asked the vendor, finally. Kusanagi-san flicked his wrist and the ball went sailing through the target hole. He followed the same procedure for the other two balls, and handed her the prize with a smile. "Thank you!" she hugged the small plush dog to her as they walked away. "But what were you doing, standing so still like that?" "Trying to get grounded. I figured the balls were weighted, so I was trying to compensate for that. It's what I do when I'm faced with a challenge. Speaking of challenges...do you still get teased about your dog, Missy?" She shrugged. "Sometimes. I try not to be so obvious, but I forget." "You mustn't let it get to you like that." "I know, but...Kusanagi-san? Don't you sometimes get in trouble for talking to the trees?" He looked startled. "Not lately. But when I was a kid, yeah, I..." He stopped suddenly and his shoulders tensed up. "What is it?" He turned towards another booth and his eyes grew dark. "The fish." It was a goldfish booth, where a customer could try to scoop out goldfish from a tank and take them home, in easy-to-carry plastic bags. "You can hear them?" she asked. He nodded, lips tight. She winced. She hadn't thought about his sensitivity. "I...I don't think there's anything we can do." "No." he agreed, and clenched his fists. "Is there somewhere else we can go? Away from here?" "Yes, of course! There's a performance in the gazebo...Nagisa Azuya is playing. She's very famous. If you like traditional music?" His smile was pained. "That's fine. Just so long as we get away from here." "Sure, let's go." She hurried along in front of him and nearly ran into someone. A drink spattered across the ground. Inuki whimpered. "Sorry, sorry!" This is not going well at all, she thought. I picked a bad place for a date, Kusanagi-san's not feeling well, and now he'll think I'm a clutz, to boot. "Why, Nekoi-san, is that you?" a pair of long, graceful hands steadied her and she found herself looking into the eyes of Akira Ijyuin, the CLAMP Academy Treasurer. "Ijyuin-san! I'm so sorry!" The man smiled down at her. "No, no, it was me. Forgive me, I'm so clumsy. You're alright, aren't you?" "I'm fine! But...we're late...the performance..." "Oh, Nagisa-chan's concert? You mustn't miss that, she's very good. Then off you go." He turned to the elegant blond man who was with him. "Yuuto-san, you don't mind if we stop for another tea, do you?" "Of course not." The man replied. He smiled at her kindly. "Enjoy the show." His eyes glinted when he saw Kusanagi-san. "And such a lovely night, too...very romantic." She wasn't sure, but it seemed like she heard Kusanagi-san curse under his breath. Wow, she thought, he must be really upset about those fish. It took a bit of looking (and a touch of Kamui's intuition), but they finally caught up with Subaru-san and Arashi-chan on their way to the park. He wasn't pleased to see how comfortable the two seemed around each other. "Nee-chan! How's the festival?" "...Good," she replied. "He's not been giving you too much trouble, has he?" Subaru-san ignored the glare. "Not at all." "Have either of you seen Karen-san today?" asked Kamui. "I need to talk to her." Subaru-san nodded. "We were with her just a little while ago. She's with Aoki-san and his family." "Which way?" "Towards the games, I think." Subaru-san pointed. "Do you want me to show you?" "No, that's ok. Please wait for me here, though." Kamui dashed off. "What was that about?" the onmyouji turned an almost accusatory eye towards him. Sorata shrugged. "That dream. You know." "Oh." "Arisugawa-san!" Nokoru Imonoyama waved. The Chairman of the CLAMP Academy looked upset as he approached them, accompanied by his Head of Security. "What is it? Has something happened?" "Not yet," replied the Chairman. "There's been a report of a suspicious man. We're thinking he might be a terrorist." With the number of students from wealthy, influential families, the CLAMP Academy was often prey to kidnapping and extortion attempts, so terrorism was a real threat. "I'm sure Takamura-san's got it under control?" The Security Chief was also from a clan of ninja. "Actually," said Imonoyama-san, "we thought you might want to look into it, since the man seems to be spending quite some time talking to Nekoi-san. Akira-kun saw them and was concerned enough to call me about it." "Waitaminute. Let me get this straight. That bruiser's harassing Yuzuriha-chan?" He exchanged a concerned glance with Arashi. "Don't you worry none, Chairman. Nee-chan and I will see to this." "That's right," she agreed, thin-lipped with worry. "I'll wait here for Kamui," offered Subaru-san. "He'll want to know." Sorata approved. "Good idea." Plus it would keep him away from Nee-chan. The Chairman breathed a sigh and flipped over his fan. GOOD LUCK was written on the side. "Suoh-kun has been keeping track of them-we'll show you where they are." The tall ninja nodded gravely. "Please, follow me." "Lead the way, Takamura-san. C'mon, Nee-chan." Tendrils of electricity began to weave between his fingers. "That fella's gonna learn that we don't let NO ONE mess with our Yuzuriha-chan." To be continued</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>