X/1999 1. Foundation

Foundation

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own X or CLAMP. If I did, many, many things would be different. For one, it would be complete. Two, Keiichi would be in it a lot more.

* * *

His father was still dying. His father had been dying for years; his death had been the cause of his early removal from his foster family. His mother had rushed him to Tokyo in order to return in time.

That had been six years ago. He had just attempted to see his father, and once again had been refused. Moments like these were when all the attention was centered around his father was when he missed his friends the most, his foster brother and sister. Here, he was a princeling and above the servants, yet still below the prominent nobles, so insignificant they paid little or no attention to him. Once his father died, he supposed that would change. He missed his friends and the warm comfort their presence had provided. They treated him like an equal, but more importantly, they had treated him like a friend. He especially missed Kotori, the little girl who had made him feel the way he thought a normal boy should feel.

He would not feel so lonely if his mother were still around. Shortly after their arrival in the city, his mother had passed on, the only family he had left in the world. The circumstances of her death had never been fully explained to him. When he questioned, he only received cryptic answers such as "It was simply her time to move on." They refused to tell him exactly what she had died of. He wanted some closure to his mother's life; not knowing made her death seem meaningless.

He supposed his father still remained. His father, a man he had never seen or heard, whose name he had never known, was threatening to leave the country in his hands. He didn't want to rule a country; all he wanted was to return to that little villa in the forest where he had spent the better part of his life. But, no, his father, the Kamui, had to die and give the entire country to him.

He rounded a stone corner and was perplexed to run into a small body. He hadn't realized he had not been paying attention to where he was going. The black mop of hair bowed before him was apologizing profusely as the princeling struggled to figure out who it was. Servants ran off after apologizing and courtiers normally wouldn't waste their breath on apologies. Her clothes were all leather and fur, the skirt cut much shorter than any of the self-proclaimed respectable girls would wear. Though they were inside, he could vaguely smell the forest, not the tame forests that surrounded the city, but the deep, wild forests of the mountains. A glance to the side confirmed his suspicions as to the girl's identity as a wolf stared knowingly back at him.

He was in the presence of the wolf princess who had arrived at the capital only a few weeks ago. Seeing as how he was only an heir, and she was not yet the leader of the wolf clan, he had been quite surprised when she had eagerly approached him shortly after her arrival. Of course, he soon learned she approached everyone with the same eagerness. He had spent very little time in her company since then, and he was having difficulties remembering her name other than wolf princess.

She straightened herself up, and, upon, seeing who she was apologizing to, gasped and backed away a few steps. "Kamui, I'm so sorry. I was following Inuki, and I guess I wasn't paying much attention to where I was walking.'

Kamui looked again at the wolf that had been trailing by her side. He vaguely recalled being introduced to Inuki before; he knew the wolf was important to the princess, but Kamui had not really paid attention to him before. The wolf tilted its head as he stared up at him, the gaze almost as piercing as the Seer's.

He tried to remember the first time he had met the wolf princess. She had arrived at the palace on horseback, Inuki padding along on the ground next to her. The wolf had caused the biggest stir upon entry, and they soon had several crossbows leveled at them. After explaining to his father's magistrate who she was, she had bounded over to him, the wolf trailing closely behind her. 'Wow, you must be Kamui, right?' She had seemed so excited, he had not known what to say to her or in what manner he was supposed to respond. Fortunately for him, his silence did not seem to slow her down at all. 'I'm Yuzuriha Nekoi from the Mitsumine mountains, and this is my friend, Inuki.' She had gestured to the wolf which was seated by her side. Only later was he to find out that she was the wolf princess.

"It's alright, Princess Yuzuriha," he told her.

She giggled. "Please just call me Yuzuriha. I'm the one who's going to be serving you." She smiled brightly at him, as if there was nothing else she would rather be doing. He realized the times he hadn't seen her smiling were very few. Even though she had lost all her family connections as well, she was still frequently smiling. He could not remember the last time he had smiled, only that it had been a very long time ago. Before his mother had died.

"Kamui, are you feeling well?" He realized the wolf princess was staring intently at his face, the slightest hint of her worry in her eyes. He briefly wondered if it was because she was genuinely concerned or because he was the only heir to his father's title. The only heir they ever thought was going to exist, seeing as to how he was given the name of Kamui at birth.

"I'm fine," he assured her. At least as fine as he could be in the present situation. He felt he would be a lot better if he had no title to live up to; if all he really had to do was to be himself.

She looked doubtful for a moment, but her eyes soon brightened again. "In that case, let's go into the city and celebrate with sweets!" She knelt down and threw her arms around the wolf's neck. "We'll get Inuki some too, of course. Ever since I brought him to the city, he seems to have developed quite a sweet tooth." She laughed as Inuki gently nosed the side of her face.

"But what are we celebrating?" he asked, terribly confused and wondering where exactly the wolf clan had found their princess. She was nothing like the stern, solitary warriors he had heard about.

"Silly," she grinned up at him from her kneeling position, her arms still looped around the wolf who had also diverted his attention to him. "You don't need a reason to celebrate with sweets." She gave Inuki a final scratch behind the ears before standing.

"But don't you have somewhere important you have to be?" She had been rounding the corner to enter the wing he had just left. The only thing remaining in that wing was his father's sickbed.

"Nothing's too important that it can't be put aside for sweets." She walked past him, Inuki trailing by her side. When she realized he wasn't following her, she turned around to look at him curiously while Inuki gazed over his shoulder. "Come on, I know this really great place. They have this cinnamon pastry that's absolutely delicious."

She seemed intent on going to this place with or without his company. He figured it would be best to follow her, just to make sure the wolf princess didn't get herself into any trouble in the heart of the city. Her grandmother would never forgive them.

It just seemed unfair to him that the wolf princess could dismiss a meeting with his father when he was not permitted to even hear the current Kamui's voice.

* * *

"I had a dream about Kamui last night," Kotori said as she approached her father in the temple. He encouraged her to continue, and she kneeled down on the floor next to him. He was bowed before the burning altar, praying about what she was not exactly sure. "He was actually the Kamui in my dreams. Do you think once he's Kamui he'll ever come to visit us?"

Her father smiled gently at her. "I'm sure he thinks about you every day and will come to visit as soon as possible."

He had been gone for such a long time, and Kotori wondered if he was the same boy he had been so very long ago. She worried most he was going to marry one of the princesses soon. She realized that the next time she saw him, he could very well have a wife at his side.

"Where's my brother?" she asked quickly in a desperate attempt to change the subject, even if it had initially been one of her choosing. The thought of Kamui married to someone else was too much for her to handle at the moment. Of course, she knew it would happen eventually, but she felt they were both far too young to be thinking about marriage.

"He's practicing his horseback archery." Kotori couldn't help but worry about her brother every time he went riding. So many things could happen out there in the woods. Accidents occurred. The wolf clan could mistake him for an enemy. And there were always the rumors about the dark things roaming the forests. Things not eradicated during the revolution now thirsting after revenge. She supposed that was why he had not said anything to her before leaving in the morning. Her father laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I know you worry about him." She sighed; her father had no idea exactly how much she worried about him. She had been having disturbing visions lately in the middle of the night. "But your brother has a dream he's striving for." A dream? Her brother had never mentioned a dream to her before. He told her practically everything; sometimes things she had no desire to know. "Don't you have a dream, Kotori? Something you wish to see happen at any cost?" His hand migrated from her shoulder to her hand.

She had to admit she had never really thought about it. She supposed if she had to wish for something, she wanted Kamui and her brother to be happy. Her brother had changed drastically ever since Kamui had left. She knew it had been at the time boys were supposed to be maturing and changing anyway, but there had been something odd about his alteration, like a moth emerging from a butterfly's cocoon. She had voiced her concerns to her mother, but her mother seemed convinced it was a normal change for someone who had lost such a close friend. Maybe to Fuuma, Kotori's changes seemed just as unnatural.

Maybe she could have gone on pretending everything was alright with Fuuma. But a few months ago, shortly after they had discovered Lady Saya was pregnant, Saya had fallen very ill. The doctor's seemed unsure if she would be able to carry the baby to term. Her father had explained it all to her one night. How she had to prepare herself for the loss of her mother and not to prepare herself for the arrival of a new baby. Her father was certain that neither one of them would survive past the next few moons. Saya was too ill.

"Kotori. Father?" Her brother's voice brought her back to warm reality. Her mother was still alive, her father was sitting right next to her, and her brother was entering the temple still wearing his riding clothes. With a start, Kotori suddenly realized how similar his choice of riding clothes were to the uniforms of the Kamui's elite guards. Her brother bowed to their father.

"I'm sorry, father, but the doctor wants too check on Kotori before he leaves." Kotori sighed as she stood up. She knew the doctor would not dare to personally look in the temple for her. Besides, she had hoped Saya would keep him busy for most of the day.

Her father nodded. "Of course. Fuuma, please escort your sister back to the house. I'd like to stay here for a bit longer." He turned back to the shrine while Kotori was led out of the temple by her brother. If her brother spent an alarming amount of time training recently, her father spent even more time in the temple. She knew it had something to do with her mother, but somehow she did not think he was praying for her recovery.

Fuuma patted her arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, Kotori. I'm sure the doctor will make this a quick visit. He does need to get back before nightfall lest the wolves should make a mistake in his identity." Kotori had a feeling it was not the wolves the doctor should be worried about, but rather the forest itself.

* * *

"Yum, this pastry is delicious," Yuzuriha said before breaking off a piece and handing it to Inuki. Kamui was positive the wolf was smiling as he accepted the sticky treat from the princess's hand. Maybe he had been too sheltered in that cozy little villa. Yuzuriha, after selecting a wide variety of snacks for them to enjoy, had chosen to sit at a table outside where she claimed Inuki would be more comfortable. Kamui thought it was really so the wolf wouldn't be in the way or disturbing the other patrons. Or scaring them, he thought as he remembered how terrified he had once been of the Mitsumini wolves.

He had barely touched the sweets she had laid out on the table between them; Inuki was eating more than enough for all three of them. "Inuki," Yuzuriha scolded as the wolf snuck another particularly large treat from the table, "save some for Kamui." The wolf merely stared back at her, munching on his prize.

"Excuse me." One of the serving girls had approached them while he had been distracted by the antics of the wolf and the princess. For a moment, he worried something was wrong, maybe dogs were not welcome in the vicinity of this shop, but a glance at the wolf princess showed she did not share his fears. "Would you two like to try one of our new frozen creams?"

Kamui had never heard of it before, but Yuzuriha seemed excited by the prospect and instantly asked what flavors they had. Of course, she seemed to have been to the city a lot more than he had.

"Well, our newest flavor is mint chocolate."

"Oh, that sounds yummy, doesn't it, Inuki?" The wolf whimpered in happy response. "What do you think, Kamui?"

He didn't know what to think anymore. After all, he was only sitting at a sweet shop, in the city, with a wolf princess and her wolf, ordering some dessert he had never heard of before. There was nothing strange about that at all. "We'll take three." She nodded and promised to return shortly.

He stared at the remaining sweets and waited for the wolf princess to continued telling him about whatever she had been talking about. The last thing he remembered she had been telling him about Inuki. Something about the wolf's sleeping habits. However, the continuance he expected never came. Confused, he glanced up at the wolf princess. She was staring at him oddly, her bright eyes wide with something he couldn't quite recognize, but suddenly made him feel very shy at the same time. "Princess Yuzuriha?"

She looked like there was really something she wanted to tell him, but before she had the opportunity, the serving girl came back and placed three bowls on the table. Yuzuriha instantly grabbed one and placed it on the ground in front of Inuki. She fondly patted the wolf on the head before straightening and treating Kamui with a smile. "Thank you for remembering Inuki."

She eagerly tasted her frozen treat, her smile growing wider. "Wow, this is delicious. You should try some, Kamui."

He looked dubiously at the bowl placed in front of him. He couldn't remember ever seeing anything like it before. He slowly picked up the spoon and scooped some of the soft treat onto it. Yuzuriha watched him expectantly as he lifted the spoon to his mouth. He figured what did not kill the wolf princess could not possibly hurt him. The treat was cold, colder than expected and tasted vaguely like mint and chocolate. The only thing he was afraid of now was the bill he was going to get for these treats.

"It's good," he told her, lowering his spoon for another bite. He didn't plan on making it a regular occurrence, but perhaps, on occasion, he and the wolf princess could go for some frozen creams. Or perhaps they could do something else. She seemed pleased and returned to her own treat.

He contemplated his current situation as he savored his snack. Soon, he would inherit the title of Kamui, and he knew the girl would not be as open with him as she was now. Even if she was, she would eventually have to return to the mountains and take her place as leader of the wolf clan. In a way, it was satisfying to know she would always be protecting him from the north, yet he still wanted some consistency in his life. He wanted to be able to hold on to just one person, even if it was the strange girl who controlled the wolves.

"Kamui?" The urgency in her voice snapped him back to immediate attention. "Can I tell you something?" She was wringing her hands in her lap, and Inuki was staring quizzically up at her. Her nervousness did nothing to ease the worry that had been gnawing at him ever since she had called his name.

"Sure." He had a horrible sinking sensation that he really didn't want to hear what she was about to tell. Still, he also felt it was something he should know. He couldn't help it if he felt a little bit uneasy in his stomach, both terrified and intrigued by what she so desperately wanted to tell him.

She hesitated a moment longer, as if trying to determine whether or not she should actually tell him. The longer she waited, the more worried and intrigued he became.

"I just want you to know I'll always be there for you, and even if I'm far away, I'll still find a way to be with you, and you can always count on me for protection." She shut her mouth tightly and resumed staring at her hands.

She had spoken so quickly he had to take a few moments to make sense of her words. He knew once he became Kamui he would need extra protection, but she was pledging herself to him now. Furthermore, she wasn't even the head of the wolf clan yet.

"Princess Yuzuriha, what-?"

She sighed and it was only then he saw the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I promise, Kamui, I won't let them hurt you. I'll make sure Inuki keeps them far away."

He wanted to ask her who the "them" were. There were a lot of things he wanted to ask her, mainly what it was she was so worried about. He was destined to become Kamui and then nothing could harm him. He wanted to ask her what terrible future she alone saw that made her so frightened, so worried about him.

But before he could ask, the serving girl reappeared with their bill, driving all other thoughts away as he worried how the treasurer would react to it as he hesitantly displayed his father's crest. With a sigh, he wondered if the ones Yuzuriha had sworn to protect him from had been his father's treasurers. They would certainly be willing to kill him once the bill reached them. The wolf princess had offered to pay, but he had been polite and turned her down and now he would just have to face the consequences.

"We should head back to the palace, princess, before somebody realizes we're both missing." Inuki gave him a disgruntled stare. The wolf possibly wanted some more sweets even though he had neatly polished off the few remaining ones on the table, but he thought his allowance had suffered enough already. Besides, he was worried the wolf would become overweight, and Yuzuriha would blame him. She reluctantly agreed; he had never known an individual could have such an immense capacity for sweets.

She was either really tired or had run out of things to say, for she was mostly silent on the return journey, Inuki padding softly between them. Kamui thought perhaps she was still worried about the threat she had promised to protect him from. Maybe he should be the one protecting her. She was two years younger than him, female, and limited to her wolfpack and swordplay for protection. Of course, he supposed it could be very dangerous to underestimate the power of the wolfclan, but he was hoping that would prove to be his advantage instead of working against him.

Something wet pressed against his hand, and Kamui instinctively reached back to scratch the wolf behind the ears. Instead of the soft fuzz he expected, his hand came in contact with bare flesh. Blushing fiercely, he jerked his hand away and stammered a few apologies to the wolf princess.

She light-heartedly chastised the wolf, accusing him of being a matchmaker, a voyeur, and a bunch of other things Kamui rather would have not have heard. He had a feeling he didn't want to know exactly what they were. He didn't need a fourteen year old girl making him blush any more than she already had.

The journey through the woods could be dangerous, especially at the late hour he ended up leaving the villa, but the doctor had no fear of the forest. Especially he could never fear the wolves of Mitsumini. Because he served as visiting doctor to the wolf clan, and they had no other method of paying him, every time he traveled through the woods, one of the wolves trailed behind him to protect him. He knew how very important their presence was.

A man whose only son he had not been able to save had chased after him once, intent on his destruction. The man had found the death he craved, at the snapping jaws of the doctor's wolf companion. He never doubted the validity of the wolf clan's payment again.

At least his horse no longer got nervous with the wolves trailing around. She just plowed along with her head down. She knew the path so well.

A piercing scream filled the air, and he struggled to keep his balance while getting all four of the horse's hooves back onto the ground. The scream had come from the villa. He recognized the screams; they were the same screams she had loosed giving birth to Kotori. "Lady Saya!" Another scream ripped through the air. The doctor whirled his horse around, intent on going back to help ease Saya's pain.

The road was blocked. Branches from either side trailed across the road, twining themselves together and making passage impossible. He frantically looked to the side. The trees seemed to be growing closer together, and there was no way he would ever be able to fit his horse between the gap. He dismounted, determining to go on foot. He would have to be back to help Saya in any way he could.

"I'm sorry, doctor, but I'm afraid that won't work." He frantically looked around for the source of the voice, a voice that sounded like it belonged to a young girl. His wolf clan protection had never attempted to speak to him before, and the road had been empty. Besides, fear of the wolves would keep normal people off the road, so he knew whoever it was could mean him no good. "I cannot allow you to interfere."

The voice seemed to be coming from the trees; perhaps from someone hiding in the branches. However, he could not discern what direction the voice was coming from, let alone what tree the person was hiding in. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Please excuse my rudeness." He heard a low thud behind him as someone hit the ground. The doctor froze, unsure if he wanted to turn around. Was it just his imagination, or were the trees beginning to look a little bit more sinister? "My name is Satsuki." He slowly turned around to face the speaker. A young woman was standing in the middle of the road. Her clothes appeared to be what any girl would be wearing after the revolution, and for a moment, the doctor thought maybe he had been overreacting. The war was over, and the remaining Others were too frightened to show themselves in public now for fear of the greatest retribution. The rumors of what had happened to their comrades in the Kyoto High Security Prison were enough to keep most of them under control. This girl before him just had to be a normal girl from the closest village.

He attempted to convince himself of that, but the streak of auburn through her otherwise black hair belied the façade he so desperately wanted to cling to. "What do you want from me?" Saya screamed again, and beside him, his horse reared slightly, her eyes rolling widely. "The Lady Saya is in pain. Why don't you want me to help her?"

"You must not interfere with the Lady Saya's destiny. I am here to prevent that at any cost." Something about the look in the girl's eyes made him even more frightened than when the man had come to kill him. All the while the trees had been closing in even further.

The wolf that had been trailing him broke cover, jumping in between him and the strange girl. Before the doctor realized what was going on, the branches of the nearby trees had ripped through the wolf's body and were aiming straight for his chest. And his scream mingled with Saya's last piercing cry.

Yuzuriha and Inuki both lifted their heads abruptly, a frightened expression plastered on the girl's face as the wolf growled. Kamui jumped and looked around for the source of their terror. He could sense nothing, but Inuki was still growling deep within his throat. He looked down at the snarling wolf and realized he never wanted to be on the other side of those jaws. Though the wolf still seemed a bit agitated, the girl seemed to have calmed down considerably and had relaxed her stance. Now she seemed like she was on the verge of tears.

"Yuzuriha, what's wrong?" He felt awkward, like he should be trying to comfort her in some way, but he had no idea how to. Maybe once she talked to him, he would be able to figure it out.

"It's just - I think – Mizu –" She seemed to regain control of herself and shook her head; Kamui noticed the tears falling to the ground even if she had not meant for them to be known. "It's nothing. Just a strange feeling I had." Kamui had the feeling there was more to her strange feeling than she was telling him. Of course, everyone seemed to be keeping things from him anymore, so he didn't know why that should bother him so much. He figured if she wanted to tell him, she would. That didn't keep it from bothering him that she didn't trust him enough. She grinned at him, snapping him out of his self-pity. "We should hurry back to the palace before it gets dark."

He nodded his agreement and did not try to get her to talk to him again on the way back to the palace. He wished he knew something to ease her mind, she kept staring off in the direction she first had, and Inuki was now stalking between them as if he was hunting something. His own unwanted feelings of unease were not helping the general mood at all.

As they approached the gates, he saw a man standing there waiting for them. He was frightened for a moment, until he realized that Inuki did not seem to be threatened by this stranger. In fact, the wolf was acting once again like a docile dog. He knew the visitor could not be from the wolf clan evident by the lack of a wolf companion, so he wondered what the relationship between Yuzuriha and the man could be.

"You must be Kamui. I've been looking for you." The man stepped out of the shadows and approached them. He looked Kamui over once or twice, which made him feel even more uncomfortable around this stranger, before taking a closer look at Yuzuriha. "I see the wolf princess has already made your acquaintance. Then you should already know everything that's going on." Yuzuriha looked rather flushed to him and almost as if she were trying to disappear. The man laughed. "You two are both really pretty. If the rest of the Seals are as good-looking as you, I must be the luckiest man alive!" Kamui was growing more and more agitated as the man continued talking about things he had never heard of and didn't bother to stop to offer any explanations.

"By the way, my name is Sorata, and I'm the visitor from Kouya. However, my real role as a Seal is one of an electric elemental." The man paused and looked up at the sky. "Speaking of which, the other Seals should be gathering soon. Don't you think we should go and meet them?"

Kamui had finally had enough and grabbed the man by the front of the shirt. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Whoa, calm down buddy!" The young man made a futile attempt to squirm away from him. "Hasn't the wolf princess told you anything?" Kamui glanced over at Yuzuriha who flushed and looked away. "I'm a bit disappointed." Yuzuriha sighed and looked even more dejected.

Kamui turned his attention back to their visitor. "You leave Yuzuriha alone." He was not about to let some strange monk ruin Yuzuriha's mood just because he thought she should have been telling him something. He trusted the wolf princess's judgment in her decision.

"He's right, Kamui." Kamui just barely loosened his grip on the young man and turned his full attention to the wolf princess. She was refusing to look in his eyes, staring instead at the top of Inuki's head. "I really should have told you everything. I just wanted the chance to get to know you before everyone else arrived."

Kamui dropped the annoying monk and took a step closer to her. "Princess Yuzuriha, what are you talking about?"

The monk's eyes softened and threw his arms around both of their shoulders. "Well, no harm done." He smiled at both of them. "Cheer up, little princess. If Kamui comes with us, we'll be able to meet the rest of the team."

Kamui felt as if he did not have much of a choice any more. The strange man, Sorata, led the way, his arms still wrapped around their shoulders. Kamui glanced behind them to see Inuki following closely behind them. At least the wolf seemed inclined to trust the man, and Yuzuriha did seem to know what he was talking about, even if she had mentioned nothing of it previously. Once again he felt helpless as he was dragged along beside the older man.

As they moved further into the palace, Kamui realized they were getting closer to the point where he had met Yuzuriha earlier in the day.

* * *

"Well, Yuuto, it would seem that the seven seals are gathering." She turned to the blonde standing next to her and was pleased to find his accustomed smile on his face.

"Then perhaps we should gather our team." That was precisely what she had been thinking. She had known for quite a while now every member destined to serve their Kamui and listened patiently as Yuuto listed them off. "Lets see, there's the water master - that's me - the forest elemental – " he grinned – "that's the cute girl you've been in contact with – Death, or Sakurazukamori, however you want to look at it – and the four we don't know the identities of; the earth elemental, the Seer, the demon, and of course, our Kamui."

That was the most frustrating bit of the entire business. None of the ones that had been in contact with so far seemed to know exactly who their Kamui was. And they still had a lot more to find. "We'll do what we can until we find him. In the meantime, I want you to retrieve Satsuki and bring her to Kyoto."

"Where will you be going?" he asked her rather politely.

She sighed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "To see if Death knows anything about the other four."

"You're going to go in person?"

"Of course. He's blocked me from his mind so I can't learn his name." She had made contact with him once in dreams. He had briefly entertained her, listened to what she had to say, confirmed that he was in fact Sakurazukamori and part of their destiny, then proceeded to use his magic to kick her out. It had been rather painful on her, but when she had tried to reach him again, all she found was a shield of cherry blossoms. At that point she realized he really was the Sakurazukamori; only he would utilize so much flair in magic.

"Are you sure Death is going to help us?" Always the pragmatic one. She had thought of that possibility a few times herself. From her brief encounter with him, he had seemed rather inclined to do his own thing and not listen to anyone else.

"I'm not sure. But I do know one thing I managed to retrieve from his mind." She turned around to face Yuuto and got the questioning noise she had been expecting. "Death, more than any of us, has something quite personal wrapped up in this business."

"Perhaps he has a connection with one of the Kamui's?" Yuuto suggested.

She shook her head. "No. One of the seals. The other onmyoji." Yuuto, it seemed, was as intrigued about the subject as she was.

* * *

"It looks like the gang's all here," Sorata said walking into the room, effectively blocking Kamui's view a few seconds. The first thing he noticed when Sorata moved out of his way was another young man standing against the opposite wall who seemed rather unconcerned with whatever else was going on in the room. Kamui then slowly noticed the others in the room as well. The Seer Hinoto was sitting in the middle of the room. There was also an older woman with bright red hair, wearing an outfit that made Yuzuriha's look acceptable in comparison, another young woman with straight black hair holding a sword, an older gentleman who waved nervously at him, and another woman that reminded him vaguely of his mother. Upon closer inspection he realized that it was his aunt who he had met only once before; she had been the one to inform him of his mother's death.

She was the one who spoke to him. "Welcome, Kamui. I would like to introduce you to your Seals." He was still rather confused about what was going on, but took the few steps into the room. "The visitor from Kouya, Sorata" – the young man waved energetically at him – "the Kishu shrine maiden, Arashi" – the girl with the straight hair looked at him- "the fire master, Karen" – the scantly clad woman gave him a smile – "the wind master, Seiichirou" – the older man gave him a small wave – "the light onmyoji, Subaru of the Sumeragi clan" – the young man barely looked up at him – "and I believe you are already acquainted with the wolf princess, Yuzuriha." Yuzuriha started and blushed.

"I still don't understand what they're doing here." Kamui let his accusing gaze fall upon all of them; the only exception being Yuzuriha who had been the closest thing he had to a friend since arriving in Tokyo. Even if she really had withheld valuable information from him, he refused to hold it against her when she and Inuki had been so open and friendly.

"These are your Seals." The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. Kamui blocked his ears but the voice still resonated in his head. "It is their fate to protect your claim to the title of Kamui." At that point he realized it was the Seer Hinoto who was speaking to him. Oddly enough, no one else seemed to be disturbed by this, even though he knew they were all aware that they could hear her too. With the exception of Subaru, they were all looking at her. He slowly lowered his hands back down to his sides. "There will be another who will try to claim the title of Kamui. He and his Angels will try to return the world to the way it was before the revolution."

"Do you know the identity of him or his angels?" Why had they just waited until now to tell him this? He glanced over at Yuzuriha, and she refused to meet his gaze.

The Seer lowered her head. "I am afraid I do not. It is still too early to know who has inherited the other Shinken."

"Then you're not much use as a Seer, are you?" The girl he thought he remembered as being named Arashi started and glared at him, while the rest of the "Seals" looked at him dubiously. "How am I supposed to fight this enemy if you don't know his name or any of his associates." He turned to leave, beckoning to Yuzuriha to come with him. She at least had not only spoken to him for the sole purpose of helping him fulfill his so called destiny.

"Wait." He turned around to see the Seer extending her hand towards him. "I do not know the name of the Angels, but I do know their descriptions." He slowly walked back to kneel in front of the Seer. "The earth master, the water master, the dark onmyoji known as Death, the demon lord, the forest master, and another Seer."

He was still not getting enough information for him to believe any of what she was telling him. He was not about to feel obligated to fighting a battle for these people when they could not even correctly identify the enemy. "Where exactly am I supposed to find these people?"

"Death is locked away in the Kyoto High Security Prison, is that not correct, Subaru?" his aunt asked, pointedly looking in the young man's direction.

He pulled himself away from the wall to stand up straight. "There is absolutely no proof that that man is the dark onmyoji known as Death." He glared at all of them, and Kamui wondered who they were talking about. Perhaps it was somebody Subaru knew and thought was innocent. If they did not know the identity of the other angels, who was to say they had correctly identified Death? For that matter, how could they really be sure that all the people standing in the room were his Seals? Surely there were other fire masters out there. Granted, most of them like all the other elementals and the onmyoji were wiped out during the revolution, but some other ones had to remain. Just as he was sure that there were other members of the wolf clan in Mitsumini. Besides, he was having a difficult time imagining what a demon lord would look like.

"Kamui, there is one other thing you must know." He turned to his aunt, wanting to leave and go back out to the sunlight with the wolf princess at his side. "Starting tomorrow, you and the other young Seals will be attending the university in the city for your protection."

"Even Subaru?" he asked, thinking at least that might make things a little bit better. Except for his statement in defense of the man they had captured as Death, the onmyoji seem fairly uninterested in the proceedings going on around him. Kamui was beginning to picture him as a kindred spirit that he would be able to confide in about how dull this all seemed to him.

"No," his aunt quickly corrected. "Subaru's duties require him to be in Kyoto. His sister is soon to have a child from what I understand, and I'm sure he will want to be there for that occasion." If Subaru had seemed uninterested at the rest of the meeting, he started to look a little bit ill as soon as she mentioned his sister. Kamui just wished they would stop talking about things he was completely clueless about. "You may go now, Kamui. We will summon you back down here when you are needed. The rest of you may go as well."

Kamui was actually one of the last people to leave the room, right after Subaru who did not seem to be very motivated to get back to wherever he was staying during his stay in Tokyo. Yuzuriha was the only one who remained behind him, and once they were both outside the door, she grabbed his hand to stop him.

"I'm sorry, Kamui," she said as he turned around to look at her. "I should have told you sooner. But I am glad I got the extra time to get to know you."

"That's alright, Yuzuriha." He smiled gently down at her and reached with his other hand to pat Inuki on the head. "The three of us will have to go for sweets again sometime soon." She nodded her agreement and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

* * *

Kotori waited patiently for her father or brother to come back and tell her the news. When Saya had begun screaming, she had tried to go running to her mother, but Fuuma and her father told her to stay where she was. Waiting patiently in her room, she watched the darkness settle around the castle. Her brother and father had been gone for far too long. She sat and waited. She paced and waited. She sat back down and drummed her fingers on the windowsill.

She thought of Kamui more. She wanted to know what he looked like now, whether he was handsome and all the courtly girls were in love with him. She wanted to know if he had developed in the same way as her brother to become strong and muscular or if he had remained wiry for his entire life. Still, she supposed he could still have some physical charm even if he was still really skinny. And the added bonus of soon to become the Kamui would make him all the more attractive to any girl who was looking to get ahead in life.

She wished her brother would come back soon. Wanted him to go back so he could take her mind off of Kamui. When she was with her brother, it seemed to be all Fuuma, and sometimes it seemed like Kamui had never existed at all. If he was around, he filled her entire world. Which made her wonder about how things would be when the three of them were together again.

The door to her room creaked open slowly, and she turned expectantly towards it. "Fuuma!" she called, running towards her brother but stopping just a little short of him. In his right hand he was carrying a sword she had never seen before. A sword that looked far too expensive to have been bought by their family. Furthermore, something else was different about him. She got the distinct impression that the moth was almost completely free from it's cocoon. "Big brother?"

He slowly raised his eyes to look into hers and a shiver ran down her spine. His eyes were different. She could barely recognize them as Fuuma's eyes at all. "Mother is dead, Kotori. Father wants us to go to Tokyo to tell Kamui, Tokiko, and Tohru. We have to leave tonight."

"Tonight?" she repeated as if she had not heard him correctly and secretly hoping she had not.

"Yes, tonight," he repeated, reaching out to grab her hand. "It's no longer safe for me here."

"But –" She turned to look out the window at the sky that was growing ever darker. "We'll never make it before it gets too dark to travel."

"I'll protect us," he said, lifting the sword a little to make sure she was aware of its presence. "We can travel straight through the night."

Before she could make another protest, her brother had begun pulling her away. She would have to follow him. She entertained no desire to fight him, nor did she have the necessary strength to get away from him. Besides, she had no idea if what he said was true or not. They really could be in danger, and she might be putting them in more danger by not complying instantly. One thing bothered her as she followed him downstairs to the stables. She wondered why Fuuma had never mentioned their father.

She longed to ask her brother about this transgression, but she could not find her voice to speak as he lead her outside and to the stables. Though all the while she wondered why their father was not coming along and where exactly Fuuma had gotten the sword. Was the acquisition of the sword somehow responsible for them leaving so swiftly and silently? She could only hope that once they got to Tokyo her brother would be a little more willing to tell her exactly what was going on.

Confused as she was, in the gathering darkness she could not even tell that the direction he started them in was not towards Tokyo.

* * *

Yuuto had been sitting in his private room in the inn sipping a cup of tea when Kanoe suddenly reentered the room followed by a shorter young woman whom Yuuto immediately recognized as another Elemental despite her obvious attempts to hide this fact from others. Her hair, black with a single streak of auburn, was a sure identifier of her abilities. She belonged to the forest. "Back so soon?" he asked, placing his cup down on the table. "Surely that isn't death you have with you. Such a beautiful young woman could hardly be capable of the kind of morbid devastation Death has caused." The young woman in question blushed.

"There's been a slight change in plans." Kanoe informed him, walking over to sit down on his bed. "Satsuki has just informed me that the true Kamui has awakened sooner than expected and is coming here."

"How do we know this person is really the true Kamui?" He asked, politely, smiling over at Satsuki who merely stared blankly at him in return.

"Satsuki saw the sword. He is Kamui, even if he does not know it yet. And he is headed in this direction."

"But we don't even know the rest of our Angels yet."

"It is as bit troublesome. You and Satsuki will have to go to Kyoto and get Death out of that prison." Kanoe smirked. "While you're there, take over Kyoto so we can use that as our base." Yuuto nodded. They would need some place to operate from if they were going to restore the world. "I'll meet Kamui and bring him there as soon as I can. Hopefully we'll be able to meet a few of the other Angels along the way."

"There is always the possibility that some of the others are also at the Kyoto High Security Prison. That is where they keep most of the Elementals they consider dangerous."

* * *

Deep within the mountain prison, Death stirred. They were changing the guard, and it just so happened the one coming on the shift was one of the few he liked. He was still slight for a man and had green eyes that reminded him so much of someone else he had known. This one was talkative and often gave him information about the outside world, occasionally dropping news as to what the Sumeragi clan was doing. Of course, he did not consciously think about any of this. To him, he merely lifted his head to look at the new guard coming in to serve. "Well, Mr. Death, I must say I would rather spend the night down here with you than take one hour of that shift they have going on in the Research Wing."

Death silently watched the boy, his amber eyes studying carefully and judging how long it would be before the boy would start to talk about things he really wanted to hear. "You would not believe the research they are trying to do up there. They're trying to resurrect a demon-god through the body of a young girl by inserting demon blood into her. You should hear the screams."

Suddenly, the boy seemed to remember who he was talking to and stiffened with a nervous chuckle. "Not that I think you would enjoy something like that Mr. Death." A bit more nervous laughter. "It's just I always get so worried when Lord Subaru isn't in Kyoto."

So, Subaru had left Kyoto. Death wondered what could possibly take the young lord away from his home. Only something very important, because the head of the Sumeragi clan was charged with keeping the prisoners in control and inside the prison. He wondered if his sister had gone with him, or if she was still in Kyoto.

Apparently, the boy had no intention of telling him anything else about the demon-god, and he thought of the woman who had visited his dreams the other night. Subaru's sister had visited his dreams before trying to see if he really was Death or not, but the woman the other night was a first-time visitor. She had not been really interesting: all she wanted to do was talk about fate, Kamui, Angels, and Seals. She had mentioned a light onmyoji was one of the Seals. She had also mentioned a demon-god was one of the Angels. He figured it was a shame she had not come a night later for she would have been interested in the information the boy had just given him, but as it was, he had no intention of letting her back into his dreams anytime soon. He had his own plans that had absolutely nothing to do with the fate of the country. Granted, the fate of Kyoto was at stake in his plans, but only as an unfortunate side calamity. Fate he had no concerns about.

"Do you know when Lord Subaru will return?" he asked, startling the boy and making him glance over at the cell cautiously. The boy looked him up and down a few times, and Death did his best to keep a friendly expression.

"No one is exactly sure, but I heard he was going to Tokyo on very important business with the Kamui." Death smiled broadly at the young man before settling back against the wall again and closing his eyes.

* * *

Kamui found it impossible to sleep after everything that had happened during the day combined with the task of trying to remember who everyone was. He still was not sure whether or not he should belief the blind Seer and his aunt when it came to this whole prophecy aspect. In order to try to settle his mind and to perhaps get a small amount of sleep, he started wandering the palace aimlessly. Everyone else appeared to be asleep, which was just perfect for the sort of mood he was in. Other people would only be a distraction, and he had to decide whether or not he was going to go along with everyone else's plan for him. If it meant he could save Kotori that way, then of course, he would have no choice but to listen to what they told him.

After a few hours of wandering in which he had gotten himself hopelessly lost, he began to look around for someone that could possibly show him back to his room. He heard his aunt's voice and started towards the sound to ask her for help. Just outside the door of the room he was sure she was in, something made him stop and just listen to what she was saying. "Tomorrow Kamui is going to begin attending the CLAMP academy. You do realize the implications for yourself, correct?"

Kamui peered in through the small crack in the door. The room was dim, lit only be a small fire behind his aunt which silhouetted her face and that of the person she was talking to. The only thing he could discern about her companion was that it was male and if he did not know better, he would have sworn it was Fuuma. "Yes, ma'am," her partner responded stoically.

"I hope you realize the only reason you were selected for CLAMP academy was for this very purpose. You are to be Kamui's guardian, to keep him under control using the ancient methods. Make sure you give him a good first impression tomorrow." His aunt paused for a moment and appeared to sigh. "And remember, under no conditions are you allowed to fall in love with him."

"Yes, Lady Tokiko."

Kamui wished he could see the person's face so he knew who to avoid tomorrow and for as long as he possibly could. He did not like the ominous way his aunt had been speaking to the boy. Besides, it seemed they were using him as just one more way to use and deceive him. Wondering what type of person could possibly agree to such a thing, he did not realize that someone had snuck up behind him until he felt a hand pressing down on his shoulder. "It is impolite to listen to other people's conversations." Trying not to make too much noise, Kamui turned around to face his would-be-assailant, only to find the young man Subaru standing behind him. Subaru reached over and closed the door Kamui had been eavesdropping through. "You might just hear something you would rather not."

Seeing as how Subaru seemed to be speaking from experience, Kamui followed him when he started walking away, hoping to receive more information. However, the young man was showing no inclination to talk to Kamui any more, though he did not push him away either. "Why are you still up?" he asked, hoping to push the man into conversation.

"I could not sleep." Kamui could empathize with that, considering he was up wandering himself for the very same reason. "I keep thinking about something."

"About that man my aunt referred to as 'Death'?" he prodded. After a moment's hesitation, Subaru nodded once. "Who is he?"

"He was a friend of mine. They arrested him nine years ago and have held him there ever since despite no evidence that he really is the dark onmyoji known as Death, or Sakurazukamori." Kamui wondered how he would feel if Fuuma had been arrested under false charges and decided he really did not want to think about it too much. Especially if they were charges as high as the ones that seemed to be placed on Subaru's friend. "My own twin sister even seems to believe the claims placed against him."

"Well, you should be getting some sleep. You have to start school tomorrow." Kamui suddenly realized that Subaru had lead him back to his room without him realizing it. He quietly thanked the other man and slipped into his room, making sure to close the door behind him. At least it had been the most interesting day since he had first arrived in the city. And he really was starting to like some of the Seals.

* * *

Morning arrived quite painfully for him since he had not gotten nearly enough sleep, and he was ushered into what he was told was his "school uniform" as soon as he opened his eyes. After some servants shoved some breakfast into his mouth, they pushed him gently to the palace gates where he was greeted by some of the people he had meet yesterday, specifically Sorata and Arashi. Yuzuriha was there as well, and she blushed a little when she saw him and began fiddling with her skirt. At least they had been subject to wearing similar clothes to him.

The university was larger than he expected, considering it was in the middle of the city, and if he had not been informed it was a school, he would have thought it was some type of recreational class. "I wonder where we're supposed to go?" Yuzuriha asked as they wandered around aimlessly for the first few minutes.

Kamui wished they would know where they were going soon since he was most likely going to be separated from the others. Yuzuriha wasn't bad, but Sorata's occasional flirting with Arashi behind him was becoming annoying. Just when he was about to give up hope and just run away from them, he caught sight of a blonde male running towards them with an alarming amount of speed and waving.

"Hello, you must be Kamui." He smiled and shook Kamui's hand. "I'm Keiichi Segawa, your class representative." Kamui was unsure of how to respond to the guy when he wouldn't even let go of his hand. "Who are your friends?" he asked as if suddenly seeing the others for the first time.

"I'm Yuzuriha Nekoi." Yuzuriha bounded forward and took Keiichi's hand from Kamui. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"So you're the wolf princess, huh? You're definitely as cute as they say you are." Yuzuriha giggled, and Kamui scowled, having felt the sudden urge to strangle something. Sorata and Arashi attracted his attention by introducing themselves, and Kamui relaxed considerably. "Well, Kamui, we should be getting to class," he said, grabbing Kamui's hand again. "I'm sure your class representatives will find you soon," he called over his shoulder to the others as he started dragging Kamui away.

He continued smiling as he dragged him along, and Kamui found that was the only thing he could focus on as he was dragged across campus. He realized this boy did not have to worry about protecting the country, or even that the country was in danger, and for a brief moment, he envied him.

TBC….


	2. The Wolf Princess

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of this. Yuzuriha/Kamui warnings for this chapter.

* * *

"Inuki!" She knelt down and threw her arms around the wolf's neck. He nuzzled against her, causing her to giggle, and she pulled away from her companion while keeping her hands on his shoulders. "Kamui-san said he was going to treat us to sweets again, and he said he's brining a friend along from school." She threw her arms back around the wolf. "Isn't that great?"

She leaned back to sit on her heels and scratch Inuki behind the ears. "He did say the friend asked if he could come along and didn't really give him much of a choice." She folded her hands in her lap and stared over Inuki's head. The wolf whimpered inquisitively at her; she rubbed underneath his chin. "That does seem a bit strange." Kamui had said it was his class representative, and he had seemed like a nice guy from the brief introduction she had. But just the way Kamui had told her about it with downcast eyes made her just a little bit suspicious.

"Maybe he likes me!" Yuzuriha exclaimed, flinging herself at Inuki. The wolf yelped and pushed back against her. "Sorry, Inuki," she said, gently stroking the fur on the wolf's neck. "I guess I'm just a little worried about my future."

She just sat on the floor for a while, idly petting Inuki, trying not to think. She knew her role in the country's destiny a little bit better than she wanted to. Inuki stayed next to her, occasionally wagging his tail.

"Yuzuriha? Inuki?" Kamui approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Are you two ready?" Yuzuriha looked behind him to his friend who was smiling down at her and the wolf. They had only started school a few weeks ago, and already that young man...

She nodded once and sprang to her feet. "Yup, we're ready!" Inuki rose and went over to sniff Kamui's friend; the guy laughed a bit and patted the top of the wolf's head. Inuki gave him one final sniff before walking back to Yuzuriha and taking his place by her side. "Should we go to the same place we went last time?"

Kamui nodded shyly, casting a quick glance over his shoulder at his friend. "That sounds good."

Yuzuriha led the way with Inuki by her side, Kamui and his friend trailing behind them. She placed her hand on Inuki's back obtaining the information the wolf had picked up from Keiichi. He, more than her, was tied in with Kamui's destiny. Yet she knew he was not one of the Seals. Could he possibly be an Angel? Inuki was convinced he was not. The only other thing she could think of was the false Kamui. Inuki could neither confirm or deny her suspicions. Every so often, she would look back over her shoulder at them. He seemed to be rather talkative and was keeping his rapt attention on Kamui who seemed to be more subdued than normal, only occasionally looking over to his friend, but mostly watching her and Inuki's heels to follow where they were going.

Once there, she took care of ordering again, choosing a table outside and making sure Inuki sat in between Kamui and Keiichi just in case. Once they were all settled around the table, Kamui's friend was quite willing to involve her in the conversation as well. "Well, Yuzuriha-hime, Kamui-kun tells me you come from the Mitsumini Mountains." She nodded eagerly and clasped her hands together. "I hear the mountains are very beautiful, especially at this time of year."

The wolf princess eagerly nodded and took great pleasure in describing the mountains: the dark green pines, the scent of the rain in the mornings, the glistening waterfall that ran right by her village. Kamui watched both of them as she spoke, a small smile softening his face. She kept her attention mainly on her conversation partner, but every so often she found it drifting to Kamui.

"What about your family, Yuzuriha-hime?"

Inuki's ears perked up and he lifted his head to look at her over Keiichi's lap. "Well, I just live with my grandmother now; she's the current leader of the wolf tribe. I never knew my father, and my mother has been forbidden to reenter our clan." The silence seemed to grow over the table as she spoke until Inuki whimpered at her right before she was about to tell them why her mother had been banished. "Oh, what about your family, Keiichi-san?" She already knew Kamui's situation, and all things considered, she thought it would be rude to ask him.

"Both my parents are dead." Yuzuriha gasped and instantly began apologizing. Kamui's smile was gone, and he was now focusing entirely on the blonde boy. "It's alright. My father died during the revolution, and the school's been taking good care of me ever since my mother died."

The entry requirements for the CLAMP academy were extremely rigorous, and not just anyone could go to the school even if their parents were very wealthy. With no living family, the boy had no way of paying for his schooling. She smiled broadly and leaned closer to him. "Wow, you must be something special in order to have the school take such good care of you."

"I don't think so." He laughed nervously. "I'm certainly nothing like Kamui-kun here." He smiled at the boy next to him causing Kamui to blush. Inuki was on his feet, growling at the blonde. "Easy boy," he said, placing his hands out to defend himself.

"Inuki, is there something wrong?" Kamui asked, leaning closer to the wolf. Inuki snapped at Keiichi. To his credit, he didn't flinch. Much. "Yuzuriha, what's wrong with Inuki?"

"Inuki, that's enough!" she scolded. Inuki whimpered, but sat back down, keeping his eyes on the new guy. She tried to discern what had upset her wolf so much, but all she received were vague notions of mistrust and deception. Again, she sent the thought of the false Kamui, but Inuki remained resolutely silent on that point. She sighed. "I think Inuki may have eaten too many sweets and is starting to get a stomachache." Inuki gave her a disgruntled stare which she promptly ignored. It was his fault if he decided to embarrass himself that way, especially if he couldn't even explain to her what was bothering him so much.

"Poor Inuki." Yuzuriha watched disbelievingly as the guy poured some milk into a bowl and placed it on the ground next to the wolf. "That might help you feel better." What was wrong with this guy? Kamui was smiling at him, but Yuzuriha was finding it difficult to believe that he was reacting so calmly. Did he not realize how dangerous Inuki was and that the wolf had been perilously close to killing him? "A few years ago the school offered a course on learning how to deal with the Mitsumine wolves. I thought it might be useful some day." Since she had no idea what they taught in the school, she supposed it might have been true. He had not seemed to be the least bit intimidated by Inuki at all until the wolf had been openly aggressive with him.

"Subaru-san is going back to Kyoto today, isn't he?" she asked Kamui, trying to get her mind off his unnerving friend. Besides, the other Seals were something she and Kamui could talk about without any input from the blonde.

"He left this morning," Kamui told her with downcast eyes. Yuzuriha felt a little crestfallen herself since she had not gotten the opportunity to say goodbye to him. "He really didn't say goodbye to anyone," Kamui reassured, flashing her a gentle smile. She found herself compelled to smile back at him. "He said he had important business to take care of in Kyoto. I think it may have something to do with his sister." She remembered hearing his sister was pregnant, and she wondered if she would ever get to meet the legendary dreamwalker from Kyoto.

"I'm sure Subaru-san will return to us when we need him." There were very few things that would be able to keep a dragon from fulfilling his or her destiny.

* * *

"You are late."

Yuuto smiled at the man they had found locked up in the deepest reaches of the Kyoto Prison. "I'm sorry. We got a little lost finding you." Satsuki had been glad once they got underground and walked over to join Yuuto after choking the remaining guard with the roots of a giant oak they had carelessly left growing by the prison. "I suppose you are Death, or Sakurazukamori?" he asked the man who was still leaning nonchalantly against the back wall of his cell.

"That is correct." The man opened his eyes and fixated his amber gaze on the two of them. "And you two are the water master and the forest elemental."

"Very perceptive of you, Sakurazukamori-san." Yuuto smiled at him again. "Or would you prefer we call you Death-san?" he asked as Satsuki retrieved the keys from the fallen guard and unlocked the door. "Or perhaps you would be so inclined as to tell us your real name?" Death remained silent as he stepped out of the cell and adjusted his cloak around his shoulders. He smirked and glanced at Yuuto out of the corner of his eye. "Okay then, Death-san. Would you happen to know if any others are here?"

"Nataku is upstairs," he responded smoothly as he began to stride from the room.

Satsuki immediately followed him, but Yuuto was having a bit more difficulty wrapping his mind around the concept. "The demon-lord is here?"

Death stopped at the threshold and looked over his shoulder at him. "Of course; they have been creating him here."

Yuuto and Satsuki had no choice but to follow him as he lead them up through the prison into a wing they had previously ignored because it had been very lightly guarded. The wing looked like any of the others with the cell bars stretching on endlessly on each side of the hallway. Satsuki stepped closer to one of the cells and extended her hand. A black paw shot between the bars and scratched at her. Yuuto immediately pulled her back to his side and inspected her hand. "What is this place?" she calmly asked as Yuuto looked at the hundreds of glowing eyes that now appeared to be staring at them from the dark confines.

"This is the research facility where they created Nataku." Yuuto wondered how he could be explaining this so calmly until he remembered some of the stories about the Sakurazukamori. Then again, Satsuki seemed to be sharing the same apathetic reaction. "I think they kept it this way."

They followed Death down the corridor, flanked on both sides by snarling, growling demons that shook the bars of their cells and reached to grab them as they went by. At the end of the hall, Death stopped in front of a metal door with a very small window that was currently closed. "Nataku is in this room."

Yuuto was still unsure of how he felt about meeting a demon lord, but he grabbed the cold metal handle and pushed the door slowly inward. It took his eyes a while to adjust to the dim light of the interior room, and all he could really see was a silver-haired girl lying unconscious on a table with a few needles lying beside her. The rest of the room was too dark for him to make anything out. "It's just a woman," he accused Death. A very scantly clad woman, he noted, but still just a girl most likely younger than Satsuki.

Death seemed to glide over to her, and the girl's blue eyes fluttered open to look up at him. "Are you Nataku?" he asked, smiling down at her.

"That is what they have called me," she responded faintly before her eyes slid shut again. Yuuto was starting to wish the rest of the Angels were going to be more like Satsuki and Nataku and less like Death. If they were, he would be the luckiest man in the world.

"Now that I've given you Nataku, perhaps you will be willing to do something for me." Yuuto's good mood instantly shattered. A request from a man who was known as Death could never be a good thing.

* * *

Kanoe counted herself very luck when she found a man driving a horse and cart who just so happened to be traveling in the same direction she was. She thought it more fortunate yet when the man had one day told her about a dream he had recently, a dream that marked him as a dragon of earth. If Yuuto and Satsuki had half her luck, the would have at least secured the allegiance of Sakurazukamori. They only had two more to find now: the demon-lord, Nataku, and the Seer. She also had to make sure the person she was looking for was indeed their Kamui.

At least she no longer had to walk, since shortly after she left Satsuki had informed her that he had changed direction and was now moving away from her. She was confident she would find him eventually, but the search was getting frustrating. The sooner she found him, the sooner everything would begin. She had briefly entertained the idea of initiating negotiations before they found the Kamui. But she knew her sister far too well and knew she would refuse to participate until Kanoe could offer proof that she had indeed found the other Kamui.

"Big brother, don't you think we should have gotten to Tokyo by now?" Kotori asked as she demanded a rest by pulling her horse over to the side of the road. Fuuma did not respond to her question, and he let his horse dance nervously in a circle in the middle of the road. Kotori frowned; her bother never had problems with controlling horses before, nor did the ever seem to be so afraid of him she though as she noted his mount's flat ears and wildly-rolling eyes. And where _had_ he gotten that sword from?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the clatter of other hooves and the snap of wooden wheels behind her, and she turned around in her saddle to look. A large draft horse was pulling a cart which contained a rather large man driving and an oddly dressed woman who was somehow unsettling to her.

"Fuuma, maybe we should just keep moving." However, her brother continued to ignore her as he had been for the past week or so and kept his horse if not still then at least in the middle of the road. She really wished she knew what was wrong with him anymore. She was certain they had been wandering around in circles for days. The horse drew closer, and Kotori's mount was beginning to be as fidgety as her brother's. The man pulled the horse to a stop only a foot away from her brother, and Kotori did her best to remain inconspicuous along the side of the road.

"Kamui," the woman said, smirking at her brother. He stared back at the woman and nodded at her and the man.

"Kamui?" she accidentally questioned aloud, and immediately covered her mouth with her hands as all three of them turned to look at her simultaneously. Why had that woman called her brother Kamui? Kamui was going to be the Kamui, not her brother.

"And who is this?" the woman asked, turning her full attention back to Fuuma.

"No one important," he responded, drawing his sword.

* * *

"I'm afraid I have terrible news," Hinoto told them, and his aunt kept looking sadly between him and Yuzuriha, as if she were unsure of which one to pity more. Kamui stifled a yawn as he looked around at the other gathered Seals. All were there except Subaru, and they all looked as tired as he felt. He wondered what time had been when the guards when the guards had roughly awoken them, but he could tell it was still dark even now. Karen was the only one who seemed remotely alert, Yuzuriha was sitting on the floor with her head on Inuki's shoulder, Seichiro had to keep jerking himself awake, and Arashi couldn't even glare at Sorata when his head "accidentally" dropped onto her shoulder. Kamui leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed, but he found it difficult to look at the blind Seer, so he watched his aunt's dilemma instead, trying to figure out what she was upset about.

"My sister has found the false Kamui." That seemed to bring everyone to attention. Arashi angrily pushed Sorata away, and Yuzuriha stood up though she kept one hand on the back of Inuki's neck. Kamui realized he had never seen her look so solemn before, not even right after Sorata's arrival. Kamui wondered if it had something to do with his aunt's pitying looks.

"He has demanded a gift of good will from us. If we comply, he will delay his attack against us for three months, and the gift is to act as his surety that we will not attack him." Kamui figured that was why she had gathered them all to determine if it was worth giving the false Kamui his "gift."

"What does he want?" Arashi asked. Kamui's aunt seemed to have solved her indecision in favor of Yuzuriha.

Hinoto lowered her head. "He has asked for our country's most valuable treasure." There were random gasps from the collected dragons, and Karen seemed to shake her head sadly.

"Give it to him," Kamui said, stepping forward and earning himself a few disapproving glares. "If it is for the good of the country, we should give him what he wants. A treasure will do us no good if there is no country left." He thought he was giving them the answer they wanted, but fro some reason they were now _all_ now splitting their sad looks between himself and Yuzuriha.

"Are you certain Kamui?" his aunt asked. "You do not even know what it is yet."

"I'm certain," he assured all of them, "I would do anything to ensure the safety of this country." His aunt seemed to sigh and the rest of the Seals seemed to reached the same decision she had earlier in regards to their pitying looks.

"Yuzuriha-hime, is this," his aunt paused momentarily to steady her voice, "decision alright with you?"

Yuzuriha straightened herself and tilted her head back defiantly. Kamui caught the distinct glimmer of tears being flung from her eyes. "I am read and prepared to serve my country in any way possible." Inuki licked her fingers.

Kamui's aunt sighed and turned to Hinoto. "Very well. Tell your sister if they send a messenger we will give them the wolf princess." Hinoto nodded.

"What? You're giving them Yuzuriha?" Kamui yelled at his aunt and Hinoto before turning to look concerned at Yuzuriha. She tried her best to smile at him and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.

"It'll be alright, Kamui-san, honestly." He didn't know how she could be reacting so calmly to this situation while he was imagining a hundred things that could possibly happen to her in the hands of the enemy. If only he would have known sooner. How could she possibly be their country's most valuable treasure?

'_There are other treasures than jewels and gold, Kamui. Yuzuriha is the only heir to the wolf clan, our best protection against the northern territories.'_

Kamui supposed he understood, but, still, Yuzuriha's hand was knotted tightly in the fur on the back of Inuki's neck, and she looked like she was going to be sick. He imagined he would barely be able to stand if someone had just foolishly signed his death warrant.

"Now that the decision has been made, you may all return to your rooms." Kamui was unsure if he any of the others would be able to get any sleep the rest of the evening, especially Yuzuriha. He made a move to go to comfort her, but Karen and Arashi cut him off, the older woman wrapping her arms around the wolf princess' shoulders. Since he didn't seem to be needed for Yuzuriha at the moment, he gave a sad sigh and headed off to his own room. Not that he really thought he would be able to sleep, but at least he would not be interfering with the women's comfort of Yuzuriha. Maybe he wasn't responsible enough yet to take control of the country. Maybe he had just condemned Yuzuriha to her early death; no matter what they said about her fate, _he _had made the choice.

And maybe he was afraid of losing the one person in Tokyo he was starting to care for.

* * *

"_Subaru-kun."_

_Subaru jumped and clutched at his ear, still feeling the deep vibrations the main's voice had sent coursing through his body. "Seishiro-san!" Subaru scolded, turning around to face the guilty party who merely smiled at him. "You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that," but the accusation was half-hearted and they both knew it. Subaru struggled to get his racing heart back under control, constantly repeating to himself it was from the shock he had just received and not from the older man still looming behind him close enough to be inhaled. He turned his attention back out the window._

"_What are you thinking about, Subaru-kun?" Seishiro moved to stand beside him at the window, brushing their shoulders together. Subaru ignore that and choose to stare at the obnoxiously blue cloudless sky instead._

"_Fate," he admitted, and he felt Seishiro shift beside him. "I wonder if we have any control over our lives, or if everything is already predetermined." He knew about the prophecy of the two Kamui, and he firmly believed he did not want to be part of a war that would spill the blood of so many. _

"_Fate is not always a bad thing." Subaru cast his eyes down, still trapped within his own thoughts. This time would be much worse than the revolution that killed his parents. "After all," one of Seishiro's arms wrapped around his shoulders, and his other hand cupped his chin to force him to look him directly into his eyes, "I believe it was my fate to meet you, Subaru-kun." His thumb ran across Subaru's lower lip._

"_Seishiro-san!"_ _Subaru blushed and frantically pulled away from the other man, wishing he could just disappear into the stone next to him._

"_But, I'm just an ordinary man, so what do I know?" Seishiro's laughter rang in his ears even though his eyes were closed. _

When he opened them again, the world was gray and a light drizzle covered the world. He had fallen asleep under a tree when his caravan had stopped to give the horses a brief rest. One of the guards knelt down in front of him. "Sumeragi-sama, are you feeling alright?"

He nodded, brushing his wet hair off his face as the guard walked away. He heated the dreams, and they had been coming increasingly more frequently. Things he thought he had forgotten haunted him every time he closed his eyes. If only he could ever prove Seishiro's innocence, but it had been over a year since he had the opportunity to try. The Kamui's slow decay had made sure of that.

Standing up, he felt resting under the tree was no longer safe. He might fall asleep again and enter a dream from which he would not want to awake.

* * *

Kamui did not know how to approach Yuzuriha. Hinoto kept them informed when the false Kamui's messenger would be coming to collect the wolf princess. So he avoided her as best he could, which meant spending a good bit of time with Keiichi on the campus. If he did happen to see Yuzuriha, he tended to make the conversations short, always hating himself as he walked away. He managed to keep this pattern up until the day before Hinoto's prediction date for Yuzuriha's departure.

At which point Sorata and Arashi pulled him aside claiming they had to talk to him about a very grave matter. Somehow he instinctively knew they were going to be talking about Yuzuriha and his recent avoidance of her.

"Now, Kamui-kun," Sorata said, placing his hands on his shoulders in a very brotherly fashion, "I'm sure you know Yuzuriha-chan will be given to the Angels tomorrow." He nodded, wondering why he needed both of them just to remind him of that fact. "I'm also sure you're well aware of the full dangers she will be facing." He had tried to push those possibilities out of his mind, but every once in a while they crept into his mind at some of the worst possible moments. "It would be a real shame for a sweet girl like that to experience such a rough first time, and Yuzuriha-chan really seems to trust you, so…"

At first, Kamui wanted to believe he had misheard the other boy, but he had to let that idea go when he noticed the other two were refusing to look him in the eye. He could scarcely believe one of them would even think about such a thing let along discuss it with each other. Disbelief quickly turned to anger. "How could you two even think about such a thing?" For some reason he did not get the guilty reaction he would have hoped for. "I would feel guilty of taking advantage of her, and she might come to hate me in the future."

"Don't you think we've thought about that?" It was Arashi who assumed the role of older sibling. "We've talked this over with Seiichiro-san and Karen-san already and they both believe this is the best option for Yuzuriha-hime under the circumstances." He did not know which he found more appalling: the fact that they had all reached the same decision or the fact that they collectively had decided to run his sex life behind his back. He knew the Kamui's life was dictated by the country's needs, but this was going a bit too far. "Think about what will happen to her mental state if she is raped, and she thinks all sex is like that. It is much better for her to know what it should be really like before she goes."

"Why does it have to be me?" he asked, not wanting to look at either of them anymore. They might just see how angry he was at the entire situation.

"Well, Subaru-san's gone, Seiichiro-san's too old as well as married, and I'm saving myself for my special lady." Kamui wanted to question why he was the only one who got to "save" himself, but Sorata continued rambling. "Like I said before, Yuzuriha-chan trusts you, and I don't think she would hold something like this against you if she knew why you did it." Kamui was growing more and more annoyed at the sound of the other man's voice. "Besides, once you meet your guardian having sex with that one special person will be the last thing on your mind."

There was that word again. His aunt had called that shadowed boy his guardian. "What exactly is this guardian thing about?"

Sorata blinked a few times and let his hands drop from Kamui's shoulders. "I'm not exactly sure. Missy, do you know?" he asked turning to look at Arashi. She shook her head. Kamui thought the two of them were becoming increasingly useless. "All I know is every Kamui has one, and it seems to me that with all this business of a false Kamui you're going to use yours a lot."

"You don't even know what they do," an irritated Kamui pointed out.

"Listen. I'll tell you all the information the monks have about the guardians, but its not much because the royal family refuses to give their identities or purposes to the general public. The monks only know that the Kamui's guardian is the guardian of the land and not the person."

"Why do they call it the Kamui's guardian then?"

"The guardian is to protect the country from the Kamui."

"That doesn't make any sense," Kamui told her.

Sorata shrugged. "Maybe not, but most Kamui's never even learn who their guardian is. They just know they have one somewhere."

Kamui started to walk away from them. He was really starting to hate this place and the position he had been thrown into. And he was becoming highly suspicious that this guardian, whatever it was, really was just another way to control him.

"Hey, wait!" Sorata called after him. "Are you going to take care of Yuzuriha-hime?"

"Don't speak about it so grossly," he snapped back over his shoulder as he continued walking. He was still appalled they would even think about the wolf princess in such a manner.

Still, he did end up going to Yuzuriha's room; he had wanted to say goodbye. Time was running short, the sky was turning red. He thought about the other Seals' request on the way there. Would Kotori blame him if she knew the circumstances? Would she even care? Did he honestly believe he would ever see her again?

He sighed as he knocked on the door to Yuzuriha's room, still not knowing what he was going to do. Maybe just coming to say goodbye to her would turn out to be a huge mistake. He would feel horrible if he just let her leave without a goodbye, especially since he may very well never see her again. "Come in." He was amazed her voice sounded so strong; he never would have been able to pull off that illusion.

He stepped silently into her room and pulled the door shut behind him. Yuzuriha was sitting on the edge of her bed, one hand curled in the fur on the back of Inuki's neck, the wolf sitting obediently at her feet. "Oh, it's you Kamui-san," she rubbed her bloodshot eyes with the back of her arm. "I wasn't expecting you." He figured her accusation was only fair in light of his recent action towards her. She offered him a place to sit on the bed next to her which he took quite hesitantly and not without a slight blush that the wolf princess seemed not to notice. "I'm glad you are here though." She sniffled and wiped away a few more traces of her tears. "If I was alone I would probably be crying all night."

Even as she tried to smiled him, the tears were starting to refill her eyes. He gently reached out and wiped them away with his thumb. "It's alright, Yuzuriha-hime. You can cry if you want. You don't have to be brave for me."

He was not expecting her to fling herself against his chest, clutching at his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulder, pulling her closer, and he wondered if he was going to regret every decision he was going to make as Kamui.

* * *

He escorted Yuzuriha to the gate the next morning where all the other Seals, his aunt, and surprisingly Keiichi were already gathered. He had wanted to glare at Sorata and Arashi, daring them to say anything, but the shock of seeing his fellow classmate there preceded any other facial expression.

"Keiichi-san, what are you doing here?" Yuzuriha asked, running up to him and effectively leaving Kamui's side. Inuki looked highly disgruntled.

"Tokiko-sama told me you were leaving today. I couldn't just let a cute girl like you go away without a goodbye."

She giggled, and Sorata sidled up next to Kamui. "She certainly seems lively today. What did you do to her?"

Before he could even think of an appropriately angry response, Arashi smacked the monk on the backside of the head. "Don't ask him about that!"

"It looks like we'll finally get to see one of the Angels," Karen said, pointing to a cart pulled by a single draft horse that had just come through the gates. The guard's had been given strict orders not to let anyone through that morning unless they came in the name of the Dragons of Earth. Everyone suddenly became grimly determined and silenced, except for Keiichi who smiled oblivious through it all. Kamui envied him again.

Time seemed to move so slowly as the lone cloaked figure steered the cart ever closer to them. Kamui could feel the tension sparking in the air, and Yuzuriha moved back over to him to cling onto his arm. The figure stopped his horse directly in front of them.

"Are you one of the seven Angels," his aunt asked, boldly stepping forward.

"That I certainly am," a deep voice responded, and the figure pushed back the hood of his cloak. "My name is Kusanagi. Kamui sent me to pick up the wolf princess." Inuki seemed to have wrapped himself around Yuzuriha's legs and stared up at the stranger. "And I have this for your Kamui." He dropped a medium-sized crate on the ground at their feet.

Inuki seemed a bit more disturbed by the box than he did by the stranger. "That's a cute wolf you have there, little lady. A bit strange maybe…" Inuki looked up as if he understood the man was talking about him.

"Are you ready to go, miss?" he directly addressed Yuzuriha. "We have a long way to go today, and I wan to make sure you get an ample rest for lunch."

"It's okay, Yuzuriha," Arashi whispered, gently pushing her forward. The large man reached his hand down to help the wolf princess onto the bench next to him. Inuki jumped into the back of the cart and made himself comfortable in the hay. Kamui was still very reluctant to let her go, but he knew she was strong enough to survive anything the Angels could do to her.

"Don't worry, miss," the man reassured her. "You'll be safely back with your friends in three months. In the meantime, I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about. I'm quite the animal lover myself." That was the last thing he heard before the two had gone completely out of earshot. He turned his attention to the crate that had been delivered to him.

Sorata poked it gingerly with his foot. "I wonder what this is?"

Kamui stepped closer to it and everyone else circled around him, Keiichi directly beside his shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the scent emanating from deep within the wood. "I smell blood…"

* * *

Remember to feed your friendly author with a review.

What did Fuuma send Kamui? Have I killed off Kotori or will she live for a few more chapters? Will Subaru ever regain his sanity? How will Yuzuriha survive in the clutches of the Angels?

Next time – Death: Subaru returns to Kyoto to find Seishiro waiting for him, claiming the prison found him not guilty on all accounts. The final Angel is found, and Yuzuriha adjusts to her life among the Dragons of Earth. Kamui as well adjusts to his new life as a student of CLAMP campus.

Seishiro/Subaru fans – This next chapter is for you.


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