Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Lost Souls ❯ XXIV ( Chapter 24 )

He watched her closely these days. There was no obligation to. Perhaps, as enemies, he should have tried stopping her even, but there wasn't even a need. The dreams Hinoto saw these days would not be used to serve anyone but herself.

Kakyou thought on occasion that he might talk to her and ask exactly what she thought she was doing. It was puzzling. On some levels it was even a little troubling. But, the night that that boy had offered himself for Hinoto's safety, something had snapped within the other yumemi. Kakyou had, before then, been running interference with her dreams by Kamui's command. After that, it had no longer been necessary. He was almost worried, but he had to admit that it had been an effective ploy.

He almost felt bad for her. If he were capable of it, he probably would, but he'd shut that down long ago. When even that girl, Kotori, could accept her fate and walk into it with her eyes wide open and a smile on her face, he decided he could not afford to care anymore. About anyone.

But, just because he didn't care didn't mean he was not worried.

She saw it coming...and it was still her undoing....

The key, of course, was her reflection. All along he'd seen. All along he'd known. She was not the sweet doll she'd wanted everyone to believe. She was not even the person she wanted to believe herself to be. And, she'd been looking for an excuse to set her other self free.

It was an interesting dilemma for Kakyou.

Now though, he watched her world and truly wondered at her actions. He could keep quiet no longer.

"You told them of a false dream," he said, puzzled.

"But, isn't that just a help to you?" she asked sweetly, not bothering to look at him. She manipulated the dreamscape to show Kakyou one of her visions...a vision of her own death at Kamui's hand. "And, if they are all dead, this can not come to pass."

Kakyou shook his head, again wondering at her sanity. If the Seals were all dead, she would surely not survive that as well. Was it just the manner of her death that bothered her?

There was nothing more he could do here.

Kamui was waiting for him when he left her sphere of influence. "Even if we do not do a thing, she will see to the deaths of the Seals one by one on her own."

Kakyou shook his head. "Possibly."

That did seem to be her intention, at least.

"I think she has made a mistake though. I'm not sure."

Something was wrong, like a hint of a future long negated but struggling to reassert itself.

"Oh? I thought you were the one who told me that only one would walk away from that particular encounter?"

"It should be so." He couldn't say why he thought it might not be. That was still the most probable future, but something had become unpredictable and unstable around one of them lately. A fate escaped, a destiny changed. Or maybe not. He'd seen Subaru lose his eye...but it came after the fated encounter. The dreams were still coming to pass, but in a different way sometimes, and it all had to do with the Sumeragi and the Sakurazukamori. Would that change the ultimate outcome of the end of the world? Probably not. Still, it was a situation worth paying attention to.

"You have hope?" Kamui almost laughed.

"I have curiosity," Kakyou amended.

"Then we will stay here and watch," came the amused reply. "I wonder what it is you think might happen."

Kakyou just cleared the dreamscape around them and watched Hinoto again. The Sumeragi stood before her, looking adorably confused. It was a jarring expression for his usually placid face to wear, since to Kakyou it made him look younger. Like Hokuto.

"Where?"

Hinoto was doing a masterful acting job. She seemed so concerned. "Rainbow Bridge," she answered, sounding urgent.

"Oh, isn't that where the Sakurazukamori was going?" Kamui asked in an undertone. Kakyou just nodded silently. He'd been waiting for this. He'd been expecting it. So, it was finally time....

"Do Kamui and the rest know?" Subaru was asking urgently.

Hinoto shook her head sadly. "I have not been able to contact them."

"I must go," he answered seriously. He started to turn, but caught himself. "Thank you for letting me know. I will do my best." Subaru smiled at her reassuringly, bowing as he backed away, then he turned to run. Kakyou noted that the onmyouji had become so much more since his first run in with Kamui. That might really change things...though he could not yet tell if the result would be better or worse.

Kakyou followed him, watching his actions as he raced to what could possibly be his doom. It was time for the destined meeting.