Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Paradigm Shift ❯ The Stolen Shinken ( Chapter 8 )

The Writing Team of AXQA, comprising of Xandra and Aishuu presents: Paradigm Shift - Chapter 8 (Axqa_1@yahoo.com)

Disclaimer: The characters in X and Tokyo Babylon belong to Clamp. We're just very happy to have the chance to try them out in alternative scenarios. This is written purely for enjoyment, no profit is being made from this story.

Chapter 8 - The Stolen Shinken

After being told he had to come to Tokyo by his dying mother, Shirou Kamui hadn't been able to think up a reason not to…. well, except that he had been told to. He was never one to follow rules, and following orders went right along with that. If there was one person on the earth who would resent being told he had a Destiny with a capital D, it was him.

Yet here he was, being lectured by Hinoto, the yumemi of Japan. She'd just told him about the decision he would have to make and how the fate of the world rested on his choice. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the super-powered, temperamental teenager would do in response.

Basically, it involved lots of pyrokinetics. The Dragons of Heavens watched in amazement as he launched a blast of sheer force at the yumemi, prompting her protector Saiki Daisuke to leap to her rescue, just barely deflecting the blow. Yuzuriha nibbled at her nails nervously while Arashi hesitantly drew her sword, her loyalties divided.

Sorata smacked his head against his hand, groaning in exasperation. "Kamui, can you at least hear her out before you try to blow her into the next life?" he asked. He had known the kid was short-tempered, but this was a bit too much.

"I've heard all that I want to," Kamui growled. He shot a glare at Hinoto. "You want me to choose to save humanity, right? That's laughable. I'm only a high school student and I don't want anything to do with any of this. And I don't think you're telling me everything," he added, his eyes narrowing intelligently. He hated being left in the dark; it went along with the whole teenage rebellion against authority and hatred of manipulation attitude he embraced.

Hinoto merely bowed her head, refusing to look at him. Daisuke yelled from his position in front of her, "You're not fit to be the Kamui!" His resentment boiled over for this boy who didn't understand how important the next few months were going to be.

Kamui's expression would have sent shivers down the spine of anyone who valued their lives. Sorata was so alarmed by the sight that he contemplated knocking the enraged teenager out if only to cool things down. However, before he could move, a peculiar sensation alerted him that something unusual was happening.

The other two Seals appeared similarly affected. To the two older Ten no Ryuu's surprise, it was Yuzuriha who reached her hands together and raised a Kekkai before they could react. Everyone froze as the green cylinder enveloped them.

"A Kekkai…" Daisuke whispered. He looked around in awe, noticing the twin attendants to Hinoto had vanished, but he and the yumemi were still present. "Why…"

"You're too powerful to be sealed outside," Arashi said grimly, holding her sword in a guard position in front of her. Her eyes darted around and she watched warily. "There's a Dragon of Earth around…"

Daisuke looked at Hinoto in concern. "She can't defend herself!"

"I'll be fine," Hinoto assured him, giving him a sweet smile. "I have seen this." Her sightless eyes darted over to Sorata just as a pair of cables jumped up the floor, wrapping around the teen's waist. Electricity sparked and he struggled as it slammed him into the furthest wall. As if satisfied with that, the wires left him and turned to Yuzuriha.

The young girl was smiling enthusiastically as she sat on the back of her inugami while he leaped between the entangling circuitry, agilely avoiding all of the attacks. "Inuki!" she called as she leaped gracefully off his back to land on the floor. The god-dog glowed and transformed into a sword, flying into her grip. Yuzuriha cheerfully sliced about her and the wires fell to the floor, rendered harmless.

At another corner of the room, Arashi was also doing her part in keeping the ever increasing mass of electronic cables away from her.

While all the Seals were occupied, Kamui merely stood there observing the mayhem with a bored expression. For long moments, the fighting circled around the young man, then as if sensing his defenseless state, the twisting metal ropes made a concerted dive for him. Casually, as if batting a fly away, Kamui waved his hand and the cables exploded in a shower of sparks before they even came near him.

Hinoto smiled at Daisuki, who was holding a shield of wind in front of her to keep the cords away. "That is why he is the Kamui," she explained. She tilted her head slightly as another set arced up from the floor towards Kamui with murderous intent.

"This is boring," he declared, staring at the whirling wires with intense heat. The result was a mound of melted slag. "If you're trying to hurt me, do it seriously!" He grinned as one lashed up from the spot he had been standing, forcing him to jump aside.

"Kamui!" Sorata cried.

"This is more like it," Kamui said in satisfaction, forming a ball of force and sending it flying at the spot where he had just been. "Bring it on!"

The words were a definite goad at the attacker. All attacks on the other Seals stopped abruptly. A concentrated mass lunged to strike with incredible force at the young man whose thin smile never wavered. Electricity was sparking everywhere as the others fell back to watch, knowing they wouldn't reach Kamui in time. They held their breath in anticipation, wondering.

The blow never came. With terrific power, Kamui unleashed his might and all the cables fell to the ground, useless. The power flowed down along the wires, back to their source and struck at the heart of the supercomputer that was Beast. Inside of the machine, Satsuki screamed as a feedback loop fed into neurons... the ozone scent of frying electronic circuitry flooded the room, and the Beast struggled for a second to regain control of itself.

At her underground base, Satsuki pushed her visor back, feeling slightly stunned. She hadn't realized that the Kamui was that powerful.

Back at the Diet building, the Yuzuriha quickly retracted her Kekkai to restore everything to its proper place. Everyone stared at Kamui in awe, finally struck by the level of power that raised him above them.

"That was a Dragon of Earth…" Hinoto said. "Now do you see, Kamui? Why you must take your place as a Dragon of Heaven?"

The air around the room rippled strangely, and a person emerged from the shadows. "That's not fair, neesan. You should at least tell him the truth," Kanoe said. She wore a brilliant smile on her red lips. "Hello, Kamui. I am Kanoe… and I am here to offer you a choice."

"Choice?" Kamui echoed, looking suspiciously at the crippled seer, who merely started to cry.

~*~*~*~*~

It had been a week since Subaru had met the young scion of Mitsumine Shrine, and he still hadn't called her. He kept meaning to, but his work was, to be quite frank, overwhelming. He had spent yesterday falling asleep at Seishirou's apartment instead of going on the date they had planned, and he was so relieved that Seishirou seemed content to just have him around. Still, he resolved to make it up to Seishirou… somehow. He was contemplating romantic dinners and dates on his way to his latest job when he ran headfirst into another teenager.

Naturally polite, Subaru flushed with embarrassment as he apologized for his clumsiness. He flushed even hotter when he felt the weight of the incredulous look the young man directed at his clothes.

It was another of Hokuto's outfits, of course, but this one was far more daring than most. Red pleather pants molded tightly to his lean hips, matching the leather toque and gloves he wore. A fitted black satin shirt clung to his upper body, but the weather was cold enough that his sister had allowed him to add a red fleece vest over it... Nevertheless, it was eye catching and more daring than anything he had worn since New Year's. Despite his reservations, he wore it after his sister pointed out that he should be dressing nicely for Seishirou.

"I'm so sorry, I appear to be a bit lost. Could you tell me where the nearest train station is?" Subaru asked, trying valiantly to distract the young man.

The young man smiled slightly at Subaru's flustered pink state, apparently deciding to ignore the rather odd clothing. "You're quite out of your way. It's quite a few blocks north," he answered politely. "I'll show you, since I'm headed in that direction anyway."

Subaru breathed an internal sigh of relief. His sister was always teasing him about how he could get lost trying to get into a paper bag, and she wasn't that far off-base. His sense of direction was horrible. "Thank you so much," Subaru said, bowing. "I'm Sumeragi Subaru. I'm so sorry to trouble you."

"Monou Fuuma. It's all right, I live near it, at the Togakushi shrine. The train station is two blocks away from that."

"A shrine… sounds similar to my house," Subaru mused as they started to walk. "I grew up on the Sumeragi compound - it's a retreat for Japan's onmyoujitsu users," he explained. "It's full of religious items."

"Is it?" Fuuma sounded interested, and Subaru turned his head. The younger man, despite being in his teens, was a good half a head taller than Subaru. He looked over at Subaru, his eyes lingering on the onmyouji's clothing again, but refrained from commenting, inherent manners obvious. "That sounds like an interesting place to grow up," he said more diplomatically.

"It is. I got to meet some of the most… unique…. individuals in Japan."

Fuuma grinned. He knew a lot about the strange individuals who made up the spiritual community in the country. "It takes all sorts I suppose, since faith doesn't restrict itself to the average person."

"Sometimes I think the average person has it easier. They just follow where they're led," Subaru said wistfully. It would have made life so much simpler if he wasn't an onmyouji...

"I don't think anyone is average," Fuuma replied, surprising Subaru with the insightfulness of the thought. "We're all unique, and all choose our own course."

Subaru shook his head, watching as they passed the houses of suburban Tokyo. "I disagree. None of us choose anything… except those special few." He stared off vaguely looking at how the world seemed so normal and safe, wishing he could believe in that blissful innocence, but knowing his innocence had been taken away.

It took a soft touch on his arm to bring him back to reality. "Um, we have to turn this way," Fuuma said with a bit of embarrassment.

Soft eyes stared at him with concern and Subaru realized that the teenaged boy was trying to think on how to comfort him. He reminded him of someone, and it was with a bit of shock that Subaru found himself laughing. "You're a bit like Seishirou-san. He's always jerking me out of my daydreams… he says I think too much on things I can't control."

Fuuma cocked his head curiously. "It's always good to have a special friend to watch out for you," he said, thoughtfully.

Subaru was no longer as shy about admitting his relationship with Seishirou these days. "Yes, he does take care of me very well." He came out of his melancholy and indulged in a dreamy smile. He could practically see Fuuma putting two and two together as his eyes widened.

Surprisingly the teenager smiled back. "I think you have a Wish to protect him too," Fuuma said wisely to Subaru.

Subaru raised an eyebrow curiously. "A Wish?" he asked curiously. "That's an odd way to put it." As they walked together, Subaru sensed an intensity growing, and he wondered if this was another one of the destined meetings. The boy felt normal, but so had Yuuto. Could this be a Dragon of Heaven, he wondered. Something about him was pure, something that made Subaru mourn once again for the innocent he had been at sixteen.

The teenager blushed slightly, and Subaru forced his attention back to Fuuma and away from its wanderings. "Sorry, it just… slipped. I have a friend and he seems to be a bit like you. You're a lot nicer than he is, really, but you both have a quality about you that I can't exactly describe. Almost otherworldly, for lack of a better word, like he dances where everyone else walks. He… really wants to protect my sister, and me, I think. So he stays away." Fuuma's face grew a bit sad, a blush staining his cheeks.

Subaru felt a shiver go down his spine. He'd been called supernatural before, but never by such a sincere individual. "But if you let him stay away… won't he hurt himself in the long run?" Subaru asked quietly. "Sometimes we need to do what we think is right, even if that other person disagrees."

Fuuma gave that suggestion careful thought. "You're right," he concluded. "He really shouldn't be alone, even though he insists on it. I live right up here," he said, waving a hand at a shrine that was coming into sight. "Maybe I should try to talk to him..."

"You should," Subaru said. "Being with someone is what makes life worthwhile."

What Fuuma would have said next Subaru would never know because the young man suddenly pulled to a halt in shock before sprinting into a shrine. Subaru's astonishment held him frozen for a moment too while he assessed the situation. Some distance away, a young man, strangely dressed in a Chinese tunic, stood beside the prone body of a man. He was holding a large sword, an aura of power shimmering around him.

Subaru went still, unable to react. He sensed the power, and knew that he should do something to protect the teen with him, but by the time his mind kicked into gear, it was too late. Fuuma was running towards the man, heedless of his own safety. "Otousan!" the teenager was yelling.

Fuuma's voice snapped Subaru out of his shock. "Fuuma! It's not safe!" Subaru called, producing ofuda from one of his pockets. He could tell the man was as good as dead, and his logic told him to leave the old priest and protect what could be saved - a battlefield decision, something that came hard to Subaru and was against his nature.

The youth turned and focused flat eyes on them, eyes without any emotion or reaction. He dismissed Fuuma with a glance, but nodded to Subaru. Around him, the long scarf coiled, and his expressionless face remained impassive as he leapt onto the roof.

Subaru felt like he'd been struck by a truck. A Chi no Ryuu, he recognized! His hands rose to form the Kekkai that was his gift, but the strange boy leapt away too fast for him to set it into place… leaving heartbreak behind.

Oh no, he thought as he raced towards the sobbing teen holding onto his father. The man was gasping something to Fuuma. Subaru was sure he was mistaken when he thought he heard the name Kamui, but decided that if the Kamui was involved, the attack would make sense. But why? What would a Dragon of Earth attack a shrine...?

Then the inevitable recriminations began. How could I not have felt the presence of a Chi no Ryuu? What good am I if I can't even protect an innocent civilian? Maybe Arashi is right... Subaru berated himself. As he came up to Fuuma, he could see it was already too late. The wounds on Fuuma's father were too deep and his breathing was ragged and gurgling... and then with a peculiar rattle that would haunt his dreams, it ceased.

It's all my fault!

Unknown to Subaru, two of his fellow Seals were racing after the shinken thief. Sorata and Kamui had arrived just in time to catch sight of Nataku's back, and had abandoned the Monou shrine in favor of trying to retrieve the sword. But try as they might, the thief proved too agile and disappeared from sight quickly, leaving behind two extremely frustrated teenagers.

Sorata choked back a shudder at the murderous expression on Kamui's face. He looked fit to blow the next building to rubble, or even the next most convenient target, which Sorata realized, was him.

Definitely not a good thing, Sorata thought, even though he was on the verge of losing his own temper. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, realizing that he would have to find his patience to keep the situation in hand.

"Dammit! The priest should have given it to me when I arrived!" Kamui yelled at the top of his lungs, glaring. Energy danced around his hair, and he looked like a live wire.

The wise would have shut up, but Sorata was unable to refrain from saying, "And you should have listened to me! I kept trying to tell you this was going to happen, but noooo… you had to be stubborn!"

"You mean you knew this was going to happen?" Kamui raged, and the energy grew more intense. Sorata wondered if putting a Kekkai up would be a wise move or simply exacerbate the situation.

While Kamui yelled at his Seal, Subaru looked at the young man whose father had just died, wishing he could do something - anything - to offer help. "I… I'm so sorry. If I had…" he began to stutter.

Fuuma looked sightlessly around him. "Kotori… I need to find Kotori and keep her away…."

But even as the thought was voiced, it was too late. A young girl with long blonde hair was running up to the still body of her father. Her eyes widened when she saw he wasn't breathing, and she began to scream, a terrible piercing wail that rang into the high octaves before her eyes rolled up into her head and she slumped forward into blessed unconsciousness. Her brother, standing nearby, was quick enough to catch her before she hit the ground and did herself physical damage, but Subaru wondered what the sight of her father's mangling had done to her psyche.

Before too long, paramedics were at the scene and everyone bundled up and away. Subaru was left standing there, ignored since he was not related to any of the participants. His name was taken, and as usual, his surname allowed him to talk them into letting him schedule an appointment with the police for later. As he stood there feeling lonely and lost, he had realized he was very, very late for his appointment with Seishirou. Miserably, he turned out to the street to make his way to his belated date.

A few minutes later, Kamui, having shaken off Sorata, landed gently on the abandoned courtyard. He looked at the bloodstains on the ground and silently cursed destiny once again.

~*~*~*~*~

When Seishirou opened the door and saw Subaru's wan face, he immediately grabbed the younger man's hand and dragged him inside. The red outfit he was wearing emphasized his pallor, and Seishirou stared at him in concern. "Subaru, is something wrong?" he asked.

Subaru felt himself fall forward into his boyfriend's arms, burying himself into Seishirou's warm embrace. "Just hold me," he whispered. "Just hold me and tell me everything will be normal again."

The vet wrapped his arms around the trembling young man, rubbing his hands soothingly over Subaru's back. "Do you want to sit?" he offered.

Subaru just clung and didn't reply.

Seishirou held him for a moment, before shuffling him over to the bedroom, figuring they both would be more comfortable on the wider bed. He remembered the last time Subaru was in such a state, and braced himself for an emotional onslaught.

"Come on, Subaru-kun," Seishirou said as he reached down to help him out of his boots and socks, realizing Subaru hadn't bothered to take them off at the door. Subaru pliantly let him, snuggling up against his boyfriend as soon as he could get a hold of him again, desperately wanting his warmth.

After a long moment, Subaru said in a small voice, "A man died today because I hesitated."

Seishirou didn't answer him right away. "Are you so certain it's your fault?" he asked, not immediately absolving him.

Subaru let the long silence stretch out. He didn't know how he was going to explain the whole Kekkai raising business to Seishirou. Eventually, he nodded dumbly and burrowed his head into Seishirou's chest. He wanted to comfort himself with the steady thumping sound of Seishirou's heart.

"People die everyday, Subaru-kun. You have to come to accept that you can't save everyone. You might have great power, but you're still human," Seishirou said after a moment's consideration.

"I can't!" Subaru lifted his head up to gaze into Seishirou's eyes. "I can't accept that," he repeated miserably.

"You're too gentle Subaru-kun," Seishirou said, before leaning over to plant a kiss on his forehead.

Subaru leaned into it, letting himself relax before abruptly yanking Seishirou's head down so he could catch his lips with his own. The kiss he gave the older man was clumsy, but Seishirou blinked at the passion in it. There was a desperation in Subaru's kiss, and the assassin's mind reeled as he calculated the possibilities.

Should I? he wondered. Should I up the stakes tonight? The younger man's trim, toned body had been a temptation for months, and the only thing that had kept Seishirou from pushing things too fast was that the "nice" vet wouldn't move things too fast for the shy virgin.Besides, good things come to those who wait, he thought in satisfaction.

He broke the kiss, staring down at Subaru's pale, ethereal face, deciding to let things play themselves out for a while. "Subaru-kun," he whispered before trailing a series of gentle kisses over the onmyouji's jaw line. "You're too beautiful."

"I am not beautiful," Subaru said fiercely.

"You need to check a mirror more often. Or better still, let me be your mirror and trust me when I tell you that you are beautiful," Seishirou whispered.

Subaru nodded and reached his fingers up to unbutton the fastenings on Seishirou's shirt. He was suddenly seized with a frantic need to come into contact with him. His fingers slipped a little from the lack of purchase and he spared a flash of regret that he could never feel Seishirou, not while he wore his gloves.

Seishirou leaned back and let Subaru take the initiative. It was rare that the younger man was so aggressive. Lazily he allowed Subaru to slip his shirt off before sliding his arms around his waist. He began to stroke Seishirou's back tentatively.

Subaru's gloved touch was strangely arousing. The soft leather reminded Seishirou of warm sheets, and he wondered if grabbing the younger man and pressing him into the bed would be barbaric. From the way Subaru's mysterious green eyes were glowing, he would wager there would be no objections.

Subaru leaned forward to trace a few kisses across Seishirou's chest.

Seishirou allowed himself a moment to enjoy it before taking further action. As amusing at it was to let Subaru fumble his way around, he knew that sooner or later, his inherent shyness would come back with a vengeance. Seishirou decided to take advantage of it while he could, and maybe…

His hands found the gold zipper on Subaru's fleece vest, slowly edged it down, revealing the black satin dress shift underneath. As strange as Subaru's clothes were, Seishirou had to hand it to Hokuto-- it was definitely a treat to unwrap him. The Sakurazukamori ran his hands over the smooth fabric, and Subaru shivered at the sensation.

Seishirou lowered his head again to cover Subaru's mouth with yet another mind-numbing kiss. He was rather satisfied with its effect when Subaru sagged against him, his knees apparently unable to hold him up.

Subaru made a small sound when he discovered his suddenly vulnerable position. But it wasn't one of protest, it was more a little whisper of anticipation. The sound brought a smile to Seishirou's lips.

Carefully Seishirou lowered Subaru down to the bed, and allowed himself to be tugged forward to yet another desperate kiss. He could definitely feel the Subaru's arousal through what remained of his clothes. The young man was clearly ready.

"Seishirou-san," Subaru whispered, raising his head slightly as Seishirou smoothly unbuckled the thick belt at Subaru's waist.

"I won't hurt you, my Subaru-kun," Seishirou whispered, lying through his teeth. Tonight, he would be gentle… but later, when Subaru was used to him, before he killed him... Visions of the outfit Subaru had worn on New Year's Eve danced through his head, and he had to force himself not to lick his lips. "Trust me."

"I do," Subaru murmured, watching with wide eyes. "I... I like you very much."

"I know," Seishirou murmured, bending down to deal with Subaru's pants… only to find the tight pleather had molded itself so tightly to Subaru's flesh that it was nearly stuck to his skin. "How did you get into this?" he asked with a growl of frustration.

"Practice," Subaru replied, a teasing glint in his eye.

Seishirou eyed Subaru, lying back so invitingly and smiled. He was amused by the innocent wantonness of the Sumeragi. Seishirou reached down and slowly worked on the button of the fly. The touch sent Subaru's hips thrusting up uncontrollably. The effort was taking too long. An impatient Subaru reached over, thinking of helping.

That was a mistake.

His hand came up against Seishirou's and was knocked up, sending it towards the older man's face. The fist struck Seishirou's cheek hard enough that he was rocked backwards, his glasses falling to the floor with a crunch.

"Seishirou-san! Are you all right? I'm so sorry!" Subaru exclaimed in apology as he scrambled up. All thoughts of arousal fled from his mind.

Seishirou felt his cheek gingerly, wryly thinking that Subaru could certainly pack a punch. The younger man was unquestionably stronger than his delicate looks implied. Quickly he sought to assure his lover, "I'm fine." Seishirou looked down at the shattered spectacles and decided it was just as well that he could see perfectly fine without them.

Subaru was staring at the broken glasses. Suddenly the knowledge of how easy it was to destroy brought a surge of despair sweeping through him. It was so overwhelming, a tear slid down unbidden from his eye. "I'm… I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

Perceptively Seishirou realized he was apologizing for more than the glasses. "It's fine; I have a spare pair," he said reassuringly. He contemplated Subaru's neck, and wondered what the young Seal would do if he ended up with a series of love bites. He lowered his head to deliver them, but Subaru was too busy apologizing to notice his lover's attempts to renew their lovemaking.

"I'll replace them!" he was promising. "I'm such a klutz… it seems all I'm good for is destroying things…" he was babbling.

Seishirou groaned, pushing his painfully aroused body away, realizing that Subaru was probably too distracted to continue. Great. Next time I choose an alter ego, it's one without glasses, he thought in extreme frustration.

Seishirou reached over an arm and pulled Subaru into a comforting hug. "There, there," he said, rocking the younger man like a child. "You're too tired, you need to sleep." He could feel the slight nod of Subaru's head against his arm. He lowered Subaru down beneath the sheets and pulled the blankets over him.

Seishirou sat there for a while, listening to Subaru's gentle breathing. He had fallen asleep very quickly, with Seishirou's hand stroking at his hair. The Sakurazukamori was momentarily seized with a temptation to end this whole farce, wondering if keeping himself at this frustrated state was worth it. But as he regarded Subaru's sleeping face, so innocent and trusting, he knew he was going to have to wait for just a bit longer. Besides, their year had not been played out and Seishirou was not one to say he was a cheat, even if there was no one around who would ever dare accuse him.

Besides, Subaru was beautiful. It would be a shame to kill him before…

He rose to his feet slowly, ignoring Subaru's sleeping attempts to cling to him. The man looked all of sixteen years old as he slept, and Seishirou ran a quick hand over Subaru's chest where his heart beat. Soon enough, he promised himself. Soon enough, I will feel his heart in these hands and hot blood running through my fingers, he thought with a tingle of anticipation,

Reluctantly he moved away, and hissed slightly in pain, his body still dangerously aroused. He had lulled Subaru to sleep, and the good vet wouldn't take advantage - damn it. That left only one other option.

A cold shower.

~~~~~

Notes:

Xandra: *coughs* I suppose you guys are as frustrated as I am over this scene. Did we have you thinking you were going to get a lemon here? Don't worry it shall appear, we have a schedule mapped out.

Aishuu: This is called "Aishuu reigns in Xannee." Actually, it's also called "another close Subaru and Kamui meeting" miss. Darnit.

Xandra: Actually I'm okay with this not being a lemon, cos I got so many others to edit right now, I think I'd have fainted if I had to do another one. Okay back to proper things-- It was hard figuring out Kekkai mechanics. So here's our theory. People with power can appear inside Kekkais. Just like people with power can appear inside Maboroshis. (reference Seishirou accidentally trapping Kotori with Kamui in his Maboroshi) So in this chapter Daisuke and Hinoto can appear inside Yuzu's Kekkai. But there is no absolute reference in canon that supports it, so fanfic writers can pretty much write however they like on this issue.

Aishuu: Um, uh-huh. I call it deus ex machina. Whatever works, right? You know, for some reason, Xannee always sounds smarter than I do...

Xandra: *blushes*

AXQA: If you're interested, more of Xandra's fanfiction, the rest of Paradigm Shift and fanart can be found here: http://www.midnightrevolution.org/xandra/

And Aishuu's stories can be found here: http://www.midnightrevolution.org/quicksilver

To contact both authors: (Axqa_1@yahoo.com)