Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Paradigm Shift ❯ Positioning the Pawns ( Chapter 7 )

The Writing Team of AXQA, comprising of Xandra and Aishuu presents: Paradigm Shift - Chapter 7 (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 7 Positioning the Pawns

March 28, 1999, in the district of Shinjuku...

Yuuto sighed heavily.

He was annoyed. This was becoming something he had taken to doing quite frequently these days. As usual, Kanoe had cajoled him into doing something suicidally stupid. Yuuto knew he simply had to get the nerve to say no to her once and for all, but Kanoe knew just which buttons to push to get him to agree to her. In his private moments, he admitted that giving in to her had some benefits. An appreciative Kanoe was very pleasant to have around.

Still, Yuuto had serious doubts about this latest harebrained scheme of hers. She had been rather astonished, then pensive, when he had informed her that the Sakurazukamori was involved with a Dragon of Heaven. She had thought on it for a few days before bringing out a plan, one which involved him, of course. Yuuto shuddered delicately at the latest idea she had cooked up as a result.

Yuuto was to hang around the Sumeragi until the Kamui showed up. She had murmured something about the fates showing her sister that those two were somehow connected, and if Yuuto had the chance, he was to try to get the Sumeragi to join them. Just how she expected him to try to recruit the Sumeragi to their cause was beyond him. He wouldn't be surprised if the man attacked him the moment he showed his face. They already had one battle to their credit, and he was willing to bet that the Sumeragi had been replaying it constantly since February - heavens knew he had. If he had been just a LITTLE bit quicker…

Plus there was the BIG catch. Sakurazuka Seishirou had already warned Yuuto off, and he was rather unwilling to test the Sakurazukamori's patience on the matter. Not that Yuuto wasn't convinced he wouldn't be able to hold his own against him if push came to shove, but Yuuto thoroughly disliked getting into needless battles, especially with someone technically on the same side. Fate was an inevitable thing, and the Sakurazukamori was going to get pulled into the battles to come whether he liked it or not. Yuuto preferred not to have the assassin mad at him when that happened.

So what was he to do? It was the proverbial rock and a hard place.

Consequently, Yuuto found himself standing atop a pine tree sighing heavily, for what appeared to be the hundredth time that evening. He was ready to be sensible and go home--the Sumeragi wasn't going anywhere, since he was wrapped up, Yuuto supposed, in the arms of the Sakurazukamori.

A voice broke into his reverie. "Who are you, mister?"

Yuuto woke from his musings to observe a young man in a baseball cap, sitting on a rooftop across from him. The man was probably in his late teens or early twenties, and was wearing one of the most brilliantly colored shirts Yuuto had seen. Still, there was something about his cocky grin that raised Yuuto's hackles. "Oh, don't mind me," Yuuto said flippantly. "I'm just passing through."

"A casual pedestrian wouldn't be standing on top of a tree," the young man retorted. He leaned forward, tapping his fingertips against his knee as he cocked an eyebrow accusingly.

"Rooftops aren't exactly sidewalks, either," Yuuto replied pleasantly. He decided that subtlety would be wasted on this man, and laid his cards out. "I assume you're watching the Sumeragi?"

The young man blinked slightly in confusion. "Ah… no, actually, I was on the way to the store for some milk, and noticed you standing there." He grinned guiltily, placing his hand on the back of his head as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "It's easier to get around this way."

"Talk about abusing your powers…" Yuuto murmured in admiration. The sheer chutzpah it took to use powers that way made Yuuto grin. Heaven or Earth? he wondered.

"I prefer to think of it as using what I've been given," the other man said in a slightly defensive voice. He smiled at the other man. "The Sumeragi's inside?" he asked curiously. "Why are you watching him? He's not going to be the Kamui…"

Yuuto snorted. He shook his head and smiled knowingly at the teenager. He was not about to reveal trade secrets to a stranger. Nevertheless, this young man was interesting. He was obviously a player for the upcoming battle, too. The only thing to determine now was which side he was on, not that it mattered. If he was a Dragon of Earth, he was just as likely to attack Yuuto as embrace him, from the example set by the Sakurazukamori. "Plays well with others" just doesn't seem to be a job requirement for us, Yuuto thought with a bit of resignation, thinking of Satsuki before looking at Seishirou's apartment.

Yuuto shuddered at the thought of another "ally" of the caliber of Sakurazuka Seishirou.

"My, aren't we being rude? I don't even know who you are?" Yuuto inquired cautiously. It was time to determine allegiances, and maybe if this man was of Earth, he wouldn't be psychotic. One of the others has to be somewhat sane…

"Forgive me for my rudeness! I'm Arisugawa Sorata… and since the Sumeragi's in there, and you don't look like a miko, and the firemaster is supposed to be a woman… well, are you a windmaster?" he asked curiously, though his voice was full of doubt. "You look a little bit too flashy to be from that clan…"

"Kigai Yuuto," Yuuto said, smiling pleasantly. "And no, I'm not…"

Sorata heaved an overly dramatic sigh. "I'm guessing you're one of the Chi no Ryuu, then…" he said, before coming to his feet. "It's not even April, and I'm already meeting one of you… well, I guess I'll have the honor of being the first Seal to fight!"

"Sorry. The Sumeragi and I fought about two months ago…" Yuuto told him crushingly.

Sorata raised a brow at that piece of information. "Then it looks like it's better late than never for me to get a piece of you!" Sorata declared gaily.

"Hmmm, you don't by any chance have some over-protective boyfriend who will come after me if we fight?" Yuuto asked half-jokingly. It would be just as well to make sure he knew the lay of the land before he got into it this time. The last thing I need is another enemy of the caliber of the Sakurazukamori after me!

Sorata, not understanding, took that as an insult. He snorted and stuck his hands together in concentration. A huge rectangular Kekkai began to spread out. A gleeful joy seized Yuuto. Here at last was a chance for him to engage in a fair fight. He laughed out loud as he dodged a bolt of energy from the teenager.

Caught inside the Kekkai, a slumbering Subaru stirred and began to awake instinctively at the presence of the Kekkai's field. However, before he could return to consciousness, an alert Seishirou was there, muttering his strongest cantrip to send Subaru back into his dreams. "Sleep, Subaru-kun," he murmured. "I can't have you rushing out to join this fight. This shall be none of our business." Inwardly, he was rather annoyed with Yuuto, who appeared to be a particularly active Chi no Ryuu. "I doubt that it's mere chance that the Kekkai is so close that Subaru and I are caught inside it…" he concluded, rising to his feet and leaping out of the window, searching for a better vantage point to watch the battle.

The fight was progressing well. Yuuto was smiling and had drawn his weapon, ready for anything. "Seems the only way out of here is for me to kill you…" he said. "And this time, I refuse to let a jealous boyfriend get in my way!"

Sorata went bright red. "I don't swing that way! Though I'm sure you've dealt with more your fair share of jealous boyfriends trying to kill you…" He launched another barrage of electrical energy in a shower of sparks at the Angel, who merely jumped over to the side of a building, defying all the rules of gravity.

"What can I say? Women like me…." Yuuto said, before taking over the offensive. He threw out the bladed whip, aiming at Sorata's chest.

The whip struck in a dizzying blur but Sorata was able to sidestep the blow nimbly. A shower of concrete shattered to his right, crumbling off the building and crashing to the ground in a thunderous rush. Both fighters ignored the immense crash of a collapsing building from their exchange. "That's a most interesting weapon," he observed. "This is going to be such fun!" His face reflected his mischievous joy, but around his fingertips, energy sparkled that was anything but playful.

Yuuto laughed in reply. "Thank you. I don't get to use it very often," he called to Sorata as he jumped away, "You have more destructive urges than I expected. Rather liberating, isn't it?" he remarked.

"I'm a pacifist! All this blowing of things up is in the name of duty. If I can have some fun, then all the better," Sorata proclaimed proudly, while summoning a barrier to protect himself against the sharp edge of Yuuto's blade, which deflected high. "Besides my Kekkai is perfect, so everything will be all right!"

Yuuto kept laughing in amusement. "Only if you survive!" he reminded. His whip returned to its circling position, and he considered the younger man's stance, looking for an opening. He was getting rather reluctant to do permanent damage to such an entertaining opponent.

Just how the two of them could have resolved this fight, they would never know. The two of them were evenly matched, though Yuuto wasn't going all out to kill this boy, intending only to injure him as he had done the Sumeragi before him. Why would he kill one of the Dragons of Heaven when the Kamui hadn't even shown up? The Final Day was barely set in motion. Yuuto could tell Sorata wasn't seeking his annihilation; the two of them were simply engaged in a game of parry and thrust. Their little game, though, was swiftly reducing the area within the Kekkai to ruins.

Seishirou watched with interest, wrapped in an illusion of nothingness. Both of the combatants were skilled, and the battle could go either way… not that he cared. Personally, he was hoping that they'd kill each other, though there'd be a slight problem explaining to Subaru how a Kekkai fell while he was sleeping.

Dammit, I'd better hope the Seal wins, he thought, disgruntled.

It was a slight shimmer at the edge of the Kekkai that warned the three Dragons that something was about to happen. Sorata was just about to cast another lightning bolt at Yuuto and noticed Yuuto's distraction when the older man turned slightly away. "Hey," he called. "It's rude if you don't pay attention to your opponent in a fight!"

Yuuto pointed to the disturbance. "Um… is that supposed to happen?" he asked nervously. "I thought no one could enter or leave?"

Sorata pulled up short. The sensation of power bending the walls of his Kekkai apart was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was like something inside of his mind was being twisted to its will, and he hadn't even been aware of it until someone else had pointed it out first. He looked around in confusion and wondered if his Kekkai breaking. He didn't see how it was possible as he wasn't even hurt. "This is really weird," he said astonished.

The two antagonists perched on their respective pieces of rubble, frozen in anticipation. Slowly a small form pushed through the barrier. He walked calmly into the scene of destruction, unsurprised by the sudden change of location. The boy appeared to notice Sorata and Yuuto staring at him in amazement within seconds. They had both felt an instinctual reaction to the incoming teenager. He looked around at the devastation calmly, and even from the distance, they could see his eyes narrow. "You two…" he said in a voice, though soft, was surprising in its intensity.

"Us two?" Sorata echoed, waggling his finger at himself and Yuuto with a panicked sweatdrop on his head.

Yuuto merely blinked at the youth, unable to think of anything coherent. This was… impossible.

The teenager met both of their eyes at the same time somehow, and they felt themselves drawn towards the power and rage in the violet depths that dragged them in so deeply that they couldn't breathe. "You're a part of it!" he growled, and casually raised a hand, sending a blast of energy tearing towards them. It struck hard, sending both stunned men reeling off their feet.

Neither of them had been expecting an attack, so neither had braced themselves. Yuuto managed to roll to his feet easily, but Sorata took a heavy fall before an awkward handspring helped him regain his balance. They looked around, trying to find the intruder, but it was too late. The Kekkai shimmered, and they were alone again.

Yuuto shook himself, trying to process what had just happened. He was agitated enough to forget his fight with the Seal, and even to inquire after him. "Are you all right?"

Sorata was holding onto his arm oddly. He accepted the unspoken truce Yuuto offered. "The power of that young man… is he part of the End of the World?" he whispered, and for the first time, it seemed all the laughter had melted away from his eyes, leaving only a rival whom Yuuto was wise enough to fear.

Yuuto studied the transformation for a second, but decided to answer. "It looks like it. Could he be the Kamui?" Yuuto mused. Then he noticed Sorata's condition. "If he is, it appears we've both gotten on his wrong side," he said wryly.

"You're telling me," Sorata retorted, his good humor slowly reviving. He thought Yuuto was a good sport, even if he was a Chi no Ryuu.

"Well, Sorata-kun, you do not appear to be up to continuing our battle. Why don't we postpone our fight for another time?" Yuuto offered in his most gentlemanly manner. He would not let it be said that he couldn't win his fights on his own. Besides, he wanted to check with Kanoe if she knew anything about the latest development.

"I… think that might be best. But if I see you anywhere near the Sumeragi, I'll beat the hell out of you!" Sorata said.

Yuuto blinked. "I thought you didn't know Sumeragi-san?" he asked hesitantly. He couldn't be mistaken about Sorata now, could he? Just how many boyfriends did that fellow have anyway? Yuuto thought in exasperation.

"Nope, I don't. But you're my opponent now… if you get close to the Sumeragi, I don't want him to get the chance to kill you first!" Sorata said with a cocky grin.

Yuuto smiled in relief. "That sounds good to me. It seems like all the Angels and Seals are claiming opponents on the other side for themselves…"

Sorata blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"Saa… you'll find out, if you live long enough," Yuuto said, waving a hand negligently. "Be a good man, drop your Kekkai so I can leave?"

Sorata narrowed his eyes in suspicion but realized Yuuto enjoyed being cryptic. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of letting him see him totally baffled. Holding his hands together awkwardly, he retracted his Kekkai, heaving a sigh of relief when he saw the world restored back to its original state. He had never tested a Kekkai this intensively before, and was relieved that it worked the way it should have.

Yuuto spared him a final smirk and jumped down to the street. Dusting himself off carefully, he strolled away with a cheerful, "Ja ne."

Sorata glared after him before turning to leave the scene as well.

A short distance away, Seishirou remained at his vantage, still hidden from both of them. He calmly lit a cigarette and smoked it for a while, contemplating the events. When it burned down to ash, he returned to Subaru's side to lift the sleep spell upon the younger man.

"So, the Kamui has shown up. I wonder how upset you would be to know that you missed him, Subaru-kun," Seishirou murmured as he pressed a gentle kiss on the onmyouji's forehead.

*

A week passed and Subaru remained oblivious to the fact the Kamui had arrived in Tokyo. He had a job to do, and was kept fully occupied. With the battles begun, the spirits were restless, resulting in more calls than ever to his family. He felt downright run off his feet by the upsurge. Hokuto had even taken some of the more minor cases, exercising her limited abilities just to give him a break, but many ghosts could only be laid by his powers.

Seishirou was the only thing that made the increased stress of his life bearable, substituting quiet late night dinners and rented movies for canceled dates, most of which Subaru fell asleep halfway through. Seishirou's endless patience and good humor made Subaru fall in love with him even more deeply, and sometimes he wondered when they'd bring their relationship past the kisses and light caresses they allowed themselves.

The end of the world might be upon them, and if they were to die, Subaru wanted no regrets.

However, it looked like Seishirou was never going to make the first move and it would be up to Subaru to do it, and that was where the problem lay. There was no way Subaru had the confidence to initiate anything yet. He was still painfully shy around the older man, and unsure of how to deal with being in a relationship.

All these thoughts were running through Subaru's mind after he finished his latest job. He had a spare two hours before his next appointment, and decided to take a short break from the pressure of his life. The peace of a small park nestled deep in the heart of the city beckoned to him. Few people knew about it, for it was located on a less-traveled block that he had only discovered on a job a couple of weeks ago.

As he entered it, he noticed a young girl on a swing chatting away to a dog. The sight caused him to halt abruptly. That was no dog. The aura of power around the two was palpable. Cautiously he approached the pair. "What is his name?" Subaru asked tentatively with a smile.

The girl gasped aloud. "You can see Inuki?" she exclaimed in delight.

Subaru nodded. He reached forward carefully and allowed the inugami to sniff at his hand. The dog thumped its tail on the ground and looked at Subaru with wise eyes. "He's very beautiful, miss," he said quietly. He regretted what he was going to have to do, knowing that the girl must have loved this dog very much to create the inugami. "You say his name is Inuki?"

"Yup! I'm Nekoi Yuzuriha!" she chirped. "It's nice to meet you!" Her eyes wandered over his clothing curiously. "You're wearing the prettiest clothes!"

He was relieved that Hokuto had been in an innocent mood that day when she'd handed him his outfit, rather than a risqué one. He was still wearing the green jacket, but under it he wore black culottes, topped by a lycra black shirt that met the thick gold belt at his waist. On the front of the shirt she had embroidered the pentagram that had come to be the symbol of their clan with several shades of gold thread. The black mortarboard hat had gold tassels, and Subaru was constantly reminding himself to keep the tassels on the left side, since he had graduated with a masters. The soft gold shoes molded to his feet as closely as the matching gloves did. His clothing was effeminate and odd, but compared to some of what Hokuto had conned him into wearing, it was modest.

"Thank you," he murmured. "My sister is a fashion designer. Sumeragi Subaru, at your service." He bowed.

"Pleased to meet you! Do you want one?" Yuzuriha said, waving a box of Pocky at Subaru.

Subaru smiled kindly and shook his head. He was never much for snacks. Taking a deep breath, he decided to broach the subject of the inugami to the girl. "You must love Inuki very much, but you should let him go, you know. It's not good to keep your dog around as a spirit."

Yuzuriha's innocent eyes opened wide in astonishment. Then she burst out laughing. Subaru stared at her, wondering if her wits had gone south. Inuki sat there with a definite _expression of humor on his face. Subaru wondered if there was something here that he was missing.

"Oh, Subaru-san, Inuki isn't an ordinary inugami," Yuzuriha said, taking pity on the confused man after she managed to get her giggles under control. "I'm from the Mitsumine Shrine."

The confusion lifted from Subaru's mind. Mitsumine Shrine. That explained everything. He blushed at his mistake. Subaru examined the young teenager closely. If she was who she was, then she was also...

"You're one of those whose destined to protect the world," he whispered.

Her eyes widened. "How do you know?"

"Our grandmothers are close friends - we are born under similar stars," he told her. "I share your destiny." He bowed his head to her again. "Let's introduce ourselves again. I'm Sumeragi Subaru, thirteenth Clan head of the Sumeragi, leader of the onmyouji of Japan… and a Dragon of Heaven." He smiled down at the dog. "I apologize for not telling you properly before, but I thought I would have to banish your friend…"

The girl grinned at him. "You're an onmyouji! That's so cool!" Then she coughed, abruptly realizing that wasn't exactly the appropriate response to the formal greeting. "I'm Nekoi Yuzuriha, of the Mitsumine Shrine, and this is Inuki. We're here to serve the Kamui as Dragons of Heaven! I hope we work well together!" she said politely, before throwing herself at Subaru and wrapping him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad to finally meet one of you!"

Subaru reeled back at the force of her exuberance. It was only through his experience with Hokuto that he didn't end up falling in shock. At least not all the other Dragons were like the one he had met. His thoughts turned gloomy. Thinking of Kishuu Arashi made him feel terribly guilty and insecure.

As if his thoughts had summoned her, Arashi appeared at the edge of the playground staring disdainfully at them. Sensing something important going on, Inuki turned around and gave a short bark at her. "Hello, Arashi-san," he said softly, gently disengaging from the girl's arms around him and moving so he was between Yuzuriha and the Ise miko. He didn't quite trust the mysterious Seal,

"Sumeragi-san," she said. She moved closer to him, and though the wind was attacking him and Yuzuriha, it didn't seem to touch the other girl's flowing black hair. "The Seals are gathering, awaiting their Kamui… hopefully they will be up to the task before them..." she said, trailing off as her cold eyes met his, making it clear that she felt he was less than adequate for the task ahead.

Arashi gave a slight nod to Inuki, and Yuzuriha smiled at her happily in response. "You're another Seal, too! This is so great! I'm Nekoi Yuzuriha! Would you like some Pocky?" Yuzuriha held her cherished snack out.

The miko blinked in slight bemusement, as the box of chocolate sticks was waved in her face. "Um, no… that's quite all right. I'm Kishuu Arashi."

Subaru couldn't help being inwardly amused, but he knew better than to laugh in Arashi's face. He thought she had enough against him already. "Why are you here, Arashi-san?" Subaru asked politely.

"Hinoto-hime would like to meet the representative of Mitsumine Shrine," she replied.

Yuzuriha hopped up and down at the prospect of meeting the infamous dreamgazer. She clapped her hands merrily. "You hear that, Inuki? We'll get to meet more people who can see you! Will Kamui be there?" Then turning to Subaru, she continued her questions in rapid fire fashion, "Subaru-san, will you come with us?"

Subaru opened his mouth to agree, but suddenly remembered his appointment. "I'm sorry, Nekoi-san, but I have a job to do. I can't miss it, not unless Hinoto-hime needs to see me in particular?" he asked, directing the question as Arashi, who shook her head in the negative. "Well, people are a bit jumpy about dealing with people in my line of work, and if I miss my appointment, they may withdraw their request."

Arashi said nothing, and her eyes were carefully blank, giving him no impression of her opinion on the matter, but Yuzuriha was clearly disappointed. "It's too bad you can't come with us!" She thought for a second before brightening. "I know!" Drawing out a sheet of paper, she scribbled something on it. "Here's my cell phone number - call me this week, okay? We can meet for lunch or something!"

Subaru took it with bemusement. "Um, sure." He mentally added yet another obligation, and checked off another time he wouldn't be able to spend with Seishirou. It was a bit selfish of him, since Yuzuriha was nice, a fellow Seal, and new in town, but sometimes he'd like to have some private time. Still, he was such a kind person that his answering smile held nothing but sweetness and gave no hint of any disgruntlement.

Arashi directed a considering gaze at him before she turned away and walked off, Yuzuriha trailing behind her. Subaru could hear the young teenager chattering away at the silent girl. He shook his head and resumed his journey towards his appointment.

Out of Subaru's earshot, Arashi ventured a question. "What did you think of Sumeragi-san?"

The younger girl perked up happily. "He's so pretty! And he can see Inuki! It's so nice to come to Tokyo and meet so many people who can see Inuki!"

If Arashi was bowled over by the force of her enthusiasm, she gave no indication beyond raising an elegant brow at Yuzuriha. "Sumeragi-san has already fought one of the Dragons of the Earth," she stated.

Yuzuriha sobered and opened her eyes wider. "I'm glad to see he's okay then."

Arashi nodded and turned away, but not before saying under her breath, "Barely."

Whatever Yuzuriha was going to say next was forgotten when the two girls came upon a most unusual sight. Even Inuki faltered for a step at the vision.

A large teenage boy wearing a baseball cap and clashing clothes (which, Arashi silently had to admit, just didn't have the same flair that Sumeragi's outfits did) was arguing with a slight teenager wearing a black school uniform. The odd thing about the situation was that the older boy was being backed against a wall by the younger, who had energy flaring around him in uncontrolled rage.

"This… isn't good," Yuzuriha said. "Who… who is he?" she said more softly, her eyes round with wonder as she stared at the beautiful boy who radiated power and drew her like a moth to flame.

Arashi felt shaken to the core. She had known he was in town, but she hadn't seen him yet, hadn't expected him to be so young--or so angry. "He is the Kamui… Shirou Kamui." Hinoto had told her very little about him, save his name and that they would meet this day.

Yuzuriha looked dubious. "Are you sure he's the Kamui? He's awfully short," she remarked innocently.

Arashi didn't bother to reply. She supposed it was time for her to step in. It wouldn't do for Kamui to murder one of his Seals by mistake. "Kamui." Arashi's voice was low and calm. Saying the name had the effect of redirecting the full force of Kamui's attention on her.

"Who are you?" The violet-eyed teenager demanded. "Why don't you all leave me alone?"

The youth with the baseball cap assessed the two girls shrewdly. "I'd say they are also part of the battle for the Fate of the World too, Kamui."

"I'm one of the Seven Seals! Nekoi Yuzuriha, at your service! And this is Inuki!" Yuzuriha spun around to indicate her companion before bouncing up to wave her snack in Kamui face. "Would you like some Pocky? You look hungry! People get unhappy when they're hungry!" She beamed at him.

Kamui blinked at her, utterly disarmed by her innocence. He'd been prepared to deal with shows of power, promises, and lectures on destiny, but offers of Pocky? He shook his head helplessly, unsure of what to do. It wasn't like he could blast such an innocent looking girl. All his instincts told him to run like hell out of there. He could feel the tendrils of fate inexorably drawing him closer towards something he wasn't sure he would like.

The young man was busily smiling at the girls. "I'm Arisugawa Sorata, from Mount Kouya!" He introduced himself cheerfully. "And who might you be, gorgeous? You're not the Sumeragi-- he's a guy, and since she's got the inugami, I'd say you were from Ise. Am I right?" Sorata deduced.

"Yes." The miko seemed entirely unimpressed. "I assume the stargazer has told you much about the future."

"The old man knows quite a bit, but he's not quite as good as Hinoto-hime," Sorata said cockily before looking at the Kamui. "Three of us right here, and another found. That leaves the fire and wind masters to come. Your seals are gathering to aid you," he said. "Don't you want to know what's going on?" He pointed to Arashi. "She could bring you to the one who can tell you more."

Kamui stiffened again, hating to be put on the spot. If Yuzuriha hadn't been there, he would have instantly blasted the other two and told them where to shove it. "Who's Hinoto?" he asked suspiciously.

"She is the dreamgazer who knows all about the fate of the world and directs Japan's future. She will probably be able to tell you about your mother," Sorata said, dangling the carrot before Kamui. Turning to Arashi, "Well, Neesan, will you bring us?"

Arashi frowned at the boy's familiarity. "Will you come with me?" she asked Kamui. Kamui's determined nod was all she needed. Without further ado, she turned and led the assorted gang to the Diet Building.

~~~~~~

Notes

Xandra: We think it's so Kamui to just show up, blast people and run off. I've always felt he was such a brat in the first bit of the X manga. But we will be staying true to canon so he will be all melty with Fuuma later. Ha! Poor Subaru, he's going to be so disappointed he's missing out on meeting Kamui. But the two of us have a grand plan. *smirk* And Seishirou being the protective boyfriend and not allowing him to get into any more fights just makes my heart melt. As for Subaru's outfit... *pokes Aishuu* I still think he sorta looks like Sakura's Li-kun. At least its been changed a bit. It was worse before, believe me. *giggles*

Aishuu: WORSE??? That's what I get for going with a Chinese theme!!! Anyway, enter Kamui, and he's got his bad ass attitude! *squeals* I just love the early Kamui. Blast first, ask questions later if he thinks to, maybe. Subaru meets Yuzuriha, and the obligatory Yuuto/Sorata fight happens - with Yuuto declaring Sorata as his opponent, since he's already had a run-in with the Seishirou/Subaru dynamic. Paradigm Shift, baby. Subaru has missed meeting Kamui twice so far... geez, don't you love the authors?

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/quicksilver/xandra/xandraindex.htm

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

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