X/1999 Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Living For You ❯ Snow White, Post-apple ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters. They belong to CLAMP. As if you didn't know if you're here reading this. I think the things I've done to them aren't all that horrible compared to the serious torture CLAMP has/is putting them through lately. But that hasn't stopped me from buying their stuff. Hail to CLAMP.

Chapter 2: Snow White, post-apple.

The bloody scene that met the eyes of the arriving Dragons of Heaven was enough to turn the stomach of a forensic scientist. Kamui's decision to become a Dragon of Heaven had triggered a psychic wave in the awareness of all the Seals. The accompanying wave of fear, pain and confusion brought them running.

Hokuto hadn't been that surprised when the two Seals had shown up. Her fight with the Sakurazukamori had been pretty intense on the psychic scale. Their auras had probably shone all through the city given the amount of magical oomph they were expanding. She'd known the day was coming, the Promised Day. She'd always known she was a Dragon of Heaven. Her grandmother had spoken to her about it long ago, when lessons in duty and responsibility were part of her daily life. But since the loss of her twin, duty and responsibilty no longer held the importance they once had in her life. She HAD planned to skip getting involved in all the Apocalypse business. So it was with surprise that she found herself compelled to travel with the two Dragons of Heaven towards Clamp Campus.

There on the rooftoop was a scene as surreal as one of Seishirou's maboroshis, but all the more shocking because it was real. On one side, a slender boy was pinned to a large slab of rock. Blood flowed from countless wounds from his body. He was screaming at a taller boy perched atop a large cross-shaped structure. A young girl with long flowing golden hair was tied on it. What struck Hokuto as unusual was that she appeared to be talking, despite having a large sword stuck in the centre of her chest.

Suddenly the boy atop the cross looked at the new arrivals. Apparently deciding not to take on everyone, he turned around and said, "Kamui, I will kill you."

The chill in his tone, reinforced with the sheer power of some psychic energy, made almost solid his words. All the onlookers on the rooftop involuntarily took a step back. Then he whirled back and jumped off the building. At that moment, the girl on the cross fell down, her bindings slicing across her body so that all that was left was a jumble of body parts that landed on the ground below. The slender boy, who was apparently Kamui, screamed, and tore free from his bindings to run towards her. Crying, he clasped her head to his chest.

Now Hokuto had seen her share of gory scenes in the past but this just about took the cake. Also Kamui sobbing over the bloody head brought back bitter memories for her. Once again, Hokuto felt helpless, standing there immobile, without any idea of what to do.

Soon several paramedics rushed up and began fussing over Kamui. The boy appeared not to notice their attention. All Hokuto could do was follow the somber procession downstairs.

Standing in the large anteroom, Hokuto took discrete note of the others with her. Arashi was talking quietly to a young man with his arm in a sling. On the sofa, a young girl was being comforted by a bespectacled man. A large wolf-like dog whined by her knee. Hokuto could tell the dog was no ordinary animal. An Inugami, a spirit dog, marked the girl out to her as one of her fellow Seals.

The door opened. All eyes turned towards Sorata.

Arashi was the first to voice the question on everyone's minds. "How is he?"

"Well the doctors appear to have his wounds stabilised," Sorata said. He paused as his voice began to crack in panic. "He's awake but I've tried calling him and calling him. It's as if he's not there. He won't respond to me. I suppose its no surprise after all that he's been through..."

The young girl on the sofa exclaimed in horror. "But if Kamui doesn't wake up, what will happen to him?"

"I suppose he will stay that way for ever." Sorata looked defeated.

Hokuto, standing by the window, winced. She recalled all too well the helpless feeling of not being able to do anything while someone else was in trouble. Unconsciously she began walking towards the door to Kamui's room. Once inside she moved to sit on the bed. Kamui looked like an Egyptian mummy, his body almost entirely swathed in bandages. Looking at the small form on that huge bed, Hokuto was struck by a feeling she could not identify.

The others had followed her into the room. "Do you know what's wrong with him?" Yuzuriha asked.

"He's gone Within himself," Hokuto replied.

"Can you help him?"

"I'm going to try going inside his consciousness." Hokuto explained.

"Oh its one of your Sumeragi secrets right? But isn't it very dangerous to enter a muddy consciousness?" Arashi and Sorata chorused.

Well, at least these people knew something about the dangers of working magic and power, Hokuto thought. She had no reply to give them. She knew how dangerous this was, but she was convinced it was something she absolutely had to do. Wryly she thought, fate and destiny sure wasn't going to let her squirm away despite her resolution. So much for trying to be irresponsible.

Bending down to put her hands on Kamui's face, she began chanting. Slowly the outer world faded from her view and she began to slip into Kamui's mind. It was cold and dark, and horribly windy. The wind buffeted and whipped at her. "This is such a bad idea," she thought, wincing as a particularly painful cut from the wind sliced through her side. But she did nothing, just accepted the abuse that she knew was only Kamui's inner self defending itself. A huge roaring dragon rushed at her and for a moment, Hokuto was alarmed. But long years of training allowed her to rein herself to inaction and after some threathening passes, the dragon disappeared.

"Well that was interesting," Hokuto thought as she fell through the dark liquid surface of Kamui's mind. "Looks like the boy doesn't want to really hurt me. Now time to talk some sense into him."

Slowly Hokuto glided forwards, inasmuch as movement meant anything in the landscape of someone's heart. Suddenly in the distance she could see a young Kamui looking at his confrontation with his twin star. The memory playing again and again like a bad DVD movie stuck on a repeat track. A particularly violent one.

Concentrating, Hokuto maneuvered closer. She reached out to grasp his shoulder. "Kamui, you have to stop doing this to yourself. Please, this isn't real," Hokuto said.

Kamui turned to her and appeared to notice her for the first time. Hokuto was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness at how young Kamui looked, his huge lavender eyes wide with distress.

"Who are you?" He asked, voice trembling with pain.

"I'm Sumeragi Hokuto and you're in a dream within your own heart. You've just gone through a very painful experience. I know how difficult it is. Will you let me help you?" Hokuto clamped down on the desperation she felt. She knew that unless she could convince Kamui to let her help him, he would remain inside his heart forever. However it wouldn't do to push him too hard, she would only succeed in frightening him. Wryly she admitted to herself she was being a hypocrite. Afterall up till this evening, she had been determined to selfishly run away from her responsibilities. And here she was trying to encourage him to save the world. Sighing, she dismissed the thought to focus on the situation at hand.

"I hurt." Kamui's admission tore at Hokuto. "Please don't let Fuuma die, don't let Kotori die. I don't want to be alone, please please make it stop hurting!"

The force of Kamui's despair swept at Hokuto, only her determination keeping her still within Kamui's heart. She felt battered and exhausted and was aware her physical body out there was probably also taking a beating. She knew she wasn't going to be able to hold out for much longer. Desperately she extended her power and melded her memories to Kamui's.

Deep in the darkness, a scene unfolded. From a distance, a person who looked exactly like a younger version of Hokuto, appeared dressed in white. He, she, it was impossible to tell the gender, walked steadily towards a tall dark man standing under a Sakura tree. Flower petals drifted everywhere like snowflakes on a midwinter's day.

"Who's that?" Kamui asked.

"That's my twin. And a person who was very dear to us." Hokuto answered sadly.

Kamui was startled when suddenly the dark haired man plunged his hand through the body of Hokuto's twin. He cried out and made as if to run towards the duo, but Hokuto's hand pulled him back. "It's no use, its my memory. Subaru died that day, at the hands of the one he loved the most. I didn't have the power to stop it. So I know it hurts. I can't even tell you it'll stop hurting. But for the sacrifice that was given to me, I realised I had to live."

Hokuto felt as if she was about to crack under the strain. She hastily continued, "And I also have a wish..."

"A wish?"

"I have to try to redeem Sei-chan, otherwise my twin's sacrifice will have been in vain. I know my wish causes pain to the people who love me. They don't understand it at all. But I can't give it up. Despite everyone telling me it can't be done, despite everyone saying I'm insane. I can't give it up."

Kamui looked at her in perfect understanding. "I don't want to give up either. I can't give up on Fuuma. I want Fuuma back. I want Fuuma back." As he spoke he began growing older till he looked the way Hokuto last saw him.

"Then come back. I won't stop you if you really want to stay here. But if you stay, nothing will change. If you don't want to give up, come out of this dream and live. Then everything can move forward and you will have the chance to change things for the better."

"Will everything be alright?" Kamui's wide eyes looked at her for assurance.

"I don't know. I can't see the future. All you can do is try, just like me." Hokuto smiled gently at the young man before her. Then she gasped, her strength at an end, and she began to fade from the dreamscape.

Hokuto slowly opened her eyes. Her head and body was aching. The spell's backlash was coming at her with a vengence. She blinked at Sorata, who was looking at her with concern. "Urrgh, that hurts." Dimly she realised she was sprawled in a compromising way on top of Kamui. She shifted about a bit, trying to sit up.

The body beneath her began to move as well. Slowly, Kamui's eyes opened. Hokuto smiled with genuine gladness. Then her vision blurred as a wave of dizziness hit. She felt herself falling back down hard on top of Kamui. "Oops, hope I didn't do any more damage to his wounds," She thought as she tried to get a hold on herself. Then she felt an arm creep up over her, holding tightly onto her. It felt nice. And at her ear, a voice whispered her name, "Arigato, Hokuto."

~~~~~

Notes: That was a hard chapter to write. Everybody knows this scene, I don't know if I could have added much to it. But I felt it had to be done to establish the closeness between these two. I like fiesty Hokuto but there wasn't much chance for her to show it here. Please give me your thoughts.

Coming up... Kamui finds himself growing attracted to Hokuto. Can the two of them reach an understanding?