X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ A Promise Kept ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: X/1999 and X TV do not belong to me, they belong to CLAMP and Kodawa, and Pioneer. Not me. I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

A/N: Again, as with the revised first chapter, this is the revised second chapter, and it is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. I will be incorporating pieces of the manga and the anime. It is also a non-canon pairing. It will also have parts that are purely from my imagination. It will also have parts that are tongue in cheek, as well as drama and angst.

This is for the people who said “But the prophecy clearly said-“

I KNOW. However, I am changing it, so that Sorata assumed it meant he would die for a woman.

Constructive criticism is appreciated. I live off of “Ooh, update!” but if you are going to say it sucks, give me why. Not just “it sucks.” That’s helpful in it’s own way, but it makes a person sound stupid.

Done ranting, more story. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

Sorata followed Kamui out of the hospital, who had gone out into the rain, and just stood there. From the angle and expression on his face, it was impossible to tell if he was crying or not, but Sorata wouldn’t hazard a guess.

“Old man Stargazer,” he sighed, and walked out of the relative warmth of the building into the cold rain. “It’s actually started.” The implications were not lost on him. Sorata knew he had to do everything within his power to protect Kamui. He also knew… the end was coming.

“Just like you said.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

The smaller boy was drenched, walking on an overpass back to who knows where when Sorata caught up with him.

“Kamui- Kamui!”

He didn’t turn to look at Sorata, but Kamui paused.

“It’s finally started, hasn’t it? The final battle to decide the fate of the world.”

Sorata’s answer was steps leading away.

“LISTEN!” The Star of Kouya lashed out, grabbing one of Kamui’s arms. The other boy lurched around to glare-

“The Stargazer in Kouya, he knew all of this would happen. He sent me, knowing that the sword would be stolen!” Sorata drew himself up. “I am Sorata Arisugawa- one of the Seven Seals.”

Kamui blinked.

“You know,” Sorata dropped Kamui’s arm, and turned his face up towards the rain. “That I don’t even remember the faces of my parents?” He could sense Kamui’s suddenly sharpened interest, even as the smaller one tried to hide it. “The monks from Kouya…” the teen closed his eyes. “Came for me when I was three. They said it was a rainy day. Maybe like this one. I’ve been told… my mother didn’t want to let go of me. She held on to me, wouldn’t let go. When she let go, she just stood there in the rain, and kept crying… Crying, for a very long time… Maybe she knew my destiny, I don’t know.”

He brought his chin down to look at Kamui- whose face betrayed a mixture of horror and surprise. Ack, not what he’d intended.

“But I don’t remember any of it.” Cheesy grin to the rescue! Hand behind his head, he smiled, and tried to put Kamui at ease.

“Why don’t I believe you?” Kamui said softly. Sorata blinked, confused.

“What I’m trying to get at, is that I understand what its like to lose a parent. Really,” the genki-ness had left his voice, and the Kansai accent had softened. “But… you cannot escape your destiny. The battle’s begun. Whoever took the sacred sword nearly killed the priest.”

Kamui’s violet eyes turned hot gold and he clenched his hand tightly enough to draw blood. “Who was it that tried to kill Monou-san?”

Sorata waffled a bit. “Well, I was told by Grandpa Stargazer… that Kamui’s sword would be taken by one of the seven Angels. The next time the sword appears before Kamui, it will have changed its shape.”

Kamui took a deep breath, dropping his eyes to study his shoes. “I only came back for that sword. But… he couldn’t let me have it. He was so stubborn- if he’d only GIVEN it to me…”

Sorata sucked in a breath, seeing the blood drip from Kamui’s first… before taking off his outsized coat and dumping it on Kamui’s shoulders. The yellow monstrosity nearly swallowed him whole, but it shed the steadily increasing rain. Kamui looked at him like he’d lost it.

“How did you know about the sword..?” Sorata’s greatest talent was sticking his foot in his mouth. He was promptly rewarded by a death glare. The Star of Kouya put his hands up defensively. “I know, I know- how can you trust ANYONE, ever? When the people you care about get hurt- and your only parent killed? But, Kamui- you’ve got to face it. The fate of the world is on your slim shoulders- whether you like it or not.”

They’d completely stopped walking, and Sorata was waving his arms around as he spoke. Had the circumstances been different… Kamui would have found the whole thing extremely amusing.

He wasn’t in the mood, however.

“He speaks the truth.”

Both young men jumped- and Sorata jumped between Kamui and the voice. “Whose there?”

The voice answered with dry amusement. “You’re a rather valiant young man, aren’t you?”

It resolved itself into a red umbrella, over the head of a black haired woman. Kamui walked around Sorata, to get a good look at her.

“I saw you at school. “ Kamui’s voice was bland, showing no fear… but his lips pursed when he saw Sorata’s posture. It was still leaned over him, and Kamui absently noted that he was soaked now.

“That’s right,” the woman smiled at Kamui. “I’m the school nurse.” Both boys looked at her, wondering what that had to do with anything. She gave a little sigh, and removed her glasses, smiling at Kamui through her bangs.

“You still haven’t noticed? Don’t I look at all familiar?”

Kamui narrowed his eyes, and then blanched.

“Kamui?”

Sorata watched Kamui opened his mouth, dazed. He croaked a single word.

“Mother…”

“Say WHAT?” Sorata looked back and forth at them. “No way! No way is your mother this young- this beautiful! I mean-“

The new lady chuckled. “I couldn’t be his mother unless I had Kamui when I was fifteen,” she laughed. “No…” she perched her glasses back on her nose. “I am Kamui’s only blood relative.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

Sorata hovered over Kamui as they entered the strange woman’s apartment. Kamui was dazed- Sorata guessed this whole thing was a total shock; he obviously had no idea who this woman was, despite her resemblance to his mother. Sorata felt something warm and fuzzy be thrust under his nose- and realized their host had given him a towel. Kamui’s aunt smiled at him… and stepped out of the way, looking pointedly at Kamui.

The young monk looked at her confusedly- before his eyed widened in understanding, and he walked over to the couch Kamui had perched himself on, and began to vigorously rub him dry.

Angst boy yelped before turning and giving Sorata a glare of surprise. Well, Sorata decided he couldn’t have that- so he kept toweling him off, with a cheesy grin on his face.

A soft chuckle behind them got their attention.

“Drink this,” the woman offered two mugs, both topped with wispy steam. Sorata took one with a nod of thanks, while Kamui took his… still utterly baffled by what was going on.

“I’m sure you have loads of questions,” she said pleasantly, taking her own seat. Kamui stared out the window for a moment, before turning his attention back to her. “Especially you, Kamui.”

Sorata watched- most of this was none of his business, until one name started coming up in conversation. At first, it took it a few moments to filter through the rest of the story- and watching Kamui act like someone had punch him in gut made him want to go hug him- until Tokiko Magami mentioned her family name.

Now Sorata felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

“Magami,” he interrupted. “Ma- truth, and kami, as in God- the Magami Clan- the Truth of God?” Sorata wondered if he could hyperventilate- and he started to look back and forth at Kamui and Tokiko-san over and over again.

Tokiko-san just gave him a faint, amused smile. “You are no ordinary boy, are you?”

Sorata did a lovely impression of a stranded fish. Magami. He knew what that name meant- and he kept looking at the startling resemblance between Tokiko-san and Kamui. He mouthed the name “Magami” again, feeling a chill go down his back. “So… you mother belonged to the Magami Clan…” He stopped looking at either of them- eyes staring into the distance, with a twisted smile on his face.

Kamui and Tokiko-san kept talking, while Sorata thought. It made a sick kind of sense. After all- which other family could be considered worthy of bearing the Kamui?

No father either? Sorata blinked up at both of them. Kamui’s life must have been hell so far…

Conversation died quickly after that- Kamui was in a daze, and Sorata didn’t want to put his foot in it any more than he had to (oddly enough, he knew he had a bad habit of that, he just had no idea how to stop). He had the desire to go over and give Kamui a hug… but dying wasn’t on his to do list tonight- he’d pushed his luck already.

Then they both felt it- a buzzing through their bones, inside and out, familiar and strange-

“A kekkai!” the Buddhist monk yelped, holding his forehead. “Someone put up a kekkai!”

He felt eyes on him- and saw Kamui looking at him with bewilderment. “Kekkai?”

Sorata opened his mouth in surprise- how could he NOT know- “A field only one of the Seven Seals can make. It’s close- this neighborhood.”

Kamui jerked, eyes going wide. “KOTORI!” He jumped to his feet, and Sorata was a breath behind him.

“Kamui,” Tokiko-san interrupted, quickly. “You can come back anytime- and I’ll tell you about the Magami Clan, your mother- and your destiny.”

Kamui gazed at Tokiko, expressionless- and then dashed out of the room.

“KAMUI! Wait! I’m going with you!” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

Kamui was not at all happy to have the crazy guy behind him. He kept kicking this mad puppy, but all he got for his trouble was a lick on the face.

There the odd feeling though, of “belonging”- like Sorata was SUPPOSED to be there. It annoyed him, but he couldn’t deny it. He would prefer to go it alone… but he felt like there were pieces missing that were gradually, despite him, being filled.

Then that strange buzzing in his head faded out, making him feel like his ears were popping. The vision of Kotori being torn to pieces filled his head- and he winced.

He could barely hear That Annoying Guy say something about the Kekkai going down. Then- his gaze fixed onto someone he thought he’d never say again.

“You-” Loathing did not seem an adequate word to describe what was in his voice. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you,” she said, and glared right back.

Then he was even more pissed off, when after he made his customary death threat that Sorata got between them.

“Calm down dude! That’s no way to treat a pretty lady! Let me as her a few questions, k?”

For some reason he couldn’t fathom, Kamui backed down… or at least softened his “Die now” glare to “die later.”

He watched Sorata start to circle around the dark haired woman, asking questions, and laying on the charm REALLY thick. It was disgusting to watch. He couldn’t stand it anymore-

“So why did you interfere before?” Kamui rudely interrupted. The girl blinked at him, blind sided.

“You had already defeated him, there was nothing to be gained at harming him further. Unless you planned to kill him?”

Kamui gave her a dark smile, his eyes burning gold as he pulled his powers forwards. “I always kill anyone who attacks me-”

“WHOA! Whoa! Dude, dudette! This is scary! Seeing two such gorgeous faces glaring at each other like that!”

Kamui couldn’t stop the squawk as he was patted firmly again, and turned a puppy’s put out stare at the Kouya boy. Sorata smiled winningly at them both.

“Kamui’s just worried about an old pal of his- Kotori? He sensed the kekkai go up and he shouted her name.”

Thump.

Kamui wanted to face fault. So he did.

“Why don’t we all get along and go back to Magami-san’s place discuss things?” Sorata’s arm found its way to his shoulders again, and when he tried to shrug it off, it only stuck more.

Grrr.

“Magami?” the girl gasped. Did everyone know about his mother’s family but him? It was like some big conspiracy!

“Yup, I thought that would get you interested,” Sorata smiled, and gave her an evaluating look. “You’re part of all of this- Kamui’s secret,” when he said this, Kamui stopped struggling and looked at him like he had grown another head, “and the End of the World.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

They roof hopped back to Tokiko-san’s house, and Sorata grinned in relief. He would be happy once they were back there- they could all get things settled and finally figure out their plan of attack- and he would have two pretty people to look and some help shepherding Kamui safely.

Relatively happy thoughts of getting to know the newbie- until the house they were headed to exploded in light and fury.

“My God,” was all Sorata could choke out, while the Neechan stood there surprised. Kamui-

Kamui, however, mouthed something, and tried to run into the hungry flames.

On reflex Sorata grabbed him around the shoulders, pulling the slight boy to his chest and holding him there while he whispered hoarsely.

“You’ve got to let me go she’s still in there mother please let me go MOTHER!”

Oh gods, Sorata shut his eyes tightly and rocked Kamui. He’s having a flashback.

“I sense no one inside,” the new girl said hesitantly. Sorata nodded, and Kamui slumped against him, and Sorata gently rubbed his back.

“She must have gotten away…”

“Or was taken!” As soon as he said it, Sorata wanted to kick himself. Kamui looked panicked all over again. Stammering, he continued. “There’s no way to tell yet! And we better get out of here- the police and firefighters will be here any moment now.

Kamui seemed to realize then he was being held- and pulled away, giving Sorata a rude shove. Sorata’s answer was a puppy dog look which Kamui ignored. Shrugging, he looked over his shoulder at the pretty lady.

“Sorry to lead you on- but would you mind hanging out with us for a bit?” he smiled at her. She didn’t answer, just looked about as frosty as Kamui.

Turning back, he looked at Kamui, who had become transfixed but the sight of the fire. “Its all beginning earlier than everyone thought. The sword stolen, your priest friend hurt- your only relative disappearing. The battle is beginning… in earnest.”

To be continued!