Breaking the Binds That Hold

Written by Jeldi

Series: X/Tokyo Babylon
Pairing: S/S
Rating: PG-13

Thanks for all the feedback over all the chapters thus far! Here is chapter 4, after a long awaited time! I still have a better track record than CLAMP does right now...at least it only took five months for this chapter.

Disclaimer: As everyone knows by this point, X and its characters all belong to CLAMP, but they give us permission to mess with the characters so all is well with the world.

Chapter 4 – A Balance of Light and Dark

Walking down well-known dark paths lit occasionally by short bursts of lightening, Subaru felt the unrest and confusion of the Tree’s presence creep back into the edges of his consciousness.  It had come to the realization that Subaru was not bringing it a body, nor had bound a soul to its bough.  Knowing he would need to be on guard from the outset, he pulled several ofuda from his sleeve.

The Tree itself was in a partially cleared area of the park.  Though not really a clearing, the trees were spaced widely, paths meandering in-between the boughs. Many people had found this spot the perfect location for a picnic lunch during early afternoons. Sitting under the shade in good company, the trio had often spent time together under these very trees.  The nighttime cast shadows across those memories, the paths devoid of the liveliness of those recollections. Subaru looked toward the far end of one particular path.

He started down the path as crystalline beads started falling from the sky.  The clouds that had been threatening a storm had finally coalesced, their tears softly soaking the ground.  Subaru continued onward down the path, ignoring the dampness that began to coat his hair and clothing.  The storm was an insignificant event in his mind; it was not something that would impede him.

The dormant trees began thinning as he progressed warily down the last portion of the path, ready for the slightest attack.  As he cleared the last row of barren trees, the Tree came into view.  To his senses, it did not appear to suspect anything out of the ordinary.  He did however sense confusion in the tree’s “mind”; it was confused as to why Subaru had had a potential victim and ignored its call for sustenance. Being in close proximity to it he could again hear its coaxing, needy whispers for nourishment. 

The status of the Sakurazukamori and the Tree is truly that of a symbiotic relationship, Subaru realized as he approached the tree.  The Sakurazukamori gained additional power from the tree, but in turn was bound to the barrow as a servant to its blood-lust.

He stood before the tree, its presence permeating the area. The turmoil of anger and resentment surrounded it like a second bark, yet tangible to his only to his magical senses; the same emotions that had drawn him as a small child.  Its petals were falling to blanket the ground, though they were elements of an inherent illusion within which the tree manifested itself.  Though the tree appeared as if in full bloom, it was really like any other tree; it’s true identity that of a barren tree striped of both leave and blossom in the depths of winter. 

Ignoring the docile attention that the Tree was giving him, Subaru cast out five ofuda at the bough of the tree in a swift motion, forming the focal points of his purification spell.  He folded his hands into an intricate set of patterns as he began his chant. The chant was long, and before he had called out more than a few syllables the tree began to retaliate, broken from its passive state.  Like all those years before, the defensive spell around the Sakura was still intact; built to resist the onset of magic that might threaten its livelihood. 

Lashing back magically, the tree sliced the ofuda from the air, the remaining shreds of paper floating harmlessly to the ground. Still trying to hold the spell until completion Subaru gathered the power and held the points without the help of the talismans.  Though this required a higher level of energy to maintain, Subaru persisted in holding onto the spell.  If I can just hold it a little longer...

His chant still going, he felt his focus in one corner beginning to fluctuate, the threads of power slipping from his mental hold.  The tree’s presence latched onto that weakness and attacked, shredding the power balance further.  Knowing he could not hold the points until the end of the chant, Subaru channeled the remaining power from the offensive spell into a defensive shield, the deactivated ofuda drifting to litter the ground.

Though the shield held most of the substantial damage, it did not prevent it all.  The Sakura had been kind to him as a nine-year-old.  It had hardly used a fraction of its power then, as a nine-year-old child could hardly have been considered a threat.  Bringing its full power to bear against him now as a true threat, Subaru was barely holding out against the onslaught. 

Having redirected the power from the ofuda into his shields, he was draining his reserves quickly.  The attacks from the tree were coming fast, a continuous barrage of energy against a shield that was quickly starting to fail.  Various points had already given way; his clothing was showing signs of ripped gashes and in some places blood flowed from exposed wounds.

From his peripheral vision, he saw a silhouette appear at the end of the path.  Chancing a glance at the figure, the Tree took advantage of his distraction and brought a full illusion into existence, substituting the night-time Ueno scene with an infinite black.  The illusion had locked Subaru and this new-comer with the Sakura. The assault had become harder and Subaru turned his full attention back to the shields, bowing his head and visibly gritting his teeth against the attacks.

There was a brief pause in the energy barraging his shield. This boy will do... And if I must, I will do it without your help this time, Guardian, the tree’s anger echoed in his head forcing Subaru to jerk his head up toward the figure again, recognizing it as Kamui. Again taking the distraction provided, the Tree sent a strong jab of power at the shield, causing his spell to fray.  Much of the Tree’s energy was already being sub diverted away from him, but without his shields he was slammed backward coming to rest on his back, winded.  He shifted as he tried to get up, the movement causing bones to grate together painfully in his ribcage.

Adrenaline kept him from feeling the full effect of those injuries.  He mentally felt the Tree redirect its power to ready for an attack without its guardian’s help.  As the maboroshi was the Tree’s major domain, it was willing and able to take its own measures to meet its goals, provided that the maboroshi remained intact.

“Kamui! Run!” yelled at him, though his voice was weak from being winded.  Subaru gasped in pain as he braced himself to rise.  He felt the Sakura’s energy field building, reminiscent of the way a hunting cat crouches before a pounce.  Kamui stopped dead in his tracks at the onmyouji’s call. Subaru intuited the instinctive reaction of the teenager to start running toward him, oblivious to the danger that action presented.

Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth against the pain in his ribs, he struggled to stand.  He felt the tree lurch magically; saw the maboroshi react and the tree’s branches lashing out at the teenager.  Everything seemed to proceed in slow motion, as Subaru ignored his pain and reacted with the first thing that came to mind.  

Subaru threw himself between the tree’s branches and Kamui, the impact carrying him forward to block Kamui from the blow completely.  Holding the boy’s slight form to himself, Subaru took the brunt of the attack as they fell to the ground.  Two narrow, but deep gashes traversed the length of his back from his right shoulder down to the bottom of his ribcage at his left side.  Blood was staining through his turtleneck and trenchcoat and dropping to paint the ground crimson.  Kamui looked up wide-eyed as the onmyouji immediately braced to regain his footing.

The tree recoiled, as if stricken by the action it had just preformed.  Subaru could tell from the turmoil in his mind that the tree had not anticipated that its guardian would interfere.  It was torn between attacking or not if there was a chance that its guardian would be killed in the process.  Taking that moment of distraction, Subaru pulled out five ofuda and threw them at the ground to form a pentagram shape as he began to chant.  A small kekkai came into existence, though it was weak and probably wouldn’t hold out long if attacked. 

After a brief moment, his eyes came to focus on the distorted panels or air that marked the edges of the kekkai. Considering the layout of the kekkai spell, an idea started to dawn on his pain-ridden and battle-fatigued mind.  If I could just alter the configuration…he thought, thinking frantically to complete the strategy before the tree came to a decision. 

He felt Kamui get up from the ground behind him, as he pulled another ofuda out from his sleeve. It is not impossible, especially since Kamui has abilities of his own…he thought.

“Kamui,” he said as he turned toward the teenager, “can you maintain this spell for a few minutes on your own?” At Kamui’s slight hesitant nod, Subaru held out the ofuda his left, and intoned a short chant with his right extended over the expanse of paper.  He handed the textured paper to Kamui, the power draw immediately shifting away from his power resources.

Ignoring the teenager’s silence Subaru instructed, “When I say to drop the kekkai, rip that ofuda in half and get as far away from the tree as you can.  The Tree might try to attack you again once I’m away from you so be careful,” he looked at Kamui then, a flash of worry in his mismatched gaze.  He saw Kamui attempt a reassuring look, but it edged with a fear the boy couldn’t hide.

Pulling a set of five ofuda from his coat he brought them to his face and intoned a chant over the talismans, his breath whispering over the surfaces of the papers.  Drawing a second set of five, he recited the chant in reverse, in the same manner.  Trying his best to ignore the pain lancing up his back and through his ribcage, he stood tall and looked toward Kamui.  Aside from the slight fearful expression, he looked to be ready.

Holding both sets of ofuda in separate hands, Subaru looked from Kamui toward the tree.  He gathered power to him, in order to attempt the single thing that might succeed in saving both of them.  “Ready?” Subaru asked.  It was mostly rhetorical; he had not expected a response from the boy, and Kamui was well aware that it didn’t matter if he was ready or not.  Subaru paused for a moment, preparing for his spell, then stated, “Now!”  Kamui ripped the strip of paper down its center, the kekkai fading out of existence as quickly as it had been constructed. 

The onmyouji sprung away from Kamui the minute the kekkai fell, clenching the ofuda tightly.  Once in range of the tree, he threw out both sets of talismans.  From his vantage, one set represented the five points of his own purification spell.  The other five, however, had formed a reverse shape; the star of the Sakurazukamori.  Those talismans, once cast, had turned to an ebony shade. 

Focusing on the strips of paper suspended in the air, he sent power channeling though the talismans.  His eyes fell closed as he began to chant, “Nami sanmanda kotana asokurou sowaka...”  The talismans began to grow bright; ten separate points of light illuminating the tree.

The tree started to retaliate against the spell once again, but its power was being drained as well.  As one of the stars was of the Sakurazukamori, Subaru was drawing some of the Sakura’s power in order to perform the spell.  As it tried to break down one of the points of the spell, its attack would simply rebound from the sheer amount of power coursing through the ofuda. 

Subaru launched into the second part of the chant at once, knowing the first stage of the spell would hold firmly, “Noubou souanda botsutana gairaku shuubakuka nouhou...” A crackling energy spread out from point to point, the fully-realized shape of the ten point star forming around the Sakura’s massive trunk.   As the second phase of the spell locked into place, Subaru felt the tree trying to draw back its power supply from its guardian’s grasp.

Panic fell over Subaru for a moment, as he felt the power balance shift slightly due to the loss of energy.  However, before he could react to that panic he felt a hand on his shoulder.  Opening his eyes and glancing back to his left, Kamui was standing beside him an unspoken offer of help evident in his eyes.  The fear was gone from the boy’s gaze; in its place was a determination to aid in any possible way.

Subaru nodded once, turning back to the half-finished spell.  Kamui was gathering energy to himself; Subaru felt that same energy being channeled to his own abilities.  The drain the Sakura had induced faded away as the power of the “Kamui” overtook it.  He continued the chant with a renewed vigor, “Shuurou shuurou shibaku tai”. 

The crackling lines of energy between the talismans began to expand upward and downward. As the tree was engulfed with the expanding planes of energy, he continued, “Noubou souanda botsutana gairaku shuubakuta nouhou...” (1)  The energy reached its farthest edges and the top and bottom closed in creating a large barrier. Planes of electricity from before faded to the dull green shade much like the shade of his battle kekkai. 

The tree lashed against its bonds again, but the interwoven barriers held against the onslaught.  Much more powerful that his single purification spell had ever been, Subaru could feel that the tree was completely contained this time.  Every magical impact the tree made against the shield was not even perceptible to his senses. After a moment the tree stopped retaliating, intuiting that its efforts were wasted.  Subaru felt the tree “tensing” and waiting for what its guardian turn assailant would try next.

All else had fallen into the background of his consciousness.  He only saw the matrix of the spell, its raw edges still crackling with energy.  Holding both purifications in place by concentrating on a single hand gesture with his left, Subaru drew a single ofuda from his sleeve and held it out to his right side, intoning a mantra, “Shuku you dou”.  The scripted paper coalesced into a shikigami; it’s form neither that of the head of the Sumeragi clan nor that of the Sakurazukamori.

The pure white hawk perched on his outstretched hand, watching with intelligent eyes and awaiting its master’s command.  Subaru brought his hand forward, the hawk bristling with the sudden movement.  Quietly Subaru intoned, “hikuu” and the shikigami took flight toward the tree’s life essence.

Upon its contact with the tree, a bright light briefly shot from a cleft it created in the massive trunk.  In that instant Subaru dropped both barriers, the charred remains of all ten ofuda descending to the ground.  Following each syllable by a mudra, he intoned the dooman toward the spirit of the sakura tree, “Rin - pyou - tou - sha - kai - chin - retsu - zai - zen.” (2)

Time seemed to freeze for a moment before Subaru’s last syllable rang true through the silence in the illusion, “HA!” 

From the fissure in the tree’s bough, beams of blinding light broke through, illuminating both Subaru and Kamui’s figures in a radiant light.  The maboroshi shattered, leaving distorted shards of inky black hovering before they faded out into the real scene of Ueno Park.  Before him stood the real life manifestation of the sakura tree, though the anger and resentment of generations past no longer permeated the air around it.  It was no longer plagued with the souls and emotions of those that lost their lives beneath its branches.  The bare branches swayed in the wind and rain, as if silently waving and thanking him.

Subaru stared at those branches for a while longer, ignoring the rain that showered his face.  Soon though, his mind and body reacted to the energy drain the spell had caused.  His legs gave out beneath his weight; he heard Kamui calling out his name vaguely as he collapsed to his knees by the purified tree.  His body wasn’t willing to obey his thoughts as he vainly trying to lift his head to look upward in the direction of the boy’s voice.  As the pain and energy drain caught up with him, he started to crumple completely to the ground.  Arms caught him as he fell, cradling his battered body against a warm chest.

The world was growing hazy, an odd swirl of color with no cohesion.  Even the touch of rain pelting his skin was barely perceptible.  As he felt his consciousness slipping, he felt Kamui’s hold tense.  The boy started shouting something at him. Was he saying to stay awake? Subaru couldn’t tell anymore.  A pleasant void was opening up to welcome him; a place with no thought and no action.  He welcomed the darkness that came with it.

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(1) As a warning, the chant is probably not 100% accurate.  I tried reading the kanji from volume seven, but I predict that I did not get all of them correct...try reading CLAMP’s brushstroke when it is that small for yourself. ^o^

(2) The dooman in onmyoudou is also called the “nine characters”, the set of characters that make up the chant that Subaru uses in his exorcisms.