Chapter 12

The silence that greeted Ryuu's announcement was profound. Kamui was the first to recover. "Fuuma, what do you mean by that?"

Ryuu tried to explain. "A blood sacrifice called me forth and bound me. A similar sacrifice is needed to release me. The catch is that it has to be a willing sacrifice."

"Why wasn't this in that research you were doing?" Seishirou demanded of Subaru.

"Excuse me, it's a very old spell!" Subaru replied indignantly. "I'll be sure to update the records if we ever survive this night!" Subaru was beginning to get really frustrated by the series of setbacks one after the other. It was as if there was a neverending series of obstacles to this whole business.

"I'll do it." Kamui said quietly.

"No! You can't! I won't allow it!" Subaru exclaimed. "You still have your life ahead of you."

"What life?" Kamui said bitterly. "This whole situation sucks. Fuuma is gone, Kotori is gone, my mom and aunt are gone... Everyone I know is dead. What's left but for me to join them?"

"No, I can't let anyone else die if I can do something about it. I want you to live, Kamui." Subaru looked pleadingly at Ryuu. "There has to be another way..."

Ryuu shook his head. "No. As it is, I'm doing my best to hold in the power. But the earthquakes will just get more and more intense until the whole island of Honshu breaks apart. Even then it won't stop. The ripples will just keep spreading out and affect the whole world."

"Then what?" Kamui asked rather dreading the answer.

"Then boom, the end of the world as we know it. This has to end and it has to end now."

"Then I'll do it!" Subaru declared.

Seishirou began arguing with Subaru about why that was a bad idea. Yuki too was upset. "No you can't, we need you to do the seal breaking spell. I'll do it," he volunteered.

That brought all of Ran's protective instincts to the fore. "Oh no you don't. There's no way I'm going to let you do something so imbecilic. I'll tie you down if I have to."

Yuki looked momentarily intrigued by that idea and blushed at the thought. He shook himself, pulled himself back to reality and began to obstinately argue with Ran.

Suddenly everyone's attention was caught by the sound of a low melodious voice. "None of you should have to die."

The only one who had ever heard that voice out loud was Subaru. "Kakyou!" He exclaimed in shock.

"Everyone please stop. There is only one option." Kakyou said. The group gaped at the previously comatose yumemi. He was sitting on the floor with his eyes now wide open. Ryuu was supporting his upper body with one arm, while with his other, he clasped Kakyou's hand tightly to his chest.

Kakyou smiled feebly at Ryuu. "I want to be the one. You told Hinoto that I was your sacrifice, to do with as you saw fit. Now I'm asking you to follow up on that statement."

"No I can't! It was just to make Hinoto stay away from you. I didn't mean that you would have to die!" Ryuu's heart was sinking at the import of Kakyou's offer.

But Kakyou was determined. "I don't have anything else to live for. My thirst for vengence is over. Hinoto is dead. For most of my life, I've been a prisoner of this body. I'm asking you to set me free now."

"No, it's impossible. I can't kill you!" Tears were running from Ryuu's eyes.

"Why not? Surely it can't make a difference if I live or die?" Kakyou was puzzled.

"Of course it does! I love you!" Ryuu choked when he realised just what he said. There was a collective gasp from all the onlookers.

Kakyou was stunned. Gently he gazed at Ryuu with all that he was feeling in his eyes, "I love you too."

Ryuu swept Kakyou into a tight embrace. "I can't kill you," he repeated brokenly.

Kakyou pushed at him weakly. He knew he had to be the strong one. "You have to. I don't want to live in a world without you anyway. I want to be the one to set you free. And I want you to be the one to set me free. Please understand, this is my Wish."

"I love you so very much," Ryuu said.

"This has to be done. It is necessary. It is fate. Both Hinoto and I have Seen it. I did not understand earlier but I do now. I do this willingly." Kakyou heart was breaking at the thought of having found love only to have to give it up immediately.

Ryuu pulled himself together and nodded. There would be no way to change Kakyou's mind. With a flick of his power, he called forth an altar-like structure from the centre of the seal in the courtyard. Gently he lifted Kakyou and placed him on it.

He turned to Subaru and Seishirou. "While I perform the blood sacrifice, you have to concentrate on breaking this seal. I have one more thing to ask of you. After I am released, please destroy all knowledge that could be used to ever call me forth again."

Subaru and Seishirou nodded. Too much damage had been done by Hinoto to risk something like this ever happening again.

Kakyou brought up his hand to the side of Ryuu's face. "And I have one request."

Ryuu looked at him questioningly.

"Please, kiss me one last time."

Ryuu bent down to him. Kakyou's lips opened in an invitation he gladly accepted. He put all his love, all his desire into that kiss. Kakyou too held onto him as if he didn't want to ever let him go. In that time and place, all that mattered, that existed, was the two of them. But all too soon, the moment passed and Ryuu stood away.

He turned to Subaru and Seishirou to catch them in a huddled conference. "Are you guys ready?"

Subaru's face was filled with sorrow. "We're ready," he answered for Seishirou. To Kakyou he said, "Kakyou, I'm sorry."

Kakyou shook his golden locks out of his eyes. "It's okay, I want to do this. Subaru, remember what I told you before? I will do what I have to do. None of this is your fault." Then he addressed Seishirou sternly, "Promise to take care of him properly?"

Seishirou's agreement was wholehearted. "I will."

Kakyou laid back on the altar. "It's time."

Ryuu raised his right hand and his sword materialized. Subaru and Seishirou got into position and began reciting the spell to break the seal. As their incantation reached its peak, Ryuu stepped forward.

"And so I condemn myself to an eternity alone." Ryuu said as he plunged his sword into Kakyou's heart.

The shock drove a gasp from Kakyou but he remained gazing at Ryuu. Then his eyes of liquid gold closed.

Something was happening to the seal. Pieces of it were breaking off and floating into mid-air. In the centre, a light began forming around Ryuu. Suddenly a red light streaked into the sky. Up above, the group could see the Chi no Ryuu's true form. A beautiful glowing red dragon danced as it soared higher and higher up. It was making a particular keening sound and it was a moment before everyone identified it as sorrow.

Still chanting, Subaru nodded in signal to Seishirou. The words spilling from their lips changed. Everyone could feel them focusing their power. Then it happened. On the altar, a light shone from Kakyou's bleeding body. It grew brighter and brighter. In a sudden burst of light, the body was gone.

Up in the sky a second form streaked. This dragon was slim and delicate. It was lined with golden scales, its long sinuous body shimmering brightly as it headed towards the red dragon. The red dragon though appeared not to have noticed it yet and so was caught by surprise when the golden one twined about it. Everyone below laughed at the obvious expression of stunned astonishment when it realized it wasn't alone. It's keening cry changed into one of welcome. The gold dragon nuzzled behind the red's head as it danced about playfully. The two flew about chasing each other with joy in the light of the early dawn. As the sun rose, the two looked back and bowed as if in thanks before their light faded away.

Kamui though was distracted from the glorious sight by a moving figure stumbling out of the area in the centre of the courtyard. "Fuuma!" He cried in absolute delight.

Fuuma stumbled about disoriented but nonetheless didn't seem to mind having Kamui clinging tightly to him. "What happened? Last thing I remember was falling into a weird light."

Kamui wasn't letting go. "It's all right, everything is all right now." He knew he had to break the news about Kotori soon and it would be a severe blow to Fuuma. For now, he decided to put it off for a bit longer. He wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

"You know you'd be under arrest if there was any evidence of what went on here tonight." A disgruntled Ran was saying to Kamui.

"Oh don't be a stick in the mud," Yuki chided. "Hinoto's body is gone and there's no weapon since it went with the Chi no Ryuu. All the cult members are in disarray. Why don't you go arrest them?

"I will get down to it." He promised darkly.

Karen spoke up. "Yes, I think I can give you documents of many missing children that this group may have taken. We never had any solid proof before but I think if we rummaged through the house we could find something."

"I'll help. I've been here a long time. I know where they keep everything. I'm one of the children who were stolen." Arashi's admission took everyone by surprise.

Sorata moved to take her hand, his heart in his eyes. "I'll help as well."

"This is not bad huh? How about we file a headline reading 'Evil cult targetting children exposed. Leader flees'?" Yuki suggested to Aoki.

Aoki nodded. "Sounds good. You write it though. I'm going to have to keep an eye on Daisuke for a while."

That brought everyone's attention to the young man. He had stopped crying and was now looking a bit dazed. "I don't understand. When I was with Hinoto-hime, I felt as if she was the centre of my existence. But now I can't understand why I would have felt that way. What happened to her body?"

"She was a psychic vampire." Subaru was still lying flat out on the floor with Seishirou. The spell to transform Kakyou had taken just about everything out of them. However, they did manage to find enough strength to hold hands.

"What's a psychic vampire?" Ran asked.

"She lived off the power of others. Their energy, their emotions. The sacrifices that she performed occasionally were so she could steal their vitality. I think she's lived in this way for a very long time. When she died, all that energy was released and there was nothing left. Her body had already passed its time here on earth. So it simply disappeared."

Seishirou leaned over to give Subaru a peck on his cheek. "Come on, let's go. Today is a new day, the first day of the rest of our lives."

~~~ Owari ~~~

Notes: Thank you all for reading this story. I did try to get everyone in to the conclusion. Then I realized I left out a lot of people, like Yuuto, Satsuki and Kanoe. Just take it that Yuuto and Satsuki have eloped. Ran will get around to arresting Kanoe, I hope. *grins broadly* Plus Yuzuriha and Kusangi didn't even get a chance to appear. Sigh there are just too many people in X to include. Did you like the ending? I would appreciate your reviews.

Okay the absolute last Omake theatre. Hope you liked them.

A super-deformed Subaru runs out with Fuuma, Kamui, Yuki and Ran holding placards. They run around and rearrange themselves to form a word while shouting, "Omake, Omake, Omake!" Fireworks and confetti fall.

(Cue Sadame. Kakyou is on the altar and is about to be sacrificed.)

Kakyou (tragically): It's time.

(Music rises to crescendo. Ryuu sticks sword into Kakyou. Pieces of the Seal start to break off)

Ryuu (suddenly jumping back): Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow!

Director Xandra: What's wrong?

Ryuu: I got dust in my contacts!

Kakyou (getting up): Oh baby, let me blow it out for you.

D-X: Hey you, no getting up, you're dead!

Subaru and Seishirou: Do you guys mind, we're trying to destroy a Seal here.

Kamui (grumbling to Ryuu): You just want to keep re-doing this scene so you can kiss Kakyou.

Ryuu (throws tomatoes that were supposed to pass for Kakyou's blood at Kamui): Take that!

Kamui (produces more tomatoes from thin air and throws back): Why you... I don't see what my character sees in you!

Sorata (dives into the fray): Food Fight!

(Entire cast begins wrestling with each other)

Director Xandra (groans): That was Take 58.

Notes: Okay that wasn't too good but my inspiration wasn't working too well. You're welcome to feedback with a better Omake.