Yuuto stretched, sitting up in bed. He smirked, a smug, satiated look, brushing the hair away from the face of the person lying in bed beside him. "Poor little monk, all worn out by drink and," The smirk grew even more self-satisfied somehow. "exercise."

Sorata shifted uncomfortably, making a fact. Yuuto ran a soothing hand through his hair, kissing him lightly until he settled. "Hush now." He slid out of bed and stood. "I'm going to get us some food."

Pulling on some clothes he heade out, closing the door behind him. He'd managed to grab some sandwiches and drinks and was returning to his room when Satsuki pounced, clinging to him desperately, almost knocking him over. "Kigai-san!"

He blinked. "Wha-?"

"Meiun and…and…"

"What happened?"

"They're dead!"

"What?" He gaped. "Someone killed Sakurazuka-chan?"

She nodded quickly.

"They're dead? Who else?'

"Na-na-"

"Nataku?"

She nodded. "And K-K-" She couldn't seem to finish her sentences.

K? … Oh hell. "Kamui? Someone killed out Kamui?"

She nodded, still cclinging fractically. He frowned. "Who?"

She shook her head, shaking, in hysterics. He pushed her away and looked her in the eye. "Was it a Seal?"

"I-I-I don't know."

He sighed and pulled back, setting his nearly forgotten tray on the nearest table before spinnng and pinning the wide-eyed girl against the wall, one hand cupping her chin, the other on her hip. He leaned in close, his entire body only inches from her. He forced her to look at him. "Did a Seal kill them?" His voice was low and steady.

"No."

He smiled, releasing his grip, brushing his thumb almost tenderly across her mouth. A light, comforting croon entered his voice, though he still spoke with casual dominance. "How did they die?"

She almost broke down again but her gaze locked on his. She tried to move closer but he kept her pinned. "Accident…"

"What happened?"

"He was…in the tub…" She choked off again.

"And?" His voice was firm, decisive not comforting.

"A hair dryer…"

He tensed. "How?"

"Meiun-san must have dropped it."

"What happened to her?"

"She…she…she…"

"What?" His voice was sudden and sharp, cutting through her.

"She was screaming, screaming, she wouldn't stop, she was just screaming for no reason, no reason at all and then Nataku was GONE and Kamui was different and he…he..he…he killed her!" She wailed.

"Kamui killed Sakurazuka-chan?"

"He wasn't Kamui! He was…he was different!"

"How?"

"He changed!"

"How?"

"Wings!"

Yuuto blinked, thrown off for a second. "Wings?"

"Wings! Wings and long hair!"

'Wait… He killed Meiun but she dropped the hair drying in the tub killing him?"

"He changed! He was dead but then something happened and HE was there!"

"He?" Yuuto backed off, confused. Satsuki kept on, feuled by her hysteria and confusion.

"He had big black wings, black clothes, he hair, but they were the same! He was, he was, he was…he was an angel!"

"An angel? Don't be foolish."

"He was! He said his name was Lucifer! He had wings!"

"So does Sakurazuka-chan, when she wants. Even Shota has wings."

"This was different! It was…it was…"

He slapped her, calling her attention back to him. "Go ask Beast. Find out just what happened. I want to know where everyone is now. I have Sorata here, find the others. Find out what happened and how."

She nodded, hand on her cheek. The prospect of communing with Beast brightening her a bit. She didn't even think to ask about Sorata. "All right."

He gave her a quick push-start down the hallway, towards Beast. "I'll be there in one hour. Tell Beast to hurry."

She nodde, hysteria replaced with sudden calm now that she'd been told what to do, and ran to her Beast. He sighed, retrieving the food he'd temporarily abandoned and went back to his room.

Sorata was sleeping lightely, lying on his back. Setting the tray down sagain he walked over and sat at Sorata's side, pulling the sheets down to put his hand on his hip. "Time to wake up, sleeping beauty."

Sorata made a disgruntled noise and tried to pull the covers up but Yuuto simply pulled them back down. "You can't stay in bed all day."

Sorat aburied his face in the pillow, providing Yuuto with a rather tempting view of his backside. He said something but it was so muffled he could't make sense of it.

"What was that? Speak to me not my bed, please."

He sat up suddenly, knocking Yuuto to the floor. "I said," He almost sounded angry. "That you didn't mind me being in your bed all day so far you can survive if I'm here for a few hours more." He yawned then smirked at the surprised Yuuto. "I'm tired and cranky and it's your own fault." He flopped back to the bed, grabbing a pillow from Yuuto's side and curling around it. "Are you going to give me the covers back or do I have to sleep naked?"

Yuuto eyed him hungrily for a minute, his surprise already faded, then stood and curled up behind Sorata. He smirked as the Seal tensed but simply lay there, as innocent as he could ever be. He waited until Sorata had almost fallen asleep again then stood, jarring him awake. "I have food."

Sorata blinked. "Food?"
Yuuto snagged the tray. "Sandwiches, snacks and some water. I figured you were too hung over for anything heavy."

Sorata winced, reminded. His headache was only a dull throb but it was still there. He reached out for a sandwich but Yuuto knocked his hand away. "Now, now, can't eat lying down. You'll choke."

Sorata glared at him, yelping as he was hauled up to rest against Yuuto, head on his shoulder. "Hey!" He squirmed, trying to hit him. "Don't push me around."

"I didn't. I helped you up."

"Don't give me any of that semantic-"

Yuuto popped a carrot stick in his mouth. "So noisy."

"Noisy? I'm pissed! You keep-"

"You weren't so upset before."

Sorata blushed. "That….that's different!"

Yuuto chuckled in his ear, voice dropping to a low whisper. "So damn noisy, all the time…" He smirked. "Although, it is rather flattering that-" He cut off as Sorata, now bright red, pulled back and offered him a sandwich.

"Are you going to eat or just sit there smirking?"

Yuuto considered a bit then took the food, falling on his back on the bed, eating quietly. Sorata took a sip of water and ate a sandwich himself then nudged Yuuto in the side. "Hey, pretty boy, don't eat lying down. You might choke."

Yuuto frowned then stood and walked over to a side door. He looked back over his shoulder at the Seal. "I'm going to take a shower. If you want there's one across the hall in Nataku's room. Towels are in there." He exited, leaving the door slightly open behind him.

Sorata stood, looking in a mirror Yuuto had hanging in a corner. "…Man, I was wasted last nigh." He glared at the bathroom. "I can't believe pretty boy outdrank me…oh well." With a shrug he followed Yuuto, shutting the door behind him.

Shota lay on his back on his bed, eyes closed, listening to the soft ticked of his watch which was sitting on a nearby table. He'd taken off his clothes, intending to change, but had fallen to his bed and not moved since. He'd been lying there for about an hour, barely moving. He slowly opened his eyes as someone stood over him, reaching out but not quite touchinghim. "Mmm, Kamui? Didn't hear you come in."

"Shota-kun…" Barely a whisper in reply.

"What's wrong?"

Kamui was silent a long moment then knelt beside him, putting his hand over Shota's heart. "Where did you get this?"

Shota blinked. "What?"

"This tattoo." Kamui traced it. "It's…"

Familiar?"

He nodded. "Mother…she had one just like that. No other ones…"

"What, nothing?" Shota smiled. "Not even a little heart?"

"No…do you have others?"

He nodded. "Although, they aren't really tattoos."

"They aren't?"

Shota shook his head, looking over his shoulder to his back. "It's magic, not ink. A determining mark, a label, a reminder of just who I am."

Kamui blinked. "who are you?"

He gestured to his back. "An Angel and…" He traced a finger over Kamui's hand, outlining the tattoo over his heart from memory. "A Magami."

"yes."

"How long have you know?"

He considered. "All my life yet less than a week…"

"Huh?"

"Time is a funny thing, Kamui." He slurred Kamui's name strangely. "We existed outside of it so long and yet…" He looked at his watch. "In the end it's all we have left."

"Shota, are you OK? You're acting funny."

"Not really. But it's OK."

"It's not ok!" Kamui frowned, standing. "What's wrong?"

"It's necessary."

"What is? Why? Why do you have to suffer?"

"Foolish questions. You can't understand. You don't know the goal, the problem, how to fix it, the obstacles. You can't see what's necessary without that knowledge. You can't tell what means anything and what doesn't if you don't know. You can't act, speak or ask the right questions."

"…Shota-kun?'

Shota sat up, moving face to face with him. "Do you know what this is all really about? Do you know if it's important? How important?"

"…What're you talking about? We're trying to save humanity!"

Shota made a face, pulling back. "How narrow minded, ignorant…No, Kamui, that isn't really the point of everything. That is only what your 'dreamgazers' tell you; they're distorted version of a 'truth' that's been already been manipulated for them. Dreamgazers can't see the future, because there is none. There is no set future, no one really knows what will happen. Time moves in a circle, history repeats itself, but sometimes, just sometimes, it actually changes."

"… Then… why is everyone so worried about fate? If there's no set future there's no fate, is there?"

"No, there isn't. Fate is just a convenient way of accepting the pre-established outcome."

"But you said Meiun changed it? If not fate then what?"

"Time, Kamui. Changing the future by changing the past."

"But it isn't pre-destined?"

"Time's all linked together. To change one part changes the whole circle. The 'most common' outcome becomes something else, changing everything after it until it all settles. Time can only be manipulated as a whole, every tiny change affects everything that's ever happened and ever will. Time can only be changed as a whole, not an interval."

"So…what was all that 'without destiny' stuff?" Kamui looked confused.

"Outside of time is a more appropriate title."

"Outside of time."

Shota nodded.

"So you were…"

"Immortals. Non-humans, that is why we were rejected.

"But now you're-?"

"No, we're still who we always have been." He smirked. "Humans just think we aren't."

Hokuto hummed, skipping down the hall to her brother's apartment. She knocked on the door then opened it and stepped inside. "Hi! How are you two?"

Subaru stood facing away from her, finishing setting the table. "Morning, Hokuto-chan."

"Is Meiun here yet? Or Shota?"

"Just you."

"Aww…" She walked over to him. "Turn around and let your sister see your outfit."

He dutifully turned, frowning worridly. Hokuto gasped, he was covered in blood. Whatever the source it had splattered him from head to toe, drying even now into black smears on his face and clothing. "S-Subaru?"

"I don't know what's keeping Meiun. She should be here by now." He shook his head. "Seishirou-san will be mad."

"Where is he?" She asked, pale.

"In the kitchen, cooking."

Hokuto stumbled intot he kitchen and screamed, gaping in horror at what was left of Seishirou and the bloody knife beside him. Subaru stepped up beside her, sighing. "Seems breakfast will be a little late."

She choked. "A little…Subaru, what happened?"

He laughed nervously. "We woke up a bit late."

"…What? That's it?"

He blinked, eyes glazed slightly. "Yes?"

"But…but…Seishirou?"

He turned, tilting his head as if listening or watching something intently. After a minute he blushed. "Seishirou-san!"

"Subaru…"

"Hmm?" He turned back to her.

"Are you OK?"

He nodded, smiling. "I'm fine. A bit hung over, but…"

"But…Subaru, Seishirou's dead! What happened?"

Subaru frowned, eyes darkening. He said nothing. Hokuto grabbed his shoulders, holding him close. "What happened, Subaru? Tell me."

He sighed, leaning in close to her. "It's not right."

"Huh?"

"It's not right…the way things are not."

"Wha-" She was cut off by a sickeningly wet crunching noise and a sharp pain in her chest. She looked down to see her brother pulling his hand out of her chest. "S-Su…baru?"

He caught her before she hit the floor. His eyes were clear but dark, ebony rather then their usual emerald "This isn't right, oneesan. I finally figured it out though. It's an illusion, it's all fake. I killed Seishirou-san and now I'm trapped here. It's all a fake! An illusion…" He pulled her close, trailing his fingers through her hair. "It's all an illusion, that's why it feels so wrong. So it doesn't matter. No matter what I do…it won't matter. This is all in my head, it's a fake, it doesn't matter." He set her body down and hung his head, eyes closed. "It doesn't matter."

When he opened his eyes again they were their usual color but with a strangely glazed look. He smiled sweetly and stood, ignoring the fresh blood covering himself and the room. "Ne, Seishirou-san…is breakfast ready yet? Meiun and Hokuto-chan should be here soon."

He turned as the front door opened and moved out to see who it was. "hello?"

Fuuma stood in the doorway, lazily looking around. Subaru walked up to hi and smiled his most sunny smile. "Hello Kamui-kun, how are you today? Is Meiun-chan feelint well?"

Fuuma raised an eyebrow, stepping inside. "We're both fine."

"Oh good. Come in then. Breakfast should be almost done."

"Really? Well then. Meiun will be here soon, I'm sure. Is Seishirou cooking?"

Subaru nodded. "He'll be done soon."

"I'm sure. Would you go get him?"

"Of course." Subaru turned to return to the kitchen, eyes completely glazed over. He never saw Fuuma raise his hand, never felt the spell, never knew what hit him. In a minute Fuuma was gone and the apartment was silent.

Nokoru saw by the narrow sick-room bed Sakura lay on, running his fingers through her hair. Suoh hovered nervously in the background. "Rijichou…"

Nokoru sighed, fingers hesitating. "Yes, Suoh?"

"…Do you know where Sorata is?"

Nokoru shook his head. "He disappeared last night. Sometime while we were all talking." He returned his attention to the silent body before him.

No one spoke for a long time then Suoh stoped his hand, gently pulling him away. Nokoru half-heartedly faught but Suoh was too strong, knew him too well. He was pulled away to his feet and turned to thedoor. Suoh silently guided him towards the exit buit Nokoru stopped him as they passed Eriol and Shaoran. Sakura's former fiancé, now deceased like her. Eriol was silent, one hand twined in Shaoran's air. He hadn't moved since he'd sat down beside the body.

"She's dead, isn't she?"

"Rijichou?"

"She's still breathing but…"

"…" Suoh put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. "We need to go check on Kamui. We don't know where Sorata is and the Shinken are gone."

"And all of the Dragons of earth are alive." Nokoru shook his head. "I know, it's just…" He collapsed again Suoh, clinging too him.

Suoh sighed. "Rijichou…" He held him close, not saying anything. After a few minutes Nokoru pulled away, walking towards the door. "Let's go see Kamui-kun and Shota then. We can grieve later."

Eriol watched them go then turned to the unoccupied bed across from him. "what are you doing?"

"Pardon me?"

"Everyone's dying, no one has any idea what's going on. Is this really fate?"

"Fate?" Meiun smiled, lounging at the foot of the bed. She's appeared, or at least shown herself, after Eriol called her out. "There's no such thing. It's just an idea, something to control the Dragons."

"Why?"

"The beings you call the Dragons of Heaven or Earth are the most powerful humans around, conveniently collected here in Japan."

"But why bother? Why build such a complex plot? You had to know it would fail."

"Has it? Dreamgazers aren't omnipotent, they're rather easy to fool. They believe what we want them to believe and pass that on to you. Human dreamgazers see only one future, true dreamgazers see possibilities of future. Have we failed? Or is this our desired possibility? What the dreamgazers see isn't necessarily what we want."

"You didn't answer my question. Why?"

"Because we always do. You humans, you think you're the beginning and end of the universe. The ultimate creation. Feh. God didn't create you. He created the universe, you're a mere by product."

"Why?"

"Do you know how many other sentient species have populated the universe? Can you begin to comprehend how limited you truly are? Ruled by the negative, humans are. Powerful but destructive. It is rare and miraculous to see a true healer, a saint among you. You're a bundle of contradictions. How do you believe that everyone goes to heaven or hell and yet also believe in ghosts?"

"…Which is right?"

She smiled. "Both, actually. There is a heaven and there is a hell. I know the beings who rule each, though I'm far closer to Hell then Heaven. But you humans…all races that are unjudged are ghosts. Your spirits surround this world, wailing and crying, trying to rip apart the living, tormented. A sort of spiritual miasma around the planet. Fighting amongst each other, trying to gain strength. Those that do gain englightment, that do understand…" She shrugged. "They're lost among the wailing, sucked into the despair and hatred."

Eriol's hand tightened convulsively in Shaoran's hair. "…Every…everyone?"

"Everyone."

"But why? WHY!"

"Because, it doesn't matter. Humans don't matter, the other species don't matter."

"Who, who decides this? Why don't they?"

"Kami-sama of course. God decides. He created us, he sets the rules. The only beings that matter are those on a similar level, those with the the power to create and destroy as strong as his."

"Beings like you?"

"Me? Hardly. I'm a Seraph, not a god. I matter more then humans, but barely at all. We only matter as long as God cares for us."

"You're just tools?'

"The universe and everything in it is a tool. We're outside of time, but not the universe. We were created to serve a purpose. What makes a tool of flesh and blood any less a tool than one of metal?"

"Sentience, of course."

"A human, valuing sentience? You kill other animals for fun, hurt each other for sport. What is sentience to you?"

"…We are not a tool!"

"You believe you aren't. You have to. If we ever do get another God-being, another of like power they will have been raised among their species. They have to believe they're special. They must know they are above normal, that they have power. They should know not to misuse it but…." She shrugged. "That's really optional."

"You're saying that we're made to believe this? Made to believe that we're the only ones, the best?"

"Why is it wrong to kill another human? Why are we better then animals? What is our purpose? What is the purpose of the universe? Is there a purpose? Do we serve that purpose? Does my life have meaning?"

"The questions all humans ask."

"The questions all sentient species ask. Well, except for Angels. We are special after all. We're made to answer, or not, those questions, not to ask them."

"We have meaning!"

"Screamed the insignificant soul."

"Our lives have a purpose!"

"Shrieked the tiny mind."

"Our suffering matters! Our feelings matter! Who we are, who we love, who we hate, what we do…everything, everything matters!"

Meiun simply smiled. "Raged the flicker of barely noticed light."

"Why? WHY! If it doesn't matter, why?"

"Because God gets bored."

"Why the End of the World? Why this fake disaster?"

"To let the race judge itself. To clean up the trash. Suffering is necessary to grow but we can't have a hateful god. Who knows what they'd do."

"So the universe? All this suffering?"

"The suffering of bugs. Here, then gone. A mere instant in time."

"It matters! If only to us, it matters."

"To humans?'

"Yes!"

"But not to animals?"

"No…wait, yes!"

"Too late. You reveal your own weakness. You feel as we do, you don't really care. You simply pretend. Because you're meant to be moral."

Eriol collapsed in his chair, shrinking in on himself. "If it's all so practiced, if you already know, why this? Why change things? What went wrong?"

"I found a flaw in the plan. Now we have to start all over."

"…Start over? You want to start over? Even though you know we won't have the potential?"

She shrugged. "You or all that came before you. But maybe you will. It's a rather big flaw. And what's a little more suffering? It's not as if you'll remember everything so far."

"So it won't matter? Everything that-"

"You are slow, aren't you? It dosen't matter anyway."

"It does!"

She shrugged and sighed, as if dealing with a particularly stubborn child.

"So…what's the flaw?"

"If a species passes our test they've become all 'moral' and suffer no longer. They cease to grow. They remain as they were when we judeged them."

"And that's bad?"

"We judged them before they were god. We want them to continue to grow."

"So you want to cut the judgement?'

"Move it back. To a point where God, with our support, can handle them. Where they have the power we want."

"So…that's…less suffering? Cutting out this Seals and Angels nonsense."

"Actually." Meiun smiled sweetly. "I'm arguing for more. Still wouldn't matter though." She smirked. "But they always did say Death's a bitch."

"That was life."

"Well that's impolite. Althogh, I suppose that Uriel is Kami's bitch, when it comes right down to it."

"Uriel?"

"Uriel, Shota-kun, Kami-sama, Kamui-chan." She shrugged. "What's in a name?"

Eriol stared at her. "Kami-sama?"

"Disturbing, isn't it? That God's such a whiny putz. Of course, he doesn't know he is, but…" She shrugged. "Deities will be deities."

"…"

"Oh dear, I think I overloaded your brain. Did my exposition last too long? Should I cut it now, give you a chance to rest and assimilate? To be continued?"

Eriol could only nod.