It started with a dream (A Watanuki Fic)
My first fic in the CLAMP fandom! I'm so excited and anxious...
Enjoy!
Title: It started with a dream
Series: XXXholic/TRC
Spoilers: TRC chapter 181 (*)
Characters: Watanuki (implied Dounut)
Summery: After reading chapter 181 in TRC, I've been inspired and wrote what I think Watanuki was like before the series began (**). So this is about Watanuki before he met everyone… or is it?
Rating: PG
Warning: my English isn't perfect () so if you find mistakes be nice!
Beta Reader: JadeDragonHawk
* Spoiler Alert: in chapter 181 Yuuko said that the price Watanuki paid were his memories, including his memory of paying that price. In this fic I'm going to assume certain things that Watanuki was able to do back then but after Yuuko took his memories.
**This fic is set before the XXXHolic begin, even before Watanuki met his spirit friend (Vol.4 Ch.5)
By the way can anyone tell me what his age was then? I think it was around 10?
It Started With a Dream
He had to hurry, it wouldn't be long before his shield (1) would fail and then… well he didn't really want to think about what those things - those monsters - would do to him. But it didn't matter right now (well it did, but at the moment he had other, more important, things on his mind); the closest person to him (beside his parents, may they rest in peace) needed him, and he needed him now!
It had all started with a dream; a dream he soon discovered wasn't a mere dream at all but a prophecy (2). It wasn't the first time he'd had those kinds of dreams, but this one was different - it was about butterflies, and four very important people (3). Three of them he didn't recognize, but the fourth one, the boy, he would have known anywhere: it was Syaoran. Even though he looked much older than he was right now, there was no mistake- it was the same Syaoran he knew.
Syaoran, the person who knows him the best, there he was standing near two tall men- one with black hair, the other with blond- and there a little further on was a girl. She was lying under a Sakura tree and appeared to be sleeping, but Watanuki had the feeling it was more than just sleeping, something was wrong with her. It seemed he wasn't the only one who had noticed this since the group of three appeared to be trying, straining frantically to reach her, to save her from whatever it was she needed saving from. But for some reason they couldn't seem to reach her, even though she was so close to them- it was as if some invincible barrier had been placed between them. Watching Syaoran so distraught about this forced separation and seeing the unknown men also suffering filled Watanuki with an immense sadness. He wanted to break that barrier, but he knew he couldn't- it was not in his power to do so.
But than a wondrous thing happened, a butterfly passed through the barrier and crossed to the other side, behind the Sakura tree, to what Watanuki now realized was a field. On impulse he dashed after it, the only thought in his mind being a vague hope that, maybe, if he could catch it- if he could just catch it!- he'd be able to give it to Syaoran and maybe they would be able to pass through the barrier.
He chased after the butterfly through the field, through the grass, to a sunflower. It was a very beautiful sunflower, tall and bright and cheerful - so much so that he felt irresistibly drawn to it. Though he was very tempted to pick it up and keep it for himself; the butterfly, as if sensing his intention, began to flutter away in what he thought was an urgent manner; he took one last look at the sunflower and resumed his pursuit (4).
He passed through what seemed to be a temple, but what caught his eye was the great bow standing in the entrance; as if it was waiting for its master to pick it up and shoot powerful arrows at those who dared hurt the person its master was protecting. As Watanuki passed the bow, he wondered what kind of person would pick up this bow and would he (or she) be able to protect the person it had created for? (5)
But he didn't have time to wonder anymore, his chest had begun to hurt, as if he was feeling Syaoran's pain, and not only his but also the girl's who laid under the Sakura tree; he had to catch that butterfly- nothing was more important than that.
And then he stopped. There before him stood a tall, black haired woman with butterfly wings; Watanuki could tell that she was very powerful and wise, and yet her eyes seemed so sad. Almost as if she knew that some tragedy was going to occur, something she would give anything to prevent - but knew that preventing it would cause something even more terrible to come to into being. It was heart-breaking, but it had to happen, just like he had to… he had to… what? There was something very important he needed to do, something connected with that woman… but what was it?
The woman with the sad red eyes tried to say something, but it was swept away by a wave of sound, like the howling of the wind on a stormy night, far worse than the thunder or lightning that most children are scared of. He could feel it too, buffeting against him, that strange wind blocking the woman's voice. He tried to look for the source, maybe if he could find what was making that sound he could figure out how to turn it off! He looked around, and there behind him he found the source of the noise.
A man stood there, a tall man with dark hair and a cruel expression; but the first thing Watanuki noticed was the bat flying next to him. As ridiculous as it was, Watanuki knew instantly that it was the bat that made the noise, and that the man was responsible to it. What struck him most was the man's aura; for while the woman's aura was filled with sadness it also held light, the kind of light that, if you stared too long at it, would blind you (not that it would blind him - never him - her aura seem to say to him). The man's aura on the other hand, was dark; so dark that Watanuki felt it would consume him if he took one step towards the man. There was no way now he'd go over there; the best option was to reach to the woman, and hopefully that way he could hear her.
Watanuki tried to reach out to the woman, but it seemed that no matter how much he screamed at his body to move, he remained, unmoving, in the centre - trapped between light and darkness (6). He just stood there between those two forces, straining with all his might to hear what the woman was trying to say; not just for himself, but for Syaoran and that girl sleeping under the Sakura tree. Perhaps Syaoran and the girl heard his pleas, but somehow he was finally able to find the strength to take one step forwards the direction of the butterfly lady. But as he took the step he felt the noise grow louder, beginning to hurt him; yet he kept on going forwards, almost running now, trying to hear what she was saying. The nearer he came the more his head ached, but he couldn't stop, not until he could hear what she wanted to tell him. The pain was unbearable when he finally reached a hearing distance; it wouldn't be long before he'd disappear from this dream world, but he had to hear what she had to say. It was a whisper that he eventually caught, almost deaf from the pain he was suffering; but there it was:
"Make a wish."
He woke up with a start; his heart was beating so hard he thought it would burst out of his chest, but it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered right now. He knew what he had to do -it was after all his Hitsuzen.
Right now he was running, he was so close; he could feel it, just one more corner… Oh, he made it, and just in time. A few more seconds and the shield that protected him would have faded.
But that was unimportant; right now he had a wish to make and a price to pay - it was his Hitsuzen.
The End or better yet, The Beginning
(1)-about the shield thing, my theory is that Watanuki was either taught (by his parents?) or given something that would help him defend himself against the spirits-whatever it is doesn't matter-you can use your own imagination for that. Anyway, the basic idea is that I don't believe Watanuki's parents wouldn't have taught him some basic form of defense.
(2)-according to Wikipedia "Watanuki's given name, Kimihiro, means 'Prophet'", hence the prophetic dream.
(3)-to those of you who wonder 'where is Mokona?' well Mokona is there, it's just that Watanuki doesn't notice.
(4)-the whole sunflower thing has a meaning, for those of you who don't know this, here it is: Himawari means sunflower.
(5)-for all of you who had already guessed: yes this was the Dounut!
(6)-Not a real comment but a proposition: if you know how to draw - could you draw this scene? You know Watanuki standing in the middle between Yuuko and FWR? Please pretty please? (Puppy Eyes)
Editing Note: I would like to thank RaveHappyDanceChick from eXeXeXHOLICManga for reminding me about FWR! I can't believe I forgot about him (shakes head).