A/N: This is my first story. I'm still not certain whether I should continue with this idea, but I guess I'll give it a shot. If anybody likes this idea 'o mine, just review and tell me whether I SHOULD continue.

Disclaimers: I own nothing, though I would give an arm and a leg for Eriol.

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Tale of Two Destinies

Part I: Prelude: Anticipation of the Inevitable

"AAAAHHHHHHHHH"

A horrified screech filled the silence of the Daidouji Manor. This was followed by a certain dark-haired mistress' painful plunge to the floor. The said girl was lying in a tangled heap on the ground, her warm comforters and billowy nightgown twisting about her form.

Once regaining the sense of whereabouts (her own room), the girl, Daidouji Tomoyo, sighed heavily and lifted her wary limbs to her comfortable bed. She pulled the comforter snugly about her, seeking its warmth, and tried to get back to peaceful slumber. It evaded her though, for she could not rid herself of the appalling image that caused her sudden state of sleeplessness.

She shuddered.

Hiiragizawa Eriol kissing her.

Yuck! She shuddered again and forced her sleep-derived mind to think happy thoughts. Like bunnies in a sunny meadow, and her precious Sakura-chan in a pretty pink ensemble, anything but the blue-eyed, raven-haired, bishounen that plagued her previous dream.

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On the other side of town, deep in the Hiiragizawa Manor, the master of the house, one Hiiragizawa Eriol, was serenely curled on his side in blissful slumber. This was the cause of the girl's agitation at such an hour of night, and he wasn't even aware of the trouble he was eliciting to the poor girl.

A contented -- if not slightly gleeful -- smile was plastered on the slumbering boy's face, and some time later, he was heard murmuring to himself amidst light giggles, "...Plum Blossoms...".

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One morning a couple of months later, in a sunlit classroom, the same Daidouji Tomoyo sat in her respectful chair, pondering her predicament.

She was dead.

All she needed now was a casket and a befitting epitaph. Once Eriol reached the classroom, he would certainly kill her. She gulped, fighting back the urge to leap out of her seat and try to hide behind the clothes rack. She further fidgeted with her math notebook, which was beginning to look battered at the corners from the constant contact with her trembling fingers. Unable to keep still, which was something new to the girl; she stood from her chair and began to pace the classroom with trepidation, which was also a new experience to her.

She paced back and forth in the empty classroom, a look akin to one trapped animal plastered on her face. She looked at her watch, noting that she had approximately ten more minutes until the rest of the class started to file obediently in. And ten more minutes to remain alive. She pondered on the consequences of bolting out of the room, heading home to her room and the soft confines of the bed (which she had left very grudgingly). She could always feign sickness, she reasoned.

Finding that the pacing did more agitating to her already dangerously barely sustainable nerves, Tomoyo opted to rather sit down and loose herself in mindless doodling. After what seemed like an hour (which really was a minute at most) of doing this, she gave up on that and heaved an exasperated sigh. She looked back to her watch: seven more minutes until the pupils filed in.

Since when did time move so slowly, she wondered on an offhand note.

Back to the issue at hand, what was she going to do once Eriol found her (should she decide on escape)? During the entire six years that Tomoyo knew Eriol, he has not once shown an act of violence towards her or anybody else. Despite all the vigorous provocations from Syaoran and herself, the ever-jovial boy's mood never dampened. Why was she so certain that this particular act of hers would cause what several other attempts could not? After all, she'd done worse things to him during their long time acquaintance.

He should have known her well by now to realise just how Evil she could be. Though she did not look it at first glance, Tomoyo was the Queen of Evil. Behind the pretty face lurked a creature closely resembling a power hungry minx. She waited until no one paid attention to her, and then, when certain that the blame would not be placed on her, she would put on her little horns (courtesy the Holly's Halloween Shoppe), took out her pitch fork (also courtesy said Shoppe) and started dancing around the bon fires, while her victims wailed in humiliation.

One of these victims was her very own Sakura. Tomoyo, with a little magic help from Eriol, devised a plan to make Sakura admit her feelings for Syaoran (the local bishounen). The plan, no matter how ingenuous, back fired straight into Tomoyo's face, who after the incident needed counselling sessions. Tomoyo's genki friend though still managed to get together with Syaoran, much to the disappointment of Tomoyo.

Tomoyo prided herself on her cool demeanour and the ability to hide behind her smiles. Always the picture of elegance and quiet by nature, Tomoyo made quite a stunning young lady. She was, unbeknownst to her, considered one of the most sought after girls in school. Tomoyo, however, wanted only to receive affection from her Sakura-chan. She hid this desire well within her mask and, to her knowledge, no one but herself and Eriol knew.

Speaking of Eriol, it was all his fault for this predicament. If only he hadn't switched her favourite perfume to some fragrance closely resembling rotting eggs and salty fish. She had to get rid of a third of her wardrobe. Tomoyo would never look at eggs the same way again.

RIIIING!!

Startled, Tomoyo looked at her watch, noting with some surprise that her time was up. She sat rigidly in her seat as she watched her fellow classmates leisurely strut in, a few (mostly boys) greeting her with a casual wave, which earned them a nod and a polite smile. She watched as Syaoran walked over to his seat and greeted her with a warm, "Ohayo, Daidouji-san".

"Ohayo, Li-kun," she accosted in return. "Sakura-chan late again?" she asked teasingly.

At the mention of his girlfriend, Syaoran reddened slightly and simply nodded. Tomoyo smirked inwardly; she loved teasing the Chinese boy. His reactions towards Sakura have not changed even after so many years. She often wondered how the future Li Clan leader kept the severe nosebleeds to a minimum.

A perky voice interrupted her train of thought. Tomoyo watched a bit flabbergasted as the girl in question jovially ambled -- more like bounced -- toward them. Exhaling heavily, Sakura plopped into her seat and took out her books. Still not saying anything to her two companions, the cheerful girl grumbled what sounded suspiciously like curse. Sighing once again, Sakura got off her seat to turn around and plant a sweet kiss on her boyfriend's cheek, which caused him to blush uncontrollably.

Still looking a bit puzzled, Tomoyo said, "Ohayo Sakura-chan. Is anything the matter, you seem a bit fatigued."

"No," the girl replied, "just worried about the math test." Sakura gave her friend and boyfriend cheeky smile at the doubtfulness mirrored on their faces. Typical Sakura behaviour.

Her eyes turning misty, Tomoyo remembered a time when her precious Sakura would smile just for her and no one else. She missed those times, but she knew that like all the things in this realm, Sakura would one day grow up and find her true soul mate and leave her. Acceptance did not make it easier on the heartbroken Tomoyo; it was still painful for her to let her Sakura go.

"Ohayo, Daidouji-san," a husky voice whispered in her ear, sending shivers of dread and pleasure running up and down her spine. She turned her head slightly, noting with some amazement that she did not pee her underpants. Right beside her, his face mere inches from her own, was Eriol smiling that boisterous smile of his. Tomoyo gulped with unease.

Tomoyo greeted him in return with a barely audible squeak. Something akin to fright crossed her features before she was able to regain her composure and ask in as blasé manner as possible, "Why Hiiragizawa-kun, is anything the matter, you seem preoccupied?"

She watched in satisfaction as mute astonishment crossed his beautiful face. Strike one for Tomoyo.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I need to speak to you about something," he answered, a deliberate smile on his lips, one at which Tomoyo cringed. Strike one for Eriol. That smile always reminded her of a panther stalking its prey. She better watch out before she was pounced on, she mentally told herself.

Tomoyo was about to reply to his request with an offhand excuse, but before she could utter even a syllable, Terada-sensei walked into the classroom demanding attention. Tomoyo sighed gratefully when the lesson started, saved by the teacher. She mentally patted herself on the head, 'Good job, Tomoyo! You only have to avoid Eriol for the rest of your life!' she told herself mentally.

A warm hand on her shoulder interrupted her victory celebration. She winced; the celebration was cut short by a note that somehow appeared in front of her. On a tangent note, she asked herself, 'How did he do that?' She surreptitiously reached for the folded piece of paper, being careful not to be seen by the teacher, and glanced at its contents.

It read:

Daidouji-san,

I must speak with you privately. Meet me by the cherry blossom tree at lunch.

H. E.

Curt and to the point, that was Eriol for you, authoritative yet not too demanding. Alrighty, so he wanted to speak with her *privately*, that was innocent enough. After a minute of debating Tomoyo decided to not give into his game just yet. Taking out a piece of paper, she wrote a note of her own, one that not so subtly declined his offer.

That little problem done and over with, Tomoyo was about to return (or start) paying attention to her teacher when she discovered, much to her horror, yet another note on her desk. Opening it with slightly trembling digits, she read the message: Eriol requested he speak to her after school. Sighing, she came up with a good excuse not to come, choir practise, she decided. Which wasn't necessarily a lie, she really did want to go to the music room after school.

Once making sure her message was delivered, she was about to return to the lesson when yet ANOTHER note appeared on her desk. Fighting back the first waves of agitation and the urge to bang her head on the desk, she unfolded the note.

Daidouji-san,

I am disappointed to hear that you'll be busy after school, but what I want to talk to you about is rather urgent. I was wondering if you would grace me with your company after your choir practice.

H. E.

'Persistent, isn't he?' she asked herself. Sighing in defeat, she wrote a reply, and in a rather un-lady like manner handed the note to him.

"Ms. Daidouji, Mr. Hiiragizawa! Would it bother you ever so much if you honoured the rest of your class with your attention?" A harsh voice belonging to their teacher interrupted her fuming. "If you don't mind and stop your love note passing and return back to the lesson. See me after class."

A couple of sniggers and catcalls followed this, and Tomoyo could not help but sink further into her seat, mortified. Great! She probably had detention now, she thought resentfully. This was all Hiiragizawa's fault. She knew he enjoyed making fun of her, and she'd be damned if he did not get what he deserved.

(tbc)