Intertwined

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has to do with CCS, except for this plotline.

Act II

Intro

onstage

Eriol stomped sullenly onto the stage. The minute his feet entered the spotlight, however, a gargantuan smile formed effortlessly on his face.

"Well, ladies and gents, it's good to be back! It is I, Eriol, and that bas--" he was abruptly cut off as Yue made a very rude hand gesture at him. Needless to say, it included the use of Yue's long, white middle finger.

Eriol stuck his tongue out immaturely at Yue's insanely obscene behavior. Then he turned his face back to the audience, and a large, artificial grin was plastered to his face.

" It is I, Eriol, and Yue, the long haired fellow who is hiding in the wings, due to a unpredictable and uncontrollable fit of stage fright," said Eriol. His smile was now genuine as he asked, "Now which one of us is the better muse, eh? You guys tell me."

Yue stomped out into the bright light. "You idiot," he hissed, "you're supposed to be announcing the beginning of Act II, not manipulating the limelight to heighten your popularity!" He grabbed Eriol by the scruff of his shirt and threw him backwards. The audience snickered gently as they heard Eriol cry, "Don't manhandle me, you--" and here we return to Yue, for Eriol's language was...obscene, to say the very least.

Yue called loudly, " And now, the second act of Intertwined will commence!" So saying, he hurried off stage as the lights dimmed and the sable curtains began to rise.

End of Intro

------

Syaoran raised one eyebrow. Then he raised the other. Then he raised both of them simultaneously. Then he alternated between raising one, and then the other, in rapid succession.

He grinned at himself in the mirror, reveling in the fact that he was extremely good-looking.

The ladies can't resist me, he thought smugly, smoothing his crisp white shirt and his red and gold striped tie.

He continued raising his eyebrows and checking himself out, although not in the fashion of Narcissus. No, Syaoran was merely admiring himself. He did not see himself as a potential boyfriend, and thank god for that.

Let us leave him to his own devices for the present, and now let us travel to the office of one Takuchi-san.

------

Takuchi chewed on his moustache, something he did not normally do. Then he sighed theatrically and looked at his watch. It was 12:58, and the representatives of the Employment Soothing Agency were still not here.

The clock struck 1:00.

Immediately, as though on cue, the door burst open to reveal two tall and rather impressive men.

"Hello, my name is Eriol Hiragizawa," said the shorter of the two. His glasses were perched on the end of his nose, granny-fashion.

"Yue," said the taller man. His demeanor was icy, and his long, silvery white hair fell over his left eye. He fixed Takuchi with an impassive stare.

Takuchi gave Yue a nervous glance before turning to Eriol and saying, " Well...erm...you guys certainly are puncutal."

Eriol smiled. Takuchi was starting to feel jumpy. It was certainly quite unnerving to be alone in a room with a man who smiled constantly, and another man whose stare was unflinching. His eyes flickered quickly to the surveillance cameras installed in his room, and prayed fervently that, should the two men suddenly pull out a pistol and begin to threaten him, the security guards would notice.

Eriol cleared his throat. "You called us here sir, because...?"

Takuchi snapped out of a nightmare where Eriol and Yue had kidnapped him and were feeding him on lumpy oatmeal until.

" Oh!" he exclaimed, feeling abashed. He twiddled his thumbs. "You see, my two employees are like...a cat and a dog! Or, at least they fight like a cat and a dog," he amended when he saw a puzzled look cross Eriol's face. He continued, " I need help soothing tension between the two. Can you help me?"

Eriol grinned and saluted Takuchi. " We're on this case, sir. Just give us the numbers of their rooms and we'll be off!"

"They're in Rooms 2045 and 2046," said Takuchi.

Yue raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow. "They have a tendency to fight, and you put them to work in rooms next to each other?"

Takuchi turned red. "Well--they're supposed to work together--teamwork you know--" he blustered, feeling foolish.

Eriol held up a hand, effectively silencing him. "Say no more. We're on the case."

The two exited the office.

------

"Do you feel what I feel?" Eriol asked Yue. He was looking at Syaoran, who was still preening at himself, oblivious to the fact that he was being spied on.

Yue nodded, not taking his eyes off Sakura, who was eating a banana and drinking Diet Vanilla Coke.

"They're an extra special case," he said tonelessly.

"Too right they are," said Eriol. " They've been rather awkward with each other, haven't they?"

Yue nodded. "Time for us to give them a little push in the right direction."

Five minutes later, Eriol and Yue put the finishing touches on the pentagram. " Now," said Eriol as he drew the last heart with a flourish, "time for them to step in it."

"Let's say the incantation together, for extra potency," said Yue.

Eriol grinned. "That'd be madd cool, yo."

Yue rolled his eyes. " Get into position."

Eriol placed himself in front of Syaoran's door and Yue stood in front of Sakura's door. Then, they both rapped loudly on their doors and darted away swiftly into the shadows.

Sakura sighed with annoyance. She was in the middle of lunch, for crying out loud! She stood and walked to the door, mumbling choice words under her breath. On the other side of the hallway, Syaoran was doing the same.

They reached their doors and opened them at the same time.

Sakura froze as she found herself staring into the eyes of the person she despised most. " You!" she hissed venomously. She stepped out into the hallway, and Syaoran did the same. Neither of them noticed that they were stepping into the confines of the pentagram Eriol and Yue had just drawn on the floor.

Eriol sniggered as he watched, fascinated by their argument. They're so painfully clueless, he thought, chuckling evilly.

Yue whispered, " Come on, say the incantation while they're still in the pentagram."

Eriol nodded and the two began to chant, "Be blissfully blind no more, open your eyes to new horror, what was once the other's shall be yours, never argue evermore."

Eriol felt a knot in his chest. The knot blossomed to a knob, and the knob blossomed to a constriction. He grimaced, feeling pain. "What did we do wrong?" he asked Yue. This happened whenever they cast a spell wrongly.

Yue's mouth twisted. "We didn't say how they're supposed to switch back," he muttered.

Eriol sighed. He and Yue said, " Let your lives be intertwined, love's betwitching spell is divine."

There was a flash of light. The pentagram glowed a fiery orange and the pattern wrapped itself over Sakura and Syaoran's bodies, knitting their limbs to their sides. Their eyes were closed, and they rose a few inches off the ground while the light illuminated the corridor. Then it was over, as quickly as it had begun. Neon orange sparks danced around their still bodies. The pentagram was gone, as was the constricting sensation in Eriol and Yue's chests.

The two magicians hurried back towards the stairs, being careful to be quiet. Yue shut the door after he and Eriol both had stepped into the stairwell.

Eriol grinned. "That was our best spell yet. They were even lifted off the ground," he said.

Yue shrugged dismissively. "We improve each time."

------

"So...you're sure about this?" said Takuchi. He scratched his head.

Eriol and Yue nodded together, something you don't see happening too often.

" All right...let me get this straight," said Takuchi, rubbing his forehead. "You had a little chat with them, correct? And you expect them to get along with each other so quickly?"

" Listen, pal," said Eriol, feeling impatient, " we've done our job. So now it's time for you to hand over the money. Your employees will learn to get along, okay? It's guaranteed."

Takuchi gave them both skeptical looks. " All right, five hundred dollars. But what if I don't see results?"

Yue spoke for the second time. "Satisfaction is guaranteed. If, by the end of the month, they are still fighting, you will get your money back. Upon our words. Just give us a call."

Takuchi eyed Eriol, then Yue. He sighed and gave in. "Fine, fine. Here, take your five hundred dollars," he said, handing the money over grudgingly.

Eriol grinned and pocketed the stash of money. " You won't be disappointed, sir." He winked cheekily and waved a good bye. Yue dipped his head slightly to Takuchi. The two men then turned their backs on Takuchi and walked out of the office.

The look on Takuchi's face was comical. "I believe I've just been conned," he sighed, and then went to the cabinet for more aspirin.

Yue winced as the sunlight hit him directly in the eye. " They won't feel the effects until 12:00 am sharp, right?" asked Eriol by his side.

Yue grunted noncommitally. "That was a pretty strong spell we bound them with. It may take a while."

Eriol dug his elbow into Yue's side. "Knock off the long face, darling," he drawled lazily. "We've got 500 bucks, and the day is still young. I challenge you to a drinking contest."

Yue smiled. Albeit a mocking smile, it was still a great accomplishment for the stoical faced Yue. " You're on."

------

Sakura stalked into her apartment, feeling slightly groggy. Her mind was a blur of colorful visions. She had been eating lunch...Li...waking up on the floor...confused and disoriented...

"Hey," said Tomoyo as Sakura blundered into the kitchen.

Sakura didn't respond to her roommate's greeting. She picked up a thermos from the counter and poured a cup of coffee for herself. She gulped it down hungrily and poured herself another cup.

Tomoyo seemed amused by her friend's abnormal behavior. " What's gotten into you?" she asked.

Sakura shrugged. She continued to quaff coffee in increasingly large gulps.

Tomoyo raised a sympathetic eyebrow. "That time of the month again?"

Sakura shook her head. She walked out of the kitchen and stomped into her bedroom, her hands still glued to the sides of the thermos.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. So typical of her cousin. Her caffeine addiction was more of a liability than anything else, Tomoyo mused.

Sakura spent the remainder of the evening in her room, taking sips of coffee every two minutes. She was quiet and reserved, which was usually the opposite of her. Her eyes were glued to a corner of the room, watching the solitary spider spin its web.

Two hours passed. Sakura could hear Tomoyo in the bathroom, perhaps brushing her teeth.

Fifteen minutes later, the door opened.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Tomoyo asked, feeling concerned.

Sakura jerked her head erratically, then took a long drink of coffee.

Tomoyo pursed her lips. "That Li man bothering you again?"

Sakura's pulse rate quickened at Tomoyo's mention of him. "Bastard..."

Tomoyo nodded understandingly. "Was his behavior so heinous today that it shouldn't be spoken of?"

Sakura shrugged.

Tomoyo was getting irritated, but thought best to leave her cousin to her own devices. After all, Sakura did not take kindly to Tomoyo's gentle questioning. Prying, she called it, and prying was one thing Sakura Kinomoto could not stand.

Tomoyo sighed and backed out of the room, shutting the door gently.

------

Syaoran smiled grimly and finished his fourth bottle of wine. He had spent the entire evening drinking instead of doing paperwork. This was an anomaly for Syaoran, who followed his schedule as he would the Ten Commandments.

Syaoran forced his tongue roughly through the opening of the bottle and swiped at the wine clinging to the sides. And thus Syaoran created a new game. He was determined to get at the wine still in the bottle, using the most inefficient means possible--his tongue. He wasted away the rest of the night, wrestling with the bottle and cursing bloody murder. At one point, he began to belt out a loud and rude song. He made up a wildly creative and imaginative dance to go along with it, waving his hands in the air and jumping up and down on the couch. Just as he decided to rip off his tie and use it for untypeable purposes, he was too enthusiastic with a jump. He stumbled off the sofa and crashed his head onto the coffee table.

Syaoran was out cold.

------

A/N: They've switched bodies! From now on, when I refer to Syaoran, I mean Syaoran in Sakura's body. Same for Sakura too. :)

Sakura opened her eyes.

She sat up and yawned. She felt as if her head had been pounded repeatedly by a troll. Her eyes were sluggish with sleep, and her clothes were sweaty and stained.

Then she froze when she saw the bottles of wine lying on the couch. Couch? Why was it a forest green color? She distinctly remembered her couch having a burgundy color.

And where was the TV? The last time she checked, it was right in front of the couch.

Sakura got up. The first thing she noticed was that everything seemed...oddly, it seemed as if she had grown taller overnight. Where was Tomoyo? Usually, she was in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

" Tomoyo?" she called out. Then she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. Her voice was deep and...God forbid...her head felt lighter than usual. Where was the comforting weight of her auburn, shoulder-length tresses? Her hands traveled up to her ears...and then to her head.

She stifled the scream halfway. It was an oddly masculine scream.

"Oh my God..." her voice rumbled.

Sakura ran down the hall towards the bathroom. "Huh?" she tilted her head in confusion when she burst into her bedroom.

Yet it was not her bedroom...it was too neat...and there were no pictures of her family...

Sakura ran pell-mell down the hall. She ran into the living room and looked around wildly. Where was the bathroom? She took the hallway down to the left and tried a door.

She found herself in the bathroom. Finally, she thought.

She ran towards the mirror and looked into it.

What she saw made her scream with terror and shock. Her scream was too throaty and deep, but now she knew why.

------

"Sakura! Get up!" someone shouted.

Syaoran groaned and rubbed his eyes. Strange, he mused, since when did he have long eyelashes?

His eyes focused.

Syaoran's jaw dropped.

A violet-eyed goddess was standing in front of him, wearing nothing but a towel. Her skin was a milky white and her eyes were a sparkling violet. Her hair flowed, wild and untamed, over her shoulders. Syaoran gulped. Did they sleep together last night? If they had...well, Syaoran deeply regretted that he could not recall a moment of it.

Tomoyo chuckled. She mistook Syaoran's look of poorly disguised admiration for dumbfounded sleepiness.

" Come on, silly. It's time for your job. Get your lazy ass in the shower. The way you were last night...whoo! That wasn't too good," Tomoyo commented, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Syaoran immediately felt ashamed of himself. " I wasn't good last night?" Did he disappoint her? Maybe they could do it again, he mused. This time, I'll be really good, he thought determinedly. I'll try things I've never done with any of my previous partners. I'll perform so well she'll be begging me to do it again.

A furrow appeared between Tomoyo's forehead. " You weren't well, Sakura. You were drinking black coffee straight from the thermos. I thought you hated that stuff."

Syaoran rubbed his head. Hazy details of the previous night returned to him. The last thing he remembered was ripping off his tie...wait a moment. Did she just call him Sakura? Oh well...perhaps he had heard wrong.

He stood up and stretched. Then he walked over to Tomoyo and smirked, his eyes dancing. "You're very lovely, my dear. We'll try again tonight...I want to use some whipped cream." He paused for thought. " We'll throw in some strawberries too, if that's okay with you." Ignoring the puzzled look on Tomoyo's face, he walked out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.

Wait, he thought as he walked in, this is weird...why are there so many feminine products? Oh well...she must have put them here. That's fine with me...but why does the bathroom still look so different? Hmm...probably the effects of a hangover.

He looked into the mirror.

------

Tomoyo was wondering why Sakura was suddenly...hitting on her when she heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the bathroom.

Tomoyo burst into the bathroom to find Syaoran keeled over on the floor, banging his head on the tiles.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod--" Syaoran babbled as he wacked himself repeatedly on the floor. Then he shrieked again. " Even my voice is high! Why didn't I notice that before? I'm so thick!"

Tomoyo rushed over to him and put a placating hand on his shoulder. "Sakura, calm down. I know you're hyper after the caffeine incident, but you've got to shower and get to work. Now come on, stop it!"

Syaoran looked up at her. She was still in a towel...He gulped and looked away, not wanting to yield to temptation. "I can't believe I'm Kinomoto..." he muttered. Then he put his hands to his face and did some serious thinking.

Tomoyo shook her head. Mental note to self: No more caffeine for Sakura. Ever. Ever. Ever.

While Tomoyo was still immersed in her "evers", Syaoran had finished his mental thinking. He stood up with a determined glint in his eyes. No, he would not peek at Kinomoto's body. He would be moral, for once in his relatively short life. And besides, it'd be kind of weird for this girl--whoever she was--to start thinking that Kinomoto was a lesbian. But first things first...

"Listen, I gotta go," he said, pushing past Tomoyo gently. Baby you're so hot. But I can't have you...not now at least.

"Wait! Where are you going? You've got to get dressed and have breakfast!" Tomoyo called to him as he buttoned his coat and wound his scarf tightly over his neck.

"First things first," said Syaoran in a muffled voice.

------

Sakura tapped her foot impatiently on the gas pedal.

It had been a nightmare--she had a lengthy mental debate on whether or not she should shower and change clothing. On one hand, she wanted to see Li's naked body--er, she wanted to get out of his drinking clothing. On the other hand, if she really was Li, it would be rather fun to embarrass him by arriving to the office late and looking disheveled. She had decided on the second option.

But now she was heading over to her own apartment. If she was in Li's body, then it logically made sense that he was in her body...Sakura's face turned red. What if he had--

No, she didn't even want her thoughts to stray to that thought.

Sakura fumed silently in the forest green minivan. God, Li sure had a lot of green things. Green car, green sofa, green shirts, green tie...maybe she should add "demented leprechaun" to her list of insults.

As she wound her way through Tokyo morning traffic, her eyes alighted on a familiar looking figure walking among the pedestrians--herself.

Sakura honked her horn loudly.

Syaoran whipped his head to the source of the noise.

The two locked eyes.

One grinned, while the other turned tomato red.

------

Outro

onstage

The curtain descended slowly as the audience clapped for the second act of "Intertwined". Soon the lights focused on the center of the stage, and once again, Eriol and Yue returned to the spotlight.

" I hope you've enjoyed the show! Dreamer sends her regards to you, and thanks the audience for coming to watch her flawed piece of work," said a beaming Eriol. " And, of course," he said, swaying his hips, "I hope you enjoyed my special appearance in the show."

Yue growled. " And I hope you enjoyed mine as well," he said, placing heavy emphasis on the word "mine".

Eriol merely grinned.

End of Outro

offstage

Dreamer: Hey guys, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chappie!

Eriol: And by the way, in case you were interested in knowing, I beat Yue in the drinking contest. Go me!

(Yue growls and he and Eriol begin a fistfight.)

Dreamer: Eh hehehe...well, in the next chapter, the horrors begin! (Dramatic music plays) I need some ideas, so please give me some...Syaoran's going to have some ahem...female problems, and Sakura's going to...well, never mind. You'll see...if you review. Muahahahahaha...I'm so evil!

Dreamer: Anyway, thanks again to all those who reviewed!