AN: Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews! Just For that, here's the next chapter. Very fast update. (Animegirl-mika, you got it! I was wondering if anyone noticed the symbolism; no one mentioned it.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura; however, Ojii-san is my own character. The Hana Festival is my own event/place too, Salanor is my original character, and micaros (you'll learn about them in this chapter) are my invention also.
Aratamete
Chapter Four
Eriol felt Tomoyo stare at him. His was hardly a friendly stare; yet it wasn't exactly an unfriendly one either. He ignored her. 'Why the hell did I say that? It…wasn't me.' His head racing with confusion and his heart pounding with anxiety (something in the back of his mind told him angrily that that was not his heart's emotion; he pushed it away unhesitatingly), he swallowed the pills eagerly, hoping that the reason he was acting so strangely was the illness.
'It was probably just the headache talking,' he told himself. His eyes flicked up at Tomoyo, she was still watching him. He cleared his throat.
"Er, I think I'll just go to sleep now…" He said to her halfheartedly. She started.
"Oh! Um, hai, I think that would be for the better," she quickly excused herself and exited the room, throwing one last look at him before going out of sight. He waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps echoing in the hall, and then glanced at the clock. It was only seven-thirty. He groaned, and his eyes fell on a small, slightly wrinkled piece of torn paper resting on the bedside table. It was turned over conspicuously, so that no one could see what was written. Eriol wondered briefly if Tomoyo had noticed it; she had made no indication to convince Eriol that she had indeed seen it.
He quickly dispelled these thoughts and turned his attention back to where it was needed. He flipped the paper over, and saw his dream written on it. Eriol raised and eyebrow, and shook his head at no one in particular. How could he have forgotten?! He sighed angrily and focused on re-reading the dream.
After his mind had re-absorbed all the information, he flopped back on his bed and rested his head on the pillow. Closing his eyes, he went over the dream again and again.
Her image started to fade. It was very unlike the way that Sanalor's image transformed into Kaho. This was softer, more welcoming. For some reason he felt as if he need not fear what was to appear. Slowly, another shape started to form. He could make out long, dark hair, and the figure seemed rather delicate. Shortly he found himself staring into a pair of soft, clear violet eyes. He involuntarily took a step back.
"T-Tomoyo?"
Suddenly, Eriol gasped. His mind cleared for a moment, and he found his face warming. In his dream…he had called Daidouji-san by her first name. 'And,' he realized, 'When I was thinking about it…I called her Tomoyo also.' He had never called anyone by his or her first name except Kaho, whether it be in thought or aloud. He winced at the memory. Kaho…she was the reason of his loneliness for the past ten years. Yes, she had been with him for, what, three years? Somehow, he never felt like he could reveal his true self around her. He always had to keep himself in check. Eriol had an ominous intuition that the reason for that was that Kaho was (physically) much older than him. He had no doubt about the obvious love between them; but he could not ignore the awkwardness he felt physically towards her, and vice versa. Eventually, the two of them had come to the conclusion that if they didn't care enough to overcome their corporeal discomfort with each other, that what they had wasn't the "real thing".
Eriol had always suspected that Kaho had never truly loved him. He had absolutely no proof or evidence; it was what one would call a "gut feeling". And, to be perfectly honest (to Kaho, himself, and his sanity), he had had misgivings and doubts about his true feelings. He still had doubts, and still brooded over them, but the line between the four passions- infatuation, love, lust, and hate- is very thin, and fades as time goes by. Not just for individuals, but the world was-and is- slowly becoming oblivious to the distinctions. Eriol was still not quite sure what had gone on between them. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be…maybe.
As Eriol continued being lost in his thoughts and theories, a (rather unpleasant) thought occurred to him. What if he was attracted to her magic? Or, more specifically, the several magical artifacts that she held? It was certainly possible; Li-kun was once infatuated with (Eriol snorted silently at the notion) Yue because of his power inflicted by the moon.
Suddenly Eriol became angry with himself. If his new-found theory was true…how could he have let himself become ensnare that easily?! He was the most powerful sorcerer in the known universe! In the back of his mind, a thought sparked: 'well, people do say that love can overcome anything…' He shook his head furiously. It was not love!
Eriol stopped his inner battle immediately. He had had just unwittingly admitted- or recognized- that he, in fact, never did and never will love Kaho.
Eriol moaned (he wasn't quite sure why), and forced himself to concentrate on the beginning of the dream (the truth was, thinking about Kaho- or, more specifically, his relationship with her- was noticeably increasing the level of pain of his headache). But, wait… Salanor. Ah, yes, he remembered her. Well, the Clow part of him did…it was one of the very few memories that had remained throughout the reincarnation. Salanor was Clow's elder sister; a beautiful woman who was not always quite what she seemed. She was widely known for seducing men and, after she was through with a certain one, literally tossed him aside. And then focused on another.
She had always been envious of Clow's power. Salanor had never quite understood why he was greater than her, and to tell the truth, neither did Eriol. He supposed that that piece of knowledge was not passed from Clow to Eriol.
Why was she in his dream? And why -this puzzled him the most- did she call him Eriol, right before she transformed? Was it possible (Eriol sucked in his breath) that she, also, had reincarnated herself? If so, who was she now?
Eriol sighed deeply and opened his eyes. All this emotional stress, and to top it all off, he was ill. 'Which,' he realized, 'should never have happened…' Eriol had long ago cast a spell on himself that caused his body to be immune to simple, non-magical diseases and illnesses. I was a simple spell, really, and it could do so much for the human race, if only he could perform the charm on the entire world. No cancer, AIDS, not even the common cold.
Eriol's blood ran cold, fully realizing the extent of this. Somehow, he had retracted a magical disease. All sorcerers know that the only way to get a magical disease (called a micaro, the 'c' pronounced like a 's') was for another person to pass it on- one cannot get a micaro from food or the like. Another known fact about micaros was that only- only- beings with magic flowing in their blood could become ill with one.
Eriol's mouth opened in horror and astonishment. He was only dimly aware of his worsening condition.
'Oh, my god…'
AN: Right. So, can anyone figure out the mystery? I've given you all the information; you just have to piece it together. Hint: look at the information about micaros. Think about it…
Next chapter: Part of the mystery will be solved, things will start making a little more sense and Eriol will finally be getting a break…or not. WHAT?!
Hope that keeps you satisfied for two or three days! …maybe less. Look for the next update!
-kat (Sorry about the essentially all-thought chapter; it was necessary to reveal some things.)