World Beyond the Mist
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 8.
~*~*~*~
"I suggest we split up."
"WHAT?!?!"
The whole group had stopped to rest on Meiling's plea, and Eriol has shocked the group with this suggestion. They had been searching for Clow Reed's room now, for over eight days, with no success.
"Why?" Sakura asked softly. The trip had taken its toll on her, and she had no energy to argue.
"If we split into groups of two, we have a better chance of finding the room." Eriol told them. Meiling opened her mouth to argue, but Syaoran interrupted.
"Good idea." Syaoran stated. Tomoyo turned pale, knowing that she would be separated from Sakura and Chiharu; she was right.
"I will go with her." Eriol said, pointing at Tomoyo.
"Meiling, you will stay with Tory..."
"WHAT?!?!"
"That's fine." Tory/Touya said quickly. Meiling shot him a glare.
"Zack, you're with Chiharu, and Syaoran, you take her." He motioned to Sakura. Syaoran growled, but didn't argue. Sakura nodded, her eyes downcast.
"Good. We'll go this way. Zack, you start Westward, and Tory, you try South. Syaoran, you'll go north." Eriol commanded, helping a slightly shaking Tomoyo, to her feet.
"Good." Syaoran growled, helping Sakura up, surprisingly gently. Tomoyo quickly rushed to her friend's side, hugging her tightly.
"Don't let him break you, Sakura-chan." She whispered. Sakura nodded, then turned and followed Syaoran into the dense forest, looking back only once to catch Tory's eye.
"Come on." Tory/Touya growled, dragging the complaining Meiling away. Chiharu shot Tomoyo a scared look, then followed Yamazaki into the forest. Tomoyo's shoulders slumped and she turned away from Eriol so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. Suddenly, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder comfortingly.
"It will be alright, Lady. I separated us for a reason."
"To find Clow Reed's magical room..."
"No. To prove a point. Now come. We have to hurry." Eriol murmured, taking her hand and leading her into the forest.
~*~*~*~
"What now?"
"We wonder through the forest, acting like we're looking for the room?" Yamazaki suggested. Chiharu snorted at this and shot him a grin.
"What is so important about this room anyway? I mean, its only a room." She stated. Zack frowned.
"The great Clow Reed was rumored to do all his magic there, including making the Clow Cards. The cards are rumored to still be there." He told her, pulling her close. She smiled.
"Chiharu...what was your home like?" He finally asked. She looked thoughtful.
"It was...very different from here. Not many places were ruled by monarches, there were also Presidents, Prime Ministers, Corrupted leaders, and military rulers. Where I lived, a President ran the country. We had neighborhoods, not villages, and our houses were not as...simple as yours are."
"And your family?"
"I was an only child. I had...*have* a mom and a dad and a can named 'Tweety'." She giggled at the name, and he smiled.
"My parents died when I was little, and Queen Yelan took me in. I became a spy willingly, but Tomoyo changed my mind. She's a good friend, you know." He admitted. Chiharu cuddled into his arms and the stopped walking.
"She is." She murmured. He pulled her even closer and kissed her cheek, causing her to giggle.
"So, what do you want to do?"
"Go home..." She sighed. Zack's face fell.
"Oh..."
"...home to the Daidouji Kingdom, I mean." She corrected quickly. His smile returned.
"Well, that just happens to be in this direction." He stated, beginning to lead her away.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Chiharu giggled.
~*~*~*~
"I'm tired."
"Too bad."
"You are a guard in the King's army! You will do as I say!" Meiling hissed, her face screwing up in a frown. Touya turned towards her and growled. She had been complaining the whole three hours that they had been walking, and he had had enough. With one swift movement, he grasped both her arms and shoved her roughly against a tree.
"Listen to me, *princess*. I might as well tell you that you may never see your precious King again, now that you have been put under my care." He spat, his eyes blazing. Meiling shuddered and turned pale.
"Wh...what?"
"I am not an ally, you little fool. I am a spy, just like you were. I also have no qualms in admitting that I am the Prince Touya of the Kinomoto Kingdom, and I have no plans to release you back to your home after this is all through."
"THAT'S A LIE! HE'S DEAD!" Meiling shrieked, looking terrified.
"IT'S NOT! I am quite alive and have been my whole life, hiding from you and your monstrous family!" He seethed. Then a slight smile appeared on is lips.
"And to add to your shock, that little angel that was dragged off by your 'wonderful King', happens to be my baby sister, Princess Sakura Kinomoto. And the one that went with King Eriol? She's my cousin, Queen Tomoyo Daidouji." Touya announced, smirking in triumph. Meiling choked and slumped against the tree behind her.
"How..."
"Both Sakura and my mother got to safety before your kingdom attacked us all those years ago. How Sakura came to be here, now, is a mystery to me. But I do know that if King Li lays a hand on her, he will regret it for whatever life he has left before I get to him. The same goes to King Hiiragizawa and my cousin." He hissed. Meiling started for a moment, then she burst into tears.
"I'm going to die!"
"I can neither confirm nor deny that. Behave, and I might just make you a prisoner of war."
"There's no war!"
"You're kingdom kidnapped my sister and the Queen of a land. Unless I miss my guess, that is an act of war." He snapped, his eyes blazing.
"All this time, you were a spy. Does Sak...Kinomoto-san know?"
"Sakura knows. That little bathroom break that she took at your palace was very...informative for the both of us. I learned that my mother is alive, and that my sister was safe. She learned that she had a means of escape if she ever needs it. And now that I have you, I have a way to...bribe your family into freeing mine...or maybe Tomoyo was right. Perhaps they don't care one straw about you, and they will let us keep you." He murmured, pretending to look thoughtful. Meiling's face crumbled.
"They don't. And Syaoran couldn't care less." She whimpered, near tears again.
"Have you ever wondered why?"
"No." Her voice was no more than a whisper.
"You push yourself on people, without thinking of the consequences. You made friends with Tomoyo and Sakura and their friends. Why did you break their trust? They liked you." His voice was softer now, and he was leaning against a tree across from her's.
"I thought..."
"...that it would make the King like you. I understand. You care for him, just like I care for my family. So we're even. You took my family, and now I'll take you." He stated. For some reason, Meiling found herself smiling.
"Fair, I suppose." She muttered. For the first time in a while, Touya grinned, a real, true smile.
"Come on, Princess. I think I should invite you to my kingdom for a while." He said, helping her up. Meiling raised an eyebrow.
"Invite me?"
"Yup. Come on."
~*~*~*~
"We'd better rest." Eriol suggested. Tomoyo glared at him.
"You mean, sleep. I refuse to go a step further tonight." She informed him, plopping down on a log. He turned and smiled at her.
"Fine. But you will have to, to set up camp." He chuckled. She wrinkled her nose at him, but quickly set up her sleeping blanket and helped him to make a fire, though she made sure to sit on the opposite side of the small inferno.
"Are you cold, my Lady?" He asked, his voice genuinely worried. Tomoyo sniffed and tried to control her shivers.
"I'm fine."
"Royalty shouldn't lie." He informed her. Tomoyo jumped and shot him a heated stare.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, your royalness." He smirked, coming around the fire with a blanket in his arms. Tomoyo shivered and edged away from him as he slid it over she shaking shoulders.
"You're nutty."
"And you hide too much. Did you honestly think that no one would notice?" He asked, sitting next to her. Tomoyo's eyes widened and she began to quake with fear.
"I don't understand what you're saying." She whimpered. He smiled.
"Oh, I think you do. The 'Queen' that came with us, had the same aura as you, Miss Handmaiden." He informed her. Tomoyo growled.
"So?"
"I am the reincarnate of Clow Reed. I know the aura's of the cards. That wasn't the Queen. You are. That was a Clow Card." He stated, his eyes shut. Tomoyo shook her head.
"The Clow Cards don't exist anymore." She reminded him. His face hardened.
"You lie."
"I'm not. They are no longer the Clow Cards. They're the Sakura Cards, and they belong to Sakura, and you're not taking them away from her! They are a part of her, and it would kill her to have them taken away." Tomoyo cried. Eriol's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yes. They are also close to her, and they need her as their mistress. No one else. Aunt Nadeshiko realized this. That is why she took them with her when she escaped into the human world with Sakura."
"Wait! Sakura is a Kinomoto?"
"She's the Princess, if you must know. She and her mother were hiding in the human world for about sixteen years of her life, before the accident happened and she came here." Tomoyo stated. Eriol nearly choked.
"She's the princess?" He gulped. Tomoyo nodded.
"So you got a double deal. Me, the Queen, and Sakura, the Princess. Any more lucky and you could have gotten her brother...oh, wait! He's dead!" She hissed. Eriol flushed.
"That wasn't..."
"Don't tell me it wasn't your fault. It was our enemies fault. My mother's death, my uncle's, my cousin's. Everything I knew was distroyed when you attacked our kingdoms. Your hate of my Aunt's decisions, killed everything that I held dear. Your greed just took the only person who truly knew and understood me, away! And now you are saying that it's not your fault? You put Sakura into the hands of a man who couldn't care less about her, or her well-being, and you say it isn't your fault?" Tomoyo shouted, her voice echoing in the silent night. Eriol lowered his head, avoiding the burning gaze.
"I didn't mean for it to happen..."
"Oh, I'm sure you didn't. Your kingdom...your alliances, distroyed everything! Everything! And all you can say is that you didn't mean for it to happen? Everything happens for a reason, *King*, thus the reason Aunt Nadeshiko had the Clow Cards in her possession. Why battle against that? Why did they attack our kingdoms, then?" Tomoyo asked, her voice near tears. Eriol looked up and met her eyes.
"Hatred. Jealousy. But you cannot blame that on me. It was our parent's rivalry, not ours...not until now. My father believed that the cards rightfully belonged to us, due to the fact that I was the reincarnate of Clow Reed. The Li's agreed to this, owning to the fact that they were Clow's descendants. Syaoran, Meiling and I were just dragged into it when we were old enough to understand our parent's point of view. We never knew the destruction that your kingdoms went through until Meiling and Yamazaki became spies." He stated. Tomoyo looked shocked.
"How could it be hidden from you?!"
"Easily. Simply tell a child that all is right in their world, and they'll believe it. Tell them that they are fighting for peace, and they'll believe it. Tell them that what they are doing is right, and they will trust you. That is the way a child's mind works, Tomoyo." He snapped, his patience waning. Tomoyo frowned, a few tears dropping from her eyes.
"It is still no excuse. We have fought so hard to keep our people alive and give them hope to live. You have had everything handed to you on a silver platter. Our people suffered while yours prospered on our losses. That hurts us, your majesty, and makes us hate you all the more. I don't think I have ever hated anyone before, but this feeling running through my veins as I look at you could be nothing less." She murmured. Eriol looked startled.
"You hate me?"
"I do."
"Why?" He asked, still startled. She frowned.
"Your ignorance. You act as if you know everything, and yet you know nothing outside of your own world and thoughts. You could care less about my people, I can see it in your eyes. And that makes me hate you more. You are a selfish man, Hiiragizawa, who wouldn't care how many men died for your cause, as long as you get your way." She hissed, angry tears falling onto her pale cheeks.
"I am not..."
"YOU ARE! You are selfish, and cruel, and reckless, and ignorant, and so many other things. And I HATE you for it! I hate you!" She cried. His temper snapped.
"Say that one more time and I'll...!"
"I HATE YOU!" She sobbed, her hand connecting with his cheek. Eriol's eyes blazed and he grasped her wrist in a strong, yet gentle grip. His eyes tore into her's, and she balked, hot, angry tears still dripping down her cheeks. Something tore at Eriol's heart, and his anger died, replaced by a new awareness.
"You could never hate anyone, Tomoyo. It's not in your nature." He murmured, moving her hand to his lips, and kissing it. Tomoyo stared with shocked, wide eyes. His other hand caught her other wrist, and he kissed that hand as well. Then his lips found their way to her temple, and caressed her soft skin.
"We all make mistakes, Tomoyo. I had no idea of your troubles, and I'm sorry." He mumbled into her ear, gently nipping at it. Tomoyo gasped and stiffened, the emotion that she was sure had been hate, was now racing through her veins once again, this time, quicker.
"I'm sorry for what my parents did." He whispered, kissing one cheek.
"I'm sorry for everything I put you through." Another kiss on the other cheek.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, capturing her lips with his. Tomoyo couldn't move, for her mind was dulled with pleasure from this kiss. Her skin tingled pleasantly at his touch, and she realized that the *hatred* she had been feeling, was actually immense pain, now washed away and replaced by some other, wondrous emotion.
"Forgive me." He breathed, pulling away slightly. Tomoyo leaned forward and her lips caught his. This kiss was longer, and his hands left her wrists, to slide around her waist, while her hands found his neck and encircled it. Then, she pulled back, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Why should I?" She asked. His face broke into a grin and all pain was gone from it.
"Because you need me." He whispered.
"OH?"
"Yes. And because I have something...that might make things a little easier. Perhaps...you would know." He murmured, placing light kisses on her lips. All thoughts of their past argument melted away like snow.
"What?"
"Here. Read this." He said, pulling a small piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to her. Tomoyo frowned, opened the paper, and began to read.
//To my dearest daughter,
You shall never receive this. The peace is gone and Namair is approaching his goal.but I shall never allow him to reach it. Only when the four stones of Rheum are returned to the 'frame', will peace return to our world. Four stones scattered in the dead of night, each must return to the hands of its color.
The hands.soulmates, my daughter. Soulmates.but you shall never know. You are safe in their world. Your mother's world. And you, my daughter, will never know of us, god willing, my little flower will stay safe and never know of the horror that has taken place. Never...//
"OH!" Tomoyo gasped as she read, her eyes wider than ever.
"See? Do you know to whom it was written?"
"Sakura! It was Sakura's father who wrote this, I'm sure! But...how did you come upon it?" Tomoyo gasped. Eriol shrugged.
"My father had it in his study. I found it while cleaning out one of his desks. Namair, you see, is the name of Syaoran's father, and is probably referring to when he attacked the Kinomoto kingdom. The four stones of Rheum, are mystical stones that Clow Reed used...but for what I do not know. The soulmates...I have no idea what that is supposed to mean." He finished. Tomoyo looked thoughtful.
"The stones must have been hidden somewhere...but where? The letter says 'the dead of night', but what is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, they must have been in his possession. Maybe he was the one who hid them." Eriol said thoughtfully.
"Perhaps." Tomoyo said thoughtfully, fingering the amethyst necklace that she always wore.
"What is that?" Eriol asked, gently fingering the amethyst stone. Tomoyo smiled.
"My mother gave it to me before...well, she gave it to me. Sakura has an identical one, except her's is a pink diamond and is shaped like a star." Tomoyo commented. Eriol frowned.
"I have one too." He stated, holding it out. It was a sapphire, shaped like a cat, on a silver chain. Tomoyo shivered as she touched it, a strange feeling running through her fingers. Eriol had felt the same thing when he had touched her necklace, but chose not to mention it.
"Syaoran has one too. His is a emerald wolf. He found his in a stream-bed, once when we were small. Mine...I found it sitting on a rock in the middle of a clearing. I was quite sure it belonged to someone, but when no one claimed it, I kept it for my own." He murmured. Tomoyo nodded, thinking. Neither of them had noticed that she was snuggled tightly in his arms by now, her back against his firm chest.
"WAIT! Four stones...four necklaces...four people! It all fits, Eriol! See? The four stones of Rheum!" She exclaimed. Eriol's eyes widened.
"We have to find Sakura and Syaoran!" He muttered, beginning to stand. Tomoyo giggled and pulled him back down.
"First thing tomorrow. Right now, we should sleep." She murmured. Eriol looked reluctant, but agreed. He quickly moved his things over next to hers, and then formed their blankets into one big sleeping space. They both laid down, Tomoyo wrapped snugly in his arms.
After a while, her breathing became deep and regular, and Eriol took this chance to look at the angel in his arms. He smiled, kissing her forehead.
"I love you Tomoyo, even if you don't love me." He murmured.
"I've loved you since that day...in the arena." He mumbled, as he too, fell asleep.
~*~*~*~
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 8.
~*~*~*~
"I suggest we split up."
"WHAT?!?!"
The whole group had stopped to rest on Meiling's plea, and Eriol has shocked the group with this suggestion. They had been searching for Clow Reed's room now, for over eight days, with no success.
"Why?" Sakura asked softly. The trip had taken its toll on her, and she had no energy to argue.
"If we split into groups of two, we have a better chance of finding the room." Eriol told them. Meiling opened her mouth to argue, but Syaoran interrupted.
"Good idea." Syaoran stated. Tomoyo turned pale, knowing that she would be separated from Sakura and Chiharu; she was right.
"I will go with her." Eriol said, pointing at Tomoyo.
"Meiling, you will stay with Tory..."
"WHAT?!?!"
"That's fine." Tory/Touya said quickly. Meiling shot him a glare.
"Zack, you're with Chiharu, and Syaoran, you take her." He motioned to Sakura. Syaoran growled, but didn't argue. Sakura nodded, her eyes downcast.
"Good. We'll go this way. Zack, you start Westward, and Tory, you try South. Syaoran, you'll go north." Eriol commanded, helping a slightly shaking Tomoyo, to her feet.
"Good." Syaoran growled, helping Sakura up, surprisingly gently. Tomoyo quickly rushed to her friend's side, hugging her tightly.
"Don't let him break you, Sakura-chan." She whispered. Sakura nodded, then turned and followed Syaoran into the dense forest, looking back only once to catch Tory's eye.
"Come on." Tory/Touya growled, dragging the complaining Meiling away. Chiharu shot Tomoyo a scared look, then followed Yamazaki into the forest. Tomoyo's shoulders slumped and she turned away from Eriol so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. Suddenly, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder comfortingly.
"It will be alright, Lady. I separated us for a reason."
"To find Clow Reed's magical room..."
"No. To prove a point. Now come. We have to hurry." Eriol murmured, taking her hand and leading her into the forest.
~*~*~*~
"What now?"
"We wonder through the forest, acting like we're looking for the room?" Yamazaki suggested. Chiharu snorted at this and shot him a grin.
"What is so important about this room anyway? I mean, its only a room." She stated. Zack frowned.
"The great Clow Reed was rumored to do all his magic there, including making the Clow Cards. The cards are rumored to still be there." He told her, pulling her close. She smiled.
"Chiharu...what was your home like?" He finally asked. She looked thoughtful.
"It was...very different from here. Not many places were ruled by monarches, there were also Presidents, Prime Ministers, Corrupted leaders, and military rulers. Where I lived, a President ran the country. We had neighborhoods, not villages, and our houses were not as...simple as yours are."
"And your family?"
"I was an only child. I had...*have* a mom and a dad and a can named 'Tweety'." She giggled at the name, and he smiled.
"My parents died when I was little, and Queen Yelan took me in. I became a spy willingly, but Tomoyo changed my mind. She's a good friend, you know." He admitted. Chiharu cuddled into his arms and the stopped walking.
"She is." She murmured. He pulled her even closer and kissed her cheek, causing her to giggle.
"So, what do you want to do?"
"Go home..." She sighed. Zack's face fell.
"Oh..."
"...home to the Daidouji Kingdom, I mean." She corrected quickly. His smile returned.
"Well, that just happens to be in this direction." He stated, beginning to lead her away.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Chiharu giggled.
~*~*~*~
"I'm tired."
"Too bad."
"You are a guard in the King's army! You will do as I say!" Meiling hissed, her face screwing up in a frown. Touya turned towards her and growled. She had been complaining the whole three hours that they had been walking, and he had had enough. With one swift movement, he grasped both her arms and shoved her roughly against a tree.
"Listen to me, *princess*. I might as well tell you that you may never see your precious King again, now that you have been put under my care." He spat, his eyes blazing. Meiling shuddered and turned pale.
"Wh...what?"
"I am not an ally, you little fool. I am a spy, just like you were. I also have no qualms in admitting that I am the Prince Touya of the Kinomoto Kingdom, and I have no plans to release you back to your home after this is all through."
"THAT'S A LIE! HE'S DEAD!" Meiling shrieked, looking terrified.
"IT'S NOT! I am quite alive and have been my whole life, hiding from you and your monstrous family!" He seethed. Then a slight smile appeared on is lips.
"And to add to your shock, that little angel that was dragged off by your 'wonderful King', happens to be my baby sister, Princess Sakura Kinomoto. And the one that went with King Eriol? She's my cousin, Queen Tomoyo Daidouji." Touya announced, smirking in triumph. Meiling choked and slumped against the tree behind her.
"How..."
"Both Sakura and my mother got to safety before your kingdom attacked us all those years ago. How Sakura came to be here, now, is a mystery to me. But I do know that if King Li lays a hand on her, he will regret it for whatever life he has left before I get to him. The same goes to King Hiiragizawa and my cousin." He hissed. Meiling started for a moment, then she burst into tears.
"I'm going to die!"
"I can neither confirm nor deny that. Behave, and I might just make you a prisoner of war."
"There's no war!"
"You're kingdom kidnapped my sister and the Queen of a land. Unless I miss my guess, that is an act of war." He snapped, his eyes blazing.
"All this time, you were a spy. Does Sak...Kinomoto-san know?"
"Sakura knows. That little bathroom break that she took at your palace was very...informative for the both of us. I learned that my mother is alive, and that my sister was safe. She learned that she had a means of escape if she ever needs it. And now that I have you, I have a way to...bribe your family into freeing mine...or maybe Tomoyo was right. Perhaps they don't care one straw about you, and they will let us keep you." He murmured, pretending to look thoughtful. Meiling's face crumbled.
"They don't. And Syaoran couldn't care less." She whimpered, near tears again.
"Have you ever wondered why?"
"No." Her voice was no more than a whisper.
"You push yourself on people, without thinking of the consequences. You made friends with Tomoyo and Sakura and their friends. Why did you break their trust? They liked you." His voice was softer now, and he was leaning against a tree across from her's.
"I thought..."
"...that it would make the King like you. I understand. You care for him, just like I care for my family. So we're even. You took my family, and now I'll take you." He stated. For some reason, Meiling found herself smiling.
"Fair, I suppose." She muttered. For the first time in a while, Touya grinned, a real, true smile.
"Come on, Princess. I think I should invite you to my kingdom for a while." He said, helping her up. Meiling raised an eyebrow.
"Invite me?"
"Yup. Come on."
~*~*~*~
"We'd better rest." Eriol suggested. Tomoyo glared at him.
"You mean, sleep. I refuse to go a step further tonight." She informed him, plopping down on a log. He turned and smiled at her.
"Fine. But you will have to, to set up camp." He chuckled. She wrinkled her nose at him, but quickly set up her sleeping blanket and helped him to make a fire, though she made sure to sit on the opposite side of the small inferno.
"Are you cold, my Lady?" He asked, his voice genuinely worried. Tomoyo sniffed and tried to control her shivers.
"I'm fine."
"Royalty shouldn't lie." He informed her. Tomoyo jumped and shot him a heated stare.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, your royalness." He smirked, coming around the fire with a blanket in his arms. Tomoyo shivered and edged away from him as he slid it over she shaking shoulders.
"You're nutty."
"And you hide too much. Did you honestly think that no one would notice?" He asked, sitting next to her. Tomoyo's eyes widened and she began to quake with fear.
"I don't understand what you're saying." She whimpered. He smiled.
"Oh, I think you do. The 'Queen' that came with us, had the same aura as you, Miss Handmaiden." He informed her. Tomoyo growled.
"So?"
"I am the reincarnate of Clow Reed. I know the aura's of the cards. That wasn't the Queen. You are. That was a Clow Card." He stated, his eyes shut. Tomoyo shook her head.
"The Clow Cards don't exist anymore." She reminded him. His face hardened.
"You lie."
"I'm not. They are no longer the Clow Cards. They're the Sakura Cards, and they belong to Sakura, and you're not taking them away from her! They are a part of her, and it would kill her to have them taken away." Tomoyo cried. Eriol's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yes. They are also close to her, and they need her as their mistress. No one else. Aunt Nadeshiko realized this. That is why she took them with her when she escaped into the human world with Sakura."
"Wait! Sakura is a Kinomoto?"
"She's the Princess, if you must know. She and her mother were hiding in the human world for about sixteen years of her life, before the accident happened and she came here." Tomoyo stated. Eriol nearly choked.
"She's the princess?" He gulped. Tomoyo nodded.
"So you got a double deal. Me, the Queen, and Sakura, the Princess. Any more lucky and you could have gotten her brother...oh, wait! He's dead!" She hissed. Eriol flushed.
"That wasn't..."
"Don't tell me it wasn't your fault. It was our enemies fault. My mother's death, my uncle's, my cousin's. Everything I knew was distroyed when you attacked our kingdoms. Your hate of my Aunt's decisions, killed everything that I held dear. Your greed just took the only person who truly knew and understood me, away! And now you are saying that it's not your fault? You put Sakura into the hands of a man who couldn't care less about her, or her well-being, and you say it isn't your fault?" Tomoyo shouted, her voice echoing in the silent night. Eriol lowered his head, avoiding the burning gaze.
"I didn't mean for it to happen..."
"Oh, I'm sure you didn't. Your kingdom...your alliances, distroyed everything! Everything! And all you can say is that you didn't mean for it to happen? Everything happens for a reason, *King*, thus the reason Aunt Nadeshiko had the Clow Cards in her possession. Why battle against that? Why did they attack our kingdoms, then?" Tomoyo asked, her voice near tears. Eriol looked up and met her eyes.
"Hatred. Jealousy. But you cannot blame that on me. It was our parent's rivalry, not ours...not until now. My father believed that the cards rightfully belonged to us, due to the fact that I was the reincarnate of Clow Reed. The Li's agreed to this, owning to the fact that they were Clow's descendants. Syaoran, Meiling and I were just dragged into it when we were old enough to understand our parent's point of view. We never knew the destruction that your kingdoms went through until Meiling and Yamazaki became spies." He stated. Tomoyo looked shocked.
"How could it be hidden from you?!"
"Easily. Simply tell a child that all is right in their world, and they'll believe it. Tell them that they are fighting for peace, and they'll believe it. Tell them that what they are doing is right, and they will trust you. That is the way a child's mind works, Tomoyo." He snapped, his patience waning. Tomoyo frowned, a few tears dropping from her eyes.
"It is still no excuse. We have fought so hard to keep our people alive and give them hope to live. You have had everything handed to you on a silver platter. Our people suffered while yours prospered on our losses. That hurts us, your majesty, and makes us hate you all the more. I don't think I have ever hated anyone before, but this feeling running through my veins as I look at you could be nothing less." She murmured. Eriol looked startled.
"You hate me?"
"I do."
"Why?" He asked, still startled. She frowned.
"Your ignorance. You act as if you know everything, and yet you know nothing outside of your own world and thoughts. You could care less about my people, I can see it in your eyes. And that makes me hate you more. You are a selfish man, Hiiragizawa, who wouldn't care how many men died for your cause, as long as you get your way." She hissed, angry tears falling onto her pale cheeks.
"I am not..."
"YOU ARE! You are selfish, and cruel, and reckless, and ignorant, and so many other things. And I HATE you for it! I hate you!" She cried. His temper snapped.
"Say that one more time and I'll...!"
"I HATE YOU!" She sobbed, her hand connecting with his cheek. Eriol's eyes blazed and he grasped her wrist in a strong, yet gentle grip. His eyes tore into her's, and she balked, hot, angry tears still dripping down her cheeks. Something tore at Eriol's heart, and his anger died, replaced by a new awareness.
"You could never hate anyone, Tomoyo. It's not in your nature." He murmured, moving her hand to his lips, and kissing it. Tomoyo stared with shocked, wide eyes. His other hand caught her other wrist, and he kissed that hand as well. Then his lips found their way to her temple, and caressed her soft skin.
"We all make mistakes, Tomoyo. I had no idea of your troubles, and I'm sorry." He mumbled into her ear, gently nipping at it. Tomoyo gasped and stiffened, the emotion that she was sure had been hate, was now racing through her veins once again, this time, quicker.
"I'm sorry for what my parents did." He whispered, kissing one cheek.
"I'm sorry for everything I put you through." Another kiss on the other cheek.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, capturing her lips with his. Tomoyo couldn't move, for her mind was dulled with pleasure from this kiss. Her skin tingled pleasantly at his touch, and she realized that the *hatred* she had been feeling, was actually immense pain, now washed away and replaced by some other, wondrous emotion.
"Forgive me." He breathed, pulling away slightly. Tomoyo leaned forward and her lips caught his. This kiss was longer, and his hands left her wrists, to slide around her waist, while her hands found his neck and encircled it. Then, she pulled back, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Why should I?" She asked. His face broke into a grin and all pain was gone from it.
"Because you need me." He whispered.
"OH?"
"Yes. And because I have something...that might make things a little easier. Perhaps...you would know." He murmured, placing light kisses on her lips. All thoughts of their past argument melted away like snow.
"What?"
"Here. Read this." He said, pulling a small piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to her. Tomoyo frowned, opened the paper, and began to read.
//To my dearest daughter,
You shall never receive this. The peace is gone and Namair is approaching his goal.but I shall never allow him to reach it. Only when the four stones of Rheum are returned to the 'frame', will peace return to our world. Four stones scattered in the dead of night, each must return to the hands of its color.
The hands.soulmates, my daughter. Soulmates.but you shall never know. You are safe in their world. Your mother's world. And you, my daughter, will never know of us, god willing, my little flower will stay safe and never know of the horror that has taken place. Never...//
"OH!" Tomoyo gasped as she read, her eyes wider than ever.
"See? Do you know to whom it was written?"
"Sakura! It was Sakura's father who wrote this, I'm sure! But...how did you come upon it?" Tomoyo gasped. Eriol shrugged.
"My father had it in his study. I found it while cleaning out one of his desks. Namair, you see, is the name of Syaoran's father, and is probably referring to when he attacked the Kinomoto kingdom. The four stones of Rheum, are mystical stones that Clow Reed used...but for what I do not know. The soulmates...I have no idea what that is supposed to mean." He finished. Tomoyo looked thoughtful.
"The stones must have been hidden somewhere...but where? The letter says 'the dead of night', but what is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, they must have been in his possession. Maybe he was the one who hid them." Eriol said thoughtfully.
"Perhaps." Tomoyo said thoughtfully, fingering the amethyst necklace that she always wore.
"What is that?" Eriol asked, gently fingering the amethyst stone. Tomoyo smiled.
"My mother gave it to me before...well, she gave it to me. Sakura has an identical one, except her's is a pink diamond and is shaped like a star." Tomoyo commented. Eriol frowned.
"I have one too." He stated, holding it out. It was a sapphire, shaped like a cat, on a silver chain. Tomoyo shivered as she touched it, a strange feeling running through her fingers. Eriol had felt the same thing when he had touched her necklace, but chose not to mention it.
"Syaoran has one too. His is a emerald wolf. He found his in a stream-bed, once when we were small. Mine...I found it sitting on a rock in the middle of a clearing. I was quite sure it belonged to someone, but when no one claimed it, I kept it for my own." He murmured. Tomoyo nodded, thinking. Neither of them had noticed that she was snuggled tightly in his arms by now, her back against his firm chest.
"WAIT! Four stones...four necklaces...four people! It all fits, Eriol! See? The four stones of Rheum!" She exclaimed. Eriol's eyes widened.
"We have to find Sakura and Syaoran!" He muttered, beginning to stand. Tomoyo giggled and pulled him back down.
"First thing tomorrow. Right now, we should sleep." She murmured. Eriol looked reluctant, but agreed. He quickly moved his things over next to hers, and then formed their blankets into one big sleeping space. They both laid down, Tomoyo wrapped snugly in his arms.
After a while, her breathing became deep and regular, and Eriol took this chance to look at the angel in his arms. He smiled, kissing her forehead.
"I love you Tomoyo, even if you don't love me." He murmured.
"I've loved you since that day...in the arena." He mumbled, as he too, fell asleep.
~*~*~*~