Btw, to sammi:
Tomoyo's not married. Sakura's the one…Did I go wrong somewhere?
PS: This is not an AU fic! Why does everyone think so??Disclaimer for 1st, 2nd and all subsequent chapters: Sakura and gang do not belong to me. Full stop.
Chapter 2: Of Things To Come
"Leave her be! I don't know what you want, but this is between you and me! Leave her out of this!"
"No, Eriol-sama! I won't let you battle him alone!"
"Ruby Moon! An order is an order! Leave! Now!"
"But Master – "
"No 'buts', Spinel Sun! If you regard me as your Master, then obey my command and leave!"
"Trying to protect your creations, O Great Clow Reed?" a voice sneered.
"A bit too late for that now, Hiiragizawa…"
*****************
Hiiragizawa…
A voice…
Hiiragizawa…
So close…
Hiiragizawa…
Getting louder…
"Hiiragizawa?"
Eriol stirred from his slumber, his mind just faintly aware of someone calling his name.
"Hiiragizawa-kun?"
Eriol strained to open his eyes; for some reason, his eyelids felt especially heavy. They rose slowly, allowing light to flood his vision, though at first all he could see were blurred images. Everything was so bright and fuzzy, it was only after a few minutes that his mind registered the abstract mix of colours.
His vision was slowly clearing, and a dark figure was coming into view…
"Hiiragizawa-kun? You're awake?" He then heard an audible sigh, followed by a soft murmur of what he thought was a "thank goodness".
He could now make out a young woman, who he noticed looked roughly his age, sitting not too far away beside the bed he lay in. A worried expression adorned the rather lovely face, her amethyst eyes showing the same emotion.
"Wh...where…?" She stepped forward and helped to prop him up against the pillows, to which he muttered a rather incoherent 'thank you'. He gazed at his surroundings. Where was he?
"You're in my house, Hiiragizawa-kun." She saw him frown just slightly, and added hastily, "I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Daidouji Tomoyo. Does the name ring a bell?"
For a moment, Tomoyo thought he did not remember her, but the flicker of recognition in his eyes proved her wrong.
"Dai…Daidouji-san…." He managed a feeble smile. "I almost didn't recognise you…"
"I don't blame you. It's been seven years since we last met."
He nodded, and closed his eyes. He remembered the last time he had seen her. It had been at his mansion, in Tomoeda, Japan, and a day after Sakura's final test. They had come over to his house to wish him goodbye, as he was leaving the next day for England.
He smiled fondly. He missed those days…
His thoughts were interrupted by an 'ahem', and he turned to face Tomoyo.
"You must be hungry. I'll go and tell the servants to prepare some food for you." She stood to walk off, but she paused at the doorway. "And do get some more rest, Hiiragizawa-kun. You're still weak," she said gently.
Eriol watched the graceful figure leave the room, and his mind lingered on the image of his old acquaintance.
It came like a bolt out of the blue.
Suddenly, something clicked in his brain.
His dream.
Ruby Moon…
Spinel Sun…
He could not stay. There was too much danger involved, especially since now that Tomoyo was acquainted with him again…
No. He had to leave, and fast. He could not put Tomoyo's life at risk…
He stumbled as he got up, his head spinning from his sudden movement. God, why did he feel so weak?
I must leave now, before it's too late…
Clutching his bandaged head, he groggily made his way to the door. His head throbbed so hard he felt as though it was going to burst, but he continued on, ignoring the jolts of pain that racked his body with every step. He made no further than to the hallway before his vision started to get hazy again, and just when he felt as though he was going to fall, a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Hiiragizawa-kun! What are you doing? You should be in bed!" Tomoyo gripped his arm, holding him steady as he leaned his other arm against the wall for support. She placed a hand against his forehead, and her violet eyes widened considerably.
"My God…you're burning up again, Hiiragizawa-kun. We need to get you back to bed…" She tried to pull him back, but he resisted her and shook off her arm.
"Let me go," he muttered weakly.
"I…I must…leave…it's…too….dangerous…for…you…"
"The only danger I face now is your condition, Hiiragizawa-kun!" She hissed fiercely. "If you don't stop moving, you're going to die!"
"I...must…leave…"
The last thing Eriol remembered seeing after saying those words was Tomoyo's face…
Then his whole world went black.
"Hiiragizawa-kun! Hiiragizawa-kun! Guards! Bring him back to the room! Hurry!"
****************
Tomoyo stood at the window, arms crossed casually at her chest, silently looking out upon the world. The sun was beginning to set, its red form dipping over the horizon, and she glanced at her watch. It was five past seven.
Just then, she heard a slight shuffling behind her, but she did not bother to turn back. Baka. You're finally awake.
More shuffling noises, followed by a couple of low moans and groans. After a moment, she spoke.
"Don't you even dare move out of the bed. I'm not going to tolerate another crazy stunt like the one you pulled six hours ago."
Silence ensued. She was sure he had heard it, no matter how groggy or dazed he was, and his next words confirmed it.
"I apologise for the trouble I have caused you." He paused for a moment. "Six hours ago?" His low, baritone voice held a hint of incredulity.
"You've been sleeping ever since you collapsed in my…lap in the hallway." She half-turned her head, unable to bring herself to look him in the eye as she spoke to him, but she could still see his form clearly.
She watched as he nodded quietly, as if processing the information in his head.
"Oh, and here. I think you'll like to have this back. You dropped it on the porch, and I, erm, kept it for you." She turned fully now, stepping forward to give him his necklace, then stepped back again.
"Thank you." He held his sun pendent in his hand, fingering it for a moment, before proceeding to hang it around his neck, and at once felt reassured by the feeling of the cool object against his skin.
Neither of them spoke again, causing more silence to ensue. It was Tomoyo who was the first one to break the deafening silence.
"You are a fool, do you know that? You were mortally wounded, and you almost lost your life by trying to do something stupid like leaving the house when your body has yet to recover from your injuries."
"I am truly sorry about my actions." But I have my reasons for doing so.
However, he said those words in such a cool and detached tone that Tomoyo doubted the sincerity in them.
"Maybe now you'll like to tell me what happened…?"
His head rose sharply, appearing as though he had been jerked out from his deep thoughts. His face was however, curiously devoid of any emotion, though his eyes seemed to follow her keenly.
"There is nothing you need to know."
"You arrived on my doorstep, bleeding terribly, asking for help, and now you tell me that there is nothing I need to know?"
That was before I knew who you were, Daidouji-san.
"I was…delirious then. Please excuse my actions." He paused, contemplating what to say next.
"I'm sorry for intruding on your hospitality. I shall leave as soon as possible."
"You are not going anywhere until you tell me what happened."
Eriol sighed. She was such a stubborn person.
"Forgive me, Daidouji-san, but I cannot tell you. It's too dangerous for you."
"There it is again. 'Dangerous'. What is this 'danger' you keep talking about?"
He tilted his head to look at her, and said coolly, "Something you cannot be involved in."
"In case you haven't noticed, Hiiragizawa-kun, I spent two years of my childhood following Sakura on her card-capturing missions, and I wouldn't classify them as being safe." He clearly detected the iciness of her tone and the barely concealed sarcasm as she uttered the last word, but he paid no attention to it.
He shook his head, and muttered, "This is different."
"Oh? And how would I know, if you refuse to tell me what happened?"
Eriol simply decided to stay silent and not answer her question.
Staring at the tight-lipped young man lying in the bed, she felt a sudden burst of anger wash over her. Here he was, wounded and wrapped in numerous bandages, and he still refused to explain how he ended up in such a condition. Something snapped within her, and unable to control her emotions, she let loose with a scream.
"Don't you understand? You almost died back there!"
Eriol's eyes widened considerably, taken aback by Tomoyo's sudden outburst.
"I…I…" She too was clearly stunned by her own action, and her hand immediately flew to her mouth. She mumbled incoherently, and whirled back towards the window, her back to Eriol once more. Eriol narrowed his eyes. True, he had been close to death, but even so, why was she so upset when he was merely a friend - and not even a close one, in fact – to her? There was another reason, he realised…but what?
"I'm sorry for the distress I've caused you," he said quietly, his eyes focused on the unmoving figure standing beside the window.
"It's…not your fault. I'm to blame." Her voice was now more controlled, though he thought it was a bit too controlled. She turned to face him again, her eyes clear and... pleading. "Please, Hiiragizawa-kun. Tell me what happened to you."
"Really, Daidouji-san, there's no need for you to know. You are not obligated to help me. I will handle –"
Before he realised what was going on he found Tomoyo sitting on the side of his bed, gazing squarely into his eyes.
"Look. I had an obligation to you, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said calmly, her expression unflinching, "from the moment I accepted your plea for help when you arrived that morning."
Eriol blinked. The woman certainly had steel, and obstinacy.
Sigh. Very well. If she wants it that way…
Cool, blue eyes stared back steadily into hers.
"Someone wants me dead, Daidouji-san.
And he won't stop until I am."
To be continued…
Author's notes:
Well? How was it? This chapter is kind of short, I know, but I wanted it to end like that…*grins*. I like cliffhangers….
Oh yes, in case you didn't get it, the first part was a dream sequence. You should know who's dream it was…no?
Anyway, I hope you understand why Eriol was so adamant in not telling Tomoyo anything. If not, pls say so and I'll make it clearer it the next chapter. If you have any questions at all, pls feel free to email me. =)
Well, as for chapter 3, I'm not sure when it's going to come out, as I need to do a lot of brainstorming to figure out what to do next with this story. Right now, I do not have a plausible plot, which is a rather big problem for me, and until I can overcome that hurdle, I don't think chapter 3 will be coming up very soon. I will however, try my best…your reviews have been wonderful encouragement to me, and I'll hate to disappoint you with an unsatisfactory story.
Soooo….until next time, see ya!