A/N: Sorry I've taken a mini (and completely uncalled for) hiatus concerning this fic. I've had my exams and some... personal problems... I had to wade through. I didn't want anything too heavy on the angst scale in this fic, so... But now I have time, all I want in the world.

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Chapter 12: Grave

Grave: music, n., heavy, slow and ponderous in movement.

Sakura fidgeted a bit while she sat in the parlour of the Akizuki villa. Everything in the room screamed money – the walls were a soft cream colour, with many landscapes and expensive-looking tidbits hanging, the carpet had an antique Persian design. Even the chair she was sitting on was upholstered in rich red velvet with gilded handles. Sakura didn't have this sort of luxury while she was growing up. Her father was somewhere in Turkey doing research for what she assumed was archaeological studies. The girl's mother died when she was still a babe, so only precious little mementos remained to remind her of the beautiful woman. So Sakura was left with only her brother, bless his soul.

They never had much money because it was just the two of them. Touya had to take on several jobs, and when she was old enough she got herself one, too, so she wouldn't feel as useless when it came to monetary problems. There were times when she was growing up that there wasn't enough food on the table, or not enough money to buy decent food; the clothes she wore were either bought at second-hand stores or made especially for her by Tomoyo. Tomoyo herself wasn't that rich, wealthy, yes, but mainly in inheritance. Thus it came to her as a bit of a shock to find herself in such an expensive environment.

She glanced down into the soft brown of her Indian tea, served to her by the portly butler. It felt odd, in a sense, because she grew up despising the rich class, and yet she was also drawn to it. Her face warmed up when she thought of Syaoran, who she knew slept in this same house, maybe only several layers of plaster away. She took a sip of her tea in hopes of disbanding such thoughts. They were completely uncalled for and un-lady like, and surely much scorned by her brother. Sakura giggled at the prospect of seeing the look on Touya's face when he found out that a count – she still couldn't believe it herself; Lord Syaoran was too humble to be a count – was courting her, especially since he hated the mentioned count.

It wouldn't work, she knew, because they belonged to different classes. But then, Syaoran had also said that he didn't care for money or status, just her. So maybe things would work out, maybe she would get to live out that fantasy of castles and charming princes like she had when she was little.

But now Tomoyo was more important. Tomoyo was the princess in this case, trapped in a glass, painful castle, waiting for the prince. And the prince came, as expected; now the only problem that stood was to get the princess out of the glass Hell and into the arms of the prince.

"Good morning, Miss Kinomoto." Came the polite greeting from the raven-haired gentleman now entering the room.

"No, Sakura, please call me Sakura." She replied, ducking her head to hide her embarrassment.

Eriol smiled at her and sat in the sofa opposite. "Sakura, then, I welcome you. I haven't been expecting to receive company so early in the morning, but I'm glad it's you and no one else." Though his voice was light, there was a sort of weariness there.

"I apologise if I woke you up."

"No, no. It was no trouble at all; I was awake before your arrival, actually." He amended dismissively. Then a grave look passed over his face and the grin disappeared. He leaned forward, racked his elegant digits through his hair and glanced anxiously outside, where the sky was rapidly brightening. "You said you know how to... help the situation?"

Eriol winced mentally. He didn't intend to sound so hopeful and pleading, but the emotion escaped before he could quench it. Years of experience taught him to steel his features from outsiders, even from those that were close. It came as a sort of defence mechanism against the pains of the world. If he pretended that nothing was wrong, if he made other people believe so, then they would not know that he was hurting inside and, therefore, wouldn't be able to use that against him. But times and situations changed. Tomoyo became more important than keeping up façade.

"I don't want for Tomoyo to suffer anymore, she doesn't deserve it – no one does," he murmured, almost too quietly to be heard by the other occupant of the room.

"I know," Sakura replied just as quietly, "which is why we need to help her escape."

"I've thought of that already," said Eriol, which was true enough. All night long, and even before that, before he knew the deep and dark secret, he wanted to set Tomoyo free. It was clear that she was trapped, perhaps by her own inability to flee, or from the clutch of that woman – it didn't really matter why – but she was slowly suffocating in that cage. It hurt him deeply to think that not only... that... was done to her, that it was allowed to happen in the first place, but also that he was powerless to change either the past or the immediate future. He steeled his voice and continued. "By what I know of the situation – from what both you and Tomoyo told me – I can tell that Daidouji Sonomi is very possessive of her daughter. It will not be easy to set Tomoyo free."

Sakura nodded in affirmation. "I've dealt enough with the woman to know that she has a strong grip around Tomoyo. Sonomi hates to lose, and losing Tomoyo, even if to you, is the ultimate sin in her eyes. She'll stop at nothing to keep her daughter by her side."

Eriol clenched his teeth, removing his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. "God. What kind of person is she? No human can be that cruel."

"No," Sakura shook her head, sounding anxious, "you don't understand. Sonomi does not mean to be like that, really, she doesn't. She can't help it, she doesn't even know that what she's doing is wrong. She's sick, I think. Sonomi always wanted the perfect home, the perfect husband and child and life. But then she couldn't have children and that hurt her, so when Tomoyo came along her little fantasy came true. She doesn't want to let go of Tomoyo because she's afraid of loneliness, to wake up and see her dream end."

"But that still doesn't give her the right to play with the life of an innocent girl like with some doll."

"I know, but —"

She was suddenly interrupted when the double doors were opened and in walked Syaoran, as messy-haired as usual, glaring first at his friend then glancing at Sakura.

"I should have been awakened," he hissed at his friend and moved over to the girl. Placing a light kiss on the inside of her palm, he murmured, "Morning."

"Good morning," Sakura replied, a bit breathlessly, if Eriol was any judge. His mood elevated instantly, a bright, if not slightly malicious, smile spread along his lips. 'How come I haven't heard of this development before now?' he asked himself, though he didn't mind one bit. Syaoran did have the right to keep secrets from him, though that only made Eriol feel more curious about his friend. Syaoran was always the cold, distant one, even in the bygone days of their youth. It was a pleasant twist of fate that led him to Tomoyo, which subsequently led his friend to lovely Sakura.

Eriol smiled further when the count and the girl continued to make googly eyes at each other, completely ignoring him. 'It would be so much fun to tease him,' Eriol decided with glee, mentally skimming through his list of torture methods.

But now was no time for pleasantries, now was business. He coughed, louder than would have been needed normally. "I don't mean to interrupt your sweet little reunion, but I believe there's some important matters that need to be discussed."

The two lovebirds simultaneously turned their heads to face him. A dusty pink grazed Sakura's pale cheeks, while Syaoran was shooting Eriol scathing looks underneath his bangs.

"You don't have to look so heartbroken, Syao-chan. I miss you, too, you know?" Eriol crooned, fluttering his eyes lashed coquettishly.

"You miss me, really? Want to reacquaint with my fist? I bet it misses you, too." Syaoran growled.

Eriol laughed merrily, his eyes dancing, while Sakura's brows shot up all the way to her hairline. "Gentlemen..."

Smile falling off his face, Eriol straightened his back and faced her. "As you were saying. What can be done?"

The girl clasped her hands on her lap and fidgeted some more. "We need to get her out of the country."

Syaoran spared a worried glance at his friend. He knew that the topic of the conversation must have been the dark-haired girl Eriol was smitten with, if the concentration on his face gave any indication. The count didn't know the full story behind the girl's secret, he wasn't sure he wanted to know, but for his friend's sake, he would stand by the two of them. He realized a while ago that Eriol would stop at nothing to save his Blue Bird (as he heard him mention one time) and Syaoran just hoped that the price wouldn't be too high.

"I know that," replied Eriol, racking his hand through his hair, "but that doesn't help one bit."

"My brother's friend, Tsukishiro Yukito, agreed to let the two of you hide out in one of his mansions in the northern part of the city." Sakura said and almost instantly Eriol's ears perked up.

"Go on."

"Lord Yukito has been a my brother's friend a long time now, he was there to see both Tomoyo and I grow up. He cares about her just as much as I do, which is why he's offered to help (when I accidentally let it slip out). The only time Tomoyo is allowed to go outside her house is during the festivities and for church, if you exclude the times she..." the girl let her sentence trail, unable to voice the ugly truth. "So tonight, while Sonomi leaves her daughter unattended, as she always does when there are many important people, we'll sneak Tomoyo to my brother, where he'll take both you and her to Lord Yukito in the north."

Eriol blinked a couple of times. "Then why can't we bring her here? That'll save us time and a debt to your brother's friend."

"But you must understand that Sonomi will not give up that easily. Here, in you aunts villa, the two of you will be vulnerable. She knows who you are, and most likely where you currently live and everything about you, in fact. You might be a viscount back in England, but here is not the same; here your status abroad means nothing. Lord Yukito, on the other hand, is a very important nobleman in Venice. He's involved in politics and is a great patron to the church. She won't dare to stir trouble with him because there are too many people who are under his influence here; she'd be surrounded by enemies."

Both gentleman paused and looked at her, amazed. The girl that grew up with little schooling and money and seemed outwardly innocent was very cunning indeed. "That's brilliant." Breathed out Syaoran, grasping her hand in his.

"My sentiments exactly," said Eriol, waking up from his stupor. "So now all we can do is wait and plan and pray."

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Her shoes cliched painfully against the expansive terra cotta tiles. The sound echoes through the empty hallways, amplifying it and making her shudder at its loudness. What if she was to be discovered? Sure she could tell them that she felt fatigued with the crowd in the main ballroom and wanted some quiet. But that wouldn't explain why she went in so deep into the mansion. Maybe she could pretend that she was lost?

The otherwise silent corridor seemed almost ominous, dark, lingering shadows crept along the walls and the floor. Tomoyo had always been terrified of the dark, especially when she knew that she was alone and something unnatural could be hiding in those shadows, waiting until she was unguarded to pounce on her. And with darkness also came coldness. It seeped through her clothes, as it always did, no matter how many layers of cloth she had on. It was like a touch, barely distinguishable but definitely there. She shuddered to think what it could lead to and bit her lip.

Tomoyo wrapped her arms around her middle and kept on walking. 'If I pretend I'm not here, then they can't get to me,' she told herself confidently. So she tried to imagine herself invisible and ignored the many closed doors along the hallways that resembled hungry maws.

Ever since she was small, she always believed in monsters, under her bed and hiding behind her, always just beyond her reach. Sometimes the monsters would draw closer and she'd feel their cold breath on her neck and hear their whisper-like voices. She knew such a fear was completely irrational, given that she was old enough to know that it was illogical and improbable for monsters to exist. But when she was in the Dark Room all common sense abandoned her and she just wanted to get out. It was so easy to let her imagination wonder, and perhaps that was the entire purpose of the Dark Room – not penance for being a bad girl, but to make her afraid as punishment. She knew that it would drive her insane given just a bit more time.

Tomoyo lifted her chin up and kept her gaze directly forward, her back ramrod straight, like she was taught. 'Eriol would be waiting for me in one of these rooms, I can't be afraid for his sake,' she thought and quickened her pace.

There. The chamber with large double doors was the one behind which lay her future with Eriol, as Sakura had said. She could barely believe it; it was like talking small steps across an enormous gap. If she stepped over the gap, Tomoyo knew that her live would never be the same. She paused for a minute, her hand almost touching the handle. Did she really want to do this? This was the home she knew all her life, this was where she belonged. Did she dare to change it after such a long time? Did she want to leave her mother alone in this world?

Yes, she did, Tomoyo realized. And suddenly inside her swelled a deep passion, almost like hatred, for the woman. All those years of being suppressed, all that time of captivity, she didn't deserve it. She wanted to escape it all, to forget everything that ever happened to her. And Eriol would give her that freedom.

With a relieved sigh, she turned the handle and rushed into the room. For a moment, she didn't see him. But then the darkness almost parted, and she could see again. The large window was open, white gauzy curtains flew and danced on the light that came from outside. And standing beside the window was Eriol, a soft smile on his face.

"My love," he breathed out, but she heard it anyway.

He opened his arms for her and she came running to him. He enveloped her in his arms, and she held on to his billowy shirt. Eriol stroked her hair and whispered her name, holding her so tight she thought she wouldn't be able to breathe. Tomoyo didn't even realize that she was crying until she felt the wetness on the mask press against her face. 'God, I can't believe this is actually happening. I think I might just die right now and here because I never want to leave.'

She tore the mask off and pressed her face into his neck, breathing in his scent, wanting more of this moment, as if it'd disappear if she opened her eyes.

"Don't cry," he said and cupped her face, softly kissing the tears away. "I don't want to ever see you cry."

"Then I'll never cry again," she replied and smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she did that but it felt nice, a pleasant feeling fluttering in her stomach.

"Come," said Eriol and grasped her hands in his, leading her to open window. It was the first floor and led to an alley. Beyond it, among the houses, she could see the river snaking by, sparkling in the moonlight.

Eriol's hand over hers was much larger and warmer and she squeezed it tight, wanting to share that warmth. She felt light inside, or maybe that was because she found her light.

"Alright," she said in return and he helped her climb out of the window and toward their future.

(tsuzuku...)

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*Sigh* I seriously screwed up, really I did. Now I have to make 15 chapters instead of 14 because of last chapter *sigh*

In other, not so good, news, I'm starting to hear voices. Oh, yeah. And they're creepy, too, like little whispers just outside my head but definitely there. Gawd, I'm so scared... I have to lay back on medication again...