Disclaimer, ratings, and other legal stuff can be found in Part One.

Reviewers: Again, thanks to the people who reviewed, and the people who consistently review! (I'm getting around to emailing reviewers back, finally... ^_^)

Author's Notes:
This is the longest chapter yet, and it clarifies much of what happened since the first chapter. However, this chapter was caught between the midterm *and* flu seasons, so I apologize for the extremely long delay. Oh well. Such is life.

About Chapters:
There will be approximately ten chapters (including the Epilogue) of "Falling," but that's subject to change. I have this strange tendency to write a lot... ^_^ I aim to finish before the end of this year, and that's actually fast... for me.

Chapter Warning:
Profanity and mild violence. Foreshadowing of dark, R-rated stuff to come. Mwahahaha...

Enjoy!

~ Dark Rune



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"Love is not blind; it sees more, not less.
But because it sees more, it is willing to see less."
~ Julius Gordon
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-= Part Four: Forward =-


It started out as a slight headache, the kind he remembered getting when he was just a young boy, when he stayed at the wildly spinning merry-go-round too long, or when he felt the cool, somewhat ominous presence of a spirit nearby. Usually, it was just a mild, fleeting state of mind.

Nothing to worry about.

But 31-year-old Kinomoto Touya was obviously no longer a kid who had clung to the merry-go-round too long, and he no longer possessed the ability to perceive the spirits of the lingering dead.

The headache got worse.

So it was definitely something he grew worried about.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, willing the headache to go away.

As Touya and Yue, seated tensely in Touya's speeding car, came closer to Tomoyo's apartment, they sensed the pull of evil magic growing at an alarming rate. Touya, having never felt something so insidious, was unprepared for the invisible claws digging slowly into his mind, into his *soul*, dragging him viciously towards a distant evil that only seemed to get stronger with time. He was sure Yue felt the same, horrifying pull, only magnified tenfold because Yue was magically stronger, and as the sense of extreme urgency increased, each man silently fought the urge to squirm.

Touya was sweating. He was not the kind of man who sweat profusely, even when he was panicking, because he never panicked and on the rare occasion that he *did* panic, he never showed anything. But now he was worried, and he was sweating, and he was driving at ungodly speeds. He was surprised that his palms, already slick with sweat, hadn't yet slipped off the steering wheel.

Touya was not amused.

And even as he drove, his headache grew worse, as if a drill were being inserted delicately into his forehead for maximum effect. Frustrated, he looked to Yue to see how his companion was holding up, hoping to get a glimmer of how to calm himself down.

Of course, Yue, being Yue, maintained a stoic expression, yet as Touya drove crazily through the afternoon Tokyo traffic, he caught glimpses of concern in the guardian's eyes--definitely *not* a comforting sign.

"Shit," Touya again grumbled under his breath. Biting his lip, he tried to concentrate on driving, but his recklessness reminded him of what he simply refused to acknowledge; he was panicking.

"Do you have any idea what this magic is?" Touya asked, almost desperately, aware that his actions probably would have amused Yukito. After all, he, Kinomoto Touya, was trying to start a conversation with *Yue*, the personification of apathy.

Damn, he thought wryly. Definitely panicking.

Yue's frown deepened. "I don't know what it is, but it feels familiar... as if... I *should* know it."

Yue fell silent, turning his head to stare darkly outside, and Touya matched Yue's glowering look with his own. Yue was not a man of many words, but what he said was usually of some importance.

"Well, I hope you figure it out soon because we're almost there," Touya commented as he swerved the car sharply, his foot never even touching the brakes, which caused Yue and an assortment of heavy office supplies in the backseat to slam loudly against the side of the car. Touya hardly noticed. "Think we can beat whatever it is?"

As Yue impassively peeled himself off the car door, he made an indiscernible sound that Touya didn't bother to translate. A disgruntled sound, as opposed to a nod of Yue's head, was enough to show his concern.

"God, I hope we're not too late," Touya said through gritted teeth.

"We're not," Yue assured him in a dark, dead monotone. "Yet."

Touya didn't respond, knowing how doing so usually generated bad luck. They spent the rest of the drive in tense silence, broken only occasionally by screeching tires whenever Touya turned while absolutely refusing to acknowledge the existence of car brakes. Perhaps Touya's disregard for safety hastened the trip; to Touya, it felt as if he had blinked and found himself at Tomoyo's place a split second later.

As he released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, he was surprised to catch Yue doing the same, and only then did Touya realize how unbelievably fast he had been driving. The distance from Tokyo University to Tomoyo's apartment should have taken three quarters of an hour to cover, but Touya--probably with some magical help from Yue--had covered it in a record-breaking twenty minutes. Even so, both men felt that time was far too long because every second mattered.

Parking in front of Tomoyo's apartment building took thirty seconds. Running into the apartment building took fifteen seconds. Opening the door took five seconds, because Touya had to enter the code to get into the building.

All the while, an inner voice feverishly urged him to hurry, hurry because if they got there even a second late Tomoyo would pay the ultimate price and Tomoyo, beautiful, sweet, kind Tomoyo, did not deserve this evil.

Click.

The door opened, and Touya's instincts took over. Once inside, they charged directly towards the stairs, the feeling of deadly urgency practically screaming at all of their senses, but Touya knew he couldn't stop to breathe because his little sister was depending on him and his other little sister who knew no magic needed him.

The mad dash towards the stairs took five seconds, and Touya got there a split second before Yue so he flung open the door to the stairwell. Without missing a beat, Yue rushed inside after Touya, unfolded his wings, picked the other man up by his upper arms, and flew them both up to the top floor.

That flight took another five seconds.

Sprinting down the hall towards Tomoyo's apartment door took three more seconds.

And because they were so close to the source of the magical disturbance, Touya and Yue both felt it at its worst--the coldest, vilest feeling of unforgiving hatred emanating from behind the door. Touya pushed aside the sudden urge to empty the contents of his stomach and surged forward.

Yue, now flying, sped ahead and easily broke the heavy oak door down, and in the next instant, Touya was already inside the apartment, past the fallen door, past Yue, heading straight for Tomoyo's bedroom. He hardly noticed that the feeling of unspeakable evil had mysteriously vanished, because the door was open.

Touya skidded to a halt in Tomoyo's doorway, almost falling over in shock. It took his brain a full five seconds to register what his eyes were seeing, because he had to convince himself twice that what he was seeing was actually there.

No. Freaking. Way.

"HIIRAGIZAWA!?" Touya cried, finally recognizing his brother-in-law's best man, who was now without his glasses and sporting bandages around his head. "What the hell are *you* doing here!?"

Hiiragizawa Eriol was kneeling on the floor, facing the door, cradling Tomoyo's head in his lap. Her long, dark curls spilled over his arm supporting her neck and spread on the floor, her peaceful face tilted up towards Eriol's, and the rest of her body stretched lifelessly to Eriol's side.

And there was blood.

It smeared what little was exposed of her neck up to her chin, and her face appeared infinitely paler in contrast with the disconcertingly vibrant crimson.

Eriol was forlorn, hardly even able to put together a recognizable sentence. "I... I didn't... I tried to..."

That didn't explain very much, and Touya was already perilously close to committing murder. He didn't appreciate Hiiragizawa's apparently guilty incoherence.

"You TRIED!?" Touya bellowed, his vision clouding with rage, not seeing Yue, who was now standing beside him. Touya strode to Eriol, grabbed the Englishman by the collar, and violently pulled him up, only half-aware that Yue had taken Tomoyo just the instant before.

With Tomoyo safely in his arms, Yue carefully backed away from Touya and the reincarnation of his former master, his eyes betraying sadness. No one saw that flicker of emotion, and it was the only thing for which Yue could be grateful.

"You bastard," Touya spat, his face centimeters from Eriol's, but Eriol was too far-gone to care. Perhaps they both were. "She couldn't stand a chance against you... You manipulative bastard."

"I..."

"You killed her, didn't you?" Touya choked, red with anger. "You bastard... you KILLED her!"

An expression of pure sorrow crossed Eriol's face, and he closed his eyes. "Yes, I... I did," Eriol chuckled bitterly. "That's all I *can* do."

Touya felt a surge of magical power flowing unexpectedly inside of him, shooting outward to his fingertips, and then all he could think about was finding a way to release that furious energy somehow. The last thing that Touya and Eriol would coherently remember of that scene was the sickening crack of Touya's knuckles connecting solidly with Eriol's face and an explosion of overwhelming power.

It was bliss for both of them.



He's a selfish jerk. You shouldn't treat him so kindly. Hiiragizawa doesn't deserve your gentleness.

But he's my friend, and he's been my friend for so long...

Friends don't say hurtful things like that. He was doing it to spite you.

No, he wasn't himself. Don't you see? He was lost, confused, insecure, and hurting so much...

Being weak and pitiful doesn't give him the right to hurt others. To hurt you. He knows how much he means to you. He knows how much you care for him.

I'm his friend. He needs someone to support him through this.

At the expense of your own sanity? You really think you can make him happy before you go insane yourself?

I won't fall. I won't. I'm stronger than that. I've gotten stronger. I'm stronger than before.

You won't make him happy. You can't. Only one person could have and she's dead.

I'm willing to try. I can't be who she was, but I can be someone who cares. Maybe that will be enough.

He will break you. You *will* crumble under the pressure. Look at you now!

No... I...

Even if you *do* manage to give him back his life, at what expense will it be to yours? You know he can never love you the way you want him to. He's not capable.

No... I can... I don't... I don't love him that way...

Even if he ends up being worth it as a friend, *you'll* end up paying dearly again. Isn't that why you never got close to anyone? Because you knew everyone would hurt you? That's what humans do, after all. They're cruel, even to angels who could be their salvation.

No...

Just think about it. As a friend, he's not worth it. He's cruel. Heartless. A wreck of a man who can give you nothing.

He's not... He can't wallow in misery forever.

She was his soulmate. Didn't you know? How will he pull through without his soulmate? He can't. It's impossible.

But...

And it's not just him. He's not the only one who's wrong. It's you. You, trying in vain to replace his soulmate. That will drive you to suicide because you know you can never achieve the impossible goal. You always believed in 'happily ever after.' Something you believe in so strongly will surely kill you. Something you feel so strongly will kill you. It will drive you mad to know he will never return your feelings. You've experienced all this once before. Are you sure you want to take that fall again?

I...

It's a deeper fall than before, you know, and look how easily Sakura brought you to the edge. If it hadn't been for Hiiragizawa...

Yes... Yes. That's it. Eriol-kun helped me through my worst times and still accepted me for who I was, so I should help him through his worst times, no matter the cost to me!

No... Think about it! If Sakura almost killed you, then he will certainly succeed where she failed. You only lived because she is your sister, who loves you still, and you grew up, and he helped you to survive. But Hiiragizawa has much more power over you now, and his rejection *will* kill you because you have no one left to turn to.

It can't kill me...

He tried to physically kill you. Is that not enough? Do you want more proof that he can destroy you physically and emotionally? You must choose now. If you choose to die, all will be well. If you choose to live, then you must push him away, hurt him as he hurt you, and only then can you live. There is no other way. Anything else can only end in your suffering.

No... I can't...

You have no choice.

There must be another way...

There is no other way.

Those can't be my only options...

Yes. Yes, they are. Die or push him away. Those are the only two paths open to you. What will you say?

I choose...

Peace in death?

I choose...

Independence?

Why?

Because it's the only way. You must choose now.

Then... I choose...

Choose?

...neither.

You... you can't.

I will make my own path.

You won't survive!

I will

You won't survive!

NO! No...

I know you better than you imagine. Listen to me!

No... no... Who *are* you?

*I* am your conscience.

No... You can't... You're not... I would never do this. Why are you making me do this? I wouldn't do ANY of this!

...

...

Isn't it obvious who I am? I'm you.

You're... you *can't* be me. I would never say those things. I would never think those things. I would never... I would never...

... smart, smart girl...



The second voice faded, becoming a mere whisper of a memory in the infinite expanse of the mental plane. There was silence for a heartbeat.

Realizing that she hadn't been alone in her mind, that someone had been watching her, stalking her, making her think things that made her blood run cold, Tomoyo screamed.

A light blinded her, and she knew no more.



The bedroom window was open, Touya noted absently as he stared, mesmerized, across the room at the drapes billowing softly in the light breeze. Why would Tomoyo open that window in this strangely cool weather, and why would she open that window when she lived on the top floor?

The mysteries would never end, and Touya had to concede that life rarely made sense, after all. Why would Hiiragizawa kill Tomoyo, anyway? It wasn't fair such a beautiful person had to die, but that didn't matter to Touya anymore because he would make sure the arrogant, smirking, manipulative bastard would pay for his sins once he regained consciousness, once Touya began his "interrogation", because no one messed with the Kinomoto family and as far as Touya was concerned, Tomoyo was part of the family and Hiiragizawa had signed his death certificate when he decided he could even try to--

"She's alive."

The voice piercing the silence was low, steady, and encouraging.

Touya's head snapped up, his eyes blazing across the room at Yue, who was sitting on the bed next to Tomoyo's still figure, holding her hand while gazing at her face intently.

"Na... nani?" Touya half rose from where he had been sitting against the wall for the past few minutes, thinking of ways to mutilate Hiiragizawa's unmoving form on the floor. Yue had been carefully checking on Tomoyo, cleaning the blood off even as he assessed her condition, while Touya was gloomily guarding Eriol, so Yue's announcement instantly removed the murderous expression on Touya's face.

"She's alive," Yue repeated, his voice betraying something akin to relief.

"But..." Touya didn't know whether he should feel stupid or elated. "What about the blood?"

Yue shook his head, rising from his seat. "It's not hers."

"Then whose...?"

"It's from whoever tried to strangle her," Yue explained, walking solemnly towards Touya. "Apparently, Daidouji-san fought back."

To illustrate his point, Yue held something out as Touya moved to stand. A bloodstained, jagged blade glinted in the palm of Yue's hand, and it took a moment for Touya to realize that it was a piece of broken glass. His gaze quickly flitted to Eriol before returning to Yue.

"She was holding this, and since her own hand wasn't cut, the blood must belong to her attacker," Yue concluded, thoughtfully looking at Eriol.

For a few moments, neither man spoke, and then Touya murmured, "Hiiragizawa's hand is bleeding. That bastard."

Yue frowned, slightly offended that Touya was insulting his former master, but accepting that Touya had some valid reasons. "We cannot jump to conclusions. Given his already injured state, he may have gotten that cut some other way. We can't be too sure if Eriol-san really did try to kill Daidouji-san."

Touya was not nearly as optimistic as Yue where Eriol was concerned. "Hiiragizawa *admitted* it. What more do you want?"

"If you honestly believe his admission of guilt," Yue said solemnly, "why haven't you killed him? You would have done no less for Sakura-san."

Touya hesitated, feeling a stab of doubt in his chest but stubbornly resisting it. He needed to vent, damn it, and he had wanted to wipe the smug look off of Hiiragizawa's face the last time he'd seen him at the wedding. Touya shrugged. "I want answers. *Then* I'll beat Hiiragizawa to a bloody pulp."

Yue stared back at Touya, looking unimpressed.

As if he had heard his name, Eriol groaned softly. When his eyes fluttered open at last, Touya stifled the urge to smack him by cracking his knuckles.

"Morning, sunshine," Touya greeted flatly.

Eriol blinked up at the two men looking down at him, disoriented not for the first time that day; this was rapidly becoming the longest day of his life because of his perpetual confusion. With some effort, he sat up, and everything came back to him when he saw Tomoyo lying quietly in the bed. "Daidouji-san!"

Eriol scrambled to his feet, only to be stopped when Touya and Yue swiftly grabbed Eriol's arms and forcibly pinned him to the wall.

"Not so fast, Hiiragizawa," Touya muttered, while Yue appeared merely unaffected. Still deadly serious, however, both maintained their steely grips on Eriol's upper arms. "You just tried to kill her. You think we'd let you finish the job?"

"Kill... Finish...?" Eriol blinked, looking bewildered for a few moments. Suddenly his face broke into a wide grin, as if he had just reached the most brilliant conclusion. "She's alive?"

"Eh?"

"Daidouji-san's alive!" Eriol breathed heavily, sagging against the wall in tired relief. "Thank goodness... I really thought I was too late."

"What the hell are you talking about? Too late for what?" Touya frowned, now confused. He cautiously released Eriol, prompting Yue to do the same, and his doubts about Eriol's guilt quickly resurfaced.

Even as Eriol leaned against the wall wearily, however, he appeared equally frustrated, and more than a little depressed, absently rubbing his arms where Touya and Yue had gripped him so painfully. "I thought I'd come too late to save her."

Eriol was met with only suspicion and distrust when he gathered enough courage to look back up at them.

"Save her from what?" Yue finally spoke up.

Surreptitiously rubbing away the unexpected tears of relief blurring his vision, Eriol met each of their expectant stares as he carefully considered his response. There was nothing he could honestly say that would not anger them, but then there was nothing left to reveal but the truth.

"Hiiragizawa, answer the question," Touya ordered gruffly, folding his arms across his chest. "Just what were you trying to save her from?

Eriol sighed, closing his eyes. "Me."

Touya was not amused.



Tomoyo stirred at the sound of several male voices conversing outside her bedroom. They seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn't understand why she would be such a bad hostess and leave her guests outside while she slept in her room.

"...curse..."

For some reason, that word felt significant, and it stood out in the jumble of speech that she could hardly decipher as she half-dreamed.

"...magic..."

That was right. Sakura-chan had called about some evil magic coming after her.

"...don't understand why..."

Funny how she didn't understand anything either.

"...has nothing to do with me..."

Funny how that anguished voice sounded absurdly like Eriol's.

Funny how everything hurt as if she had been badly beaten up.

When the strangeness of it all finally registered in Tomoyo's mind, she shot up in bed, wide-eyed, and stared at her bedroom door. She distinctly remembered Eriol...

Glasses glinting in the sunlight...

Attacking her.

She winced as the bruises on her back and neck made themselves known. What was going on? Who else was in her apartment? Why was Eriol still there, and how did she survive his attack? Tomoyo sat up, trying to clear the pounding in her head and the painful tightness in her chest. She had to figure out what to do. She had resolved to help Eriol, after all, but she couldn't do that if he tried to kill her again, so she had to convince him not to murder her first.

Tomoyo grimaced. Why did everything sound more plausible and make more sense when she was dreaming?

With some difficulty, she stood, and, after swaying unsteadily for a few seconds, she staggered towards the door. Of course there was no sense in prolonging her own suffering, so, unfocused as she was, she might as well get this over with. She turned the knob and stepped out, bracing herself for what she would see, and froze.

Abruptly, the conversation she had been straining to hear stopped.

"Touya-san? Yue-san?" she whispered, suddenly elated to see people she trusted. Then again, she had trusted Eriol, hadn't she? He had tried to kill her...

But then her eyes met his, and the events of the last few hours came back in a heady rush. She remembered everything--the words they had spoken so bitterly, his cruelly smiling face as he tightened his fingers around her neck...

"Daidouji-san..."

Why couldn't she resist?

"Hiiragizawa-kun."

Why couldn't she ignore him? Her practical side was screaming for her to run, run as far away as possible, but she couldn't move, couldn't even look away, because she was being drawn towards him. He rose to his feet hesitantly and stepped forward. She suddenly noticed that neither Touya nor Yue were trying to stop him, and she became even more perplexed.

Eriol stepped closer to her. "Daidouji-san... I..."

Was that concern in his eyes? Sincerity? Regret? Sorrow?

He took another step forward, and she instinctively stepped back.

Hurt?

Before she could react again, he moved. In a flash, he was in front of her, and she gasped--whether in terror or disbelief, she wasn't sure--and then he swept her up in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest, completely destroying all the polite barriers that they had put up around each other, against each other, since the moment he appeared battered on her doorstep. She was only marginally aware that he was saying something very softly to her, with his breath warm and soothing next to her ear, but she remained still even as he tightened his grip. Finally, when she felt a drop of liquid warmth falling, brushing her cheek with silent regret, she was startled into reality.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

He was crying?

Why was he crying?

And she was suddenly aware that *she* was crying, not him, and she muffled her tears into his shoulder, sobbing with relief that he was all right and she was all right, and happiness that she was being hugged by a friend she cared for so much and that she could hug him in return, and she was relieved because she didn't have to be afraid of him since he wasn't going to kill her, and she felt safe in his arms, and it was wonderful to know that, at the very least, she *did* mean something to him after all--

"I'm so sorry... so, so sorry... Daidouji-san, I'm so sorry..." he was whispering, between gasps of air. "After everything you've done for me, I shouldn't have upset you, and I tried to protect you... I thought I was too late, but I promise I'll protect you from now on because I didn't save her, and I didn't save you, and I wish I'd saved her. I miss her so much, and I couldn't let it happen all over again, not to you... because you don't even..."

"Sshh," Tomoyo interrupted, knowing she couldn't bear to hear him say anything more. "Please. Stop apologizing."

She pulled away slightly, looking up at him, effectively stopping his babbling and forcing him to pay attention to her. His hands remained on her shoulders, and she kept hers on his back, and they stood still for a time, staring at each other wordlessly, questioningly, hesitantly.

But his eyes were beautiful, Tomoyo decided. Clear and deep. And she knew.

When Tomoyo smiled at last, even Touya and Yue, only distant observers now, felt warmth instantly fill the room.

"Yokatta..." she murmured happily as she reached up with her right hand to gently caress Eriol's cheek. "I'm so glad. You're not wearing your glasses, Hiiragizawa-kun."

Still feeling regretful and woefully inadequate, Eriol needed a moment to figure out what she was talking about. "Of course," he responded, relieved as the point she was making dawned on him. Finally having the courage match her smile, he leaned down and enveloped her in another warm hug. "Of course... I forgot. He was wearing glasses... and I broke mine in England... Of course..." His voice lowered to a half-joking rumble. "You're so smart, Daidouji-san. I was so afraid you wouldn't believe in me... What would I do without you?"

"You'd be hopeless," she returned his hug, a light-hearted smile on her face as she cherished the contact. But now that her suspicions were alleviated, self-consciousness returned to them, and Eriol blushed as he pulled respectfully away from the woman who had saved him.

Even as she shakily wiped the tears from her face with her sleeves, Tomoyo knew her pale complexion gave her own embarrassment away, but she also knew they had to sort out their emotions before they could move forward. Deciding that their polite routine could wait, she reached out and took his hand.

"Hiiragizawa-kun, thank you. You saved my life," she whispered. "And you weren't too late, so please don't blame yourself for anything. Just... thank you for being there for me."

He looked flustered, and doing that to someone as self-assured as Eriol was definitely no small feat, even when he was this vulnerable. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to keep him from hurting you at all. If I hadn't been such a self-absorbed idiot, I would have sensed him..."

"Stop," she said firmly, raising a hand to his lips to silence him. "You have a lot of issues to deal with, Hiiragizawa-kun. Don't even try to feel like an inconvenience because you have every right to be self-absorbed right now, okay?"

"I suppose..." his flippant smile returned, yet it was weak. "But as a powerful sorcerer who must valiantly save the globe, I really should pay attention to more important matters, shouldn't I? Instead of wallowing around in misery, I should be looking out for danger..."

Tomoyo shook her head, unconsciously rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. "Mizuki-sensei was... *is*... important to you. Your guardians are important to you. And I understand that they're important. You can't move on without being at peace with yourself first, Hiiragizawa-kun." She smiled sadly, and her tone became hushed. "You taught me that."

He stayed silent for a few seconds, regarding her thoughtfully. Then, he said, in a low, serious tone, "I'm glad you're all right... I don't think I would have forgiven myself if you died because of me. You have nothing to do with this, nothing to do with me. It's not fair you're even involved."

She wanted to say so many different things, to point out how inextricably she was tied to him, even if he wasn't tied to her, but she couldn't. She knew she wouldn't even dent the chains that Kaho had already wrapped around his heart, binding his soul, so she didn't try.

"Maybe... maybe you should explain everything from the beginning," Tomoyo suggested. "I'm drawing conclusions based on everything... everyone... I've seen. If you tell me everything, then we can decide what's really going on." She paused, wondering if she should push her luck. "You *do* remember everything that happened before... don't you, Hiiragizawa-kun?"

Eriol appeared startled, and then he quickly looked away.

"That's why you smashed my mirror... because you were so angry just looking at your reflection and seeing *him*," Tomoyo continued in a whisper. "You remember."

Eriol stepped back, unable to meet her eyes. "Hai... I remember a lot, now. Not everything, but... just enough to know."

"Then tell me," she said warmly, taking his hand into hers again and pulling him towards the couches where Touya and Yue patiently sat. "Tell us. Let me decide why I *am* involved, and together," she tilted his face gently to look at her, "we can figure out how to fight him."

She could feel Eriol's uncertainty and his guilt, but his determination was palpable when he spoke at last. As he turned to Tomoyo, the rest of the world melted away with the intensity of his emotions so that only the two of them existed at that moment. "I couldn't protect her," he admitted at last, softly, "but I promise I will protect you, Daidouji-san. This is my responsibility, and I won't let you get hurt just for knowing me. And maybe with your help, I can beat this..."

"Of course," Tomoyo nodded, again fighting the urge to correct him, to tell him he was close to her heart, even if he had drifted so far that he could no longer see her as an essential part of his life.

This was the path she had chosen, after all.

She would save him, even if he killed her.



Since Sakura had called her older brother, neither she nor Syaoran could think about anything other than what was happening in Japan. They tried to get on with their lives and take care of the things that needed to be done before they left, but it was impossible to concentrate. Every five minutes, one or the other was hovering within leaping distance of the phone, distracted and mentally willing it to ring. It was hard to sense anything from Tokyo, as they were living far away, and they couldn't, in good conscience, distract Touya or Yue by calling them on Touya's cell phone just to have full, live coverage of what was going on.

So they were resigned to wait. Maybe get some work done. But it was no use trying to fool themselves into getting anything worthwhile finished, so in the end, Sakura and Syaoran gave up all pretense of accomplishing anything productive and settled uneasily into the couch, talking in low, somber murmurs.

When the phone finally rang a little over an hour later, Sakura and Syaoran were wound up so tightly that they aggressively pounced for the receiver at the same time.

Unfortunately, Sakura was shorter and closer, while Syaoran was faster and had a longer reach.

The result? A rather loud collision between the top of Sakura's head and Syaoran's nose.

"Oh fu--" Syaoran began to swear, but his sharp mind processed that he was within Sakura's (and by extension, the baby's) hearing range, so, blushing hotly, he quickly switched languages and finished the swear word in Cantonese.

He need not have bothered, because Sakura was too wound up and preoccupied with her own simultaneous pained cry to hear his. "Itai!"

Of course, when the phone rang for the second time, they were smart enough to reach for the speakerphone button instead of the receiver, but they still insisted on each going for it at exactly the same time.

The result? Another rather loud collision between the top of Sakura's head and Syaoran's nose.

"Shi--"

"--tai!"

So on the third ring, Sakura wildly grabbed her husband's arm and held up her other hand in an obvious gesture for him to stop. Then, she calmly proceeded to hit the speakerphone button herself, with her breath caught in her throat.

"Hello!" greeted a cheerful male voice. "This is John Chang from the Bank of Hong Kong! May I speak to a Mr. or Mrs. Ke...no...ma...to... regarding our new low interest rates?"

For a second, there was a very pained silence.

And then, all hell broke loose in the Li household.

"DIE YOU BASTARD!!!" Syaoran thundered, having already unsheathed his sword, and he swung it in a vicious, downward arc. His voice didn't sound as threatening as usual, given that it now boasted an unusual nasal quality, but his words carried all the meaning.

"HOOOEEEEEEE!!!" Sakura agreed furiously with her husband, having already released the Sword Card, and she brought down her weapon with as much graceful savageness as she had been taught. Sakura and Syaoran made a formidable, amazingly synchronized team, after all.

*CRASH*!

The Li family servants, after much scrambling and flustered nodding, had a new phone installed only five minutes later.



His breath came in pained gasps as he swore profusely.

Damn. DAMN!

He had almost finished Her off. He was *so* close. If only his Other Self hadn't interfered... everything would have been perfect. He had carefully coordinated his attack so that his Other Self would have been far from Her, after the way he had treated Her, but his Other Self had remained too close, close enough to come to Her rescue.

The figure growled at the memory, even as he wound through the shadows of a dirty alley, and he winced as his swift pace stressed his still raw wounds. He hadn't realized that his Other Self had so much power left, enough to push him away like that. At this point, both of them were severely weakened, but he had believed he would have won after releasing that intense stream of dark energy. His Other Self was miserable to the point of being insignificant in a fight, so that stream of power should have obliterated him.

What had happened? How did his Other Self regain so much strength overnight?

Shit.

Vision swimming, the figure stumbled over a pile of trash and groggily reached for something—anything--to steady himself. Clinging to a dumpster sitting against the side of a decrepit building, he paused, breathing heavily.

Why? What exactly did his Other Self have that he didn't? Why was he stronger?

He kicked the dumpster in frustration, cursing his Other Self.

And then he figured it out.

There *was* no other answer.

It just had to be HER doing.

Smiling at his brilliant deduction, he resumed trudging calmly along the alley, towards a place just out of his Other Self's reach, where he could rest and build his energy and plan his next attack.

SHE must have done something because She was the only one who had come in contact with him since his Other Self had teleported to Tokyo. Somehow, She must have given his Other Self strength... all the more reason to destroy Her. His first instinct had been right; She could not be allowed to live.

He paused again, coughing up blood and disgustedly spitting it out, before he wiped his face with his sleeve and moved on.

His second instinct had also been right.

*Her death might have been more tragic if they were in love.*

"Fuck it!" he fumed. The first woman hadn't been enough to send his Other Self over the edge. Then he had missed his chance to destroy his Other Self by killing Her immediately after the first woman. Now, going by his second instinct, he was forced to wait even longer before he could have another window of opportunity...

He frowned, recalling something.
She had figured out how to push him out of Her mind. He wasn't sure how She had done that, but She had succeeded. His eyes narrowed. He needed to find another way in. Another way to...

A sharp pain lanced through his head.

DAMN!

He stumbled again, hurting miserably. He was too weak to do anything now, because he had already spent far too much energy blocking out the Mistress of the Cards and the Li and the Mistress's guardians and his Other Self's memories for just one night, and he had expended energy beyond his limits by defending against his Other Self's unexpectedly fierce defense.

He needed an energy source. His Other Self was undisputedly the best source, but he could live on normal humans temporarily. He would have to do more work to get the same amount of power, but it was necessary for his current survival. Perhaps he would even leave clues for his Other Self, so his Other Self would be driven mad with guilt.

Wrapping his cloak tightly about him, he squinted as he reached the other end of the alley and peered out into the main street and the groups of people walking past. The sunlight was bright, but the shadows cast by the surrounding buildings hid him sufficiently.

It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for.

"Ne, Onee-chan, I want sushi! Sushi!" a boy, no more than seven years old, tugged insistently on a young woman's skirt.

"All right, all right. After we go to the bank," she laughed, and her unseen observer smiled. She was the obvious choice; she had such pretty, long, dark hair, such beautiful amethyst eyes. "Is that all right with you?"

"Yay!" the boy squealed, happily clinging to his older sister's hand.

She shook her head sternly. "Just no wasabi for you. I remember the last time you tried it..."

Luxurious, silky, dark hair. Captivating amethyst eyes. A soul brimming with kindness and untapped magic. She was perfect.

Laughing at something he could not hear, the sister and brother entered a shop, their conversation lost in the bustle of the afternoon.

He continued to smile, eyes glinting, half-crazed because he could already smell her delicious blood spilling down his fingers.



"Sakura-chan?" the female voice coming through the speakerphone was quiet, unsure, and lacking its usual optimism, but it was unmistakable nonetheless.

"TOMOYO-CHAN! You're all right!" Sakura couldn't help shouting in relief. "We've been so worried about you... We tried calling so many times last night... Are 'Nii-chan and Yue-san there?"

"Hai," Tomoyo replied. "And thank you for asking them to protect me."

Sakura was gripping Syaoran's hand so tightly that he had to shake her arm to get her to loosen her grip. She smiled apologetically at him before continuing to speak. "Syaoran and I were trying to figure out the source of the problem, and we thought Eriol-kun would be able to help, but we never got a hold of him. We don't know where he is, but there's something important you should know..."

"It's all right. Don't worry about Hiiragizawa-kun." A pause. "He's here."

"WHAT!? Oh no... then..."

The Li's needed only a split second to reach the same, horrifying conclusion, and they shouted in unison, "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

"Hiiragizawa, if you hurt her," Syaoran said menacingly, "best man or not, I swear I'll..."

"Please calm down, both of you," Tomoyo interrupted, gently trying to pacify her concerned best friends. "Hiiragizawa-kun has an important story to tell, and I think you need to listen if you want to help."

At this, Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other with varying degrees of dread and uncertainty. First of all, did Eriol know about Kaho? More importantly, did *Tomoyo* know about Kaho? And why was Eriol in Japan, given the dire circumstances in England?

"Sakura-san, Syaoran-kun," Eriol's deep voice greeted them so quietly, so seriously, that there could be no doubt about the gravity of the situation.

"Eriol-kun?"

"I regret that we must talk again under such unfavorable circumstances..." he sighed, his sorrow easily detected in his grim tone. In that instant, the Lis realized that Eriol already knew, and as much as Syaoran had disliked "that teacher", he couldn't help but feel sorry for Eriol. Sakura only bit her lip, trying to force down the sharp pain rising in her chest and the tears welling in her eyes. It had been depressing enough to hear the disturbing news from Ruby Moon, since Kaho had been a wonderfully kind and dear friend, but Sakura couldn't imagine what Eriol was going through.

And she didn't want to imagine, because she knew she would go insane if she ever lost Syaoran.

"Just... explain what's going on, and we'll do what we can to help," Sakura finally said, and her husband remained quiet.

It took some time for Eriol to muster enough courage to tell what he could remember of his story, but when he finally did, it started to rain, as if the heavens were grieving with him.



Eriol was surprised that no one seemed angry at him, or rather at Clow Read, by the time he finished explaining what had happened just that morning and the origins of the Roman curse. Touya had maintained the stoic, calculating look on his face, while Yue, sitting next to him on the long couch, appeared somewhat saddened, perhaps even regretful, knowing he had not done more for his former master. Sakura and Syaoran had stayed silent throughout Eriol's lengthy explanation, and Eriol could only guess that they probably felt pity for him.

For all their silent acceptance, however, it was Tomoyo's reaction that concerned Eriol the most. He felt increasingly guilty about interrupting the perfect life she must have been leading before his arrival and demanding so much of her time and energy. She shouldn't have had to do anything for him in the first place, but she had become his accidental, involuntary lifeline in Kaho's stead, which instantly put her life in serious danger. Already he had hurt her, both physically and emotionally, yet she still seemed to accept him in spite of her own pain. Now, he only hoped that the explanation of his curse would mitigate some of the accusing injustice and loathing she probably felt towards him, and he prayed desperately that she would forgive him for forcing the curse on her.

That was why he was surprised and relieved when he finally turned to look at Tomoyo, sitting next to him on the love seat. He had assumed she would be confused and indignant, as she had a right to be, but instead of exuding even the smallest shred of self-righteous anger, her eyes revealed nothing but honest sympathy and concern for him. Once again, Eriol realized that he had forgotten who, exactly, Daidouji Tomoyo was, and he found himself marveling at what he was discovering about her once again.

Infinite patience, infinite understanding, infinite kindness...

"So," Touya was the first to speak after Eriol fell silent, startling the younger man, but Touya, not noticing Eriol's reaction, asked, "what does the curse have to do with Tomoyo-san?"

Eriol shook his head to clear his thoughts, shrugged, and sighed, leaning back against the cushions. "I honestly don't know."

"But it's your curse, isn't it?" Syaoran's voice came strongly through the speakerphone, and although his words seemed harsh, they were tempered by the unmasked sympathy in his voice.

Eriol's eyes automatically sought Tomoyo's for guidance, and as if she had read his mind, she reached out and took his hand, squeezing it encouragingly.

"I think the proper question would be, 'What happened in England?'" Tomoyo said, gently, her gaze almost searing Eriol, but he knew she was right. He had to answer her question before they got any further, and he shifted uncomfortably when Tomoyo added, "It all began in England, didn't it?"

He looked down at his feet gloomily, and when he spoke, his voice suddenly sounded foreign to his own ears. "Yes. It did."

An uneasy silence took over the conversation as Tomoyo, Sakura, Syaoran, Touya, and Yue waited for Eriol's answer with bated breath. In spite of their desperate need to know, they really didn't want to push Eriol, understanding that if they were in the same situation, and they had lost their beloved, they wouldn't talk for months.

"You don't have to answer now," Tomoyo finally asserted, taking pity on him, and the kindness in her tone strangely compelled Eriol to look back at her. Somehow she gave him strength to move on, instead of keeping him silent, and the motivation refreshed him.

"No," Eriol shook his head. "No. You're right, Daidouji-san. You're right. I can't be quiet forever..." His face showed reluctance even as he took a deep breath. "The sooner we know what happened, the sooner we can figure out why everything happened and how we can beat this."

Eriol didn't know he was nervous until he felt Tomoyo's thumb tracing soothing circles on the back of his trembling hand, and only then did he realize that she had not let go of him yet.

Infinite kindness, infinite patience, infinite strength.

He closed his eyes, his awareness of Tomoyo heightened even as he took his mind back to the events of the day before. He didn't notice his hand was gripping Tomoyo's so tightly that it was hurting her because she didn't stop her calming caress.

"I don't know what exactly triggered the curse," Eriol began, tentatively. "For Clow, the starting point is obvious. The Roman preyed on the hollowness already inside of Clow, trapping him within it. But for me, there's no beginning. I don't understand why the curse didn't affect me for so long."

Eriol was systematically clenching and unclenching his hand, but no one present commented, allowing him his peace. "It was a soul curse, so one would expect it to take effect the moment I was reborn, but it didn't." Eriol paused to consider how much he should reveal next, and decided to avoid personal issues. "Anyway, I... I fell ill Monday night, and I think that's when I sensed something was wrong with the world, as if the balance had been tilted."

In the strange, brief silence that followed, Tomoyo was not the only one who noted that there was more to Eriol's illness than he was letting on, because in all the years they had known him, Eriol had *never* fallen ill. Eriol continued, oblivious to everyone's reactions and concentrating on the grounding presence of Tomoyo's hand clutching his. "I don't remember very much when I was sick, and that lasted about three days. It's a blur, really, but I remember yesterday morning... in England. Ruby Moon and Spinel were out on an errand--I don't remember what--so Kaho..." He paused, and only Tomoyo discerned that he was hiding an important detail.

She caught his eye in silent inquiry, and he seemed to plead with her to let the subject go. She gave his hand another encouraging squeeze, and he continued. "Kaho... looked after me while my guardians were out. I was still recovering, so I slept late that morning, but then... I don't know what time it was... but all at once there was this feeling of... of pure *evil*... overwhelming me. I thought I was going crazy and that it was just a figment of my imagination, but it stayed there, growing stronger and stronger. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I tracked it and found it in my library." He nearly choked on his next, whispered words. "*He* was there. Kaho was there... and..."

Abruptly, Eriol cut off, his eyes widening, as if he had just had an epiphany. Then his mouth twisted into a bitter grin, comprehension dawning on his features, and he leaned forward, pulling away from Tomoyo to rest his elbows on his knees and cover his face with his hands. "Oh God... I just... I just realized..."

He chuckled despairingly, and no one dared to speak. "Kaho," he whispered. "She must have known..." He started laughing, completely unhinged. "That's why she... and I thought... God I'm an idiot!"

"Hiiragizawa-kun..." Tomoyo, unsure of how else to give him reassurance, reached an arm around his shoulders and hugged him, while Touya and Yue watched her with growing suspicion and interest, respectively. "Just... just stop it. That's enough for--"

"No, no," he was still chuckling even as a tear slipped down his cheek, and he wiped it away quickly with his sleeve, as if he could wipe away guilt with it. "No... I just... Kaho must have known about the curse, and I was too dense to see that she knew something before it ever happened. She must have tried to fight him on her own, to spare me because I was still too weak to fight him, and that was why she probably sent Ruby Moon and Spinel on a wild goose chase so they wouldn't get hurt either. I was too weak to support them, and they would have lost if they had tried to fight because I was so weak..." He laughed, his face now buried in his hands, shoulders shivering. "But they're all gone anyway. She was always selflessly foolish like that..."

He fell silent for nearly a minute. When he spoke again, his hushed voice was wavering. "Kaho weakened him. She knew he was there, and she weakened him before I got to him, knowing I would be no match for him in my wrecked state. But she... she..." He shook his head. "It must have taken all of her strength to weaken him just enough so I could finish the job without killing myself, and I didn't even do *that* right. I thought I'd defeated him because he was gone after I cast my final attack spell, and I had nothing left. I had nothing left..."

His voice trailed off, and Tomoyo watched, feeling pathetically useless, as his hands gripped the sofa so hard that he almost tore the material.

"I gave him everything I had, but he survived. I don't know how he did, but I failed to destroy him, and now Kaho is dead and Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun are dead and..."

It was Sakura who interrupted with uplifting news. "Iie, Eriol-kun, don't think that. Nakuru-san and Spinel-san are *not* dead."

His shoulders stiffened. "They... they're not? That's... How did you..?"

"We called England early this morning, and Nakuru-san answered. That's how we knew something was going on," Sakura explained hesitantly, unsure if she could say something more comforting.

For an instant, Eriol smiled in genuine relief, but his smile faded quickly. "That's... good. I thought for sure that they were gone because they didn't come back to help me fight. I suspect Kaho must have had something to do with preventing them from returning until she was done..."

There was silence once again as each person mulled over the latest revelations, and surprisingly, it was Yue who broke the stillness with a question Tomoyo had been longing to ask. "Why did the curse take your form?"

Eriol looked up to stare directly into his former guardian's eyes, and for a moment, Tomoyo thought that Eriol might be angry. But then Eriol replied, his voice devoid of anger and wilting with defeat, "Poetic justice, I suppose."

One of Yue's eyebrows shot up.

"Just remember how the curse was worded," Eriol shrugged. "The curse didn't need to take Clow's form because he was already killing himself, and he would see that very clearly in the end. On the other hand, I was living a mostly ordinary, happy life, with no intention of having it go wrong, so the curse had to take matters into its own hands... as my mirror image." He shook his head. "Because I see myself through a mirror... Isn't that ridiculous?"

Yue said nothing more, retreating into a contemplative shell.

"This all coincides with what Sakura and I sensed last night," Syaoran spoke up. "From what we could tell of the amount of energy you both expended, it must have been an incredibly tough battle."

Eriol didn't respond, replaying the events in his mind.

Kaho.

She had saved him. It had been an incredibly difficult battle, and he would have been dead if Kaho hadn't done anything to weaken his opponent beforehand. Kaho knew...

God he was an idiot.

"But my question really doesn't have anything to do with the fight," Syaoran continued, and Eriol's curiosity was piqued. "I think we all need to know what you did after the battle."

"After?"

"What spell did you cast after you fought him? How did you get to Tokyo so quickly? You would have taken only a few minutes to get from London to Tokyo, if I've got the time frame right. You said you fought him Thursday morning, London time, and that's around the same time we called Daidouji-san not very long before you appeared."

Eriol frowned. "That's actually the part I don't understand either. I... I cast a Roman reunion spell. It was supposed to reunite me with Kaho, no matter where she was, but I must have screwed up somewhere because I ended up here. The first thing I remember after casting the spell was Daidouji-san taking care of me."

Everyone was silent, knowing what the reunion spell must have meant to Eriol at that point. If Kaho were dead, and Eriol had sought to be reunited with her, then...

Tomoyo shuddered to think what would have happened if Eriol's spell had worked. Even though Eriol's death would probably mean the end of the soul curse in *this* lifetime, it would have followed him into the next, and that wasn't exactly the solution she would have chosen.

Eriol's frown only deepened. He had all the details of the curse and its aftermath, however fragmented they were, but there were some things he knew were still not quite right. Some pieces of the puzzle felt as if they were being forced to fit in the wrong way...

"Tomoyo-chan, can you give us your version of events of last night?" Sakura asked, sounding more than a little worried.

Tomoyo nodded, more for her own benefit than anyone else's. "Well, after you called, Hiiragizawa-kun showed up, soaking wet and badly beaten, so I took care of him. This morning, I, um, went to my room to clean up the bathroom because Hiiragizawa-kun accidentally broke the mirror." Eriol shot her a semi-curious, but grateful, look, and she smiled slightly in return. "Anyway, I didn't realize the evil Hiiragizawa-kun was there until I found a shard of glass with blood on it. Just when I figured the blood couldn't have been from the real Hiiragizawa-kun because he had cut himself a while ago, the curse attacked me, and I passed out."

"But I heard her," Eriol picked up where Tomoyo trailed off, "and I came in the room. I found him trying to strangle her, but he was weak still, after the last encounter with me, so I managed to send a spell his way before he escaped out the window."

"From the 15th floor?" Touya interjected incredulously.

Eriol shrugged. "The strength of the curse depends on the strength of the victim. Given that I'm still a fairly decent magician, I'm sure he managed to survive somehow."

"Well, if he's as strong as you, how do you defeat him?" Touya asked, then added with a teasing smirk, "Unless, of course, you're unwilling to reveal your own weaknesses, Hiiragizawa."

Eriol was pleasantly surprised that Touya wasn't trying to kill him and was actually trying to be nice to him. Eriol had, after all, put the honorary Kinomoto sister in danger, and that deserved the most severe punishment. Then he realized that Touya was probably being so lenient because they had something in common after all: Kaho.

"It's not that the curse gains my powers and becomes my equal. In this case, the curse just took my form. The true nature of the curse lies in the person being cursed..." Eriol sighed, running a hand through his unruly dark hair.

"Meaning?" Tomoyo prompted softly.

When Eriol turned to her, she was unnerved by the weariness in his eyes. "Meaning he will do his best to make me miserable," Eriol said. "He told me he feeds off my misery. He becomes stronger the more I suffer. That's why he went after Kaho... because he knew she was..."

Eriol couldn't say anything more, and Tomoyo's heart went out to him.

"Now for the 6.4 million yen question, Hiiragizawa," Syaoran said grimly. "Why is the curse specifically coming after Daidouji-san?"

Tomoyo's heart nearly stopped when she heard the subtle implications of Syaoran's question, and she felt her ears grow hot. She had a few theories of her own, and she figured the others had probably made the same, obvious guesses.

Except Eriol. Thank goodness the man was currently dense as a brick.

"I honestly don't know," Eriol answered, rubbing his temple in genuine confusion while looking apologetically at Tomoyo. "Ever since my reunion spell went wrong, nothing has made sense. It doesn't make sense that the spell would go directly after Daidouji-san because until yesterday, I hadn't spoken with her in months." He sighed, turning his attention back to Tomoyo. "I never meant for you to get involved in this, Daidouji-san, and I'm very, very sorry."

"It's okay," Tomoyo smiled weakly, knowing she was already more involved than Eriol assumed. "Maybe he came after me because the reunion spell accidentally brought you here, and he figured he would come after me because I was the closest at the time."

"That makes sense," Eriol admitted slowly.

"Except we warned Daidouji-san about that thing coming after her *before* you physically got there, Hiiragizawa," Syaoran pointed out.

"Also true..." Eriol frowned, deep in thought. "So why else would the curse go after Daidouji-san?"

Touya and Yue exchanged knowing glances, and Tomoyo could almost see Sakura and Syaoran doing the same thing. Tomoyo felt her face redden even more, and she was *really* glad Eriol wasn't thinking very clearly. After all, everyone else had the very simple and obvious reason pretty much figured out, even if the evidence was non-existent.

"Time will tell," Tomoyo managed to reply, meekly.

Eriol, still oblivious to the possibility that Tomoyo might care for him more than she let on, nodded. "I just hope we find a way to beat it."



The rest of Friday was uneventful, thankfully, and Tomoyo took the opportunity to settle work-related issues. Tiredly accepting that Eriol's curse would put her life on hold for what could be a very long time, she resolved to give herself a month-long working vacation. Her subordinates were shocked when they heard from her late that afternoon, but she told them to give her daily updates and contact her in case of emergencies. They complied, given that Daidouji Designs *was* still Tomoyo's company, but they were concerned as well. A vacation wasn't a real vacation if Tomoyo was simply relocating the work to her home, but Tomoyo dismissed her employees' worries on her behalf.

Dinner was a quiet affair, broken briefly by compliments to Touya and Yukito's culinary skills. Touya had enlisted Yukito (after Yue had transformed) to help him in the kitchen, and Tomoyo was delighted because both men were excellent chefs. They had insisted on cooking, generously giving Tomoyo time to rest while Eriol, sitting undisturbed in the room given to him by Tomoyo, presumably meditated to rebuild his strength.

Still, the curse weighed heavily on all of their minds, so Tomoyo wasn't surprised when Touya said that he and Yue would stay up on guard duty that night. Leaving no room for arguments, Touya took the first shift, suggesting that everyone else sleep. In truth, Touya was suspicious of the side effects of Eriol's curse, so he wanted to keep an eye on Eriol, who had been sending suspicious signals from the beginning. Touya had no intention letting Tomoyo or Eriol out of his range of hearing because they were the ones who needed to be watched closely, and until his sister and her gaki husband arrived, he knew he could never be too careful.

When at last everyone had retired to their bedrooms, Touya found himself sitting alone in the darkened living room, frowning at the TV screen. He was tense, expecting another attack any moment, but an hour of watching a funny TV show about a satorare doctor loosened him up tremendously, which was why he fell off the couch when he heard something to shatter the peace.

It was coming from Eriol's room.

In the space of a few seconds, he was on his feet and standing just inside Eriol's room, glaring wildly at shadows cast by the light of the hallway, until he heard the sound again. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when he realized that it was actually Eriol, crying out in his sleep.

But what the young man was unconsciously shouting was an entirely different matter altogether.

"What's wrong?" a soft voice asked behind Touya, and he turned to see Tomoyo standing inside the room, wearing a lavender silk robe, looking very much awake. He guessed she probably had difficulty sleeping, which was why she had arrived there so quickly, but he didn't blame her.

Touya regarded Tomoyo thoughtfully, debating with himself as to how much he should reveal. Eventually, he simply explained, "He was calling for you in his sleep."

Tomoyo appeared surprised, and a faint blush spread enchantingly across her face. Her eyes flitted instantly to Eriol's slumbering form before she self-consciously looked back at Touya. "Oh..." she said, her unconvincing attempt at nonchalance falling flat. "Really."

Touya continued to stare at her, his brow furrowed, his expression stern and calculating.

"I suppose I should just go back to my room then," she casually declared, turning toward the door after another moment of silence.

Just as she stepped through the doorway, Touya said, in a conversational, yet somewhat guarded tone, "I didn't know you were on a first name basis with Hiiragizawa. Did something else happen this afternoon?"

Tomoyo froze. It seemed that she couldn't come up with a response fast enough, and when she did, her reply sounded lame even to her own ears. "We're not. On a first name basis, I mean. And nothing happened."

She blushed, secretly flattered that Eriol had called to her in his sleep, secretly pleased that Eriol had used her first name, and thoroughly discomforted that Touya was the one to find out. She turned to face Sakura's normally stoic older brother and caught the slight tilt at one corner of his mouth.

He spoke, his words dry, "Well, make sure you tell Hiiragizawa that; he apparently doesn't realize the limitations of your relationship."

"H-hai," she smiled, weakly. For some reason, being around Touya always seemed to paralyze her until she finally got used to his presence. Then again, that was probably Tomoyo's general reaction to the Kinomoto family. Even so, a part of Tomoyo realized that maybe their current subject matter was simply too new and uncomfortable--perhaps too personal.

Touya's expression darkened slightly. "If you need me to step in, you know you can just say so, right?" he prodded, his characteristically hidden gentleness now visible in his eyes. "You *are* my honorary little sister, and as such, you're guaranteed me as your bodyguard. I'll happily beat him into an even bloodier mess if you like."

Tomoyo smiled uneasily. Although she had grown into a talented actress over the years, the relatively new topic of her relationship to Eriol unnerved her. She was beginning to discover that she couldn't keep up her emotional barriers so well wherever Eriol was concerned. "Iie. Please don't do that. You've already done so much for me, and Er--ah, Hiiragizawa-kun doesn't deserve the aggravation after all he's been through."

She felt her face redden, knowing that her honorary older brother had caught her verbal blunder as well. Touya actually smiled, and for one brief instant, his smile lit up the room brilliantly. "That's forgiving of you, after all the trouble he put you through..." He paused, eyes sparkling. "You know, you have a beautiful soul, Tomoyo-san."

Was it just her imagination, or were her ears getting as hot as her cheeks? "A-arigatou," she stammered, completely flattered and embarrassed.

Touya finally, mercifully, pulled his discerning gaze away from her and focused it on Eriol's unconscious face. He didn't speak for some time, and neither did she. Both were unwilling to break the silence, knowing its immense value during life's most hectic moments.

Of course, it couldn't last forever, so Touya spoke. "Sometimes, people are blind... blind and stupid," his slightly rueful smirk belied his own experiences. "Sometimes, people don't appreciate what they have because they cling so desperately to what they used to have, and that's just the way human beings work sometimes. They're unaware until it's almost too late..."

"That's true," she whispered in agreement, her gaze following Touya's to land on Eriol.

Neither spoke again for few moments.

Then, "I hope he appreciates you someday soon."

Her hushed response was natural, completely unrestrained by denial or false pretenses. "I hope so too."

Long after Tomoyo had left the room, Touya wondered if she had even heard herself.



-= End Part Four =-



Chapter Started: January 22, 2003
Chapter Finished: March 18, 2003
Chapter Revised: August 16, 2003

End Notes:
I hope I didn't overwhelm everyone with the explanations. Please feel free to e-mail me if you're happy and/or confused and/or irritated and/or thought the chapter was pitifully unfulfilling. ^_^;; I'd love to hear what you think.

One of my favorite scenes (next to Nakuru's wickedly fun phone conversation with Sakura and Syaoran at the end of Part Two) is the Touya-Tomoyo-interaction-in-Eriol's-room-at-night scene. It just hit me the night after I posted Part Three, and I wrote it all down, and it's been intact ever since. O_o I think that's why I'm so fond of it; it was 110% inspiration.

You may have noticed there's quite a bit of Touya and Yue as well. What can I say? I'm fond of bishounen, and I like Touya. ^_^ Plus, he and Yue make handy chaperones (i.e. people who can reduce Eriol to lifeless goo if/when (^_~) Eriol Goes Too Far With Tomoyo).

About Kaho:
I *like* Kaho.

Now I don't like her as much as Tomoyo or Eriol, but still... A lot of people, mostly E/T fans (surprise, surprise), hate her, but if you look objectively at the anime or manga, you notice there's actually NOTHING wrong with her outside her tendency to like younger males (and Eriol is NOT truly younger)... but that's another subject.

In fact, Kaho is a wonderful person, one you would probably instantly like if you met her in real life, and I portray her as such. Eriol will have difficulty getting over her, if he gets over her at all, and Tomoyo, as wonderful as Tomoyo is, will have difficulty living up to Kaho's memory. So please keep this in mind as the E/T relationship progresses...

~~ Japanese Translations ~~
yokatta – I'm glad
itai – ouch
ne – (in context) hey; a word one might say to catch someone's attention (Sample English Counterparts: "Say, did you see that flying emu, Touya-san?" or "Hey, Tomoyo-chan, is Eriol-kun really pregnant?")
onee-chan – older sister (informal)
gaki - brat
satorare – transparent (I think)
OT Note: Touya is watching this wonderfully funny Japanese dorama called "Satorare". Basically, it's about a doctor who doesn't know he has a disease that allows his thoughts to be broadcast to anyone within a 10-meter radius. Hence, he is "transparent". And hilarity ensues. ^_^

I highly recommend this show, provided you find it in your area. It's the funniest, fluffiest show I've seen in a long time.

Please review and direct all questions, comments, and criticisms to rune_dreaming@yahoo.com. Thank you!

Copyright (C) 2002-2003 by Dark Rune. All rights reserved.