"Stigmatized"
By: Na-chan
Disclaimer: I disclaim everything. So be it.
Author's Notes: Okay, I'm talking too much. Read, enjoy, and make sure to drop a review.
Dedication: To Pao, for reviewing all my fics. Ri says hi too.
"talking"
'thinking'
~song~
Chapter 5: Flee
A month passed, uneventful.
The hot rays of the sun simmered down to give way to the falling golden leaves.
Natsu was coming to a close.
It was now mid-August.
Aki.
*******************************************************************************************
~And leave me, or take me as I am...~
"Hiiragizawa-kun, Ohayou."
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Daidouji-san." The usual polite greetings filled the air of the Amamiya Jinja. The smiles that followed after were no rarities either.
"Nice of you to drop by," Tomoyo would comment as she went about her daily chores.
He would smile and his glasses would twinkle. "I had nothing else to do."
"So you decided to bother me?" She would return the smile with one of her own.
He would pretend to be hurt. "My, that's wasn't my intention at all. Your words scar me." Throughout the statement he would have this mischievous glint in his cerulean eyes.
She would laugh, taking notice of that certain glint. "Then what was your intention?"
"To keep you company. It's awfully lonely around such a tranquil place," He would answer, giving her his most riveting smile.
They would sit down somewhere after that and talk on hours on end until noon. Eriol would tell her fascinating tales about his home country and she, in turn would tell him all about her experiences in the shrine. It was the occasional teasing that made their friendship light on the top. They grew to share a strong bond between themselves but Eriol was evasive when they came to more personal issues, especially on his 'non-existent' (according to him anyway) offense against the government.
"Don't take it the wrong way, Daidouji-san. I just don't think I'll be ready to talk about it," He said one of those times she candidly asked about it. He couldn't blame her for her curiosity. But if he was going to be her friend, he was going to have to reveal to her the reason...eventually. He'd be ready then.
Their talks would end abruptly every time Arashi came and started calling for Tomoyo to come home for lunch. Apparently Sonomi-sama was being made to wait for ten minutes already or more. Tomoyo would apologize to Eriol for leaving him then rush to Arashi and apologize to her too. The bodyguard would understand, Tomoyo knew, but her mother would scold her on her budding habit of being tardy. It wasn't the only thing Sonomi had noticed these past few days; the other being Tomoyo's sudden brightness and the frequency of her happy smiles. Her usual smiles where all sad before. The reason behind this kept Daidouji Sonomi wondering.
On one of the luncheons, Sonomi's curiosity had gotten the best of her. "You seem happy these days, dear." She pointed out, hoping to draw information from her reserved daughter.
Tomoyo looked up from the rice she was eating. She placed her chopsticks down, but still held the bowl of grain. "I am, Okaasama."
"The shrine is doing well?" Sonomi prompted.
"Yes," Tomoyo replied, a small smile forming on her pleasant features. It was a smile of the secretive sort. "It is doing fine."
Sonomi noticed her reaction and frowned ever so slightly. Her daughter was hiding something from her. A mother could always tell despite the fact that her daughter could hide her emotions very well.
Silence enveloped the room and Tomoyo picked up the chopsticks and proceeded eating out of her rice bowl once more. Sonomi was quiet, her mind somewhere else, her food left untouched.
*******************************************************************************************
It was again another beautiful autumn day. The red, yellow and orange leaves decorated the trees and the ground. The Daidouji Mansion, its towering whitewashed walls stood upon the hill, desolate. Both mistress and madam of the house were both out--one leaving before the other but both heading for the same direction, the same location.
"Ohayou, Daidouji-san."
"Ohayou, Hiiragizawa-kun." Once again, the same greetings. The same customary smiles. But something was terribly amiss that day that Tomoyo could not place her finger into. She had felt similar a few days ago but the sensation had not stayed long enough to be a source of anxiety.
He noticed. "Doshita no?" Concern.
She didn't want to trouble him. "Nothing. It's nothing." Denial.
He wanted to help her. She was his most-valued friend even though she was a female. Yamazaki was great but he wasn't the type you'd like to have a long serious conversation with. "Are you sure?" Still, concern.
She nodded an affirmative. "Yes. Today just seems...different." Honesty.
He frowned. "In what way?" Tomoyo's opinion on events were all carefully put, but said with the most wisdom he had seen in a seventeen-year old. Her words were true but this time they sounded confused.
"...I don't know. It's like someone's watching."
"I'm sure everything will be all right," Eriol reassured her but his eyes were scanning the perimeter, taking every detail into perspective. "I don't see anything out of place."
"Un."
Everything will be all right...
She deeply hoped it would be.
*******************************************************************************************
The carriage stood across the street from the cobblestone steps leading to the shrine. A woman cloaked in black approached the awaiting coach, intent on delivering the news she had come to know of as soon as possible.
The door was opened by the driver and revealed an unflappable Sonomi. "What did you find out Arashi?" She asked outright.
The bodyguard nodded solemnly and entered the compartment. "Tomoyo-san has a visitor. A male. Apparently he is a friend of hers. He has been visiting her almost every day. I also saw him during the Ryogoku."
Sonomi raised an eyebrow. "A friend? Why hasn't she mentioned it to me? Never mind." She dismissed the query entirely and focused her attention on the topic at hand. "Is that all?"
"Tomoyo-san...she suspects."
The Daidouji bit back a small smile. Her daughter was very attentive to the vibes in her environment. "We can't do anything about that, can we? Just make sure that he has no vindictive intentions."
"Hai. I looked into that matter too." Arashi's brow furrowed. "His records are not being released to the public, Sonomi-sama."
The older woman looked cool and composed even if the guard had said this. "I trust my daughter's judgment when it comes to people, Arashi. I believe she can choose her own friends. But if he becomes a suitor...I'll let you and the others handle him."
If Arashi had been a man, she would have gulped. Twice. The daunting tone in her mistress' voice was enough to send one to a stuttering fit. Tomoyo-san was an only child and Sonomi-sama was very protective of her. It was a wonder that the mother was letting her offspring off easily this time.
Arashi bowed and turned to leave when Sonomi's voice called her attention once more.
"And Arashi?" Sonomi's lips curved into a soft smile as she looked outside through one of the carriage windows, her gaze looking past the steps and up towards the shrine where her daughter was.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Make certain that Tomoyo comes home before lunch time, understood? I don't want her to nurture that habit of being late." Sonomi said, her mind feeling calm and happy after many long years.
*******************************************************************************************
The sun had left the sky, making way to the latent moon. It was full tonight, Eriol noted idly. When it was full and as bright as this, he could even see the flaws in its surface. He was on his way back to Yamazaki's house. The road he was now on was a side street--he was smart enough to know not to let his guard down. Though the authorities seemed to be less vigilant in catching him, he had knowledge that it was always good to take precautions. A black kitten skittered past him and stopped only to look at him. He met the thing with an upturned mouth, the light from the moon reflecting on his spectacles. He held out his hand to it.
"Come," He whispered lightly. The animal obeyed and neared the boy. It licked his fingers and meowed, its dark fur glistening in the light.
Eriol stroked its back with affection. He was always fond of pets. He had no animals to take care of back in England, his mother being allergic to almost every species imaginable. His grandmother had a parrot but it tended to annoy him with it repeating everything he said. He recalled it was particularly fond of repeating a phrase his grandmother had told him countless of times.
"Look before you leap, look before you leap! Wark! Wark!"
Look before you leap.
The bespectacled boy looked wistful at the memory. It was a phrase he had grown to practice, caution and alert traits carefully instilled deeply within him. His guard was rarely down but whenever it was the events were disastrous. Like whenever he was with Tomoyo. Nothing bad had happened and he hoped that they would keep away.
A faint sound around the corner told him that someone was approaching. He let the kitten he had picked up earlier down on the pavement and hid behind a couple of large wooden boxes, obscuring him from view. A few moments later two men in uniform passed through the alley and stopped directly in front of the boxes. They were both talking in hushed tones and Eriol strained to hear their conversation. He was not one to eavesdrop but strange enough, he thought he had overheard his name. Then again he might have been mistaken.
"Kachou is getting frustrated. A month ago we had a direct order from the government to catch this Hiiragizawa fellow. The three-fourths of the whole force was sent after him! Then two days after some official barges in and declares that the order was withdrawn," The man paused, "Now, the order is being reissued once more! Fliers are in the process of being made. Sheesh, our government today. Make up your mind!"
His companion nodded. "I understand what you feel. I almost caught him with Inoue-sempai. But the Meiji Era is only beginning. The Tokugawa was a tough time for all of us. It's only natural for the government to be still unstable. Spies coming and going without being noticed, sheesh."
"You're too fair on the government. Heck, even if it's only starting, corruption is already rampant." The first male officer was pretty pessimistic.
The other one was the opposite. "I believe that there are some decent people left." He was an adamant believer in the goodness within everyone, a trait not found in most police officers. This was the reason why he was still a deputy even after working in the force for ten years.
Eriol smirked at this man's optimism. The officer was right about the government having SOME decency in its employees. It just was overshadowed by the negativity.
"Meow?"
The two men suddenly stopped talking. Their attention was diverted to the kitten who had suddenly started purring. It looked at both of them with its large beady eyes.
"Oh look, a kitten. My daughter wants one of these." The second officer patted the creature affectionately.
His friend did not share his sentiments. "Vet it avay from ve." He said through fits of sneezing. Apparently, he was allergic to the furry little thing, much to the other man's surprise.
This was the distraction Eriol needed and he slipped quietly from his hiding spot behind the boxes and into the dark alley where he had come from earlier. There were more routes he could take to Yamazaki's house.
He wouldn't be there long though. It was just to say goodbye. Things were getting more dangerous by the minute. But before that he had to make a visit to the vault in his mansion.
*******************************************************************************************
The almost inaudible rapping on the door awoke Yamazaki from his light nap. He was used to this routine--Eriol would come back late at night and would knock almost silently and he, Yamazaki, being the good host he was, would come and open the door despite his groggy state. This night, however, Eriol had come back earlier, Yamazaki's eyes had only been shut for a few minutes. Odd. Eriol visited Daidouji-san during the day and made calls to his "connections" during the night. A shortage in contacts? Yamazaki only hoped that was the reason.
He opened the door and found a composed looking Hiiragizawa in the doorway. "You're early today." He commented, observing if there was anything strange in his friend's behavior. He found none. "No business to take care of?"
"I skipped them," Eriol replied casually, looking Takashi in the eye as if to say, 'don't worry'. "They wanted me to sign a bunch of contracts and I didn't like the deal. So I took off." A well-placed lie, enough for Yamazaki to get the picture. It takes one to know one, after all.
"I thought they dropped the subject...?"
"Apparently, they did not. It'll take a while for it to cool down again and during that period of time I don't want to endanger you or Mihara-san," Eriol exhaled, "I've decided to leave Tokyo for some time." He remained outside the door, not entering the household.
Yamazaki had seen this coming in the near future but he had always dismissed the prospect as highly unlikely. "Are you sure about this?" He ventured, too preoccupied to notice that Eriol was not making a move to come inside.
A nod. "It was put off for too long. Foreigners were never welcome on this, here land." Eriol smiled bitterly. He hated leaving this place, truth be told, but it was the only way. He was running away--something he did not take pride in doing. "I'm sorry to have put you in danger by staying here," He continued.
His friend shook his head, his jet-black hair falling over his eyes. "I decided to have you here. I put myself in danger." He corrected. Even if Yamazaki said this, he knew that his protests would undoubtedly fall on deaf ears. "I know you won't listen to me though."
It was who Eriol shook his head this time and gave the other man a fleeting smile. "I am indebted to you and your future bride. I wish you the best of luck. Thank you." He managed to say and handed Takashi a small package before he turned and walked away. He didn't give Yamazaki any time to say anything because Eriol knew he wasn't pleased about the sudden turn in events. Yamazaki'd thank him one of these days.
When Hiiragizawa was gone, Yamazaki opened the wrapped parcel and produced a small key from it. A small piece of paper was attached to it through a section of string. His eyes widened at the inscription in it.
This is the key to your new house. I thought you would need a bigger one when you get married. A man will come by tomorrow to make the arrangements. -Hiiragizawa Eriol
*******************************************************************************************
Eriol's next stop would be harder to get to. The Daidouji Mansion was surrounded by walls and guards were stationed at the gates and inside. His only chance at seeing Tomoyo would be to scale the walls and fall into the garden he anticipated to be on the other side of it. The three guards who were patrolling the perimeter had a two-minute distance from each other and the other two standing guard by the entrance could only see until the end of the corner. Taking off at the precise moment would be critical. The only thing in favor with Eriol's plan was that the height of the walls were not impossible to jump over.
There was another dilemma though, and it came in the form of a question.
Which of the rooms was Tomoyo's?
Finding her room would be almost as difficult as getting in. There would most likely be more than twenty rooms to choose from. He only hoped that his instincts would lead him to the right one.
He had been lying in wait by the bushes of the forest near the enclosure. The entrance guards would not see him since the part of the house that was facing him was the back. The first guard who was on patrol strolled past and the exact minute she turned the corner, Eriol made a dash for it. The second one would come rounding up the corner just now, and when she did, Hiiragizawa Eriol was safely inside the four walls.
Now, to find Tomoyo.
*******************************************************************************************
She couldn't sleep. There was something bothering her but she couldn't quite tell what it was. She wasn't thirsty nor was she hungry in any way. The sliding door of her room, which led to the outside, was left partly open and a cool night breeze came from it. That was not the problem either.
Tomoyo shook her head and pulled herself out of the covers of her futon. That was it. If sleep wouldn't come to her now, she'd have to walk around and tire herself first. Her room was the only one that was used in the east side of the mansion, where the plants were the most superb. She liked it that way. Sonomi's room, on the other hand, was on the west wing, almost adjacent to Tomoyo's.
Her loosely braided hair swung back and forth while she stood up and opened the door fully. A blast of chilly air met her at the ready, and she shivered slightly. She closed the door then proceeded to walk the waxed corridor by the garden. She was walking on her bare feet, and the wood beneath her had somewhat absorbed the cold so she had decided to sit down a few meters from where she had started from.
The moon was obscured that night, covered by the clouds, but Tomoyo could tell it was full. Her eyes stared at it in scrutiny. While doing this, she hummed a song from her childhood, not noticing the figure that had crept up behind her.
"It's full tonight," The figure commented, and instantly, Tomoyo knew that the person could be trusted without looking. She was surprised however, and her curiosity won out, making her turn to see the speaker.
"Hiiragizawa-kun! What are you doing here at this time of night?" She asked. It was late, too late in fact, to make house calls such as this, especially one so sudden. "How did you get in anyway?"
Eriol grinned. "It wasn't an easy feat."
Tomoyo looked appalled. "You broke in? That's so uncharacteristic of you." Then she giggled. Her mother would be quite stunned to find out that their security had been breached by a boy of seventeen.
Eriol's glasses shined. "Gomen nasai, Daidouji-san. That wall was challenging me." He suddenly looked serious, "But I have something important to tell you."
"It couldn't wait until morning, could it?" She yawned. Now, she was feeling drowsy. Talk about bad timing.
He shook his head slightly. "Iie. I've come to say goodbye."
^____TsUzUkU_____^
A/N: Cliffhanger! LoL. Review, it's an early post!
*Japanese Terminology
aki-autumn
natsu-summer
jinja-a Shinto shrine
futon-mat for sleeping
kachou-chief
doshita no-what's wrong?
By: Na-chan
Disclaimer: I disclaim everything. So be it.
Author's Notes: Okay, I'm talking too much. Read, enjoy, and make sure to drop a review.
Dedication: To Pao, for reviewing all my fics. Ri says hi too.
"talking"
'thinking'
~song~
Chapter 5: Flee
A month passed, uneventful.
The hot rays of the sun simmered down to give way to the falling golden leaves.
Natsu was coming to a close.
It was now mid-August.
Aki.
*******************************************************************************************
~And leave me, or take me as I am...~
"Hiiragizawa-kun, Ohayou."
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Daidouji-san." The usual polite greetings filled the air of the Amamiya Jinja. The smiles that followed after were no rarities either.
"Nice of you to drop by," Tomoyo would comment as she went about her daily chores.
He would smile and his glasses would twinkle. "I had nothing else to do."
"So you decided to bother me?" She would return the smile with one of her own.
He would pretend to be hurt. "My, that's wasn't my intention at all. Your words scar me." Throughout the statement he would have this mischievous glint in his cerulean eyes.
She would laugh, taking notice of that certain glint. "Then what was your intention?"
"To keep you company. It's awfully lonely around such a tranquil place," He would answer, giving her his most riveting smile.
They would sit down somewhere after that and talk on hours on end until noon. Eriol would tell her fascinating tales about his home country and she, in turn would tell him all about her experiences in the shrine. It was the occasional teasing that made their friendship light on the top. They grew to share a strong bond between themselves but Eriol was evasive when they came to more personal issues, especially on his 'non-existent' (according to him anyway) offense against the government.
"Don't take it the wrong way, Daidouji-san. I just don't think I'll be ready to talk about it," He said one of those times she candidly asked about it. He couldn't blame her for her curiosity. But if he was going to be her friend, he was going to have to reveal to her the reason...eventually. He'd be ready then.
Their talks would end abruptly every time Arashi came and started calling for Tomoyo to come home for lunch. Apparently Sonomi-sama was being made to wait for ten minutes already or more. Tomoyo would apologize to Eriol for leaving him then rush to Arashi and apologize to her too. The bodyguard would understand, Tomoyo knew, but her mother would scold her on her budding habit of being tardy. It wasn't the only thing Sonomi had noticed these past few days; the other being Tomoyo's sudden brightness and the frequency of her happy smiles. Her usual smiles where all sad before. The reason behind this kept Daidouji Sonomi wondering.
On one of the luncheons, Sonomi's curiosity had gotten the best of her. "You seem happy these days, dear." She pointed out, hoping to draw information from her reserved daughter.
Tomoyo looked up from the rice she was eating. She placed her chopsticks down, but still held the bowl of grain. "I am, Okaasama."
"The shrine is doing well?" Sonomi prompted.
"Yes," Tomoyo replied, a small smile forming on her pleasant features. It was a smile of the secretive sort. "It is doing fine."
Sonomi noticed her reaction and frowned ever so slightly. Her daughter was hiding something from her. A mother could always tell despite the fact that her daughter could hide her emotions very well.
Silence enveloped the room and Tomoyo picked up the chopsticks and proceeded eating out of her rice bowl once more. Sonomi was quiet, her mind somewhere else, her food left untouched.
*******************************************************************************************
It was again another beautiful autumn day. The red, yellow and orange leaves decorated the trees and the ground. The Daidouji Mansion, its towering whitewashed walls stood upon the hill, desolate. Both mistress and madam of the house were both out--one leaving before the other but both heading for the same direction, the same location.
"Ohayou, Daidouji-san."
"Ohayou, Hiiragizawa-kun." Once again, the same greetings. The same customary smiles. But something was terribly amiss that day that Tomoyo could not place her finger into. She had felt similar a few days ago but the sensation had not stayed long enough to be a source of anxiety.
He noticed. "Doshita no?" Concern.
She didn't want to trouble him. "Nothing. It's nothing." Denial.
He wanted to help her. She was his most-valued friend even though she was a female. Yamazaki was great but he wasn't the type you'd like to have a long serious conversation with. "Are you sure?" Still, concern.
She nodded an affirmative. "Yes. Today just seems...different." Honesty.
He frowned. "In what way?" Tomoyo's opinion on events were all carefully put, but said with the most wisdom he had seen in a seventeen-year old. Her words were true but this time they sounded confused.
"...I don't know. It's like someone's watching."
"I'm sure everything will be all right," Eriol reassured her but his eyes were scanning the perimeter, taking every detail into perspective. "I don't see anything out of place."
"Un."
Everything will be all right...
She deeply hoped it would be.
*******************************************************************************************
The carriage stood across the street from the cobblestone steps leading to the shrine. A woman cloaked in black approached the awaiting coach, intent on delivering the news she had come to know of as soon as possible.
The door was opened by the driver and revealed an unflappable Sonomi. "What did you find out Arashi?" She asked outright.
The bodyguard nodded solemnly and entered the compartment. "Tomoyo-san has a visitor. A male. Apparently he is a friend of hers. He has been visiting her almost every day. I also saw him during the Ryogoku."
Sonomi raised an eyebrow. "A friend? Why hasn't she mentioned it to me? Never mind." She dismissed the query entirely and focused her attention on the topic at hand. "Is that all?"
"Tomoyo-san...she suspects."
The Daidouji bit back a small smile. Her daughter was very attentive to the vibes in her environment. "We can't do anything about that, can we? Just make sure that he has no vindictive intentions."
"Hai. I looked into that matter too." Arashi's brow furrowed. "His records are not being released to the public, Sonomi-sama."
The older woman looked cool and composed even if the guard had said this. "I trust my daughter's judgment when it comes to people, Arashi. I believe she can choose her own friends. But if he becomes a suitor...I'll let you and the others handle him."
If Arashi had been a man, she would have gulped. Twice. The daunting tone in her mistress' voice was enough to send one to a stuttering fit. Tomoyo-san was an only child and Sonomi-sama was very protective of her. It was a wonder that the mother was letting her offspring off easily this time.
Arashi bowed and turned to leave when Sonomi's voice called her attention once more.
"And Arashi?" Sonomi's lips curved into a soft smile as she looked outside through one of the carriage windows, her gaze looking past the steps and up towards the shrine where her daughter was.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Make certain that Tomoyo comes home before lunch time, understood? I don't want her to nurture that habit of being late." Sonomi said, her mind feeling calm and happy after many long years.
*******************************************************************************************
The sun had left the sky, making way to the latent moon. It was full tonight, Eriol noted idly. When it was full and as bright as this, he could even see the flaws in its surface. He was on his way back to Yamazaki's house. The road he was now on was a side street--he was smart enough to know not to let his guard down. Though the authorities seemed to be less vigilant in catching him, he had knowledge that it was always good to take precautions. A black kitten skittered past him and stopped only to look at him. He met the thing with an upturned mouth, the light from the moon reflecting on his spectacles. He held out his hand to it.
"Come," He whispered lightly. The animal obeyed and neared the boy. It licked his fingers and meowed, its dark fur glistening in the light.
Eriol stroked its back with affection. He was always fond of pets. He had no animals to take care of back in England, his mother being allergic to almost every species imaginable. His grandmother had a parrot but it tended to annoy him with it repeating everything he said. He recalled it was particularly fond of repeating a phrase his grandmother had told him countless of times.
"Look before you leap, look before you leap! Wark! Wark!"
Look before you leap.
The bespectacled boy looked wistful at the memory. It was a phrase he had grown to practice, caution and alert traits carefully instilled deeply within him. His guard was rarely down but whenever it was the events were disastrous. Like whenever he was with Tomoyo. Nothing bad had happened and he hoped that they would keep away.
A faint sound around the corner told him that someone was approaching. He let the kitten he had picked up earlier down on the pavement and hid behind a couple of large wooden boxes, obscuring him from view. A few moments later two men in uniform passed through the alley and stopped directly in front of the boxes. They were both talking in hushed tones and Eriol strained to hear their conversation. He was not one to eavesdrop but strange enough, he thought he had overheard his name. Then again he might have been mistaken.
"Kachou is getting frustrated. A month ago we had a direct order from the government to catch this Hiiragizawa fellow. The three-fourths of the whole force was sent after him! Then two days after some official barges in and declares that the order was withdrawn," The man paused, "Now, the order is being reissued once more! Fliers are in the process of being made. Sheesh, our government today. Make up your mind!"
His companion nodded. "I understand what you feel. I almost caught him with Inoue-sempai. But the Meiji Era is only beginning. The Tokugawa was a tough time for all of us. It's only natural for the government to be still unstable. Spies coming and going without being noticed, sheesh."
"You're too fair on the government. Heck, even if it's only starting, corruption is already rampant." The first male officer was pretty pessimistic.
The other one was the opposite. "I believe that there are some decent people left." He was an adamant believer in the goodness within everyone, a trait not found in most police officers. This was the reason why he was still a deputy even after working in the force for ten years.
Eriol smirked at this man's optimism. The officer was right about the government having SOME decency in its employees. It just was overshadowed by the negativity.
"Meow?"
The two men suddenly stopped talking. Their attention was diverted to the kitten who had suddenly started purring. It looked at both of them with its large beady eyes.
"Oh look, a kitten. My daughter wants one of these." The second officer patted the creature affectionately.
His friend did not share his sentiments. "Vet it avay from ve." He said through fits of sneezing. Apparently, he was allergic to the furry little thing, much to the other man's surprise.
This was the distraction Eriol needed and he slipped quietly from his hiding spot behind the boxes and into the dark alley where he had come from earlier. There were more routes he could take to Yamazaki's house.
He wouldn't be there long though. It was just to say goodbye. Things were getting more dangerous by the minute. But before that he had to make a visit to the vault in his mansion.
*******************************************************************************************
The almost inaudible rapping on the door awoke Yamazaki from his light nap. He was used to this routine--Eriol would come back late at night and would knock almost silently and he, Yamazaki, being the good host he was, would come and open the door despite his groggy state. This night, however, Eriol had come back earlier, Yamazaki's eyes had only been shut for a few minutes. Odd. Eriol visited Daidouji-san during the day and made calls to his "connections" during the night. A shortage in contacts? Yamazaki only hoped that was the reason.
He opened the door and found a composed looking Hiiragizawa in the doorway. "You're early today." He commented, observing if there was anything strange in his friend's behavior. He found none. "No business to take care of?"
"I skipped them," Eriol replied casually, looking Takashi in the eye as if to say, 'don't worry'. "They wanted me to sign a bunch of contracts and I didn't like the deal. So I took off." A well-placed lie, enough for Yamazaki to get the picture. It takes one to know one, after all.
"I thought they dropped the subject...?"
"Apparently, they did not. It'll take a while for it to cool down again and during that period of time I don't want to endanger you or Mihara-san," Eriol exhaled, "I've decided to leave Tokyo for some time." He remained outside the door, not entering the household.
Yamazaki had seen this coming in the near future but he had always dismissed the prospect as highly unlikely. "Are you sure about this?" He ventured, too preoccupied to notice that Eriol was not making a move to come inside.
A nod. "It was put off for too long. Foreigners were never welcome on this, here land." Eriol smiled bitterly. He hated leaving this place, truth be told, but it was the only way. He was running away--something he did not take pride in doing. "I'm sorry to have put you in danger by staying here," He continued.
His friend shook his head, his jet-black hair falling over his eyes. "I decided to have you here. I put myself in danger." He corrected. Even if Yamazaki said this, he knew that his protests would undoubtedly fall on deaf ears. "I know you won't listen to me though."
It was who Eriol shook his head this time and gave the other man a fleeting smile. "I am indebted to you and your future bride. I wish you the best of luck. Thank you." He managed to say and handed Takashi a small package before he turned and walked away. He didn't give Yamazaki any time to say anything because Eriol knew he wasn't pleased about the sudden turn in events. Yamazaki'd thank him one of these days.
When Hiiragizawa was gone, Yamazaki opened the wrapped parcel and produced a small key from it. A small piece of paper was attached to it through a section of string. His eyes widened at the inscription in it.
This is the key to your new house. I thought you would need a bigger one when you get married. A man will come by tomorrow to make the arrangements. -Hiiragizawa Eriol
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Eriol's next stop would be harder to get to. The Daidouji Mansion was surrounded by walls and guards were stationed at the gates and inside. His only chance at seeing Tomoyo would be to scale the walls and fall into the garden he anticipated to be on the other side of it. The three guards who were patrolling the perimeter had a two-minute distance from each other and the other two standing guard by the entrance could only see until the end of the corner. Taking off at the precise moment would be critical. The only thing in favor with Eriol's plan was that the height of the walls were not impossible to jump over.
There was another dilemma though, and it came in the form of a question.
Which of the rooms was Tomoyo's?
Finding her room would be almost as difficult as getting in. There would most likely be more than twenty rooms to choose from. He only hoped that his instincts would lead him to the right one.
He had been lying in wait by the bushes of the forest near the enclosure. The entrance guards would not see him since the part of the house that was facing him was the back. The first guard who was on patrol strolled past and the exact minute she turned the corner, Eriol made a dash for it. The second one would come rounding up the corner just now, and when she did, Hiiragizawa Eriol was safely inside the four walls.
Now, to find Tomoyo.
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She couldn't sleep. There was something bothering her but she couldn't quite tell what it was. She wasn't thirsty nor was she hungry in any way. The sliding door of her room, which led to the outside, was left partly open and a cool night breeze came from it. That was not the problem either.
Tomoyo shook her head and pulled herself out of the covers of her futon. That was it. If sleep wouldn't come to her now, she'd have to walk around and tire herself first. Her room was the only one that was used in the east side of the mansion, where the plants were the most superb. She liked it that way. Sonomi's room, on the other hand, was on the west wing, almost adjacent to Tomoyo's.
Her loosely braided hair swung back and forth while she stood up and opened the door fully. A blast of chilly air met her at the ready, and she shivered slightly. She closed the door then proceeded to walk the waxed corridor by the garden. She was walking on her bare feet, and the wood beneath her had somewhat absorbed the cold so she had decided to sit down a few meters from where she had started from.
The moon was obscured that night, covered by the clouds, but Tomoyo could tell it was full. Her eyes stared at it in scrutiny. While doing this, she hummed a song from her childhood, not noticing the figure that had crept up behind her.
"It's full tonight," The figure commented, and instantly, Tomoyo knew that the person could be trusted without looking. She was surprised however, and her curiosity won out, making her turn to see the speaker.
"Hiiragizawa-kun! What are you doing here at this time of night?" She asked. It was late, too late in fact, to make house calls such as this, especially one so sudden. "How did you get in anyway?"
Eriol grinned. "It wasn't an easy feat."
Tomoyo looked appalled. "You broke in? That's so uncharacteristic of you." Then she giggled. Her mother would be quite stunned to find out that their security had been breached by a boy of seventeen.
Eriol's glasses shined. "Gomen nasai, Daidouji-san. That wall was challenging me." He suddenly looked serious, "But I have something important to tell you."
"It couldn't wait until morning, could it?" She yawned. Now, she was feeling drowsy. Talk about bad timing.
He shook his head slightly. "Iie. I've come to say goodbye."
^____TsUzUkU_____^
A/N: Cliffhanger! LoL. Review, it's an early post!
*Japanese Terminology
aki-autumn
natsu-summer
jinja-a Shinto shrine
futon-mat for sleeping
kachou-chief
doshita no-what's wrong?