Author's Notes: Hello ^^ It's me once more. Due to the abrupt suspension of my fanfic Songs Without Words, and to my forgetfulness regarding KyteAura's birthday (really sorry!), I have made a new fic (this) to compensate for my recent misgiving ^^;;. It's sort of an apology fic, and it is weird. This is the first time I have made something like this, but still, I hope you'll all read and enjoy it. Thank you for supporting my fanfics! *cries basins of tears* Please review if you want me to continue...and hopefully, there are no other fics like these. ^.~
Warnings: AU, occult stuff, slight OOC, OC insertion
Disclaimer: nikki hiiragizawa is in no way affiliated to or endorsed by CLAMP and producers of Card Captor Sakura. This fanfiction is made for entertainment purposes only, (or else, I'll be paired up with Eriol...ehem ^^)
First Pillar: Premonition
There was darkness. Pitch black and looming darkness made the usual quiet and green fields look ominous and eerie. There was nothing for the eyes to see except for two persons standing in the middle of the now gray field. They were in the middle of a duel, ignoring the fact that clouds above them have gathered, signaling the onslaught of a coming storm. Suddenly, a blast of jagged lightning brke the darkness, and soon, one of the persons dropped on his knees, finally admitting defeat.
"I must admire you for your courage and talent, Lady Hina Lle," the man who had knelt said, not hiding his admiration for the woman before him. "In the short time that you had been under my wing, you have learnt this enough knowledge and power over your craft."
The young woman's laughter tinkled, hollow enough to create tingles in one's spine. She fingered long black tresses that framed her form almost impatiently. "I am grateful to have a great teacher like you, but I am a bit surprised. With all my training after I left you, my mentor, you still managed to dodge most of my spells. I had expected you to be a bit more...vulnerable."
"You flatter me, Lady," the man laughed as he stood up, arranging his dark cape about him. "But I cannot help but be awed at your change. In a few years that passed, you managed to surpass your teacher."
"Yes...I did." The young woman eyed her teacher. "And I am expecting you to keep your side of the bargain. You told before that if I could defeat you, you would listen to one of my wishes...not only listen...but to do it..."
"Of course. I always keep my word, no matter how grievous the circumstances may be." The man's glasses glinted with curiosity. What would his former student want of him, as she challenged him in a sorcery duel like this?
The wind suddenly changed course and began to pick up pace, making the grasses near their feet tremble and sway. The storm clouds slightly parted, revealing a full moon encircled in a ring of bloody red. Silence overcame everything and not even the hooting of the barn owls or the chirp of the crickets could reach their ears.
The man held his breath as his student stepped forward until their noses almost touch. "Well then...my request would be..." she whispered throatily. She bent near enough to let her breath touch the man's neck. "...is that you, Clow Reed, would be a part of us." She smiled evilly, revealing pearly white fangs shortly before she fully bent down to capture her mentor's neck...
+++
Tomoyo Daidouji woke to the sound of her own screaming. When she settled down, she found herself in the darkness of her own room. She was sitting on her bed, her nightgown drenched in sweat, and her mouth opened to a scream. She could still feel her heart hammering against her ribs, the veins in her temples throbbing until they hurt. she was panting with nervous, spent energy, until she realized she was safe.
She looked over her balcony window. The curtains were flapping in the wind, sending chills all over the room. The girl sighed. She must have left the windows open without knowing it. With a slight rustle, she stood up and padded towards the blacony to close the windows.
Come to think of it, this was the third time she had similar dreams. She knew the man in her dream was the same as the one before...yet everytime she wakes up, she would only have the slightest memory of what she had seen. Yet...he was always there...the man with dark, piercing eyes...
Tomoyo sighed, fingering the curtains absently. Had she watched him in some movie before and kind of left a mark on her? She did not even know where she had seen him...strange.
Just as she was about to close hr curtains, she looked at the sky by chance. The moon was at its fullest, it's perfect form enclosed in a dark red ring. she shivered slightly as she partially remembered where she had seen the same appearance of the moon. Could it be...that her dreams were a premonition of what's going to happen?
Silly me, she thought with humor as she climbed back to bed, making sure her doors and windows are all locked. Of course there's no such thing as sorcerers at this time…there isn't any magic existing here. Sleep came immediately, and was soon cradled in the darkness of her dreams.
Dead to the world, Tomoyo never heard the click of her window lock and the slight creak of the hinges as the window opened once more, making the curtains flutter and draw back…
+++
"Hooeee?"
Tomoyo smiled cheerfully, mixing her drink with her straw. "You need not be so amused, Sakura-chan. After all...there might be some chances that...
"B...but Tomoyo-chan! This might be a breakthrough of something!" Sakura's voice probably got the best of her. Now, most of the students in the classroom are looking at them.
Tomoyo cradled her cheek on one hand, slightly embarrassed and amused. Kinomoto Sakura had been her best friend since they were babies, and they were now enjoying their lunch inside Seijyo High's second year classrooms, enjoying until Tomoyo brought up the topic about her incessant dreams. "A breakthrough of what?" Tomoyo asked, lowering her voice and warning Sakura with her eyes to do the same.
Sakura bent her head. "You know...it might be a message from somebody...like your soulmate..." she heasitated for a while, "...or something like that."
"You actually believed in something like that, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo teased. "Well, since you are afraid of ghost stories and are a fantasy novel reader, I should have expected this response from you." She laughed as she chewed on a sausage.
"Mou!" Sakura faked a pout. "You don't take my conclusion seriously! I was thinking of it critically, you know. Tomoyo-chan is cruel." Sakura paused to take a sip from her canteen.
Tomoyo tugged on one of her braids. "Sorry! I just don't believe such things could exist in this civilization. I mean...everything is so modern, there is no way ghosts or ghouls could survive."
Then what about vampires?" a voice suddenly said from behind them. Sakura jumped while Tomoyo made a face. Surely only one person would be interested in ghost stories.
"Naoko-chan," Tomoyo started. "Please don't scare Sakura-chan."
Naoko propped her eyeglasses with a finger. "I am not scaring anyone. It is true. There had been news of attacks of a vampire in a city near here. It had been also said that there were sightings..."
Tomoyo suddenly stood up. She smiled apologetically. "Excuse me, I forgot I have to report to the choir club. If you will excuse me..." She quickly walked towards the door, leaving Sakura-chan to be scared...much to Naoko's enjoyment.
Outside, Tomoyo leaned against the wall. She would not hear of anything about ghosts or vampires or anything supernatural. Such things do not exist anymore...she had decided on this despite of what her mother had told her three days ago...
She closed her hands into fists. There was no way the normal, easy and uncomplicated life of hers would be stained by supernatural things. She would rather live it the usual way...without anything to worry about lineage and stuff like those.
+++
"Tadai...ma..." Tomoyo dropped her bag on the nearest sofa just as their maid came hurriedly to get her shoes and coat. She rememberd her mother was out of town again. She probably had some more business meetings with other owners throughout the city. Knowing Daidouji Sonomi was a workaholic, Tomoyo expected her mtoher not to come home soon. Ahh..it would be much more peaceful here.
It was already dark when she retired to her to her room. She wanted to perfect the algebra exam tomorrow and had studied extra harder. Maybe she'll watch television in her room for a while, read some of her song pieces for the choir practice tomorrow and get some sleep. Such routine had been practiced by the purple-eyed girl for many years now. Of course, some interruptions like Sakura calling her, or a late walk to the park or an invitation to a movie might break her schedule. Such interruption was happening now.
There was something on her bed. Tomoyo slowly walked towards it. It looked like a big black blanket spread over her bed. But there's still more. Taking the candle holder from a table near her door, Tomoyo crept forward, her thoughts of screaming to her maids below forgotten.
The "it" on her bed was actually a "he." It was a man on her bed, lying facedown on the mattress. Tomoyo jumped when the man stirred and she found herself staring to the bluest, yet darkest eyes she had ever seen.
"Thi...Thief!!!!!!!!!! Mmmph!" Tomoyo frantically waved her arms around as the man silenced her with his hands. The door suddenly moved in its own accord and was shut.
Please...please do not scream," the young man pleaded, his voice soothing yet melancholy. "Please, Daidouji-san..."
Daidouji? How did he... when the young man released her, Tomoyo immediately headed for the door, which was locked. She whirled around, face stricken with terror. "Who are you?! What do you want? Don't do anything bad or I'll scream! I have 20 bodyguards below..."
The man stood up fully and bowed. "I promise not to do anything to the woman I owe my life to," the man replied. He looked up again and met Tomoyo's eyes. "Please be at peace. I meant no harm." He gestured towards the seats beside Tomoyo's bed.
The young woman hesitantly sat on her sofa, hands and knees shaking. "Is this some kind of prank?" she wanted to know. "If my classmates are trying to pull some sick joke..." She stopped talking in midsentence. Even in the semi-darkness of the room, she could feel the man's hesitation and fear. "Is there something wrong?"
"Daidouji-san...I need your help." The man clasped his hands together, heads bowed. "I know this is kind of urgent but you are my last resort.
Tomoyo frowned. Even though she did not trust this gentleman, there was something about him that made her at peace. It seems as if they had met before...but not quite. "What is it that you need my help with? Is it regarding my mother? I have talked to her regarding giving the workers more than the minimum wage..."
"Minimum wage?"
"OK, so that's not it..." Tomoyo concluded. "So what is it?" She tried to adjust her eyes to the dark in order to see the other person clearly but his features evade her. She stood up and walked over towards the lamp. "I'll be willing to help as long as it is not something illegal...and provided that you introduce youself."
The man hidden in the shadows of the setting sun took a deep breath. "My name...is Hiiragizawa Eriol. I need you, Daidouji-san, to turn me back to a human."
"Heh?" Tomoyo said. Her hand was already on the lamp switch but she stopped when she heard what Eriol said. "So, Hiiragizawa-san, you are not a human?" This is probably Naoko's sick jokes. Tomoyo planned on going along as they planned and then uncovering their silliness later on. Hah...this is going to be a great game. "So...what are you? Werewolf? Ghost? Zombie?" She wanted to laugh but she decided against it.
"Actually I..." Eriol paused. "I tohught you would know of us...the Hiiragizawa...one of the few families known to be...vampires."
"Ah sou," Tomoyo answered vaguely. So vampire it is...if she turned on the lamp, she'll know which of her classmates are playing the role of this poor vampire. "Well, let us light the lamp so I could see you clearly."
"No! Please! Don't open the lights! I beg you...I cannot!"
Tomoyo kept her eyes on the figure and snapped the switch of the lamp open. Before her eyes, the black cloak shrinked and the man disappeared. Before she knew what was going on, the cloak revealed a bat flapping its wings.
Oh my... It was real...everything...Tomoyo felt herself in dizziness, until all she could see were faint circles in her room, a voice calling out to her, and the most handsome face she had seen that day.
Author's Notes: So how was it? Pretty vague again, huh? ^.^ I won't reveal the plot too easily, since this fic will be a bit long, too, just like Caress of Venus. I'll put my whole self in continuing it, so please type in your reviews (cos for some reason...they make my fingers move towards the keyboard. Ohohohohohohohohoho...^-^) See you on Chapter 2 minna!