Memoirs Of A Fallen Man
Chapter 7:
The Story of the Desert Rose
(Tomoyo's POV)
I was dreaming again. I heard Eriol early whispering something I couldn't understand. I lay still and for some reason I was warm and safe. The scent was manly but sweet. My eyes were closed when I heard something snap. I opened my eyes and sat up slowly. Eriol's cloak was over me. I looked at the burned out fire and then looked ahead seeing Eriol killing something. I stood and walked over to him. The bodies on the ground were nothing that I've ever seen. They were deformed and pale. Eriol turned to me his hand were covered in that strange black desigh I saw yesterday but then they faded as suddenly as I saw them.
"Come, were leaving." He said to me throwing me a apple. There was apple tree near by I could see. Eriol took my arm and began running. "What were those things?" I asked as be stepped over a fallen tree. I held Eriol's cloak tighter around me. "Demons." He answered. "They were being controled and were seeking you out, we have to move. Only one got away." He told me. I was glad that he had told me that. Eriol stopped and looked at a water fall. Eriol, what was in a name that sounded nothing of a killers name. I would call him Hiirigizawa to his face but I'll call him Eriol. But not to him. Eriol took my hand and walked to the water shore stepping in.
"Come." He earged. I could swim but I didn't know what was happening. I looked into Eriol eyes and nodded. He took off his glasses and wrapped the chain of his Key around it so he wouldn't lose it. I stepped into the water feeling it's coolness and I shiver. Eriol took a slient breath and went under the water and then came back up. "Quickly!" He called. I Took a deep breath and dove in the water and came back up for some air. I felt Eriol take my hand. "Follow me." He said and went under. I followed after him holding onto his cloak and as I opened my eyes seeing everything blurred I saw what looked like a caven.
How did he know of this place. How could he see what I could not. Are his dark powers as strong as I believe. Eriol seemed to have gone up and waited for me. I went to the surface panting. Eriol's breathing was slow but still tired. "What is this place?" I asked looking around at the wet rocks that look like thick blue Ice.
Eriol ignored me still and climbed out the pull of water. I climbed of myself without his help and looked at him. I held his cloak closer to my cold body and followed him as we walked them the cave. It had been a full ten minutes before Eriol stopped and began shaking from cold. "Here take you cloak back, I'm all right." I offered. Eriol pushed his cloak back to me trying to control his shivering.
"If you don't keep warm you'll get sick and how and you protect me then." I pointed out, but he still brushed me away. Eriol sat and put his glasses back on. I decided not to listen to him so I walked over and put the cloak around both of his. He seemed taken back at my kind actions as if he never seem someone do something kind before.
"See. Now we can both be warm." I said looking to Eriol who brought his knees to his chest and let his head rest on his kness. I smiled a little feeling him stop shivering.
(End Tomoyo's POV)
Eriol gripped his Key and muttered something and the cloak was suddenly like sitting next to a warm fire. Tomoyo shiver for a moment and looked to Eriol. "How come we are here?" She asked.
"Whist you were sleep, a Demon patrol was looking for us. I killed all of them but one. Demon's sences are shot if your near water, Water is too pure for them, they burn." Eriol exclaimed quickly. Tomoyo looked to Eriol's face softly and grinned. "Thank you. For protecting me." She said. Eriol looked to Tomoyo who face was a few inches from his.
"Your Welcome." He simply said. Tomoyo and Eriol were slient for a few moment until Tomoyo decided to tell him something about herself. "You know, Clow found me on that beach we fought at. I suppose I was lost or something. But whenever I am near water, I feel like it's my home. Like I lived there once. Do you ever feel like that about something?" Tomoyo asked looking to Eriol who looked back at her and then looked ahead.
"No." He answered. "I gave that up long ago."
"Gave it up?"
"Yes, gave it up. Feeling. It wasn't needed in my path of life." Eriol said. Tomoyo looked sadly at him. "It must be horrible. Not being able to feel." Tomoyo said. "I don't notice it." Eriol answered.
"But you do feel fear?"
"Sometimes. I'm not afraid of anything."
"When I found you in the forest why did you let yourself get hurt by the bandits?"
"I wanted to die." Eriol answered agin without a expressions. Tomoyo wasn't shocked but still felt guilt. "I'm not going to kill myself. That would be weak."
Eriol turned his gaze to Tomoyo looking into her eyes. "Then you. You stopped everything and now I'm here. Stuck. Wondering how I got myself into someone elses life." He said and then looked away from Tomoyo.
"Well, have you ever loved someone. Did you not have a family?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol scoffed and sighed at the thought Syaoran, Sakura, Yue and Ruby Moon. Everyone he knew and killed with his silly lust for knowledge. Eriol didn't answer Tomoyo question but Tomoyo just waited for the answered. "Did you have someone?" Tomoyo asked.
"Love." Eriol scoffed. "Yes love. Where you going back to her?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol chuckled. "I had no one, nor did I want anyone. I'm a killer. Haven't you heard?" Eriol growled. "Yes. But even a killer as yourself had a past. A favortie song. A favortie game. Just like a normal human." Tomoyo said not believing Eriol life was all about pain and death.
Eriol smirked and looked back to Tomoyo. "You ask so many question about me. You shouldn't need to know about your protecter. I'm taking you to Haven and leaving you with him and will die from my enemys." Eriol said.
Eriol and Tomoyo were slient for a moment. Tomoyo wasn't insulted at what Eriol had said but she was. He did what he was asked to do for Clow and would be about his way when finished.
"What of yourself and Yama?" Eriol asked. Tomoyo was startled at the question. "He told me he loved me." She said in a near whisper. "But you don't love him." Eriol said. Tomoyo looked to Eriol shocked. "How did you know?" She asked.
"When I first saw Yama and he touched you, his soul and aura screamed with pleasure. In his mind you were truly perfect. A Desert Rose." Eriol answered. "But you knew already, Reed said so."
Tomoyo nodded slowly and with guilt. "I didn't want to brake his heart, I loved him, but I wasn't in love with him." Tomoyo said. "And now I wish I hadn't answered him."
"Just like a Desert Rose you are." Eriol whispered looking to the cavens ceiling. "Why would me call me that? What is a Desert Rose. There can't be plants like that in the hot desert." Tomoyo said in a matter-a-fact way. Eriol scoffed.
"But there is." He said.
"How?"
"The Desert Rose can only be seem if you truely are course on the inside and beautiful on the outside then it will show itself. I was stranded in Aragahbah, a mistical place with guilding carpets, magic, fire, and haunting nights. I was there on a misson, I was to kill a Lord. His name was Ara. He controlled the street of Aragahbah. Nothing happened unless he said it was to happen. People worshiped him as a King. I was to kill him out of the Kings pure jealously of his power. I was taken to the desert sands by horse. I walked and walked for days with only water. And during that time my mind began to play tricks on me.
Each time I stepped I created a new flower. Tulips, forget-me-nots, anything you can think of. But when I stepped agin a Desert Rose appeared. It's beauty was nothing you'll ever see. It was too pure for the earth. The Rose's stem was covered in it's thornes, I picked it and it gave off a posion." Eriol showed Tomoyo the mark on his index finger.
Tomoyo looked at his finger closely. "The poison paralized my body completley, I could hardly breath, then a sand storm came and I was buried in the hot sand for three days." He said. Tomoyo gasped like a child listening to a story.
"How did you ever survive?" Tomoyo asked deeply interested.
"My Key reacted to something going by, I was instantly dug out. And that is why you are a Desert Rose. Beauitful and pure on the outside, but poisonous on the inside." Eriol finished. Tomoyo clapped at the story.
"What a keen story to tell. Wonderful. Aragahbah, it sounds beautiful." Tomoyo sighed dreamily. "I suppose." Eriol said. Tomoyo stood up feeling inspired. "Your so lucky, but foolish. It sounds so romantic." Tomoyo said sitting back down.
"Am I to know of romance?" Eriol asked. Tomoyo shrugged. "Where else have you been?" Tomoyo asked with excitement. "Everywhere and nowhere." He answered resting his head on his knees feeling sleep coming over him.
"Um . . . The only place I've been with My Father was England. He was born there and moved to Japan. He thought it was a peacefull place." Tomoyo exclaimed.
Eriol's memories went to England. Everything he left behind and had done. He thought it was shameful to think of his Home. "Have you ever been there?" Tomoyo asked. Before Eriol could answer everything around him suddenly went black. He fell on Tomoyo asleep. Tomoyo almost screamed, but Eriol gripped Tomoyo's kimono seeing that he was sleep.
Eriol moaned softly and then he smell something. Fish. At least that's what he thought it was. Had he fallen asleep. Eriol moved his hand over his chest feeling for his Key. Where was Tomoyo he couldn't feel her kimono in his hand. Eriol opened his eyes and got to his knees taking of his gun.
Tomoyo gasped and dropped with was was making. Eriol's breathing was heavy and he looked beside him. There was a herb burning where he was sleeping. "Good Morning." Tomoyo said walking over to Eriol. Eriol stood up and rubbed his neck.
"Good Morning? What?" Eriol said confused.
"Yes. You had fallen asleep while we were talking, and so I went out the cave and go something to help you sleep. The herb was to help you sleep without nightmares, since you seem troubled in your sleep, you speak too." Tomoyo added.
Eriol looked sharply at Tomoyo. "You what!" He shouted making Tomoyo fall back. "I went out the cave?" Tomoyo said. Eriol growled. "Damnit, Don't do you agin!" He shouted still. Tomoyo went to her knees and sat looking down at her hands feeling tears coming.
"We're in here to a reason, you go wondering they'll get you and it'll be nearly impossible to get you back and then Reed will have my head!" He continued.
"I'm sorry." Tomoyo whispered. "I was hungry so I got some fish and fruit." Tomoyo exclaimed. Eriol looked to the fire that was making the fish slowly. Eriol sighed and went to Tomoyo level feeling a little guilty for leaving the cave without him.
Tomoyo looked up at Eriol's face. It was so unique, she never saw such a handsome face in her life but she hated him still.
"You don't understand the danger your in, that's why Reed wanted me to protect you, if you ever want to see him agin you should listen to me." Eriol said seriously. Tomoyo nodded. "Well, just so you know, The demon's left. I don't see them." Tomoyo said.
Eriol looked to Tomoyo confused. "See them?" He said. Tomoyo nodded. "When I have my pendant I can see anything from the spirit world." She answered. Eriol looked down at the pendent. Tomoyo stood and walked to the fish picking them up off there sticks and handed one to Eriol who took it and looked at it.
"Don't worry, It's just a fish, I'm not going to kill you." Tomoyo stated. Eriol looked to Tomoyo. Everything he thought about her was changing could she be able to kill him. Eriol looked at his hand and them bit into the fish. "If must had been wonderful to see all those places. Kingdoms and everything. Just like the story of Skywatcher." Tomoyo sighed finishing her fish.
"Skywatcher?" Eriol said after swallowing his fish. "Yes, the romantic story of the servent boys running away after falling in love with the Kinomoto Kingdom Princesses and coming back killers but they still loved them and died for them, everyone knows that story." Tomoyo exclaimed. "As I said before, I know nothing about useless feeling of Love or thoughts of lust and romance." Eriol said coldly finishing his fish.
"Then who is Sakura?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol's heart jumped looking to Tomoyo. "Surely you must have loved someone?"
"How do you know of that name?" Eriol asked darkly. Tomoyo looked to Eriol faced that seemed to burn with rage. "I hear you speak it during your sleep." Tomoyo answered truthfully. "I had a friend named Sakura, I don't know what happened to her, she stopped sending me letter about ten years ago." Tomoyo said sadly.
Eriol wasn't listening to Tomoyo something was speaking to him, in his head it was like a crowd of voices telling him to kill Tomoyo. Eriol's hand moved. Eriol tried to stop it but he moved, something was controlling him.
Eriol grunted trying to stop his movement but then he touched his Key. Tomoyo looked to Eriol confused as she ate a grape. "Hiirigizawa?" She said. Eriol stood up without his will and his words to open his Key came out his mouth.
"Key of darkness, I Eriol, command you under contract. RELEASE!" He chanted and his key was transformed into his dark sun staff Eriol walked over to Tomoyo. She stood up and back away. "What are you doing?" Tomoyo asked afraid. Eriol grunted trying to stop himself. "You . . . can't . . . control . . . me." Eriol grunted trying to transform his staff back into a Key.
Tomoyo's back touched the cave wall. Eriol gasped falling to his knees. "She's here." Eriol said in a strange female voice. Eriol hissed and turned his staff into a Key and then the persence was gone. Eriol panted finally getting his body's control back. Tomoyo looked at his gun that was on the ground and walked over slowly to it.
Eriol was still gasping for air. Tomoyo picked it up but before she could fully walk away. Eriol grabbed her wrist. Tomoyo screamed and kicked Eriol in the face knocking him over. Eriol shock his head and touched his lip.
It was bleeding. Tomoyo ran and went into the water swimming to the surface and ran to the shore and ran and ran ahead trying to make her way to Haven.
(Eriol's POV)
There it was agin, I know who was controling me. And she can't. I went into the water and raced after Daidoji. She was afraid. Her aura screamed for Clow and some freedom from me and all the madness that was going around. I jumped from tree to tree following her aura.
I hadn't meant this to happen but theres something about her. It's something she doesn't remember. I finally caught to her she was running out of madness. I don't think she saw or knew which direction she was heading in. But she was sure of getting away from me.
I jumped on the ground and ran after her, she wasn't far, I could smell her lavender scent. I ran a little faster after feeling a sudden thunder roll over head. It was going to rain. I finally caught up to her and when I did I took her hand.
I couldn't hold her. It started to rain. Daidoji turned around and punched me making me fall over into the mud. "Stay away from me!" She cried I stood up and ignored what she said. "Your coming with me." I told her. Then she attacked me. I blocked her high kicks and punches. She couldn't keep this up forever. The rain fell faster and I was wet to my skin. Daidoji's hair stucked to her face as she attacked me still.
I grabbed one of her punches and spun her around. Her back was completly pressed to my chest. I leaped up into a tree. I heard horses coming once more. Daidoji struggled but I held her tight with my hand over her mouth.
As the horses passed Daidoji calmed. I looked behind me seeing another branch. A thick one, strong. I jumped around the tree and landed on the branch. Lighting flashed making Daidoji turned around and hide her face on my chest.
Females. Afraid of anything. As after the rain began to fall slowly, She fell asleep in my arms. I covered her in my cloak once more and waited for her to wake. Why was I always stuck in this predicament. She should have let me die. I wanted that much in my life. Now I want it more then ever.
What is there to live for?
(End Eriol's POV)
Morning came once agin. Tomoyo slowly opened her eyes seeing Eriol vacant expression. He didn't sleep but he let Tomoyo stay where she was. Tomoyo lifted herself slowly out of Eriol's arms and looked at him. Eriol eyes seemed to be wandering someplace else. But them they turned to Tomoyo slowly scary her.
Tomoyo backed away. Eriol didn't move at Tomoyo reactions. "What are you doing?" Tomoyo asked feeling the warm rays of the sun on her cool skin. Eriol's hair was slicked back from still being wet.
Eriol didn't answer Tomoyo's question but he stood up and walked over to Tomoyo holding a rope. Tomoyo slapped Eriol and he stopped. "That's not going to help." Eriol said dully grabbing Tomoyo wrists with force and wrapping the rope around them tightly.
"You can't do this to me." Tomoyo said as tears fell from her eyes. "I just did." Eriol growled. "Now, were not walking the ground is wet and we'll leave tracks." Eriol said turning his Key into staff.
The staff glowed and the top of his staff turned into wings. Eriol picked up Tomoyo and sat her on his staff and he sat next to her guiding it forward threw the forest.
Eriol was holding onto Tomoyo's arm making sure she didn't fall off. Tomoyo looked to Eriol. She was more afraid of him now. What would happen to Clow. Tomoyo looked mornfully at the trees feeling tears slipping one by one from eyes purple eyes.
Eriol looked to Tomoyo. She was sad even more now and it was killing him inside. It was too bad that it didn't kill him truely. Tomoyo began humming a song she heard long ago, since she was little the song stuck in her head.
"Through the dark, through the pain. I wait for you in vein. Will you live for me. I will continue to sing. Love me not as a light to brighten your world and the fire will burn on. Moonlight's death and sun light's ray. I pray. You'll find me." Tomoyo stopped and sobbed sliently for a moment.
"Through the dark, through the pain, I wait for you all in vein. I'll sing for you. Find me where the wild flowers grow, find me when the wind blow. Take my hand and all my grace."
Eriol felt like he heard that song for somewhere. A little girl sung it and that was when he started wandering. "Moon light's death and sun light ray. I pray. You'll find me." Tomoyo stopped knowing only those words of the song.
Tomoyo touched her pendent and sighed still feeling the tear falling from her face. She wished she let Eriol die. Let him have his wish. But she couldn't change the past.
Three hours passed. Tomoyo and Eriol didn't utter a word to each other. The smell of burning wood reached Eriol noses and he stopped. Tomoyo looked around remembering the pear tree. Tomoyo jumped down. She knew she was close. Her Village she could almost see it. Eriol got off and turned his staff into a Key once more and untied Tomoyo.
And at that moment Tomoyo bolted off. "Daidoji, stop you don't know if there still there!" Eriol called. Tomoyo didn't care she was near her home. Tomoyo ran down the familiar pathway where she found Eriol.
Eriol was running right behind her making sure that nothing was following them. Tomoyo ran into a clearing seeing her village.
Eriol stopped seeing Tomoyo walked slowly and mornfully.
To be continued
Hoped everything liked the Desest Rose story, and the Chapter. I'm going to make this short but REMEMBER TO REVIEW! And tell me what you think. I'm sorry for any missed spelled words and grammar I'm working on it. And I don't own CCS. Thank for reading and see what happens next.
Sakura123