Disclaimer: I don't own CCS

ChiChi's Note: I'M SORRY! I didn't mean to keep you all waiting for so long! I honestly didn't think be so delayed in everything. Sorry. Well anyways, no romance for this chapter, just sick and twisted action. Yeah, I was kind of feeling morbid towards the end. Oh well, enjoy!

Chapter 14

Dark Eriol

"I'm going to kill you! I left her under your protection!" Tomoyo screamed trying to break out of Eriol's grip so she could strangle Syaoran.

Syaoran sat on his throne looking out the window uninterested by the two standing before him. His face had absolutely no expression but he looked pale and exhausted. Tomoyo stopped struggling as soon as she noticed it, "Eriol… I'm fine; can you leave us alone for a moment?"

Eriol's jaw dropped, "Are you mad? He's unbalanced right now. The slightest memory of her can drive him off the edge," he whispered in her ear.

Tomoyo shook her head, "I'm capable of protecting myself, go."

He hesitated then stared at his cousin who still quietly stared out the window. He then let go of Tomoyo then left. She sighed and walked up to Syaoran. She kneeled before him and stared up. He gave no notice to her at all. "I apologize for earlier. I'm just frustrated right now. You should know the feeling; she's just as important to you as she is to me."

Syaoran turned his head towards Tomoyo showing a trace of interest. Tomoyo smiled warmly at him, "Eriol told me that you only smile when she's near."

He glared at her then brought his attention back to the window. She stood up and paced around the room. She was clueless as to what her point was; she just wanted to know how he truly felt. "When we were little, Touya used to read to us in the orchard near the palace. Sakura and I would always play under an apple tree while Touya would sit up on a branch. After the story was done he would pluck apples from the tree so we could eat together. One day, we all decided that we would stay together forever. Even if I wanted so desperately to travel the land, I didn't want Sakura to be alone…"

Syaoran shifted uncomfortably in his seat and nodded. She could see that she was getting through to him. "She wanted to stay here instead of being with me, thus breaking the promise," Tomoyo continued, "You must be really important to her, don't you think?"

He grimaced then stood up. His eyes became cold as soon as he drew his sword and held it at Tomoyo's neck, "Why do you all feel the need to torment me? You, Eriol, Chikara, and every other bloody person in my sight constantly remind me of that girl! I can't tolerate it any longer."

Tomoyo opened her mouth to defend herself but stopped. Syaoran's eyes were watery and his blade was beginning to tremble. She pushed the blade away and took his hand, "Don't cry… she wouldn't want you to be sad."

He glared at her and flicked her hand away, "I don't need your sympathies wench."

…Chikara…

Six Chikarains gathered around the wounded body of the Kinomoto princess. Their palms faced down to her and a light descended like a heavenly light onto her body. Adrien stood at the foot of the bed grinning, "How is the process coming along?"

"Elle est encore dans un état sans-mouvement," one of the six whispered.

"Her brain passages have opened?"

"Oui."

He nodded and moved to where her head laid. He pushed the messy hair out of her face then placed his fingertips on her forehead immediately he was let into his mind. He searched the memory from when she was in the Li Kingdom. He was looking for something; something that would win him this war. King Syaoran's weakness. He didn't care how long it would take, as long as he could find it.

…Li Kingdom Refuge…

Eriol walked between the lines of soldiers training with swords waiting patiently for Syaoran and Tomoyo's arrival. Hopefully Syaoran would be arriving with something more than a dead corpse. Shivers went down Eriol's spine at the thought. He continued to walk along the last line then waved his hand in the air to give the men a few minutes of a break. The soldiers groaned and all collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion. He felt like doing the same, but then felt a piercing aura slashing through his senses. He smirked and turned around. He searched the area with a quick glance and smiled at the girl in black and the one in red scurrying around mischievously. "How amusing," he exclaimed enthusiastically.

He was tempted to go after them but decided to save his fun for later, for he already was concentrating on the aura behind him. "How goes the tormenting days of mourning my dear kinsman?" he asked rotating on his heel.

Syaoran was already glaring at everything in sight, most likely because all the men were taking a break. Eriol smirked at the faint traces of dry tears on his cheeks. Tomoyo must have made quite an impact on him. He searched for the violet-eyed beauty but found no trace of her. "She went into the market for food," Syaoran muttered, "I'll take over the troops for now. Make sure that she doesn't do anything rash… no have her make sure that you do nothing rash."

Eriol rolled his eyes and strolled towards the commercial area of the refuge, "You have no faith in me."

…Where Tomoyo is…

Tomoyo carried a basket filled with loaves of bread and walked along the roads where starving children were playing. She kneeled down by a group of them and held the basket out to them. The children licked their lips but did not move towards the food. They stared questioningly at each other then at Tomoyo, "Are you hungry?"

"You have to give it to them. Right now, they think that you are just flaunting your good fortune before them," a voice came from behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Eriol smiling at the children. He walked over to Tomoyo and grabbed a piece of bread from the basket. He then took the child's hand and gingerly placed it in his hand. The child smiled and began splitting it in even pieces to share with his friends. "You don't need to do that, I bought plenty for everyone," Tomoyo mentioned.

She placed the basket at the little boy's feet then walked away, pulling Eriol along with her. "So this is the refuge that Sakura was talking about," she murmured.

"She came here? Why?" Eriol enquired.

"King Syaoran told her to come here if we came into the castle," she laughed, "She told me everything about this place, and I mean everything."

A grin tugged on Eriol's lips, "I sense that you know an interesting secret. May I know what it is?"

"Well… Sakura and King Syaoran went and Sakura jumped into this pond then… don't you need to get back to training the soldiers? King Syaoran told me of how you were here solely to prepare these men."

Eriol realized she was right and sighed, "Well done, you completely managed to avoid my request."

He walked over to the field and she followed. Syaoran was making the men do push ups using only their left arms. Once he caught a glimpse of the two he glared. He stormed over to where Eriol was and took one look at Tomoyo, obviously a signal for her to go away. Tomoyo nodded and took a few steps away from the two. You could see the differences between the two just by looking at them. Syaoran's current state made him look like a madman thirsting for blood, while Eriol seemed to be as laid back as a court jester. Eriol suddenly stopped smiling and looked at Tomoyo nervously; he glared at Syaoran and placed his hand on his sword. A smirk appeared on Syaoran's face then he walked off. Tomoyo gave Eriol a confused look, but all he did was smile in response. He turned and faced the crowd of men, "No more slacking from now on. We're going to do this the proper way."

The tone in his voice shocked Tomoyo. It was so harsh and inhuman. What surprised her even more was the look on his face. He looked angry with every man there. His unforgiving eyes swept the crowd making everyone cringe in fear. There standing before her was a complete stranger. His uncaring eyes met hers and immediately softened. A smile appeared on his face, confusing all of the soldiers. They followed his gaze and stared, amazed, at Tomoyo. Whispers broke out amongst the men, forcing Eriol to glare at them until they all submitted into silence. Tomoyo ran away from the training field slightly disturbed from seeing a different side to Eriol. It was as if he wasn't himself during that short moment. She ran blindly into a grouping of trees. She had no idea where she was going, but she needed couldn't stand the confusion that she was just put through. 'Who was that? That wasn't Eriol!' She tripped over a piece of uneven land and landed on her knees. She stared at the ground wondering why she was so frustrated. "I see the colder side of Eriol isn't one that you enjoy," a voice commented in a bored tone.

Tomoyo looked up and saw Syaoran sitting close to the small spring. He dragged his fingers across the surface then turned to Tomoyo, "Only bad things happen in this place. It makes people miserable."

"That's not true," Tomoyo whispered.

"How do you know? You've only been here for less than a day and already you've seen the effect that this place takes on people."

"Sakura loves this place… if I'm not mistaken this spot exactly."

Syaoran became stiff and stared at the water, "Wh-why would she-"

"Isn't it obvious?" She crossed her arms and sat by the water, "I think that behind all bad things… there's good, right? I honestly did not enjoy seeing Eriol's, um, 'darker' side, but I know that deep down, he's kind hearted and cares about everyone in his life."

Syaoran scoffed and sat down next to her, "But still there will always be a dark side to a person. Even the kindest person in the land can't be all good."

Tomoyo stared at him, "You're very pessimistic. I have yet to see your good side though; you're never in a pleasant mood."

Syaoran gave the same reaction, "I cannot waste my time merrily frolicking about like everyone else. I have to maintain order in my kingdom even if I must save this wretched place."

"This place is not as severe as you describe it to be!"

"Is it really? This place is the reason that Eriol is like that."

Tomoyo gave Syaoran and incredulous look. He smirked and leaned back, "It happened when we were five I think…"

Flashback

"Good morning dearest cousin. How unexpected to find you here today," the small azure-eyed boy exclaimed.

Syaoran frowned, "Get away from me Eriol."

"Yes but-"

"I order you to be quiet!"

"You're not king yet though."

"Well I'm prince so get away from me."

"My son be kind to your kinsman," Queen Yelan declared in a commanding voice, "I must go and make an announcement so I expect you to behave. Come Meilin."

Queen Yelan walked away gracefully followed by a young girl in peasant clothing and long black hair trailing behind her. Syaoran glared at Eriol and marched off. Eriol followed at a slow pace which annoyed Syaoran. Every ten feet, Syaoran would repeat, "Go away," but Eriol would not leave. He frowned and whipped around, "Go home Eriol!"

The boy smiled in response, "This morning these men barged into my house and called my dad out of his study. They brought him away in a hurry so I think they need his help. So I can't go home 'cuz my dad's not home."

Syaoran opened his mouth to complain, but was interrupted by the sounds of grunts and groans. The two boys stared at the gap between the two stores ahead of them. They could see some type of movement in it but couldn't see who was there. The two approached the stores quickly and pressed their backs against the walls. Slowly, they inched towards the corners and peered around them. There were four men beating another man with the butts of their spears rather harshly. Eriol's eyes widened in terror and tears began to form in his eyes. Syaoran looked over at him and jumped with surprise as he finally saw his cheerful cousin glare for the first time. Eriol knelt down and picked up a rock the size of his fist and smashed it into one of the store windows. People were soon attracted to the commotion and began to gather. Eriol, seeming absolutely out of his mind, picked up a shard of glass and walked slowly up to the men who were now using the sharp sides of the spears. The men stopped and looked at the boy, "Hey stop, there's a kid here."

Eriol stared at the limp corpse lying in a puddle of blood. The men laughed and left the alleyway pushing Eriol to the side. He followed the men, groping the wall for support. He accidentally pricked his finger on the sharp piece of glass and smiled sadistically. "This is your punishment," he called out to the leader of the group.

He raised his hand and suddenly the man was bound to the spot. Eriol grinned and walked up to him. "Look at my face," Eriol whispered, pressing the glass into the man's flesh and dragging it along his body, "I look like him, don't I?"

The man let out an agonized scream, making Eriol laugh hysterically, "Did that man scream like that mister? Did you torture him slowly before killing him?"

The other three men gave Eriol horrified looks and ran off. His head turned to their direction and he brought his attention away from his victim. "Did he try to run away in fear like you?" Eriol screamed, "His body must have felt like it was burning while you hit him!"

Eriol raised his palm parallel to the other three and cast a spell. Screams came from the men as their bodies set on fire. Eriol returned to the leader and continued to carve into his skin. "Why did you kill him mister?" he stared up at the man crying in pain, "Answer me or else I'll cut something off."

The man shrieked in fear, "He was a demon. Anyone who practices magic should die!"

"Do you think I should die?" Eriol whispered trying to concentrate on his cutting.

"Ye-"

"Think carefully mister, a mean answer might make me lose my concentration and I might end up stabbing you."

"No, no, no!"

Eriol stopped torturing him and released all of his captives from the spells, "These wounds will remind all of you who you killed this day," he turned to the leader, "And you will always remember the name carved into your body… Hiiragizawa. For it is that man's and mine. Remember that on this day… you killed my father."

"Eriol!" a gasp came from behind him.

He turned and faced his Aunt Yelan, "What in Heaven's name are you doing?"

Eriol seemed frozen in time for a moment as everyone around stared at him. He fell to his knees and began to cry. He buried his head in his hands and called out to his father and remained there, feared by all.

End of Flashback

ChiChi's Note: Hate me? I apologize, but look on the bright side, my school ends in five days so I can write to my hearts content. Okay review!