Well to make it up to all my readers, here's chapter seven. Thank you for reviewing last time.
Married?
by xArcherx
Chapter Seven
"Oh. . .Daidouji." Syaoran said uncertainly. He had expected to see Sakura. When Tomoyo continued to observe him unperturbed, he shifted uncomfortably, "How have you been?" And felt like a complete idiot for asking that.
"I could ask you the same Li-kun." She smiled pleasantly and he found a strange comfort in the fact that she wasn't fluttering around him worriedly. He had had enough of those moments. Her gentle eyes flicked to his face before she turned away to adjust the curtains. "Sakura-chan was here all night. I forced her to leave your side to have breakfast. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all." His face cleared, although he was a little embarrassed that Tomoyo could read him so well. To his surprise and even more embarrassment, he found himself rambling. "In fact, I'm glad. She's so intent on taking care of me that she forgets to take care of herself."
"Exactly the point I was trying to make." She took her place next to him, looking like a graceful ballerina. "She wouldn't listen to me. It was only when I let it slip accidentally—" here, her smile widened. "—that she would only make Li-kun worry sick about her own condition if she failed to take her own well-being into account that she left."
Syaoran looked away as he felt the full force of Tomoyo's gaze fall on him. Suddenly it unnerved him to have her near him. She was so observant and composed, completely opposite to what Sakura was. Sometimes he wondered how the two of them could be the best of friends. He sensed that Tomoyo knew that something was amiss—hell, she'd probably figured everything out. Nevertheless, he respected her for not voicing her worries. She knew the limits and it was probably her genuine concern for the both of them combined with her never-ending patience when it comes to Sakura that she'd kept quiet about her suspicions.
"She made me promise, however, that I'd keep you company while she gobbles down her breakfast." He was relieved to find that she was no longer observing him but simply watching him as one would when in a conversation. "And I thought, 'why not?' I didn't pay Li-kun a proper visit after the accident anyway."
Syaoran attempted to smile but, to his horror, found himself blushing furiously. Tomoyo certainly noticed this, but to his extreme relief, chose to ignore it. Instead, she looked down at him with genuine concern and asked unsmilingly, "How are you, Syaoran?"
Somehow her intimate use of his name did not feel like she was taking any liberties with him. And he surprised himself even more when he answered honestly, "Not so good."
She nodded, "I was afraid you'd say that."
When he stared at her in bewilderment, she grinned, "Sakura-chan isn't exactly the kind of person to stay calm in such situations, is she? I noticed how she was fluttering around you, trying to be helpful but not really succeeding." Her smile disappeared and she looked at him gravely. "She made it worse, didn't she? You must have had to hide your discomfort around her."
He looked at her, appalled. "You know her pretty well."
When she replied, he wanted to hang himself for his stupid statement. "Well, we have been the best of friends for over ten years." But something in the way she said it unsettled Syaoran. Sure, he wasn't exactly a pro at deciphering people but here, right now, Tomoyo seemed almost. . .sad. When she looked at him again, the unnamed emotion was gone, "So yes, it must have been difficult for you."
"It was. . .still is, actually." He admitted truthfully, wisely not bringing attention to her strange manner.
"How are you, Syaoran?" She prompted this time, gently.
He let out a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm in hell. There's no other way to describe it. I have to be so damned conscious of my body all the time. The slightest move in the wrong direction and I'm groaning for the next half-hour." He shook his head. "Sometimes. . .sometimes, it feels like I'm on fire and the rest of the time I want to scratch myself all over so badly and I have to reign in the urge. . .it's. . .it's torture." He looked at her blankly. "I can't wait for this to get over. I have no idea how I'm going to make it through another month. The end seems so far—" he abruptly cut himself off, immensely surprised – and slightly abashed – to have talked so much.
But Tomoyo was smiling at him. "Feel better?"
And he understood what she'd done. He nodded, smiling naturally, "Yeah. Thanks."
She shrugged and he couldn't help but wonder how she made even that look lady-like. "It's the least I can do." She stood up and made her way to the table laden with food and other refreshments. "Would you like something to eat or drink?"
"Orange juice would be nice."
Syaoran watched while she made bustled around, preparing something for herself as well. It struck him that this was the first time in weeks that he'd felt so comfortable in the presence of someone else. So many people kept visiting him day in and day out and all of them asked him the same question – How do you feel? While he'd downplayed his physical state with all of them, he'd felt perfectly normal being honest with Tomoyo. It was ironic how she unnerved as well as put him in ease with a break of about five minutes between the two.
When she turned around with his orange juice in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, it crossed his mind to confide in her. Tomoyo was good at listening and even at offering solutions. Perhaps she could—perhaps she would—
"What is it?" she asked him plainly as she handed him his glass. "You look like you want to say something."
He bit back a sigh. There was no escaping it now, was there? Well, he could brush it off and change the subject. Tomoyo's never been the one to pry. But strangely, he wanted to tell her what was going on. He looked up at her and back down before blurting, "It's about Sakura."
Tomoyo had to restrain herself from practically yelling, 'What?' sure that that would only unsettle Syaoran even more than he already was. Instead, she shot him a knowing look, sat back down and said, "Go on."
He fidgeted with the hem of his blanket, clearly unable to find the right words to express his thoughts. "I think. . ." he cleared his throat and tried again. "I think. . .that Sakura and I. . .we—well, that is, we might have to. . .you know—yeah. . .so. . ." he looked up at her desperately.
She shook her head slowly. "I didn't understand anything from that."
He flushed, "Sakura and I. . .we might have to. . .ah screw it—Sakura and I will probably be getting a divorce soon."
Tomoyo's reaction, despite everything, was still controlled. She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. Her brow was wrinkled with worry and despite the genuine anxiety and the shock of hearing something so terrible, she was still as calm as anyone could get. He raised an eyebrow and felt strangely sarcastic, "Don't tell me you didn't see that coming."
"Oh Syaoran, don't say that." She chided him softly, still looking at him with a mournful expression on her face. "I admit that I thought there had been perhaps, a clash of opinions, and that you'd mutually agreed to take some time apart. I didn't let myself believe it was coming to an end." She looked down at her clenched fists. "What happened?"
"Nothing. That's the point. Nothing ever happened." He set down his glass, only half-empty. "She doesn't. . .love me." He almost choked on the last two words. To his chagrin, he found his eyes welling up with tears. What was wrong with him? He had long ago accepted this fact. . .or had he? May be saying it out loud felt more like confirming it than accepting it silently.
Next to him, Tomoyo breathed in sharply. "That can't be true; you're all she thinks about."
He looked up at her angrily, wanting to retort, but he understood what she was trying to say. "She doesn't see me the way I see her. Clear enough for you to understand?" he couldn't help the last comment, as biting as it was. Talking about his unrequited feelings always made him bitter.
But she let it slide, knowing that he was hurting and this was his way of coping with it. She sighed audibly and put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm really sorry to hear that." Her sincere tone made him regret his bitterness right away. "But. . .are you sure you want to end it so soon? It's only been a few months since the wedding."
"What's the point?" Nope. There was no letting go of the bitterness. "How long should we live a lie?"
"But Syaoran. . .haven't you ever heard of people learning to love?"
The question surprised him. She was asking him not to give up, to keep hoping. "I have. That's why I gave it six months." A flash of irritation crossed his features. "What do you want me to do, tie her down? It's better that I let her go now than later. This is better; for both of us." His mouth was set in a hard line. "This way, she gets to find someone she truly loves and I. . .well maybe I'll find someone who really loves me too." But even as he said those words, a tear escaped his eye and trailed down his cheek; he was too overwhelmed by grief to be embarrassed. It felt so good, to finally let go and let the world see how he felt.
Tomoyo waited patiently for him to collect himself, patting his shoulder gently. Finally she said, "Sakura-chan is unhappy though."
"She's ridden with guilt."
"That's true," she conceded. "but that's not exactly what I meant. She seems to have lost her. . .optimism. And that worries me more than anything else."
Syaoran stared at her, long and hard. Just how perceptive was this woman? When she shot him a quizzical look, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, "Hiiragizawa was here yesterday."
"Eriol-san?" Tomoyo's features were alight with curiosity. "I didn't see him."
"Yeah, well, he left pretty quickly." Syaoran replied, with a trace of annoyance in his voice. How was it that the short-sighted magician managed to charm everyone with his smile? Even Tomoyo seemed to like him. Didn't anyone feel the same queasy feeling that he felt whenever Hiiragizawa was around?
Tomoyo's interest was piqued. She looked at him shrewdly, "What did he say?"
From the tone of her voice, Syaoran realised that she was more interested in the piece of information he was going to offer than in Hiiragizawa as such. He resisted the urge to smirk. Turns out the magician couldn't get every woman in the planet after all. "He came over to talk about Sakura. . .and her powers."
She sucked in a breath and he noticed that her features were unnaturally distressed. Then it struck him. She did not have magical abilities. Her ignorance in this matter unnerved her. Syaoran smiled. She did like to be a know-it-all, didn't she? But the look of worry on her face brought him back to reality and the pressing matter at hand. "The Cards. . .they are under Hiiragizawa's control now." He stared at his hands, recalling his earlier decision to do something about Sakura's unhappiness. He was yet to see her that morning. "Sakura unconsciously handed over the ownership when we separated." At the look on her face, he hastened to add, "But it's temporary. Actually. . .that's what he wanted to talk about. He needed Sakura to reassert her ownership soon. The Cards won't last otherwise."
A few more questions followed by more elaborate answers had Tomoyo sighing, "This can't be happening."
"It is."
"No. . ." she shook her head slowly. "Something about this is. . .fishy."
Syaoran looked at her incredulously. Of all the words that could be used to describe the situation, she decided to go with fishy?
Noting his expression, she attempted a small smile. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just. . .strange that Sakura's feelings can change so quickly; or easily."
He shook his head. "You don't get it. Sakura's never been in love with me to fall out of it."
Tomoyo stared at him for a long moment before replying simply, "No."
"What do you—"
"Syaoran," she interrupted him, looking resolute. "I've known Sakura-chan for ten years now. And I know how she felt and whatever it was, it wasn't platonic."
"Don't." He replied, after a long pause. "Don't give me false hope. Please."
The way he was looking at her, crushed her. His eyes were pleading for her to stop. He couldn't take it anymore – he couldn't handle more hope. Here, being in this moment, watching Sakura unhappy, fighting his own pain, both physical and emotional, and pulling a brave face in front of everyone else – all of this was taking a toll on him.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly. Her thoughts, for now, didn't matter. But she couldn't shake off the distinct feeling that something about the separation was unnatural. Sakura was hardly herself anymore and Syaoran was bitter. All of it was ruining Sakura's magical capabilities. 'I need to look into a few things,' she decided. 'I need to find out what's going on.'
She had no idea whose help she was going to enlist but surely, there must be someone here, just like her, who was trying to get some answers too. There had to be.
And there was.
Kaho Mizuki could not really comprehend what Sonomi was describing.
The wedding ceremony was over. The couple was now truly married. Sonomi smiled to herself as she watched Syaoran kiss Sakura sweetly. The sight of the happy couple was sure to lift everyone's spirits.
And as people crowded around the newly-weds, eager to wish them the very best, Sonomi's attention was directed to one particular youth, with eccentric blue hair, a tall lean structure, and a pale, icy complexion. He was the last in line, however, so Sonomi had ample time to study him.
He seemed like he came from a wealthy family. The way he held himself and the suit he wore hinted at that. He smiled at people he seemed to recognize and even struck up a conversation with some of the people in line. But something about him unsettled Sonomi. She wasn't close enough to discern all of his features but now and then, he'd look around surreptitiously – he was so sly that Sonomi was sure no one would have thought it strange if they had not been observing him as closely as she was.
When, at last, it was his turn to wish the couple, he turned to them with a gentlemanly smile plastered on his face. Sakura, Sonomi noted, was clearly excited on seeing him. Syaoran, on the other hand, looked at him warily and his movements were more stilted than usual as he answered his questions. The mysterious young man, for his part, seemed sincere in his inquiries. 'Perhaps Syaoran has something against him?' Sonomi mused. Unable to take the curiosity, Sonomi stood up from her seat and made her way to the couple as inconspicuously as possible. Under the pretence of looking for someone, she edged closer to the altar.
As if on cue, Syaoran glanced at Sakura nervously when the man diverted his attention to her. Sakura was rather chirpy and was much, much happier when conversing with him. When the blue-haired man held out his hands and stepped forward, Sakura happily embraced him and looked up at him as he planted a kiss on her cheek affectionately. She seemed to think nothing of it but Syaoran. . .
Syaoran, however, looked rather purple even from this distance. It looked like he was going to lose control any minute then and punch the taller man.
"I really am sorry, Sakura-chan." Said man was saying when Sonomi was within earshot. "But I've got some really urgent business to attend to."
Sakura looked crestfallen. "But Eriol! You just got here. At least stay for the reception."
Eriol shook his head gravely. Sonomi cast another glance their way and saw that Syaoran seemed rather relieved. "I must go." Eriol reiterated. "There's some crisis at the company."
"Oh, all right." Sakura said resignedly. "But promise to visit us again soon!"
Eriol grinned, "That I promise." He turned to Syaoran. "Good luck, Syaoran-kun."
"Yes, Hiiragizawa." Syaoran muttered and almost breathed a sigh of relief when Eriol walked away.
Eriol Hiiragizawa. Sonomi ran the name over and over in her head to see if it sounded familiar. Hiiragizawa. . .wasn't there a rather well-known company of that name somewhere? Sonomi's musings were cut short when she realised that Eriol was almost out of her sight. On an impulse, she started to follow him. If she had stopped to think about what she was doing, she might have, perhaps, felt idiotic. But Sonomi didn't give room for such thoughts, focusing keenly on keeping Eriol within her line of vision while simultaneously appearing subtle in her actions.
Surprisingly, he seemed to know his way around the church. Sonomi had assumed that he'd be leaving right away, judging from the snippet of conversation she had just heard. Naturally, he must be staying in a hotel of some sort. So if she could find out the license plate number of the vehicle he was currently using, she could use that to find out where he was staying and from there she could. . .
It was all really simple. Sonomi had connections, after all.
But at the last moment, he hid himself beneath an oak tree that had been planted along with numerous other trees on either side of the building. Sonomi froze, panicked. Any second now, he would turn around to see if anyone was following him and spot her. She whipped out her cell phone and began talking in rapid Japanese, in the hopes that he would dismiss her as someone oblivious.
For a few minutes, everything was quiet. Sonomi terminated her talking-over-the-phone act, beginning to feel slightly silly. Mustering her courage, she ventured closer to the oak tree. . .and stopped short.
There was no one there.
She mentally scolded herself for being so stupid. He had only hidden under the tree to throw any one following him off the trail. And she had fallen right into it. By now, he had probably made his escape. Determined not to give up yet, she walked past the oak tree in what she hoped was the right direction. She passed rows and rows of trees ('Just how big is this church?'), until at a distance she spotted a ruined warehouse. In any other situation, she would have questioned its presence in a church but at that particular moment, logic flew out of her brain when she witnessed a flash of light – somewhat subdued – diverge from the warehouse.
Magic. . .?
Now feeling somewhat afraid, she slowly made her way closer to the building, careful not to make even the slightest of sounds. Conveniently, for her, there were two concentric circles of trees around the warehouse along with many bushes and shrubs. They made for a perfectly good hiding spot.
Her elegant gown disregarded, she got down on her knees and legs and crawled closer to the warehouse until she could decipher the noises coming from inside.
"It is done." A deep, male voice said. It sounded like Eriol's except it was much less. . .pleasant. "The spell's been cast."
Sonomi's eyes widened. Spell? Eriol was a magician, then. Just like Sakura and Syaoran. Somehow, she did not like the sound of Eriol's voice anymore. And so, Sonomi concluded that the spell, whatever it was, could not be a good one.
"Good." The other voice was older, much more serious. "There's nothing left to do but wait."
Silence. Sonomi almost began to wonder if the conversation was over already when Eriol said, "He's going to know soon. He'll realise my presence sooner than you think."
"That will work in our favour. If we can manipulate him further. . ." there was an ominous ring to the other man's tone that made Sonomi shudder involuntarily. "Again, patience. We will have to wait; but not long." Eriol grunted. "Go on, then. We'll meet again when—"
But Sonomi was already scrambling to a promising bush. Her tall, lithe frame was hidden by the dense leaves and twigs. Soon, she heard footsteps and the blue colour of his hair was visible through tiny gaps in the bushes. Sonomi waited, for God knows how long, for the other man to emerge but. . . he never did.
Sonomi looked shaken, as she recounted the incident.
"Maybe the other man went in the opposite direction." Kaho said doubtfully.
But she shook her head. "I had a complete view of the warehouse. I would have been able to make out another person if they had exited it. But no. . .no one was there. I even went inside to check." Sonomi's eyes were glassy as she explained.
'She must have been so scared,' Kaho thought distractedly. Placing a hand on the older woman's shoulder, she said, as soothingly as possible, "It's going to be all right, Sonomi."
But the woman twisted away at the touch. "How? Tell me how?" Kaho noticed that she was on the verge of crying. "Something terrible has happened. And no one knows how to fix it!"
"Let's not jump into conclusions—"
"No. Let's." Sonomi was breathing heavily now. "What I saw, what I witnessed that day, it was real. I'm not some deluded—"
"No one's saying you're crazy, Sonomi." Kaho was appalled by the insinuation. "I believe you. Eriol Hiiragizawa—" here, her lips quivered, despite her best attempt to remain composed. "—might be a magician, after all. Moreover, he's friends with Sakura. Surely, she must be aware of the fact."
At her words, Sonomi seemed to snap back into reality. She seemed to look at Kaho in a different light. "You. . ." she choked. "You use. . .magic."
Kaho pursed her lips. "Only when it's absolutely necessary. I—"
But Sonomi gripped her shoulders and looked at her eagerly, "You can help! You can meet this man and find out what sort of magic he uses and—"
"Sonomi. . ." Kaho gently but firmly extracted herself from her grasp. "I'm not that powerful." At the older woman's crestfallen face, she sighed. Things were starting to get more and more complicated. The news that Sonomi had had to offer was. . .strange. Eriol was acting strange. Her mind went back to the day of their break-up, how detached and cold he had sounded, and how he had had no explanation to offer. 'Don't think about it.' Presently, a new thought occurred to her. She looked back at Sonomi, "Why didn't you tell this to anyone before? Why did you wait for so long?"
She looked embarrassed, "I. . .I didn't know who to talk about this to. Sakura or Syaoran were not options. They had just got married! As for you, you left for that trip, remember? You left the very next day. And I wasn't closely-acquainted with anyone else who used magic." She ran a hand through her short hair. "Besides, I had very little information to offer. For all I know, Hiiragizawa could have been practicing some sort of advanced magic." She shook her head. "I thought it would be better to keep things to myself for a while and do some research on my own."
Kaho understood. She probably would have done something similar if she had been in Sonomi's place. But right now, she needed to do something before things spiralled way out of control. She nodded at Sonomi, "I promise to look into it, Sonomi." She smiled but the older woman was lost in a world of her own. Sensing that she needed some time alone, Kaho exited the room and turned left to find—
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Tomoyo looked properly apologetic.
And it clicked. Kaho knew what she had to do. She had to see the Guardians.
Eriol twisted uncomfortably in bed. He had an early flight to catch tomorrow—he was visiting his mother in England. But for some indecipherable reason, he had been unable to sleep for the past—Eriol looked at the clock—two hours.
He sighed and got out of bed. Something was bothering him. He was having a difficult time trying to come to terms with the fact that recently he had been unable to understand his actions. Obviously, it was something he had done unbeknownst to himself that was bothering him because nothing else could possibly keep him up at night.
His thoughts immediately flew to Kaho but he dismissed them silently. He would look into that and analyse it later when he wasn't nagged by a rather ugly emotion rooted at the pit of his stomach. He entered his other room wherein sat a huge, red chair. Feeling strangely anxious, he walked up to it slowly and sat down.
Immediately, a jolt of electricity seemed to pass through him; the mirror displayed his startled, drawn face. What was happening? Where did that energy come from? He watched as his brow creased with worry.
And he watched as his lips suddenly pulled back into a feral grin, "Why, hello there."
The movement shocked him. He had not smiled; neither had he spoken. Where. . .but where was the voice coming from?
Something close to fear coursed through his veins. Struggling to bring his emotions under control, he spoke this time, slowly, so he could watch his reflection in the mirror, "Who are you?"
Sure enough, the mirror imitated him. But as he waited with bated breath for an answer, his face twisted again to reveal a rather mean-looking countenance with the same smile, "I am disappointed, Eriol. Don't you know me?"
Eriol sprung up from his chair and the face vanished. He walked up to the mirror, his gait strangely unbalanced and stood when he was inches apart from the reflecting surface. The fear in his eyes was evident as he observed himself. His ragged breath misted the surface as he spoke, "Who. . .who are you?"
But this time, there was no feral smile. This time, there was only the pale, shaken form to look to for an answer as it slid down in terror and confusion.
Someone was inside of him.
Thank you for reading. I'll try to update regularly but I never have been good with promises. Please review.
