See Through Darkly (Alice & Eriol gen)

[storypaint]

Title: See Through Darkly
Crossover: Cardcaptor Sakura/Twilight
Prompt: Alice Cullen and Eriol for andymere
Pairing: Alice and Eriol gen
Other: n/a
Excerpt: "I assure you, I'm quite all right," Alice said huffily. Without skipping a beat, the tall English stranger replied. "Most people wait until I ask the question," Eriol said, gently releasing her arm. It was hard as rock, cold as a corpse.

"I assure you, I'm quite all right," Alice said huffily. Without skipping a beat, the tall English stranger replied.

"Most people wait until I ask the question," Eriol replied, gently releasing her arm. It was hard as rock, cold as a corpse.

He knew what she was, of course. Clow had written of meeting people like this in other worlds. That was the fun thing about reality, he sometimes reflected-- it was only relevant in one's own particular universe.

"I don't mean to be rude," Alice said, chastened; and indeed she hadn't. A stranger's touch was very much a surprise to her, especially here in New York, at the airport at night. One couldn't be too careful if one wanted to keep one's secrets.

"I'm surprised that you didn't See that the step was loose," Eriol said, and Alice heard the emphasis in his voice that spoke of Seeing something beyond the mortal world. Alice gave him a shocked look; he simply grinned.

"I did See it coming. That's why I caught you," he clarified.

"Who are you?" she asked, not really expecting an answer, and he offered his hand.

"I am Hiiragizawa Eriol," he said, "or rather, over here, reversed to Eriol Hiiragizawa. I shall never get used to that, I'm afraid."

"Alice Cullen," she said after a very long moment, shaking his hand and feeling as she did utterly disoriented. She could See him now, but things were jumbled and confused. She seemed to be Seeing the future of two different men at once, Eriol and a Japanese professor, and somehow they were the same, and behind them, a tall, smiling man in dark blue robes that was dead but wasn't dead at the same time. She dropped his hand as if he'd burned her.

"I know that it's a bit confusing. How often does one reincarnate by halves, after all? Still, my predecessor has-- well, had-- his reasons." Eriol continued to smile. Alice blinked. He waved cheerfully as he walked away to board his plane. Jasper found her there a few moments later, standing still in the midst of the airport traffic.

"Let's never go to Japan," she said cryptically, and they went to meet Edward's flight.