Note: this one-shot takes place the day after the incident with Dark and Krad, which ended the series.
Disclaimer: I do not own DNAngel, nor any of its characters.
P.S. Sorry if I sound so morbid, but I have just finished watching the series and am still crying a little.
Please enjoy.
Dark's Final Farewellor
Daisuke's ReassuranceDaisuke awoke the next morning, slowly sat up, wiping tears from his eyes. His dreams had been filled with images of Dark, Krad, Satoshi, and the Black Wings, but all he could hear was Dark's voice. His words had blended together, but one thing had rung strong and true:
"Remember, Daisuke, I am you… and you are me…."
Dark was gone, along with Krad, never to return now that they were one again. But, Daisuke still wished there could be some way he could know whether Dark was really gone forever, never to exist again but for in the Black Wings. His heart felt so empty after being bonded with Dark for so long, even though he now had Riku to take Dark's place.
"Kyu?"
Daisuke turned to look at the source of the sound, With, who had been watching Daisuke since he had gotten up. He looked at Daisuke with concern in his large, round red eyes. Daisuke gave a small, sad smile and placed a hand on With's head.
"I'm all right," he said to the rabbit that had once been Dark's partner. "At least, I think I am…."
He lifted With onto his shoulder as he climbed down the ladder from his bed, and placed him on the windowsill while he dressed. Then, a thought came to his mind: With. If Dark was gone now, what about With? It was most likely that With would never transform again into the wings that had always aided Dark, but he had not disappeared with Dark. Did that mean With would continue as he is, happy and carefree, living the normal life of a rabbit? He didn't seem remotely as troubled as Daisuke, because he started twirling around on his back paws as though dancing. Everything seemed normal with him.
"Hey, With," Daisuke said, pulling on a yellow t-shirt, and With stopped dancing to look at him. "Are you okay?"
With tilted his head in confusion.
"It's just that," Daisuke continued, now grabbing a pair of jeans from his dresser, "now that Dark is… well…. What are you gonna do? Are you just a normal rabbit now?"
With tilted his head the other way as though thinking, and then he lifted his front paws, giving the impression of a shrug, and continued dancing on the windowsill. He seemed to be as normal as before. Daisuke, now fully dressed, picked up his bag full of art supplies and left for downstairs, With bouncing happily behind him.
"Where are you going, Daisuke?" Emiko asked as Daisuke headed for the front door. "Don't you want breakfast?"
"No, thanks, Mom," he said, his hand on the doorknob. "I'm meeting Miss Riku for brunch today. I promised I would."
His mother nodded. Daisuke was just about out the door when he heard a small whining.
"Kyu! Kyu! Kyu!"
With was jumping up and down, trying to jump into Daisuke's bag, wanting to go with him.
"Sorry, With," Daisuke said with a sigh. "You can't come this time. I'd rather be alone."
With whined and watched sadly as Daisuke left, disappointed he couldn't come. A few minutes later, Daisuke was outside and making his way down the street.
Later, Daisuke sat in front of the remains of the fountain outside of town, and took out his sketchbook while he waited for Riku. Though the landscape was nothing but rubble since yesterday, he still drew what was in front of him, wanting to capture it forever in his pages, like a memento of Dark. Every stroke of his pencil carried his grief and sadness, as though lifting it away and sealing it into eternity. He could think of nothing else as he drew, and tears welled up in his eyes once more.
"Niwa?"
Daisuke turned at the sound of his name, yet it had not been Riku, but Satoshi. Satoshi was dressed in a black shirt today, along with dark blue jeans and white sneakers, which complimented his blue hair and eyes.
"Hiwatari?" Daisuke said, and hastily wiped the fresh tears from his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Satoshi asked as he approached.
"I should ask you the same thing," Daisuke replied, plastering a smile on his face. "I'm meeting Miss Riku here. What about you?"
Satoshi didn't answer right away. Instead he examined the smile on Daisuke's face and sighed.
"Don't smile," he said. "I know that's not how you're feeling right now."
Indeed, the fake smile had slid from Daisuke's lips and he looked away without saying anything.
"As for me," Satoshi continued, "I'm here for partly the same reason you are: I can't forget. Last night's memories are still resonating in my mind, as I'm sure they are in yours as well?"
Daisuke nodded sadly.
"You're right," he said. "I can't forget, but I don't want to either. I told Dark I wouldn't, not ever. I just wish I knew that Dark's okay."
His voice had broken over a fresh flowing of tears from his eyes.
"Hiwatari," he said between small sobs. "I know you're probably happy now that Krad is gone, and you might not even care about what happened, but I do, and I want to know. Dark can't be gone for good, he just can't!"
There was an uneasy pause as Daisuke cried, and Satoshi sat down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Actually," Satoshi said, "You're wrong about one thing. Yes, I am happy, but I too want to know what happened. I too feel… incomplete."
"Y-you do?" Daisuke said, looking at Satoshi.
Satoshi nodded, and took a cloth from his pocket.
"Here," he said, holding out the handkerchief. "Take it," he added when Daisuke hesitated.
"Thank you," Daisuke said, using the handkerchief to dry his eyes.
"No, Daisuke," Satoshi said as he stood. "It is I who should thank you."
When Daisuke finished he held out the handkerchief for Satoshi, but Satoshi declined.
"It's all right," he said, waving it away. "I don't need it anymore, anyway."
"Niwa!"
Daisuke looked around as he heard his name again, and saw Riku running towards them, smiling and waving as she approached.
"I'm sorry I'm late," she said. "I slept later than I wanted to. Hello, Hiwatari."
Satoshi bowed his head in reply to her greeting.
"I should leave," he said, turning around. "I'll leave you two alone."
"Ah, wait!" Daisuke said, standing. Satoshi stopped and looked at him, surprised.
"Why don't you walk with us a ways?" Daisuke asked. "That is, if it's okay with you, Miss Riku."
"Sure," Riku said. "Why not, Hiwatari?"
Satoshi looked from one to the other, and, to his own surprise, agreed to go with them.
As they made their way through the town, whose citizens had returned from the evacuation overnight, Daisuke and Riku began to talk happily, allowing Daisuke to calm his thoughts, and Satoshi joined the conversation not long after, again startling himself. Without Krad's shadow looming over him anymore, he felt finally free to do what he wanted, and could talk comfortably with them. In almost no time at all, they had arrived at the café Daisuke and Riku had planned on going to.
"Well, this is our stop," Daisuke said, a real smile on his face now as he turned to Satoshi, who also had a small grin on his face. "I guess we'll be seeing—"
But Daisuke's voice died off in mid-sentence as he glanced past Satoshi and across the street. Someone leaning against the shop window had caught his eye. It was a young man, possibly about eighteen years old. He was tall, wearing a black jacket, unzipped, along with black pants and shiny black shoes. His red, buttoned shirt was open halfway, revealing part of his smooth chest, and a spiked choker lined his neck. But his clothes weren't what caught Daisuke's attention. It was his short, blue-black hair with long bangs and deep, purple eyes that had make Daisuke look twice.
"Dark?" he breathed, making Satoshi and Riku look around.
Then, he heard the young man speak in a voice that made him certain, yet somehow still unsure, of his thoughts.
"Hurry up, Shiroi!" he called into the shop's open door, his voice remarkably like Dark's.
"Or we'll miss our train!"
"I'm coming, Kuroi," replied a voice from inside the shop and another boy appeared that made Satoshi take a sharp intake of breath.
This young man's hair was blonde, and, incredibly long, pulled back into a thin ponytail that trailed down his back. He was dressed in a white coat and shirt with light blue jeans and white sneakers similar to Satoshi's, and he was about the same age as his friend. He also spoke with a slight accent, as though he were originally from Russia or Germany. But, his golden eyes had a cheery playfulness that had been absent from Krad's, as was with the apologetic smile he now wore on his lips.
"Sorry," he said to the one called Kuroi. "This town's shops are so different, and I wanted to take a better look."
"Well, you better hope we don't miss our train," said the other. "You may be my best friend, but that doesn't mean I can't sock you one if we're too late."
It was a threat, but he smiled as he spoke, and he punched the arm of the one called Shiroi lightly.
"Let's go," he said as his friend rubbed his arm, and they walked across the street toward Daisuke, Satoshi, and Riku.
As they drew nearer, Daisuke tried to say something to them, but Satoshi pulled him back, shaking his head. The two boys walked past them without noticing anything, and they continued to talk merrily. Daisuke, Satoshi, and Riku watched them as they walked farther away. But suddenly, the one who looked like Dark turned to glance behind him, and looked directly at Daisuke. His friend did the same thing, but looked at Satoshi instead, both of them wearing curious expressions. Then, they looked back at each other, and though they spoke softly, Daisuke heard their words clearly.
"Did you feel that?" asked the dark haired one.
"I don't know," said the blonde slowly. "Did you feel something?"
"I'm not sure," the other replied.
There was a moment's pause, and the blonde checked a watch on his wrist.
"We'd should get going," he said, and, the other nodding in agreement, they began walking again and soon disappeared into the crowds.
After a minute, Daisuke chanced a glance at Satoshi, who was still gazing at the place where the two boys had stood, a look of amazement frozen on his face. Finally, Riku broke the silence.
"What was that about?" she said. "Didn't they look like…?"
Her words trailed off as she stared confusedly at where the two boys had been. Then she looked at the other two.
"Are you two all right?"
For Daisuke's eyes had started to water slightly, with happiness this time, and Satoshi's expression had changed to a look of deep satisfaction. It was Daisuke who answered her.
"Yeah," he said quietly, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "We're okay. Right, Hiwatari?"
Satoshi sighed and nodded, finally tearing his eyes away from the sidewalk.
"Yes," he said. "I think I'll be going now. Niwa," he added, making Daisuke look up, "would you meet me later back at the fountain, when you're done?"
Daisuke grinned.
"Sure."
The End (for real)
This is my tribute to not only Dark and Krad, but to Satoshi and Daisuke as well, for their struggles and hardships throughout the series, and to give them, and myself, a bit of closure.
Please R&R, and thanks for reading!
