Disclaimer: I do not own the original story nor have I created it.

There once was a castle ruled by the King of the land. He had a son, Satoshi, whose heart was made of ice. If you asked the townspeople they would agree, but they all knew that it was not because he was mean or anything. He was actually kind to all his people; his generosity and goodwill was deeply cherished, but his personality was cool and aloof. It may have been because his mother died when he was young and his work orientated father brought him up as a tool without love.

So this prince was raised in solitude with his advisor, Krad to guide him.

"Satoshi-sama, you are entitled to pay close attention to your father's trade," whispered Krad to the shiftless prince. "You must act accordingly as you know that you shall one day redeem your place as king."

The young prince sighed and carried on with the boring meetings without showing any sign of arrogance that the king's son should never have.

Satoshi returned to his quarters and changed from his royal clothes. He wanted to scope the town and get away from it all.

I have to get away for at least a moment. This castle is too stuffy and there are too many servants and guards everywhere, especially Krad. He is always watching over me and it is a constant annoyance. I can hear people commenting how great it is to have a rich family, but there is never any peace. Your role in life has already been decided for you and love is just a façade. There is no real love and everything will always be decided by the one in charge, but that's not how I want to be. He sighed with frustration and took one of the secret passage ways of the castle in order to keep unsighted.

"Oh, prince Satoshi-sama, when will you learn that you can never escape from me?" Krad was standing right where Satoshi was before, watching the young man depart. A smirk fashioned in his lips.

As the young man walked through the town, he found himself foolish to think that he could keep his appearance from notice. He was an exceptionally handsome man, in appearance and in charm; or so everyone had told him, but their comments meant little to his self-esteem. He sooner found that he had to escape from this escape. He changed his route into the direction of the forest. There was an open glade near the river in which he could get some peace and quiet.

I wonder if anyone is worried about me. I did leave without word. Sigh, it's not like anyone will actually miss me. I can take care of myself, I don't need anyone.

Over on the other side of town, a young, red-haired man had just entered the district. He was hardly carrying more than his estimated weight in luggage. His face was sweet with a serene smile plastered across it. Red-hair was rare in that part of the country so the townspeople instantly dubbed him as a foreigner. To himself, he admired the town with starry eyes.

Wow, the town is so beautiful. To see it with my own eyes is like experiencing a good dream. This country is so peaceful even though it so out in the open. To live here, the people must be nice, right?

"Good afternoon, ma'am." He said to a woman who apparently ran the bakery. As she turned to look at him, her pleasant face formed a grimace and glared at him before looking away.

"I don't want to deal with a foreigner" She muttered under her breath and walked back into her store. The red-haired boy was dumbstruck but what did he hope to expect with his appearance.

"Maybe these kids might be nicer." He walked over to a small group of kids who seemed to be playing tag and greeted them.

"Hello, I'm Daisuke." He started with a smile. "I've just arrived in town: nice to meet you."

"Wow, your hair is red! I've never seen that colour before." One of the boys remarked, his eyes widened with awe.

The little girl spoke up shyly not knowing if this would be the right thing to say in front of this stranger.

"My mommy said that only angels have red hair; dyed from blood."

"Really?" The second boy responded, his long brown bangs threatened to cover his small wondering eyes.

Daisuke crouched down until he was at eye-level with the kids and shook his head and began explaining..

"While it's true that angels are known to have red hair, it's not because it's dyed from blood. That's their natural hair colour."

"Wow, mister! You really know a lot!" The first boy exclaimed admirably.

"Well, I've been traveling for a long time so I learned a bunch of things. I bet when you're older, you'll probably know more than I do now." The boy both blushed and grinned at Daisuke's words.

"Umm...," The shy little girl began looking down at her feet before shifting her eyes to stare into Daisuke's encouraging ones. "If angels really do have red hair then does that mean that you're..."

The girl, however, was cut off when a shrill voice rang through the streets.

"Ahhhh! What are you doing to my baby?" A woman recognized as the woman from the bakery swept the brown-haired boy up.

The little girl spoke up not understanding what was the matter, "But he was just talking to us."

Then two other middle-aged women appeared.

"How many times have I told you not to talk to strangers?" Screamed the mother of the girl and with that, they were pulled away leaving Daisuke standing in the middle of the street alone and feeling slightly hurt. For a moment , the townspeople just stared at him before continuing their work as though nothing had happened.

Satoshi returned to the castle late in the evening.

The king was furious. "What kind of son of mine would return so late and skip out on his own betrothal dinner. Your bride comes from across the land to meet you and you don't even show up."

Satoshi barely cared at all. This girl was probably like all the others that he met, who didn't care whatever he did as long as she could look at him. Anyone like that was below his level of tolerance but he had to restrain himself from being brutally honest with these girls or else he'd end up striking a silly war with another country. He was forced to stay for at least an hour and preteneded to be listening to his father's tiring, long lecture. He had to admit though that this was all he ever got. As his father continued rambling Satoshi drifted off into his head considering his position.

The only reason why my father would never lay a finger on me is because Krad would surely make him pay for anything he dared to do. Father is much too afraid of him to risk it, but in the end, they share the same ideals in a way. Krad told me that my mother hired him to care for me as my advisor before she died and judging from father's attitude, he at least wanted to grant one last wish for the one he...loved?

For the rest of the hour, Satoshi slipped between pondering those last few thoughts and his father's redundent lecture.

The moment the speech stopped, he walked out without stopping to the dine, in the very least. He soon regretted that much.

In the darkness of midnight the sky was a hollow black and grey. Satoshi found himself waking with pangs of hunger beating at his stomach. He had never had problems like this normally but finding himself unable to sleep otherwise, he chose to find the kitchen. As he walked down the corridor from his bed chambers, his eye caught sight of a figure staring out the window, a girl whose gaze was on the ever shining moonlight. The light caressed her face as well as shadowing its shape. Her face was unrecognizable to him.

Satoshi soon found himself questioning this girl.

"What are you doing out in this time at night?"

The girl replied curtly as though not surprised by this sudden appearance.

"I would ask you the same."

Feeling he had nothing to tell her, Satoshi just said, "I've no particular reason."

The girl looked at him, her eyes somewhat glazed as though observing him. "My situation is no different."

Satoshi knew every face in this castle and deduced that this girl was that princess his father had told him about.

"What is your name?" He asked as the thoughts of this mystery person distracted mind more than his lack of nutrients. Her short brown hair swayed slightly over her shoulders and smiled a warm smile that left something hidden.

"I'm Riku." She replied rolling over the ball of her heel to completely face him. "You need not tell me your name since I know it but it would be more courteous if you did anyway."

Some time earlier that day…

"Riku, to succeed our family's prestige, you will be engaged to wed the prince of the Hikari Kingdom." On the carriage ride to the castle, Riku heard her father tell her of the greatness of this royal family and how glorious it would be to marry into such. Riku's advisor, Towa, held on to her hand and smiled encouragingly.

"I hear that he is young and really handsome so I'll bet you'll have a lot of cute kids when you're older. It can't be as bad as you think." Towa said this in a low voice so that her liege wouldn't hear. Riku couldn't help but form a small, genuine smile on her face towards the silver-haired girl beside her, but deep within herself she continued to dread this day; moreso than before.

Okay. I'm unbelievably glad that I'm not betrothed to some old man but I bet this guy is a big playboy. He probably has dozens of girls falling over themselves for him. I bet his attitude must be rotten too. I mean, I've met plenty of guys who are overly cocky because they're either rich or good-looking. This prince is supposed to be both. Risa's so lucky that she can choose to whom she will marry whereas I'm the older twin and have to marry someone who I don't even know ,much less love. Risa...

She sighed silently. She desperately missed her twin and wished she had come with her. Riku clasped her hand on the boxed gift Risa had given to her upon leaving; a silver-chain necklace with a wing pendant to remind Riku that whenever she needed to, she was free to see Risa. She then peered out the window watching as the children played, the men left for work and their wives already whispering gossip to their neighbours. She looked directly at the children and felt a wave of sadness wash over her.

I remember when I was carefree like that. She remembered all the times when her and her sister went to play with all the village kids. She distinctly remembered a dark violet haired boy whom was a few years older than her. Risa adored the boy, saying he was so gorgeous and cool. Riku just thought he was incredibly cocky, but in his eyes she felt a deep longing in them. It had been such a long time since she had last seen him yet she couldn't help but feel ashamed about not remembering his name and a blurred memory of his face. The carriage came to an abrupt stop as the driver moved out of his seat to open the door. As Riku stepped out, Towa and her father followed after. She couldn't help but look around and admire the beauty of the castle that stood in front of her. The walls were of a pure white, untainted by the wars that took place on these grounds 14 years ago. The grounds presented many flower bushes, shrubs and plants in the most decorative manner. The kingdom seemed, all in all, pleasant enough as she was escorted through the castle gates.

Once she entered the castle, she was even more amazed. The castle was even larger than she had expected. She was taken to her room by a group of maids to be prepared and dressed for the dinner tonight with her betrothed. She was brought into a large room with a tall canopy bed with drawers and dressers surrounding the walls. She noticed a large vanity mirror and she was immediately seated on the chair in front of it. She was dressed into a flowery pink dress that reached just above her ankles. Their were ruffles on the edge and lace. To complete it, she wore the diamond earrings that her mother entrusted to her. Towa clamped the silver chain necklace with a wing charm and let it hang from her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror and recalled how much her father did not approve of such short hair on a fine lady as herself. This was the only defiance that Riku hoped to preserve even the slightest of herself with. She walked out of the room and slowly down the steps so she wouldn't trip as she usually would. She had always despised being dressed up, but princesses were to wear only the most elegant. Her father was waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase.

When they arrived at the door to the throne she could hear her father silently instruct her in the proper ladylike way. The doors opened and revealed the throneroom where several servants and knights stood distinctly in their place. Everything was in complete order, but when Riku looked up at the throne, she noticed that the king look deeply distressed and hadn't even noticed them come in. She was more perplexed as to why the other seats next to the king were empty. She knew that the king's first wife had passed on so why had he not remarried like so many other do. The other empty seat though had fed her assumption that this prince was as arrogant as she had thought.

"King Hikari, I wish to inform you that Lord Harada has arrived with his oldest daughter, Miss Riku." The court announcer called out, surprising the King as he looked up suddenly at his old friend.

"Harada, it's good to see you." The man formed a slight smile, but his eyes filled with panic.

"Yes, Hikari, nice to see you as well," Her father responded proudly. "Where is that son of your that you had boasted so much about the last time we spoke?"

The king's face became grim at his words as he let out a sad sigh. "I'm sorry to say that my son is nowhere to be found at this present moment. I had distinctly told him to be back before sunset and now look at the time."

"Hahaha, don't fret old friend, that's the ups and downs of adolescence." Riku's father laughed heartily.

Riku just thought to herself. He makes me dress up and doesn't even show up?! Oh well, he just delayed the inevitable for now. She sighed irritably and proceeded to the dining room escorted by her father as she listened to the two kings going on about how they were when they were her age. Somehow, she doubted that they both could ever be as eloquent and couth as they claimed to be.

As night came, Riku found herself sleepless due to the lack of comfort away from her own home. To somehow tire herself, Riku began to wander aimlessly outside her room. The castle was illuminated by the blue light the sky gave it and in the night the castle seemed colder than before. She caught herself shivering although the air of spring was warm.

She stared out the window to view the world she couldn't have as long as she was of the royal family, nothing she desired would belong to her. She felt more depressed than usual and greatly homesick.

Just then she could see a faint figure in the distance of the hall. Her heart skipped a beat as she couldn't tell who it was.

"What are you doing here?" The voice asked. The deepness in the tone she assumed belonged to a man. Be calm, act calm.

"I would ask you the same." She replied as sharply as she could, not wanting to sound intimidated.

"I have no particular reason." He answered and she looked at him, her eyes were hiding her annoyance.

"My situation is no different." She could catch a glimpse of the other as he stepped into the moonlight. His hair was an icy blue and he was quite handsome, although that didn't faze her. She hadn't seen his face recently and the only person she could come up with that would use such a tone with her was the crown prince himself.

As she was caught up in her thoughts, he surprised her by asking.

"Who are you?" Riku felt this was somewhat rude because of his tone, but her face relaxed as she wanted to intimidate him somewhat. Besides, she sensed no ill will in him.

"I'm Riku." She replied with a warm smile that could have brightened this room. "You need not tell me your name since I know it, but it would be more courteous if you did anyway."

Daisuke was still a little turned-off by the townspeople's behaviour but he was used to this type of scorn by now. He wandered idly back to the inn that he was staying in and ignored the stares from the people. He felt a little irritated, but sighed as he entered his room,relieved that they didn't try poisoning him in his meal. He lay in his bed and wondered if coming to this town was the right choice. He turned over on his side and tried consoling himself.

Of course it's the right choice. You do want to know the truth, right? I have to live with this until I find what I'm looking for. Nothing else matters. This is why I had to leave.

With that said, he closed his eyes and dozed off. As he slept, a thief walked the night silently under the faceless moonlight.

"Why are you following me?" An annoyed voice questioned. Satoshi was irritated by this brown-haired girl who proceeded to follow him. It was because he met her the following night that he would be forced to do something he never really did: eat breakfast. He had spent the morning avoiding Krad only to be attached to by another person. Riku shared his resentment but she had her reasons.

Like I'm really going to tell him that I'm lost. Is it my fault that I only got here yesterday and am not used to these surroundings?

"Well, I'm just curious about how you spend your day."

He grimaced slightly and answered her monotone.

"I get up and am usually doing my studies, sitting through the meetings of nobleman or spending time 'alone'."

"Doing what?" She questioned curiously as they rounded the corridor. They encountered a large door and Satoshi pushed it open.

Finally! The dining room! I've been looking all morning! It was over here?

Riku recounted that morning and how she spent an hour looking for it but couldn't ask anyone since they were all running around preparing for some big event. Were they too busy to pay her any attention? Even Towa seemed to be very busy helping with the preparations that Riku had no clue towards. Then she saw the blue-haired prince coming out of his room so she decided to follow him. Riku was actually a little satisfied that she could finally avoid the prince. He was stuck-up and treated her like a nuisance. He probably treated everyone like they were a waste of his time. This guy was really getting on her nerves. She entered the dining hall and sat on the farthest spot from him just because she could.

Late that night, the moon was at its fullest, and everyone in the kingdom was sleeping soundly. The ones who walked the night were the clambering of guards on the grounds.

"The phantom thief sent a notice tonight. He's here to steal the Mermaid's Tear. Be on your guard." These orders came flying out as a golden-haired man stood by the gate to the castle's walls.

Krad stared up at the dark night sky and surveyed his surroundings. As well as being the young prince's attendant, Krad had received permission from the king to his request of taking charge of the catsle guards. He had little respect for or belief that these guards were adept at their jobs. It was always up to him to protect his highness afterall. Once again, tonight, a thief was preparing to infiltrate the kingdom and steal a piece of artwork treasured by the king. Krad ultimately had no reason or desire to protect the artwork but he would never be able to forgive himself if any harm came towards his Satoshi-sama. The final push was knowing how much Satoshi admired these sculptures and paintings. He sighed to himself and recomposed himself. He heard the clock on the tower's eight consecutive gongs. It was time.

"Remain vigilant! Do not let anyone pass these walls! Tonight the thief shall be captured!" Krad's eyes narrowed, gleaming with seriousness. The thief would get the best of him no more. His white mantle paled the moonlight as it blew with the wind. His mind remained in deep concentration preparing for even a sign that the thief had entered. He was caught off guard when one of the guards ran up to him yelling.

"The Mermaid's tear is gone. The phantom thief has stolen it." Krad's eyes widened in disbelief at how incompetent the castle guard were but there was no time for that. He began to run, his hand fingering the sword in its scabbard, preparing to kill if neccesary.

Riku awoke in her bed drowsily rubbing her eye with her clenched right hand.

"What's going on here?" She wondered out loud as she heard many voices from below her balcony.

"I can't believe that phantom thief Dark has tricked us again."

"Where did he go this time?!"

Riku couldn't help but shake off her sleepiness as the commotion grew louder. She stepped off her bed lightly and wrapped herself in a blanket over her nightgown, walking to her balcony door. Just as she had opened the door and stepped out onto it, a dark figure fell beside her. She stared at the figure intently, screwing her eyes not used to the darkness yet and saw the face of a young man. As her eyesight somehow regained itself in seconds, she noticed a surprised gaze on the man's face as he looked at her.

"Riku?" He said aloud, his voice deep and silky. Riku freaked. It was enough that a dark figured man had appeared on her balcony in the middle of the night but he also knew her name!!

"Help someone! There's a per-" She almost achieved the highest reaches of her vocal chords when the man's black gloves made contact with her mouth, blocking any sound from escaping it.

"Will you shut up? I'll get caught." He said to her blind to her struggling. And with those words, something clicked in her head.

"Will you shut up already or else I'll get caught. Oh crap!" The purple-haired boy took her hand and made a run for it as she caught sight of the fruits shop owner. It was the first time she had felt his warmth on her skin.

"Dark?"

A/N How's that for a story? If you've stuck around long enough to get to this point, I've revised a few things. I apologize if the story is a little confusing and the interval between day and night is too quick but... I don't have an exact idea where this story is going but bear with me. R & R and tell me what you think of it so far. Give me some advice. Oh yeah and if you're wondering when Daisuke and Satoshi actually meet, it'll be a while.