Title: Etsuko's Dark Adventure

Author: KatieLynn

Rating: T (eventually it might turn to M)

Summary: Etsuko Kendouchi is the daughter of Kosuke Niwa's cousin. She just happens to be coming to live with him and his family for a whole year. Will she find out their secret? Will she fall in love? Maybe EtsuDark.

Disclaimer: I don't own D.N.Angel, but Etsuko and her friends are all from my head.

AN: This is my first attempt at a fan fiction so if you've any good advice, please share it. I'd also appreciate if someone could come up with a better title than the one I came up with. I tried to make it a pun on Dark's name, but I don't like it. I'll update in a week or so. --Katie-Lynn

Chapter 1: Father's anger and "I'm leaving home...again."

"Why do I have to go there?" I asked. My parents were always doing this to me; sending me off to stay with a relative or family friend for a whole year, sometimes longer. They didn't care whether the person lived across town or overseas. This time I was going from my hometown in Hawaii to a small town somewhere in Japan. "They don't even speak English!"

"You're going because no one else could take you," said Father. He was calmly lounging on the couch, reading a book, as if nothing was happening; dark green eyes never leaving the pages before them; dark green head not lifting even an inch.

Sometimes I think he doesn't care whether they could, or would, take me or not. In fact, if it weren't for Mother I would probably be staying with some, many times removed, cousin, who drinks so much he wouldn't even notice I was there until it was time for me to leave.

"Yes, and they told us that there's a good amount of people there that know enough English to help you and won't hesitate to do so," explained Mother, pitch-black hair flowing a foot behind her and magnificent blue-green eyes sparkling in the lamp light as she set down the tea tray. "So, I promise, sweetie, you'll be just fine. They're such very nice people and will take good care of you and Chloe. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay," I said, sounding slightly defeated. "Who are they again?"

"Oh, my, you've forgotten already!?" exclaimed Mother, eyes going wide.

"Um..." was all I could get out before Father supplied the information on my soon to be temporary guardians.

"You're going to be staying with one of my cousins and his family. They are the Niwas. As far as he's told me, he, his wife and son, and her father all live in the one house. He also said there was another woman in the house that acts as their maid."

"Uh-huh, and they also have a pet. I believe it is some kind of rabbit named Wiz," Mother contributed.

"Oh, yeah, them," I said, flatly. I didn't really care who they were as long as I had a preferably quiet stay.

"Yes, now off to bed with you. You'll need as much sleep as possible for tomorrow," said Father.

"Tomorrow!?" I exclaimed. "I'm going so soon!?"

"Yes, but you'll enjoy your flight. We got you a first class ticket," Mother stated, sounding quite proud of herself.

"But..."

"No buts!" yelled Father, slamming his book on the coffee table, causing both of us to jump right out of our skin, and tea to slosh out of the cups. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"T-that's quite alright, dear. W-we're fine," stammered Mother. She then spotted tea on the table and quickly left to get a towel, leaving me alone with Father. He seemed to notice that I was still shaking and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-y-yes," I stammered quietly, not even sure he could hear me.

"Good, then you should get to bed."

"Yes, off to bed," said Mother, walking slowly into the room with a towel gripped tightly in her hands. "Get a nice long sleep."

"O-okay. G-goodnight Mother, F-father." I walked out of the room and headed up the stairs to mine.

As soon as I sat down on my bed, Chloe jumped up on my lap. She was a beautiful black cat, with big yellow eyes, that never hesitated to comfort me when I was down. I got her for a going away present from my best friend, Noe, a few weeks ago and was ecstatic to hear my parent say that I could take her with me. My other good friend, Nahele, gave me a journal to write down everything that happened during my stay. It was now sitting in the middle of my desk, silently begging me to write in it. I resisted.

I laid down, thinking over my whole situation. I would be flying overseas to stay with one of Father's cousins and his family tomorrow. It just didn't seem real. I needed to talk to my friends about this but they were both out of town with their families, who had "conveniently" seen this week as the perfect time to get together and go somewhere else to celebrate the birthday of Nahele's little brother, Kekoa. So, I settled for the next best thing.

I got up off my bed and made my way over to my desk, this was a difficult feat seeing as Chloe was now pawing angrily at my heels for being thrown off my lap so suddenly. I ignored her, sat down in my chair, and grabbed my favorite purple pen. I then flipped open the journal and began to write:

"Dear journal,

I'm leaving home...again."