Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own DN Angel. *Sob* or YouTube. Or fanfiction, so… I think that's everything.

Warning: I don't know how good this chapter is compared to the last one, and Krad is really out of character in some scenes, but I'll try to keep him in character around the boys.

"Is she okay?"

"Hmm, she's unconscious and barely breathing. What do you think? Baka."

"Krad, be nice! She's pretty, isn't she?"

"Yeah…"

I opened my eyes slowly, not wanting to see who was talking, but instantly recognizing their voices. "Good afternoon to you too." I muttered, looking around. Krad was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded against his chest. The slightly perverted kaitou Dark Mousy lounged in the chair I kept by my large window, Satoshi sat cross legged on the floor, looking like he was meditating, and Daisuke was sitting at the end of my bed.

"Oh good! You're awake!" Daisuke said, standing up. "I'm not surprised you passed out. It's a shock when you first get your wings, isn't it?" he winced, like he'd said too much.

"What? I don't- I can't- Wings?" I turned my head and looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, there were two wings, the same color as the hematite feather around my neck, sprouting from my back. "How did you guys get here?"

"Well, I think this might explain it." Krad said, flicking another envelope at me. It landed about an inch from my hand.

"Not another one!" I muttered, opening it.

I suppose your getting sick of notes, so I'll keep this short. I wrote this before your father and I left, because I remembered that I hadn't told you where we were going. There was a horrible accident at one of the wind plants in California, and we had to leave immediately. I'm really sorry we had to leave on your birthday Gray. We'll make it up, promise. By the way… don't be too cruel to the boys. This is probably only their second time in the physical world. And donot let them on the internet!

Thanks

Mom

My parents were both huge environmentalists and owned several wind farms around the California area. I remembered seeing something on the news a few days back about a fallen wind turbine, but not realizing it belonged to them.

"Not really. I hope you can explain." I wasn't really addressing anyone in particular, and I slowly became more aware of my surroundings. Wiz was sitting on my stomach, (I don't know how I didn't see him before) and a strange, white English springer spaniel was curled up by Krad's feet.

"The necklace you wear is the only cursed non-Hikari artwork to survive in this world." It was Satoshi speaking, which didn't surprise me the least. "It will summon Dark and Krad from wherever they are, along with their tamers and familiars. You probably don't know us, so this is-"

"I know who you all are, except the dog." I said, cutting Satoshi off.

"This is Ryoushi." Krad said, gesturing to the dog, who was sitting up attentively from the mention of his name. "My familiar."

"Oh. I'm Gray." I said. Standing up, I was blocked by Satoshi.

"How do you know who we are?" he demanded

"Do you want to know?" I replied, smiling.

"I would." Dark smirked

"Yeah, same here." Daisuke added

"It is curious how you know us. We aren't even from the same worlds." Krad's eerie yet beautiful tones added to the others agreement.

"Well, there isn't an easy way to tell you this…" I began, knowing I was torturing them. I didn't think this counted as being cruel to them, since they had, after all asked. "But you're characters from an anime. And a manga, but I haven't read that yet."

"Prove it." Dark challenged

"Well…" I said, thinking about my guitar, "I suppose I could." I stood up and almost fell backwards, unused to the extra weight of my wings, which I instinctively spread, not even thinking about what I'd done. "Come over here." I said, heading for my computer and loading the internet. I could not wait to see the looks on their faces. Of course, this was being cruel and allowing the four online, but I suppose it couldn't be helped, and again, they had asked for it. I pulled up YouTube, and searched DN Angel. "There you are." I looked over at them, and had to swallow a fit of laughter. "Then you have the tributes." Their faces were priceless.

"DN Angel?" Daisuke finally broke the silence. "Why'd they name it that?"

I laughed. I couldn't help it. "There's quite a bit of debate about that, but a lot of people think it stands for 'Daisuke Niwa's Angel.'"

"Oh? That could just be a coincidence." Satoshi obviously didn't believe me. I clicked episode 1 and let "Byakuya" drift through the speakers. I didn't understand why I wouldn't just let it go, let them not believe me, but I guess my stubborn streak was acting up.

"Look, just don't post anything online, okay? I don't want people to think I've gone crazy or anything." I got up and went to the door.

"Where are you going?" I jumped. Krad had seemed almost uninterested in the show, which didn't surprise me, but it was a surprise that he was interested in me.

"To the roof." I replied, "My guitar's still up there."

"Mind if I come? I don't really care to watch this."

"Guess not." I actually did mind, but there was no way on earth that I was getting on this angel's bad side.

"Great. Maybe I can show you how to fly. I did teach your mother."

"What?"

"I'll tell you when we're at the roof."

"Alright." I was eager to learn to fly, to test my wings, and to hear about my mom. I led Krad up two flights of stairs, and then finally through the trapdoor to the roof, which was a much tighter squeeze with wings. "Well, here we are." I said "It's not much, but the view's good" I mentally slapped myself. Why couldn't I think of something to say?

"Actually, it's quite nice. Have you ever watched a sunset up here?"

"Yeah, and I've come up here at night a few times to watch the stars." I picked up my guitar and microphone, and decided to leave the amp where it was. "Let's get back to the others before they discover fanfiction."

"Do I want to know?" Krad's smirk told me I was too late.

"No. Believe me, you don't."

"Should I tell you about your mother?"

I had completely forgotten about that. "We'll talk after a quick flight." I said, setting the amp and guitar back down.

"We'll start with a takeoff. I'm sure you'll figure everything out quickly." Krad spread his wings and jumped off the roof. I followed, copying his movements, and gliding through the air, decided that this was exactly what I was meant to be doing. Krad flapped his wings and began to rise. I followed him, and caught up quickly.

"Your mother would pass me." he said

"I'm not my mom." I replied quietly, "But I would like to know more about her."

"She never told you, did she." Krad said, "But she would have wanted to protect you, I'm sure."

"Protect me from what?"

"Me. Gray, most people see me as a monster. I found your mother washed up dead with the tide one night, after a fight with the thief. She lay there, broken and lifeless in the moonlight…"

"You fell in love?" I asked when he didn't continue

"I fell in love with her. I healed her, let her stay with the Hikari's, acting as my servant, my assassin. I did not know how to express how I felt. I made a mistake sending her to bring me Dark. They fell in love, and she left me. She almost killed me, left me to die, walked off with the kaitou. I hated everything then Gray, everyone. And then Pheo, your mother approached me again. She asked me to forgive her; she told me that she would find a way for us to get our own bodies, Dark and I. I walked away from her though; I had my back to her the whole time she talked to me. I was a stupid, ignorant fool Gray, and if you think I'm the monster everyone else does, I don't blame you."

I couldn't believe it. My mother, my light-hearted, joking mother had been an assassin. "Krad, I don't hate you. Everyone has to make mistakes. And you're not a monster. Personally, if I had to share a body with someone for however long, I would have gone insane too."

Krad smiled, but his eyes were still sad. "I feel like I can actually be myself around you." he said after a few minutes of silence. "I never felt that way around Pheo."

"I'm not as fast to judge. That's the difference between me and her."

Krad smiled again, and this time it reached his eyes. "Maybe we should get back."

"I suppose."

So as one, we turned and flew back toward the mansion.