Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own DN Angel. I think that this fact is pretty obvious.

Krad and I landed lightly on the roof. I took one last look at the sky, where I had just so recently been, and so briefly belonged, and slowly picked up my guitar and microphone, wishing that I could have felt the wind rushing through my hair for a while longer, flown longer. I had been at home in the air, but now I had to return to the earth. I sighed and slipped back through the trapdoor. We then made our way back to my room, where the boys were reading through something.

"That's what it's like?" Daisuke was asking, "Kokuyoku?"

"As best as I can describe it." Dark replied, "But you can't really describe how it feels to go from a living, breathing form to…" He turned around and saw Krad and me standing in the doorway. "Oh! Umm, hi Gray, Krad…"

"What are you doing?" I asked, propping my guitar against the wall and going over to look at the computer screen. I quickly read through what Dark had written, and saved it. "This is brilliant! Can I post it online?"

Apparently Dark hadn't expected me to say anything like this, because his reply was a bit flustered. "Huh? Oh, um sure! Can I ask where?"

"Of course!" I replied, leaning over the keyboard. "Oh, and don't take anything personally." I pulled up fanfiction, and opened the DN Angel page. "It's called fanfiction for a reason."

Dark smirked. "I'll believe that when someone writes about me and Krad hooking up."

"Then believe it." I replied. "I've read more about you and Krad than Daisuke and Satoshi."

The latter two looked at each other, than stepped back, Daisuke blushing furiously. Dark's face paled, then he broke out into a wide grin.

"Hey Daisuke," he teased, "How long have you and creepy boy been together?"

"Daaark! Satoshi is not creepy!"

"And we're both straight!" Satoshi added

"Sure," Krad muttered, apparently miffed, "About as straight as a circle."

"Not you too!" Daisuke moaned. His face was redder than his hair, and I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. And the others, but Daisuke was taking it worse.

"Oh leave them alone!" I said sharply, "Besides, apparently you and Krad are more popular together…" I trailed off, seeing the shocked look on Krad's face

"Me and… Dark?" he asked weakly

I ignored the question, which I guessed was rhetorical. "Is anyone hungry?" I had looked at the small clock on the computer, and seen it was after 7:00.

"I'm starving!" Dark jumped out of the chair he was sitting in, and ran out of the room, Daisuke on his heels. Satoshi and Krad went a bit more slowly, and Wiz and Ryoushi apparently weren't interested. I walked out of my room last, thinking about what might be in the fridge that I could microwave. Maybe there was a frozen pizza or three. I couldn't cook to save my own, or anyone else's life. Maybe I'd just let them make something, being as lazy as I was. Besides, for some reason I wasn't hungry. As I walked into the kitchen, I realized the kaitou was taking dinner into his hands. I decided to put poison control on speed dial, just to be safe.

"Are you hungry Gray?" Dark asked

I decided to tell him the truth. "No, not really."

"Anorexic?" he asked

"No."

"Hmm, okay. Want something to eat anyways?"

"I can tell you don't believe me. And no, thanks." I rolled my eyes and walked into the living room. Daisuke was sitting on the couch; I sat down next to him. "Sorry about earlier." I said

"Oh, it's fine!" I was a bit taken back by how truthful he sounded, than realized it was Dark who I should apologize to.

"What are you planning?" I asked

"Oh, nothing." Daisuke replied airily

"If you say so..." I snickered, and Daisuke gave me a really weird look.

"Did I miss something?" he asked

"Hmm? No, I just was thinking back to this morning, when I didn't know you guys existed." This earned me another strange look, which I ignored.

Wiz hopped up onto my lap, and I scratched his head. He leaned into my hand like a cat, and "Kyuued" at me.

"Looks like he likes you!" Daisuke said

"Kyuu!"

I laughed, but then abruptly gave Wiz to Daisuke and stood up. "I'm sorry." I told him, "I have to talk to Dark and Krad." I had just realized something. Krad had healed my mother. That meant… "Krad! Dark! Get over here!"

The two angels came over, Dark's hair pale under a thin coating of flour, Krad, as usual, spotless.

"Did you heal my mom?" I asked Krad.

"Yes."

"And did you not say we came from different worlds?"

"Yes."

"So how did she end up here?"

"She was looking for a way to give Dark and I our own bodies." Krad answered simply, "After she had figured out how, she met your father, and had no wish to return."

"Am I needed here?" Dark asked

Krad and I both glared at him, which shut him up, and I continued. "Does my father know?" I asked "Would my mom have told him?"

"That," Krad and Dark said at the same time, "Is something you should ask him." They then glared daggers at each other as I laughed.

"Dark," I said once I had calmed down, "I want to know how you met her."

Krad stiffened. "I'll be leaving now." He got up and left.

"He doesn't like it that she preferred me. Anyways, Daiki, my previous tamer, woke up one morning to her screaming at Krad on the rooftop. He gave me control, and let me investigate; your mother's magical aura was that strong." He smirked, and then continued, "She calmed down quickly once she realized I wasn't a threat, and introduced herself as Pheo. At the Niwa family's invitation, she stayed for a few weeks. She was quite civil, almost to the point of being scary, but we all thought it was because she had lived for so long with the Hikari's. But she was working for Krad the whole time. I remember our first date, when she realized she didn't want me dead. Of course, this was when Krad planned to kill me, and she risked her life saving me. Krad had entrusted her with The Wedge of Time, which she used to wound him to the point of death. But something stopped her from killing him. Probably honor. We dated for a time, but I told her that when Daiki found his sacred maiden, I would cease to exist. She swore she would find a way for Krad and I to get our own bodies, and after years of research, and traveling to this world, she succeeded. But she met your father along the way, and like Krad said, didn't think there was a reason for her to return."

"Why did she hide this from me? Krad said it was because of him, but I don't think that's it." I was, if anything, more confused than before.

"I don't pretend to understand her, but I bet she wanted you to think she was sane."

"Thanks Dark. You can go back to cooking, I'm sorry I'm not helping, but I really don't want to poison you four…"

"Don't worry about it." He got back up and left for the kitchen.

"Wait!" I had just realized something else. "How'd she end up here? In this generation?" Because I had just realized that since Daiki was Daisuke's grandfather, my mom should be my grandmother.

"There was a jump in time when Pheo went through a portal that had been opened between the two worlds. She landed a generation ahead of her time."

"Hmm. Thanks again." I went back to the living room, where I was attacked by Ryoushi, who slobbered all over my face, his tail wagging wildly. "Down boy! Easy…" I shoved him down, and saw Daisuke and Satoshi deep in conversation, and Krad sitting off to one side, occasionally nodding or shaking his head, or voicing an opinion.

"No. He may be dumb, but he won't fall for that." Krad seemed anxious about whatever it may have been that Daisuke and Satoshi were talking about.

"What are you guys planning?" I asked with a smirk

Daisuke leapt three feet off of the couch, then turned toward me with a guilty expression, which became relieved when he saw who I was. "Oh! Umm, hi miss…"

"Valo," I said, "But keep calling me Gray."

"Gray. Whew, we-I thought for a second you were Da-" Satoshi clapped a hand over his mouth as Dark's head appeared around a corner. He was now completely coated in flour, and Ryoushi ran straight at him, trying to lick his face.

"Gaah! Get off of me you stupid mutt!" He saw Krad a second later, when Ryoushi backed off.

"What was that about Ryoushi?" Krad asked, his voice barely audible

"Umm, nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Dark said, retreating back to the kitchen. "Just saying dinner's ready, for those who want it…"

"Hmph. You're lucky I don't wish to destroy our host's house. I should kill you for insulting my familiar."

"I'll make a note of it!" Dark said, ducking back into the kitchen, followed by Satoshi and Daisuke.

"Arrogant, ignorant, damned kaitou." Krad muttered, "C'mere Ryoushi." The dog trotted obediently over, and Krad scratched him behind the ears. "Dark thinks that a familiar should be wings." Krad said to me. "Ryoushi has his own wings, but he never seems to use them."

"His own wings?" I asked

"He's my partner in hunting Dark. He has beautiful golden wings, which he can use to fly, but he never seems to want to leave the ground."

"Does his name mean something?"

"Hunter."

"That's fitting."

"Thanks."

We sat there in silence. I was lost in thought. This morning I had woken up to my mom telling me that I would be on my own for a month, and given me a necklace that had summoned four characters from an anime, who had proceeded to turn most of my life upside down. I had flown through the sky on gray wings, learned about my mom's past, and how she had come from a different world, all so fast my brain had hardly processed any of it. Yet, I was still strangely calm. I didn't understand why I felt so at home, with four strangers in my house, one psychotic, one perverted, two about my age but as different as ice and fire. Ice and fire… I thought I'll have to start calling them that.

"Gray?" Krad asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"No reason."

"There must be a reason."

"You looked cold."

"Sure."

"Well, you did."

"Just tired." I yawned

"Flying does that. Wait until I teach you to use your magic. Your mother had trouble staying airborne sometimes."

"I look forward to it. Maybe tomorrow?" I yawned again

"If you feel up to it. But now you should rest."

"I'm not tired…" I said, trying to stay awake.

"Please, I can tell you are. I need to go to the kitchen to make sure Dark isn't poisoning anyone with whatever it is he's calling dinner."

"If he is, dial nine."

Just then, the phone rang. I heard someone pick up, and I hoped it wasn't one of my friends on the other end. Dark's head poked into the living room.

"It's for Gray."

I stood up a bit shakily, and took the phone from him.

"Hello?"

"Gray? Are you alright?" My mom's voice crackled a bit, but the concern was all too obvious.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"I'm really sorry about leaving. Your father is too, but there was no choice. It was go, or lose the branch."

"Does dad know about this?"

"He knows a little."

"Does he know that I have wings?"

"He knew that it was a possibility. What do they look like?"

"The same color as that hematite feather. Mom, why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I wanted to protect you."

"If you wanted to protect me, you wouldn't have given me that necklace." I was trying to hold my temper, but it was hard. "You threw me into a life that I didn't know about. That before today, I wouldn't have wanted." I looked at Krad and gave him a fleeting smile.

"Gray, I'm sorry."

"Sorry! Sorry is not going to change the fact that there are four boys, a dog, and a rabbit now at the house. Sorry is not going to change the fact that I have wings!"

"Gray, listen to me! I cannot change what has happened. Even if I could, I wouldn't. I've had a better life because of what happened to me. Ask Dark."

"Oh, so it's back to your precious Dark, isn't it? Why don't I ask Krad?"

"Stay away from him!"

"Why? What's so wrong with him?"

"He's a psychotic, homicidal monster! Stay away from him!" With that, she hung up on me.

"He's changed." I told the dial tone, "Because of you."