Note:
/.../ «-- Daisuke's thoughts Dark's thoughts --» italics-o-o-o-
Saa, me o tojite.
Chapter 4: Something out of the ordinary.
/Dark?/
Dark woke up from his daydreaming to find Daisuke calling him. It was half past one after midday and they were still in the bed. He briefly wondered if they would get up at all. But then of course, he remembered once again that he had no other choice.
Daisuke... how are you feeling? He didn't know what else to say; that was the only thing he could think of at the moment. He was happy, to say the least, to hear the boy speaking. It had been the first thing he'd heard from him since last night's involuntarily loud thoughts...
/I'm fine, I guess. Dark,/ Daisuke paused in deep thought; Dark feared the worst. /Is now the time?/
Dark snickered, how could have he forgotten? He had promised Daisuke he would speak with him. The problem was that he had promised himself he wouldn't say a word. He was torn between two promises and he didn't know which one to keep. If he told Daisuke about the Curse of the Twilight, he'd make the boy worry, but if he said nothing he'd make him sad. Either way Daisuke would suffer. So, what could he do?
He decided he could keep a bit of both promises. He would tell Daisuke just what he was going to steal and that he didn't really know what it was. He thought it would be best that way... Daisuke would be pleased that he confided in him but he wouldn't have major reasons to fear or worry; he'd probably think the Curse was one of those magical objects that change shapes and that would be the end of it. Or that was what he hoped for.
I think... that is up to you to decide whether is time for us to talk or not.
Daisuke groaned inwardly in frustration; he wanted to know and he wanted it now. /I think it is./ He then remembered why Dark hadn't wanted to talk the night before. He had said he was too weak and that he had to rest; perhaps that was what he wanted to hear about. /I'm feeling fine, I already told you. I just want to know what you're hiding./
...
/Please, Dark./
The pleading tone in Daisuke's voice, sounding almost desperate, convinced Dark that it would be best if he spoke then. Okay, he sighed. What Satoshi Hiwatari implied is both right and wrong. Daisuke groaned once again and ran his hands through his hair, he couldn't stand Dark talking in riddles. But fortunately for him, said person was going to explain what he meant.
It depends on how you look at it. I know what I'm going to steal, everyone does -your mother, your father, even your grandfather-, but I don't know exactly what it is. By this moment Daisuke was absolutely confused. What did he mean? Did he know what he was going to steal or not? Dark sensed the boy's utter confusion and proceeded to explain in a more graphic way. I'm going to steal the Curse of the Twilight, Daisuke, but I have absolutely no idea of what the hell that is or what it does.
/Oh./ That was it? That was what he was hiding? Why didn't he tell him sooner, instead of making him worry and think stupid things? Perhaps... perhaps he was embarrassed. No, Dark wouldn't be embarrassed at something so stupid. Then what was the reason for the secrecy? /Why didn't you tell me?/
I don't know. Another lie. He couldn't tell Daisuke he didn't want him to worry for it would have exactly that unwanted effect he had tried to avoid.
/Do you think... Satoshi knows what the Curse of the Twilight is?/
I'm sure he does.
Daisuke didn't say or ask anything else. He just remained silent, staring into the clear, bright sky through the windowpane. And Dark did just the same. Not even a single thought crossed any of the boys' minds, they just willed for time to pass quickly to get things over and done with once and for all.
-o-
"Daisuke?"
The boy looked up from the book he was reading to meet his grandfather's eyes. The old man was trying to look cheerful but was failing pitifully, Daisuke could see it in his eyes; he was worried. Everyone seemed worried these days, he just didn't understand why.
"Hello, Grandpa."
"I wanted to know -I shouldn't be asking you, but- did Dark...?"
"Yes," he answered, suddenly aware of what his grandfather wanted to know. "He told me."
"Oh," though still uncertain, the old man looked rather relieved. "Are you alright?"
"Okay, that's it." Daisuke closed the book with a loud thump and looked up with a glare. He was tired of all the tension surrounding him; it made him uneasy and now, to crown it all, he had his grandfather asking him if he was alright. Why wouldn't he be? Was something else he needed to know that Dark had forgotten -or avoided- to tell him? "Why is everyone looking at me with worried eyes? Why no one tells me what is wrong?"
"Well," those questions certainly took the old man by surprise. "No one really knows what is wrong if something should be. Uncertainty is what we're worried about and, I suppose, we're afraid something might happen to you. But we're probably exaggerating. After all... it's just a work of art, isn't it?"
"I suppose so..." Daisuke didn't seem convinced, but he let the subject drop. All he needed was Dark to do what he usually did and everything would be alright.
"Seriously, Daisuke, we don't want to upset you. We are just worried about you."
Those words again. He was sick of hearing them. And was he was sicker of, was noticing that he was the only one they worried about. No one ever asked about Dark to see how he was feeling, no one ever said they feared for him, no one cared. But he did; he was the only one who did and that made him sad. He had always thought his mother would be worried about Dark since she seemed quite fond of the thief, but not even she looked the least interested.
And Dark, who could hear bits of Daisuke's thoughts, smiled to himself. He smiled because Emiko had been right; Daisuke did care about him. And if Daisuke cared about him, he didn't need anyone else.
-o-
"Daisuke?"
The redheaded boy rolled his eyes in annoyance. /What now.../ he asked himself mentally, making Dark snicker and snickering himself.
"Well," Emiko said with a grin on her face, completely misunderstanding Daisuke's snickers. "It looks as if you're feeling better."
"I've been feeling fine all day," Daisuke explained to her, "I'm just upset. Nothing to worry about, though, you just go and do your things; I'll make sure Dark is ready by half past eight to do his duty." Those last words were said with a hint of irony on Daisuke's part.
Emiko felt her grin being wiped off her lips for a second. Then she smiled once again, pretending she didn't hear and said "I just wanted to ask you if there was anything you needed." Daisuke had the grace to blush, though he still couldn't say he was sorry; he thought all of his family ought to be sorry, not him. "You haven't eaten anything all day, are you sure you don't want anything?"
"No, mom. I'll go down in a while and have tea, though."
"Okay," Emiko nodded, already deciding to prepare his son a hot tea and bringing it to his room. Anything for her beloved son...
The door closed with a click and Daisuke buried himself back in his book. That is, of course, until Dark distracted him with a question.
What are you so upset about?
/Nothing important.../
I'd say is very important if you can be so hostile with your mother.
/Hostile?/ the mere word made Daisuke laugh. He wasn't being hostile, it was just an ironic comment he felt like doing... okay, maybe he shouldn't have treated her mother the way he did, but that was definitely not a hostile behaviour. /I told you, Dark, it's nothing. Go back to sleep, you have work to do tonight./
But I don't want to sleep, I'm rather enjoying this book.
/Oh, yeah? Then you wouldn't care to tell me what it is about?/ Daisuke didn't believe Dark had been reading with him, he just wanted to talk. Maybe he was bored... he always bothered Daisuke when he was bored.
Um... you know, I think I'll go back to sleep. God, I hate having to share the body; it gets so lonely and boring sometimes...
He went to sleep without noticing Daisuke's face freezing with shock. Had he really said those words? Daisuke couldn't remember a single time when he had said anything like that to him. Had he really meant it?
-o-
Finally, the time for the robbery had come. Dark flew down into the highest balcony of the Hikari Ancient Home dressed from head to toes in black leather. He had to look stunning for his big night... it could even be the last, if he was pessimistic, and if he had to die he wanted to be buried dressing pretty clothes. Daisuke cursed him every time he told him that. But, truth be told, if he didn't take it lightly he would probably break down and cry.
Dark walked around dark, abandoned halls, constantly passing by windows with broken panes and mould-eaten curtains. Even though the place was devastated, Dark could tell that in its glory days it had been luxurious. He even whistled in admiration once he reached the room that used to hold each work of art. The columns at the entrance and exit of the room were works of art in themselves. The walls were losing what little colour they had left, but still were visible the paintings adorning them. Scenes of gods and angels lined one of the walls, the other was clear and had a large number of dusty showcases resting on it.
And so, the search begun. Dark sighed as he started rummaging through the showcases, not looking for the Curse of the Twilight, but secret compartments in which the object might have been hidden. He had no idea where the object was; Emiko had told him it was 'somewhere around the place,' but that hadn't been exactly helpful and so, perhaps for the first time in his career, Dark had no idea of what he had to do. But soon he saw it.
"So it was a pendant, then?" He asked Satoshi Hiwatari, the last descendant from the Hikari family, who was holding a silver chain from which hung an oval-shaped medallion of black stone with a bright white diamond in its centre. Perhaps it was its simplicity that made it so special, but Dark thought it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. Daisuke couldn't agree more.
"So it seems," Satoshi answered, momentarily surprised. He walked quietly but determinedly to the nearest window to gaze down into the street. He shook his head, he thought so little about the police forces... he imagined Dark didn't even take them into consideration anymore and had to suppress a snicker. Instead, he kept walking straight in Dark's direction, stopping only inches from him.
"Have you any idea of what this is, Dark?" Satoshi asked seriously, not even the slightest hint of irony in his voice. He sincerely wanted to know...
"I'm not going to lie to you," Dark said, his tone as cold as Satoshi's had been. "I didn't even know what it was, let alone know what it does which is, I presume, what you're referring to."
"Very clever, Dark," Satoshi praised him mockingly. "However, I'd suggest you make your research for next time. You see, I'm not going to let you steal this. Not now. Not before you learn about its magic."
Dark gulped down the lump in his throat. So he had been right from the beginning; there was magic within the Curse of the Twilight. And if Satoshi didn't want him to take it, it was probably because the magic within was dark and dangerous. He had been right to be worried, both his and Daisuke's lives were in danger.
"Why would you care whether I know about it or not, Hiwatari? What do I have to be afraid of, if there's anything at all?"
But Satoshi never answered his question. Instead, he walked away from him, heading for the door from which he had entered the room. Once he had reached the gate, he turned back to face Dark. "I'm surprised, Daisuke, that you didn't think of asking her." Daisuke gaped inside of Dark's head, suddenly understanding whom Satoshi was referring to. Dark narrowed his eyes, he was so lost in his thoughts that he had no idea what Satoshi had been talking about.
"The Curse of the Twilight will be waiting for you in the Hikari family vaults next Friday. I'm giving you a whole week to do your homework, Dark..." Satoshi turned to leave, but stopped in his tracks only a second later.
"Oh," the boy spoke with an air of casualness, without turning around. "I'll make this pendant disappear and tell everyone you've stolen it. We don't want any witnesses for our next encounter, do we?"
And then there was no one.
Dark sunk to his knees and hid his face in his hands. He had forgotten how to breathe and was now in a state nearing hysterics. He could have snatched it from the boy's hands and finally put and end to this story, but he had chose to let him go. Why had he been so weak? Was he afraid? Was he surprised at the revelation? No, it wasn't surprise. It was fear. But what did he have to be afraid of? Why couldn't he do what he was there for, what he always did? Why couldn't he take the stupid pendant from Satoshi's hand?
Why was he feeling so desperately helpless?
Why, why why...?
/Dark!/
Why I am so afraid?
/DARK!!/
...
Dark couldn't find in himself the will to acknowledge Daisuke. He could only ask himself what was wrong; he needed to know why he had lost his composure. He was the Legendary Thief, Dark Mousy; Dark Mousy couldn't behave like he had done. Dark Mousy couldn't break down and cry.
But yet, there he was now. Curled in the floor in foetal position, hugging his stomach as he cried. He felt salty tears moisturising the corners of his lips; those tears, so alien to him, making him feel more alive than he had ever felt, but taking the life off him at the same time. Daisuke screamed and screamed for hours it seemed, but Dark never answered back.
The redheaded tamer felt like crying himself, but he had imagined that wasn't what Dark needed at the moment. That is why, confused and worried as he was, he willed his body to change. Dark had helped him the night before, and now was his time to do the same; he was going to help Dark.
-o-
Once inside the comfort of the Niwas' home, more precisely in Daisuke's bedroom, Dark lay on the bed. His face was paler than usual and his eyes had lost its mischievous light; he could barely feel his body and if he couldn't see it, he would have believed it disappeared. Dark stared at the wall with dead eyes, replaying over and over the scene that had taken place earlier. Each time it pained him more to discover how weak he'd been. Daisuke had been telling him he wasn't weak and that everyone has bad days, but he didn't understand what he was going through. No one did, that's why they didn't care.
Oh, no, Dark knew Daisuke cared about him dearly, but it didn't help him feel any better. He shouldn't have broken down like he did. He had to protect two lives, he needed to be in control of himself. But instead, he had lost sense of time and space, detaching himself from reality. And when he woke up, he found himself in Daisuke's bedroom. He was lying in the boy's bed, somewhere he didn't belong and something he didn't deserve. Something as dirty as his persona wasn't worthy of touching those sheets, staining them with his rotting essence.
And Daisuke kept screaming in his head. He was crying and shouting as loud as his lungs would let him, but Dark couldn't hear a word. He just wanted to crawl under the dirt and die.
/DARK!!/
He couldn't answer.
/DA---RK!!!/
Not yet.
-o-
The following morning, all Daisuke had heard from Dark was a sobbed apology as he transformed back into a redheaded boy. Now back in control of his body, Daisuke wanted to do just one thing. One very important thing.
He walked down the stairs into the kitchen. His mother greeted him with a smile, as usual, but he paid her no mind. Instead, he walked down another flight of stairs, from the trap door behind the cupboard into the darkness of the basement, where the family kept every stolen item.
He didn't have to look for the light switch, the light had been turned on already. He then guessed his search had been excessively easy. He could see her a few meters from him, dusting off an old painting. His favourite work of art, Towa no Shirube.
"Towa-chan," he called her.
"Niwa Daisuke!" she chirped enthusiastically, flying to his arms with the speed of light. "How are you? I haven't seen you all day!"
"I'm okay... though I'll admit to having had better days."
Towa grimaced for a second, surely someone had told her of Dark's unexpected appearance on Daisuke's bed and the awful state he seemed to be in.
"Towa-chan, I need you now more than ever."
"What is it?"
Daisuke sighed and looked at her with pleading eyes. "I need you to tell me everything you know about the Curse of the Twilight."
Towa raised a hand to cover her gaping mouth. Her eyes were wide and she looked teary. Daisuke feared for the worst; what was so terrible about that pendant that everyone seemed so afraid?
He was about to find out.
-o-o-o- Wahahahahahaaa!! I'm leaving it right there... you'll have to wait to see what happens. Don't be sad, people, Dark won't be depressed for much longer. He took it worse than he should have because it was he first time in a very, very, VERY long time that he had cried. It sort of came as a shock... I hinted that he's already a bit better when I said that he had apologised to Daisuke and all...
How fortunate that we have Daisuke to take over the situation... and Towa. I wanted to include her because she's been one of my favourite characters since I first saw her. She's amazing... By the way, I know it's a bit late to be telling you this, but... I've based this story off the manga. I've never seen a single episode of the anime and I know the stories are different, so I wanted to make this clear: it's off the MANGA! And my favourite manga, at that. I own nothing, Yukiru Sugisaki-sensei does.
Anyway, I'm off to write chapter 9 (yes, nine); I've so much free time lately that is not even funny. See you in the next episode...
Please, leave a REVIEW!!
By the way, thanks to all of those who reviewed, I'm glad you're liking this!!
