Chapter 9

Author's Note: Hello again all! I'm sorry for not updating this earlier. I've been pretty caught up lately. I definitely won't drop this one so please don't worry! Thank you to all of my reviewers from the last chapter. I really appreciate your effort. Please review me again! Enjoy.

Daisuke and Satoshi made it out of their prison with surprisingly little concern. The largest problem that they had faced during their escape had been the dark sewers once they had skirted past the light source. They stopped for no one on their way to the fountain, although they received a great number of looks for their raggedy clothes and pale faces. Thankfully, they hadn't yet run into any authority figures. Daisuke was sure that they would have been dragged to the police station as lost children if that had happened. Satoshi may have been able to talk his way out of their situation but Satoshi didn't really look like Satoshi at the moment so Daisuke wasn't too sure.

They made it to the fountain in record time and both boys had pulled their mirrors out even before they had managed to catch their breath again. Satoshi let out a light sigh of relief and Daisuke knew that the interrogator had left Krad's cell. Daisuke tried harder to see through the darkness of his own mirror and let out a sigh of relief of his own as he saw that Dark was still alone. But Daisuke had reacted too early. Before the last of his sighing breath had even left his lips, Dark's prison door was opened. The iron squealed as it shut. The faceless man moved in on Dark. Daisuke saw the angel flinch. As the man came closer, Dark shook his head and began to swivel. Despite the obvious intent to crawl away, Daisuke could see that Dark's pain from the nail was still too great. The angel went limp, breathing hard. The faceless man had reached Dark now. He was bringing out an instrument that Daisuke had never seen before. The boy didn't want to know what it did. Muffling the mirror again, Daisuke looked around for With and tried to think positively.

Satoshi still had his mirror out and Daisuke looked to him for information.

"Your rabbit seems to have left," Satoshi said.

Daisuke bit his lip. Had they missed With? What would they do if their only link had gone home? Would they have to go home? Daisuke wasn't sure he would be allowed to leave again if they did. Desperately, the two boys searched the area of the fountain. Just as Daisuke was about to give up hope, a small 'Kyuu' came from above. Daisuke looked to the top of the fountain and there, wet as a sewer rat, was With.

"With!" Daisuke cried, holding out his arms.

The small animal jumped to its master and the two were reunited with a hug. Satoshi joined them as they were parting.

"Does it know where Krad is?" Satoshi asked.

Daisuke didn't even have to answer as With jumped from his hold and ran towards the fountain. The small creature looked behind it to see that its masters were following before entering the secret passage of the fountain.

As always, the stairway seemed to stretch on forever. Daisuke and Satoshi, already exhausted from their run, were simply pleased that they were at least on their way down and not climbing up. Memories of the 'Second Hand of Time' incident rushed back to Daisuke when they reached the bottom. The last time he had seen the large, flat area, the pavers had been covered by ice crystals. It looked deserted and bland without the magic mystery that had once occupied the space. Daisuke slowed down but With didn't stop.

"With! Wait up!" Daisuke called.

With continued. Daisuke ran hard to catch up.

Panting, he said, "Where are we going?"

No one answered him. Daisuke shivered as he realised they were now in a hallway surrounded by tall statues and bars. There could be nothing good behind those bars. Daisuke was sure of it. Satoshi stopped once on their travels to light a torch made of note paper. The hallway only continued to get darker. Daisuke knew that he couldn't hold out much longer.

"Are we nearly there?"

Again, no one answered him. Daisuke pouted and stopped, resting his hands on his knees.

"Then can we take a break?"

"Niwa!"

Daisuke jumped at Satoshi's response.

"Your rabbit stopped."

Daisuke peered through the darkness to see that Satoshi's statement was true. With was stopped outside a particularly large statue. Daisuke didn't recognise the figure that it represented but he was almost certain it was of roman origin. Disguised as the loincloth of the figure was a door and With jerked his head towards it with another 'Kyuu'. There were two holders on either side of the door; both held the remnants of recently-used, but of ancient style, torches. Daisuke ran over and neither he nor Satoshi hesitated. They opened the door.

The cell had a very dark interior and the two boys had to light a second makeshift torch just to see. It was not a large cell and they recognised the shadow in a corner all too well.

"Krad," Satoshi breathed.

He and Daisuke ran over to the angel.

"Krad?" Satoshi tried to get a response.

There was none. Krad didn't flinch, didn't open his eyes and certainly didn't speak. Daisuke wanted to cry for Satoshi when he saw the downcast expression on his friend's face. Daisuke wondered what he would do if Dark remained unresponsive if they found him. Daisuke shook his head. No. When the found him. When.

"We need to free him," Satoshi put his hands on the nail that went through Krad's hands.

Daisuke didn't have time to protest. Satoshi yanked hard on the nail and it shifted upwards. Krad still didn't move. Satoshi gritted his teeth and pulled again. The nail moved slowly. Daisuke could only watch in horror as Satoshi painfully worked the nail from the ground. When it finally came loose, Satoshi's fingers were as bloody as the nail itself. Daisuke wanted to run away to complete some unpleasant business but now was not the time. He forced himself to kneel at Krad's bound legs while Satoshi untied Krad's gag. Daisuke yanked at the knot. It didn't move. Frowning, Daisuke tried again. Still nothing. With a thief's pride, Daisuke tried every move his mother and Dark had ever taught him. The rope didn't budge. Higher, where Daisuke wasn't looking, a finger twitched. Slowly, yellow eyes shadowed by a blond fringe, opened.