CHAPTER TEN: A New Perspective

Daisuke felt more relieved than he had in a whole week when he came into the kitchen. His mother didn't mention anything about a warning letter at all, and this made him feel free and unhindered. Now he didn't have to worry about anything except dinner, homework, and sleep. Oh, blissful sleep; it seemed so long ago that he had had a proper night's worth of it.

"Don't forget your homework, "Dai!" Emiko called after Daisuke as he headed upstairs after he finished his dinner.

"Okay!" He finished climbing the stairs and went into his bedroom, rummaging in his schoolbag for his homework sheets and plopping down in his desk chair. He was so relieved to have the evening to himself that for once he was able to get his mind off all his problems and focus on school stuff like a normal person.

With was sound asleep on the sofa and didn't move at all while Daisuke shuffled loudly through his papers and notes, looking things up and writing things down. He managed to keep his mind on track, except perhaps the few moments he got distracted by fleeting thoughts of Riku. He considered asking her out for the weekend, but caught himself and quickly refocused on his work.

As he was finishing up his last few math problems, he felt Dark waking up slowly. "Busy nights getting to you, too?" Daisuke asked him aloud, hoping he wasn't the only one who felt like he was losing sleep.

Dark snorted groggily with the air of someone blowing off a ridiculous accusation. "Of course not," he scoffed. "I always sleep this much."

Daisuke was about to let it go when he remembered his talk with Riku earlier that day. He didn't really want to bring it up, but he had told Riku he would. "So, um, by the way," he began apprehensively, "Riku wanted to talk to me about Risa today at lunch. Well," he hesitated, "about Risa and you, actually."

When Dark didn't respond, Daisuke continued. "She says Risa really misses you," he said concernedly. "She hasn't seen you—in person—for months. She's worried you're avoiding her."

He could tell Dark was thinking, so he didn't pressure him. "I see," he finally said, sounding guarded. "I guess it has been a while…" He trailed off uncertainly, thinking about it some more.

Dark didn't say anything else, so Daisuke felt it was safe to speak. "So what do you want to do about it?" he asked as gently as he could. "Risa would probably really like to see you sometime soon."

"I know," the young thief said heavily. "I guess I should make some time, huh?"

Daisuke nodded carefully, feeling a little calmer now. "If you want, I can tell her or Riku tomorrow at school when you're going there–"

"No, don't bother," Dark said suddenly. "Get in one of my outfits and change into me. I'm going over now."

Daisuke almost fell out of his chair. "W-What? Now? Why all of a sudden?"

"I'd just rather go now than later," Dark said reasonably. "Now hurry up," he added with a touch of humor, "I don't want to mess up the girls' bedtime."

Daisuke opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself. Sure, maybe it was bad timing, but he wasn't the priority right now. Risa needed to see Dark, and if this was when Dark would go see her, he shouldn't complain. So instead of objecting, he just stood up and nodded.

"Okay, fine," he relented. He trudged to his closet and rummaged through it until he got to all of Dark's things. He grabbed one of the warmer outfits, comprising of a snug black sleeveless shirt, black pants, and a long black long-sleeved coat. After he wordlessly pulled it on, he closed his reddish eyes and gave up control to his other half.

Deep violet eyes opened and Dark ran a hand absently through his hair. He didn't want to admit it, but he was slightly nervous. It really had been a while, and if Risa really thought he was avoiding her, anything could happen. Would she still be just as happy to see him as she had always been? Would she still be upset and start crying, or worse, would she be angry?

"I don't think she'd get mad," Daisuke's voice sounded from his mind. "She'll be happy to see you after so long."

Dark coughed awkwardly. "I know that," Dark retorted firmly, trying to sound more confident than he felt. Striding past the sofa, he gave With a rather hard poke. "Wake up," he ordered his familiar. "We're going out for a bit."

With's ears perked up and he stretched, getting obediently to his feet. After letting out a perky "Kyuu!" he vanished and reappeared as Dark's wings.

Dark pulled the string by the entrance out to the balcony and ducked outside into the brisk night air. He could see the Harada's large house in the distance to the right and he couldn't keep a small frown from his face. Let's get this over with. His mind made up, he spread his wings and took off.

The flight didn't take long enough; before he knew it, Dark could clearly see the light from Risa's bedroom shining through her glass balcony doors. He'd seen it so many times before as he passed by on his way home from a long night of stealing. So many times had he heard Risa calling up to him as he flew over her, pleading him to come down and see her.

But that was the past. For months now, he hadn't heard her voice call him; he hadn't even seen her looking out over the rail of her balcony, watching the skies for black wings. He couldn't help feeling now like he had lost something—like he had lost her.

"What are you waiting for, Dark?" Daisuke asked confusedly. He'd come all this way just to stop now? "Aren't you going to talk to her?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Dark shook himself and began his descent, touching down quietly on her large porch. Slowly, perhaps nervously, he approached the double glass doors and peered through them at the bedroom within.

Risa was lying on her back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling with a blank, unseeing expression. She had long since changed out of her school uniform but had not yet changed into nightclothes. She was wearing a light blue denim skirt and an orange off-the-shoulder top, one of her favorite outfits. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the phantom thief outside.

Dark could easily let himself in with no trouble, but he figured it was more polite to knock first. His wings dissolved and, trying to ignore the sense of foreboding hanging over him, he tapped three times on the glass.

Risa sat up so suddenly that you might believe she'd heard a gunshot. She swiveled on her bed to stare in Dark's direction, and as soon as her eyes fell upon him, she froze. For a split second, neither of them moved. Then Risa mouthed "Dark," scrambled off her bed, and ran for the balcony. She fumbled with the handle for a few seconds because she wouldn't take her eyes off Dark to watch what she was doing. When her fingers finally found it, she turned it and pulled the doors open.

"Dark!" Without warning, Risa flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a tight embrace. "Oh Dark, I've missed you so much!"

Temporarily stunned, Dark finally put his arms gently around her. "So I heard," he said, smiling slightly down at her. "Sorry I waited so long."

Risa sniffed and only squeezed him tighter. "I-It's okay," she said shakily, shaking her head against his chest. "I'm just glad you're here again."

Dark rubbed a hand up and down her back, soothing her carefully. "Hey, you shouldn't be out here in the cold dressed like that," he scolded good-humoredly. "Let's get you back inside." He half lead her, half carried her back into her room and closed the door behind them, sealing off the chilly air and leaving them in her warm bedroom.

Risa finally unburied her head and looked up at him, smiling through her happy tears. "I was starting to wonder if I'd ever see you again," she confessed, looking slightly guilty.

Dark sighed lightly and shook his head at her. "Now, you know better than that," he said softly. "I couldn't forget you even if I wanted to, Risa." The last part he admitted with some regret seeping into his voice.

Another tear fell from Risa's eyes, but she quickly brushed it away. "I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down at her feet. "I don't mean to make you feel bad, I just–"

"Don't say that," Dark said quietly but firmly. He hesitated, and then gently kissed the top of her head. "It's okay if you're upset. I deserve it."

Risa looked up at him again with a look of shock. "What do you mean, you deserve it?" she asked in confusion. "You haven't done anything wrong!"

"I'm not so sure," the young thief said ruefully. "I haven't been trying to avoid you, but I have been trying not to see you too often."

Risa continued to watch him in bewilderment. "What're you talking about?"

"I want you to be able to have a normal life, Risa," Dark said grimly. "I want you to have a chance with someone you can spend your life with without me getting in the way."

"You don't get in the way!" Risa said indignantly, taking her arms off him and staring up at him incredulously. Then she added, almost pleading, "I want you around, Dark."

Dark gave the girl in front of him a long look. "I know you do," he said honestly, "and I'm not saying I'm trying to completely disappear. I just don't want to hold you back."

"You're not," Risa said stubbornly. "Don't say that."

Dark merely shrugged. "If you say so."

A long silence ensued in which the two of them didn't look at each other and just stayed in a loose hug. Then, finally, Risa spoke. "Did you come because you wanted to, or…" she hesitated, looking nervous and a little ashamed, "or did you only come because Riku talked to Daisuke?"

Dark opened his mouth but no sound came out. Okay, maybe she is mad after all… "Oh Risa," he whispered, unable to keep from pulling her more tightly against him. "A lot's been happening, and…" He paused, unsure how to continue. "I've wanted to see you for a long time, Risa, but I've been holding myself back to give you your space. When Daisuke told me what Riku said about you being upset, I figured I wasn't doing you much good by staying away after all, so I came to see you."

Risa sniffled and started shaking her head again. "I'm so sorry!" she practically wailed, clinging to Dark like a life preserver. "I just keep making you feel bad! I shouldn't be saying all this, I–"

Dark shushed her and shook his head. "Stop beating yourself up, it's not helping anybody." He let out a small sigh, relaxing himself. "There's nothing wrong with just saying what's on your mind."

"But you've been through enough," Risa whimpered. "You don't need my problems on top of yours."

Before she could keep blubbering, Dark steered her over to her bed and made her sit down on it, and because she wouldn't let go of him, he sat down next to her. "Risa," he said reasonably, leaning forward so he could see her face, "Some guy's gonna fall head over heels for you, and I don't want to be what keeps you apart. I just want you to be happy."

"Of course you do," Risa said, getting a hold of herself. "You're a good person, Dark."

Dark let out another sigh and took to staring out through the glass at the other end of the room. There was another long silence, the two of them seated next to each other, neither of them saying a word. Just as Dark was thinking about saying something else, there was a knock on Risa's bedroom door and they heard it open.

He stood up quickly, ready to hide if it was the Harada's butler, but he instead saw Riku's head poke through the crack. "Risa, everything okay in here? I heard voices–" She broke off when she saw Dark and nearly screamed. "D-Dark! What're you doing here?" she demanded, stepping into the room and trying to look intimidating.

The young thief chuckled in a mixture of relief and amusement and sat right back down on the bed just to make Riku madder. "Aww, don't be like that, Riku," he teased, flashing a confident grin. "I thought you'd be happy to see me here. It was your idea, after all."

Riku's face flushed a dark, angry shade of red. "I—well—," she stammered, inflating like an angry cat, "that's not the point! You didn't tell me you were coming!"

"Could I possibly," Dark smirked, standing up very slowly and walking towards Riku, "be hearing jealousy? Did you maybe want some time with me, too?"

"Get away, creep!" Riku barked, backing up against the wall. "I am not jealous! You just caught me by surprise, that's all!"

"Heh, sure," Dark snickered. Risa had started giggling and he was pleased to have cheered her up. "I know better, though," he added, winking.

Riku bristled. "No way!" she spluttered. "You do not! You don't know what you're talking about!"

But Dark just laughed out loud and sat back down on the bed, leaving Riku to fume. "Whatever!" Riku erupted, crossing her arms across her chest. "Risa, do you feel better now? Can Dark can go?"

Risa glared at her twin. "Riku, that's awfully rude! If you don't want to see him, then go away, but I want him to stay!"

Glaring back, Riku looked like she was fighting an internal battle. Before she could say anything, though, Dark stood up again.

"Riku's right, actually," Dark said in a resigned voice. "It's late. You should be in bed."

Riku was looking at Dark with a look of deepest surprise. Risa was looking at him with sadness. "Oh, don't!" Risa said quickly, taking a gentle hold of his wrist to coax him back down. "You don't have to leave just because Riku's being ungrateful."

"What! Who's ungrateful?" Riku snapped.

Dark took Risa's hand in his other one and gently removed it from his wrist. "I don't want to keep you up late, Risa, and Daisuke needs his sleep, too. You both have school tomorrow, don't you?"

"Yeah, remember me?" Daisuke murmured.

Risa looked a little upset again, but she knew he was right. "I guess so," she said softly. "But when will I see you again?"

Dark's mouth set into a firm line. He had been hoping she wouldn't ask that question. "I... I don't know," he said honestly. He reached out to her face, but his hand faltered. He finally settled it on the top of her head. "But you will see me again, Risa. I promise."

He turned away from both girls and headed for the balcony as quickly as he could without running. He opened the doors so the light wind came into the room, blowing his hair and coat back. He opened his mouth to call With, but Riku called him back.

"Dark, I–"

Dark slowly turned around, keeping a hand on one of the doors, and faced Riku with turmoil in his eyes. "Hmm?" he said, trying to sound loads more cheerful than he felt.

Riku had gotten closer while his back was turned and she was now standing by the bed, looking frustrated with herself. "You… You just better know what you're doing. I don't know a whole lot about magic or all this art you steal, but if anything happens to Daisuke…" She let it hang, unsure what she wanted to say.

"You'll have my head for it," Dark finished for her. "I won't let anything happen. Count on it."

He couldn't stay any longer. With a last look at Risa, he turned away to face the night. His black wings sprouted once again and he stepped outside, closing the doors behind him. Then, without a sound, he took off and flew out of sight.

The sky was dark; it was nighttime, yet it was strangely warm out. Shuuko could feel cool wind, mixed with sea spray and the smell of salt, against her face. The ocean—she could see it now, down below her in the distance. The misty air pulled the arms of the windmills behind her around in their circles. Her hands felt cool grass beneath her and she knotted her fingers into it. She knew where she was now.

Something large and soft draped around her shoulders and pulled her gently against something, and she looked up. Phantom Dark's perfect face smiled down at her as he held her close with one of his great black wings, shielding her from the chilling wind.

"Everything's fine," he said softly. He pulled her even closer until her head rested on his chest, directly over his heart. "Close your eyes. I'm here now."

And she did, but not because she was afraid. No; she had never felt so calm before. The strong, steady beating of his heart under her cheek soothed her into a daze. He was so warm and strong, the way he held her to him. This was where she felt safe, and nothing could hurt her as long as Dark was with her. She felt herself falling asleep.

Was she asleep? She could still feel things, and the air around her was getting colder. Where were Dark's wings? She could no longer feel them wrapped protectively around her to block out the chill. She could still hear a heart beating, but perhaps it was only her own. She felt it pounding against the inside of her chest, hurting her. Was it too dark to see or where her eyes just closed?

She opened her eyes but shielded them with her hand. There was a very bright light shining on her, like a spotlight on a stage. Slowly letting her eyes adjust, she took her hand away and pushed herself up onto her knees. She didn't know where she was anymore… Was she in a room? Everything was still inky black except where she had been lying, which seemed to be bathed in moonlight. The grass was gone. The ocean was gone. The windmills were gone. Dark was gone.

She didn't see anyone else there, but she felt someone there. She looked to her left and saw a shadow of something, looming just out of reach of the light. Then as she watched, the figure stepped forward into view. White wings folded against his back, a strange cross blowing out behind him in a wind she couldn't feel, and long hair falling in front of his face, Krad stared down at her with an unreadable expression in his golden eyes.

Shuuko tried to get up, but she couldn't; her legs felt weak and wobbly, and they wouldn't support her weight. She opened her mouth to speak—not to shout at him to leave, but to simply ask him why he was there—but no sound would come out. She had lost her voice.

Then Krad spoke, still staring at her unblinkingly. "Forgive me for startling you," he said to her, never breaking eye contact.

She tried to tell him she wasn't startled, that she wasn't afraid, but again, she couldn't speak. She didn't want him to think she was scared of him, because she wasn't at all. But she couldn't, so she was forced to just stare back at him.

But before Krad spoke anymore, she felt someone else nearby. She turned her head to her right and saw Dark stepping into the light on the other side of her, looking critical. "That guy there tried to kill you," he said harshly, not taking his violet eyes from Shuuko's. "He's my enemy and I hate the guy."

Before Shuuko could even try to say something to him, Krad spoke from her other side. "The history between Dark and myself is not something you need to know," he said smoothly, still staring down at her kneeling on the ground, "but I will not hurt you."

"He tried to kill you," Dark said again, making Shuuko look back at him. "You shouldn't be worried about him."

"You interfered with my confrontation with Dark," Krad countered, grabbing Shuuko's attention again. "Yes, my actions were rather hasty. Forgive me–"

"Shuuko," Dark interrupted, stealing her gaze from Krad again. "He's my enemy. He's your enemy. You should hate him."

Stop, Shuuko thought, wishing she could say it aloud. Stop fighting.

"He tried to kill you just to tick me off," Dark snarled.

"You have nothing I want," Krad insisted. "I will not hurt you."

But why? Shuuko wanted to ask. Why did you change your mind?

"I cannot answer that question," Krad said, seeming to have heard her thoughts, "because I don't know the reason."

"Why would you be worried about my enemy?" Dark demanded. "He tried to kill you. He tried to kill me."

She started panicking. Why won't they stop? she thought fearfully. I can't speak! I don't understand any of this!

"I cannot answer that question," Krad said cautiously.

Dark started talking at almost the same time. "You should hate him!"

Their voices started mingling together in senseless noise, making her ears buzz. Both winged beings spoke over each other, demanding her attention, trying to out-argue the other.

"I will not hurt you."

"Shuuko, he's my enemy."

"STOP IT!" Shuuko screamed and sat bolt upright, gasping for air. Both Dark and Krad were gone and she found herself staring at her blank bedroom wall. Her sheets were twisted and knotted around her legs, tying her up from her thrashing so she could barely move them. She shivered, misted with icy sweat that dampened her hair and made her sheets feel heavy and limp. Her eyes stung like she had been crying, but she couldn't tell if it was tears on her cheeks or more sweat.

She started kicking and shoving at her sheets, working them off her legs so she could swing them over the side of the bed and sit comfortably. When she freed herself, she buried her face in her hands and tried to catch her breath, willing her heart to slow down. She looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw that it was four in the morning. Not really having the emotional strength to care, she just moaned and slumped back onto her bed, wishing sleep would come back.

But it didn't; her mind was whirling too much to allow her to relax. Though she didn't really want to, she thought back to the dream. Most of the words Dark and Krad had said were things she'd already heard from them before. Dark's never told me to hate Krad, she thought, running her fingers through her tangled hair, but maybe I shouldn't forgive him. I never actually gave Krad my forgiveness for what he did, but in my mind I sort of have.

She rolled onto her side and hugged her pillow, feeling a wave of confusion threaten to engulf her mind again. The fact that he at least sort of apologized for trying to murder me is definitely not something that happens every day, but he's not exactly normal, either. I don't even know what he is, she thought suddenly, realizing that this was somewhat true for both him and Dark alike. It's physically impossible for a human to fly with wings, so how is it possible? I don't know what you'd call them, but they're not just human.

So then who knows, Shuuko thought reasonably, trying to stay as open minded as possible. Maybe he just thinks in different ways than I or most other people do. I bet he sees things from a completely different perspective than I do. After all, I'm just human, and he's… not.

This whole new way of thinking engulfed Shuuko like a tidal wave. Everything she had thought of, every judgment she had made, and every prejudice she had denied having disappeared. She finally realized that she knew nothing, absolutely nothing about Dark and especially not about Krad. She suddenly felt alert and full of energy; it was exhilarating, thinking about all the things she didn't know that she would love to figure out. And yet, at the same time, everything seemed to suddenly make sense. The mere fact that she didn't know the first thing about Krad explained why she had been afraid of him even after she'd had a full conversation with him and not gotten hurt at all.

Now she was done with fear. She wasn't going to be afraid of him anymore. Now she was curious about him, maybe even obsessed with him. She wanted to figure him out; she wanted to get him, to understand him. How did he see the world and what was in it? What was his logic behind the way he thought of things? So many questions piled up in her mind that she felt lightheaded.

But she would not overstep herself. She knew better than to poke and pry in Dark and Krad's deepest secrets. No; Krad himself had basically told her that their relationship was none of her business, and she knew that. She respected that. What she wanted was to know them as people, as characters: their opinions, their ethics, and their personalities; that was as far as she dared to go. Besides, she had told both of them that she knew not to invade their secrets, for she knew they both had to have many. No humanlike being with wings is going to be an open book.

She wasn't worried about Dark; he seemed interested in her enough for both of them. She had a feeling that she'd get to know him over time whether she thought she was worth him or not. It was Krad that would be difficult. The only places she had ever seen him was at the museums when Dark went to steal something, so those times would be her only chances to see him. I guess I won't be breaking my new schedule anytime soon.

It was after she had relaxed a bit that she remembered what time it was. If she stayed up at this unearthly hour, she wouldn't get anything done in school later. So once she smoothed out her sheets a little more, she snuggled back under the covers. Before she tried to fall asleep, however, she remembered the last thing Krad had said to her. "Until we meet again."

Does that mean he expected to see me again? she thought, making her even more mystified and curious than before. Could he maybe even want to see me again? With that thought, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. If he wants to talk to me, too, she wondered, maybe I won't have to look for him that hard after all.