Daisuke was at the front of Azumano Middle School waiting for Riku. He smiled cheerfully, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. All of a sudden, he felt a dull pain on the back of his head.

"Daiiiisukeeeeee!" came a familiar voice.

"Uh, g-good morning, Takeshi," Daisuke stuttered, turning around and greeting his reporter friend Takeshi Saehara.

"Don't you 'uh, g-good morning' me, Daisuke Niwa!" Takeshi exclaimed. "Fess up! Tell me all about it!"

"Tell you all about what?"

"What else would I want to know about, stupid?!?! Tell me the details of your date with Riku!"

At this statement Daisuke knew something was amiss. The last date he and Riku had gone on was at Azumano Joyland, and that had been a complete fiasco!

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Takeshi looked annoyed, like a second grader just would not accept that two and two were four.

"All right," he said, "I'll let you go this time, but next time you won't be so lucky."

With that the empty-handed reporter trumped off.

"Daisuke-kuuuuuuuuun!"

Daisuke felt warm, familiar arms around him and held them softly.

"Riku," he whispered softly, "good morning."

"Who are you calling Riku?"

Daisuke spun around, appalled at the thought of who it really was.

Risa stood with arms outstretched, a look of confusion on her face. She was still as beautiful as he remembered, but he remembered that she wasn't the one he loved.

"Risa!" he exclaimed. "W-What are you doing?"

At first Risa looked perplexed. Then her expression was replaced with one of anger.

"Oh, so it's all fine and dandy when you're kissing me in the trees, but you don't want to get serious when I hug you in public? You're just looking for thrills, right? Riku isn't satisfying you, is she?"

Daisuke's head swum. He had kissed Risa? That could not have happened!

"I-I don't know what you're talking about Risa."

Risa harrumphed and stomped off through the front doors. Daisuke watched her, puzzled. Something was not right here, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Daisuke?"

This time he turned and met Riku, his girlfriend. He was glad to see her. However, things didn't look as if she felt the same.

"Is it true, Daisuke?"

"Is what true?"

Riku's lower lip trembled and her eyes glistened with tears.

"I was right," she said while attempting to restrain her tears. "You're dating me because Risa won't. Well, it looks like she will now, so I guess I'll leave you two alone."

"Riku, wait!" Daisuke called as she ran past him.

Daisuke was crushed, crushed so hard he felt like he was going mad. He loved Riku, and he knew Riku still loved him.

Then something caught his eye: something red. When he turned to look at it it started drifting away, away from the school. He knew, somehow, that he needed to follow it, but he didn't know why. Plus he needed to make amends with Riku. He was too distraught to let himself think clearly.

Daisuke, said a voice, follow the red smoke!

Daisuke started; he had never heard this voice before, and it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. He didn't know whether to trust it, but it sounded quite urgent, insistent. So he followed the "red smoke," as the voice had deemed it.

It drifted further and further away from the school and towards the park. Finally it came to a stop at the top of a tree. Daisuke had no idea how he would be able to scale it, it was so tall. The lowest branch was almost seven feet above him.

Give yourself up to me. There came the voice again. It's the only way.

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked. "How do I know if I can trust you?"

Have you forgotten me that easily?

"Forgotten? What are you talking about? I haven't forgotten anything!"

Surrender yourself to me. It's the only way to return to truth and reality.

Truth? Reality? Daisuke didn't understand what this stranger was saying, but they sounded sincere.

"Okay," Daisuke said, "go ahead and do what you need to."

Daisuke thought he felt the stranger smirk, but he didn't have a chance to register that thought because he suddenly felt himself being dominated by some unknown being. Dark hair clouded his vision and he knew he was growing taller. His uniform became smaller, making his pants look like capris.

"It's my turn, now."

Daisuke hadn't spoken, but he somehow knew that this second party was speaking through his mouth. He felt his body take one large leap and land on the lowest branch, then start climbing from there. This guy was amazing.

As they were climbing Daisuke started seeing fuzzy, vague images in his head. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't manage to make them clearer. He tried to send a message to the person who now possessed his body, asking him who he was.

Try to remember, came the answer. I've always been a part of you. You won't easily forget me.

Part of him? Daisuke didn't understand a word of what this guy was saying. His mom had never mentioned anything like this, nor had his father and grandfather. His life was just like anyone else's.

As the man continued to climb some of the images in Daisuke's had began retaining some sharpness. He perceived situations of danger and love both. A mysterious figure clothed in black soared across the moon. A girl kidnapped by some enemy and worried about by her friends and family. A boy fell through the mirror with a young woman guiding him, helping him take back something important.

We're almost at the top.

The stranger's thoughts called him back to what was happening. To his surprise they had reached the top branches of the tree, and the red smoke was a few feet out of arm's reach. That was when one image cleared and Daisuke realized who this stranger was. It was Dark, the Phantom Thief who had disappeared from Japan for almost forty years. Dark was inside him!

With that one connection all his memories came back in a flood. Krad, Satoshi, Riku and Risa, Friedert, Toto Argentine, he remembered it all, yet he wondered how he could ever have forgotten.

Daisuke, brace yourself.

Dark had now reached the red smoke and was extending his hand to put it through. It was fire scorching his skin, searing his flesh, but he put in more of his arm. The pain wrapped around it, making him want to cry out though he knew nobody would hear him. Dark took one deep breath and plunged himself in the redness.

Flames whipped around his body, but they burned no longer. The pain had been an illusion. Looking at his arm Dark saw unmarked skin. At his left a bright light appeared, seeming to guide him to where he needed to go next. Dark put out his foot as if to take a step and felt himself moving toward it. It grew brighter and brighter till he thought he might actually go blind, and then it was gone.

Suddenly he felt himself splitting apart. He yelled in excruciating pain waiting for it to stop. He felt part of himself leaving, and all that remained was a blank emptiness. Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. When he opened his eyes he saw Daisuke.

Daisuke couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sure, when he had first changed to Dark he had seen his reflection in the mirror. He knew what Dark looked like. This, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He and Dark both had two separate bodies. He had never heard of anything exactly like this happening before, but something similar had occurred before. That had been when Dark was sealed in a mirror, but Toto had helped him retrieve the feathers of Dark's memories to get him back. That was one of the emptiest times he had ever had.

Dark was gaping at him with the same look of horror Daisuke knew was on his face.

"I-Is this part of that guy's spell?" Daisuke asked.

"There's no doubt about it," Dark replied, "but I can't understand how.

"M-Maybe if we try merging back into one…"

Daisuke reached out his hand at the same time as Dark and they interlocked fingers, concentrating on coming back into a single body. They stayed like this for sever minutes. Then Dark spoke.

"Daisuke?"

"Hmm?"

"This does not feel right at all."

They both quickly let go of the other's hand and stood apart, looking the other way, embarrassed.

"W-What do we do now?" Daisuke asked. "Should we try to get back?"

"I don't know what would happen if we tried," Dark said. "Would we burn to a crisp? Would we come out like we are now? I just don't know."

Daisuke was silent. Then the silence was replaced by a yell as he felt himself be pulled away from Dark and something scaly wrap around his body.

"DAAAAARRRK!" Daisuke cried, reaching for Dark against his bonds.

Dark reacted instantly, turning around to see what had happened. He came face to face with a humongous snake.

"What're we gonna do?" Daisuke demanded, starting to get flustered.

"Don't panic," Dark said in an attempt to soothe him.

"IT'S A LITTLE TOO LATE FOR THAT, DARK!"

Dark's fuse was short right now, because he didn't think that magic would affect the huge serpent.

"Silence, mortals!"

Dark was startled to find that it was the snake (which on closer inspection turned out to be a cobra) that had spoken and that he could understand it.

"Okay, I know Volde-guy's from this herpetorium or whatever," Dark said, "but why doesn't he find himself an original familiar?"

"Silence, human," it said, "or my fangs will find your neck."

In any other situation Dark would start mouthing off, but Daisuke was in that thing's coils.

"LET HIM GO!" Dark yelled, running toward the serpent.

As quickly as Dark could blink, the cobra lashed out at him, fangs bared. Dark barely dodged in time, barely escaped that mortal blow.

"Stay away, boy," the snake spat dangerously, "or this one will die before your very eyes." It squeezed Daisuke tighter in its coils, and Daisuke yelled in pain.

Dark ground his teeth in frustration. He knew that none of his tricks and deceptions would work here. He had to tread carefully: Daisuke's life depended on it.

"Listen closely, mortal," the cobra hissed. "If you ever want to see this whelp alive again you will do as I say. There is something that I need."

Dark grunted. He would pay anything to get Daisuke back, but what was this bastard's price?

"There is a seal in this prison. It binds me here unable to break free and make the journey to the Netherworld. If you destroy this seal I will restore the boy to you unharmed."

"If I do this," Dark asked, "will you do something else for us?"

The snake's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What?"

"There's something we're looking for, too. We don't know what it looks like, only that it's an extremely powerful Dark object. If we free you will you help us find it?"

The serpent's eyes narrowed even more. Daisuke looked from it to Dark and back again. Dark kept his face composed, waiting as patiently as he could.

"Yessss," the snake said, "I supposse that'sssss fair. You have yoursssself a deal."

"Thank you," Dark said stiffly. "Do you know where this seal is?"

"All I know," the cobra said, "is that it is out there…among the flame."

"Among the flame? You mean what we just came in from?"

"Indeed. You mussssst go back."

"What will happen when I do?"

"I don't know, but you will be ssssssafe."

I have no choice but to trust him, Dark thought, looking at Daisuke.

With a visible effort Dark turned from Daisuke and his captor and lunged back the way he had come.

--- ---

Harry twiddled his wand in both hands, growing impatient. Dark had been gone for almost fifteen minutes and still hadn't given any sign of coming out as of yet. Twice he thought he had heard something hiss among the mist, but he dismissed the idea from his mind. However, a few minutes after he thought he heard the second hiss he heard a raspy voice. This time he was absolutely certain he hadn't imagined it.

What the bloody hell does Dark think he's doing in there? he wondered. I'm going in.

Willing himself to move his feet, Harry raised his wand in the combative position and leaped into the smoke.

--- ---

It was pitch dark outside, and Harry found himself standing on a dark street in front of a vaguely familiar house. Lights were turned on inside and a great bustle inside as if the residents were in a great hurry.

A cold shiver ran down his back. Someone was approaching him from behind, and his instincts screamed for him to hide. He leaped behind a prickly bush and watched while he hid.

A single hooded and cloaked man loomed toward the house. That was all he appeared to be, but Harry felt he should know who this was. The figure strolled through the house's front gate and drew something from within his robes. Harry couldn't see what it was, but he knew that this man meant trouble.

The figure was at the door now. When he tried it and was denied entry he made a violent movement with his arm, a flash of blue light nearly blinded his spectator, and the door blasted apart.

"Lily," a man inside shouted, "take Harry and run! I'll hold him off, just go!"

Harry trembled, feeling that he should know what was happening, but it was only a vague sensation. The man inside was still yelling desperately to the one named Lily, assuring her that he would hold off their assailant as long as he could. Harry felt the compulsion to go in and help his father.

My father? Harry thought. It had been an inquiring thought, but the vague memory of this house began to solidify somewhat. My father, he told himself again. The remembrance became more distinct. My father. The repressed haze could be trapped no longer, and it all flowed into his mind in a rush. Dad!

Harry knew where he was now and what was going on. This was his parents' house in Godric's Hollow on the night Voldemort came. He had half a mind to run in there and protect his parents. The other half knew that there was nothing he could do and that his was just an illusion. The question unanswered was how to waver.

Then Harry saw it: a drifting wisp of red smoke, hovering at the gate as if waiting for him to follow. He knew this had to be what would guide him back to reality. He had very little regret for abandoning the fight: he knew it wasn't real.

As he came forward the wisp of smoke, instead of turning away from the gate, drifted toward the open doorway. Harry followed, reluctant as he was.

In the front hall lay his father, sprawled face-down on the floor. James' wand lay beneath an open hand. No scar or scratch marked him that Harry could see. Soon he would hear what he heard whenever the dementors approached.

As if on cue a woman's screams punctured the air.

"Please, please, take me instead! Have me, but leave Harry!"

"Stand aside, filthy Mudblood," Harry heard Voldemort spit.

"Please, not Harry! Anything, but Harry!"

Without warning vomit rose in Harry's throat and he got sick. He knew what came next.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry wanted to hear no more. He could not stand it; this was far worse that being near a dementor, much worse than simply hearing it happen.

Then there was a flash of red light, and the body was gone, the house was gone, it was all gone except the memory. The memory of the entire incident was still there.

All around him flame erupted, yet his skin was not seared. On the contrary it was quite cool. The red smoke was still there, almost completely camouflaged with the collage of red, orange, and yellow. It continued to move, so Harry kept tailing it.

He thought he caught a glimpse of something dark, but it was so momentary that Harry doubted. Then he was in a dark place, and he was not alone.

"Dark?"

It was indeed the Phantom Thief. The only problem was he seemed particularly shaken up about something.

"Potter," he said, turning around, "there's been a change of plans."