Finally, my favorite chapter! It sure has taken me long enough to get it up, though. Really, I hope you like it—I sure had fun writing it! Oh, pardon any spelling errors. I just retyped the whole thing, and though I proofread the document previously, I didn't re-proofread it after the retyping. So it might have errors where I typed too fast and didn't catch it.

Chapter 12

Unlikely Allies

Dark started back toward the door with a sinking feeling. If the windows were locked, would the door be, too? Surely Tora wouldn't make it that easy. But when he turned the handle, it opened easily. Dark stood for a moment, looking in to the next room suspiciously. There was a large swimming pool in the center with intricate blue mosaic tiles swirling around it. The walls of the room were made of mirrors, lots and lots of mirrors. Dark whistled despite himself. Tora's parents had an awful lot of money.

He stepped into the room and looked for the door. It quickly became obvious to him that this was easier said than done. Somewhere along the mirror-plated walls was a brass door handle, but the other mirrors reflected it over and over until the origin of the true door handle was lost. Dark reached out for one door handle only to realize it was a reflection as his hand went through it. Several minutes of frustration followed as he tried door handle after false door handle. Finally, he realized that by walking in front of a mirror his own reflection would block out the reflections of the door handle. All he had to do was walk around the room until he found a door handle that didn't disappear. After that, it only took a few moments to locate it.

He breathed a sigh as the door opened and he stepped out into a two-way hall. To his left the hall made a half circle and ended at a flight of stairs; to his right the hall wrapped around the back of the stairs where he could just hear a slight noise; like a soft intermittent thudding.

"We meet again, Dark." The voice echoed down the hall and Dark looked up to see Tora standing at the top of the stairs.

"Where's the Staff of Dreams?" he asked.

"Catch me if you want to find out," she replied, and disappeared into a door to her left. Dark started after her, grabbing the railing and starting up before suddenly coming to a stop as he thought things through. Tora wanted him to follow her, which might have meant she was leading him into a worse trap. Of course, in the end it didn't matter if she had a trap prepared for him or not (which she probably did). He had to go after her. That was all there was to it, because that was the only way to save Daisuke.

However, he had a funny feeling that this time it wasn't so much a trap she had in mind. She was distracting him. The slight thumping noise from the other side of the stairs persisted. Dark listened for a few minutes and then started back down the stairs, curious. What was it Tora didn't want him to find out? The hall wound around the stairs and straightened out with a single steel door at the end. Dark followed the sound to the door. Thud. The door shuddered in its frame but didn't give. Thud.

There was an electronic lock and keypad next to the door handle. Dark listened for a few more seconds before reaching down to try the lock. The code could only be four digits long, and if there was one thing Dark knew how to crack, it was a lock. He set to work, exhilaration coursing through him. This was what he knew how to do. This is what he lived for. He punched in the code, and the lock slid open. He was turning the handle when something crashed into the door again. The force slammed the door outward, into Dark, who started to stagger back as his vision went up in stars just to have a confused white and gold blur crash into him. Both went crashing to the floor.

For a moment Dark couldn't move. The wind had been knocked out of him, and he was sure there was a long bloody line down his forehead where the edge of the door had hit. He groaned, putting one hand to his head as he gathered his wits and realized something was on top of him.


Krad was caught unprepared when the door suddenly popped open under his assault. But there wasn't time to stop. His momentum carried him through the open doorway and into the dark figure standing beyond. For a moment he was disoriented. Up could've been down. It might have been the floor beneath his face but everything was a confused jumble of white and black. Then, as he got his hands under him, he realized his white wings were tangled with black and there was someone underneath him. He looked down, his hair falling across his face.

"Dark!" he cried. Dark's eyes flew open, focusing quickly.

"Uh-Oh…" Dark said.

"I should have known you'd be behind this," Krad continued, shoving the thief into the floor again.

"It figures," Dark complained, grimacing slightly. "Of all the people, I end up saving you."

"Prepare to die!"

"You're even dumber than you look," Dark retorted. "Why would I capture you and then let you go?"

"Feh! What does it matter?" White light gathered in Krad's palm.

"Krad, no!" Satoshi said firmly in the back of his mind. "It couldn't have been him. He was in the room when I closed the door. Besides, I bet he can tell us who did capture us. We need him." Krad growled in frustration. He wanted to kill Dark! Oh, how he wanted it. He'd wanted it for ages. It was the perfect opportunity; now, while Dark was completely at his mercy and utterly vulnerable. But… he knew he'd be fighting Satoshi every step of the way, and if he let Dark go, Dark would help him hunt down whoever had trapped him. Obviously, that was why Dark was there in the first place. With that little problem out of the way, he would be free to kill Dark. It all worked out in the end. He dug his nails painfully into Dark's shoulder before drawing one long nail down the side of his throat.

"You should thank Satoshi," Krad said, never letting up in the slightest. "He may have just saved your life. Where are we? Who did this?" Dark smirked and shifted painfully.

"I'm touched, Krad," Dark responded. "I never knew you cared, but it's starting to get a little uncomfortable down here, if you don't mind." This time Krad's nail drew blood—a neat, red line down to the base of his throat. Daisuke's throat. Dark jerked slightly.

"I should kill you now. But I'll give you one more chance. If you want Daisuke's body intact, you'll answer me."

"Dark!" It was Daisuke's voice, worried.

"I'm alright," he replied.

"Well?" Krad prompted.

"Tora," Dark spit out. "This is her house. Now, if you don't mind, the floor is a little cold."

"Tora?" Krad asked silently.

"A girl from school," Satoshi replied. Krad considered before getting up and brushing himself off, letting Dark do the same.

"Where is she?" Dark touched the long thin line of blood that was dripping down his throat, smearing it slightly, before replying.

"Follow me." He headed down the hall, Krad following. "How'd you get here, anyway?" Dark asked. "What happened?" Krad scowled.

"This Tora-person hit Satoshi in the back of his head."

"She knocked you out?" Dark asked incredulously, laughing. "A human girl knocked you out?" In the back of Dark's mind, Daisuke snorted.

"I wouldn't be talking," Daisuke said. "She made you jump off a roof."

"Whose side are you on?" Dark asked. "At least I got away. Besides, the roof was slippery." Krad only blinked at him, which was about as close to a glare as Krad was going to get.

"Don't push it." They started up the stairs to the second floor, where Dark had last seen Tora. The hallway wound around to the right and out of sight with doors every so many feet. Dark stared down the hall. Everything was quiet.

"What are we waiting for?" Krad demanded.

"I don't know," Dark replied. "You go first."

"Do I look like an idiot?"

"You want me to answer that?" Dark asked, smirking. Krad looked briefly like he wanted nothing more than to hit him but frowned instead and started down the hall. He kicked in the first door he came across, revealing a bedroom in shades of blue. He stood there for a second, looking suspiciously in on it before stepping inside. No sooner had he done so than the door slammed shut behind him on a startled Dark. He started to spin around but the floor was already giving out beneath him. He fell.

By the time Dark got the door open Krad had disappeared.

"This house is really starting to give me the creeps," Dark thought, glancing around the now empty room. "And I am so not going in there."

"Where'd he go?" Daisuke asked.

"Who knows. Maybe a ghost got him?"

"That's not funny. I hope Satoshi's alright."

"I'm sure he's fine. Krad won't want him damaged."

"Still…" But Daisuke's sentence was cut short by a soft gasp.

"Daisuke?" Dark asked, worried by the alarming stillness in the back of his mind. "Daisuke?"


It was the Staff. He could see it. It stood on its end, gilded edges gleaming. It pulsed with a faint, phosphorescent light, which only made the darkness surrounding it darker. Daisuke seemed pale and ethereal against that darkness.

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud. In response, Daisuke heard a sound, though that wasn't quite right, because what he heard wasn't any more a sound than the ocean is purple. So it wasn't so much a sound as a thought. Daisuke understood it. Sadness. Hurting. A reality that was breaking apart. Tears like shattered glass raining down… Spray of red.

Red what? What was red? Daisuke tried to understand the frantic thought.

Red splattered everywhere… splattered blood… from tears that cut. Reaching out for help.

"It's okay!" Daisuke whispered frantically. "I'm coming! I'll help you!" He reached out towards the Staff. As he reached out, tendrils of darkness wrapped around his arms and started to pull him in. Suddenly frightened, Daisuke tried to wrench away, but the darkness held him fast.

"No!" Daisuke gasped. "No! Let go!" The darkness was so solid… so real. Daisuke felt as though he were the one made of thought and hope, as insubstantial as air. The darkness was the reality, and he wasn't. He was fading. Even as he struggled to break the grip of the darkness and pull away, still the voice of the Staff lilted on.

Daisuke couldn't think straight listening to it—couldn't think about struggling or escaping. All he wanted was to help it, to draw close to it. The Staff needed him. Daisuke felt his will to fight dissolve.

"Daisuke?" Who was that? That voice? Daisuke knew he recognized it. Who was calling him? The thought broke into the other thoughts clouding his mind, the panic and the sweet seduction of the Staff. But it wasn't enough to break the grip of the darkness. He was still being dragged forward; the black tendrils had twined tight around his wrists and twisted sinuously up his arms, pulling him in inch by inch. Who was calling him? Daisuke listened, but all he could hear was the call of the Staff. Crying. Sobbing. Splattered red.

Daisuke let go of his struggling and his panic and felt the song of the Staff begin to carry him away into oblivion. Sweet sadness. The seductive Staff of Dreams…


To all readers: Isn't is awesome! I just love this chapter and I'm so glad I finally get to post it. Trust me, I know that last section is a little odd but I think you get what's happening. Anyway, cliffhanger. Lucky you. Stick with it and I'll see you next time! (Boy, I'm starting to hope I can end this)

To hittocerebattosai: Wow, remind me not to try spelling that one again. At least you finally got your wish. More! Yea!

To Lady Elbereth Tealrose: (blushing) Oh, I feel all giggly now. You shouldn't give me so much credit. (strangling noises as I realize what I've said) Uh, please ignore that last sentence and give me as much credit as you want. Really. I enjoy it tremendously. And please continue to review. I'll wait to hear from you. Sorry it took so long. I get a little lax sometimes.

To Takayu: Umm… well, now you know what's next. I hope you enjoyed it.

To Teki: (sigh) I don't know if you'll ever read this, but I need to give you an answer. You're right, and I know you're right. I don't do a lot of internal characterization, even though that should be a major part of a story. Perhaps it's because I've always been prone to using dialogue to achieve my ends—showing the audience vs. telling you what's motivating the characters. Perhaps it's because I tried it with my other story and failed miserably. Or perhaps it's because instinctively I know that any mistake in what makes a character tick could mean the downfall of the entire story. Maybe I just don't want to risk it. Finally, perhaps it's just that D.N.Angel is a story in which you don't hear what people are thinking. If you read the manga, the entire story has to be conveyed through the use of pictures and dialogue. Same with the anime. My story reflects that—even if it isn't proper story etiquette. I don't have too much of a problem with that in my other stories. So thank you for your patience and thank you for reading.