...Part 26: Dark...

I sat her on the couch in Daisuke's old bedroom – which was now Daichi's. She didn't look too thrilled to be there at all. We had come in through the window – and I hadn't carried her.

The Rose Kiss – or Itanami, as she called herself – had wings of her own. They were as black as her silky hair, but they were nothing like my dark wings. They weren't feathered, but had the structure and skin of a freakishly huge bat, complete with talons; larger on the 'thumbs' and smaller on the other 'fingers'. It was really creepy.

But she was really beautiful at the same time.

"Vhere are you going, Dark?" she demanded as I was just about to leave the room.

"I'm going to get Emiko and them – I'll be right back," I added quickly as the irate scowl intensified. She looked like she was pouting... only different.

I rushed down the stairs and practically collided with Emiko on her way to the kitchen. "Dark!" she exclaimed happily. "You're back! – Did you get the artwork?"

"Yes, Emiko. She's in Daichi's bedroom," I replied, scanning the space for the rest of the family. Kosuke was in the living-room watching the uneventful news, but Daisuke and Riku were nowhere to be seen.

"She?" Emiko echoed, puzzled.

"Yes, the –" I was cut off by a shocked scream from Daichi's bedroom. It sounded like... Towa. When had she gone up there?

Sure enough, the silver-haired, green-eyed spaz that was Towa came running to find Emiko.

"Miss Emiko! – There's a really strange lady upstairs in Daichi's bedroom!" she practically shrieked. "Who is she? She's so pretty!" she added, almost as an afterthought.

"Calm down, Towa," Emiko told her, then turned to me. "She must be the artwork...?"

"Yes, she is."

"I'll get Kosuke," she said, then rushed off. Towa ran in the other direction to find Daisuke and Riku.

We met back up at the bottom of the stairs and I led them all up to the bedroom, where Itanami was still sitting, looking decidedly bored and her wings nowhere to be seen. She stood when she saw me.

"The Rose Kiss has its own form, like Towa. She calls herself Itanami," I introduced her, and she smiled politely in acknowledgement to them. "Itanami, these are the Niwa, Emiko, Kosuke, Daisuke, and Riku... I guess you've already met Towa..."

"You're quite an excitable thing, aren't you?" she commented amusedly.

"So?" Towa turned into the little pinkish bird form she assumed whenever she got flustered or lost energy. Itanami laughed.



"She's kinda creepy," Riku whispered to Daisuke. "What are we going to do with her?"

"You are going to leave me be," Itanami stated. She sat back down on the furniture with her legs crossed and her arms folded in front of her chest, looking defiant. "If you have any intension of sealing me, I will resist – and you won't like me, then." If you listened well enough, you could hear a 'v' sound at the beginning of every 'w' before it corrected itself.

Riku tensed a bit and there was an uneasy air about the rest of the room, too.

"I see no immediate reason for anyone to seal you, Itanami," Kosuke said, breaking the awkward silence that had developed.

"Thank you."

And I guess that was the end of it. He ushered the rest of his family back downstairs with him, reassuring them with a smile. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if there was some deeper thought to the situation, or if he was really certain that Itanami was as harmless as Towa – she certainly didn't look it.

"Dark, can I talk to you?" Daisuke asked when they had all left.

"Sure." I followed him out the door, earning another half-glare from Itanami. What – did she think she owned me? Heh. Not likely, lady.

"I don't trust her, Dark."

"Do you trust Kosuke?"

"Well... yeah..."

I smirked easily. "Well, if there is anything worry about, I'm sure the old man's got a plan. Alright?"

"Okay. Just... be careful, Dark. I don't want Daichi or you hurt."

"Don't worry – I can take care of the both of us. I don't know if Riku will buy it, but I can." I laughed.

"Thanks, Dark." Daisuke gave me the same innocent smile he's always had – only now it lit up a grown man's face.

He went downstairs and I went back to Daichi's room.

I don't trust her either, Dark, Daichi said.

Hey, I said don't worry about it, didn't I? I'll handle it of anything comes up. Geez. Did no one trust me anymore, either?

"What was that about?" Itanami inquired.

"Nothing you need to be worried about." I plopped down on the couch next to her, slipping my arm around her shoulders sociably. "So – what do you plan on doing while you're here?" I asked.



She glanced at my hand for a moment and then looked up at me with a curious look. "That depends. How long until morning?"

"Uhm... five hours?" Why?

"Because that is when I sleep, dear Darke," Itanami laughed. "I am a night creature, much like yourself, I suspect." She shrugged. "Why else might you be so attracted to me?"

I pulled my arm back and stood up. "Hey – I'm attracted to a lot of women, alright!?" Wait. That didn't come out right...

Itanami laughed again. "Settle down, Dark – I'm not accusing you of any crime. There are a lot of people attracted to me, as well." She grabbed my wrist and pulled it toward her face, sending odd chills down my spine.

There was something just... not right about Itanami...

Her eyes traveled up my arm, and she pulled me down, closer to her face. Her lips barely parted and her breath caressed my skin.

...Abnormal – kinda sexy, really – but very abn...

She kissed me.

...nn-normal...

I began to kiss back – her lips were cold; why not warm them up a little? – But as I was about to deepen that kiss, Itanami stood up and went out to sit on the roof. She laughed to herself as she went.