Intertwined : Chapter 23

"Is she going to be alright?"
"Her powers are incredible. She was able to feel Daisuke and Dark's emotions…"
"Sakura-chan is a very powerful Magician. It seems as if her powers have returned…"
Sakura blinked and slowly opened her eyes. "What's going on?" she moaned, sitting up. She looked around her and found herself still at King Penguin. Reality hit her and she frantically got up, looking back and forth. "Where's Daisuke?! Dark-san!?"
"Daisuke's asleep," Kosuke said gently. He moved to reveal a still unconscious Daisuke lying on the ground. "It'll take him awhile to get used to life without Dark,"
Sakura bolted upwards and immediately regretted it. Her head was spinning. Despite the pain, she tried to crawl her way towards Daisuke. Emiko and Kosuke watched her with a startled expression.
"Kinomoto-san, what are you…" Kosuke began. Tomoyo quietly walked to Sakura's side and aided in her efforts to reach her boyfriend.
"Daisuke…" Sakura said chokingly, tears dribbling down her cheek and onto the pavement. "Dark-san…"
She began to shake Daisuke strongly. "WAKE UP!! DAISUKE!!"
"Sakura-chan, he's very weak right now," Emiko said with a startled look. "Just stay patient and he'll…"
"I can still feel him!" Sakura cried, turning to Daisuke's mother. She clutched her chest tightly. "I can feel Dark-san! He's still there! I-I-I… he can't leave!"
Emiko shook her head sadly. "There's no helping it," she said, watching as Sakura shake Daisuke even more vigorously. "It's something that affects all Niwa men. Dark infests their body at fourteen and leaves once his carrier's love accepts him. He'll be back, it'll just–"
"It isn't an infestation!" Sakura exclaimed, pounding angrily on her knees. "It was a co-existence! Dark is human! He is a person! It isn't fair for him to have to share something that he should have for himself!"
Everyone was shocked to silence. Kosuke placed his arms around a shaking Emiko. Sakura continued her attempts at rousing Daisuke.
"Onegai!"
Sakura's tears began to splatter onto Daisuke's cheeks. He flinched as another tear fell, and he slowly awoke. He looked agitated; he groaned and twisted on the hard ground.
"Sakura…" Daisuke said with surprise. "Why are you…"
"Dark-san!" she exclaimed. "He's still in you!"
"What?" Daisuke said, his muggy senses quickly clearing. "But he…"
"I can feel him there! He's weak… he wants to sleep… but we have to… I can…!" Sakura sputtered. Tomoyo placed a comforting hand on her back.
"What is it, Sakura?" Daisuke asked. Hope began to fill his face, "What can you do?"
"I can split you two!" Sakura said, trembling. Nearly everyone fell back with surprise.
"Split?" Kosuke repeated. "Why?!"
She turned on him, something strangely alight in her eyes. "Dark-san deserves his own body. His own feelings," she said through gritted teeth. "I have enough power to give him that,"
"But why," Emiko asked, feeling stronger. "Breaking centuries of tradition… Dark won't know what to do with himself. He has not had his own body for so long… And he won't be able to hide anymore! Everyone policeman in town will recognize him and he'll be sent to jail. What kind of life is that for him to have?! Not to mention no identity, no background, no –"
"YAMETE!"
All heads turned to Tomoyo. Her camera lay discarded by her side and her fists were balled tightly in her lap. Her shoulders heaved, as if she were trying to contain something deep within her.
"Listen. Everyone is forgetting the most vital thing here." Tomoyo said, looking at everyone. "Sakura-chan says that Dark is his own person. Niwa-san says that Dark won't have much of a life without Daisuke. But these are all personal speculations and opinions. Shouldn't we ask the person who knows Dark best…?" she said.
In response, all eyes were on Daisuke. The same burning determination was aflame in his eyes as well. "Dark deserves to be independent," he said firmly. "He deserves to lead a normal life."
Emiko began to protest, "Dai-chan, we don't even know if he'll have one even when separated from you…"
"Okaa-san," he said softly. "I'm sure Sakura is capable of making everything alright for Dark," he turned to Sakura, a trusting look in his eyes. "Aren't you?"
Sakura was startled at Daisuke's immediate faith in her. She began to beam. "Hai," she said, nodding. Daisuke then turned to his parents.
"Is this alright?" he asked. Emiko let out an extremely large sigh of defeat, as did Kosuke.
"I have my doubts," Emiko said, still frowning. "But I don't know Sakura-chan as well as you do. I hope she can forgive me for it when she frees Dark,"
Sakura smiled even more broadly. "Arigatou," she whispered.
"Whatever you do, Daisuke," Kosuke said. "I'll still take care of you and Dark."
"Thank you, otou-san," Daisuke said, smiling gratefully at his father. He quickly got to his feet and helped Sakura as well. Tomoyo grew excited, and hastily turned on her camera.
"I-I think this is similar to how I split Eriol-san and Otou-san's magic," Sakura said hesitantly to Tomoyo. She led Daisuke to an empty area in the park, and removed the key that hung around her neck. It grew in her hands and she held it out confidently before her. No one noticed the slight shaking of her hands.
"Sakura," Daisuke said, smiling gently at her. "You can do it,"
"Of all people, it's you," Tomoyo said reassuringly.
"Good luck," Emiko and Kosuke said.
"Here I go," Sakura whispered. She closed her eyes and felt her magic swirling around excitedly in her. Grasping its energy she brought it to the surface and directed it to surround Daisuke. He staggered under the full weight of her magic.
"Make into two," Sakura chanted, her voice deepening slightly. "This single body."
Her star wand began to shake. "With double entities."
Everyone watched, transfixed, as Sakura's magical circle surrounded her and Daisuke began to float eerily in the air, surrounded by heavy golden winds. Tomoyo felt as if it took all of her effort not to be blown away by the force of Sakura's magic.

"Divide
These two
Fused into one.

Return them
to their previous forms
Niwa Daisuke
Kaitou Dark."

The winds surrounding Daisuke slowly began to split into another sphere of gusting winds. In it, a blurred form began to appear. Tomoyo eagerly zoomed in on the blur. Her breath quickened and her face split into an excited smile.
"DIVIDE!" Sakura shouted, her eyes flying open revealing her depthless green eyes. The winds carrying Daisuke began to weaken and Kosuke and Emiko ran forward to catch Daisuke before he hit the ground. The other, containing the blurred figure, began to grow stronger. As more winds gathered around it, Tomoyo found it difficult to see what was going on inside. She then turned to Sakura and nearly threw her camera to the ground as Sakura began to fall.

+++

Sakura…
She moaned, and turned away from the voice. She didn't feel like getting up.
Sakura, open your eyes…
She persistently curled herself into a ball and tried to ignore the voice. But she began to feel strong hands shaking her and loud yelling. It was too hard to avoid them now…
"SAKURA!"
Sakura woke up immediately. She sat up and turned her head side to side to view her surroundings. The park seemed to have vanished and transformed into… Daisuke's living room. The ground wasn't hard with gravel scattered everywhere – instead, she was lying on a plush coach, which she had seen on her first visit there. Daisuke worriedly knelt by her side and felt her forehead with the back of his palm.
"You don't have a fever…" he said. "How are you feeling?"
"What happened?" she asked tiredly. From the other side of the living room, Kosuke and Towa were helping Tomoyo reassemble her broken camera that she had carelessly thrown to the floor. With sat on the couch, looking down at Sakura.
"You fainted after the spell," Daisuke said, his voice a bit sad. "You used so much energy…"
Her eyes widened. "Dark-san! Did it work? Did I do it?!"
Before Daisuke could respond, a door swung open and banged loudly against the wall. "You look great!" Sakura heard Emiko say. "I'm so glad that I'll be able to design more clothes for both you and Daisuke now…"
"Aa," another voice agreed. "And I'll be sure to wear every design… unless it's something I don't want to wear."
"A-hahaha, I bet you' d look wonderful in a pink tutu,"
"I don't think so,"
Two figures entered the living room. Daisuke began to smile, and Kosuke and Tomoyo watched from the coffee table as Sakura leapt up from the couch. She stood uncertainly in the middle of the living room.
"Is it really you?" she asked.
The man standing next to Emiko tried to hide his ecstatic expression. "I didn't get a chance to thank you yet, Sakura,"
Sakura gave a shout of glee and ran to jump into Dark's arms. He gave a surprised laugh as he caught her.
"I did it! I did it!" Sakura said. Dark fondly kissed her forehead.
"Arigatou. Honto… arigatou," he murmured. "You don't know how much this means to me," Sakura beamed at him before immediately leaping onto Daisuke, who had stood up to stand by their side. No one saw Dark's strained smile.
"Daisuke! Dark's free!" she said, happily stating the obvious. Daisuke laughed and hugged Sakura tightly.
"Only because of you. It's all you," he said warmly. With hopped onto Sakura's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek lightly, causing her to giggle. Everyone looked at the pair fondly. Tomoyo itched for a camera to film the touching scene.
"This is great," Sakura said. "Now I can share so many things with you and your family!"
Daisuke grinned at her, "I'd be happy to hear a few explanations myself…"
Dark nodded in agreement, "Like what is up with your brother?"
They then delved into a conversation on whether or not Touya was on medication or mentally insane… when Towa broke in.
"But I wonder…" she said. "How exactly will Dark get to live in Azumano without getting caught?"
The Niwas, Dark, and Towa all began to give thoughtful looks to one another while Tomoyo and Sakura brightened and began to smile.

+++

"Did you see that new Art History teacher?"
"Yeah, he's hot!"
"Tell me about it… He's so young…"
"I guess he graduated early?"
"None of the male students like him because he prefers the girls…"
"He talks like a regular student!"
"And his hair…! How does he get it up like that?!"
Sakura struggled not to laugh as she left her Pre-Calculus classroom for lunch. The Erase card had successfully erased Dark's past existence, as well as the memory of him from everyone, and now he was free to pursue any career he wanted. Oddly enough, he chose to teach. No one approved, seeing as that his flirtatious mannerisms would land him in constant trouble, however, he managed to convince everyone that he was perfectly capable of handling himself. She was more than relieved for him to choose to work at Seijou High where she could keep an eye on him.
She hurried off to meet him, as well as Tomoyo and Daisuke, at the normally secluded track field. It gave Sakura an odd feeling of nostalgia. Her close group of friends that she could share her feelings with on any topic – especially magic. Sakura smiled as she turned a corner and bumped headfirst instead a surprised Dark. Papers and books flew in the air, and Dark began to chuckle as Sakura began to apologize incessantly.
"Tsk tsk, Kinomoto-san," he said, helping her to her feet. "I would have assumed that you learned not to run through the hallways in elementary school,"
"I'm just always in a hurry…" She said nervously, bending down again to gather Dark's papers.
"Hm, maybe you should slow down a bit and take a look at your surroundings," Dark said with a wry grin. Sakura smiled back.
"Hoe~!" she cried suddenly. "We have to go! Daisuke and Tomoyo-chan are waiting for us!"
She grabbed Dark's hand and pulled him towards the field, not noticing the faint blush on his cheeks that grew from the moment she had touched him.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said happily. She waved from her position on the field next to Daisuke. She was looking through her camera lens at the three of them "Niwa-sensei," she said, giving a small bow to Dark. He began to frown.
"Don't call me that – I'll sound old," he said. "Just 'Dark' is fine,"
She smiled. "Alright, Dark-san,"
Dark sighed in exasperation, and sat on the grass next to her. Daisuke began to laugh nervously.
"This is still really weird," he said, a bit uncomfortably. "I mean, to see Dark… And to hear him being called 'Niwa-sensei'…"
"Consider that he's posing as your cousin," Sakura said as she took the seat next to Daisuke, "It should be normal,"
Daisuke sweatdropped, "Still…"
"I'm surprised at how easily I got this job," Dark said casually with his arms behind his head. "What the hell you'd do to manage that?"
Sakura laughed nervously, "Just a few helpful hints from Eriol-san…"
Tomoyo began to chuckle as Dark and Daisuke exchanged confused glances.
"In any case!" Sakura said, "I'm happy that you're happy, Dark-san!"
Dark gave her a winning smile, and a very kind look, causing Tomoyo to raise her eyebrows. Daisuke pointedly ignored it and chose instead to throw an arm around Sakura and give her a half-hug.
"Everything's working out now, huh?" Daisuke asked. "Seems like a happy ending to some stupid shojo manga,"
Tomoyo chuckled, "Shojo manga are very close to real-life, actually,"
"What part? The constant love triangles, or the flying in the air?"
"Sakura-chan can fly," Tomoyo said simply. Daisuke was about to retort, and then reconsidered.
"This does seem like some sort of fanatical story," Dark said with amazement. "We've got the love triangles, the magic, the action, drama…"
"Humor?" Daisuke put in. Everyone paused to mull over what he said.
"Nah,"
"I don't think so,"
"Unless funny consists of weak stabs at being witty,"
They all laughed together.
"What will happen now?" Daisuke asked, looking up at the sky. "Now I kinda wish those adventures never ended,"
Sakura looked at Daisuke lovingly and took his hand. "At my house, there's no such thing as 'boring'," she said. Tomoyo smiled at this, and then began to secretly zoom in on Dark's eyes, which were watching Sakura with a wistful expression.
"I'm sure things won't be that boring…" she said with a small chuckle.

-Owari…?-

And on to the author's notes...