And so comes another chapter. Not in the best moods lately, 'cause of school... In any case, here's the next chappie.

Dark in italics Daisuke in 'these things'

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Daisuke: Why are you making me suffer?
Seena58: Um... it just goes with the story...
Satoshi: (glares at her)
Seena58: (sweats) let's... just go on.
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Chapter 13: Suspicions

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Emiko peered out the window anxiously, as the clock ticked away relentlessly, as if trying to saw her patience – and sanity – in half. Fidgeting with a small handkerchief which she had been occupying herself with for the past hour, she kept shaking her head.

"You don't think that... that..." she started, but Kosuke, who had been standing next to her, shook his own head and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"Emiko-san, Dark knows what to do," he reminded her gently, "and he can take care of himself, I'm sure of it."

"It's not really Dark that I'm worried about," Emiko bit her lip, "it's Daisuke. You saw what condition he was in before he changed: he was really sick. And that high fever... I didn't even know that he was sick... he looked perfectly fine this morning, so how was it that... so suddenly..."

"He'll be fine," Kosuke pressed gently, squeezing her shoulder, "and we will just let him rest for a few days until he recovers. Don't think that this is your fault, Emiko-san."

"But I'm his mother!" she wailed, coming close to tearing the handkerchief to shreds in desperation, "And a mother has to know when her child is sick! How come... why did it have to be Daisuke..." she sniffed, dabbing her eyes slightly.

"Like you said, he was perfectly fine this morning," her husband reminded her, "and, even as his mother, you cannot see the future, and this was unexpected. Please stop blaming yourself like this, we have to be strong for Daisuke."

Emiko sniffed again, before placing the wrinkled piece of cloth into her shirt pocket, "You're right, Kosuke-san."

There was the sound of a door opening behind them, and both Towa and Daiki entered the room, holding a scroll between them. Emiko swept some stray hairs out of the way before striding over to them, "Did you find something?"

"Towa-san felt it first," Daiki explained, as he spread the yellowed parchment on the floor carefully, "some sort of power is coming out of this scroll, so we'll need to investigate it."

"Where did you locate it?" Kosuke asked.

"Strangely enough," muttered the old man, "it was in Daisuke's room."

"What?" Emiko took a closer look at the scroll and immediately drew back in surprise, "This is the same one... from that time, but... this one is the complete scroll."

"I see," Kosuke frowned slightly, eyes hidden behind his fringe, "but how did Daisuke get a hold of something like this?"

"We should finish translating the scroll, then," suggested Towa, "so we can find out what that priestess was going on about--"

Her sentence was interrupted by the TV in the living room, where the news reporter was currently saying; "--and it seems that the Phantom Thief Dark has gotten away with the artifact, and police are baffled with how he has been able to get past their security--"

"We'll have to do it later," Emiko said, collecting the scroll carefully, "so we shouldn't tell Daisuke about this."

All those present nodded in silent agreement, and waited for Dark to return with the stolen picture.

---

Come on, Daisuke, Dark thought in frustration, say something to let me know that you're still alive. Anything!

His statement was answered with silence, and the Phantom Thief cursed under his breath out of worry of the smaller boy. Stopping for a moment, he tried again – slowly, and clearly.

Please be okay, he said, trying to treat it like nothing was wrong, you're going to be okay. Right, Daisuke?

The only reply he was given was ragged breathing from the redhead, and his frowned, although the worry was clearly stamped on his face as the condition seemed to worsen, "Daisuke..."

"It won't do you any good to stand out here calling to him," said a voice, softly in his ear, "you should let him rest, and medical attention may help."

Dark jumped at this, nearly losing his balance on the roof he had decided to stop at, and glared at the person who had just spoken to him out of sheer annoyance.

"I didn't expect to see you again, Scarlet," he said calmly, although his face said otherwise, "and I suppose there is no point of me asking you how you knew I was here?"

"Exactly," brushing a few strands of hair off her shoulder, Scarlet gave the Phantom Thief a half-smile, "so, will you be taking my advice, or will you be staying around to endanger your host's health?"

"Dammit," he took a step closer to the other, until there faces were nearly touching, "What did you do to Daisuke?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," came the reply, as she turned her gaze away, "and what makes you think that I am the one responsible for what has happened?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Dark growled, unlike his usual self, "so I want you to tell me."

Taking a step back, Scarlet shot him a frosty look, "I didn't do anything to him, Dark, and if you don't want you to believe me, then that's your choice," she snapped, "but if you don't go and get him some treatment, then there's no chance of your host of recovering. It's all up to you."

Without a backward glance, Scarlet jumped off, leaving a light trail of yellow energy behind her. Dark stood there in silence, waving a hand over the misty trail.

"Her magic..." he muttered, "how is it that she's..."

Collecting himself swiftly, Dark's black wings spread out and he took off into the sky, his mind focused on Daisuke's well being. But the same thing kept on coming to his mind.

"Of course. And that is why we need your help. Scarlet cannot do this on her own, so--"

"How is it that we get dragged into this mess in the first place," he muttered to himself, "makes me want to wring her neck now... dammit all..."

Landing on the balcony of the Niwa house, Dark placed a hand on his chest, heart pounding wildly, Daisuke...

"Dark!" called Emiko as she ran up to him, "Did everything go according to plan?"

Trying to remain calm, he nodded, "But I suggest that you don't leave any more warning notices until Daisuke gets better," he said stiffly, handing the painting over and walking to Daisuke's bedroom.

Changing out of his costume quickly, Dark slumped on the bed, before turning back into the smaller boy, who remained unconscious the whole time. The boy's breathing was labored and each ragged breath, which escaped his lips, seemed to be in great pain.

Daisuke, you have to fight it, whispered Dark, before weariness took over his mind, whatever it is, fight it...

Outside his window, Scarlet watched in guilt at Daisuke's current condition, "How did it get worse? Was the magical reaction... and the Flames' weakening powers somehow effect him?"

Shaking her head violently, she turned away, "Soon..." she waved a hand, where a trail of pure white energy made itself visible, "I just hope this spell will hold out long enough..."

The energy slid through the window and it was absorbed into Daisuke's body, giving a gentle glow around him. The breathing became lower and more controlled, and Scarlet nodded slightly.

"Until the time comes," she whispered, "until then..."

With a fluttering of yellow wings, she disappeared in the night leaving a sign of her only existence of being there: a single white wing with a golden aura around it.

---

The next day proved itself to be rainy, and Satoshi shook the droplets off his umbrella before closing it and leaving it in the rack until he needed it again at the end of the day. As soon as he entered the classroom, he was swamped by a numerous amount of fangirls; who either wanted him to accept their love letters or just to talk to them. It was a daily ritual during school hours, and Satoshi merely shook them off before going to his seat near the back of the classroom.

::Not in a good mood today, are you, Satoshi-sama?:: asked Krad, obviously trying to make conversation, which the blue-haired boy suspected that the blond was trying to make him drop his guard so that his body would be taken over, so he ignored it.

:Leave me alone,: he said, before flipping open a book and pouring over it.

"Yeah, Dark-san got away again!" Risa was squealing somewhere in the background.

"He's so cool!" called another girl's voice.

"But wasn't part of the wing where Dark was partially blown up?" asked another.

"I wonder if he's alright?!" more squealing.

"This is Dark-san we're talking about," explained Risa impatiently, "of course he'll be alright."

There was the sound of the door sliding open again, and the girls fell silent, while Satoshi looked up, half-expecting Daisuke to be the one to enter. It was a stupid thought, he knew, since the last time he had seen the redhead was the day before, and he had been in no condition to be sent to school, especially on a rainy day, but one could always hope.

As expected, the one who entered was not Daisuke, but Akane, who seemed inwardly amused by the fact that the whole class had been awkwardly silent.

"Oh, Akane! Good morning!" called one of the girls, and the talking began again.

Satoshi returned to his book bitterly, repeating to himself that it had been an idle thought to think that Daisuke would be coming, and that he wouldn't be coming anytime that day.

"Akane-chan," said Riku's voice close by, "do you know if Niwa-kun is..."

"Niwa-kun's still not feeling well today," came Akane's reply, "or at least, I'm assuming so. It isn't like I go to his house and check or anything."

There seemed to be an embarrassed silence, and Satoshi looked up again, seeing Riku's back and part of Akane's face, which seemed scarily calm in the fact about Daisuke's health. Something seethed within the boy; a cross between suspicion and, most likely, anger, for her to be acting like that...

"Do you think we could visit him after school?" asked Risa, as she joined her older sister, and the other girl shook her head slightly.

"Not today," she said, voice lowering slightly, "maybe tomorrow. I don't think it would be a good thing to do so soon."

Riku seemed oddly silent, before nodding stiffly, "Okay then. Thanks, Akane-chan."

"You'll be coming to visit Niwa-kun, right?" Risa said, once Riku was out of earshot, and Akane nodded again.

"I'm worried as well."

The younger Harada twin nodded before leaving the other girl in clear view of Satoshi. Once she had noticed that he had been glaring at her, Akane returned the look coolly.

"..."

"..."

Before anything else could happen, the door slid open and the teacher entered. Without another glance, Akane took her seat at the front of the room and Satoshi leaned back.

:She's knows something,: he thought, :I know it.:

::Of course, Satoshi-sama,:: Krad said smoothly, ::who else were you considering asking? Not Celes, were you?::

:...:

::As expected,:: his other half laughed slightly before continuing, ::but do you really think she will answer your questions?::

:We'll see.:

---

The day was fairly smooth going - although it was obvious that it would be raining for the whole day - until lunch came. Satoshi slid past a group of students, before trailing behind Akane, who seemed fairly oblivious to the fact that she was being stalked. Every once in a while, she would stop and turn around suspiciously, but Satoshi was fast enough to keep a good distance and find hiding areas. This went on for about ten more minutes, until she arrived at the roof.

As he watched, she opened it, looked around suspiciously, and then went out. Without hesitation, Satoshi followed right after her, soon catching her off guard. What happened next was a surprise to him.

---

All through lunch for the past ten minutes had been rather unsettling for Akane, as she had made her way to the rooftop, where she knew she wouldn't be disturbed, especially since it was raining.

Every once in a while, she took a look back, but no one seemed to care about what she did, and she sighed as she stepped out into the rain.

Holding out the broach, she spoke into it, "Are you there?"

'Yes,' came the fuzzy reply, 'I can hear you. No one has been around, so things should go smoothly.'

"And the Flame? Is it still losing power, Celes?"

'It's--' started Celes' voice, but she was rudely interrupted as a hand roughly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. In shock, Akane dropped the broach, and the voice faded. Her eyes came in contact with ice blue ones.

"Hi- Hiwartari-kun..." she stuttered, 'When...?!'

---

As soon as Satoshi had recognized the priestess' voice, he instantly knew that Akane held answers, and, without hesitation, he gained her attention by spinning her around so that they were face to face.

"Hi- Hiwatari-kun..." she stuttered, obviously very unsettled by the sudden contact.

"..." he could only stare at her, blocking any openings that might have been used as an escape, "You know..."

"What?" somewhat regaining her composure, Akane returned his look without flinching, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You do," ignoring the rain that was soaking his uniform, Satoshi leaned closer, "at first I thought that you using magic was purely coincidence, but now..."

"So you were stalking me," stated the girl, crossing her arms and looking away from him, "I had a feeling that someone was..."

"How do you know about Celes," he demanded, cutting over her voice, "and what actually happened to Niwa?"

"..." Akane's gaze dropped slightly, "I can't tell you."

"You have to," he said softly, trying hard to stop his voice from shaking, "or I might have to hurt you..."

Akane's eyes shot up to him for a second, before turning back to the floor, "You wouldn't. I already know won't hurt me," she stifled a flat chuckle, "but since you were so good at catching me in the act... I'll tell you some things, but don't expect it to answer all your questions."

"Okay, then," Satoshi stepped back, folding his own arms across his chest, "start."

"You never were a good interrogator," Akane commented lightly, brushing her hair out of her eyes, "but I've known Celes since I was really young. We've talked, conversed, and that's how we came to know each other really well."

The answer didn't satisfy the blue-haired boy's curiosity, but decided not to push it any further, since Krad seemed ready to inflict some real damage if let go, "And Niwa?"

"I wasn't there when it happened," came the sour reply, "but it was probably a reaction between the magic, and Niwa-kun ended up in the middle."

"What magic?"

"You know more about magic than I do, right?"

"..." something about Akane's expression told him otherwise, but Satoshi chose not to pursue it, "so how come you can use magic?"

"Celes taught me how to control it," she said, ignoring his gaze, "and so what?"

"How do you know about the Flame?"

"..." Akane suddenly looked uncomfortable, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You--" started Satoshi, but Akane merely pushed past him and ran off before he could give chase.

::She's fast, isn't she, Satoshi-sama,:: Krad commented lightly, ::you should have left her to me.::

:...: stepping back into the building, Satoshi shook the water off her uniform and hair, :She knows more than she's giving up.:

Walking down the stairs, the blue-haired boy was left to contemplate with the newest piece of information he had gained.

Akane also seemed to be connected somehow. But how...

It would take a lot more investigating.

###

Slamming the classroom door shut sharply behind her, Akane tried hard to breath normally. Her heart was beating wildly against her ribcage, and sat there silently, trying hard to remember what had just happened.

Pulling out the broach she'd retrieved before running off, she fiddled with it slightly, "Are you there?"

'What happened?!' squealed Celes, obviously discomforted, and Akane didn't feel any better.

This time she'd been lucky that he had dropped his guard when he had. If he hadn't...

She didn't know what she might have been forced to say.

"It was too close," she whispered, "he suspects me."

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There was supposed to be more, where the Harada twins and Akane actually visit Daisuke, but this is just an all out Satoshi chapter. Haven't had one, so I have no idea how it went. Anyway... until the next chap!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! The Wonderful World of Ramblings was removed because it was in script format! (now I know what happened to that other parody. shucks...) So, now, if you want get them, please don't hesitate to email me, I'm happy to oblige. Although this email isn't the best one... Until then... may the force be with you...................