Chibiloner- O.o You posted for chapter eight and chapter nine is already up, My, what a surprise you're gonna get…
MusiqMistress- YAY! I was afraid I was making a horrible horrible mistake!
SilveryKitsune- In full agreement here (Kicks twins in general)
Ember Ellid- Thanks! Truth is I do think out at least five scenarios for each chapter, but one always seems to write itself! Truth is, I wasn't really trying but the pieces fall together on their own! It's weird because I'll go back and read the chapter and I'll be like… "Hmmm…That explains chapter three…" --;
KloudyReignfall- squeals girlishly hurting Krad's ears That was my favorite line too! I was stuck on that scene and I didn't know what to right and it just came to me! I'm so glad you liked it, I haven't gotten many reviews on that chap yet so I was stuck on CH10, but now I've gotten a burst of writing energy! Krad: I'll give you energy! charges up energy in hands (you hear authoress running away screaming)
SilverTears- I know! When I was writing that I was thinking "The readers are going to hurt me…"
Krad:: Not before I can! Authoress:: EEP! runs Krad:: STOP THE COUNTING! STOP IT NOW! Dark::…I don't feel loved… Someone comment on me! Satoshi:: writes in notebook Hmmm…Interesting…steals because he didn't get enough hugs as a child… Dark:: wails It's not true!
Chibiloner- YAY! You read chapter nine! hands you a box of tissues
Animegoil- It has more to do with later in the story, but don't worry, it will be looked into.
Lenora- (Krad glares) I am not…SNAPPY! Kitsune- Um…yes you are… Krad-DIE! Kitsune- WAHHHHHH! runs away
Mutou Yasu- points to shirt which reads, "I make reviewers cry"
CH10- Half of the explanation, (Part one)
Eriko sat in the corner of her small apartment sleeping as she ran through some of her more painful memories. True, Cadell could look into her thoughts, but the sparks of pain running through Eriko's small frame made her too afraid to do so.
Cadell wondered, how long it had taken her young host to be beaten into sleeping only two hours a day. How long before the girl only spoke when spoken to and flinched when a person raised their voice an octave too high. How long before the girl was only comfortable sleeping when she knew all the doors were locked and even then, woke from an unsteady slumber every fifteen minutes.
She sensed there was something beyond that, but she didn't have the heart to ask and find out what else had happened in this jaded creature's past. The girl would whimper quietly, wrap her arms around her chest, and curl into a ball. She came out of the girl's body in astral form, floating above her.
"Wake up little one," she murmured.
"Ungh! No! It hurts! It hurts!" whimpered the girl.
She had to wonder, what could plague her host so. She reached down to touch her face when the girl's eyes shot open. "NO!"
Their bodies combined once again. "It was time to wake up Eriko. You don't want to miss your practice,"
"No…no I wouldn't, thank you," said Eriko quietly.
"What was it Eriko? The dream, that is,"
"Nothing," said Eriko. "Nothing of relevance today,"
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Satoshi walked into the museum with a sigh. He understood that Daisuke's mother had put the warning out and that Dark always responded to the warnings, but he didn't see why the thief couldn't put his pride behind him for one night. Especially a night like this. It was too strange for one thing.
They'd argued about which one of them should stay home until Daisuke came up with a solution. Dark would have until midnight to steal the vase, and if he didn't succeed they had to go home. Satoshi had to smile. Only Daisuke could turn theft into a timed game of capture the flag.
He walked into the vault where the vase was being kept. He couldn't help but wonder how even Dark would get past the stiff security he'd set up. It was perfect. But perfect was never enough when it came to the kaitou. He looked at the vase with a blank stare.
"It isn't that impressive of an article," murmured Cadell.
He looked into the corner. There was crouched the woman from his dream. She was in the corner, her dark hair and eyes blending into the background as she stood to her full height which was only two inches shorter than he himself. She stood up, seeming somewhat thinner than she had in his dream, and she moved a bit differently. He frowned moving his thoughts quickly to the fact that she was here finally.
"So, you've come to attack," he stated calmly.
"Yes, for that I must apologize. But it's necessary, you must understand that, you were raised to complete a mission as well. I was created to complete one," she said sadly.
"Oh god Eriko. I'm having trouble breathing. What's wrong with us?"
"It must be what we're wearing! Crap!"
"I won't go without a fight, and if you hurt Daisuke-"
"I'll try to attack when he's Dark. I don't want to hurt him," she murmured. "But it's necessary,"
"…I understand, but you must understand my drive to destroy you first,"
Cadell nodded. "If you could, avoid attacking my host when you're Krad?"
Satoshi nodded. He wondered if his cuffs would make any use as the girl walked towards him which an odd stagger. She was breathing harshly. "What am I wearing Eriko? What were you wearing when you left? Oh God, I can't breath!"
"It has to be the chest bindings!"
"Chest bindings?! Why?!"
Satoshi looked at her curiously. It was clear there was something quite wrong with her. It was at that moment that Dark decided to bypass all of Satoshi's carefully placed security and enter the room. He peered at Cadell who backed into a corner holding her ribs. She stood up straight, looking paler than usual. "Dark mousy, how irritatingly unpleasant."
"And you must be Cadell, attacking young boys, I'm sure you feel brave," replied Dark coolly.
"We're all born to a purpose," she replied. "Or, rather, created."
"You can't fight in those! Get out of there! Now!"
Cadell frowned. She would have a hard enough time fighting one of them and now they were both there and she was having trouble breathing.
Eriko knew Cadell would pass out soon since this was her first time in her physical body and the chest bindings were constraining. Soon the black hair shortened and curled, the figure shrunk until she was her normal size, and Cadell screamed as Eriko struggled not to change back for both of their sakes.
"What the hell kind of cowardly thing is that to do! Change back Cadell!" shouted Dark furiously.
Eriko winced at the yell but didn't move beyond that. She couldn't move really. The vase was putting off the strangest energy…
"What is this? I thought Cadell came here to fight!"
"…There's something wrong." she said quietly.
Indeed, now all three of them could sense the strange energy coming off the vase. "…Dark…Seal that vase…Now." said Satoshi.
Dark moved to do just that when a burst of energy shot out of the vase. Satoshi let out a shout of pain as Eriko screamed. Dark could only let out a grunt as his back hit the wall. The energy felt like it was ripping at his soul. It was strange. It sounded like several people were screaming and all he could guess was that the guards outside were also effected.
Despite the pain he stood and walked towards the vase tripping over a small form he immediately figured was Eriko. He continued on pulling out feather. He shot it towards the vase, barely sealing it before darkness overtook him.
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Satoshi groaned as he sat up holding his head. The first thing that occurred to him was that he would never again ignore a Hikari artwork. The second was, oddly enough, never ignore women's intuition, even if it was a crazy woman trying to kill you.
The second thing that occurred to him was that there was too many people in the room. "Oh no." he murmured.
Bodies scattered across the floor. It only took him one second to realize what was wrong. From his vantage point, he could see both Dark, and Daisuke. He slowly turned around. As theorized, there was Krad.
His attention scanned the room. Eriko and Cadell were also there unconscious. He looked around. It appeared the magic of the vase had only hit them because all of the other artworks in the room were fine. His attention landed on one in particular.
It was a statue of a dog made of red stone. It was disturbingly real and as his eyes ran from the corded muscle of the dogs throat to the all too real gaping mouth and canines his attention was drawn back to one of the people who was coming conscious like him.
"Eriko," he said almost observantly.
She jumped up wincing at the pain that he knew had to be going through her head. She looked around with panicked eyes until she saw that Dark, Krad, and Daisuke were all unconscious, then her eyes landed on Cadell.
"What- What happened?" she shook her head as if trying to make the world come together again put her hand to her chest. It appeared where he and Krad always ended up in separate outfits, Dark had ended up in his pants and Daisuke with his overly large shirt, and Cadell had ended up with the bulk of the outfit leaving Eriko with their coat which barely brushed her thighs. She pulled it down with a furious blush.
Satoshi stood, mostly wanting to test the walking capabilities of his legs and to check the injuries of Daisuke, Dark, and Krad. But it was taken as a hostile move. Dizzy or not Eriko glared and rushed in front of Cadell protectively. His expression didn't change, he sighed.
"Can you get her out of here if I tell you how?"
She looked at Cadell and nodded. "Get me out of the building and I'll get her away from you,"
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Satoshi had guided the girl past the security easily sneaking past the guards and left her by the sidewalk outside. "Can you get home?"
"Hai…Arigato Hikari-senpai. You will not regret this." she said in her quiet voice. Almost sounding like a promise.
Somehow it comforted him a great deal. Nonetheless he simply nodded before walking back in. He noted with a frown that the statue of the dog was gone. Assuming if it was anything magically inclined it would track them down anyways he walked to Daisuke and pulled him into his lap.
"Daisuke," he said quietly, lightly shaking the boy. "Daisuke wake up,"
"Huh? A few more minutes mom…" he muttered rolling over. Satoshi froze before holding back his laughter and pulling Daisuke to him once again.
"Daisuke, wake up,"
"Lemme lone Dark! You can go out to play with Krad later!" said Daisuke sternly.
Satoshi couldn't help but chuckle at that one. "…Dai-chan, Harada-san made you lunch,"
"NO!" cried Daisuke jumping up.
Satoshi couldn't find it in him to be surprised, so instead he chuckled. "Daisuke, we have far worse things to worry about than that at the moment,"
He moved his hand to draw Daisuke's attention to Dark and Krad who were moaning as they too came conscious once again. "…Oh…Crap."
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Eriko watched as the boy walked back in to help his friends. She felt bad for stealing the vase, but she knew it would most likely come in useful. With a sigh she opened Cadell's shirt and pulled off the ace bandages that had stayed on Cadell's chest when the separation had occurred.
She sighed and pulled out her cell phone. She really didn't want to do this, but it looked like it was going to be necessary. She dialed and paused a few seconds. "…Drem? It's Eriko, I need your help."
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Drem drove up in his brother's car looking worried. The moment he pulled up and parked he jumped out of the car. "Eriko! What's the matter-" he spotted Cadell. "What happened? You two separated!"
She licked her lips and sighed. "It's a long story, I'll tell you the whole thing on the drive."
He frowned but walked over and picked up Cadell putting her in the back seat and buckling her in before going and opening the door for Eriko. It was that that caused her thoughts to travel back to the catastrophe that had occurred earlier.
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Eriko sat with her hands in her lap as she waited for the rest of the band members to show up. Drem was off buying soda and that left her alone with Nori. Nori, as pre-usual, acted like she didn't exist and was busy, stereotypically enough, filing her nails.
She herself was looking at her hands, but mainly because she was slowly playing a song on her guitar. Cadell was listening to the sound of the guitar, rather pleased by it to put it quite frankly. She liked the whine of the guitar. That's why when Nori shot up in her seat Eriko played a few more slow chords before looking up.
"Look, Erica, that's getting irritating,"
Cadell raised a brow but Eriko's expression stayed the same. "Erica?" "Erica? My name is Eriko," she said quietly.
"Whatever," said Nori sitting down.
"Bitch," thought Cadell. In fact, she thought it with such candor that seconds later a single word quietly escaped Eriko's lips.
"Bitch."
"What?" asked Nori sharply, her head shooting up as she looked at Eriko with narrowed eyes.
"If you slap her I won't tell anyone."
"Calm down Nori, I'm sure it's nothing you haven't heard before," murmured Eriko. Her eyes widened before she sent an inwards glare at Cadell who smirked.
"That wasn't me."
"Listen, Erica, I'm tired of you coming over here, acting so sweet and innocent, and then occupying all my boyfriend's time!" she hissed grabbing Eriko's arm and sinking her nails in.
Eriko remained expressionless, but it sparked a memory in her and she trembled. This sparked a rage in her. "Get, off, me. Now." she commanded. Had she been paying attention to the force of her words she would have realized Eriko was talking with her, but she was so fixated she didn't notice that Cadell was as well.
Any wise human, upon seeing the ferocity on Eriko's face, would have realized something inhuman was within the girl. Nori was no wise human.
"Look little girl, you may act all innocent, but I know what you really are!"
"Oh, and what's that?" asked Eriko with dangerously narrowed eyes.
"I heard about you and those boys in fifth grade!"
'SLAP!'
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Drem and the other boys in the band walked outside the garage just in time to see Nori tackle Eriko. She took a few punches only to have Eriko roll over and pin her and begin the same behavior.
"…Whoa." murmured the drummer.
"BITCH!" screamed Nori grabbing at Eriko's hair and rolling over pinning the smaller girl. It was then that Eriko felt the tingling feeling.
"Not now Cadell!"
Drem Yanked Nori off of Eriko and one of the boys restrained her to keep her from lunging. She only had a second before her eyes made contacts with Drem's showing utter disappointment.
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"…You don't understand the situation." she murmured.
"I've seen you ignore so many insults, and I admired you for that," he replied sticking his hands in his pockets.
"This was different!" she said furiously.
"She mentioned the thing in fifth grade. Didn't she?"
Her eyes widened. "How- how did you know about that?" she said backing away from him.
"Eriko, I thought you knew that I knew," he murmured reaching for her hand.
"NO!" she screamed. With that she ran away.
She ran until she slammed into someone. It was an old drunk man and he looked down at her lecherously. "Well, what have we got here?"
Stressed beyond her means, Eriko transformed into Cadell and lashed out shoving the man down as she shot into the air. Suddenly she was yanked out of the air. Cadell sensed Eriko's panic and spun around to be put into a headlock by Drem.
"What have you done with Eriko?" he snapped.
"Get off me!" she said shoving him away roughly.
"Where's Eriko!" he asked sharply. "Who are you? What's going on?"
"Leave Eriko alone!" she hissed.
"No! She's been acting differently lately and now I know why! You've possessed her!" he growled.
She scoffed. "Humans, every time they find out one of their kind is sharing a body they immediately call possession. Well you're wrong hon, me and Eriko share this body because we have a deal. And I'm perfectly capable of protecting Eriko so you can buzz off and stop walking her home!" said Cadell.
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Dark's eyes fluttered open and he found himself in bed next to a soft form. He hugged it to him grinning thinking it was Krad in his arms. He frowned however, thinking Krad smelled familiar, but different.
"Sa- To- Shi-"
His eyes shot open to see messy red hair. "NANI!?"