Chapter 2:
Once again the sun had set and the moon was high before Satoshi Hiwatari returned home around midnight. However, it was not Satoshi who landed on that balcony after spending nearly two days away from home searching for whatever demon had escaped from the painting. Tired and weary wings folded gracefully behind the icy angel's back then vanished as he was depleted of energy, and he gave a short sigh of defeat as another unsuccessful night of hunting passed. Satoshi was fast asleep deep within his sub consciousness, which just having Sato trusting him enough to fall asleep while Krad was in control made him smile internally.
The white clad angel stepped from the balcony and into what he thought would be an empty apartment. It was dark and quiet, just as Satoshi had left it, but a suddenly blur of red caught his eye by the couch. The Niwa Boy!
Krad was surprised to see him there…he didn't appear to have noticed Krad at all…in fact he was fast asleep. What is it with humans and this infatuation with sleep?
Krad stared at him for a long while unsure of what to do…his presence here was a problem, no doubt he'd be curious as to how the sealing of the painting went and for Satoshi's sudden absents at school. He could just kill him now, something he would have gladly done not long ago…but he couldn't bring himself to harm the sleeping child. He could just teleport him home, but flying all night had left him exhausted and unable to even cast the simplest of spells, much less one as complicated as instant travel.
"How long were you planning to keep us waiting…Krad?"
Krad turned around quickly to see Dark leaning up against the wall beside the balcony entrance behind him. Krad didn't even sense his presence in the room as he had entered, nor could he have seen him since he was dressed in black from head to toe.
"Dark." Krad said simply turning to him slightly.
"…" Dark remained silent and unmoving for a while studying the false angel, "The young detective never showed up for school today…and I haven't sensed any trace of you both being in here for at least a day or so…tell me…did you really have that much trouble sealing a simple blank canvas?" He asked suspiciously but low enough not to wake Daisuke.
Krad turned his gaze away from Dark, it wasn't in his nature to lie, and it wasn't like Dark would believe him if he did lie any way. He sighed heavily and turned back to dark crossing his arms.
"Dark, I'm to tired to deal with your interrogation…perhaps another time…" Krad replied and in a flash Dark was in his face and had him backed into a corner with his hands to either side of his head against the solid surface of the wall.
"You'll answer everything…" Dark growled, "Here and now."
Krad found it pointless to try and fight Dark in his condition, but he wasn't willing to give in so easily.
"And who said that I had to abide by your commands, Dark Mousy?" Krad asked narrow eyed.
Dark heaved a heavy sigh, "I thought we were past all of this Krad…what? Don't trust me enough with handling that you couldn't seal the painting?"
Krad quickly looked at him astound, "How did you know?" He demanded.
Dark gave him a smirk, "Did you really think I was that blind?" Dark asked accusingly, "Let's recap on the hints you so graciously left behind my dear angel… one, Satoshi not showing up at school to tell Daisuke that he could sleep better at night knowing that the damn Hikari magic was sealed away, two, you two not have been in here for so long a period of time, and three…" Dark said leaning closer to the surprised angel, "Your greeting to me…told me you were hiding something…" Krad glared at him silently unable to counter Dark's suspicions, "It didn't take long to put two and two together."
Krad growled low at the last comment, "And how did you expect me to greet you Dark? With a warm embrace?" Krad asked sarcastically.
"No, but that would have been nice." Dark replied with a smile, "So tell me…why are you keeping such a valuable secret from me?"
Krad stood silent a moment before finally deciding on the safest response, "…You'll only get in the way Dark…and Satoshi doesn't want Daisuke to get hurt. So…are you satisfied?" Krad asked still glaring at Dark.
Dark returned his glare annoyed, "Wrong answer…" Dark growled and grabbed Krad's wrists and pinned them to the wall over his head, "What happened last night Krad?" Dark asked firmly as Krad struggled in vein against his grasp and then fell still.
"Let…go…of…me…" Krad growled low in a threatening tone.
"Not until you tell me what I need to know." Dark replied putting more pressure on the angel's wrists.
Krad remained silent, he couldn't let Dark get involved, and he'd already set himself to that vow. Dark would just get in the way…and he didn't want him to suffer at the hands of more Hikari magic more then he had already. This was for his own protection he assured himself, and the silence hung heavy in the air for a long time.
"…So…I guess you're not going to tell me huh?" Dark asked bitterly.
Krad remained silent and unmoving still with his head down and eyes closed.
"You know, you're at quite a disadvantage in this position…I could very easily beat the crap out of you right now." Dark threatened.
Krad smirked and chuckled, "You and I both know that that is an empty threat…and I may be exhausted of most of my energy right now…but I could just as easily kick your ass in return."
Dark gave a short laugh and sighed as he released the demon from his grasp, "You're right…I would hurt you even if you were at full strength."
Krad slightly rubbed his wrists trying to return the blood circulation and looked up at Dark, "Your damn emotions will get you killed one day Dark Mousy…"
Dark chuckled and crossed his arms across his chest, "And don't say that you haven't developed any over the years, remember, you're not allowed to lie." Dark said with a smirk.
Krad shot him a glare and moved himself away from the wall so that Dark couldn't pin him down like that again, he hated it when he was powerless and at someone else's mercy. "Why are you here anyway…technically you're breaking an entry."
"And you think this action is new to me? Come on Krad lighten up…Daisuke was worried about Satoshi…and to be honest I was a bit worried about you too…you know, you'd get yourself into a world of trouble without me around!" Dark added with his usual cockiness.
"Hmph, you shouldn't worry about me…I can take care of myself, and Satoshi as well." Krad said annoyed yet a bit flattered at the thief's honest response.
Then while Krad was looking away he felt that he was being embraced warmly from behind. Dark had wrapped his arms around him and was holding him gently.
"I can't help it…" Dark said softly and nuzzled the back of Krad's neck causing the ice demon's body temperature to rise, "You're not as invincible as you think…Krad…"
It took a moment for Krad to recover from the longing desire to be held by Dark made tangible, but quickly returned to his emotionless composure, "We're not just some ordinary mortals Dark…" He said with a false growl of displeasure as Dark refused to let go of him.
"But we are mortal Krad…" Dark said with a sigh, "Age and illness might not kill us…but there are other ways to die…and that is why I worry."
Dark was so close…so comforting, Krad could have easily allowed his legs to give way and fall back into Dark knowing that he would be accepted, but he refused to allow himself the ecstasy of the feeling, he had to push Dark away as much as possible until his mission was complete. But it was so hard to resist as Dark continued to hold him and nuzzle his neck softly…oh why did he have to be cursed with a weakness for this fool!
"You underestimate me then…you think I would be so easy to kill?" Krad said masking his pleasure with icy bitterness.
"No…" Dark said softly and planted a loving kiss on the side of Krad's neck causing the fake angel to nearly lose control, "but you have your limits…there's only so much you can take…"
"S-Same to you." Krad said trying to focus his mind on something other then the beautiful thief, "That's why you have to let me do this on my own…understood?" Krad said slowly regaining himself over the thought of the cursed magic that now ran ramped in the shadows somewhere within the world.
Suddenly, Dark's embrace tightened around the mage's midsection and chest and Dark pressed himself closer to the angel's body, it sent a pleasant wave of warmth and surprise through Krad, "Then promise me this…promise me that if you can't handle it…and you've reached your limits…that you'll let me help you…promise me that, and I'll respect your decision to do this on your own." Dark said trying to hide the deep concern in his voice that almost broke from his control into a shuddered breath.
Krad didn't know what to do…Dark had never acted like this before; no one had acted like this before to him. Krad gently placed his hand on Dark's arm that held tightly around his chest and sighed, "I promise…" Krad said softly and assumingly.
Dark's breath slowly returned to soft and peaceful rhythms instead of shuddered long ones, however his hold on the angel didn't lessen in the least. It was as if, if he let go…Krad would be gone forever. Silence hung in the air for a while again, and Krad didn't mind…he was content to being held by his angelic thief. He could feel Dark's heart beat against him, and feel Dark's head resting peacefully on his back. Bliss. Was there any other word for it?
Suddenly the silence was broken by a soft whisper from the phantom thief, "…Thank you…"
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Air. Breathable air. This was the first time in it's entire existence it filled it's newly formed lungs with air. Soft pale skin, long and straight blue hair, deep golden eyes…an exact replica of the boy in the young Hikari's memory.
The creature stood there admiring it's new form, for it had no true form of it's own, any longer at least, for magic never really has a true and tangible form…yet here it stood. A living breathing essence of magic who can only take shape by absorbing the memories of others. If only the young Hikari had left his hand on the canvas a little while longer, it could have had the ability to take the form of everyone the young detective had ever known! For now, it suited itself to the form of the fallen mage that had kept it locked away within a painting for so long, Zanus, the most powerful of the two mages of Galseran…and yet the weakest… To spare his lover the pain of killing himself to cast the final spell, which would have sealed away the cursed magic once and for all, he gave his own life. Foolish, the demon thought, life should be lived to preserve oneself, not to protect another. But what did they matter to it now…they were dead, gone for all eternity. It would no long have to waste its time to hunt down and kill them itself…no, it had two different creatures to hunt down and destroy. Already the demon was building a consciousness of its own, and already had decided its first tasks in life… Kill the angels who destroyed its original body. They were that reason it no longer had a host, a form of it's own! They were the reason it had to flee from the World of Shadows to preserve its own life after they had destroyed its host! They would pay and pay dearly, for there were far more things worse then death…
Then a smile played of the demon's lips, ah yes…the thought of slow and painful torture…The thought of slowly draining their life's blood from them with its bear hands…yes…yes…truly a pleasurable and pleasant thought. Hmm…perhaps he should spare the one called Krad for now…after all…his host had so graciously given it this form to inhabit for a while, and a few others of which it could grasp before the child had pulled his hand away from the sudden shock of the demon's invisible grasp. Enough for now…but he needed more for his plan to work. The first to suffer should be the darker angel… the one who resemble its original host. Yes, he would lure him in and then crush him slowly, and thanks to the boy, Satoshi's, memories and past experiences with the Phantom Thief…how well he knew his nature and battle tactics from hunting him down for so long in the past. Truly, it would have its revenge…and bath in the suffering of its victims…the ones who dared to kill Verruckt! But first…before he could take out the thief…the detective would have to be put out of the way…but spared from harm, for now. And it had the perfect plan to do it…beware Dark Mousy and Krad Hikari…your days are numbered.
Notes from the Author:
MEOW MEOW! Ello everyone! Hope you guys are liking the third edition to my series! And if a lot of you new comers to my saga are confused, go back and please read my first two stories and I promise that the fog will lift! Okay so now that we've had some fluff and the intentions of the cursed magic sort of reveiled, I hope to keep you all cliff hangered for a little while longer…well at least until chapter three! So for now, Ta-ta! AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS! Good or bad I love hearing from you guys. Knowing that people actually read the stuff that comes out of my head makes me happy! Meow Meow! So signing off for now…
General Kitty Girl