FOREWORD: Okay, it has been a while since I decided to forget about this, but since no one had read it, I thought that no one was interested, so I thought 'might as well leave it to rot for a while before I come back to it...'. So it was surprising when someone DID review it and who woulda thought! So now the story's dedicated to my first reviewer Icy Phoenix. Anyway, here's stage 3 and all that usual junk, and hope you enjoy it!
NOTES: The first and last bits are in some void or another, where Akane and Celes comment on the story. So if you don't wanna read it, you don't have to, since it won't affect anything.
DISCLAIMERS: I don't own DNAngel, nor Cinderella, 'cause if I did, then they'd all be blowing up monsters or something. Then again, what do I own in this world? Nothing of interest, anyway. Blah and all that.
IN THE LAST STAGE: The night is set for Dark's next appearance, the two boys find themselves arguing about Dark's freedom before the 'job' they have to do, and then night falls. What's new there? After a brief meeting with Kosuke's, er... 'Wife-to-be', With is left to take over Daisuke's place in the attendance to the wedding.
Dark passes the guards easily did they even have guards then? and finds what he wants to find, but then gets attacked by an unknown ball of white light three guesses to who it was!. They get past unscathed and Daisuke returns home, in time for With to come. Only... now Kosuke is leaving on a business trip gee... I wonder why and that means the redhead is left with that... thing.
NOW how is Daisuke gonna survive? Well, let's just wish him the best of luck and continue with this story.
Other:
() Daisuke
(()) Dark
--- a time space
my own rambling opinions. If it annoys you, then just don't read it.
Italics are used when Dark and Daisuke are talking outside the lines of the story. So it shouldn't be too confusing to work out what's going on, hopefully... If you do get confused, just tell me and I'll fix it up.
COMMENTS: As per usual, this story was going to be left to rot, but, since someone is reading it, I'll be continuing it. Yeesh... what else do I have to lose in this tale, anyway?
Krad: Maybe... your life?
Okay, forget I said that. Anyway, now that our dear little redhead is stuck with that creature I've identified as a person, so what's happening next?
Let's just see for ourselves, shall we?
Stage 3: Why the World Wouldn't leave him Alone.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, Celes turned in time to see Akane enter the void again. She inclined her head slightly, regarding the small item that the other girl was holding with slight amazement.
"So this... is what took them there?" she asked?
"It seems so," came the reply, as Akane stared disdainfully at the item that was placed at the palm of her hand, "who would've thought that that would be able to do anything dangerous. But I guess everything created by the Hikari will possess some power or other. This one was probably one created by a child... by the effects of it in the first place... fairy tales... pft."
"Indeed... it is beyond the explanation of life itself..." murmured the Priestess thoughtfully, "but as I said before, it seems that someone, or something, is controlling the power and forcing Niwa and Dark to play in their little game of fairytales..."
"So you say..." her eyes narrowed to slits.
They were cut short by the sound of distortion in the air, and Celes got up gracefully, before moving towards the heart of the void. She held both hands up and, after a few seconds, she nodded and spoke up.
"Niwa... are you okay?"
"Ah... yeah," was the hesitant reply, "but... but I don't know how much more Dark can take from this... he's already complaining more than usual... it's kinda scary, listening to him."
"Really?" as she placed the item in her pocket, Akane moved to join her friend, "Well, you do know that no matter what he does, he can't just get out like that. It may be some time yet..."
"... Dark's not happy," Daisuke's voice laughed nervously, "but... I won't repeat what he just said..."
"Well... never mind him," Celes said with her usual tone of extreme and impossible calm, "just keep an eye out for anything and anyone, you understand? We have to work on what we have, and, you never know, we may get a clue on your side of the story."
"Uh... okay..." mumbled the hesitant reply, "Well, later..."
"Take care."
The voices faded off smoothly, and Akane fidgeted slightly, to catch Celes' attention. She blinked at the other girl, who was frowning slightly and holding the small item up.
"Akane?"
"Celes, I think you should get started on this," she stated bluntly, as she placed the small item at the palm of the other girl's hand, "I think I have a few things that need to be dealed with first."
Before she could open her mouth, for the second time that day, Akane disappeared in the void's mouth. The gaping hole closed slowly, as Celes could only shake her head in bewilderment.
"Why must you always rush into situations like that?" she murmured, taking a closer look at the item, "Now... how should I start..."
-And thus, Stage 3 began...-
The next morning was greeted with thick, gray clouds swarming the usually cheerful sky, and Daisuke had found himself unable to sleep. His mind remained on the conversation he had had with Kosuke the night before yes, it was only last night.
"I know that you're having a hard time adjusting at the moment, especially with both your mother and grandfather gone. And I know that I barely have any time to spend with you. But... won't you try to be nice to your stepmother?"
"B-but... Dad... you know... um..."
"I'm leaving tonight, so, just be a good boy. I'll come back as soon as I can."
"... What are they trying to make you do this time?"
"I don't know... but, son, just promise me that you'll be nice to her..."
"... Okay..."
"It'll be okay, Daisuke, I'm sure of it."
((Are you kidding me?)) Dark spat, bringing the smaller boy back to reality, ((It won't be YOU who'll be giving the other person a bad time. It'll be HER, I'm sure of it.)) Ahaha... yah, Kosuke just said it then, and now Dark's copying him... I think. Never mind.
"But what can I do?" Daisuke asked, as he lay back and closed his eyes, "You do know that if I fight back, I'll be disowned by the family..."
((So? Be disowned! That way, you can start a new life, or, even better, find Emiko and live with them again!))
"It would never be that easy..." he murmured, as he felt his attention wavering, "look, we'll talk later..."
To his surprise, Dark didn't answer cause he was bored with the conversation, and it wasn't long before he had fallen asleep. With, who had been curled at the foot of the boy's bed, looked up as Dark appeared next to the sleeping Daisuke. Violet eyes reflected annoyance and pity for his other half as he swept a hand over the boy's blood red hair.
"When did he deserve this?" he asked to no one in particular, "Why did he have to suffer so much for no reason? Damn..."
"Kyu..."
((... Why does this always have to happen? And why do I have to be so... unlike me?!))
(What? You don't care about me?)
((... That isn't the point.))
(What's that supposed to mean?)
(Never mind.)
---
"Wake up!"
At the sound of an unfamiliar shrill female's voice, Daisuke fell out of bed with a muffled yelp, With falling with him. As he struggled to get out of the tangle of the thick sheets, the door shuddered violently as the voice repeated the message.
"Get out of bed, you lazy boy!"
"What the--" he spluttered, (Dark? Know who that could be?)
((I'd prefer that we don't know,)) replied the Thief, grumbling slightly, ((Why can't we just get some peace and quiet for once?))
"Hurry up!"
As he listened to his alter ego, Daisuke managed to escape the tangles of the bed sheet, and changed out of his pajamas quickly. Once he was done, With jumped on his head and he opened the door, only to see—
((AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!! NOW THAT IS WRONG!!!!!!! MUTILATION!!!!! GET IT OUTTA HERE!!!!)) screeched Dark Well, Dark does insult people, and torments Daisuke, so... --;;.
The redhead swallowed nervously, as he took a look at the person before him. At first sight, he would have thought the person if it was one was male, but his mind reminded him of what his father had said before "Help me... they scare me...", not.:
"She has two daughters, step-sisters for you," he had explained, "so I want you to respect them as well."
((YOU CALL THAT A HUMAN?!)) continued Dark, jerking the boy our of his thoughts, ((I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THAT'S IT, DAISUKE, LET'S GET OUTTA HERE AS SOON AS THE CHANCE PRESENTS ITSELF!))
(Dark...), he started in a warning tone before turning to face the person, "Ah... yes?"
"Mother wants to talk to you!" demanded the girl well, unidentifiable... thing, "So get down there already!"
"Okay..." Daisuke couldn't help but feel slightly nervous, especially since Dark was still yelling in the back of his mind, and he slid downstairs.
(What do you think she... wants from us?)
((Whatever it is, it isn't a good thing,)) replied the Thief, having recovered from the first shock and no longer needed to yell to get his point across, ((So you better prepare for the worst, Daisuke.))
At this, the redhead swallowed and knocked on the large double door, which led to the 'master' bedroom. Eep... poor little Dai-chan... I think I ought to kill someone soon for this...
"Iz zat you, Daisuke?" called the thick-accented voice, "Enter."
He turned the handle slowly and pushed the door open, revealing the luxurious room before him, where the woman cough... thing... cough... help him... gags lay in bed. One other person sat by the bed, and the redhead slowly made his way towards them.
"Is... is something the matter?" he asked, trying to remain cool, (This isn't good, this isn't good, this isn't good...)
"Ah... yez..." said his 'stepmother', "now that dear Kozuke haz left for a buzinezz trip, I have decided zome new rulez to vollow in thiz houze."
"R-Rules?" repeated Daisuke repeated weakly, as he continued to yell in his mind, (This isn't good, this isn't good--)
((I think I've heard that message one too many times, Dai-chan,)) cut in Dark firmly, ((Now could you just drop about that particular topic?))
"Yez, rulez," she nodded her head, an evil smirk on her plump face, "and I have many that will change thiz houze and how it functionz."
At this, she leaned closer, the smirk still in place, "Ve have no zervantz in thiz houze, to my... dizpleazure, and I can zee that Kozuke doezn't care about you. So... thiz iz the deal..."
((Now this is wrong, Daisuke...))
(I already know that, Dark.)
((When I find out who did this to us, I'm gonna kill them, so don't stop me, okay?))
(But the question is who did this to us.)
((Well, soon they're gonna be sorry for messing with both of us. By far... they'll wish that they were never born...))
(Uh... let's not go into detail, Dark.) --;;
---
((NOW THIS IS THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE HEARD IN MY DAMN FRIGGEN ENTIRE LIFE! HOW THE--))
(Please be quiet, Dark,) pleaded Daisuke, as he kicked a rock moodily, his gaze fixed intently on the stone pavement, (We can't do anything about it.)
The sun was still blocked by the thick sheet of clouds when the redhead had stepped out for a little fresh air. His mind well, more like Dark was refusing to accept the fact that he was being forced to do things that he didn't want to do and that there was no way out of it.
((Why should YOU be the one to have to act like a SEVANT to them?!)) demanded Dark with indignation, ((Just let them live in their own FILTH for all I cared! And do you really think that they're gonna treat you RIGHT?!))
(I can't do anything about it, Dark,) the redhead sighed as he kicked another rock, (and we'll get in trouble if we don't listen to her... and I promised dad that I would be respectful...)
((... Sometimes I worry about you...)) the Thief shook his head mentally, of course, ((One day you'll learn that life is cruel almost all the time we live on it.))
(Well, you come and go with every Niwa boy that comes your way,) pointed out Daisuke, (so you'd know lots of things.)
((Yeah, well--))
"Niwa-kun!"
"Eh?" taken by surprise, Daisuke turned in time to see a girl with short, reddish-brown hair running up to him, her eyes shining with happiness. He stopped so that she could catch up to him, and she smiled at him.
"I was hoping to see you, Niwa-kun."
"Riku-san," he returned the greeting, smiling in return, and then looked around expectedly, "It's nice to see you again as well. But... where's Risa-san?"
He frowned slightly, since the Harada twins were rarely separated during the day and something about the younger twin's absence seemed suspicious. Riku tossed her hair back but nodded understanding with his concern.
"Risa hasn't been feeling well," she explained simply, "and she got herself all worked up about Dark when he appeared yesterday."
At the use of the Thief's name, her eyes flashed dangerously, but it was soon replaced with dejection as she continued her story, "So she went to the wedding yesterday. But... when that sudden attack came on us..."
"Risa-san was injured?" horror-struck, Daisuke could only gape.
"Not badly," soothed Riku, "I was there, remember?"
"Ah... of course. But... Riku-san, why were you looking for me?"
At this, Riku blushed, "Well... yesterday... when I saw you... well... I thought you liked Risa! But then you liked me, and then--"
She trailed off miserably, "Sorry, Niwa-kun, but it looks like Risa might not recover from this, so... we might be moving to another town... I'm not sure yet..."
"... I... I see," confused by her outburst, the redhead could only blink in confusion, "But, Riku-san, you are the one I like, so... Risa-san is more like a good friend to me now. Not that she ever returned my feelings anyway..."
"S-sorry..." she took his hand in her own, still embarrassed, "I didn't mean it that way Niwa-kun..."
"It's okay," he smiled, "Please say hello to Risa-san for me."
At this, Riku smiled again and hugged him briefly, "Okay! Bye, Niwa-kun!"
He watched as she ran off in the opposite direction from where he was going not like he was going anywhere anyway and then turned away, (So... what did With say last night?)
((Who knows, but I'd rather not ask.))
(Okay...)
Shoving his hands deep in his pockets, Daisuke walked off aimlessly. The breeze ruffled his hair gently, and a calm fell over the scene.
(I don't like this, Dark... we have to get out of here.)
((I know that already...))
-End Stage 3-
Celes frowned as the connection cackled back to life, 'What does this mean? I still can't find out the reason...'
"Celes-san?"
"Yes, is something wrong?"
"Is Akane-san there?"
"No... did you find something out?"
"Well... Dark suggested something, so..."
"What was it?"
"Ah... well, you see..."
Celes sat back, "Okay, I'll listen. Akane will be back soon."
There was a sigh, "Well..."
---- So... what's the idea? I dunno... we'll just have to find out! ----
Ahh... took me forever to finish this, so please don't hate me. I have had to do so much already, so... if you want, you can read my other stories, okay? Well, nevermind. Here we are!
-- Reviewer talkback:
- Icy Pheonix: You like? You like? I'm so happy you reviewed it! Hope you like the update!
- Hakudoshi-chan: Well, there has been fairytale disorder, by neko-nya, but that's more on random fairytales. You should check it out if you haven't yet. It's cool. Thanks for the comments!
And about the weird thing with Riku at the end... don't ask. It was just thrown in at random. But... hope you guys liked it! 'Til next time!
