Random talking and… yeah. Akane and Satoshi talk and Riku is very suspicious… and worried.

Random musings: Well what do you know. I continued. I mean, I can't remember what I really wanted said in this chapter, but whatever. I'll remember one day…

Disclaimers: DNAngel does not belong to me, etc, etc.

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Chapter 8: Two and One

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The mob of fangirls cut the conversation short between Akane and Satoshi, but the aforementioned person didn't seem that worried about the interruption. Rather, she nodded over in his direction and made a sign over her head, trying to indicate that they would discuss the matter later and he shook his head as he watched her leave. The situation was a dangerous one – he knew that now – and the longer they took to get to where they wanted to go, the bigger the chance that Daisuke and Dark would die. Being trapped anywhere always led to something like that, and he really wasn't looking forward to the consequences if they failed.

Luckily Satoshi was saved from losing much needed oxygen as the school bell rang out clear over their heads and all the students were ushered into class without much protest.

The sky was so clear, yet so forbidding.

Krad's words still filled his mind as Satoshi entered the building, and it was slightly disturbing. Knowing about the Time Keepers, learning about how the Opposing Elements could be used...

What did they know that he didn't? Something had to be done, and done soon.

Before it was too late.

---

Towa, the Symbol of Eternity, watched as the situation and scenarios passed by, still trying to find a way to locate the Niwas only son. They were frantic with worry about him, and she could understand; without him she would still be stuck on top of the lighthouse and that wasn't a very pleasant way to spend the rest of your life. And he was pretty cute and kind, and caring and considerate...

She shook her head firmly and continued to clean up the small amount of mess that had been created after tea. Ma'am Emiko was so worried and she looked like a mess, having not slept properly since her son and his alter ego's disappearance. Her husband, as well as her father, were trying to calm her down, but they looked just as anxious.

With a small sigh, Towa turned back to her cleaning up and then retreated into another room; the room which held the Painting that Dark had been sent to steal.

"I wonder..." she mused to herself, "I wonder if it is possible that..." she ran a finger lightly over the dusty frame for a moment and then frowned. She had been searching for a magic reaction – any sort would be fine now – but she got nothing. Did it mean that the magic had faded? And so quickly?

Pushing some stray bangs out of the way, the Symbol of Eternity grumbled under her breath and then tried to calm herself down a bit. This was to let her searching skills actually work: it had been way too long since she'd used her own personal abilities, so it looked like she was going to have to start from scratch again.

With both eyes closed and her hands lingering over the painting, Towa concentrated on whatever there was left of this life. She knew that, as a Hikari painting, it had to have some special qualities, but at the moment... she couldn't sense anything.

'Well, that's different,' she admitted to herself as she focused again.

She didn't know exactly what she was searching for, but anything would be a good thing now. Or was the painting dead? If that was so, didn't that mean that there was no way back? She dreaded to even think of that as the only option; and only if Dark and Daisuke were still alive. Who knew now.

Emiko was so depressed: despite her quirky nature and somewhat overly childish demeanor when it concerned Dark, she loved her son to no end and this was breaking her heart.

She was worried as well. If it hadn't been for the tamer, then… well, she would still be alone on top of the lighthouse. And the Niwa family were so kind to her… and it was all thanks to Daisuke.

Pulling back a strand of hair, Towa went back to concentrating, trying to find at least one thread of life. Why was it so hard? She was the one who specialised in this sort of area. It was her expertise! But there was something definitely different this time round.

Who would have the power to do such a thing?

Was there anything that they could do about it at this point?

---

Staring out the window, it wasn't like Satoshi needed to hear the teacher anyway. They could go on forever, trying to explain one thing or another, and he already knew everything, so there was no point listening to them rambling on about one thing or another.

It was a pretty pointless subject in the end, anyway.

But the boy's focus was elsewhere, and he couldn't help but think about it, ever since it had begun. And how that one simple scenario had led to a whole chain of events that seemed rather ridiculous in its own measures. Where was the point in all of this?

And why was Niwa and Dark dragged into it as well? There seemed to be no logical explanation. There was no real reason as to why they were pulled into it, and no one was really explaining anything to Satoshi, which bugged him senseless. And he knew, for a fact, that that particular art piece didn't hold such magical properties, so, as it was said, someone had tampered with it beforehand.

Why? He had absolutely no idea.

Maybe that was the most confusing part in it all.

To any other normal person looking out the window because they were bored, it would have been a blank and dreary day, where the most they had to worry about was making a fool of themselves by accident and if they had enough money to pay the rent; but there had to be more to it. And since Satoshi was part of a clan that used magical artifacts, he was definitely more in tune with the proceedings of the unseen forces than some random person off the street.

And he wasn't getting the answers he wanted.

Just as he began to drift off into the never ending spiral of confusion and obvious doom, something hit him hard on the head. And the direction it came from was the open window.

Nearly hitting his head on the desk, Satoshi immediately jerked his head to look down at the grounds below, almost expecting to see some students running around with a soccer ball; but the problem with that particular explanation was that they were on the third floor, and it was impossible for an object to hit him with that much force if it had to go oh so high.

This clearly confused him, but what could he do about it? What did it mean? Was it supposed to mean anything in the first place?

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

---

Why is it that only some can hear your voice? Why is it that it had to happen in the first place?

Why do I know this?

Why am I so afraid?

---

The voice of the teacher washed over the students within the classroom, where most people didn't seem to be paying much attention to. It was rather distracting, to say the least, but it wasn't like they could do anything about it, and there was still so many unanswered questions floating around.

And she was also well-aware of the fact that Satoshi was now trying to get them from her.

Akane stifled a small sigh and tugged at a stray bang, her other hand holding onto her pen which was merely twirled around because she was paying no heed as to what their teacher was actually saying. There was so much at stake, and here she was, sitting around and not saying anything. Not to mention that she wasn't informing the select few people around that actually knew of the situation, and she didn't know why.

Was it that she didn't trust them? Did she think of them unworthy and not capable of dealing with such a situation? Or was she scared of herself and the fate that stretched out before them?

Either way, she knew that she couldn't avoid them forever, and seeing that Satoshi was the first one trying to interrogate her now, she might as well tell him as much as she knew.

But what did she know?

Those were the pieces of the puzzled that she couldn't place. Some were fact, some myth, the rest coming from listening and watching for many, many years. Then there was the fact that the little voices in her head wouldn't leave her alone, and that was an annoyance in itself.

Could they really help it? Why did she have to live life like that? Sure, she was born with blood that shouldn't have been, but how… just how had it happened? And why was it now that something was happening when it shouldn't be? Time Keeper or not, this had been a really unexpected plot twist that she didn't like the second it had reared its ugly head at them.

Who was behind it?

Not to mention that, just somehow, a certain other was getting pulled into it without even noticing. How was it that the strings of fate and destiny worked anyway? The redhead couldn't place it, and it honestly annoyed her beyond words.

She stifled a sigh and tried to remember what she had been thinking about. There were so many missing pieces of the puzzle; the ritual, the painting, the magical reactions… when was it going to end?

---

"Niwa-kun isn't here again…" commented Risa, as if no one besides herself had noticed. It was the middle of class though, so she only said it loud enough for her twin to hear, who looked ready to snap.

The feeling of uneasiness had left Riku and this was only enough to confirm whatever fears they were. She didn't want to know the truth as to why he wasn't around; and besides, they had talked just a few days back. How was it connected to now!

Not to mention something had happened when she had been yelling at that stupid thief whoever it really was, and that hadn't helped matters at all.

He seemed fine that night when they'd returned; being the klutzy boy he was, and overly cheerful and the like, so why hadn't he come then? Sure, there was a chance that he was late, but even so… the nagging feeling was still there, tugging at the back of her mind; and she didn't like it one bit. It was like a warning, like he wasn't there anymore…

Like he had been taken away somewhere…

Why? Why now! The last time she had felt this was during the time that her class had done the Ice and Snow play, and Dark had been pulled into it and then something had happened to the painting Daisuke had given her… and for those few days she had been so worried. So why was it happening again! She couldn't understand it at all!

And that worried her to pieces.

"Harada-san?"

The short-haired brunette looked up, only then noticing the fact that she had been called up to do… something. She didn't know what, seeing as she had been too worried about what had happened to Daisuke, and she merely blinked. "… Yes?"

"I asked a question."

"Uh, sir," Risa raised her hand, "I think it might be the jetlag, since we just got back from America, you see…"

The teacher nodded in understanding, "I see. Well then, how about you, Horii-san?"

While the chosen student stood up and gave the answer, Riku passed a silent 'thank you' to her sister and then went right back to musing, wondering, and worrying.

It wasn't like Daisuke at all to miss class without a plausible reason, but what could it be?

Just asking herself that increased her worry five times more.

---

Students trickled out of the building as the bell rang for the start of lunch, and Satoshi waited until the last few stragglers were out before he focused his attention on Akane, who was the only person who hadn't moved from her desk. If anything, it looked like she was asleep, but who knew.

As he expected, she sat up a little straighter and then turned to face him calmly. "Hiwatari-kun?"

"You said that if I wanted to help, you'd be glad of it," he stated simply, "And if I want to help, I need to know the truth as well. So spill it already."

Not looking the least bit phased, the girl gave a small smirk and stood up to stretch. It was obvious that no one was left in the building to hear them anyway, and she made her way to the window, watching the people below, who yelled, ran and had the time of their life without any worries in their heads.

"How can I tell you everything when I'm unsure as well?" she said coolly, "Most things have become quite scrambled, the threads of time aren't the most reliable sources one can use, and the information I've gathered over time can take a long time to piece. Rumors, facts, myths, they all lead to a truth in the end."

"Don't try stalling. It's gone on for long enough," Satoshi snapped, and even Krad seemed to stir within his conscienceless.

"Naturally." She shrugged, "But to put it simply, the balance has been toppled over the edge and the negative energy is now flowing this world, the connecting worlds, and who knows where else." Turning to face him, she continued, "The Balance is connected to the Elements, which, in turn, connects with other scared sources that are part of life and death, which, in turn, takes in the concept that the negatives and positives in life are always battling one another for dominance. But since they are equal in strength and power, it doesn't happen. BUT, if someone were to tamper with one part of the balance, then--" she nodded over in his direction, seeing that he had finally caught on to what she was trying to say.

"One side will become dominant," he finished flatly, "But what has this got to do with--"

"Niwa-kun?" Akane cut in, "Well, I suppose you could say that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it seems to be more than that.

"We know that someone was behind using that spell, and that Dark was there, which obviously only points to one thing, and perhaps it was only strong enough to absorb one person closest to them. Either way, that spell sent the balance off and now we're stuck like this."

"…"

Continuing, she frowned, as if wondering what else she could say without making it sound ridiculous, "I have a few assumptions as to where the two went, but if the last ritual didn't work… how are we going to get there…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Opposing Elements," she shrugged again, as if it was the most obvious thing around. "Regaining the lost balance to open a portal that will hopefully take us to where they are."

Satoshi stared at her, "We're missing the other half though."

This made her smile at him, like the irony of it all was just so entertaining, "So Krad already told you then, hm? Well, I should have expected as much. How much did he tell you anyway?"

"Enough for me to know that you're hiding a lot more from us than what you're telling."

Akane raised an eyebrow at this, perplexed, "I… see… well then, what else can I say? If they're in a different dimension, there's not much else we can do. The sacrifice failed, we don't have the other half for the opposing elements ritual, what more can you ask from me?" But her carefree manner obviously meant something else and Satoshi's scowl deepened.

"You know another way." He stated softly.

The smile was back, "What makes you think that, dear Hikari-san?"

"Don't call me that. And just tell us the other way."

It was strange, the redhead thought to herself, but despite the situation, she was having quite a lot of fine baiting the boy and seeing him annoyed. Although his face didn't alter that much, but it was clear that he wasn't the happiest of people at the moment; and the irritation increased with her refusing to answer his questions with a straight answer.

But what was the answer? She didn't even know it herself, so how could she tell him? Ah well, that was what happened.

"We could always try the Elemental Province Sector for the Practiced," she offered not-so-helpfully. His face was priceless and she suppressed a giggle, "But there is another way."

From there she stopped joking around and actually looked serious, the boy noted, "Raine and her brother, Ryu; I think they can help us with this. It's our only chance of getting the portal open, and we only get one chance. Not to mention it's using my own… methods, so you might want to think it over before agreeing."

"'Your methods' meaning?" Satoshi was past caring anyway; he would agree with it either way.

"A lot of old magical practices, chanting, and a hell of a lot of drainage on my part," she rattled off coolly, "And the use of the Flames might come into play. So, what do you say?"

He nodded once, "I'm going."

She blinked, but didn't seemed surprised at his decision, "Okay then. Looks like we'll be going tonight, hm? The Niwa residence… hm… let's say five. Get prepared for a long journey…"

Leaving the classroom without as much as a backwards glance, Akane was gone soon enough, leaving the boy and his curse to take in all that she had said and what was soon to happen.

:You really are putting your life on the line this time, Satoshi-sama.:

:And what's it to you? Anything new to you? About what she said:

The blonde thought for a moment::Not much, I suppose. But the Balance was something I never thought would be in any trouble.:

:I know that already.:

:What I'm confused with is this other-world-concept.:

:Aren't we all:

Walking over to the window, Satoshi watched the grounds below, unmoving; but on the whole, he was just contemplating. And very, very confused.

---

"Riku… Riku!"

"What?" spluttered the brunette, noticing the fact that she had been zoning out again. She mentally hit herself for being so stupid and all, but she just couldn't help it.

Risa seemed to notice this as well, and frowned in concern, "Are you sure you don't want to go to the nurse's office, Riku?"

She shook her head, offering a small smile, "No, I'm just fine. Really I am, Risa; don't worry about me."

Watching the two, Ritsuko could only mutter something off-hand, "I wonder what happened to Niwa-kun? It's not like him to miss class, really. And he seemed well recently. Do you think he got hurt? I mean, I know how much you wanted to see him, Riku, so, you know…"

Looking at the ground, Riku said nothing. She was so worried, beyond worried; what if something had happened to him? Could he be hurt somewhere? Was he at the hospital or something?

Hello-- dreadful scenario thoughts.

Trying to hide her distress was not going to work this time round, and she needed to find out what had happened soon.

And so her little conclusion to check on the Niwa household popped into her head and she was determined enough to see if he really was okay. She just had to know.

---

After school led to the sun sinking slowly below the horizon, with the doorbell of the Niwa household ringing almost pleadingly, if not just persistently. Ah well, whatever.

"Coming! Coming!" called Towa. She was completely drained, and was unsuccessful on receiving any sort of magic source from the painting. She was incredibly put off by that fact, but she had to keep up the cheerful front while there were guests around.

Pulling the door open, she blinked when she saw the short haired brunette human girl… Riku. Yes, she remembered that girl from The Second Hand of Time.

"Yes?" she perked up cheerfully, although she felt far from it.

"Aa… I'm Harada Riku, and… er… I'm a classmate of Niwa-kun's. I was wondering… is he okay?" she could see the desperation on the girl's face, and the Artwork sighed. What was she supposed to say now? That he was at the hospital? That he was just out? She wasn't one to lie…

"Naa… Riku-chan? What are you doing here?" pure puzzlement was fixed onto Akane's features and she looked from one person to another, trying to work out what was going on.

"Takada-san!" Riku looked equally puzzled, "I was checking on Niwa-kun is all! I mean, he wasn't here today and I got worried… he was fine just yesterday…"

"…" Akane shook her head slowly, "Towa-chan? Can we come in? I need to talk to you…" There seemed to be more that she wanted to say, but not in front of Riku, the maid nodded, allowing them in. The brunette looked confused at this, and entered slowly, and then Towa led the redhead over to another room, where the rest of the Niwa's were located.

"Akane!" gasped Emiko, looking pale and the girl winced. She looked like she hadn't slept for ages… "Have you… my son…"

A quick nod was all that was needed to confirm her fears and/or hopes, "One more try is all we can take. Trial and error can't really be put into practice here. Next time I might not be able to make it, so… you know?" She lightly tapped her arm and winced, but didn't say anything else about it. "Hiwatari-kun's coming at five, so I was wondering… do you have…" she listed a number of items for a ritual, and Kosuke left to get them… wherever they were.

"Ah… ma'am, Riku Harada is here too," The symbol of Eternity pointed out to a relieved Emiko.

"What?"

"She's worried about what happened to Daisuke."

"… What are we going to tell her!"

Watching the two, Akane nodded slightly, "Ah… I expected it as much."

The two turned, "What are you talking about?"

The girl merely smiled, "You'll see… soon…"

---

And that's the end of the chap. What happens? Er… something.

Miko102: You actually liked it? o.O Well, I guess it's cause of you I updated… so yeah! Hope you enjoyed it! (If you read it, that is. Or… well, thanks a lot :D It means a lot to me.)