Sorry for the shortness of the last chapter. Really, I am. Hopefully this chapter will be longer; there's going to be a lot in here. Things that go on in the two parts of this chapter (you'll get what I mean when you read it) happen at the same time, just in two different places. Kay? On to lucky chapter thirteen!
Oh. Someone mentioned in their review that I said in chapter twelve Daisuke was fifteen, while in chapter one it was stated that he was sixteen. The only thing I can say to that (besides having been half asleep when I typed both those chapters) is that the Asaris don't like Daisuke, much less really care how old he is. It's like on the movie Matilda—everyone thinks she's a different age.
(Duo and Nozomu) .:Mutter about the fact that there's not a lemon in this chapter and sip their cocoa:.
Oh, I got new dividers (hee! .:happy cheer:.) So now the v-v- thing signifies divisions within the scenes, like the passage of time, while the bunnies signify complete change of scene. Ready? On we go!
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(o.o)
(uu)
"We are sorry. The number you have dialed has been disconnected—" Satoshi clicked the phone off. He stared at the tiny machine and wondered what had happened. I was just talking to Niwa-kun, he thought, and then I wasn't. I hope he's all right.
It was a week after the midnight phone call. Satoshi hadn't been at school, having come down with a serious case of pneumonia. When he'd gone back to school that morning, Daisuke wasn't anywhere to be found, and nobody seemed willing to answer his questions. Riku and Risa Harada sat together in their corner and talked, casting dirty glances at Satoshi whenever they thought he wasn't looking. The teachers seemed unusually quiet.
Now Satoshi sat in his black stretch limousine outside the Asari residence. The clocks were striking noon, and it was a fine Sunday afternoon. The driver came around and opened the door, and Satoshi got out of the car and straightened. He pulled a pair of sunglasses on and looked up and down the street once before going up to the door. A strange, painful knot of anxiety and excitement welled in his stomach. He knocked on the door.
A short woman, probably in her late thirties, answered the door, black hair pulled up into a knot on the top of her head. She blinked curiously up at Satoshi. "Can I help you?"
"Mrs. Asari-san?" he asked. She nodded, and he continued. "My name is Hiwatari Satoshi, and I'm here to see Niwa Daisuke-kun. Is he home?"
The woman's eyes narrowed somewhat and hardened. "Niwa Daisuke? There's nobody by that name here. Never has been. Good day, Hiwatari-san." She shut the door in his face with a cutting finality.
Satoshi leaned back on one foot, confused. The police database as well as the adoption agency had told him Daisuke was living here, and yet the woman said... Something's not quite right. I'm going to find out what it is.
v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v
The blunet stood in the head principal's office, going through the student records. The principal hovered in the background anxiously, wringing her hands. Satoshi was the police commander, true, but was she legally allowed to give him access to the students' records? Satoshi didn't care. As he had half-expected, there were no papers for Niwa Daisuke.
He closed the filing cabinet, thanked and apologized to the principal, and began the trip back to his class. If he's not here, then he moved. But why?
He wanted to get away from you, obviously.
Shut up. Over the week, Satoshi had become accustomed to arguing with this other self within him. The voice never quit, and was always present in the back of his mind.
I'm bored. You're no fun.
Terribly sorry that my life isn't more entertaining, the blunet snapped mentally as he stepped into the empty room. This was his physical education period, and the class was in the gym at the pool.
What do you say I help you make things a bit more interesting?
Sure, whatever. By now he'd quit paying the voice any attention and concentrated instead on remembering what homework he'd been assigned but hadn't done.
The voice in his mind suddenly became more, a being. Then suddenly a burning began in his stomach, spreading to the rest of his body. Satoshi bent over his middle and leaned heavily on the desk's surface. "Nani?" he gasped. His whole body began to shake, and a cold sweat broke out over his skin. His flesh began to itch and burn.
His eyes flashed from blue to gold and back again to settle instead on a glimmering blue-gold. His body began to grow and stretch, the bones snapping and reshaping painfully. His scalp felt as if it were on fire as his hair shot out to hang low to his hips. Slowly the colour faded from a blue to a golden colour.
Finally the pain began to ease and the itching quit. The boy straightened up and tossed his shoulders back. A sound akin to the party-favour noisemakers was heard as his spine rippled, snapping itself into alignment all the way from the base of his skull to his tailbone, and a heartfelt sigh of relief escaped his lips.
When he opened his eyes, they were a bright golden colour.
Here I come, Dark...( ) ( )
(o.o)
(uu)
Throughout the next week, Daisuke was shoved from shop to shop, forced into and out of numerous styles of clothing. Oddly his foster parents didn't seem too worried about his missing school. They bought him all new casual clothing, jeans and tshirts, jackets and sweaters. Ichi-san even went to far as to cut his hair.
Friday night he fell exhausted across his bed. The new clothing lay scattered around the room, some of it folded and put away, the rest left to wait where it fell. His ankle was healed for the most part, but was twinging somewhat now since he'd been overusing it. Midnight moonlight fell across his room, reflecting in the mirror.
Mirrors. I don't want to look in any mirrors, he thought miserably.
It's just a little trim, Dai-kun, Dark scoffed. It'll grow back.
Yes, but what will Satoshi-kun think of it until it does? Thoughts of the blunet had been playing through his mind ever since he'd made that disastrous phone call. Aki-kun had caught him using the phone when he was grounded from it and had not only terminated the line, but had even thrown the phone at Daisuke. Luckily Aki-kun was so angry he couldn't see straight and missed by a mile. Still, Daisuke had to hasten to his room accompanied by shouted curses in many languages he couldn't even begin to identify before Aki-kun somehow gained reinforcements.
Why doesn't he want me seeing Satoshi-kun? Daisuke wondered.
Maybe he thinks you were...otherwise busy...up in that cave rather than escape.
Dark! Daisuke's cheeks turned as red as his hair and he buried his face in his pillow. Still, a warm feeling began to worm its way through his body when he thought of being "otherwise busy" with Hiwatari Satoshi.
Watch it, or you'll transform, Dark cautioned. I don't know how I'd explain it to the Asaris if they came up for their hourly check and found me instead of you. I really would rather not go to prison, if it's all the same.
Daisuke sighed and burrowed further into his bed. Hai, but... why hasn't Satoshi-kun come to see me? I mean, he must've figured something was wrong when I stopped coming to school. Even if Aki-kun disconnected the phone line, he would've visited, wouldn't he? He cares about me, doesn't he?
Dark said nothing. The redhead sighed again and tried to let sleep wash over him.
Just was the waves of slumber began to lap at his feet, the lights were suddenly clicked on. Daisuke winced and tried to cover his eyes. "Whazza matta?" he slurred.
"Get up and start packing. You're leaving in the morning." Aki-kun slammed the door closed as he left.
"That again?" he mumbled as he sat up and rubbed at his eyes. "Why would they buy me all new clothes if I was leaving?" They must be lying. That decided, he tossed a slipper at the lamp. The light source fell over and the bulb shattered, immersing the room in darkness once more. Daisuke sighed contentedly and sank back into bliss.
v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v
The next morning Daisuke was rudely awakened, shoved into clean clothing, and then rushed downstairs. He wasn't given breakfast or a chance to clean himself up. Before he was really aware of what was going on, the car door slammed shut and the automobile pulled away from the curb. He had been shoved into a limo, with no contact with other people available.
In the two hours it took for the car to finally pull to a stop, Daisuke had plenty of time to wake himself up and figure out what was going on. They did mean it this time... But... Why?
Dai-kun? What's going on?I don't know, Dark. I'm confused. Daisuke looked out the window, but didn't recognize anything. His suitcases were scattered on the seat around him, a few articles of clothing halfway out of them. Apparently Aki-kun and Ichi-san weren't very concerned with the condition of his clothes.
Are you hurt?No, I'm fine... Just confused. They fell silent as the car rolled into a small town in the middle of nowhere. The driver of the car wound his way through the streets in a maze-like series of twists and turns. Daisuke gave up in trying to remember where to turn on which streets and instead sat moodily back and sulked in the backseat. They're not taking me to the orphanage; I know the neighborhood around there by heart. So... Where are they taking me?
The limo began to slow and stopped in front of a tall redbrick building. Daisuke peered at the cement sign beside the front entrance.
Danshikou Correctional Facility.
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(o.o)
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Author's Notes
.:muttermutter:. Dumbarse school. I can't update from school because the computers are on a different format and won't read my disks. Of course, I could always save the documents from the disk onto the hard drive, and then just delete it when I'm done.... .:plotplot:. Anyway. Sorry the end of this chapter sucks. I was writing it this morning at school, and so it's kinda rushed. Very kinda rushed. So, once more, sorry! .:Bowbow:.