DISCLAIMERS: I don't own DNAngel, or anything else. Understood? I'm sure you do... and, no, I don't own my brain either. It owns me.
WARNINGS: Uh... evil to such well-loved characters and now... alot about the past. That's all.
---- Darkened Heart ----
--- 3 ---
Daisuke wasn't sure how much time had passed since he'd been taken to the base, but the next few days were peaceful beyond imagination. Because no one disturbed him since the brief meetings with Akane and Celes, he felt at peace and tried to relax. This didn't help, since his mind was still worried and concerned with Dark's whereabouts and how he was. He stared blankly at the ceiling and the interior of the room, but there wasn't much to see and he sighed.
The redhead turned as the door opened and a girl and boy entered the room. They looked exactly alike, except for the clothes and both had the exact same dark green hair colour. The girl was wearing a long chestnut brown tunic and a skirt beneath it while the boy was just left with a tunic of the same tone and pants.
"Hi! You must be the new one," the girl called cheerfully in a friendly tone as she stepped up to him while the boy remained by the doorframe.
"Yeah, I'm Daisuke Niwa," he nodded politely and shook her hand. She smiled and beckoned the boy to stand next to her. After giving her a long stare, he did so before the girl continued.
"I'm Leah and this's my twin brother, Zeike," she introduced herself and the boy, "It's nice to meet you, Daisuke."
"... Same," Zeike said shortly before turning away, "Leah, we should go."
"Aw... but I wanted to talk to him for a bit!" whined Leah, "Don't be mean, Zeike! It's been so long since we had any other company!"
"And what would Celes say on the matter?" he raised an eyebrow. At this, she pouted, but seemed slightly annoyed at the same time.
Daisuke inclined his head before speaking in a hesitant tone, "Um... if you shouldn't be here... then maybe you should go..."
Leah spun around, her hair flying wildly and she shook her head stubbornly, "I don't care! Zeike, if you don't wanna stay, then you don't have to, okay? I'll be the one who gets in trouble, not you. And besides, what can she do about it?"
He frowned at this, hazel eyes flashing in the dim light, before he sauntered off and closed the door with a sharp snap. Silence filled the room for a moment, before the girl finally turned around to face the redhead again, who looked slightly worried at the sudden outburst that he had just witnessed. She smiled calmly before taking a seat next to his bed.
"Don't worry too much about him, Daisuke," she said reassuringly, "My brother can be so stubborn sometimes, and Celes is a good person most of the time. She doesn't lose her temper or anything, and she knows how to handle even the most stressful of situations. It's the outside world that worries her the most."
"What's out there to be afraid of?" asked Daisuke curiously, "I know... there are people who are afraid of us, but... Akane-san... she said that some people here can roam outside at times... but..."
"Yeah, people are scared of us," Leah nodded sadly at the fact, "but we know why we're here, so we can't just be caught. That's why Akane convinced Celes to let us leave this place once in a while: so that we can be ready when it comes."
"When what comes?" the redhead frowned.
"I'm not really sure, but... an evil is awakening..." her voice suddenly became darker and her eyes narrowed to slits, "An evil that can't just be pushed away and forgotten. But... normal ways of life and people don't want to accept this as a fact, and..."
"Leah, what are you doing here?" an older female entered the room and seemingly glided in. She had rich, dark purple hair that was set into a high ponytail, and wore a black robe that swept gracefully on the floor. She gave Leah a short glance with light violet eyes before turning to Daisuke, "Do excuse her, Niwa-san. Leah is the sort of person who loves to talk to everyone she meets."
"Elena..." at this, Leah jumped up smartly to attention, "Yes? Is something the matter? Or... did Zeike tell you where I was..."
Elena shook her head slowly and patiently, "No, he didn't tell me. Celes merely asked that you had to come to the meeting, so I assumed that you would be here."
"Ah! I forgot!" she jumped up before bowing to Daisuke, "Well, see you around, Daisuke!"
She ran out of the room and left the redhead with the older woman, who sighed. Taking a long look at the empty room, Elena gave him a small smile.
"I'm sure you can see that she has a tendency to act on impulse. Don't mind her too much," she explained, and Daisuke shook his head.
"It's okay. But... how long have I been here? I can't remember what happened," he replied.
"You've been sleeping for a few days, true," she nodded, "but Akane believes that in one or two days you'll be fine again."
"I see..." Daisuke inclined his head slightly, "uh... what is this meeting thing anyway?"
"Oh, nothing that you have to worry about at the moment," Elena answered in an uncomfortable voice, as if remembering something important, "Well, I should be going now. Until we meet again, Niwa-san."
She left the room swiftly, closing the door behind her. The redhead closed his eyes, as he sat in complete silence. His head no longer throbbed painfully and he felt better, but questions continuously popped back into his head. Many things had been left unanswered and he was still worried for Dark, whom he hadn't heard for, for the past few weeks since his escape.
At the remembrance of his cousin, Daisuke rolled over and sat up in a more comfortable position. He stuck a hand into one of his pockets and pulled out a small wallet that he had kept with him for as long as he could remember. Opening it, it held pictures of himself with his family and one or two with Dark present.
The redhead frowned, unable to get his mind to work right as he sat there, pouring over the old pictures and trying to answer the question about where and how Dark was.
(You shouldn't worry so much,) said the voice in his head reassuringly, (He can take care of himself just fine, and you know it.)
(Maybe...) he shot back, (but what happens if someone hurts him? I... I don't want more people in danger...)
(You can't choose the people that get involved, or how they'll act,) pointed out the voice, (And Dark is pretty strong-willed, isn't he?)
(I guess...)
Daisuke sat up when he heard a doorknob turn. As the door to the room creaked open slowly yet again, Akane entered, looking fairly happy that he was looking better.
"So, are you feeling better now?" she asked briskly, "If you didn't wake up today, I might have had to do something more drastic..."
"Akane-san? What are you doing here?"
"I've heard those people go on forever," she answered, "and it's not like I don't know what they're talking about, anyway. In the end, it all sounds the same and I don't think that my brain can take much more of it, so I excused myself."
She closed the door behind her and began to move around the room restlessly, tidying up the place as she did so. While Daisuke watched her silently, he wondered what she was running from, and decided to ask.
"Akane-san... why are you here?"
"Eh?" taken by surprise, she blinked at him blankly.
"I mean, why are people chasing after you? What... what is it?" he looked down hastily, "I mean... sorry."
"Don't apologise."
Without hesitation, Akane took the stool and sat next to the bed, and he gave another glance. She was frowning slightly, but her eyes reflected the sense of longing and suffering. For a moment they were in complete silence, as Akane fidgeted with her clothes, before she finally gave him a steady look and began to speak.
"I haven't said much about myself, have I? And Celes doesn't like to mention it either," she shrugged, "I guess that was just how we were; ignoring the truth and what our future was bound to be. But... it seems that it didn't make much of a difference, since we can't ignore it forever, and you've noticed it as well, haven't you?"
He nodded, "But... I didn't even know about it properly until I was twelve... by then, I didn't know what to think..."
"I know... it was confusing," Akane agreed grimly, "But what can we actually do about it? My parents abandoned me when I was really young, but... the power in me just continued to grow...
The power to control Time itself."
"Time...?" Daisuke repeated.
"Yeah... our very existence in life... how we are able to live... if the power of Time itself," she explained, "You see... with this power, I can actually manipulate what happens with people I know... and even see into the future, or even a person's past. But worst of all, I can--"
"Akane?" the door opened again and Celes entered, looking disappointed, "Why are you here instead of the meeting? I was wondering where you went."
"Celes..." Akane gave the Priestess a bored look, "We don't get anywhere with those types of conversations and we always come up with the same ideas. That alone won't be able to help us now and you know it."
"But you are still needed," came the retort, "Now come, Hiwatari-san will be coming soon and you cannot be late."
"Can't someone else explain it instead?" her voice seemed suddenly strained, disappointed that she was unable to finish her explanation, "I know Clef knows all of our strategies and plans by heart. I know he can do it."
"Really, Akane," Celes sighed, "Must I tell you that you are the one responsible for this all? You have to be a worthy planner and leader."
Akane shook her head in annoyance and gave the redhead an apologetic glance, "Looks like I have to go. Don't worry, I'll send Kain down. He knows what I know and he can deal with it."
Daisuke nodded in understanding and flopped down, doing his best not to injure or irritate his bandaged arm and injuries. He was soon greeted with silence again and he contemplated on what he knew and what he had just learnt.
(Something evil is approaching... and normal people don't trust others with unnatural powers,) he told himself bitterly, (Akane-san possesses something that sounds uncontrollable and Celes-san doesn't look like she wants me to know... and I still need to ask about Dark...)
His heart felt heavy with dread, but he tried to shake it away. He reminded himself sharply that he didn't have the time to wallow in his own self-pity and closed his eyes. The familiar voices of his friends and family reawakened in his mind and he allowed himself to be swallowed in the warmth of happier memories.
---
"Hi! Are you new here?" a girl with short brown hair smiled up at him, as he stood alone, looking nervous. Taken by surprise, Daisuke gave her a strange look and she laughed, making him blush in embarrassment.
"Um... y-yeah..." he mumbled in reply and looked to the floor, "I'm N-Niwa Daisuke..."
"Well, I'm Harada Riku and here," she waved a hand at a girl close by, who had slightly longer hair than she did, "is my twin sister, Risa!"
Risa, noticing that someone was talking about her, went over to the two, "Hm? Who's this Riku? A friend?"
"No, we just met," Riku smiled again, "But if it's okay with you, could we be friends? This is Niwa Daisuke-kun!"
"Oh, hi! It's nice to meet you!" the other girl grabbed the redhead's hand and shook it, "As you must know, I'm Risa!"
"Yeah," relaxing, Daisuke smiled at both girls.
"So... did you just move here or did you transfer schools?" asked Riku curiously as they all sat down, "There are quite a few students that do that."
"My parents moved," he explained shortly, "I can't remember why, though... they never told me properly..."
"Yo! Is that you, Daisuke?"
Taken by surprise for the second time that day, the redhead found himself knocked over by a familiar raven-haired boy. Struggling uselessly, he fought for air before telling off the person on top of him.
"Saehara! What are you doing here?!"
"Well, whaddya know," grinning, Daisuke's childhood friend grinned, "You do remember me. I thought you mighta forgotten after I moved away."
"I didn't know you went to this school," came back the muttered reply as Takeshi got off him. The Harada twins blinked at the outcome before Risa decided to speak.
"Niwa-kun... you know Saehara-kun?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah," Daisuke scratched the back of his head, "We used to live close to each other when we were six, but then Saehara moved... so... well, you know..."
"Well, in any case," Takeshi leapt up as the bell started to ring and dragged Daisuke up in the process, "I'll just have to show you around, won't I? C'mon!"
"Bye Niwa-kun!" called Riku and Risa in unison and he waved in reply before telling off the other boy, who was still dragging him.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"Well, one thing about those twins," whispered Takeshi, "They can be very... dangerous around new students. They have a tendency to be very, very nice and it can scare one off for a loooooong time. You better know that before you get involved with those two."
"... You're weird, Saehara."
Takeshi merely laughed at this before dragging Daisuke into the building.
---
The redhead opened his eyes and took a long look at the ceiling, lost in thought. The Harada twins had been nice since they had first met and he couldn't understand Takeshi's warning. He rolled over and sighed, not bothering to turn when a door opened.
"Are you Niwa?"
"Yeah..."
"Well, Akane might've told you already, but I'm Kain."
At this, the redhead rolled over again to face the newcomer. The boy had short, rusty-red hair and seemed to be wearing faded clothes that looked too big for him, but his eyes were alight with determination. Nodding, Kain went over to stand next to the bed as Daisuke sat up again.
"Akane-san sent you down, didn't she?" he asked.
"Yeah, she did," was the reply, "Apparently Celes stopped her before she could finish her explanation on why we're all here and all that, so I got the job."
"So... what do people possess that forces them to live here?"
"... Have you ever heard of the Thirteen Elements, by any chance?"
"Um..." Daisuke racked his brains for a moment and then nodded slowly, "I think I read it in a book once... when I was researching for a project... but I wasn't paying too much attention, so..."
"Well, to put it simply, the Thirteen Elements make the power of Time, which is the very source of life and our existence," Kain explained, "Most of the people here actually possess the power of one of the Elements, and that's why we're here. Only Celes is the one who doesn't hold that power, and you as well."
"But... I don't understand what I'm doing... what I can do..."
"Well, Hiwatari's coming down soon to see you, so I'm sure he and Akane can help you find out what you can do."
"Oh..." Daisuke inclined his head, "But... Dark..."
"Your cousin?"
The redhead nodded.
"Hm... well, I guess we can work out where he is. We haven't mentioned that in the meetings yet, so I guess I ought to bring it up."
Kain made for the door, still thinking hard, "Well, I hope that explained a few things. Akane is the only one who can give a proper explanation, so you just take care."
He closed the door with a sharp snap and the redhead bit his lip. Slowly, he tried to get out of bed, putting pressure on his feet slowly. Once he felt more stable, he managed to locate his shoes and put them on before opening the door with his uninjured hand.
He was greeted with a long corridor, with little light and almost no warmth. Ignoring the cold feeling, Daisuke made his way down the corridor and was greeted with other doors and rooms that looked like they'd been used for years.
(It's like a maze...) he thought, (Almost like they don't want anyone to escape from it...)
He stopped when he noticed that there was only one door facing him and, slowly, he attempted to open it, although he knew that it was wrong. Almost at once it swung open, and he was almost blinded by a light that was being emitted from the room.
"Huh...?" the redhead took a step forward, hesitantly.
Once the light had subsided, Daisuke noticed that the room, that had looked practically deserted, was actually decorated with numerous paintings and, in the center, a large statue stood on a pedestal. Taken in by the beauty of the artwork, he took a step closer towards them for a better look.
(Like home...) he thought, (But... these paintings hold a really strong power in them as well...)
He frowned, lost in thought, but spun around as someone opened a door close by. Unable to move out of surprise, he caught sight of a tall figure standing by the opened doorway. Daisuke took a step back.
(Who...?) he thought in panic.
----
Uh... well, okay, I have to say that he wanders in the past too much. I'm now asking for suggestions, or nothing will happen. Help always makes me happy, so let's do this, okay? Be kind to little redheads though...
-- Reviewer Replies!
-Staryday: Glad you liked the land mine! Maybe I should supply myself with more... hm... looking forward to it... Anyway, I'll just give you a little Dark plush, okay? Just don't throw him at any nerds: It can kill. (cackles madly) Anyway, three guesses who the new dude is and Dark will be there (definately. You can't have a story without him... most of the time, anyway) and Krad will come, eventually, anyway... I can't leave him out! I just have to work out what to do now...
-Rinkufan: Yah, you can have the little With toy, it's just SOOOO adorable! Sorry... I just find it cute. Thanks for the nice comment and... do you have any theories to where this story could go off to? Hm... have to think harder...