Back again for another great chapter! I was amazed so many of you are reading and reviewing… Thanks! .! Well, enough of my babbling and let's get this show on the road!

One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things- Henry Miller

"It's been three hours…" I heard Daisuke mutter as he cast a quick glance at the glowing face of his watch.

"Really?" I asked.

I was bored out of my mind which is quite different from being bored. No, I was bored two hours ago. Now I was bored out my mind. The small orb I conjured even looked bored since all it did was hang there now, not even attempting to glow brighter.

"Isn't anybody going to get us out of here?" Daisuke groaned as he feebly attempted to shove the door open with no avail.

"Doesn't seem like it."

"Can't you do something? You created that," he pointed at the orb, "Couldn't you get us out of here somehow?"

"If I could then why are we still stuck here?" I asked back and then took a deep swig of my Sprite.

"Oh…"

He fell silent. Great, I really didn't mean to be that mean to him but I swear my mind had turned to jelly and who knows what that does to you! Sighing deeply I leaned against the support beam for the shelves behind me and closed my eyes and just listened.

There was little noise except the slight stirring of the Niwas or Daisuke's grandfather's snoring.

"Great… I have this horrible feeling that we'll be stuck here a while longer," I muttered, quickly losing hope.

"Jeez, I'd hope my parents would realize that I'm stuck here!" I heard Daisuke moan and I laughed quietly.

"Hm…" my mind began to wander and suddenly it was Daisuke who broke the thick silence.

"You don't miss your parents at all?"

I looked up at him, at his youthful face that was filled with this surprising amount of anguish. Why? I wanted to ask him. Why do you care so much about me? I'm nothing, so why?

"No… why would I? They don't miss some freak like me so why should I miss them?" I replied, squeezing my eyes shut to keep in the tears.

Warmth. Something heavy and warm wrapped around me and it was only a few seconds later that I realized just what it was. Daisuke's arms.

"I… I don't think your parents really think that about you…" I heard him mutter.

(Daisuke's POV)

I couldn't help it. I suddenly felt as though the only thing I could do to help her was try to comfort her in anyway was to hug her. Even then I blushed… well… she was a girl and Dark yelling in my head to "take it further" wasn't helping.

It seemed like a small gesture though, and I guess that in all truth it was. But what else could I do? Say 'Don't worry, I'm a freak too.'? No… I couldn't do that… I couldn't tell her. I hadn't even told Riku…

"No… My own mother used me… I'm nothing more then a tool," Midorai muttered and I could hear her beginning to sob.

No way, I did not want to get dragged into this. I hated it when any girl cried. For once even Dark shut up. I guessed he hated the waterworks too.

"Uh… please stop…" I awkwardly patted her on the head, trying to end her crying.

"Listen… your past… whatever happened, nobody will care unless you bring it up. I don't care what you did or what your parents did. That's in the past, forget it," I don't know where this verbatim came from but it seemed to do the trick.

She looked up slowly at me, her face illuminated in the eerie light of the orb. Her eyes sparkled from gold to purple then back again, never staying for long at one set color. Tears still dripped off her face but she brushed them away with the back of her thin hands and sighed, giving me her attempt at a smile, though it seemed weak and watered down.

"Thanks… thanks, Daisuke…" she muttered before slowly falling asleep, her small body resting against my shoulders. At least she was warm…

(Midorai's POV)

When I woke I was no long stuck in the pantry. No, in fact I was tucked neatly into the bed the Niwa's had so kindly let me sleep in. The snow had finally stopped and I was grateful. I hadn't expected by spell to be so effective, nor so powerful. My long hair was curled about my body like some warm blanket, hugging every bit of my body before finally stopping, twining around my ankles like snakes.

"Ugh…" I muttered as I tugged my hair from the clutches of my silver locks.

Exhausted though I didn't really know why I rolled out of bed, standing awkwardly on my feet, rocking back and forth before regaining my balance and steadying myself. There was no light as snow was still packed against the window, keeping the sun out of the already dim room.

"Midorai!" a voice called out, drifting into the room, making me look over to the door, bleary but glad to be free from the chilled air of the pantry.

"I'm… I'm up here!" I called back, walking to the door only to have it flung open before I reached it. It was Daisuke, his face still flushed from the cold.

"Midorai! Good, you're awake! I just wanted to tell you it was getting late and that… well… I'm heading to bed…. Good night…" he looked at me rather foolishly as though realizing what he said seemed odd.

"All right… Good night then, Daisuke," I replied happily as he nodded his head and made his way to his room, anxious for sleep. As I closed the door I heard the snatches of the radio… then at last the entire message.

"Despite the large amounts of snow that have fallen all over our city Dark Mousy has announced that he will steal yet another treasure. Aptly named the Tear of the Snow Goddess, he will arrive at 10:00 PM…" I grinned. The fun was just about to begin…

(Normal POV)

Dark was excited, very excited. He was nearly skipping as he made his way to the exhibits, careful of the nets of lasers that laced across the white marble tiles. Dressed for the cold he wore a light black jacket rimmed in red, buckles laced across chest, arms and slender waist. The silver surfaces of the clasps flashed in the moonlight that filtered through the snow that was packed across the sunlight windows.

"You really do come through any kind of weather!" a voice cried out cheerfully and he could hear someone clapping their hands and from the muffled sound he could tell they wore gloves. But the voice was familiar, that soft lilting tone that made the speaker seem as though they were singing. Carefully he turned around to look at the speaker and it was Kitsune.

Her long, willowy body was also dressed for the weather and he could see from the snow still dusting her that she had only recently arrived. She still wore a small skirt that seemed far too short for the weather but it was heavy black wool instead of her usual silk. Elegant but sensible black boots covered her calves up to her knees, silver ribbons lacing up the smooth leather and finally ended in cute bow.

"Brr… sure is cold out there… luckily I get-a look at a cutie like you!" she winked one golden eye at him coyly. She mimed a shiver from cold, running her thin gloved hands up the sleeves of her coat. The hood was pulled over her head, resting just on top of what he guessed was her large fox ears. Soft tan furs trimmed the hood and complemented her already tanned skin.

"Aw, now aren't you sweet?" he replied, walking forward while she matched him step for step.

"You've already lost to me twice. What, are you thinking that the third time's the charm?" she nodded her head to the thick glass case where the most magnificent moon stone was held. Perfectly polished and held in a beautiful silver clasp embedded with small opals and chalcedony. It was indeed a most beautiful jewel and was carved painstakingly into the shape of a perfect teardrop.

"Great choice, especially since it's snowing and once I'm gone you'll be empty handed and cryin'," she nodded her head to him as both darted to the security panel, their feet nimbly skipping over the small red lasers like kids playing hop-scotch.

Their fingers softly brushed across the soft LCD pad but it was Dark who quickly typed the code in, his heart already racing from the chase. The system shut down but it was yet again Kitsune whose fingers curled around the large moonstone.

Unfortunately for Kitsune, Dark was ready for her. His hand roughly wrapped around her small wrist and he stood up, facing the young woman's tanned face and just smirked at her, assured that he could beat her this time, that this time he could nab the jewel instead of her.

"Let go of me, thief," she whispered sweetly in his ear but he ignored her. He wasn't going to fall for her tricks this time.

"I don't think so. Now then…" he held out his hand for her and motioned with his fingers for her to hand it over, "… Gimme."

"Aw… You're no fun," she pouted but he noticed her fingers were not letting go of the jewel.

'DARK! What are you going to do!" He heard Daisuke cry out in his head and he just smirked.

"Watch…" he whispered before quickly pulling her to him, her right shoulder colliding painfully with his chest.

"Ouch!" Kitsune cried out.

Without delay Dark quickly wrapped his fingers around her other wrist and kept them close together. Her right hand was grasping the jewel as hard as she could but with his left hand he began to wiggle it out.

"I'll be taking this…" he added smoothly as it finally was relinquished from her fingers. He let it drop into his palm and just smiled at her in that "I win and you don't" fashion that bugged her to no end.

"Ugh… Let go of me!" she shoved him away with the hand he had let go of and Dark was left with the glove for her left hand.

"Don't tell me you're upset!" He pointed one finger at her.

"It's rude to point! And yes, I'm upset! I'm upset a bird-brain like you could get that gem away from me!"

"Bird-Brain!" Dark cried out, staring at her in shock. She had just insulted him! Back in his head he could hear Daisuke trying to hold back his laughter.

"I'll have that by the end of the night! I promise you! Even if I have to chase you all over Japan to get it!" she nearly screamed back, stamping her foot against the tile in anger.

"Careful, or you'll set off the alarms!" Dark cautioned. Even though he was enjoying seeing her so angry he didn't want to get caught.

"Well… I've got to go… pleasure doing business with you…" he nodded his head, still grinning at made his way off, his feet nimbly hopping over the lasers.

"That… That… That…" Kitsune muttered darkly as she watched him run off.

"Damn… I hate running in these shoes!" She groaned before taking off after him.

By the time she met up with him he was standing on the edge of the roof, arms crossed over his chest as the wind teased his hair away from his face.

"Hello!" he greeted her cheerfully as though she was a good friend.

"Give me the Tear of the Snow Goddess!" She screamed to him but he just waved jauntily and jumped from the building, flying off to escape from him.

"He thinks he can escape that easily?" Kitsune mused, watching him disappear off into the nightscape.

"Orb of light, come to me. Lead me through this night and grant me your sight. Find me Dark Mousy, it's him I must see," she muttered before clapping her hands together. As she pulled them away and orb of pure, pale blue light floated just above her open palms, casting its soft hues over the young woman as she stared into the heart of the glowing ball.

Flickering slightly she could see Dark racing through the sky, grinning from ear to ear before stopping on the roof of an old business building to mull over just what happened. He stared at the Tear of the Moon Goddess, squinting at it with one eye closed.

"There you are… Be gone, Orb," Kitsune muttered, waving her hand at the orb as it dissolved back into the darkness that filled the night. "Dark… Mousy…" she whispered then clapped her hands again and was gone…

"HAH!" Dark cried out triumphantly, tossing the gem to only let it fall back into his hands to be trapped behind his fingers.

'Alright… Now please just head home Dark before she finds us!' Daisuke urged his other half but Dark wasn't heading home at that time.

"Why? It's not like she'll find me!" Dark replied cheerfully.

"You're going to eat those words, bird boy," a voice suddenly added from behind him.

"WHAT!" Dark started, nearly falling off the building before getting off the ledge.

"I can't find you, huh?" She smirked. Dark suddenly got a feeling it was going to be a long night…

YAY! End of this chapter! It took me a while to write this! I don't really know why though. Can't wait until the next chapter! WOOT! See ya soon! Oh… and please review!