I just had to update again, I got this written, and I had to post it. I'm so loving writing this, although it is a bit... twisted. I'm upping the rating to M, as well as changing one of the genres to horror. This fic is going places I didn't think it would... enjoy, and please review!

Chapter 2

"DARK!"

Daisuke was breathing like he'd been running a marathon, and his hand were clenched into fists around the blankets. Slowly he uncurled his white-knuckled fingers, trying to slow his racing heart. An instant later his bedroom door flew open and his father rushed in, followed by his mother.

"Dai, are you alright?" Emiko asked worriedly. "Why were you screaming?"

Daisuke managed a smile, but it was too shaky to be convincing. "I'm okay Mom, just a nightmare."

"You were calling for Dark, Daisuke. What did you see that's got you so worked up?" his father asked softly. Though the older man had never had Dark within him, he understood that his son and the thief had formed a strong bond, especially since most of the Niwa family's boys hadn't really liked having Dark.

Daisuke shuddered at the mention of his friend's name, closing his eyes. Emiko reached forward, putting a hand on her redheaded son's shoulder. "Dai, please. It will help if you talk about it."

Daisuke shook his head slightly. "No, really Mom, I'm fine. Just a bad dream, memories, that's all." The boy smiled again, this time a stronger one. "Really, I'm okay."

Emiko still wasn't quite convinced, but she let the subject go. A soft whistle from Kosuke caused both to look up. "Wow Daisuke, this is really good."

Daisuke looked up to see his father examining the mostly finished painting of Dark. The boy blushed slightly. "Well… Thanks Dad. I just wanted… you know… something to remember him by."

Emiko nodded as she examined the painting as well. "You've really captured him in this Daisuke, I'm impressed. Of course, it did probably help that he was a part of you for a while, so you really got to see into his emotions. It helped you bring him to life on canvas."

Daisuke smiled slightly. "Yea…" he murmured softly. He watched the picture for a moment, and he could almost imagine that it was really Dark staring back at him. The painting suddenly flashed, and the image of Dark smiling contorted into the thief screaming, purple eyes wide with terror and pain, blood and bruises covering him as bloody tears streaking their way across his cheeks. Dark's scream of pain echoed in his head, and Daisuke let out a small shriek, closing his eyes and turning away.

Emiko blinked, and then frowned in concern, moving back to her son's side. "Please Dai; I'm really worried about you. Tell me what you dreamed about, please?"

Daisuke sighed. "I saw Dark. He was… tied up, hanging from a tree… There was blood everywhere, whip marks on his back, bruises all over him. There was hardly an inch of skin that wasn't cut up or bleeding." Daisuke looked up at his mother with scared eyes. "And he was so thin. I could see every rib, every bone in his body. His eyes…" Daisuke shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself. Wiz suddenly jumped into his lap, nuzzling against his stomach. Daisuke petted the small creature gently. "His eyes were dead. There was no hope left in them."

Emiko's eyes were wide. "Have you… ever had this happen before Dai?"

Daisuke nodded slightly. "The night before last, I saw him then. Same situation, only I didn't get to see as much. He was screaming my name, begging me to help him. Every time I see him now, in my dreams, even my painting, I see flashes of that horror…" Daisuke glanced towards his painting, but it remained the same this time, Dark's eyes staring back at him in an almost concerned way.

Emiko pulled in a shaky breath. "That certainly is quite a disturbing dream to have Dai, but I'm afraid all you can do is try not to think about it, and try to get some more sleep. You don't want to be tired for your finals tomorrow."

Daisuke nodded. Tomorrow was his last day of school; it would be quite hard, what, with all the finals that the teachers were going to giving. "Alright Mom. Good night."

Kosuke patted his son's hair. "I hope you can get some real sleep this time Daisuke. Good night."

As his parents left the room Daisuke glanced back at the painting. Dark's scream thundered through his head as blood seemed to drench the picture, Dark's handsome face twisting in agony. Daisuke flinched, closing his eyes, then stood, carefully draping a sheet over the unfinished painting. He didn't think he could deal with that all night, not after what he had just seen.

CRACK.

'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!'

CRACK.

Yelp. 'Please! Stop it! No!'

CRACK.

Sobbing. Tortured and pain-filled cries.

CRACK.

Screaming. Screams that never stopped. Screams filled with pain, terror, hopelessness, and defeat.

CRACK.

Scream. 'DAISUKE! PLEASE!'

CRACK.

Sob. 'DAISUKE, HELP ME!'

Ssssnap.

'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!'

Daisuke's eyes flashed open, and the boy slowed his heart. The sounds of torture had been as though he himself was being tortured. He had recognized Dark's voice easily, and the thief's screams of pain and terror were enough to break the boy.

Though he didn't know what the snap was, Daisuke knew without having to see what it was that the 'cracks' were the sounds of a whip hitting flesh. He didn't see anything this time in the dream, only heard what was happening, and had to listen to the sounds of the owner of those evil golden eyes torturing his beloved Phantom Thief.

Daisuke slowly rose from the bed, stretching and trying to forget the happenings of last night. He didn't know what was going on with these dreams, but he could only hope that they would go away soon enough. He was going to drive himself insane if they didn't.

Moving forward across his room, Daisuke pulled the sheet off of his painting, just to see if he would still react to it the same way. The boy let out a yelp of terror as he spotted it.

Dark's face was pale on the painting, blood spattering everywhere, coating the violet strands of hair that ran like latticework over Dark's face. Blood trailed from both corners of his lips, and Daisuke could see the dark red liquid had filled the thief's mouth. His purple eyes were open, but dull and dark, lifeless. His throat had been slit.

Daisuke threw the sheet back over the easel, trying desperately to calm his racing heart. 'Why am I seeing these things?.! Am I going crazy?'

Struggling to put away the images that racked his mind, Daisuke grabbed some clean clothes, going to the bathroom where he could shower and dress for his final day of 10th grade. At least after this day if he had these dreams, he wouldn't have to worry about lasting though the next day without getting the wits scared out of him.

By the end of the day Daisuke was nearly paranoid, looking around him with wide searching crimson eyes. He had seen Dark's dead or tortured face in quite a few places today. Outside the classroom window, for example, he had seen Dark lying on the ground, blood pooled around him and one bruised and battered hand held towards him. Daisuke would be startled out of his thoughts by the sound of Dark screaming his name, crying out for the boy to help him. And every time he saw the thief, those tears of blood would be pouring down his cheeks, staining his bruised skin.

Daisuke shuddered slightly as he looked out at the rainy day. Wiz poked his head out of the redhead's backpack, clambering onto his shoulder and letting out a small 'Kyuu…'

Daisuke clutched to Wiz, burying his nose in the creature's soft fur. "What's happening to me Wiz?" Daisuke murmured. "Why is this happening to me?"

Wiz could do no more than make another soft sound of comfort and nuzzle the boy's neck. With a sigh, Daisuke started to walk home in the cool spring rain.

Daisuke looked up at the clouded sky, sighing again. He didn't know what to do about all of these dreams, they were confusing and frightening. Not to mention worrying. Daisuke couldn't stand seeing all of these things happen to the one that he loved, and the one that he had been a part of for a while.

Seeing these things were beginning to drive him crazy, and Daisuke knew he had to figure out why he was seeing them, and fast. And yet, every time, Dark was crying out Daisuke's name.

Daisuke suddenly stopped, blinking as he realized something. Perhaps, when Dark had been sealed away, their connection to each other hadn't been totally broken.

Was Dark trying to tell him something?