Okay, okay. I know you guys are going to want to MURDER me for this next chapter, as it's the beginnings of Riku and Daisuke's romantic past. I know most of you are Daisuke and Satoshi fans and are eagerly awaiting the day I kill her off. If I even DO kill her off ('coz we all know that if she doesn't end up with Daisuke, I'm going to kill her off. I've been a little kill-happy lately. O.o;). Who knows with me? I'm like a firestorm of unpredictability! It's like WOOSH with me, man! WOOSH!

But you all know it has to be done. 'Coz, fact is, Riku and Daisuke WERE in love at one point, and you're just going to have to deal with that. Sorry, guys! Plus, wouldn't it just be brilliant if, with this (and the next Act, which is 'All I Ask of You') I put you on the fence? If I made you think 'I love Satoshi and Daisuke together, but Riku is such a sweet and strong girl and Daisuke deserves a person not living underground with a talent for killing people'? I'd love that. 'Coz I want you emotionally involved with ALL the characters! All! Riku included. You have to admit, your shonen-ai obsession aside, that Riku IS a sweet girl (though I think her sister is ANNOYING AS HELL. I think I'll kill her off for no reason soon.). So give her a chance! Let's see some Riku love!

...Okay, now that you all are ready to kill me, time for the Suck-Ups and Thankys! Mucho props go out to PoisonApples09 (Aww! You are so sweet! I should be having to pay you for saying such nice things. So, instead, I'll try my best to write well!), Angel Born of Darkness (I think so too. o.o), Makurayami Ookami (And shine Daisuke will!), Misoka Mine (XD That's kind of a funny image. Someone just sitting at a computer, suddenly laughing diabolically, then shutting up just as suddenly as they started. And Daisuke's reason for fainting will be explained in later inner monologes, so don't worry. It'll all work out. And thank you for taking the time to critique my work and find stuff wrong with it! I really enjoy your input.), Phantom Fox (Of course it'll leave a mess for the other peoples! Takeshi's throat got cut and his body smashed. That's going to be messy. XP …Yes, I do kinda have a grim sense of humor.), Mad-Vixxen (Awww, you are so sweet! I'm so glad you enjoy my work so much! And the notes you send are SUCH a big help. I tend to forget about things unless people keep on my case. I'm lazy. ; So, thanks!), Molly-Chan the AnimeGame Fan (Well, Takeshi was outta character 'coz I had to have people fill roles. o.o; And I guess it was such a shock for Daisuke because he kinda glorfies his Angel in his mind, and BOOM! Ugly truth right there. And I love adding people to my watch list, so no problem. ), AlChEmyOtAkU4EvEr (Thank you!), and DevilintheAngel (Will do! saultes).

With all that said, here's Intermission 3- First Love. I hope you enjoy it!

Intermission 3

The day was a beautiful one down at the white house by the beach. The sun was shinning brightly, but not harshly so. Nay, instead its light was a soft call, beckoning all to the sandy shore. The delicious scent of the sea wafted into the house, filling it to even the tiniest crack. This day was irresistible to all to ignore, the type of day that only lunatics or stubborn fools would stay inside to ignore the delights to be had outside.

And there were such two fools inside the white house by the beach.

Or, to be more correct, one very bright individual who wished to frolic on the white sand and feel the gentle breeze on her face, and a stubborn fool of a boy with shy nature whom she would not leave without.

The bright little girl stomped her foot and glared up at the stubborn fool of a boy hiding behind the banister of the stairs.

"Daisuke! It is a beautiful day outside, and we are NOT going to miss it!" she said with the tone of one who would simply not take no for an answer, her head held high with a mix of a confidence that always radiated from her being and annoyance.

"Why can't you go by yourself? I…I don't feel well?" the timid boy answered, looking down at his feet instead of the girl's face, his small fingers gripping the railing of the banister.

"I can NOT go by myself because we are to be friends, and I will not leave you behind to be all alone!" the bright little girl said, stomping her foot for emphasis.

"…Who said we were to be friends?" He said, shuffling his feet.

"Oh, don't be stupid! Are you still saying we can't be friends because I'm a girl? You've said that since YESTERDAY," she said, being sure to draw out the 'yesterday' to make her point (as a day is a very long time for a child such as this), "and that's become a bore now!"

"…I'm only going to be a bother to you, Miss Riku..." The boy whispered, shuffling his feet again. "That's what the other boys always say…I don't want to ruin your fun!" He said, his voice rising slightly at the end, and looking up at her, concern in his innocent little eyes. Riku bit her bottom lip, and didn't quite know what to say. Daisuke had been bullied? Well, she supposed she could see why he would be, as he was a timid little boy. But that was no excuse for bullies to pick on him! She liked him just the way he was, and if she ever saw those boys who bullied Daisuke, she'd give them what for! But since they were there (wherever there was), and they were here, she decided the 'what for' could wait (but oh, what a what for those boys would receive when she found them!) and decided right now she would try to cheer him up. So, her train of thought came back to the beach and to Daisuke, and she became more determined.

"Well, that's just the reason to go, then!" She said suddenly, snapping out of her mini pity-party she mentally had for Daisuke. His eyes that had drifted back down to his shoes looked back up at her, slightly confused. "I'm going to PROVE to you that you will NOT be a bother!" She said, raising her voice to a near shout. He shrunk back and shook his head.

"No…you won't…." He said sullenly. She stomped her foot, took off her shoe, and tossed it up at him (as she seemed to be fond of doing), hitting the banister and successful spooked the boy.

"STOP BEING SO STUPID, GET DOWN HERE, AND GO OUTSIDE WITH ME!" She walked over to where her shoe had landed, and slipped it back on. "I WILL BE GETTING MY PARISOL, AND THEN BY THE TIME I GET BACK, YOU BETTER BE READY OR ELSE!" She stomped past him on her way up the stairs and snorted angrily as she slammed her door, failing to fully elaborate what 'or else' entailed, leaving the boy in shock before he gathered his wits, decided he didn't want to know what 'or else' was, and darted to go get his shoes his father told him he'd use to go walk on the beach.

In the next room, Daisuke's father chuckled. The Misters Niwa and de Changy had been relaxing in study, which happened to be in clear earshot of the hallway in which the stairs was in. It also helped the two men had the doors wide open, so every word of their children's exchange had been clearly heard. Like most everything else in the white house by the beach, the room was a brilliant white. Since it was such a nice day, and these men were neither fools nor lunatics, the windows had been thrown open wide, and as the study happened to have quite a few many windows, and the day was quite the breezy one, so it created the effect one was sitting on the beach, but without the discomfort of sand between your toes.

"So, what do you think, de Changy? Quite a pair, aren't they?" Niwa said, holding up his wine glass for a moment, watching the bright red liquid slosh slightly to and fro before taking a sip. de Changy laughed, the red wine in his glass sloshing to and fro in a more violent fashion as he did so.

"Of course! My Riku is the very picture of a energetic, head-strong individual. Your boy is the very picture of a passive, quiet individual. They complete each other!" He said, drawing a circle in the air with his index finger. This time, Niwa laughed, tipping his glass in de Changy's direction.

"Wouldn't it be good if they happened to fall in love? I wouldn't be object to their union! Niwa and de Changy! A fine merger of families!" He said with a grin.

"Niwa, please don't tempt me!" de Changy said, shaking his head, chuckling slightly. "Mrs. de Changy has forbid me from arranging a marriage for my daughter. Something about Riku has the right to fall in love, etc., etc. It's all those little romance novels that woman has been reading. Ridiculous. Who says two people can't fall in love in an arranged marriage, eh?"

"True, but I do see where your wife is coming from. My wife and I fell in love before we…married…" Niwa said, his speech slowing and his eyes gaining a drooping look as he came to the subject of his wife. de Changy stayed silent for a moment. The wind tried to fill the silence, but failed, its gentle call falling on deaf ears.

"Niwa," de Changy began slowly, but was interrupted by Niwa, whose eyes were closed as he smiled at his friend. He opened them, and took a deep breath, then resumed his smile.

"I'm fine, my friend. I'm fine. And I have a proposal. Would you not like a union between our families?"

"A finer union you could not find. Why?"

"Let's continue to come here, to this house, each summer. The two children will surly become friends- Riku will see to that! And once they become older, we shall subtly push them in the direction they need to be pushed. After all, friendship between two of the opposite sex can eventually lead to love, and we have our marriage." Niwa said with a grin. de Changy returned the favor.

"Brilliant, my friend, simply brilliant!" de Changy said with such enthusiasm his voice almost became a roar. "But how shall we push them in the direction we choose?"

"A detail we shan't have to worry about until later! Until then, let's enjoy this day, our wine, and the brilliant company." Niwa said with a self-satisfied smirk.

And so, the two men clicked their wine glasses together in a toast to their own brilliance and leaned into their chairs to appreciate the fine day in the white house by the beach.

Meanwhile, Daisuke sneezed, and Riku shortly followed. The two had been walking along the beach while water lapped onto the shore, created pleasantly-colored foam and a calming song. Riku would twirl her white parasol as they continuously made small footprints in the sand side by side. The conversation between the two was never lacking, as Riku had scared him into replying to her questions by glares and motions to reach for her shoe to keep their dialogue going (otherwise, Daisuke would have kept silent, as this was his nature). As the trail of tiny footprints grew longer and the light in the sky grew dimmer, Daisuke had relaxed and Riku had became less demanding, and two truly began to enjoy each other's company. The two had tired of making such a long trail, and sat together as the sun began to set. They then became silent for a while, until Daisuke had spoken up.

"Riku…I haven't…I haven't been a bother to you today, have I?" he asked, his voice growing timid once more, a change from what had become his usual kind and perfectly audible tone. Riku smiled at him and shook her head.

"Not at all. Those boys who told you you're a bother are far more a bother then you'll ever be. I enjoy your company!" Riku said brightly, and Daisuke smiled back.

"Good." Daisuke paused, then looked at her. "Riku, would you like to get married some day?" Riku looked at him, perplexed. Not shocked, like most of us would be if someone we had just met had asked our hand in marriage, but curious as a child should be.

"Why?" She asked simply, her head tilted slightly.

"Well," Daisuke began, not blushing one bit as one would expected, as he was merely a child and to him, marriage was no more then a type of friendship. The word marriage had not the weight to him as it should have. "Papa told me people marry other people they like. And I like you, Riku. You're the first person besides Papa and Mama who's been nice to me. So, when we're older, we should marry." And Riku, seeing Daisuke's logic, nodded.

"I like you too, Daisuke. So we will be married."

With that said, and their friendship cemented forever more, the two got off the sandy shore and walked back to the white house by the shore, hand in hand.

End of Intermission 3

Ha! My longest intermission yet. I don't know if the whole last-name de Changy is right (Is it like a name middle thingy? A title thingy? Hell if I know!), so if anyone can confirm or deny, PLEASE tell me. If it's wrong, I'd like to fix it right away, and if it's right, I'll feel better about this chapter. Why can't I do it on my own? I've been a bad girl, writing and editing this between homework assignments. So, I really should be getting back to that. (Plus, I'm lazy! Duh! XP)

Anyways, I hope you're not ready to kill me…I know most of you are big Sato/Dai fans. Me too, guys. BUT, Riku's not THAT BAD of a character. Plus, they were in love, like it or not! So, I WILL go into their past! I shall leave no stone unturned when it comes to my telling of the Phantom of the Opera, DN Angel style! YAH!

Oh, and I would like you all to know how very much I appreciate all your support. You guys are all fantastic! And I've only done 5 Acts and 2 Intermissions, and I'm at 89 reviews. 89! That's an eight, then a nine! TOGETHER! This may not be a big deal to some authors, but I've never gotten this many reviews with this few of chapters. Hell, I've never even gotten this number of reviews before! That number right there makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. I loves you ALL, and with your support I'll certainly see this until the end!