Shadowed Memories
Yayz…I updated faster than usual! Now isn't that a GREAT achievement? …
Not. Anyway, this is the last chapter, and I'll try to make it worth your wait. Hopefully, it'll be better than the last one…
Chapter 6: Do you really want to see my pain?
"Well, guess that's that…" a voice could be heard from within the pile of junk, which included clothes, papers, open suitcases, numerous junk food packets and an alarm clock. Well, from next to all that junk.
Daisuke stood sheepishly at his spotless side of the room, with the made up bed and neatly packed suitcases, eyeing the side of his roommate (now I'm not too sure of the facts here, so correct me if I'm wrong). Takeshi also stood up, grinning at the sight in front of him.
"Well, Daisuke, guess we're all packed! Let's get going!" Takeshi made as if to pick up one of the few suitcases that was closed, but tripped unceremoniously on the way. You don't exactly want to know what he tripped on…
"Takeshi…all this stuff is yours, and you have to pack it." Daisuke told him, tiptoeing around the mess, bags in hand.
"No sweat, Daisuke! I'm just leaving a little, ah, present for these kind people here. I'm sure they won't mind." Takeshi replied cheerfully, this time successfully picking up his suitcase and following Daisuke out the door.
"Yes…but your clothes? Your term papers?" Daisuke asked incredulously as Takeshi slammed the door closed.
"I don't need them."
"Well…" Daisuke wracked his brain for some sort of strategy. "I think I saw your prized camera at the bottom of that mess…and there won't be enough space to chuck aside the junk to get to it." Daisuke hid his smile as Takeshi evidently began panicking. "I suppose you'll have to pack all of it up," he faked a sigh. "Or leave it there in that poor, poor mess…"
Takeshi attempted a weak smile. "Well, uh, I'm pretty sure I have it here…" he held up his bag and started searching through it.
"WHERE IS IT?"
"Uh…Takeshi…?" Daisuke asked, starting to get worried. But the other boy was already gone, probably starting to search through that rubbish for his precious camera.
Daisuke leaned back and frowned. "You know, I think Takeshi's camera really is still somewhere in there…"
People passing by gave him strange looks and hurried on, but he took no notice of them. He was too caught up in his own thoughts to really care.
-Dark?-
--…yeah?--
-Why are you so quiet nowadays? Normally you chatter so much it hurts my head.-
Dark scowled. --Now aren't you nice?--
-Well you are. It's kinda…weird that you're this quiet. It feels strange.-
Dark's scowl grew deeper, but he didn't answer. Daisuke hesitated, then tried again.
-Dark?-
--…--
-Is it because of what happened in the Sage of Sleep?-
Dark inhaled sharply, and although he tried to hide it, Daisuke heard it all too well.
-It is, isn't it?-
No answer. Daisuke blinked; he couldn't feel Dark there anymore.
-Dark?-
-Dark? Are you still there?- Daisuke began to panic, hoping that the Thief had not somehow managed to disappear again.
--Leave me alone.--
-Dark…- Daisuke bit his lip and held back a sigh. -Are you ever going to tell me what happened in there? I mean, it's just going to be worse if you don't say anything about it.-
Dark appeared to be about to say something, but then he shook his head violently and disappeared from earshot.
-Dark? Dark?-
Daisuke let the sigh out and closed his eyes. Just when he thought things were going to be back to normal, Dark had to get all moody and quiet. And things would never be normal if Dark wasn't going to let out what happened while he was in the mirror.
To-to hopped up to his shoulder and chirped quietly. "How's Dark?" she whispered in his ear, settling down on his shoulder.
Daisuke ran his hands through his hair and turned his head to look at her. "Not too agreeable. He won't tell me anything about what happened."
To-to chirruped understandably. "It was pretty hard for him in there, Daisuke, so it might be awhile before he will be willing to tell anyone about it." To-to patted the tips of his hair with a small wing in an attempt to comfort him. "Don't worry, he'll tell you when he's ready."
Daisuke nodded and smiled. "Thanks To-to. I guess I just have to be patient, huh?"
He thought about Dark's current state of mind and sighed again. Unfortunately, he wasn't one to be patient about these types of things.
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"Well…" Daisuke muttered, peering out the window towards the direction of the sea. "Guess we're leaving…"
He received no reply, for either everyone around him was too busy chattering or just weren't listening to him. He sighed as the bus pulled away and started heading back home.
Daisuke closed his eyes; all that racket was just giving him a headache, and he had enough on his mind at the moment.
Slowly, without even realising it or wondering how he managed to do so in such an environment, Daisuke fell asleep.
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Daisuke opened his eyes and blinked.
Where am I? he tried to speak out loud, but no sound came out. He was in some sort of black and, as far as he could tell, empty room. He looked around; the only light or any sort of object in the room appeared to be thin sliver of bright white light.
As he watched, the light shivered and twisted, turning into some sort of doorway. Daisuke took a step towards it hesitantly, and reached for the doorknob.
As his fingers came into contact with the knob, the room disappeared in a flash of white light, and he found himself in a long white hallway.
Daisuke looked on both sides; they were filled with plain wooden doors, and no sign of human life. In front of him, the hallway twisted and turned so he could see no further than a few metres.
Slowly, he walked towards the first door and opened it, peering inside.
Nothing. And he meant that literally.
Not quite knowing why, he slammed the door and rushed to the next one, wrenching it open with a sort of urgency. There was nothing in this room too.
Suddenly, he started pounding down the hallway, following its every turn, loop and twist. He tried to stop, because he didn't know what he was doing, but his legs insisted on pounding forward.
The last door…I have to get to the last door!
Huh? Daisuke blinked as he continued running. What was that?
'Where is this place? Why am I in such a hurry?'
-Dark, where are we?-
Silence. Daisuke tried again.
-Dark?-
-Dark, don't ignore me now. Maybe later, but when we get out of this mess.-
Something wasn't right…he couldn't feel Dark's presence. Like when he disappeared into the mirror, and he was alone, he felt a sort of emptiness within him.
Like he was a shell with no creature living inside it.
Like he wasn't complete.
Panting, Daisuke finally reached the end of the hallway, where a solitary door stood before him. It was different from the rest, and held a more foreboding aura to it.
Yet he felt that Dark was beyond this door.
Determinedly, he grasped the doorknob in his hand and twisted it open. Slowly, he popped his head inside.
Seeing nothing but darkness, he walked in.
Dark? he called out silently, disappointed once again when his voice held no sound in it. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a bit of white light just hanging in the air. It seemed to beckon to him, and he obeyed, moving closer to it.
"W-what's this?" he thought out loud, too confused to notice that he was actually speaking in a way that could be heard again.
The light seemed to smile at him, strange as it may seem, and floated gently towards him. It brushed by his head, leaving a faint glowing mark.
"Huh?" he touched the area where he was touched by the light, feeling a sort of coolness on his head.
The ball of light had disappeared, leaving him in darkness once again, with only the small glow on his forehead to penetrate it. He squeezed his eyes shut, and pinched his arm, willing himself to wake up from this strange dream. But nothing happened. He opened his eyes again pouting slightly.
Sighing, Daisuke brushed his hair out of his eye. A red strand swept across the light on his forehead, glowing slightly silver. Confused, Daisuke brushed his own finger against the light, which by now felt like a pool of silver liquid, and took it down to eye level.
Sure enough, it was silver. Was that supposed to mean something?
Suddenly, he became too tired to think. His eyelids felt heavy, exhausted, as if they were made of gold and steadily weighing him down.
Maybe it was the silver stuff…he thought sleepily. Oh well, maybe I'll wake up from this strange dream now…
He closed his eyes and lay there, unconscious of the dark figure sitting next to him.
"Do you really want to know?" the voice of the person asked sadly, watching over the limp boy. He shook his head, violet bangs flying around him. "Very well then." He whispered, as the light on the head of the redhead spread around his body.
The glowing body faded away, as did the shadowy figure, mouthing silent words. An empty silence hung in the air, with only a small whisper lingering.
"Do you really want to see my pain…?"
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…that was lame…and I guess I'll be ending the story here, huh? Basically, we leave the two to sort it all out. I hope you don't mind me ending at a cliffie of a sort. It seems kinda wrong to leave it here, but then again it also seems wrong to continue onto this or onto another chapter when I promised that this will be the last one! So, enjoy and please R&R!
