Chapter Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to my best Friend Inu-chan, a.k.a. forgotten words. Thank you for poking me and saying "update" every chance you got. Also thank you for being understanding about my stress level and silly excuses.

Chapter 16

"Why did we have to wait till night time to start looking for Kyle and Elliot?" Daisuke complained. Too caught up in his thoughts he tripped over a tree branch sticking up from the ground, but at the last second he caught himself and prevented his fall. "Also, what about Freedert? How is she tied into all of this?"

Toki sighed in annoyance, but made no move to explain things to Daisuke. There were just some things that Daisuke wasn't ready for, and this was one of them.

"I know what you're thinking Toki, and let me tell you something, I can handle it just fine!" When Toki remained silent Daisuke pouted. That was the one thing that had always bugged him about Toki. She could be so mysterious and if she didn't want you to know something she'd make it so.

"What does love and lust have anything to do with this?" He tried again. Sometimes rephrasing the question would make Toki talk, but alas, Toki didn't speak a word. She kept leading him through the deserted park.

"Does Freedert, Kyle, or Elliot know I'm here or is it just you?"

"Freedert will soon." Toki answered in a monotone voice.

"What do you mean by that?" Daisuke asked, ducking under a low hanging tree branch in the process.

"We're meeting her."

"Oh." Daisuke kept silent for the rest of the walk. Maybe if he couldn't get answers from Toki he could get them from Freedert. After all, Freedert often knew what Toki was doing and why, and she would be the one to explain things to him.

"Toki!"

A flash of blonde golden hair ran past Daisuke and stopped in front of Toki. Blinking his eyes to clear his vision Daisuke stared in shock as recognition befell him. It had been only a few months since he'd last seen Freedert, but the girl looked different than he remembered. Her hair, which had been long before, had grown longer, and her style of clothes had become old-fashioned, but they flattered her nonetheless. "Freedert?"

Freedert turned her attention from Toki to Daisuke, and the moment her eyes laid sight on him she gasped in disbelief. "Daisuke! Is that you? I think you've grown a few inches!"

Daisuke laughed at Freedert's expression. "Don't make me laugh, I'm still the same short height as before. If anything has grown it's the length of your hair. Wasn't it a little past your waist a few months ago? It's now down to your feet practically!"

Freedert pouted and took a few steps toward Daisuke till she was only a few inches apart from the boy. Glaring determinedly she placed her hand on the top of her head and then slid it across the air until it hit Daisuke on the nose. "Ha! I knew it! We used to be the same height!"

"Really?" Daisuke asked, looking himself and Freedert over. She was right. He had gotten taller. He used to be at eye level with her, but now he had to look down if he wanted to make eye contact. But I'm still shorter than Dark, Satoshi, and Krad! This is so unfair!

Freedert giggled. "Let me guess, you know people who are taller than you?"

Blushing a little Daisuke nodded his head. "It figures even after growing there are still people taller than me."

Nodding her head, Freedert seemed to become deep in thought, which confused Daisuke. What could she possibly be thinking about so deeply? They had just been talking about height and hair length, what could someone start thinking about from a conversation about things like that?

"Daisuke," Freedert began cautiously, "Would you happen to have a friend who's tall, with muscles, but not big ugly ones, and purple hair and eyes?"

The redhead could have jumped ten feet in the air at Freedert's description. It sounded exactly like Dark! But how could she know about him? "Yeah! I have a friend like that. His name is Dark."

"Dark," Freedert repeated and frowned. "I really wish I had asked that boy what his name was. I remember saying he was looking for someone named Daisuke, but I never thought it would be you."

I can't believe it! Is Dark here? Did Freedert talk to him? Where is he? I got to find him! Wait, what about Toki? Didn't she have a reason for kidnapping me? Oh man, I wish… I don't know what I wish! Daisuke thought hopelessly. What should he do? He wanted to find out if Dark was looking for him, but he also wanted to know what was going on with his old friends.

"Toki, have you told Daisuke anything about what happened?" Freedert asked, ignoring Daisuke for the moment.

Toki shook her head, causing Freedert to sigh in exasperation. Once again she was forced to explain things in Toki's place, and for once she didn't want to. The subject of what had happened was still painful. She could only give out so few details before she'd felt the urge to cry.

"Daisuke, do you remember Elliot and Kyle?" Freedert asked, trying to push down her own feelings and explain things to her old friend.

"Of course I remember them!" Daisuke cried out. How could he forget them? They were his best friends! Even if he had moved he'd never forget the people he grew up with. "What's happened to them? Toki says you guys are in trouble."

Tossing Toki a dirty look for telling Daisuke that, but not explaining, Freedert tried her hardest to clear things up for her friend. "It's a long story, but about a week ago Elliot and Kyle went missing. The police think that they ran off but Toki and I know the truth."

"The truth?" Daisuke questioned, still trying to grasp the situation, and at the same time mourning the loss of his two friends. What could have happened to Elliot and Kyle, and if the girls knew what happened to them then why weren't they telling the police?

"Kyle kidnapped Elliot and is going to kill him." Toki bluntly stated.

Daisuke was frozen to his spot. Next to him Freedert was slowly tearing up. His mind couldn't process what Toki had said. It wasn't possible. Kyle and Elliot were best friends. Why would Kyle want to kill Elliot? No, it couldn't be true. Toki had to be lying, but as Daisuke stared into Toki's dead eyes he knew she spoke the truth.

"We witnessed it," Toki continued. "Kyle had called Elliot up and asked him to the park. What Kyle hadn't planned for was for Freedert and myself to be walking by at the time. He had hoped to kidnap Elliot in secret and kill him that night but he when he saw us he threatened us. He's now using Elliot to keep us silent about his plans, and he won't let Elliot go until Freedert gives him what he wants."

Gulping down the lump that had grown in his throat, Daisuke dared to ask the question that plagued his mind. "What does Kyle want from Freedert?"

"Myself," Freedert answered, the tears falling down her face. "A little while after you moved Daisuke, Elliot and I began to develop feelings deeper than friendship for each other. What we didn't know was that Kyle had been in love with me from the start. Enraged and fueled by jealous he tried to kidnap and kill Elliot, and, well… you already know the rest."

Daisuke felt like barfing. He was sick to his stomach. Was it possible for love to drive someone so insane that they would kill their best friend? It was vile, but what could he do? He was only a kid. Surely Freedert and Toki didn't really think he could save Elliot from Kyle, did they?

"I'm sorry to tell you all of this Daisuke but," Freedert paused and frowned. Her brows furrowed with concentration. "I know I shouldn't be saying this, especially when you just learned about Kyle and Elliot but I have to let you know, I will kill myself if Elliot dies because of me. I can't even bare the thought. I keep telling myself this could have all been avoided if I had noticed Kyle's feelings sooner, but because I didn't Elliot might die any day now. Kyle's patience is running thin and if I don't give into him he'll kill Elliot, but I can't betray Elliot. I'd die before doing that!"

Dizziness overcame Daisuke. It was too much. Three people's lives were at stake. Kyle could go to jail if the police found out what he was doing. Elliot will die if he isn't saved soon, and if he does Freedert will kill herself.

Overpowered by the new information, Daisuke was unconscious before his body hit the ground. He had fainted.

X.X.X.X.X.