Chapter 17

Krad was controlling the urge to murder Dark. It was the middle of the night and Dark was pacing around in the middle of the hotel room. Now some people would find pacing around in a hotel room fine, but in this case it wasn't, because the hotel room was a bedroom and a living room combined. There were only two doors in the room and one led to the bathroom while the other led to the outside, meaning Dark was pacing in the living room or bedroom, whatever you want to call it. In other words, Krad and Satoshi were trying to sleep, but Dark was pacing around causing noise!

Must resist urge to maim Dark, Krad thought, as he clenched his teeth. Not even getting to share a bed with Satoshi, which his was, because there were only two beds in the room, could cheer him up. That's it! Krad threw the blankets off him and with a warrior cry and wrestled Dark to the ground.

"What the hell!" Dark screamed as he tried to shove Krad off him with no success. "Get off!"

"I'll get off when you stop with your damn pacing and let the rest of us in the room get some sleep! Not all of us are insomniacs like you!" Krad shouted back, avoiding one of Dark's punches.

"I was just about to fall asleep you nimrod," Satoshi mumbled sleepily while rubbing his eyes, which were left uncovered by his glasses, cause honestly, who sleeps with their glasses on? "As much as Dark's pacing annoys me I rather have him pacing than a fight between you two right now, or have you not realized that instead of making things quieter you've only made them louder?"

"Oh shut up!" Krad and Dark shouted simultaneously.

Sighing Satoshi threw himself back on the bed, grabbed his pillow, and covered his ears with it in an attempt to block out the sound of Krad and Dark fighting.

"I know you're worried about Daisuke, but dear Kami! Give it a rest! How the hell do you expect to find him if you're half asleep!" Krad threw a punch at Dark, but the purple haired teen managed to catch Krad's fist and then flip them over so Dark was now on top.

"Fine if you're going to be like that Krad then I'll leave and go find Daisuke on my own!" Saying that, Dark shoved himself off Krad and headed for the door. He had to find Daisuke even if it was just to talk to him and ask him what had happened.

"It's the middle of the night!" Krad rebuked.

"I don't care!" Letting his anger take control of him, Dark slammed the door. The sound of Krad and Satoshi cursing could be heard through the door but Dark ignored it and instead ran off toward the part of town he had yet to check.

As he ran through the streets Dark found his temper slowly cooling down, and after a while he felt like kicking himself. He knew Krad and Satoshi were only trying to help, but this whole thing was driving him insane. Is this what love did to people? If so, why do people speak about it as if it were the most precious thing in the world? How could something that makes you lash out at other people who care about you be so wonderful?

True, the actual feeling of love was a beautiful thing, but it was also frightening. It was like diving into the ocean. You never know what you're going to find, but if your not careful you might drown or get crushed by the waves on the rocks. Dark knew he was drowning, but strangely it wasn't as horrible as he thought, at least it wasn't before Daisuke went missing, but now he was becoming scared. It was as if he had jumped into the ocean, found a treasure, and on his way up to get some air his leg got caught on something, and slowly he was being pulled down until his lungs burst with the need for air, only to be filled with water.

"Be careful with him Toki!"

I recognize that voice! Dark thought. Sometime during his search he had stopped running and began meandering around the town only to stumble upon the park where the girl from earlier and another girl who seemed to be carrying someone was. Frowning he searched his mind for the girl's name before giving up and just calling out to her. "Hey you! Girl form earlier today who was looking for two people!"

The two girls who had been chattering among themselves went silent. The girl who was holding someone shifted slightly. The other girl turned around and stared at him with wide eyes then broke out with a huge smile. "It's you! Oh come over here! I might have found the guy you were looking for!"

Dark's heart jumped. It couldn't be possible. Had this stranger really found his Daisuke? It was too surreal. Too engulfed in his own shock, Dark didn't hear the girl holding someone hiss at the other girl. He walked slowly up to them and with each step he took he saw more and more of the person that was leaning against the girl. Only ten steps away from the two girls Dark leapt and grabbed Daisuke from the girl's arms. He didn't even need to look at the boy's face to know it was him. He could tell by the height, the hair color and style, and the clothes. It was his Daisuke. He had actually found Daisuke! He could hardly contain himself as he held Daisuke close to his body.

The girl from earlier giggled at Dark's reaction. "So I guess you're Dark? Daisuke mentioned you. My name is Freedert, and this," she pointed to the white haired girl standing next to her, who was watching Dark like a hawk, "is Toki."

"Where did you find him?" Dark asked, not caring about their introductions, he was still in awe over the situation. He had been so sure it would take days before he'd see Daisuke again.

"We're his friends," Toki stated bluntly with a cold glare. "How do you know Daisuke-kun? He is a shy person, and call it a hunch, but you seem like the type to bully people like Daisuke-kun."

Dark was a little offended how Toki hadn't answered his question and instead asked her own, but what disturbed him more was her hunch about him. Sure it was true, but he wasn't proud of it. Okay, that is a lie, but not a big one. He wasn't proud about torturing Daisuke, but he happy about all the other people he tortured. Hey, everyone has a sadistic side, his just happened to be larger than most.

"You guys," Freedert whined. "Don't fight, at least not out here. Let's go inside first."

Dark and Toki nodded, but didn't stop sending glares at each other, causing Freedert to shake her head in shame. Though she did have to admit it was slightly interesting to see this glaring contest. Toki was giving off a cold glare that would cause the bravest of warriors to shiver in fear while Dark's glare was full of passion and hate that could make those very same warriors cower. The two in a way were opposites. One indifferent, the other passionate.

"Hn. Come on," Toki murmured with a tilt of her head and walking off in a random direction. "We'll take my car from here and stay at my place."

Nodding Dark followed, making Freedert breathe a breath of relief. At least they were getting somewhere now.

X.X.X.X.X.

Akira: Short, but a faster update. As I reread this chapter I started wondering why I had Freedert compare Dark and Toki and then after thinking about it I realized it was either because I wanted to show you guys how different their glares are, or how different they are in personality. Take you pick on what you think I was trying to show you guys.