Crystal Hearts

We can grow only once in our lives. As our love crystallizes and grows, so, too, do our hearts…they are a manifestation of our love. In time, they are given over to the one who inspired them…who wished them happiness. You at least…I wish you happiness…

Chapter 18: Decisions

#Dark?#

/I-I don't know…this is what he truly wants…/

#You're going to kill him?#

/It's what he wants! He wants to be free from this prison.../

#B-but we just found him! And you're going to destroy him!.? Isn't there another way?#

/He'll be trapped here forever if I don't!./

#...you're going to, aren't you?#

/I don't have much of a choice Daisuke.../

Dark stared at the blonde on the floor, "Krad…I am so…sorry…" He placed a hand on the other's chest and closed his eyes as he took charged for a blast.

"Thank you…" The hunter whispered as he closed his eyes.

Amethyst eyes snapped open as he attacked, Krad…he could feel Satoshi staring at him disbelievingly. Then the boy screamed, "You bastard! How could you kill him!.?"

"It's what he wanted! This is the only way to free him!"

Aku leapt down and clapped a couple times, "I didn't think you'd have it in you. I must say, I somewhat respect you now. But…you forgot something very important." Dark glared at the demon, "So long as part of Krad is here, he cannot be freed. And guess what? His heart's still here." He said with a smirk.

The thief pulled out a feather and threw it at the demon, the silver haired man raised a brow before knocking it away only to get knocked to the ground himself by Dark. "You bastard!" Dark yelled as he shot another blast of energy.

#Dark! Destroy the heart!#

But the thief was too busy attacking the demon to hear his tamer, "Dammit! Give Krad back to me!"

The demon wiped the blood off his chin and kicked the thief away, he got up and grinned, "That's more like it."

Dark jumped back onto his feet and made a dash for Aku again, I'll kill him!

#DARK!#

/What!.?./ He snapped back.

#Krad's heart!#

Amethyst eyes focused on the jewel dangling off the other's neck, he threw another feather. Aku gave a smirk and was about to knock it away but Satoshi shoved him down. As he fell, the black feather pierced through the chain that was connected to the crystal and it hit the ground with a thunk.

Golden red eyes widened when he realized what happened and made a grab for it but Satoshi was a couple seconds faster, the blue haired boy grabbed it and threw it to the thief.

Dark caught it and stared at the golden red jewel in his hand.

#Dark! Satoshi-kun's-#

The thief looked up, Aku was snarling as he picked the boy up by the throat, "Give me the crystal back…" Satoshi winced when the demon's grasp tightened, Dark was looking rather stupefied with the jewel in his hand, "Give it back." Aku repeated, all traces of amusement had fled from his voice.

Dark stared at the demon, then took a glance at the stone in his hand, he raised his eyes back up to the silver haired demon and smirked, "No." Then he crushed the crystal heart with his bare hand and blasted the remainder of it into nothingness.

"NO!" Aku yelled as his grip tightened almost completely on the blue haired boy's throat.

Satoshi felt his consciousness slipping away, then there was a spark within him, (K-Krad?)

The blonde looked at him and smirked, ((Satoshi-sama, allow me...))

The thief inhaled shakily, blood dripping from his hand, he'd done it, he completely destroyed Krad. #Dark, why did you do that? You could've just blown it up…#

/I don't know why…but somehow…I think Krad went through this too…/

#Dark…#

Then they heard a gasp and turned to Satoshi who was struggling for air now. Aku smirked and tightened his grip further until a hand grabbed his arm, "Don't. Touch. Me." He looked up to find a very angry hunter glaring at him, he let go and jumped out of the way as a golden ball of magic was shot at him. The demon snarled, showing off his fangs as he looked from one entity to the other, Krad smirked, "Didn't expect to see me again so soon? I guess I really can't be free so long as there's a Hikari around."

"Krad…"

The blonde looked over, smirk never fading as his eyes gleamed in both happiness and sorrow, "Hello Dark, I didn't think you'd have it in you. I guess I was wrong huh?"

The thief blinked, "You can see?"

Krad nodded, "I presume my body's been completely…recreated?" He took his right glove off and stared at his hand, all the scars were gone, golden eyes stared in wonder, "So it did…" He looked over at the demon and smirked, "I'm giving you forty-five minutes, if you don't finish this, I will."

"No deal." Golden eyes looked over at the thief, "Half an hour or nothing."

The hunter smirked, "Fine, have it your way."

"Don't I always?"

Aku frowned, "You underestimate me, you forget, I still have the power of all the art in this dimension."

The blonde headed for the door, "When I get back, I expect this to be finished."

The thief didn't face him but gave him a thumbs up sign, the angel smirked and exited the room. Dark looked over at the demon, "So where were we?"

"I do believe I was winning."

"Well not anymore."

Aku's eyes narrowed as he blocked a kick only to have magic shot at him from behind, "What?"

"I don't think you two have been introduced yet, meet my doppelganger, Dark."

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(You saw it didn't you?)

((Saw what?))

(Dark's hand…)

((…)) Krad wandered down the halls, avoiding the question, ((Look at all these Hikari artworks…))

He could feel his host sigh in exasperation, (They've all been cursed?)

((Sure looks that way.)) He raised a hand to the painting, ((It seems it's still alive…))

(Shouldn't we…)

((Set them free? If you wish, but it's going to take a lot of energy.))

(Go for it.)

((If you say so…)) He gathered up as much energy as he could in his palm.

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Dark jumped of the way as the demon appeared in front of him and attacked, "You're fast, but I'm faster."

Aku smirked and attacked again, "Don't be so cocky, thief."

"Oh I'm not being cocky, I'm just being me."

"The second I land a punch on you, you're as good as dead."

The thief jumped back with a grin on his face, "And what makes you think you'll be able to hit me, even once?"

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"Otou-san…they only have twenty minutes left…"

"They'll make it, I'm sure of it."

Emiko gave an unsure nod and continued to watch the portal.

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The blonde felt himself feel physically drained of energy as he shot just about all his and Satoshi's energy. He watched it disappear down the corridor, destroying everything that once decorated it, he inhaled shakily, ((That better be enough to get everything…))

(More than enough.) His host replied quietly. (Now the question is, can you drag yourself back to that room?)

He smirked, ((I'm hurt, you think so lowly of me, Satoshi-sama.))

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Dark blinked as the demon's knees suddenly buckled and he kneeled there panting, all his energy had been drained from him, "W-what's going on?"

The thief looked over at the door to see the blonde leaning tiredly against the door, he pouted, "You said half an hour…"

"Too long for my liking."

"I see…" He stood in front of the demon whose fists were clenched, still on the ground, "Any last words?"

"Kuso…" He gritted, still staring at the ground.

"Have a nice day." Then he shot the ball of energy at Aku, the second the demon disappeared, the place began to shake/What the hell?./

#He must've been what supported this place!#

/What's that supposed to mean!.?./

"This dimension's collapsing!"

Dark turned to see the blonde, "Well that explains everything!"

/Why can't you be more blunt like that?./

#Why can't you be smarter?#

/Ouch…/

The thief ran over to the hunter and scooped him up, "What do you think you're doing!.?"

"Come on Krad, I thought we got over this already, anyways, you're clearly too weak to run."

"Weak!? Put me down and we'll show you who's weak!"

"If I put you down we'll all die! You'd kill me then you'd die along with this dimension!" He ran out of the building as it continued collapsing, "You can yell at me all you want when we get back!"

Krad frowned, "If we get back."

"Don't be like that now…"

The blonde huffed, "I'll be as I please."

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"Five minutes left…"

Then a figure stepped out of the portal, "I made it-oh my god I actually made it!"

Emiko sighed in relief, that was too close for her liking, she looked up angrily, "And what took you so long?"

"…I had to fight off a big bad demon?"

"Did you beat him?"

"Of course!" Why else would he be standing in front of her now?

"…you got away with it this time, but next time you won't get off so easily."

"Yes ma'am…"

She looked at the figure in his arm who was currently sleeping, "I see someone's back."

Dark grinned, "So it seems, I'm going to put him to bed."

"You go do that."

As he walked away, the portal closed and disappeared, leaving all traces of everything that had happened recently, gone.

The thief looked at the figure sleeping in his arms and smiled, #I guess everything's finally over…#

He mentally shook his head/Not everything…./

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Nya

What can I say...I really really hate the editing program here >.> why won't it allow ! and ?'s together? T.T it looks really weird with a period in between :S ...anyways, Dark kills Krad :O and they killed Aku! he was so cool too XP hm...sorry for the slow update >.O I'll be going back to school soon :S strangeness...anyways >.> no idea what else I'm going to say...but it's almost over :O