"Well, that was certainly easy, as usual," the Phantom Thief Dark flew in the clouds, his black wings silhouetted across the pure-white full moon.

Well, yeah. Hiwatari didn't show up today… Daisuke's voice sounded in the back of Dark's head.

"Is he still on leave from duty?" Dark asked.

Nuh-uh.

"Hmph. It may be because we kicked his ass last night." Dark sniggered.

Dark, that's not nice.

"What? We've had our share of beat-downs by him. Of course, he's had a lot more beat downs than we've had…but this time he had outside help…"

Yeah…I'm still not sure if trusting Miss Takimoto is such a great idea.

"Don't worry about it, Daisuke. I told you before, she's not a threat."

But how do you know that, Dark? She could be dangerous. I mean, she helped Krad out. This is Krad we're talking about. No one should help that monster out.

"Oh, so kill Krad, save Hiwatari? They're the same person, Daisuke—"

No, they're not, Dark! Hiwatari is NOT Krad.

"And I'm going to prove to you that this Takimoto girl is NOT a threat to us." Dark then veered off of his usual course and headed another direction.

Where are we going, Dark?

"You'll find out. And I think you'll be surprised when you see this, Daisuke." The two flew in silence for a bit, then Dark reached his destination: the hospital room that they had fought Krad in the night before.

What're we doing here? You don't think Miss Takimoto is here, do you?

"I know for a fact that she is, Daisuke." He perched on a ledge beside the large glass window. "Look," there, lying down on her bed, was Wren Takimoto.

What do you think she's doing here? Dark gestured to the various tubes that were inserted into her body.

"She's being treated for something. I could feel her weak aura and much sadness that surrounded her. I feel it now."

Treated for something? Then the conversation with Miss Harada today…

"Hm?"

Miss Harada pulled Miss Takimoto aside in school today. They asked me if they could talk in private, so I left. Before she noticed that I was there, Miss Harada said "chemoth". I think—

"Chemotherapy." Concluded Dark. "She's being treated for some type of cancer."

It's sad, isn't it…when someone you love has a disease?

"Never happened to me before."

Me neither, but it's still sad.

"Yeah…I guess." Something occurred to Dark. "I could have sworn I'd seen her somewhere…"

Huh? Where would you have seen her?

"I don't know…but I know for a fact that I've seen those eyes look at me intently before." Suddenly, Dark pulled out a feather from his black wings. "Sorry, Wiz," he commented to the wings. Then Dark slipped the tip of the feather underneath the window and lifted up the window with ease.

Hey! That was locked!

"Almost a year and I still surprise you, Daisuke? Hm. I must be better than I thought." The Phantom Thief chuckled and slunk into the room, shutting and locking the window behind him.

A few rooftops away, a pair of golden eyes were watching him intently.

A large swoop sound roused Wren from her slumber. When she saw that the Phantom Thief Dark was in her bedroom, she sat up, but then slunk back down painfully as she remembered that she still had two needles inside her body.

"Oh please, don't get up," Dark said sarcastically.

"Wh-What do you want with me, Dark…?" she said, the breath hardly coming out of her lungs.

Don't make her strain herself, Dark! She's in a lot of pain!

I know that, Daisuke, you don't have to remind me. "Why did you help Krad?"

Wren chuckled. "Why? Are you two lovers or something?" she laughed some more, but when she looked up, Dark was literally two inches from her face.

"What do you have against the gay?" he asked. Wren blushed furiously.

"N-Nothing…I-I was j-just kidding…you know? A joke?" this time, Dark burst out laughing.

"Wow! You're stupid!" he said between laughs, then he grew serious. "I'm not usually a serious guy, but I want to know; why did you help Krad?"

Wren looked down. "I don't know…" she murmured. "I guess I helped him because…because I feel that someone shouldn't be kicked when they're already half-dead."

Dark laughed again. "Do you know how many times he's kicked me when I was down?"

"Listen, I don't care what you and he do out of my presence, but when someone kicks someone when they're down in front of me, I'm not going to stand for it, do you understand?" she started wheezing.

"Hey, you okay?" Dark touched her forehead. She's burning up, Daisuke! I can feel it even through the glove! Wren's eyes glazed over and then rolled back into her head. OH MY GOD, I KILLED HER!

Dark, she's not dead! Look at the machine! Dark looked up to see a machine registering Wren's heartbeats. It was slow, and the peaks were very small.

Oh, good. But what do I do now?

Do you see that blue button over there by the door? Daisuke sent him a picture of the blue button.

Yeah. I see it. Dark went over to the button. What does 'code blue' mean?

It's to push if the patient is having an emergency.

Well, then it's my button to push. He lifted the glass box that covered the blue button and pushed hard on it. Alarms sounded and blue lights started to flash. That's my cue to get the hell outta here! Dark opened the window, flew out, and closed it behind him just in time to be hidden from the doctors that rushed into the room.

Once they were in the air, Daisuke was going off in Dark's mind.

What were you thinking, Dark! The cancer saps almost all of her energy, so she doesn't have much to waste!

"Shut up, will you? I feel bad enough." Dark snapped, and then went back to thinking. "Where could I have seen her? It's really driving me insane now!"

Well, when was it? Can you remember?

"I…I DON'T KNOW! Now it's going to keep me up all night trying to figure it out…"

Was it with Grandpa?

"It may have been with Daiki, I'm not sure." Dark landed gently on Daisuke's balcony and transformed back into Daisuke, Wiz back to his normal fuzzy self as well. Wait…maybe Wiz can remember… Hey, Wiz? Do you remember anyone who looked like that Takimoto girl back when we were with Daiki? Anyone at all?

Wiz looked up, as if in thought, then smiled cheerfully and said, "Kyu!"

Dark groaned. So you have no idea at all?

"Kyu!" Wiz said again.

Great…now it really is going to keep me up all night…

"I really hope that Hiwatari is all right," Said Daisuke, changing the subject. "He didn't show up for the theft tonight, and he always does—"

THAT'S IT! Dark screamed in Daisuke's head. Daisuke jumped almost ten feet in the air.

"WAAAAH! WHAT THE HECK?"

THAT'S WHERE I'VE SEEN HER!

"WHAT? WHO? SEEN WHO?"

THAT…THAT TAKIMOTO GIRL! SHE WAS WITH HIM!

"Him? Him who?"

Him, KRAD! She looks exactly like her!

"Okay, now I'm confused…"

I remember her face now, Daisuke! She was with Krad! She was the only person he never killed for seeing him!

"But…why?"

How the hell should I know? All that matters is that I remember her face. That's why Krad didn't kill Wren that night; because she looked like…oh, what was her name…Robo? No…Robiki? No…Robin! Yeah, Robin. He didn't kill Wren because she looked like Robin. Sheesh, do you think their family likes bird names?

"They may not even be related, Dark." Daisuke pointed out, climbing into bed. "And it's a long-shot. There may not be any connection to the two at all."

Think about it, Daisuke. Haven't you ever wondered why Krad changes back to Hiwatari after a long night?

"Because Hiwatari gains back control."

Not necessarily. That may be what Krad would like it to be, but Krad and Hiwatari's transformation is the same principle on which you and I transform. We both have our loves, you Riku, and I Rika. Haven't you ever wondered who Krad's love is?

"Well…yeah…but that doesn't mean—"

Come on, Daisuke! Wake up and smell the roses! Krad was in love with this Robin girl, and this Wren girl must be her granddaughter or great-granddaughter, or someone like that.

"But I still don't see how Krad could love someone. It's not like him."

You don't have to tell me, Daisuke. Krad's a monster, both you and I know it. Personally, I don't think he's capable of love.

"Then what would you call his…fling…for Wren?"

Exactly that. A fling. Nothing more.

"But don't you think that we should protect her? I mean, he might try something crazy, don't you think?"

I really couldn't say. Krad is capable of anything, Daisuke, but I don't think he'd hurt Wren, no matter how crazy he is. She reminds him too much of Robin, and I think that scares him.

"No way! Krad couldn't be scared, could he?"

At this point, he could be anything. Now let's get some sleep. You're tired, and I need some time to think…

"Think? Think about what?"

How I'm going to confront Krad.

"CONFRONT KRAD? NO WAY!"

How else am I supposed to learn more about this…fling, as you call it…between him and Wren?

"Some other way that doesn't involve getting yourself killed!"

Dark seemed amused. Don't worry, Daisuke. Krad couldn't lay a finger on me even if he wanted to.

"That's true, but—"

Just get some sleep, okay? You'll feel better in the morning.

Daisuke nodded and closed his eyes. He drifted into a heavy sleep.