The next week at school was very boring to Daisuke Niwa. Dark had been laying low for a while, Wren Takimoto had not been in school lately, and Riku had not had time to spend much time with him. She had been going to see Wren in the hospital, so he hardly got to see her anymore. So, without Riku to talk to, he had been forced to talk to Dark all week. It was now the weekend, and Riku had not called or been at home whenever Daisuke had called her.

Why not just go to the hospital? Riku will undoubtedly be there. Dark had suggested to him.

I know, but I don't really know Miss Takimoto very well, and it would be very uncomfortable, don't you think?

Well, all that I know is that I have to get Riku to spend time with you. You're driving me insane.

You're really helping… Daisuke said sarcastically.

I'm just saying. But really, you should go see her.

You just want to question her about Krad.

I'd rather talk to him myself, Daisuke. I have my doubts that Wren is associated with Krad.

But it was your idea—

I didn't say that I don't think that Krad loved Wren's ancestor, I'm just saying that I don't think that Wren is in love with Krad

So, should we go to the hospital?

It couldn't hurt…

Daisuke nodded. All right, He got up off of his bunk bed and pushed Wiz off of his chest. The tiny, white, fluffy creature moaned and rolled off of his master. "You wanna come with me, Wiz?" Daisuke asked him.

"Kyu!" the creature agreed happily. Daisuke chuckled and picked Wiz up and set him on his shoulder and headed downstairs.

"I'm going out," he called to his mother, who was busy working in the small kitchen. Towa, the Eternal Guide and Niwa family maid, was cooking next to her.

Emiko Niwa stopped to look through the hanging pots and pans out at her son. "Where are you going, Dai?" she asked.

"To visit a classmate in the hospital. Is that okay?"

"But we're about to have dinner!" Towa squeaked.

Emiko nodded. "Dinner is almost ready, Dai. Maybe you can go afterwards?" she suggested.

Daisuke sighed. "Well, I guess I could go after dinner," he agreed, skeptical. His mother smiled.

"How about taking him a nice, home-cooked meal? That hospital food is horrible."

"Oh, yes!" Towa piped up. "You should bring some of this food!"

"Okay," Daisuke nodded and sat down to eat.

"What's going on?" a young man sat down at the table opposite Daisuke. His hair was exactly like Daisuke's, save it was brown and spiky, not red and spiky.

"Daisuke wanted to go to the hospital to see a classmate," Emiko explained to her husband.

"Ahh," he turned to Daisuke. "Anyone I know?"

Daisuke shook his head. "No, no one that you know, Dad."

"What about me?" another male sat down at the table. He was older, and his hair was gray, but still spiky.

"No, Grandpa," Towa and Emiko started to serve their family dinner. "She's a new student."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh. Her name is Wren Takimoto." Emiko and Towa froze. Daiki and Kosuke exchanged glances. Daisuke noticed them. "What is it?" he asked them.

Daiki took a big swig of his tea.

Emiko and Towa rushed into the kitchen.

Kosuke was not as successful in avoiding the question.

Daisuke asked him again, "What is it, Dad?"

The young man sighed. There was no way in avoiding this. "It's really nothing, kid. It's just that the name Takimoto isn't well spoken of in this family…"

"And why not?"

Daiki cleared his throat. "Because the Takimoto family has always been associated with the Hikari family one way or another," he explained.

"What?"

Yeah, Dark commented. I knew that the Takimoto family had always been in touch with the Hikaris,

"That must be why she came here, isn't it, Dad?" Emiko asked her father.

Daiki nodded. "It must be,"

"No," Daisuke corrected urgently. "She came here because she needed better treatment." The entire dinner table was silent.

"Treatment?" Emiko repeated. "What for, Dai?"

Daisuke looked down. "Miss Takimoto has leukemia," he said quietly.

"Ah," Daiki started. "Yes, I remember that the women in the Takimoto family have each died of leukemia."

"Died?"

"Yes," Daiki answered his grandson. "The last Takimoto, Robin, I believe her name was, died just three years after her first child was born."

How sad, Daisuke thought. And Krad loved her…

I thought we'd gone over this… Krad couldn't have loved Robin.

But, Dark—

There isn't any way, Daisuke. Krad was created for one purpose and one purpose only: to protect the Hikari art and he can't even do that right.

Well…I guess you're right… But we have to ask Krad to be sure, right?

Dark sighed. Yeah, maybe. And they finished their dinner in silence.

Daisuke arrived at Azumano District Hospital after dinner and parked his bike in the bike rack. He untied the sack full of leftover food from the front of his bicycle and secured it over his shoulder. Wiz's fluffy head poked out from the bag.

"Kyu?" he wondered.

"She's a friend, Wiz. Be good, all right?"

"Kyu!"

Daisuke smiled and pushed open the glass door of the hospital. He went to the front desk and signed his name on the sign-in sheet.

"Excuse me," he asked a nurse behind the desk. "Can you tell me where Miss Wren Takimoto's room is?"

"Oh, sure," the nurse answered. She looked on a sheet behind the desk then looked back up at Daisuke. "I'm sorry, she's in therapy right now, but if you would like to wait outside her door…"

"Yes, that would be fine, thank you," he replied.

"All right, then it's room seven twenty-six, seventh floor. Go down the right corridor and it should be on your right."

"Thank you," he said again and went to the elevator and pushed the button to go up. The door to his right opened and as he was about to step in, he saw a familiar face staring straight back at him. "H-Hiwatari?" he asked in surprise.

What's Hiwatari doing here?

I have no idea,

"Niwa," his voice still sent chills down Daisuke's spine. "Are you visiting Miss Takimoto?"

"Y-Yes," Daisuke stuttered. "W-Were you just up there?"

Satoshi Hiwatari looked away. "I was going to, but she was in therapy when I got there."

"O-Oh…Well…would you like to go back up? Maybe she's done—"

"No, thank you," he said bluntly and walked past him.

Daisuke sighed and stepped into the elevator. He pushed the button for the seventh floor. The doors closed and he was sent to the seventh floor.

As Satoshi Hiwatari was exiting the hospital doors, two young girls—one with long, brown hair and the other with short, reddish hair—were entering. Satoshi caught the one with long hair around the arm. She turned to look at him and her eyes widened.

"H-Hiwatari…Wh-What are you—"

"Be careful, Miss Harada," he said to her gruffly, without even looking her in the eyes. "There are those who would like to see you get hurt. I am not one of those people." He released her arm and left the hospital without another word.

Risa stared after him. Her twin sister looked after Hiwatari, then at Risa.

"What was that about, Risa?" she asked.

Risa shook her head. "I don't know…" Hiwatari…

Riku shrugged and headed to the elevator. "Come on! Wren's probably out of her therapy by now,"

"O-Okay…" She backed away from the door, still following Satoshi's disappearing form, and then turned and ran inside the elevator just as the doors closed.

i love this chapter. it shows the worried side of Hiwatari. oh, and is that how u spell his name? hiwatari? or hiwItari? XD i'm crazy...well, R&R, please! enjoy muchoness!(has no idea what she's saying)