Wren was not at school that next day. Nor was she there for almost half of that next week. By the week's midpoint, Daisuke had learned the Wren Takimoto had dropped out of Azumano Middle School, due to a serious medical illness.
And because her best friend was on her deathbed, Riku Harada was not at school, either. Risa had told Daisuke that Dr. Dao had called them and said that Wren would not live through that next week. Ever since then, Riku would not return any of Daisuke's calls, nor would she ever be at home so that he could talk to her face-to-face.
But one afternoon, when Daisuke was just getting home from school on a Thursday, he saw that Riku was waiting for him on his front step. When Daisuke saw her, he frowned.
"Miss Riku, what're you—" he stopped when he noticed that tears stained her pale cheeks. He immediately dropped to her level and lifted up her chin so that he could look into her deep, brown eyes. "Miss Riku, what's wrong?" he asked her, wiping a tear away from her face.
"It…It's…It's Wren!" she broke down sobbing, throwing herself into Daisuke's shirt. "They still haven't found a donor, and it's too late! She's gonna die, Niwa! She's gonna die, and there's…there's nothing I can do…!" Daisuke held her close to him while she cried.
"Miss Riku…" He stroked her reddish-brown hair in an attempt to soothe her.
"Why, Niwa…?" she continued. "Why can't I do anything? Why can't I do anything to save her!"
Daisuke closed his eyes and hugged her tighter. "Miss Takimoto is not only weak physically, but her mental health has been slowly declining as well," Daisuke pointed out.
Riku nodded, tears still streaming down her face. "I know that," she managed. "But she's strong—"
"She's very strong, by the way you talk about her," he agreed. "But…I…I can't…help but feel…that she's going through a moral crisis right now," yes, those were the correct words. They made his point without letting Riku know that he had been visiting Takimoto often. "One that can't be fought off with painkillers or drugs. It's just making her weaker." Riku curled herself into a ball and sat in Daisuke's arms, the tears slowing down only slightly.
"It's pathetic, isn't it, Niwa…" she whispered, her scratchy and worn-out voice barely audible. "Wren has been dealing with this for four years; she's been ready for this day, and she hasn't shed one tear. Not one! And here I am…I can't stop crying!"
"I don't expect you to," Riku froze at Daisuke's response. "And I don't think that Miss Takimoto expects you to, either." He gave her a warm smile. "Come on," he said, rising to his feet. "I'll take you home." Riku shook her head.
"I can't!" she held onto his arm and stayed sitting. "I have to go back to the hospital—"
Daisuke gave her another one of his smiles. "I don't think that Miss Takimoto would like it if you fainted on her account." He pointed out. Riku looked away.
This was certainly true. Takimoto had always been nagging her about her health ever since Riku had started not going home and not attending school regularly.
Daisuke held out his hand to her, to help her up. At first, she was uncertain. She did not want to leave Wren at the hospital, but she knew how much Wren would be upset were she to get sick. Filled with uncertainty, Riku took Daisuke's hand, and he helped her up. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close to him as they walked to her house on the cliff. Then, it began to rain.
Satoshi Hiwatari sat in the one-winged stone chair in his apartment, staring at nothing in particular. The fire roared inside the old-fashioned fireplace. Rain fell in turrets against the large windows of Satoshi's apartment.
The blue-haired youth sometimes sat in his chair to think intently, and other times, it helped him to suppress his other half. But now, it helped him to relax. He had been thinking a lot lately, mostly about Wren Takimoto. She hadn't been in school for the past week, and he heard from Risa Harada that her condition was worsening by the hour. Satoshi had asked Krad how he felt about it, but the Angel would never answer him. Even with his newfound information, but Satoshi had failed to mention that.
Satoshi stared at the document in his hand. Just last night, when Satoshi had gone to visit his father, he had come across an invoice for a very expensive chemical. Further investigation found that the chemical was really an injection dosage of thousands of tiny carcinogens. Satoshi had concluded that his father was paying Wren Takimoto's doctor to inject her with the chemical in order to kill her. satoshi could only guess that his father wanted Wren Takimoto out of the way. He had known that she would eventually cause a problem for Krad, so he had a doctor follow her around, ensuring that she would be diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Now, he was debating on whether or not to go and see Wren Takimoto in the hospital. He had thought against it, due to the fact that he had never had a single conversation with her since she had arrived in the Azumano District. But then he had thought that maybe it would satisfy the guilt that he had been harboring since last night.
Satoshi sighed. That was a selfish reason, and the one thing that Satoshi Hiwatari did not want to be was selfish. No, he would stay here, in his chair, and continue to think.
The blue-haired youth was just about to shut his eyes to think some more when there was a knock on his door. Satoshi lifted a quizzical eyebrow and approached the door. He stared through the peephole and was surprised to find Risa Harada standing on the other side. Satoshi opened the door just a little bit and looked at her.
Risa Harada was soaking wet, drenched in the falling rain. She gave Satoshi a sad smile. "Hi, Hiwatari…" her voice quavered as she stood there, and further inspection proved that she was crying.
Satoshi closed the door to unhook the chain and then reopened it to let his guest inside. "Come in, Miss Harada, you're soaking wet."
The girl smiled again and stepped through the threshold. Risa inspected the apartment and then gave a harsh shiver. Satoshi locked the door and led her over to the fireplace to keep warm.
"If you don't mind my asking, Miss Harada," Satoshi whispered. "Why are you here?"
Risa shrugged. "I really don't know. Things were just going so wrong at the hospital…I needed someone to talk to and…" she started to cry again. "I'm sorry. I'll leave—" she made for the door, but Satoshi stepped in her way.
"No," He told her. "I don't mind…and besides, it's pouring down rain out there." All of a sudden, Risa collapsed against Satoshi, sobbing into his shirt. The youth was startled by Risa's action, but immediately relaxed. He stroked her soaking-wet hair. "What is the matter, Miss Harada? Why are you crying?"
"H-Hiwatari…" she sobbed. "I can't handle this…! I just can't! Wren has no family, none at all, and the doctors say that she won't live past the end of the week! I can't deal with this…it's tearing me apart!"
Satoshi sighed. "I…I know what it feels like…to lose something very dear to you. I lost…my mother…and my father…at a very young age. But then…But then it got better." Risa looked up at him with her chocolate eyes.
"Are…Are you sure…?"
The youth gave her a small smile. "Positive. It will get better, Miss Harada, I assure you. You will be able to smile again. And then, when you've had time to heal, you will be able to open your heart again."
"It just…It hurts…so much…"
Satoshi nodded. "It does. But I promise, Miss Harada, I promise that it will be all right again…someday."
Risa smiled at him and gave him a big hug. "Thank you, Hiwatari," she said to him. "Thank you so much."
"It's all right—" All of a sudden, Satoshi felt a sharp pain in his chest. He cried out in pain, doubling over.
The smile vanished from Risa's face and a look of fear came instead. "Are you all right, Hiwatari—"
"Stay back!" he ordered, clutching his stomach. N-No…! N-Not now, Krad! He pleaded.
"Hiwatari, what—"
"I TOLD YOU TO STAY BACK!" Satoshi cried out again as he felt Krad's wings try to push through his flesh. N-NOOOO! He turned to Risa. "G-Go!" he told her. "Take the umbrella…" he gestured to a black umbrella sitting beside the door. "…and go!"
Risa's eyes were filled with confusion and fear as she ran to the door, snatched the umbrella, and ran out of the apartment.
Satoshi gasped for air as he tried to find his chair. When he found it, he collapsed into its stone folds and panted. "K-Krad…you…bastard!"
There was a hollow laugh from deep inside Satoshi's consciousness. Now, now, Master Satoshi, Krad cooed. Why did she have to leave so suddenly, hm? I could have had so much fun…
"You'll stay away from her, Krad!" Satoshi screamed aloud. "She hasn't done anything to you!"
Besides capture the heart of my beloved Tamer. I could never allow you to be loved by anyone other than I, Master Satoshi—
"Cut the crap! She hasn't done anything to you, Krad, so you just stay away!"
Krad gave another laugh. Oh, I think we'll just have to see about that…I can't possibly withhold myself from such pleasure.
"You have Wren Takimoto for your pleasure." He felt his counterpart tense as hard as a stone. "Go and have your fun with her." Another jolt of pain shot through Satoshi.
You should not have said that, Master Satoshi… the Angel said quietly.
"Oh, p-please, K-Krad…" Satoshi panted, out of breath. "You wouldn't d-dare hurt me…Besides…you kn-know that I'm r-right…"
Krad was silent.
"Why so quiet, Krad? Don't you know that your…that your little wren is falling from her nest in a…in a few hours?"
Hmph. It makes no difference to me if she lives or dies. Truthfully, I think she's better off dead, anyway.
"Oh, r-really? Then I guess it wouldn't please you to know that Wren Takimoto's cancer in induced."
Krad froze. Excuse me…?
"That's right." Satoshi stood and wiped the corner of his mouth. "My father paid her doctor to inject her with deadly carcinogens every week. I found this invoice in his notebook just yesterday." He gestured to the document sitting on his desk. "It proves that my father wants Wren Takimoto dead, and he just succeeded."
…When did you discover this…?
"Just yesterday. I didn't tell you because I thought that you didn't care whether Wren Takimoto lived or died—" Satoshi felt the jolt of pain again, but this time he could feel that Krad wanted to come out. "Oh…made you angry, did I?" Satoshi cried out in pain as Krad's wings burst through his flesh, and the Angel took over.
Krad stood in his white garments, his pearlescent wings glowing in the dim firelight. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth in anger. Suddenly, he kicked off the ground and burst through the glass window in Satoshi's apartment, shattering it upon contact.
The rain beat down hard on Krad's wings, but he didn't care. He needed to get to Azumano District Hospital. He had to see her. He had to tell her.
Daisuke and Riku had just taken off towards Riku's house on the cliff when the rain started to come down hard. The two of them ran through the streets of the city, kicking up puddles of water as they went. Suddenly, Daisuke could feel Dark come alive inside of him.
What is it, Dark? The redhead asked his counterpart as he ran.
It may be nothing, but I was certain that I felt Krad fly overhead just now…
Daisuke furrowed his brow. Krad? But we're not scheduled to steal anything tonight, are we?
I don't think so…but then why would Krad be… the thought struck both of them at the exact same time.
"Wren." They said in unison. Riku stopped.
"What did you say?"
Daisuke looked at her. "Listen, Miss Riku, I have to go. Can you get home by yourself from here?"
"Yeah, but—"
"Good. Listen, I'm sorry, but I really have to go—" he turned to go, but Riku held him back.
"What is it, Niwa? Is something wrong with Takimoto?"
Daisuke blanched. "Uh…well…I'm certain I just felt Krad going her way…"
"Krad? Why would he be going that way?" Daisuke twiddled with his thumbs for a minute.
"Ummm…well…"
"Niwa!"
"Krad and Miss Takimoto have had…well…some sort of…a relationship."
Riku's jaw dropped. "Excuse me!"
"Miss Riku, I'm sorry, but I have to go!" Riku grabbed his arm again.
"I'm coming, too." she said defiantly. Daisuke nodded. He knew that there was absolutely no way in convincing her otherwise.
"All right, but I'm going to have to change into Dark."
Riku scrunched up her nose, but didn't object when the purple-haired youth arrived. He smirked at the young girl.
"Miss me?" he teased.
"Ugh…just get to the hospital, will you?" she said, allowing Dark to pick her up.
The Phantom Thief smirked and kicked off the ground, heading for the Azumano District Hospital.
Hiya, once more, guys! I'm almost done, and, as you can tell, it's all gonna go down at the Hospital! even i can't wait for what will come next! thanx for ALL of your support, and keep the reviews comin!