~Raven Moon~

By: Aerys Krystie.

~ * ~

As Dark wandered around the Limitless Fortress, he soon came to the conclusion he didn't like this place. It was horrible and having to fend off people was irritating. What he hated the most was the irony. The name of the place and how many people were suffering.

He knew it wasn't really any of his business. But until he figured out just exactly who he was, he would be staying here and he was going to make sure a few things were changed. He had no idea who was in charge or what the point to this place but at the same time, he knew it was a haven to some people.

Everything about this place seemed to be hypocritical. It was meant to be limitless, yet there were boundaries. It was meant to be a fortress yet anyone could enter. It was a heaven and a hell. It really made Dark feel kind of upset.

What Dark hated the most about that place was the secrecy that it was shrouded in. It seemed the weak were too scared to talk about it and the strong were just plain stupid. And everywhere he went, he saw one word appear almost constantly, like a mantra. Volts.

When he got back to MakubeX, he would have to ask about that. He wanted to know if it was the gang that was ruling this place and if they were, he would like to have a few words with them. This place seemed to have very little law and order.

Dark stopped in the middle of an empty street. Since he left the building where he woke up, he knew he was being followed. There was something weird about them. Their presence felt strange. It was unnerving, a sinking feeling. It wasn't evil nor was it friendly. It was hostile but not. Another hypocritical aspect of this place.

"Are you going to show yourself or just continue to hover up there?"

The person landed behind him and Dark turned around to face whoever it was. He was a little surprised to see a blond man, in a nice suit. Dark hated his eyes though. They were not inviting, unlike the smile on his lips. Whoever this man was, he was a very deceptive person and Dark wanted to kill him.

"Who are you?" Dark demanded.

The smile smiled cockily. "Tell me who you are and I'll you who I am."

And he likes to play games. Great. Dark narrowed his eyes. "I'm Dark."

"I noticed."

Dark rolled his eyes. He was not going to play this man's game, no matter what he said. "Who are you?"

"You have yet to tell me your name. All I got was your mood."

It occurred to Dark he would have to play this man's game for a little if he was to get anything from him. But Dark would be the one calling the shots.

"My name is Dark."

The man nodded. "Oh, I am sorry. My name is Kyoji Kagami."

Well, that explains it, then. Dark nodded. He knew that Kagami was around somewhere and he knew it wasn't the blond in front of him. There was nothing and Dark had to question why Kagami would go on the defensive immediately.

"Why are you following me?"

"I observe. You're not a resident of the Limitless Fortress."

Dark's pupils dilated for a second and went back to normal. He knows more than he lets on. It must be part of his games.

"Are you the same Dark?" Kagami inquired.

Dark frowned. What the hell is that meant to mean? Is everyone here crazy or am I the crazy one? "I believe so."

"The infamous Phantom Thief, I presume?"

"What?" Shit! He's got me. I should have known.

"Oh, nothing. There is a thief with the same name as you. I figured you were either a fan of his or you were the thief. I know that seems a little ridiculous. After all, there is nothing here for you to steal, is there?"

Dark sighed and turned away from the man. "Perhaps we could continue this conversation when you're not too inconsiderate to hide behind a mirror."

That ought to shut him up. Dark rotated his shoulders. He didn't know when it started, but they felt as though they were on fire and it was spreading around his back. He figured it was just easier to blame Kagami. After all, Dark didn't really notice it until they began speaking.

"And things get interesting," Kagami muttered as he walked in the opposite direction as Dark.

* * *

"Krad Hikari."

Ban, Clayman, Ginji, Kazuki, Natsumi, Paul and Shido stared in disbelief as the freshly cleaned Honky Tonk was dirtied by a spray of blood and the window beside the stranger broken by a pair of large white wings.

Paul was the first to recover. "Should we take him to the hospital again?" he asked when Krad's head hit the table.

Everyone looked at Clayman and she shifted uneasily. "I don't know. I only know about the artwork, not the people who were painted in them."

"Did you know that would happen?" Shido enquired.

Clayman frowned slightly. She had just explained she knew nothing about the subjects of Hikari paintings. She wasn't sure what to expect when she said Krad's name. She was hoping it would jog his memory, not aid in his death.

"Oh no! Is he dead?"

Kazuki stared at Krad. "No. He's alive. I think he's in a lot of pain, though."

"Oh, my god! What happened here? Is she okay?" Hevn wasn't sure what she thought of the Honky Tonk's new décor.

"He," everyone corrected.

Krad groaned and raised his head. His eyes were unfocused as he looked in Kazuki's general direction. It didn't last long as his head fell to the table again. It was agony even thinking of moving anything that could result in the movement of his back.

What happened? Where am I? Why is there a broken window? Did I break that? Is that a wing? Does it belong to an albatross? Is it albatross? That's off topic, right? Where is Kazuki? Krad wasn't sure how long he was staring at the rain when he realized the pain was subsiding. He raised his head again and looked around.

"Should we call an ambulance?" Hevn asked.

"No," Krad muttered. "I don't like that hospital."

"Are you okay?" Kazuki took his eyes off Krad's wings to look at Krad's face. He had a lazy smile on his lips, his eyes half closed. Kazuki figured he was still in pain.

"I'm really sorry, Krad. I didn't know that would happen."

Krad looked at the woman that had just spoken to him and frowned. She said his name? At least he remembered what his name was. He still had no idea where he was but he figured it to be somewhere in Japan. He wouldn't mind knowing the era.

"Accidents happen."

There was silence for a few minutes until Krad got to his feet. The pain had died away completely, something he wasn't expecting. He looked from left to right at his wings. He saw the colorful sheen his feathers had and he knew what the colors were.

Ginji frowned as he stared at the feathers. He saw the violet. It was identical to the one that had cut his thumb open. Thankfully, it wasn't too deep. The doctor just glued it closed and told him to take it easy when he woke up.

It did explain all the blood that had exploded from Krad's back when his wings broke free. Ginji just couldn't believe how badly releasing them affected Krad. He figured Krad's body would be used to it. After all, he must have had those wings since he was born.

"An angel?" Shido asked. That was something he wasn't expecting. Though, to have one of the people in a painting some crashing through the roof doesn't happen everyday, either.

"Red, green, yellow, orange, violet, indigo and blue." Ban studied the feathers. "Is that your way of being out?"

Krad gave the blue eyed man a confused look. "'Out'? What does that mean?"

Kazuki knew how this would end. "It doesn't matter, does it, Ban?"

Ban wanted to explain in great detail what being "out" meant. He had all the right people for the different sexual orientations, including a serious case of transgender issues. But Ban knew now wasn't the best time, seeing as Krad just found out the horrible way he had wings.

"Krad?"

Krad looked at the woman with the short grayish-blue hair. "Hm?"

Clayman stepped closer, pulling out the photograph. "Does this look familiar?"

Krad looked at the photo and nodded. "Yes." He looked at his wings and saw them glowing. He groaned. "That does it. If I start sparkling, I'm killing myself."

Kazuki chuckled. "I'm sure it won't come to that. So, Miss Hevn, what brings you here?"

Hevn shook her head. "Oh, right. I have a job for Ban and Ginji. Although, it might interest you and Shido as well. It involves the Limitless Fortress."

"And a missing painting?" Ban asked.

"Three missing paintings," Hevn corrected. "Apparently very rare and quite priceless. My client will pay any amount to have them returned safely."

Ban turned to Clayman. "There are three of them?"

"Yep," Krad answered. "'Raven Moon', 'Endless Rain' and 'Dark Light'." He looked at the other blonde-haired, gold eyed person in the room. "They're not priceless. Everything comes with a price." Krad withdrew his wings back into his body.

Hevn looked insulted. "Well, don't you know it all? What kind of price are we looking at with those paintings?"

Krad glanced around at everyone and wondered if it had been a good idea to mention the price. Then again, maybe it was, if they listened carefully, which he hoped Ban would.

"It costs the owner their soul." Krad looked around at the blank faces. "You've never heard the legend?"

"Of the roses?" Clayman asked. "The ever-changing roses of the Hikari Raven Moon trilogy."

"What roses?" Ginji asked, looking a little more than clueless.

Clayman looked at the electric blond and smiled gently. "When the original Raven Moon trilogy was painted, there were only seven roses in full bloom, in each picture, but countless buds. Over the years, the buds have flowered. Due to that, it has lead a controversy in the authentication of the paintings."

Ginji blinked. "Why seven?"

Krad took over as seven feathers appeared in his hand, each a different color. He held them out so everyone could see. "The roses represent these, our wings. One for healing, one for flooding the heart, one for sleep, one for an explosion, one for fire and two for poison." Krad threw five of them and they hit the counter like a series of darts.

"So, why do you think you were brought here?" Kazuki inquired as he turned his attention back to Krad.

Krad shrugged. "Dark and I were meant to seal Raven Moon. Oh, god! Dark!" Krad went to take a step then froze. "By the way, does anyone have any clothing I can borrow until I steal my own?"

~ * ~

End Chapter III.

Once again, really sorry. I doubt it's worth the wait, but I hope you enjoyed it!

Please review!