Author's Note: Hello again, I am terribly sorry indeed for my delay in posting another chapter, I got writer's block on how to write this chapter to help get where I wanted it to be. So after a long time of procrastinating, I finally had ideas come to me at 4:38am one Saturday morning. So I finally started coming up with everything and ways to piece it together. The name of the artwork I'll mention in this chapter, well I knew what I wanted the object to be, and I took the name Bourbon from History class, which is where I was when I jotted down all my ideas, we were learning about the Bourbon Dynasty, so I just used the name, for lack of a better name, nothing else. I think with the amount of stuff I have written for this chapter, it might be a bit lengthier, hope you won't mind too much. So, after the long break, and speaking of which happy belated March Break, and St. Patrick's Day, chapter #6..
Chapter #6: Satoshi
We all made our way into the Niwa Household and took our shoes off at the door, it was a nice and peaceful home. It had a true family feel to it, not that I would really understand that feeling, but, this is how I believe it would feel. I go to step forward off the matt to wait for Niwa when he grabs my wrist to stop me. What is he doing?
"Mom, are the, you know, activated?" Daisuke asked his mother as she picked the groceries back up.
"Oh that's right!" Emiko then reached one hand into her purse searching for something after Daisuke's question seemed to jolt something in her mind. "I forgot to deactivate the traps when I left, thanks for reminding me sweetheart." Then she pulled a remote out and pressed a red button on it. Through the hallway you could hear clicking noises, and the sound of something powerful shutting down. Daisuke then let go of my arm and smiled.
"Sorry, our house is a little bit different for my training, it wouldn't have gone well if I had of let you continue," he now puts his shoes aside next to mine and his mother's.
"Dai, why don't you show our guest around a little bit, hmm? It will be a little while until dinner is ready," Emiko hinted when we stepped into their living room.
"Sure! Well this is our living room," he gestured around us, "And that's the kitchen, and that's Towa, she's kind of like our made." He gestured to the right of the room.
"Huh? I didn't know we were having guests tonight!" this younger looking 'maid' ran over at us with a giant smile and shook my hand violently. "Nice to meet you, you must be one of Daisuke's friends! You can just call me Towa, or Towa-chan, but never Ms. or Mrs. I'm much too young for those!" Now it makes complete sense, she's a great work. Towa..? I think that she is the eternal guide, that piece of art was made almost one hundred years ago. No wonder she doesn't want to be referred to as old, I guess some people are just like that.
"Nice to meet you, Towa.." we bow to one another, I take her hand that she was still holding from the shake and place a gentle kiss on it. "You do your job well by the looks of the house." To this she smiles and tries to conceal an excited squeal as a light blush creeps up on her cheeks.
"I like your friend Master Daisuke, such nice manners, what's his name?" she inquires.
"Towa, this is Satoshi Hiwatari, he will be joining us for dinner tonight, he saved Dai's life today and helped him home. Could you please come and help me prepare dinner for everyone?" Emiko shouted from the kitchen across the room.
"Oh sure Mrs. Niwa, nice meeting you Satoshi!" with that she whirled off to the kitchen to help Emiko.
"Hey mom? Speaking of dinner, what are we having tonight?" Daisuke shouted.
"Miso pork ramen with onigiri dear!" she shouted in response.
"Thanks!" he shouted back, "Do you like eating ramen and rice cakes Hiwatari?"
"Yes, I believe I've tried both in the past." I stand admiring a bowl containing some fruits for decoration, the craftsmanship is divine.
"Okay, that's good. Wanna go up to my bedroom?" Did I just hear correctly, did Daisuke Niwa really just invite me to his bedroom?
"Sure," I enforce my calm stature to stay in my voice.
"Well then come on already!" he starts to rush down a hall to one of the staircases waving his hand indicating me to follow, he laughs on his way up. I try to rush without actually running to keep up. It seems that this staircase led us right into his room. It's amazing, very roomy. A desk for working, a couch, a few lamps, rugs, art supplies and works galore, and his bed is up a later, like a bunk bed, but with just the top bunk. There are many nice sized windows showing the great view of Azumano city, and a balcony. "So what do you think?" He asks after setting his bag on his desk, and turning to meet my eyes as he leans against the ledge.
"It's really amazing Niwa.." I look around in awe, so this is what a regular teen boys room looks like, well, I guess Daisuke and I aren't regular teens, but, he is very much closer than I.
"Well, thank-you, I'm glad you like it. Make yourself at home, you can take a seat on the couch if you'd like!"
"Thanks." I sit down on the couch placing my own bag next to the end nearest to me. I notice a notebook, or sketchbook perhaps on the windowsill behind the couch. "Is this one of your art pads?"
"Yeah, it is," he walks towards me and picks it up as he sits on the couch, "You're welcomed to look through it if you'd like."
"Um, sure," I make out without stuttering while he hands it to me. I flip it open and start to flip through the pages. His art is really magnificent.
"So, if you don't live with your family, where are the rest of them? I know that you father lives alone at your main house, so.."
"My step father, or at least adoptive father."
"What?"
"Chief Superintendent Kei Hiwatari, he isn't my real father.."
"Oh, really? I always thought since your last name.."
"No, I was born a Hikari, and when he adopted me, he had it changed to Hiwatari so that threats to the Hikari line wouldn't come after me."
"Oh, so that means that your mother was a Hikari then?"
"Yes, she was, and so was my grandmother. That's why there wasn't Krad around when your grandfather hosted Dark, and that's why Krad was also absent when Dark was absent with your mother."
"So what happened to them? Do they still live in Azumano?"
-Master, your little friend doesn't know how much pain this is causing you does he? Completely oblivious, hmp?-
'It's okay, I don't mind if he wants to know..'
"Actually, my grandmother died giving birth to my mother.." I continue to just look at his art.
"Satoshi, I am so sorry, I didn't know, I shouldn't have.."
"It's okay Niwa, I understand, would you still like me to continue?" He looks puzzled, as if he's trying to decide how to answer politely, I know he does want to know more.
"Well, I would, but, definitely not if your mother died giving birth to you.."
"Well, no she didn't die from that," I give him time to register the meaning behind what I said.
"So your mother did die, did you get to know her?"
"Somewhat, but I was very young when she died."
"I'm so sorry, no one should have to go through that, especially at a young age." I can hear the sadness and sympathy sewed into his voice.
"It's okay, I was lucky to have known her at all," I try to reassure him.
"What do you mean?"
"Well you see, in my clan, whenever a son is born, it is known that he is the new future host to Krad. To make sure that he will have a chance at keeping control against the angel, they make sure that they don't grow attached to anything. They are raised to not love anything, or be beaten, so part of this is taking them away from their family. But they made an exception when I came along."
"Really? Why is that?"
"Well you know that my grandmother died giving birth to her..?" I see him nod out of the corner of my eye. "Well she died of poor health and sickness, my mom was the same. Both weren't very strong, they thought my mother was going to die at my birth, but she didn't. But, they knew it was apparent that she would die in the soon future after my birth. So they decided to let her stay with me until her time came.." As I finish this, I hear a sniffle, I don't dare to look at his face, if I dare see him cry now, it will push me too far.
"I don't understand though, if she was sick like your grandmother, and they knew she would likely die, then why? Why would they let her have a child?" he sniffles again and lifts his sleeve to his face, "Not that I don't like having you here as my friend, but still.."
"Well, they wanted to make sure that Krad would be carried on through more generations, they couldn't have no heir for the angel. The Hikari's would never let the Niwa thrive over themselves."
"B-but, that's so unfair! What if they didn't want to carry on Krad, or have children? I'm sure not everyone would willingly agree to something so terrible?"
"Well, it was usually considered an honour in both of our clans to carry the hosts.. I see that in your clan it still is for sure."
"But, it shouldn't be for Krad, I thought everyone feared and hated him?"
-It seems the Wing Master is trying to hurt my feelings Master..-
"They mostly do, but none the less."
"But what if someone never found love?"
"Krad always finds a way to live on Niwa," I glance at him, he looks confused, I don't know how to tell him without being blunt, and he's so innocent. "Well, if a girl Hikari never found love, they would get any male to, umm, conceive a child with her, whether she be willing or not. Same if a male Hikari didn't, they would find him a girl. On rare occasions now adays, Krad himself would take over in form control, and he would.."
"What?! Are you serious?!" his voiced cracked through his still running tears.
"Yes Niwa, when have I ever not been?" Niwa looked like he was about to protest but didn't. "In fact, back with some of the first tamers, there was a ceremony with both our clans for the angels to conceive children."
"I never knew that part of our clans' histories, in fact I don't know much about them at all, I didn't even know about the angels until my 14th birthday when I changed into Dark for the first time not knowing what was happening. So what happened to your father then?"
"I never met him, and no one ever told me about him, so I don't know."
"What was your mother like, if you don't mind me asking, that is?"
"She was kind, and a loving mother, I think.. Considering she never got to meet hers, she seemed to know what she was doing. She couldn't fully show her love to me, since I still wasn't supposed to grow attached to anything. I remember that she had some good days, and bad days with her health. For a lady with such a huge heart, it wasn't very strong from a number of things. Giving birth to me, and her anemia, that's what really pushed her over the edge."
-So, Master, does this mean you blame yourself for her death then?-
"It sounds like she really loved you, and isn't anemia genetic?" I feel his gaze shift to me nervously.
-Looks like the Niwa isn't completely without thought after all-
'Shut-up Krad!' Oh Niwa, you don't need anything else to pity me for, think of something else to talk about to change the subject Satoshi. "I really like this sketch." I say pointing to one of the city's windmills. Niwa makes some noise in response, I think he knew my intentions, and agreed to leave the subject. "But I wonder if you're right, if she did love me, I don't quite understand the feeling, or other many emotions. They were taken from me in my childhood."
"I'm sure she loved you, why would you think otherwise?" He pauses and then gasps, "You don't blame yourself for her death do you? Because if anything, you would have made her stronger Hiwatari, she would have been happy with you, it's a motherly feeling, they all have it!"
"Would a mother use her last words to her four year old son to say 'Kill Yourself….And do not hold anything dear to you…! So that *he* may never awaken..!' would she Daisuke, if she loved him?"
"Well maybe should would! Or, well, I-I don't know, I'm sorry, Hiwatari..For everything.."
"You have nothing to be sorry for Niwa."
"So what was her name? And how did you meet the superintendent?"
"Rio, Hikari..She and Kei were friends even before I came along, he knew of our clans abilities, and our curse. I think he loved her, once upon a time, I think he was kind. After she died, he took me in and adopted me. I was a genius at school and got through quickly. He knew that when my fourteenth birthday rolled around, what would happen. So he put me in charge of the police force to capture Dark. But he wasn't the same he had been in my childhood, I think that he changed after I started making my own artworks, although they weren't very powerful like my ancestors, they were still magical."
"You create art too?"
"I did, in the past, but I was cursed to only be able to copy other art perfectly, I can never make something of my own, like you." I am still flipping through his sketches and doodles.
"Really, what about in artclass?"
"It's the same as I've been doing for swim class, I've been excused, I just sit and read books." I flip to the next page, and I'm starting to think I'm getting into more personal drawings, I hadn't even realised it, but I was flipping through a section of sketches from in our school, and this next one was unmistakably, "Is this the Haradas from class?" Daisuke looks at the page I'm indicating and blushes slightly. He starts to laugh feebly scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah, it-it is, I hope you don't think I'm weird or anything, I wasn't trying to be creepy when drawing anyone!"
"No, not at all, the piece is very realistic, it looks just like them..What does sacred maidens mean though?" I notice that's the name of this work scribbled at the bottom right corner of the page.
"Oh that?! That's n-nothing, nothing at all!" What has him so flustered? "Do you not know what sacred maidens are?"
"I can't say that I do, although, I do understand both terms, but, is it something in particular?"
"Well, you see.."
"Dai, Satoshi! Boys! It's time for supper!" Emiko called up, and Daisuke seemed to sigh with relief. I guess it was a 'saved by the bell' moment for him, I wonder what he was going to say? It doesn't seem like something he'd want me to bring up at the dinner table infront of his family.. Oh no, his family, who all will be at dinner, the Niwa's surely hate me.. I think they do at least..
"Come on Hiwatari!" He pulls me down the stairs to the living room again, then walks me over to the dinner table that's all set up. He indicates for me to sit in a seat next to him. It's a rectangular table, set for six, he sits in the middle on our side, and I sit on his left, and Towa sits on his right. Across from me is Daisuke's father, I heard that he had returned recently from exploring the different artworks scattered on the earth with magical properties in museums, I remember Daisuke seemed slightly upset for some reason when he returned, Kosuke I believe his name was. Next to him was Emiko, and next to her, across from Towa, was Daiki, Daisuke's grandfather, and also Dark's last Tamer. If Emiko was uneasy about me coming, he must completely hate it, I wonder if that's why he's in the furthest possible seat away from me?
-It's too bad I didn't get a chance to go up against him in his glory days as a phantom thief, I'm sure he was promising. Unlike this current runt.-
'Layoff alright?!'
"So Hiwatari, this is my father Kosuke, you know my mom, and Towa, and that's my grandfather Daiki."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all, and thank-you for having me for dinner this evening."
"No problem, come by anytime, a friend of Daisuke's is always welcomed, especially one who saved his life," Kosuke said with a very warm smile. I sense that since he isn't a Niwa, he doesn't hate me. That's good to know, and maybe that's why he's across from me..
"Well, enough chitchat, we didn't cook this meal for nothing, dig in already!" Towa shouted jokingly. Everybody started to take food, so I decided I probably should aswell. I took one rice ball, and filled half my bowl with soup. Everybody in the family was just conversing with each other. Daisuke had just started his second rice ball when he started to talk to me again.
"Is that all you took Hiwatari? You know, were not going to poison you or anything!" he laughs as he nudges me with his elbow.
"I know, it's just I don't eat much." He looks as though his happiness button just got turned down a notch.
"Come to think of it, I never usually see you with your own lunch in school.." he stares off in front of him, worry laced in his words. And I guess it must have been one of those motherly things Daisuke had brought up, because she intervened.
"You miss out on meals? That's never good for the body, over time that could severely affect your health in terrible ways."
-For once a Niwa does have more sense than my tamer. I have told you many times that you need to eat or something like what this woman speaks of may happen. It also doesn't help your low blood pressure. Don't let your anemia waste your life like the ones before you.-
'You think I care, what's it matter to me, I'm just never hungry, okay, can't you all just leave me alone about it!? And what's it to you anyways, Krad?'
-Master Satoshi, you are my everything, I must make sure you stay healthy and strong.- his voice is so sincere, but I don't dare to trust anything he ever says to me.
"Hiwatari, would you eat lunch with me at school?" Daisuke had so much hope in this one question, compared to all of his others.
"If you would like me to, then of course, Niwa." I eat a mouth full of ramen to show that I don't completely hate eating.
"Well yes, I would," there was a brief pause as we both continued to eat. Technically I said I would eat lunch with him, that didn't mean I would have to eat my own, so long as I was with him as he ate his. But he'd probably like it better if I did bring something, maybe a fruit? "Do you have any plans for later tonight?"
"Why yes, I do have a previous engagement."
"Oh, really?" I can't tell if he's shocked or not, I think he is, but he's just trying not to be insultive by implying it to be strange for me to actually have plans, the one student without a social life at our school.
"Yes, I do as a matter of fact, quite frankly, I'm surprized you don't already know," I take another bite from the rice cake.
"What do you mean? Should I know?" Does he really not know what I'm talking about? The warning letter was sent in this morning.
"Oh yes, Dai, I almost forgot to tell you, I sent a warning letter out this morning at eight, it said.." I decide it would be fun to cut Emiko off.
"Tonight I will be stealing the Bourbon Harp at exactly midnight when the fullmoon is high in the sky, signed Dark Mousy himself. Or maybe not himself, huh?" I smugly glance at Emiko.
"Yes, that's right.." I feel as though maybe I just caused a bit of tension to arise. This is why I shouldn't be near people.
"So I'll be seeing you later then?" Daisuke asks happily, does he not know that it's dangerous for him to see me later? He acts as though we'll still be friends.
"Yes, it is my job to set up the capture of Dark after all." I try to show emotion to show less harm, like Niwa, but it doesn't work the same for me.
"Do you boys know the stories behind the harp?" Kosuke seemed to come my rescue on that one.
"Hmm," Daisuke scratches his temple while he tries to think of something he might have learned about the work, "I remember that it can cast very powerful spells depending on the amount of power it receives from the moon."
"Yes, that's right," Kosuke then turns to me, "What about you Satoshi? Do they give you knowledge about the works?"
"Yes, from time to time, and if not, I'll usually look in-tel up on my own time." He seems pleased, and nods for me to continue. "Well, along with what Daisuke said about the moon charging its power, different tunes strummed on it can cast different spells, the more powerful the spell, the more moonlight it will need to use for casting it."
"Yes, my, my, don't we have some exceptionally smart young men here in front of us?" Emiko smiles at the thought. Daisuke's father is really nice, he doesn't treat me like a demon, and instead, like a regular person. Kind of like Daisuke, but he's more mature, and doesn't acknowledge immense sympathy like his son.
-So, the Bourbon Harp, eh? Well Master, it seems like your lucky day, Dark will not be leaving tonight with the art piece, that I am certain.-
Seconds after this comment, I start to feel the wings burn, as if they're going to grow. I keep my composure to make sure I don't show the pain, I take a big bite out of my rice cake. Niwa is already on his third. I feel the skin tear and the new limbs stretch through the small openings. I fight back the urge as best I can, if the wings come out at a certain level, they can't be receded without coming out fully. I inhale sharply as I get the strength to send them back. Niwa looks at me from my breathing change, I know you see it Niwa, but please, please don't.. I look at him with a painful look to let him know that I don't want him to ask or acknowledge it. He takes in a deep breath, and looks infront of him as he closes his eyes.
"Are you enjoying the meal, Hi-Hiwatari?" He stammers out looking back at me.
"Yes, Daisuke, the meal is excellent, Mrs. Niwa and Towa, thanks," I see Niwa bite his bottom lip hard, he seems as though he might be conversing with Dark. "Thank-you Daisuke, for asking." I know the blood had stopped, and that the magic was healing the wounds. So contradicting, a magic that will heal you automatically, but the use of magic still hurts you. And now what will I do about my shirt, that's the third one I've wrecked this week.
'Krad, what are you doing?'
-Well, I didn't quite give you permission to go to the Niwas' house, and eat with them.-
'Was it not you who was also nagging me about eating only an hour ago?'
- Yes, but none the less, you will be punished more later then I already planned.-
He remained silent after that, another disadvantage to being a Hikari, the punishment.. After a little bit longer, everyone started to finish up their meals. I had eaten half of my one rice ball, and all of my half a bowl of soup with ramen. And this was more then I intended too. This didn't seem to please anyone at the table, especially Daisuke who consumed this amount times three. Suddenly he stood up, and motioned for me to stay at the table with everyone, and winked at me with the eye away from everyone else's view. He took his and mine dishes over to the kitchen, I reluctantly let him take them, I could have carried them myself, but he knew I couldn't with my shirt. He then left in the direction of the stairs. A few minutes later he came back down and handed me my book bag for school, of course, I can put it on my back and hide the holes.
"Perfect, thank-you again, Daisuke," I start to put my arms through the straps, and sling it on my back, I wince slightly at the weight of my books hitting the healing openings.
"You're welcome," he leans in and whispers, "Are you sure you don't want another uniform shirt?" I decide to play along in this whisper game.
"I'm sure, I wouldn't want to wreck one of yours. And besides, I have a pile at home just like this, I'll just fix them by sewing, or replace them." He leans away and nods that he understands. I then stand up next to him.
"You heading out now Satoshi?" Kosuke asks stretching as he too gets up, along with everyone else at the table.
"Yeah, I should probably get home and start preparing for tonight." I try a smile, and Kosuke seems to accept it, Emiko smiles aswell, Daiki nods with his arms crossed, and Towa? Well..
"Master Satoshi, you make sure you come back and visit us real soon okay, promise me that, and I'll let you leave, okay? Promise?!" Towa says running over and locking our pinkys together.
"Umm, alright Towa, I promise I'll come back really soon." She smiles and nods seeming proud of herself and goes to take more dishes to the kitchen for cleaning. Kosuke shakes my hand saying it was a pleasure to meet me, and I tell him that it was a pleasure to meet him aswell. Daisuke then escorts me to the door for me to put my shoes on.
"Well, see you later I guess?" he says with question, but still smiling.
"Yeah see you later." I stand up and he holds out his hand for a shake, I take it, and then suddenly I'm pulled into a light, friendly hug, "I'm still sorry about everything from earlier."
"It's okay Daisuke, you can't change anything, and nothing is your fault."
"Yeah, but, that was a lot for you, and it must have been tough, so I wanted to try make something up to you by telling you one of my secret flaws."
"Daisuke, you don't have to do that.."
"But I want to!" He shouts, but not loud enough to be carried down the hall for the rest of the family to hear. "I know you didn't want to talk about your anemia, and it was a fluke that I caught on, I know you wanted it kept secret." I turn away suddenly, so he did figure it out. "Well, I have insomnia, I know it's not the same, but I didn't want others to know that I get little sleep, even less considering being Dark, I guess it helps me there, but not you. I'm running around at midnight stealing things, and you're always right there. You need rest too, make sure you get some more okay?" Oh Daisuke, you don't have to blame yourself for my tiredness, Dark only makes a small fraction of it.
"Thank-you, Daisuke, until midnight.." And with that I left, and made it back to my own apartment across town. By the time I got home, it was sometime after nine. I walked in, took my shoes off, and my bag, then started to undo my shirt and tossed it into my pile of shirts just like it. Then he finally started to come. I took my glasses off and set them on my countertop. I still tried to resist him, even though the outcome was inevitable.
-Master, come now, why not just co-operate for a change. You can't hold me back anymore. First I will deal with you, and when the time is just right, we'll leave for the museum to set up for tonight's activities.-
I tried so hard to keep him in, but it was no use. The transformation had still gone too far for me to go back now. And then, he was in control.
"Well, I must say it feels good to get out. I think that if you hadn't have gone to the Niwas' you might have had a chance against the transformation. Who'd have thought that after building you walls up so high and thick, to keep the world out, and to keep me in. That, that little redhead, would tear right through them, and make use of your heart. I wonder how bad he would feel if he knew that he caused you all of this pain, hmm?" Krad started his incantations with his feathers for all the magic he was going to use to bring Satoshi great pain.
'Shut-up Krad, the only one causing me pain is you, and no one else!'
"My, My, aren't we the frisky one tonight? Do not deny love Satoshi, it is, after all, the only thing that will rid you of me, but alas, you love he who doesn't love you back, or does he? You'll never know, because you won't admit it, and you won't take the chance at losing your control."
'Just hurry up and do it already! There isn't that much time before I actually have to leave for my job!'
"I'm sorry to say Satoshi, but tonight, is going to be different considering the circumstances.." Satoshi hadn't even realised how much power and pain Krad was setting up for him.
'Wait Krad, what are you doing?!' But I was too late, through his vision, I saw the white feathers start to glow, and feathers on the ground stained red with my blood from being the first to spread blow away from the power starting to surge. Then Krad let me see his reflection, he smiled the most pure evil smile I had ever seen, and released his hold on the power. I heard a blurred trail of his laughter as I blacked out in my own shared mind..'Niwa, be..carefull, please..'
Author's Note: So how was that, I know that was a lot of info shoved into one chapter, and that made it really long, and I apologize dearly. I just must say, I couldn't figure out where to put some of those conversations in the future, without someone missing it in the story who needed to hear it. So that made it turn out longer than I had intended, been writing it from 10:55pm to 2:15am. I do have insomnia, so I decided to through that into the story for Dai. Also, I realized recently that there is some discussion saying that fanfiction may get taken down from the SOPA being renewed or something? If that is so, and the site goes down, I do still plan on finishing this story until the end, because I hate reading a story that's never completed, and I come across those a lot, and it really does for lack of better term, 'suck', because they are such awesome stories, and I never get to read how the author intended them to end. So I will finish this no matter what, just have faith, and hang in there, but if fanfiction does go down, and any of you still want to see where the story goes, you can just message me for the story to be sent to you, email address: my username, atom80sky gmail dot com, you know how to put it in to send to me. Well, sorry for rambling again, I don't even know if people read author's notes, I always do, but some may find them annoying, especially if they look as long as this, so sorry! Once again, and tell me what cha thought! Thanks! :) –Atom