CHAPTER 8
(Fruits Basket spoiler alert.)

Everyone gathered around Satoshi in the hallway with wonder as his painting finished absorbing the lethal stream of magic. Having known a lot about Satoshi even before getting to know him personally, I wasn't totally clueless about what had just taken place. The others, however, had no clue what to make of it.

So that's what it is, Satoshi thought while studying his painting intensely. Art receives its power through the thoughts, intentions, and emotions of both creator and viewer. The things I thought while painting this unconsciously infused in it a barrier magic that is serving to protect her. If only I had created it sooner, we could have avoided…

"Here." He handed the painting to me with a mysterious calmness that I didn't understand right away. "If you hang this up somewhere, its magic will help shield you from further attacks. Unfortunately, while it may slow Krad and Dave down, there is no guarantee that it will stop them completely."

I looked down at the artwork in my hands and released a grateful sigh. As well as easing my mind of fear, its beauty continued to astound me: warm beads of light swirled about the picture, bringing the vivid sunset therein to life. I knew then that I wanted to hang it up in my room where I would visit it frequently.

"It's so pretty!" Tohru exclaimed with genuine appreciation. "Satoshi painted this? You're really good!"

After profusely agreeing with her, I thanked Satoshi.

"There is no need to thank me. Consider it a proper apology," he replied, leaning much of his weight onto the nearest wall.

"An apology for what?"

The ice in his voice chilled us all. "Existing."

He parted the Sohmas and began to shuffle his way back to the living room, but I would not let him go just yet. "No. You have no reason to apologize!"

His feet stopped moving.

"You, and even Krad, are here for a purpose – I'm absolutely positive. I may be worried right now, but don't think for one minute that I don't want you here!" Even fearing for my life was better than that mind-numbing monotony I was previously drowning in. In addition, if Krad was serving to be as difficult as he was, then in accordance with Lena's words, my original wish was that much closer to being granted.

Satoshi's shoulders visibly tensed. "How can you say that after what he did to you? After what I failed to do?"

"Because Lena is real, and she's got it all under control."

Kyo's ears perked up, and he voiced the question that was on everyone's minds: "How do you know?"

"I spoke with her shortly before Tohru found me last night. I even saw her, guys! Though we may not understand immediately, she knows what she's doing. Believe in her!"

Everyone was surprised by my words, but soon firm nods were sent around. Satoshi turned around with renewed interest. Finally, something about Lena.

"What did she say?" Haru asked. "Did she tell you anything about Dave?"

"Yes. I gathered that she actually created him – that, when it comes to this creator business, he's a fake."

They all glanced at each other, searching tentatively for mutual agreement on some matter. The inevitable decision could wait no longer: Dave's secrets were leaking out. At this stage, the consequences didn't matter anymore, and with this new confidence in Lena, they mattered even less. Indeed, it was time to break free of his hold.

"Actually," Haru sheepishly admitted, "we've known this for a while."

"What?" I tilted my head to the side and waited for somebody to say something. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ayame brought his hands up in a shrug, appearing uncharacteristically serious. "Haru and I felt a particular loyalty to him, whom we thought to be our creator. When he told us that the penalty for revealing him to you was death, we took him seriously. But now, we're beginning to doubt that he is what he claims."

Kyo added more to the growing revelations. "I guess you should know, he's the one Aya and I went to see that day. He told me that he would kill me if I said anything, too. Heck, it's all out now, so who cares? Let's go hunt him down. Right now."

Why is Dave so bent on keeping himself secret? I thought.

"No," Satoshi told Kyo, gently tossing the sparkling ring in one hand.

"What do you mean?"

He paused meaningfully and ceased the tossing. "I know who he is – and, let me tell you, his real name is not Dave. He is using an alias."

All eyes were on him now.

"It's obvious to me now: my knowledge of him is exactly what he was trying to avoid. You see, I'm quite familiar with how he works; for instance, I know that he will have planned ahead, and unless we want to find ourselves in a death trap, we need to tread carefully. He is well aware that I am capable of thwarting him with minimal information. After all, he is the only 'father' I've ever known. It was only a theory of mine until I saw the Hikari artworks show up in this world that he had expressed interest in before."

"Mister Hiwatari?" I asked incredulously. "Of all people…"

"So that's where he got his creepy factor from," Kyo muttered to himself. "So…uh, what do we do? You know him better than any of us."

"I'd say that our retaliation begins with a warning. Miss Alyssa, would you care to do the honors?"

Victory briefly flashed across Satoshi's face when he placed the ring, half of the Reflections of Regret, in my hand, and motioned toward the painting that I held in the other. "Drop it in," he instructed.

I did as he said. The painting rippled like water as it swallowed the ring up, never to be seen again. Then, I excused myself to go hang it up – the sooner the better – and Tohru tagged along to help straighten it out.

"Does that kind of stuff happen all the time in your world?" Haru asked when just the boys were left in a group.

"With artworks created by the Hikari bloodline, yes."

Kyo casually leaned on the wall across from Satoshi with his arms folded. "Your world is really weird."

"But where I'm from, animals don't talk," came the smart remark.

"So where does Dark fit into all that, again?"

"He steals –"

At the sound of Dark's name, Satoshi felt the boiling pulse of the one within him begin to rise. He had to find a way to take care of him and fast, but his body was too weak to fight or to escape fast enough. The burn in his chest forced him to his knees – transforming had become inescapable. All he could do was tell the others to go. "It's Krad. Take her. Run!"

No sooner than I had heard Satoshi's cry, I found the Sohmas storming into my room. Haru shoved the window open and said "Go!"

When I was halfway outside, a sudden idea hit me and I withdrew back into my room. "No, wait!"

"'Wait'? It's Krad! Go, now!"

I scurried to the corner of my room and snatched my necklace. Shoving urgently past Kyo and Ayame, I ran out to Satoshi, fully expecting him to be Krad already; however, the transformation was taking much longer than expected, probably due to his weak condition, and supplied me some time. I knelt in front of him and slipped the necklace over his head, hoping with all of my heart that this would work.

"Lena!"

The necklace began to glow, and Satoshi was able to breathe easy again. Within his mind, Krad found himself bound by chains with links as thick as his wrists, and the shadowy figure of a woman stood before him. Wait for it, love, she said with amusement.

Realizing that Lena had listened to me from within the medium, I took the opportunity to make a bold move. "I wish that Satoshi could be freed from these plagues – that Krad and the animal spirits would be separated from him!"

Without delay, the outline of translucent wings sprung up in the air behind Satoshi and, gradually, Krad materialized there.

Oh no! I didn't think he'd be released out in the open like this!

"Hah! Why thank you, mademoiselle!" He swooped down with grace to one knee and reached a hand out to stroke my face, but I defensively grabbed his wrist and pushed it to the side. This, he observed with great joy: "This sensation is my own…this body is entirely my own, and it's all thanks to you, my sweet. All for you. As for my dear tamer," he smirked in Satoshi's direction, "this means goodbye."

What were you thinking, Alyssa? Now everyone's going to die!

Satoshi stood up to take him on, but then a terrible stench in the air offended our nostrils and brought him back down to the floor. It was unbelievably suffocating, as if every inch of the house was crawling with death. Krad, somehow unaffected, tightly folded his wings and revealed to us the horror that stood beyond.

There, hunched over to avoid colliding with the ceiling, stood the deformed reptilian monster responsible for the sickly-sweet odor: the true form of the cat spirit. Its remarkably long, muscled limbs and sleek torso revealed that it possessed frightening power and speed. As if that sight wasn't panic-inducing enough, there hung a massive white snake around its neck, coiled loosely, that forked its tongue toward us. Satoshi and I backed up instinctively, struck by intense fear. Maybe Satoshi was used to seeing monsters, but my heart raced with impossible speed and a cold sweat formed on my skin as I took in those deadly claws and the color of decay. What have I done?

Now, three pairs of golden serpent eyes pierced through us instead of one.

With a deafening crash, the creature swept the contents of the dining room to the side in one swift stroke, mutilating the furniture and shattering the glass door. It took one threatening step, and then another, until it was side by side with Krad. The snake's head – nearly as large as my own – sailed smoothly over his shoulder while it bared its fangs and hissed a wild warning. Menace was as thick in the air as the stench was.

To top it all off, Krad brought forth a white feather that began to absorb energy from the surrounding environment; as the pressure of his magic weighed down on us, I could only imagine what the actual impact would feel like. Brief images of some similar memory flickered in my mind, but my panic was too great to allow me to focus on them.

Satoshi's clammy hand felt around for mine in a futile attempt to provide consolation. Though it wouldn't do anything to help the situation, he stammered the word "sorry."

Yes, that wish was definitely a mistake, and I was sorry, too.

By then, something had caused the three monsters to mercifully peel their inhuman eyes away, freeing us. At first, I didn't dare to take my own eyes off of them, but then I saw a shadow on the edge of my vision. I fought the urge to gag on the repulsive air and took the deepest breath I could manage. It was Lena, and she was giving me a thumbs-up.

"You," Krad growled, and shot the ball of energy at her. She effortlessly caught it in the palm of her bare hand.

"That's no way to treat your creator," she said, forming her perfect lips into a pout. Before Krad knew it, his own magic had blasted his left shoulder, causing his sleeve to burn up and blood to trickle down to the floor.

Krad grunted with surprise. "Creator?"

When I looked back to the fearsome beings, they were wrapped up tight by enormous chains that were pulling them toward my room. During the time that I had looked away, the true form of the ox spirit had shown up, as well – its oversized horns swung around as it cried out in fury, scratching and destroying everything they came into contact with.

Protesting growls, hisses, groans, and stomping hoofs sounded as the chains constricted the monsters further. Lena's small figure approached the bound angel with confidence, and then she twirled that stray lock of his hair around an elegant finger. "You're mine."

After a few seconds, those in chains disintegrated into particles of dust that danced through the hallway.

The painting absorbed them?

Leisurely, Lena, in full view of the paralyzed Sohmas and Tohru, walked behind us and lightly placed her hands on our shoulders. Satoshi and I were equally as paralyzed, so she gave us a vigorous shake. "Don't worry."

The haunting images of those monsters kept playing through my mind. Even if they were gone now, I couldn't ignore the fact that the house was in shambles. There were gaping holes in the walls and floor, a missing door, broken glass and dishes everywhere, splinters of wood all over… How can I not worry?

"What do you mean?" she asked while pointing at the remnants of chaos.

I blinked. The house was in perfect order, as if nothing had ever happened. How? When?

"See? I got this." With a final wink, she disappeared into the necklace that remained around Satoshi's neck.

The house was dead quiet for what felt like ages. Color slowly returned to our pale faces, and it took us a while to say anything after being so terrified. I simply stayed in the corner of the kitchen next to Satoshi, breathing, reminding myself over and over that we were safe. When we had recovered some, his hand gave mine a comforting squeeze – I discovered that he was smiling a pure, beaming smile, and couldn't help but do the same.

"Ok," Dave said to himself when he was safely inside his car in the parking lot. He nervously ran his hand through his hair and told himself to concentrate. "The Reflections of Regret is mine. If Krad was able to find my office so easily, he will be able to, as well. I need to go somewhere where I can think in peace, some place neither can find – but where?"

Crossing his wrists over the steering wheel, he lowered his head and sought to identify the best plan of action. At first, he ignored the white sheet of paper that sat on the passenger seat, but the more he thought about it, the more it stood out to him as a good idea. Surely, it's the last thing they would expect.

He picked up his cell phone and dialed the number on the sheet. While the phone rang, he snuck a glance at the pocket watch. There would be plenty of time, and there weren't any stray magic vessels anywhere nearby that could interrupt his travel.

"Hello?" a female answered.

"Hey. Might this be Sam?"

"Mhm, that's me." She contemplated something. "You…wouldn't happen to be Dave, would you?"

"That is correct."

Upon hearing this, she let out a pleasant, feathery giggle. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"I was hoping you'd be free this evening. I'd like to…well, get to know you."

"The feeling is mutual. I'm free whenever you are."

"Then how about we make it a date? Dinner anywhere you'd like, drinks on me. I'll pick you up at seven – sound alright?"

"Sounds great." She gave him her address and detailed that it was a small apartment near the back of the complex. "I'll see you then."

When Sam snapped her cell phone shut, she slowly spun around, elated. In all honesty, she had never expected him to call to begin with, because these kinds of things never happened to her. Instead, her best friend Jessica was the one whom fortune smiled upon: she was just a little bit prettier, a tad smarter, a smidge more charismatic, and never without male attention. At least she didn't let it all get to her head – she remained supportive of Sam and even made it a mission to divert the attention to her. Nevertheless, things with guys just never worked out the way she hoped. Wait until she hears about this, though! Sam thought with a big grin. Me? Landing a man that handsome? If all goes well tonight, the tables will have officially turned. I know I can't get my hopes up too high yet, but still.

Though she returned her eyes to the internet article she had been reading, she could not focus on it. Her thoughts wandered elsewhere to what she would wear, what she would do with her hair, what Dave would be like, how the evening would go, the look on Jessica's face...

To pass the time, Dave drove to a spacious park on the other side of town so as to be comfortably far from his office while he made preparations. He fully intended to enjoy himself later that evening, but in order to make that happen, he had to be certain that he wouldn't be found by either angel. This merely required a frequent checking of the pocket watch. It sounded simple enough, but as long as the watch was open, its magic would become easily detectable and could reveal his position. Also, he had to make sure that it remained hidden from the woman: if she discovered the magic and became suspicious, Lena would definitely interfere. He thought about ridding his person of the Purging Faces to keep her at bay, but the artwork was too valuable to destroy and too powerful to let fall into the wrong hands; he would have to find a way to make it work. Indeed, this would be a delicate process, but he felt thrilled by the challenge.

Once the deadline passed, he'd let Krad and Dark deal with each other, and then go straight for the girl. The only problem was that he'd need the other half of the Reflections of Regret to be successful, and it had just conveniently disappeared to an unknown location, as if taunting him. Did Dark have it already? Or did Krad?

He decided he'd find out. Opening the watch furtively, one of its many hands told him that all magic vessels were still predictably yet reassuringly in the direction of the girl's house. Afterwards, he whispered into the mirror within: "Come to me." It glowed for a fleeting moment, and then stopped. Something was definitely interfering, so he repeated the words firmly for good measure. Then, he tucked it away in a pocket and, careful to wear heavily tinted sunglasses to conceal his unique eyes, decided to shop around for a more relaxed change of clothes. Tonight was going to be interesting, for sure.

Krad sat up on the ground and was simultaneously greeted by the pleasing clangs and jingles of his chains falling off. Looking every which way, he observed with panic that the world looked very similar to the one he had come from. As opposed to the real world, there wasn't as much fine detail or depth of color, and everything felt the same. The air was perfectly still. Temperature didn't exist. There were no sounds, no smells. Nothing moved – even the birds in the sky hung motionless – and when he looked into the distance, the end of his line of sight actually constituted the edge of the world itself. Did she…kill me?

No…I can't be dead. That's Miss Alyssa's house, over there. He turned to his left and gazed at the burning sunset which, upon close examination, possessed a curious, brush-stroked quality.

I'm inside my master's painting!

Behind him, the three other monsters lay passed out on the painted ground, strangled by the chains. When he bent around to look at them, he noticed that his shoulder was still damaged, too. Before he could get too angry at Lena, some wordless thought filled his mind that caused him to redirect his attention toward a particular place. There, hidden in strokes of neat grass, was a sparkling ring. Upon walking closer, the wordless sensation organized itself. It was calling him. "Come to me," it said. "Come to me."

Krad picked the ring up and juggled his options. I'm afraid that escaping from this painting on my own will be a difficult task. If I wear the ring, I could get out, but Master Hiwatari would have control of me, defeating the purpose. If I don't wear the ring, I remain trapped here for an indefinite amount of time. If neither, I shall at least alert him to my presence.

He grasped the ring tightly in his fist and focused on sending a strong pulse of magic into it. Here in this world, it flowed much more intensely, which worked to his advantage. Such power was guaranteed to give 'Dave' chills.

That, it did. Not long after sending his message, Dave was seized by an unsettling, hair-raising burst of dark energy from his pocket watch that was undeniably Krad's. He feared this the most: it meant that he would either have to work with Krad or fight him if he was to obtain the ring, and he knew from yesterday's death encounter and now this harsh magic warning that Krad was certainly not in the cooperating mood. For the sake of life, though, he would do whatever was necessary.

The reeking air had finally cleared from the house, and with it, our uneasiness. The curses belonging to the Sohmas and Satoshi were lifted now, meaning that there was less for them – and me – to worry about. It was almost time to think of a plan of action to take down Satoshi's father and learn the truth, but not quite. According to Ayame, we could not proceed until I opened my other present.

I stood there in my room with folded arms, eying up the box. From the looks that Satoshi and Haru had given me when I left for my room, I could tell that I was in for something - whether good or bad, I wasn't sure.

"You don't have to wear it!" Kyo announced through the locked door. "Please, don't wear it! Hang on to your innocence, I'm begging you!"

Following this, I heard Tohru's sweet voice try to soothe him. "It'll be alright, Kyo! The one I -"

"Don't you try yours on either, you hear?"

Laughing, I placed my hands on the lid and cautiously scooted it to the side. The first thing I saw was black lace. Well, what do we have here? Considering that Ayame was Ayame, this had great potential to steer in a problematic direction. In any case, I lifted the item fully out of the box.

When I did, a small, white card in the bottom of the box caught my attention, so I picked it up to read it:

"I am deeply sorry, my princess. ~ Ayame"

I shook my head. He's apologizing, too? I then resumed unfolding the intriguing item and held it up to myself in front of a mirror, amazed by the final result. It must have required a staggering amount of skill to make. A minute later, I found that it fit perfectly, as well.

When I placed my hand on the doorknob to exit the room, I couldn't help gazing at the painting on the wall next to it once more, thinking of the evils trapped within. I was so glad that everyone could be free. Satoshi. The true Satoshi that revealed itself to me that one day no longer had to be hidden. He could begin to truly live.

But then the thought of Dark popped up in my mind, causing me to sink down on my bed with a sigh. Here we are, living, but where are you? I reached for my sketchbook and found the drawing that immediately preceded the one I was looking for, but when I flipped it to the side, only a blank page awaited.

Huh?

I flipped to the next page. It was blank. Backtracking a few pages, I still couldn't find that one special drawing of Dark. After flipping through the whole book one last time, I verified that it was gone.

Fingering the necklace in his hands, Satoshi returned to his spot in the living room to give his aching body a break while he waited for me to come out. Both he and Haru, who stood nearby around the corner from the hallway, could feel a thick aura of excitement and pride radiating from a happily humming Ayame. It was concerning.

Kyo moped out of the hallway with Tohru, sighing exaggeratedly. "What's taking her so darn long?"

"Oh, it's just a little bit complicated to put on," Ayame answered with total nonchalance.

His head drooped under a cloud of gloom lines, and he ventured to drag Ayame outside to knock some sense into him. "Sicko!"

"What did I do?" he sobbed.

Tohru chased after Kyo to help break up the fight, and Hatsuharu watched them speed away, amused. Satoshi coolly pushed his glasses up and grinned – the fact that everyone was fretting over something so trivial proved that life was good again. While he continued fidgeting with the necklace, he let himself dwell on the memories of that morning. So that was Lena. If she – with that kind of power – is on our side, then my father doesn't stand a chance.

He found himself expecting a defiant reply from within by force of habit, but soon relaxed. It was liberating to know that he could now permanently think undisturbed. Enjoy it while you can. Who knows how long you'll last?

I cracked my door open and cautiously said "It's on." The only person around to hear was Hatsuharu – Satoshi was elsewhere, and from what I had overheard, Kyo and Ayame were bickering again.

"May I see?"

I opened the door all the way and invited him over, feeling too out of place to venture into the hallway. The outfit – a stylish ensemble that blended bold leather and stud accents with feminine lace and soft colors in a light, summery way – was a daring stretch from my usual T-shirt and shorts, but a much-needed change. "It's not at all what I was expecting."

He began to laugh nervously. "That would be thanks to me."

"Really?"

"Mhm. Left to himself, Ayame was going to take it a bit too far: that," he pointed, "was shorter, that was tighter, that was...erm, wasn't. I got to see most of it yesterday when he asked the scary girl to model, and that was when I decided to throw some pointers his way." Haru planted his elbow on the door frame and leaned against it with the other arm akimbo, admiring the finished product. "It looks really nice now."

"Come to think of it," I said, looking down at the outfit and then up at his, "I see some resemblance."

"Well, those ideas weren't really based on my own sense of style. I was going by the drawing of Dark that you showed me, thinking you'd appreciate something similar. I gotta hand it to him, he has some great taste."

"Speaking of the drawing, did you tear it out of my sketchbook when you used it as a reference?"

"No, I peeked at it quick and put it back on the shelf. Why, is it missing or something?"

"Yes, it is." I motioned for him to follow me into my room, and flipped through the sketchbook with him at my side. "See?"

"Hmm." He contemplated this for a moment. My worried expression moved him to wrap an arm comfortingly around my shoulder, this time without fear of transforming. "Hey, we'll find it, alright?"

"Huh? Oh, it's not that," I shrugged. "I was just thinking…it sounds like I won't be able to see Dark until we take care of Satoshi's father. I know we've got Lena working with us, but knowing he's after me for some unknown reason makes me...worried."

I'm pretty sure I know why he's after you, Haru thought with a certain measure of dejection. Why hasn't Lena said anything about that to you? If she still hasn't, I'd better not. I don't want you to worry about us. This information about Dark is news, though – I should tell the others about that later, so that they know what we're getting ourselves into. It's just…Uggh, looking at that face, this pact is harder to keep than I thought it was going to be. She's scared. She wants Dark. I'll definitely protect her life, but I can't tell her that I'm against Dark – I don't want to die, either. Right now, what am I supposed to do?

He took the sketchbook from my hands, set it back on the shelf, and then brought his other arm around me for a full hug. "Try not to worry. Trust me – we'll get this sorted out, 'kay? I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

"…Thanks, Haru."

I felt him take my hand and give it a tug toward the door. "First, cuteness," he teased, "we've got some more people to show you off to!"

Later in the afternoon, Sam decided that the appointed time of the outing was near enough to begin preparations, so she plugged in her curling iron and brushed her dark hair while waiting for it to heat up.

The doorbell rang, interrupting her date-centered thoughts. Ah! That might be Jessica – today's her day off of work, and it's far too early for Dave to be here yet.

Sam stepped over to the door and pulled it open, but nobody was there. She poked her head out and looked both ways, searching for any people, cars, or mischievous children in hiding, but found nothing.

"Jess?" she spoke to the empty air.

Hmm. That's strange. Oh well.

She returned to the bathroom where her hot curling iron waited. When she looked up at the mirror to begin the curling process, she was met by the startling reflection of a shadowy figure standing behind her. The iron clattered noisily the floor.

Upon seeing the face, Sam broke out into laughter. "Geez, Jess! Since when were you so good at sneaking up behind people?"

Out of the blue, she felt a most curious sensation and then everything was drowned in utter blackness.

"Please do as I say," said a voice that clearly wasn't Jessica's. "I'll make it up to you later."

"A medium, you say?" Satoshi asked, handing the necklace to me.

"Yes. She told me that she needs them to communicate with people. This thing is just a weird little gift from my grandfather, but it's somehow suitable to be a medium."

The lighthearted mood of the afternoon had faded away. After everyone had seen Ayame's creation, Kyo's gratitude toward Hatsuharu for his assistance had grown limitless, Satoshi was relieved, Tohru fell in awe, and Ayame's liveliness was boosted to unthinkable levels. We'd agreed that it would be best to wait for him to calm down and allow Satoshi a bit more rest before beginning our planning, so I had taken advantage of the time by finally trying out Tohru's cooking. That monster's nauseating stench (which I would never forget as long as I lived), coupled with such a level fear, had stolen my appetite for a while.

Now that everyone was at his best, we all gathered together around the table, determined and serious.

"She also told me that Dave…I mean, your…Mr. Hiwatari, he's found a way to turn them off when she tries to use them."

"I'm not surprised." Satoshi's expression did not change. "You should keep this necklace on you at all times, just in case." Turning to the Sohmas, he said "Now, where does he live? Ayame, you've been there twice."

"I must specify that I do not know where he lives," Ayame replied. "We have only been to his office, which is located in the middle of town within a medium-sized insurance company building, not far from the stores we traveled to a few days ago."

At this, Satoshi paused. "That would be why he has an alias. Still, what is he doing out in the open like that? He's putting himself at risk! Maybe…" An idea came to him. "Alyssa, may I use your computer?"

I consented, and then everyone followed him into the basement. After waiting through a brief start-up screen, he opened an internet window and typed "Dave Irata" with a few other specific words into a search engine. The large number of results troubled him: through unknown means, his father was equipped with a favorable, widespread reputation and connections in the business world that would make it next to impossible to take him down secretly. Given this, the noble quest to capture him for preventative and interrogative purposes transformed into a crime that would undoubtedly involve the public.

If we aren't careful about the way we handle him, Satoshi thought, the authorities could track us down and expose us. He shared these concerns with us, but regardless, we all knew that we still needed to do something. According to him, we would start with a simple trip to his father's office; and, should that prove insufficient, which it likely would, a touch of Hikari magic would be necessary. He would take care of that on his own. All that we needed to do now was wait for the cover of darkness.

As we surfaced from the basement, I thought I heard a noise, but because no one else seemed to have heard anything strange, I shook that thought away. Then, I heard it again, louder this time: a muffled sound coming from the front door that was more like soft thumping than crisp knocking.

Everyone was made instantly anxious. It only took Kyo one glance at Tohru to be reminded of how badly he wanted to stay alive and how the person on the other side of that door could very well be the biggest obstacle in his way. He proclaimed that he would answer the door and marched on ahead, leaving the rest of us to crane our heads from behind him to get a good view.

When he opened it, nothing was there except something white centered on the mat in front of it. Kyo stepped outside, bent down to pick it up, and stopped to read what was apparently written on it. His breathing temporarily halted.

"Kyo?" I asked, trying to see what it was.

He immediately tore it to shreds which he then threw out into the open, letting the breeze sweep them away. "Not important," he said. "Just some stupid ad."

On the inside, Kyo was panicking. This is it. He's here. And he's coming to steal her.

Tonight.

The time had come. Dave, now free of his heavy business suit and looking more like the average human male his age, cruised down the road with his window rolled all the way down, keeping watch for the address number that he had been repeating in his head.

Ah, there it is. He turned into the apartment complex and slowly crept through the system of buildings until he located the right door. When he parked, he took a moment to think to himself. As soon as you step out of this car, you're throwing your cares to this delightful wind. You'll be almost impossible to find, flirting with the public like this. Life will be yours, and tonight will be a small taste of its beginning.

He checked his pocket watch one more time. Three minutes until seven, no lurking danger. Good.

He strode up to the door, knocked, struck a pose just for kicks. Sam answered promptly and stood for a moment without speaking, allowing herself to take in the details. Daylight revealed that Dave was even more handsome than she remembered: he possessed such clear, expressive eyes, perfect symmetry, and the most even skin she had ever seen. On top of that, there was no denying that he had a great figure. He could not be from around here.

"Please, come in," Sam said, stepping to the side. "I have to take care of one more thing – it'll only take a minute." She hurried away to another room, her tousled, dark curls bouncing with each step.

Dave gulped and tried to empty his mind while he waited. He stepped through the entryway and observed with interest the bits of the cozy apartment that he could see from his vantage point.

Forty more seconds.

There were more than a few pictures on the fridge of Sam and the other girl who had been driving her during their first encounter – Jessica, was that her name? Yes, it might be useful to remember her.

Thirty more seconds.

The place was also very neatly organized, save a few dog toys on the ground. She would make a better assistant than Mio ever did. Suddenly, an inquisitive beagle came trotting up to greet him. Soon after he knelt down to pet the friendly animal, Sam returned.

"Out, Hugo!" she ordered gently, and the dog reluctantly complied by shuffling away to another room. "I hope you don't mind dogs."

"Oh, it's not a problem. I love them! Yours is quite well-behaved, too."

"It wasn't easy," she sighed.

Five more seconds.

"Well then, Sam, shall we?"

Dave opened the door and offered an elbow, which Sam gladly took with a charmed smile.

"Is…something wrong?" she asked when she felt an unusually strong pulse coming from him. He seemed to be thinking of something negative, though maybe it was her imagination.

Dark's time has run out, he thought. Has the great phantom thief failed? Feeling the Reflections of Regret in his pocket, his features lit up. He returned that same delighted smile to her and said "Just a little nervous, that's all."

Even his teeth are flawless, Sam noticed, tucking some hair behind her ear. Yet he's still human like the rest of us.

"So, where to?" Dave asked after they were both seated in his car. "It can be anything at all." The farther, the better.

"Hmm…How about the new Italian place over on the east side?"

"Sure thing!" He scratched the back of his head nervously. "But uhh, you might have to guide me there – I'm new to this area."

I knew it! "Heh, that's alright. Take a left when you exit the complex, and then take another left at the lights." She waited while Dave backed out and made his way through the maze of buildings before speaking again. "If you don't mind my asking, where are you originally from?"

"Chicago." At least, that's what my bio says.

"What would bring you from a bustling city like that all the way out to this little place?"

"Business. It didn't take me very long to climb the ranks after graduating, and I was sent out here to manage and direct the activity of but one branch of a prevalent insurance company. I plan to buy the place out soon, and, er, reside here for a while, because I've taken a liking to this small-town feel." As he was instructed, he turned left at the first set of traffic lights he encountered. "Where do I go next?"

"Keep going straight for now." Sam mulled over his information in her mind. "Wow, you're what, twenty-five, and that successful already? I'm jealous."

"Twenty-six, to be exact. And success may seem nice, but it can get lonely at times." For the sake of his ultimate goal, he did his best to pull out the charm, utilizing his eyes as his most effective weapon. "Maybe I wound up with a good job, but that's not important to me. Any type of life is meaningless without somebody to share it with. That's why I'm here with you."

She found herself blushing. He's not some arrogant, good-for-nothing pretty-man – he's genuine! I have a good feeling about this. "I'm surprised you haven't already found someone."

"I've tried, but they've always been the same. In the midst of it all, your spontaneous move stood out to me." He glanced affectionately at her as long as he would dare while driving. "Enough about me. I'd like to hear more about you."

Soaking in bliss, Sam almost forgot to tell him to turn. The two of them erupted into laughter when Dave just barely made the turn without tipping the car, which served to erase all jitters and pave the way for easy, enjoyable conversation. As the evening progressed, she realized that she was becoming attracted to him for more than just his looks. She couldn't believe that this total stranger had turned out to be a complete gentleman with so many good qualities! What were the chances of that? The one part she really couldn't wrap her brain around was having a man of his caliber equally as interested in her, as well. Maybe, just maybe, she had at last met someone whom she could get serious with.

Choosing from a selection of hoodies, jackets, sunglasses, and make-up, we all made sure that we were officially unrecognizable. It wouldn't matter much, because night had fallen over the town, but we simply couldn't risk being identified by anyone – I in particular, being the only human among us whose identity could be traced.

I had slipped my necklace-medium over my head, and with this, we were ready to leave for Hiwatari's office.

"Remember to keep your voices down," Satoshi instructed us, and the six of us filed outside into another warm night.

Tohru grabbed a hold of Kyo's hand. "But…what if he really will kill us? What if he kills…?"

"Shh," Kyo said without turning his head. "He won't." Because Dark will. He chose to wear sunglasses as a part of his disguise so that no one would notice him frantically searching the woods and the skies. If he had to, he would take that thief of lives down on his own.

I was inwardly worrying about the exact same things as Tohru. We've got Lena, but I'm still so nervous. What if I really do die this time?

What did I say? Don't worry, girl! Ohhh, I can't wait for this!

I looked down in surprise: my necklace gave off a hint of a blue glow. Even though I was walking behind Satoshi and Ayame, they both stopped dead in their tracks. Did they hear her, too?

"Hey guys, L-"

Satoshi raised his hand as if to tell me to be quiet. A short ways ahead, a bush beside the path began to rustle loudly.

"What is it, Satoshi?" Ayame asked him. "It's just an animal, right?"

Satoshi ignored that comment and began to sprint full speed ahead. We did our best to follow him as closely as we could. When the thing in the bushes sensed him coming, it, too, ran full speed ahead on the sidewalk.

And then, it took off into the air.

Dave walked around to open the passenger door, offered to take Sam's hand while she got out of the car, and then walked her back to her apartment door in the dark with his hand around her waist. Both of them laughed about something they were talking about the whole way. Not only had the whole ordeal gone entirely according to plan, but he had enjoyed himself even more than he thought he would. Sam made for entertaining company, and could hold her liquor impressively well: she was still faring gracefully in her heeled shoes, and it only took her two tries to find the right key to the apartment door. Maybe I'll spare her a painful internship and hire her as my new replacement assistant, if she's always as pleasant as she was today.

He shooed those thoughts away. There was no need for reminiscing about how great the evening had been, because he knew that it was far from over.

When Sam opened the door to Hugo's excited welcome, she could not bring herself to close it again. She didn't want this night to end. This incredible man had changed her life in the course of a few hours, and she couldn't watch him walk away.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to have that intention. He took a few subtle steps in her direction until he was only inches away, watching cautiously for any body language signaling that she minded. Instead, he received just the opposite message. Her deep brown eyes glistened warmly, invitingly.

Sam could not resist the urge to kiss those finely-formed lips, so she tugged him down toward her by the collar of his shirt. Before she knew it, he had pushed her inside and locked the door behind them both. He smirked slightly, and then resumed kissing her. It was like a dream – just days ago, she could've sworn that she was destined to be forever alone. Could this really be happening?

"Seriously?" she said when things started heating up, pulling away temporarily. She ran her hand along the side of his face, almost as if to remind herself that he was real.

He covered her hand with his own. "Don't believe me? What do my eyes say?"

That was enough to convince her. Eventually, the passion grew so great that he picked her up and started toward her room. And just like that...

"Hold that thought," she said, requesting that she be put down.

"Hmm?"

She quickly snuck into her room and shut the door.

"Oh?" Dave chuckled to himself and took a slow, satisfying breath. "This should be good."

Unexpectedly, he heard the sound of whispering from behind the door, so he leaned in to listen.

"It's done," Sam whispered. "Happy now?"

"Thank you, mademoiselle," came a lower whisper. "I'm sorry to say that I need to erase your memory."

What? Dave thought. He buttoned his shirt back up and was about to say something until he heard Sam's whispers pick up a little louder.

"How much of it are you going to erase?" she asked with worry.

"Everything from tonight."

"Everything? Please, not everything! Please, not Dave! I had one of the best nights of my life tonight, so please…"

The other voice paused for a long time. "I'll try."

Dave finally called through the door. "Sam? Who's in there?"

There was no answer, so he tried to open the door. It was locked. "Sam, answer me!"

Could it be? He searched around in his pocket.

His face felt hot. The Reflections of Regret was gone.

"What? This can't be!"

He heard a car start up outside. It dawned on him that the bedroom had a window facing the front of the building, so he bolted to the front door, unlocked it, and hurried out, only to be blinded by the headlights of Sam's car.

"Sam?"

As the car backed out and the headlights were turned away, Dave recognized a familiar silhouette in the driver's seat that couldn't have been Sam. One leap to the window next to the door revealed that she was passed out on her bed – and his next few frantic leaps were toward his car. He fumbled for his keys and started up the Lexus as fast as he could. Luckily, the other car wasn't too far ahead, but the driver seemed to be just as familiar with the maze-like layout of apartment buildings as Dave was by now.

There was no way to physically stop that car without causing a huge scene, so he pulled the Purging Faces from his other pocket in a spur-of-the-moment move when they reached a main road. He held it forward, aiming its magic at the car in front of him; somehow, the driver realized this, switched to an empty lane, and punched the brakes in order to end up following Dave. In his rearview mirror, Dave could see a mass of energy forming behind the windshield of the car that was now behind him. Drops of sweat formed on his brow.

He weaved through several cars and took a reckless turn through a red light, fueling a cacophony of blaring horns and angry drivers, and also forcing the other driver to waste his built-up energy on a car that threatened to crash into him if he didn't do anything. The damaged, half-melted car ricocheted to a far corner of the intersection and away from the rest of traffic, where the passengers exited safely.

By then, Dave had spun his car around and aimed the Faces at Sam's car. The magic reached one rear car door and the trunk only, absorbing them and serving to slow the car down.

"What do you think you're doing, Hiwatari?"

His heart racing with adrenaline and fury, Dave twisted his head to see the girl sitting in the passenger seat with her arms folded.

"Lena? Of all times!"

"You bet! Don't you miss me?"

He opened his door and slammed the Purging Faces into the asphalt, cracking it into pieces. He would miss the precious artwork dearly, but at least Lena disappeared.

On the down side, so did the other car.

Oh no, he's headed for her house, isn't he?

A short distance down the road, he happened to discover Sam's car parked off to the side, so he hesitantly pulled up beside it. It was empty.

That cursed…!

The race for Alyssa's house had commenced.

After the thing in the bushes had flown away, everybody continued forward at a fast pace into a stretch of road that was completely black – the place where Kyo had found Satoshi the previous night. We relied heavily on him and Ayame to be our eyes in this area. After a few minutes, we witnessed headlights cut through the darkness from a distance. The car was traveling remarkably fast.

"Hide!" Satoshi shouted. Everybody swiftly jumped into the trees and stood rigid against them to camouflage themselves.

When the car flew past, Satoshi hopped out of the forest first and said "It's safe!"

Kyo and Tohru emerged from the trees, followed by Hatsuharu and Ayame. The four followed the sound of Satoshi's voice to meet with him in the darkness and inform him of their presence, but there was one person missing.

"Alyssa, it's ok to come out now," Satoshi called again. Nobody heard anything.

"Where'd she go?" Tohru asked the group.

Kyo sizzled in silence.

"Something didn't happen to her...did it?" Haru snapped.

He charged in the opposite direction, leaving behind a trail of fire.

"FOLLOW THAT FREAKING CAR!"

I heard the chorus of shouts as they started to call my name, but each call sounded farther and farther away. It didn't take long for them to fade into nothing.