A/N: Hopefully, now that summer is finally here, I can update my fanfics more often. I'm trying to make a new chapter at least once a week. That's what I'm TRYING to do anyway. So now Dark finally appears. Hurrah! Maybe the story will speed up a little now. Oh, and REVIEWS PEOPLE! I need reviews! I don't care if you flame me until I'm more burnt than my great uncle's hamburgers, just please review!

Disclaimer: Hey. I just learned telepathy. Can you hear what I'm thinking about this disclaimer?

The Next Generation

Chapter 4

Anything But Ordinary

Ren walked slowly into her house. She slipped off her shoes, crept inside her room, and collasped on the bed with a sigh. Feeling a headache coming on, she rubbed her forehead. Great, Ren thought to herself. And now I have babysitting the twins to look forward to. Ren made a face and rolled over onto her stomach.

Mr. Mara had two twins around the age of nine. Ren hated them. Not only were the two boys loud and unruly, but they often took advantage over Ren's silence. Babysitting them was always a nightmare. Still, she reminded herself, I have to be grateful for Mr. Mara taking me in like that. He was still grieving over his dead wife, but he never hesitated to welcome me when we met. Ren frowned in reluctance. I owe Mr. Mara, big time. So if that means I have to take care of those evil twins, I guess I have to do it.

Ren's eyes lazily drifted over to her right. Sitting on an easel in the shadows was a painting in process. The girl got up and admired it with a smile. It depicted a beautiful moon shining down on the Mara garden. Once finished, it would probably be Ren's greatest work. She ran a finger down the sketch wistfully. Although, I still feel like an amaetur, especially after seeing all the artwork in that abandoned museum yesterday. Her eyes widened. An icy cold gripped Ren when she remembered the hidden room with its terrible contents. Lightening bolts of fear traveled up and down her spine. She shuddered and starting pulling out her homework to distract the memory.

"Ren! Could you come down here for a second?" someone called from below.

Ren softly set down her books and tiptoed downstairs. Scrambling to get ready was a tall, handsome man with black hair that was only slightly graying, Mr. Mara. Ren stopped and watched him curiously. It seemed like something was wrong. "I'm late for my important meeting," he explained as he searched through his briefcase. "Take care of the house while I'm gone. Keep the twins from burning a neighbors house. You know the drill."

Ren nodded and looked Mr. Mara up and down. His hair was slicked back with tons of gel. His suit was pressed and ironed to perfection. His shoes couldn't be any shinier. His large, capable hands shut the impressive leather briefcase and picked it up. None of these things were what caught the girl's attention. The man's face was flushed with heat. It could be from the suit or running around, but then again . . .

"Oh, and also," Mr. Mara added as he stuffed his arms in his jacket and jammed a hat on his head at the same time, "make sure the twins get in bed on time. They shouldn't be staying up late on a school--" Mr. Mara broke off into a nasty sounding cough.

Ren's eyebrows flew up in surprise. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she asked softly, "Are you . . . sure you should . . . go?"

"I must. This is very important to me." Mr. Mara brushed off Ren's hand and wiped a hankercheif over his sweaty brow. "Good luck, Ren, and goodnight."

"But . . ." Mr. Mara didn't hear her. He was halfway out the door with a loud sneeze. Ren followed him stubbornly and grabbed his arm. "Sick," Ren pleaded. "Must stay"

"Ren, I have to go," Mr. Mara told her sternly, trying to free his arm.

Ren shook her head. She sucked in her breath when he coughed again. "No . . . No meeting . . . Mr. Mara . . . will only get sicker."

Mr. Mara sighed and shut the door. He shoved his suitcase into Ren's unsuspecting arms. Ren watched him shuffled back upstairs to his room. "Oh well," Mr. Mara said, finally showing how miserable he felt. "My head hurts so much, I don't think I could pay attention anyway. I'll just have to call the guys and tell them my daughter has restricted me to my room."

Ren smiled in satisfaction. Mr. Mara works so much, he deserves a break . . . even if he had to be sick to get it. Her smile vanished. She looked down at her feet sadly. I guess this means I'll be too busy with Mr. Mara to go out much these next few days. I'll have to explain to Daichii that I can't have dinner with him. Tossing the suitcase in a chair, Ren forced herself to cheer up.

"I'm home," Daichii called unenthusiastically as he shuffled into the house and kicked his shoes off. The boy let out a sigh and slumped over before heading towards the stairs.

Daisuke and Riku where in the living room on the couch. Riku was flipping through the channels in boredom. Daisuke was reading the paper, but he looked up when his son passed by the doorway. "Well you look down," Daisuke commented. Then he smiled sympathetically. "What's wrong? Birthday not go as planned?"

"No," Daichii muttered irritably. Rather than listen to his father, Daichii was already climbing the stairs.

Daisuke shook his head and folded up his newspaper. "You know," he said, raising his voice so Daichii could hear, "if I recall correctly, my 14th birthday was anything but ordinary."

Great. Another one of those "back in the old days it was a lot harder for us" stories adults tell. Daichii thought. He breathed out through his teeth in annoyance.

"That's when you tried to get a date with Risa right?" Riku asked.

Daichii froze on the last step. He could just barely hear his father mumble, "My plan should have gone perfectly too."

Curiousity got the better of the boy. Hesitating slightly, Daichii descended back down. "Plan? What do you mean plan?" Daichii asked in the doorway.

Daisuke looked away uncomfortably. Riku dropped the remote with relish and explained impishly, "Your father had a crush on my sister when we were young. You should have seen him! Always being so nice and doing whatever Risa said. Anyway, on his 14th birthday he decided to give Risa a love letter. He had been up all night, writing that. And then, before he gave it to her, Risa spoke the worst words a crush can ever say."

"What?" Daichii asked, getting interested as his father seemed to shrink in embarrassment.

Riku smiled. "'You're such a great friend.'"

Daichii raised an eyebrow. "Why is that so bad?"

"Well of course, it means that she isn't interested and she just wants to be friends. Plus, wouldn't you feel awkward around a friend if you knew they had a crush on you?"

That statement hit Daichii like a slap to the face. The boy laughed ruefully, remembering all too well what had happened that morning. "Yeah, uh . . . I'm going to go upstairs," Daichii explained in fake cheer. As soon as he had turned his back, his face melted into horror and he hurried into his bedroom.

Riku and Daisuke watched their son leave idly. Then Riku propped her head up with her hand and looked at Daisuke. "That was the day you turned into Dark, right?" she asked softly.

Daisuke folded up the newspaper with a sigh. Without meeting Riku's gaze, he said, "Yeah." Daisuke put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his soft seat. "In a way, I'm glad Daichii will never have to go through with the Niwa curse. It's a pain having to always steal every night . . . and keeping my head around the two most beautiful twins in the school."

"Oh stop it," Riku responded with an elbow jab. "Just tell me what you want. Flattery won't get you anywhere."

Daichii collasped into his desk chair and spun around a few times. Then, moaning in frustration, the boy laid his head on the desk and buried his face with his arms. "I am such an idiot!" Daichii exclaimed, sounding muffled.

"Kyuuu?" With hopped down from Daichii's bed and landed next to his owner. Trying to be of some comfort, With nuzzled against that mop of pink-red hair. Daichii tried to brush him off, but With only nibbled on his fingers. "Kyu!"

"Alright, alright. I'm not an idiot." Daichii lifted his head slightly. "But how could I lose my head like that? Rikae says a few things and then I ask Ren out on a date! Now she's going to feel so uncomfortable around me, and it's all my fault!"

With hopped backward and collided into a picture frame. It tottered back and forth before falling off the desk. In a flash, Daichii had caught it. "With, you've got to be more careful," Daichii mumbled. Daichii examined the picture with a fond smile. The photo depicted a younger verision of Ren and himself. They were completely covered in mud, but even that didn't dim the sparkle in their eyes.

"I remember this," Daichii explained softly, propping his head up with his hand. It had been a year after the two had first met, around when Ren had started talking again. Daichii had wanted to throw Ren a party, even if it would only be the two of them. With his mother's help, Daichii had baked two cupcakes with just the right amount of strawberry icing, Ren's favorite. However, when Daichii was showing Ren the cupcakes, he had accidentally tripped. Ren had seemed mighty shocked when her favorite desert was dripping from her face. She grabbed a handful of mud for payback, and soon the two were launched in a fierce mud war. Their parents hadn't appreciated the dirty outcome, but that was probably the most fun Ren had had in a long time. Daichii wouldn't have had it any other way.

Daichii laughed when he saw traces of pink icing in Ren's hair. Even when she was a mess, she still pulled off looking cute. His friend had the tiny, timid appearance of someone who's been through a lot, but her face was nothing short of blissful joy. It was the kind of pure happiness that only the innocent children could contain. Daichii shook his head in wonder. How much she's changed, he marveled. Ren's not the adorable little girl I called my friend anymore. She's grown, grown in age . . . and beauty. Daichii sat bolt upright, startled he could even think such a thing. He buried his face in his hands frustratedly. No, no, NO! It's not true. We're just friends.

Right?

Wincing, Daichii recalled the morning's events. Ren had looked so nervous and startled. Had she already guessed what was going on? Would she start to avoid him now? Without meaning to, he relived her running away from him over and over again, with her "Maybe!" grating in his ears.

A strange new feeling shot through Daichii. It made his whole body tremble. "What . . . the?" Daichii panted as it got harder to breathe. Panicking, the boy stood up to tell his mom, but a spasm of pain made him stumble into his desk. The picture frame crashed into the floor, and its glass shattered. It sounded far away to Daichii. The world spun around until Daichii could barely keep his eyes open. In agony, he slid off his desk to the floor. It hurts! What's happening? Daichii curled up in a ball. Please . . . end . . . soon.

With watched helplessly as Daichii slowly began to breathe normally again. It took a while before he dared to open his eyes again. The pain had vanished completely. Daichii heaved himself to a sitting position with a grunt. "That was wierd," Daichii whispered. He ran a hand through his hair nervously as he glanced at the mirror. The boy froze and felt his heart stop.

"MOM!!! DAD!!!"

Daichii threw the door open and flew down the stairs. He could faintly hear his mother scold, "Don't yell, dear." Daichii swerved into the kitchen breathing heavily. His mother was washing dishes with her back to her son.

"Mom! Mom! I've changed!" Daichii exclaimed in a rush, waving his arms around.

"Oh? Is puberty getting you down?" Riku asked, not turning around. "It's alright. Everyone goes through it at one time or another. Why don't you talk to your father?"

Daichii clenched his teeth and shouted, "No, I mean I really am different! Look!"

Riku casually looked over her shoulder . . . and spun around in shock. The plate she had been washing slipped from her fingers and smashed against the tiled floor. "Daisuke," she cried in a strangled voice as her hands clapped to her mouth.

Daisuke burst into the kitchen. The curious Rikae was at his heels. "What's with all the ye--?" Daisuke asked, but broke off when he saw Daichii.

Rikae pushed past her father, her eyes wide. "Whoa," she whispered hoarsely. "Daichii's . . . hot!" Gone were the boy's hair, his eyes, his height. Daichii was now much taller. His hair was now purple in color and much longer. His eyes were like amethysts. In short, yeah, Daichii had been a hit with the girls, but now he might as well be the prince of the school.

Daisuke grabbed his son by the shoulders and shook him. "Daichii, what happened?" demanded, almost angrily.

"I-I don't know," Daichii stammered nervously.

"Daisuke!" Riku exclaimed. Her voice snapped Daisuke out of it, and he stopped shaking Daichii. Instead, he staggered back and collasped wearily in a chair. Daichii was also backing away from his father. His back hit the wall, and for once, to his greatest shame, Daichii felt helpless and pathetic.

"I thought Dark was gone for good," Daisuke mumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"Dark?" Daichii echoed quietly. He bit his lip and said, "Dad, what's going on? Am I going to have to go to school like this tomorrow?"

"What is he going to do?" Riku wondered worriedly.

Daisuke let his hand drop, and he stared into space. "What else?" Daichii's father said after a while. They all looked at Daichii, and Daichii began to lose his breath again. "Daichii is going to have to steal something."

PREVIEW

"There used to be a powerful phantom thief with jet black wings named Dark. For over 300 years, Dark's magic has been passed down through the Niwa genes. On his fourteenth birthday, every male member must go through a major transformation and uphold the Dark's tradition of stealing."

"Dark! I know you're listening! Come out!"

"I'd say that I'm soaring with impatience to learn, but this is just ridiculious!"

"Sir, Dark's escaped with the art piece!"

"You mean I have to get a GIRLFRIEND!?!!?!?!?"

THE DARKEST NIGHT