A/N: hmm. so, i was hoping that i could post this chapter before thanksgiving . . . didn't work out. (grins) oh well. at least it hasn't been months since my last update.

oh, and i apologize in advance if anyone gets confused. i tried to make this chapter as clear as possible. if you have any questions then maybe you could-- oh, i don't know-- review me or something like that.

Disclaimer: . . . . . . . . (wink) . . . . . . . . . .

The Next Generation

Chapter 14

Remember You, Remember Me

Lying in the shadows and tangled up in the warm sheets and blankets, Ren lifted her arm from her face and gazed hollowly at the washed-out ceiling. Slanted rays of headlights danced through her room as cars passed. All the artwork and scattered scraps seemed to watch the still figure, shadowy doorways that were locked, blocking the path to her world of chaotic and fluttering emotions. Ren hardly blinked, hardly breathed. It hurt too much.

"Niwa."

The whisper of his name was still lingering on her lips, as if her mouth had frozen in the middle of the word, that terrible word.

It's said that Dark is a real person, living a real life, that voice sounded again, a strange, new icy quality to it. It could be totally wrong, but I believe his last name is Niwa.

Ren clapped her hands to her ears and rolled into a ball on her bed, as if the word had caused her physical pain.

What? Hard to admit it? She could almost picture another her, sitting on the other side of the bed, leaning on one arm with a cool, calm smirk etched across her features. The imaginary clone tucked her legs inside the over-sized, baggy T-shirt and said reasonably, Think for a sec. It's not as though Daichii is a saint. When given power, a lot of people would abuse it. We are all born inherently evil.

Daichii isn't like that, Ren defended determinedly. Her eyes narrowed in focus and forced truth. It could be any Niwa. Any Niwa in the world. But it couldn't be him. Daichii's not like that. He loves art!

Ah, but that is the point. He loves art, but he can never make it. The other Ren examined her nails as if the whole thing was too straightforward and uninteresting for her to really care. Typical of the Niwa family. Consumed by passion and rage because they are too incompetent to make what they desire. They are failures, never to know the true pleasure in the skill of doing what you love, and doing it well. So what do they do?

Stop it.

They steal, of course, the other Ren continued, fixing that cold smile on the pathetic lump under the sheets again.

It's not true.

And just because you're his friend doesn't mean you'll be safe forever. The other Ren slowly crawled closer to the real one, like some sort of predator closing in on its hopeless prey. Sooner or later, Daichii will target you too.

It's all lies. It's all made up! Ren shouted, burying her face into the mattress in an effort to ignore the unwanted presence. But that was impossible. The presence WAS herself, and the thoughts raced on in her mind.

But of course, you've bought yourself some time. Just think of the birthday present you gave him, it whispered in her ear seductively.

Ren's eyes widened in horror. No.

Daichii now has access to all the best artwork in the country. In the world.

No . . . No. . .

He has all the information he needs to steal whatever his heart desires.

No!

And it's all . . . your . . . fault, the voice reminded, emphasizing each word with cold accusion.

NOOOOO!

Ren hit the floor with a thud. She stared at the cream carpeting for a moment, not quite comprehending for a moment. Blank-faced, she dragged her hands across the floor like a blind person. When her fingers reached the blankets that were half on, half falling off her bed, they gently took it and pulled it close to her chest.

Was it just a dream?

Ren inhaled deeply the sweet smell of her house, the smell of her room, a smell more familiar and comforting than any other scent or perfume. Then she lowered the blankets from her face and looked up at the solitary ray of moonlight that snuck through the blinds. The dark was cooling and soothing, like an old friend, but some part of Ren reached up to draw the blinds up and welcome more light. The more the better. The girl crawled in the bed-- which now almost seemed spotlit with light from the heavens-- and tried her best to sink in the quiet dreamworld again.

Niwa . . .

Daichii felt a huge yawn escape him for the hundreth time. Haru, noticing this, glanced at his friend while getting out his books for the next class. "Hey, what's wrong with you man?" he asked. "You've been sleeping through the classes even more than usual."

Daichii slapped himself softly. "I didn't get much sleep last night," he groaned. He laid his head against the smooth desk. "You know. Studying for the big history exam we had today?" Actually, Daichii had successfully completed another Phantom Thief Operation. The long nights were really starting to get to him. And those strangely familiar dreams he always had weren't helping either . . .

He heard Ai groan on his other side. "Oh, I know!" she agreed sympathetically. "I studied so hard and I still think I failed the test." Ai paused for a moment before cocking her head flirtatiously and batting her eyelashes. "It's so hard after missing so much school. Could I maybe get together with Daichii one day for tutoring sessions?"

Daichii forced himself not to say anything while a brief flash of annoyance passed over him. Luckily, he didn't have to. Haru beat him to it. "Ai, Ai," he sighed. "That incident happened weeks ago. What does that have to do with the exam?"

The cheerleader's eyes gleamed dangerously. For a moment, Daichii was reminded of his sister. "It has everything to do with it!" Ai insisted angrily. "I missed a big portion of classes when it happened, and I never understood the notes that my friends kept bringing me."

"Then I guess the problem is that you're stupid," Haru teased mischievously.

"Ahhh! Ryu is so mean!" Ai pouted. Daichii rolled his eyes and ignored them as Ai sent Haru a few weak punches at his arm, trying to make him take it back. Haru was laughing and Ai was complaining and Daichii felt himself grow cranky from lack of sleep.

"--hate you! And I'll hate you for the rest of my life. Daichii! Tell him to apologize!" Ai half-pleaded, half-ordered.

Daichii buried his head in his arms and replied in a muffled voice, "Ai . . ."

"Yes?"

"Shutup."

Ai gaped at him.

"You're giving me a headache," Daichii continued as Haru started laughing. He waited until Ai had sat back in her chair and crossed her legs huffily before rounding on Haru too. "And you. You're being a jerk. There? Is everyone happy?"

Haru and Ai glanced at each other over Daichii's bowed head. Haru made a noise and Ai stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Whatever," Haru finally sighed after a while as he leaned back in chair. "It's not like you guys were the only ones without sleep. I had this nightmare last night."

"Hnnn? What was so terrible about it?"

"You were there."

Daichii made a face. "Gee thanks. You're my best friend too."

Haru chuckled. "Okay, okay. So it wasn't a nightmare. But it was weird, like I had seen it before. You know those dreams that you have that seem like it's happened once? It felt like I kept dreaming it over and over, as if it was trying to get me to remember something. The only thing is, whenever I tried to make sense of it, I'd wake up."

"Really?" Daichii replied, starting to get a little curious.

"Deja vu," Ai piped up.

"Yeah. Like deja vu. Anyway, it took place when I was little. You and I were playing catch. Then Ren showed up."

That really grabbed Daichii's attention. He quickly raised his head from the desk. "Ren? You dreamed about Ren? Why?"

Haru shrugged. "I don't know, but it was creepy. She would just watch us, and yet not really see us, right? We would keep telling her to go away, but she would always appear again."

"Talk about unnerving . . ." Daichii said, smiling weakly. Why did that sound so familiar to him too?

"Yeah. It was like she was some kind of stalker. It's always the quiet ones."

"Mmmm."

"I've been having wierd dreams too!" Ai began, trying to get Daichii's attention back to her. "A couple of nights ago, I had this dream about me walking down the street. Though I never turned around, I'd always pass by the same house every few minutes. Sometimes it would look empty, sometimes I would see police cars pulling in or leaving. One time, I even saw this shadowy figure sitting on the porch. Now that I think about it, it had to have been Ren. I'm sure!" The girl wiggled her fingers. "She certainly had the same creepy and quiet aura like Ren." She glanced over at Ren and wrinkled her nose.

"R-right . . . creepy . . ." Daichii agreed unenthusiastically.

Daichii wasn't exactly depressed when the next teacher walked in and class started. As another wave of fuzzy weariness passed over him, the boy found his eyes kept drifting across the room to where Ren sat, with Takahashi right behind her.

I haven't said anything to her all day, Daichi mused. And I really need to talk to her and figure out what time the announcements of the art contest winners are. I'm pretty sure Ren had mentioned something about the fesitival being held this weekend.

But it's almost like she's been avoiding me. Ever since yesterday . . .

But I don't think I said anything offensive to her. Why did she run? Or maybe she remembered something? Daichii let out a long breath. It seems like everyone's been doing a lot of remembering lately. Even Haru and Ai. Those can't have just been normal dreams, right? I feel like I've been in those situations too somehow.

Daichii narrowed his eyes in frustration. He was too tired to be mulling over things so seriously. It just gave him a headache. We're all just messed up, aren't we? The boy thought feebly.

"I'm home," Daichii called. While he walked inside and slipped off his heavy bookbag, he realized that one of the pairs of shoes were missing.

"Oh! Hello, Daichii!" Riku called, popping her head out from the kitchen.

Daichii pointed at the shoes questioningly. "Where's Dad?"

"You're father's out visiting your grandmother. Would you mind giving me a hand with the dishes?"

Daichii clicked his teeth in exasperation. Visiting his grandmother meant only one thing. Whatever his father had on his mind was something to deal with Dark.

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, shuffling into the kitchen.

Seeing his visible reluctance, Riku gave her son a look. "Now, now, Daichii," she said sternly. "I've been letting a lot of things slide because of all this Phantom Theif stuff, but that doesn't mean you be let off easy all the time."

"I understand," Daichii mumbled softly. He grabbed a dish and began rinsing it, but not before releasing a huge yawn. Riku's firm expression faded slightly. Her hands dropped from her hips.

"Oh, you're such a wimp!" Riku cooed, wrapping her arms around her son tightly.

The plate almost slipped from Daichii's hands. "Wah! Mom! Not so tight!"

"You can't even handle your mother?" She hugged him tighter and ruffled his hair. "How is such wimp supposed to conquer the police and find true love?!"

"Can't . . . breathe!"

"Suck it up, my little baby. Who needs oxygen anyway?" She teased. Now she was resorting to tickling. Daichii squirmed and wriggling, laughing maniacally. He tossed the plate into the sink wtih a splash before he could drop it. Riku was relentless in her tickle attack. Her hands seemed to be everywhere at once, invading all Daichii's tickle spots. The son's cheeks were red with effort and lack of air by the time he was finally released.

Daichii leaned against the sink. While he gasped for breath, he placed a hand over his heart and found it beating rapidly. "Geez, Mom!" he complained sukily. "I've had a long day! Did you HAVE to do that?"

Riku chuckled. "I just wanted to see my little baby smile again. He's been taking this family tradition thing too seriously."

"And stop calling me baby! I'm fourteen and old enough to rob several musuems in one night!"

"Huh, they grow up so fast," Riku mock pouted, as if Daichii had just sucked out all the fun of her favorite game. "What happened to the days when you always begged me to play with you and help me cook and wore those footed pajamas with the bunny ears and--!"

"MAMA!" Daichii's ears went red, and he was extremely grateful that no one was around. Wait. No one was around, right? This wasn't going to come back and haunt him later as blackmail, would it? Daichii's eyes darted back and forth, checking to make sure that there were no hidden cameras.

"It's seems like just the other day, you and Ren would never leave me alone because you thought I was so cool and I made the best chocolate chip cookies. But then you got mad at Ren when she laughed at you, because you wanted to be just like me and had decided to wear my clothes for the day. You were so small and adorable back then!"

"Not listening!" Daichii shouted at the top of his lungs as he stomped out of the kitchen.

"I even had a dream about the good old days last night."

Daichii stopped in his tracks and whirled around. ". . . What?!"

Riku blinked in confusion. "What what?"

"What kind of dream?" he insisted.

Riku tapped her chin thoughtfully, gazing into space. "You know, I can't really remember."

Daichii did an anime-style fall back.

"But I think it had to do with you and Ren . . . when you were younger that is." Riku did a half turn, reaching for the dirty dishes and momentarily forgetting that it was supposed to be Daichii washing them. "I vaguely remember something about a cupcake and two really muddy children with guilt written all over their faces."

". . ."

" . . . Daichii?" Riku called when he didn't respond right away. There was still no answer. The mother glanced over her shoulder and realized her son was no where to be found. "Sheesh. That boy! . . . . Wait. DAICHII! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WASHING THE PLATES FOR ME!!!"

Daichii ignored his mother for the moment as he slammed his bedroom door shut. He collasped in his computer chair and rested his chin in his hands. His face had hardened into fierce concentration, even though he still felt so sleepy.

I knew it. This can't be normal. There is no way that at least four people could have strange dreams, he told himself firmly. Especially if they all have something to do with the past . . . to do with me.

Daichii squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his face. What's the connection? He breathed out in annoyance before mentally calling out, Dark? You there?

Mmmm? Yeah. Dark sounded a little confused at the sudden invitation to a conversation.

Don't give me that. I know you've been listening. Have you sensed any unusual auras or bursts of magic lately?

There was a slight pause. Actually . . . I think I just felt something. It's been so faint that I haven't really noticed it.

Daichii jumped to his feet and pushed his chair out of the way. He turned off the lights and climbed up the ladder to his bed.

Uh? Daichii? It's six in the afternoon.

So.

What are you do--?

Just shut up and let me go to bed. Daichii slipped under the covers. He ignored the fact that he was still in his school clothes and that there was a lot of sunlight streaming in through his windows. All that mattered was how soft his pillow suddenly became.

I'm going . . . to get to . . . the bottom of this . . . Daichii's eyes blinked once, twice, and then couldn't be lifted the third time.

PREVIEW

"Hey! It's me, Daichii! Open UUUUPP!!!"

"I wonder what the first thing I said to her was?"

"Yo, Daichii! That must have been some dream last night. I can't believe you tranformed in your sleep! What did you do to the poor girl in your sick fantasy?!"

"Wait. Isn't that the mouthless orphan who moved here last week?"

"But--but! . . . she's psycho! You said so yourself!"

THE START OF EVERYTHING