A/N: wow. i haven't updated in FOREVER. sorry guys. it's my school, i swear! davidson has a way of sucking you into an alternate dimension and giving you no life. don't know if i really like this chapter, but hey. i had to start somewhere. please, please comment!
The Next Generation
Chapter 15
The Start of Everything
All Daichii knew was that he had been walking for a long time. He was in a daze, as if he wasn't really in his shoes, moving past rows of unidentible houses. There was a faint but urgent tugging in the boy's heart, like there was something he needed to be looking for. The harder he tried to remember where he was supposed to be going, the hazier his head would feel. So, Daichii just stopped thinking completely. His body seemed to know where it was headed anyway. Sometimes, there were moments when logic only messed up the bigger picture.
The fiery leaves crunched under his feet, but the noise sounded distant. Kids with muted exclamations ran past Daichii as if he weren't really there. None of his surroundings were familiar. The wind was blowing softly, but constantly. Though it was definitely autumn, Daichii felt none of the ominous chill in the breeze's breath. The lack of freezing weather wasn't like the last time however. The sun wasn't completely out of control. It was a good, in between kind of atmosphere.
The boy stopped and slowly turned on his heels to the right. He had to stare at the house for a moment before recognition kicked in. Nonetheless, it was definitely a place that would be hard to forget. A smile crossed his lips while his eyes traced over the tidy home of the Mara's. Of course. Maybe Ren would know what Daichii was looking for and where he was supposed to be going. She was better at understanding complicated things.
Eagerly, Daichii started for the house. He froze when he noticed the things parked in front of the home. Police cars? What was wrong? Was someone hurt? In trouble? Daichii's mind whirled with the impossible task of trying to comprehend. Shaking his head to get rid of the confusion, he hurried up to the front door.
"Hello?" Daichii rapped his knuckles on the door once, twice, three times before beginning to get really annoyed. "It's me! Daichii!" he shouted. "Open UUUUUUPP!!!" His fists pounded and he jabbed his finger into the door bell. No one answered. Daichii scowled impatiently.
But wait! I could always go through the back door, Daichii remembered. They always keep the key in the same place. He jumped down the steps and raced to the backyard. He felt a little guilty that he was practically going to sneak in. Dark's been clouding my mind with Phantom Thief thoughts, he groaned inside.
Daichii easily climbed the fence and stumbled through well trimmed shrubs. Thorns snagged at his clothes, but it didn't take long to break free. He was just lucky that, even though it was fall, most of the floura in the Mara garden had not died yet. The colorful flowers and numerous bushes would make it easier to hide. The boy paused for a moment to brush himself off and was starting to head for the back porch when something caught his attention. Daichii stopped dead in his tracks. His mouth dropped open.
"R-R-Ren?" he spluttered.
For some reason or another, Dark felt really wrong. Not wrong as in perverted, (although some may say differently) but wrong as in really wrong. As in "bad feeling" wrong. As in the terrible churning in your stomach just before you puke, wrong. Well, maybe not that extreme, but Dark felt that wrong-feeling, anxiousness swimming in his gut and poking at his head persistantly until he finally opened his eyes.
At first, Dark was completely confused and disoriented. Where the heck am I? he wondered, running a hand through his hair-- only to find that his hair was not a deep purple, but a pinkish-red. 'De heck? Dark's hands felt around his face, and he kicked the bed covers off. Ah, Dark replied, the realization dawning on him as soon as he saw his new, slightly punier body. I transformed. But how? Dark thought for a moment as he shook awake the lump of fur on his pillow. Suddenly, he grinned impishly. Oh yeah. Last night. The dream of Ren. Got it.
Dark jumped down from the bed and started rummaging through Daichii's desk, wanting to kill some time until they changed back. This, surprisingly, roused no comment from Daichii, not even when Dark leaved through some very, very personal items. After laughing his head off over a corny, unfinished poem from the fifth grade, Dark said, "Yo, Daichii. That must have been some dream last night. I can't believe you transformed in your sleep! What'd you do to the poor girl in your sick fantasy?"
Dark waited eagerly, but there was nothing. No determined denials or angry accusations. No response at all. Frowning, Dark couldn't help but feel a bit surprised at Daichii's silence. Wouldn't he be biting Dark's head off by now?
"Oh, Daichii," Dark gasped in mock disgust. "Don't tell me you did something so serious that you can't talk about it. I thought you and Ren were too young to be doing that kind of stuff. I never knew you were like that."
Dark braced himself for a storm of insults and cuss words, but it was in vain. He quickly shoved the poem back in the drawer as that wrong feeling washed over him again. Daichii, this isn't funny anymore, Dark called in annoyance. His eyes narrowed, and he snatched the picture of the younger, mud-covered Daichii and Ren. For countless minutes, he stared at the picture and imagined Ren's grace, but it didn't work. The love gene wasn't triggered, and that wrong feeling was still lingering inside.
CRAP!!!!!!!
Downstairs, Riku was pouring herself a cup of coffee and shuffling wearily through the kitchen. She forced herself to perk up and smile when she saw her son slide across the tiled floor. "Good morning, Daichii," she greeted cheerfully. She took a big gulp of her coffee and remarked, "You're up awfully early for a Satur--" Her words stuck in her throat when Riku finally caught the boy's grim expression.
"Riku," Dark said slowly. "We've got problems."
"Ren?" Daichii repeated again, his voice hoarse with shock. There was no doubt. That had to be Ren in front of him. But how could she have changed so fast?
She was sitting on the back porch with her face in her heavily bandaged hands. Her legs were suddenly too short, and her tiny feet dangled limply off the edge. Actually, everything about her was suddenly short. Her arms. Her height. Her two pigtails. The only "long" thing about her was the enormous frown on her paler than normal face.
Ren had become a little child.
By some unknown signal, Ren slowly lifted her head. Because of her new-found youth, her eyes were large with childhood innocence. However, as Daichii looked closer, he noticed that the blue depths lacked luster and life. These weren't the mesmerizing eyes that always sent his heart into whirling pleasure and turmoil. They had faded with Ren's age, turning dull and empty. Daichii shuddered slightly when her dead gaze passed right through him. A fleeting, gut-feeling told him that he had unexplainably turned invisible. Why else would Ren be so expressionless towards his appearance? Daichii refused to believe thst it was because she no longer had any desire to hold emotions anymore.
"Ren . . . what happened to you?" he breathed. Her expression reminded him of a shadowy memory from the grave long forgotten, or a dusty, abandoned house that was slowly collasping upon itself. Horror and denial welled up in the boy's throat, threatening to choke him. The mini Ren was sitting only two yards away from him, but to Daichii, it was as if his friend had left a long time ago.
As the shock wore off, Daichii finally heard the noises coming from inside. There was some kind of heated argument going on, one that made Ren slump further and further the more she listened. With the back door shut, it was impossible to make out anything more than faint, angry voices on the wind.
". . . just a child!"
". . .can't afford with . . ."
"Just give her some time. We'll . . ."
"--Godsake! There's a murderer on the . . ."
"A change of scenery isn't going . . . must talk soon! . . . Do you hear m--?"
Without warning, Ren dropped to her side. Curling up in a ball, she clapped her hands to her ears and opened her mouth in a soundless sob. "Ren!" Daichii exclaimed, springing forward immediately. He reached out to comfort her, but something hard collided sharply against the back of his head before he could do anything. Daichii fell to his knees. Clutching his throbbing head, he shamelessly spat out cuss words that would have earned him an instant slap--if he had been heard. A baseball rolled away from him and rested by Ren's feet. It had barely tapped against her shoes, but the little girl jerked up as if she had almost been mauled by a speeding car. Ren spotted the ball mutely, and for a moment, Daichii almost thought he saw some sort of emotion resurrect in her dead eyes. Curiousity?
Warily, and hesitating every few seconds, Ren reached out for the dirty, worn baseball. She cupped it in her hands like something precious, something sent from the heavens. Daichii watched in amazement as she began to play with it, tossing it from hand to hand. Her movements were careful and jerky, and Daichii wondered if even Ren was surprised at the fact that she was trying to have some sort of fun. Her small mouth stubbornly remained in a frown, but her eyes would glimmer every now and then as they followed the path of the ball.
Daichii was just thinking about how he had never seen something so pathetic when a double grunt seized his attention. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, and he whirled around in alarm. His arms flopped to his sides almost immediately. The "intruders" were nothing more than two kids, no older than eight. Their attempt to look cool and climb the fence had sent them tumbling to a heap on the ground in the bush of azaleas. Daichii's mouth twitched upward in a smile while they tried to free themselves from the branches.
Misson Accomplished: one of the boys managed to crawl out of the bush. He brushed the flower petals off his shoulders and stood up. He had short, short brown hair and big green eyes, which were currently narrowed in annoyance. Daichii snickered at the vain way the boy lifted his chin, acting as if their dramatic entrance had never happened.
"Daichii, hurry up!" the first boy complained.
Daichii's eyes widened in surprise as the second boy scrambled to his feet. He had a shallow cut on his cheek and leaves were sticking out of his hair, but Daichii could recognize him immediately. It was himself.
The Mini Daichii whimpered as he struggled to get the leaves and petals out of his hair. "I told you this was a bad idea, Haru," he said, touching his "battle scar" gingerly. "How are we supposed to find the ball? It's like a jungle in here!"
Daichii stared at Mini Haru. Could that really be his friend? He stared and stared and stared . . . before starting to laugh. Of course! When they were little, Haru's hair had been much shorter, because he had gotten lice the summer after first grade. The closely shaven head didn't exactly flatter his friend's appearance right now.
Mini Haru stuck out his bottom lip defiately. "Well, we made it in. We're getting the ball. I'm not going to lose another one. Besides, you were the one who through it over the fence."
"Did not!
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did n-- Wait!" Mini Daichii froze and put a finger to his lips, a signal to be quiet. Mini Haru glared at his friend until Mini Daichii pointed somewhere over his shoulder. Haru glanced around wildly until his emerald eyes came to rest on Ren.
Mini Ren had not heard any of the boys' misadventures. She hadn't even noticed them. Her attention was strictly spent on the baseball as it rose higher and higher every time she threw it. Am I just imagining things, Daichii wondered, or is that the beginnings of a smile on her face? It was a lonely game for one, but it was a game nonetheless, something her childish body had been lacking for quite some time.
The boys seemed to realize that she hadn't noticed them, and they visibly relaxed. They slowly shifted a little closer to the bushes before daring to speak, their voices the smallest whisper. "Who is that?"
"Don't know. Never seen her before."
"Wait. Is that the mouthless orphan that just moved here?"
". . . mouthless?"
"Yeah, yeah! Big Sister told me all about it. There's this girl who was so bad that her parents abandoned her. Once her house rules had gone, she went completely crazy, stealing and pickpocketing to get whatever she wanted. The police eventually caught up with her criminal acts, but she annoyed them so bad that they just put her in jail. She still had a bad attitude, and one day she messed with the wrong person. A fellow inmate cut out her mouth in order to get revenge and shut her mouth. To this day, the mouthless orphan still can't speak."
"Whoa . . . but she looks so . . . innocent?"
"Nah, it's obviously a trick. Remember the police cars in front of the house? She must still be causing trouble."
"Mmmm . . . ah! But wait! If she's such a crimminal, doesn't that mean she might steal your ball too?"
"Aww, man! I didn't think of that! Come on!"
"Wait, what?!?"
"We got to get my ball back!"
"But--but . . . she's psycho! You said so yourself!!"
"I'm not losing my ball again. Actually . . ." there was a slight pause. "You threw it over the fence, so you have to go get it."
"WHAT!?!"
"Don't just sit there like a baby! Go get it!"
Mini Haru kicked the Mini Daichii out of the bush. Wide-eyed, Mini Daichii scrambled in a circle for a moment, trying to find someplace to hide. Then he saw Mini Haru's glare. Mini Daichii took a deep breath, clenched his tiny fists, and marched-- yes, marched-- over to the Mara's back porch where Mini Ren was still playing in the soft sunlight.
Daichii watched his younger clone storm over to his "great challenge," trying hard to control the wide grin that was taking over his face. He shifted his weight and folded his arms. Well, well. This must be a dream of the first time I met Ren, Daichii thought with a laugh. Funny, though. I don't really remember this. I wonder what the first thing I said to her was?
Daichii observed eagerly, as if watching his favorite show. Mini Daichii, apparently getting his moves from kid ninja movies, was rolling and shifting to each bush or tree in the wide garden, slowly making his way to Ren. When just a few bushes lied in between the two kids, Mini Daichii paused, as if fiddling with something. The real Daichii figured that the boy was just gathering up his courage, but before he knew it, Mini Daichii had leaped on the steps and was brandishing a tapering limb like some sort of sword.
"Give back the ball! It's not yours!" Mini Daichii demanded in a childish tone.
The ball stopped and rested in gentle baby fingers. Curious and slightly confused, Ren's head casually turned towards the stranger. She cocked her head cutely, her big blue eyes flickering with question.
The Mini Daichii grimaced, starting to feel unsure. "Don't fall for her tricks, Daichii!" Mini Haru shouted from a distance.
Mini Daichii shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "I said give it back, you stealing cheater!" he exclaimed loudly.
Police sirens began to wail, and Ren flinched all over. She jumped to her feet in alarm when someone shouted something inside the house. Startled, Mini Daichii jumped as well and swung the branch around.
Daichii's mouth hung open at the noise of a startled squeal of pain. Ren clutched her hands tightly, bitting her lip. In the silence that followed, the soft thud of a ball bouncing against the ground sounded like a dying heartbeat--quick at first, but slowing down and getting softer until it excepts the cruel fate of its death.
No, Daichii thought in shock.
In another existance, there was a different kind of heartbeat playing. The faint ticking of a clock in a tomb-like silence. It was persistant and continuous, fighting in vain against the suffocating blanket that had been thrown on the room. None of the lights were on. The only light came from a window whose blinds were half shut. The thin beams of light were too weak to push away the melancholy tones of the emptiness. In the long shadows and the heart-beat ticking, Riku sat on the couch with her head in her hands.
"How long has he been gone?" she asked again. Her voice cracked slightly, as if it hadn't been used for a while.
Dark shifted his weight and folded his arms grimly. "I'm not even sure I know how he left. This sort of thing doesn't happen often--" He broke off as he noticed Riku stiffen. His face softened sympathetically for the devestated mother. "Sometime in the night is all I know, so he hasn't been gone long. I'll take With into town with me, and we can scout around for some sort of magical source. If it had enough strength to steal a human soul, then it shouldn't be too hard to find." Dark sighed and rubbed his face, suddenly extremely tired. "I'm just surprised that I hadn't recognized it sooner."
"Do you have any idea what artwork it might be?" Riku asked without removing her face from her hands.
Dark started to shake his head, but then realized that she wouldn't be able to see it. "No. It's completely new, just like the Sunny Day picture. This can't be a coincidence. Two brand new works of the Hikari in such a sort time. There must be one of their kin somewhere, and they must know I'm back. Who knows? Krad might be involved too."
Riku drew in her breath sharply. She knew what Krad could be like. She had felt his power coarsing through her, strangling her. Her fists clenched as she struggled to keep control. First Daisuke. Now her son. Riku was really beginning to hate the cursed Niwa gene.
Dark watched her helplessly for a moment before turning for the stairs. "I'm going to go tell Daisuke."
"NO!"
The sudden gasp sounded loud in the stillness. Dark glanced back at Riku curiously. "Why?"
Riku herself looked a little startled at her reaction as she lowered her hands. Then her eyes flashed with resolve. "I don't want anyone to find out about this. It will cause unnecessary worry and attention. Plus--" Riku broke eye contact uncomfortably. "--Daisuke's already so stressed with Daichii's transformation. He's always worrying that Daichii might get in trouble since he never had any real training. Plus, there's always the question about why Daichii did become the Phantom Thief . . ."
"Don't worry, Riku. I'll search all day if I have to."
"Thank you, Dark. I--" Riku's eyes widened. With a long groan, she slapped a hand to her forehead and collapsed on the sofa.
"What now?"
"Dark," Riku moaned. "Daichii has a date with Ren today!"
PREVIEW
"I know I'm wrong. But if something does happen . . . at least I have someone to support me."
"There is something wrong with her heart, Niwa. She has gone through things no seven year old should have to go through."
"How can it be so easy and natural to be with someone when that same certain someone makes you feel so nervous and jittery?"
"But if you'd rather take my punishments instead . . . I want you to come by this house every other day at four o' clock. Each day you will stay for an hour. For tresspassing on my property, you will do small chores. For hurting Ren, you will--"
"Do we have a deal?"
DEAL OR NO DEAL