Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Yeah. You know what? Technically this is thirty-six chapters into this story. I'm pretty sure I don't own DN Angel, but… for the sake of avoiding lawsuits, I'll check again. *googles 'who owns DN Angel?'*

Okay, still owned by Sugisaki Yukiru! I DON'T OWN DN ANGEL!

...

As the sun went down, Krad watched it go without worry. He had all the time in the world to wait. Ryoushi would come eventually… Satoshi-sama, he said pleasantly, stretching a tendril of thought out towards his tamer, How have you been? He felt the boy flinch, surprised by his sudden presence, and chuckled to himself.

Krad! Where are you?

Nowhere you need to know of, Satoshi-sama, Krad replied chidingly. I am not quite ready to be discovered yet. He smiled to himself, enjoying being in the presence of his tamer for the first time in half a year. Though he would never admit this to anyone, it was a comforting feeling, like a son who had moved out and was now visiting his father. I'll leave you alone now.

Wait, Krad. Satoshi's voice was suddenly serious. Where… where are you? I want to see you again. Krad pondered his words for a moment. The chances of the boy having an artwork capable of sealing him were slim, but there was no way he'd be able to get to the top of a skyscraper.

You wouldn't be able to find me. He felt guilty dismissing Satoshi like this, but he didn't want to face him yet. He couldn't. He still wasn't himself. He closed his eyes and gently pushed the boy out of his mind. It was so peaceful here… and relaxing…

He let his eyes drift shut, and fell asleep for the first time in what seemed to be years.

Lumi's POV

I flew on through the sky, through the air and clouds wrapped in the misty purple of twilight. I heard Satoshi behind me, but paid him no attention. At the moment, to me… he was a distraction. I had to contact Dark. In case something went wrong, in case I didn't see him again… because Satoshi and I had changed one minor detail of our plans.

At my insistence, I would be talking to Honoo no Namida, disguised as him. He didn't like it, and to be honest with you, neither did I, but if something went wrong and he got hurt, or even killed… I would never be able to forgive myself. Besides, I was sure I could give her something to remember for burning my wings off.

But no… I had to remind myself, this was not for revenge. I would not become a hopeless manic, questing fruitlessly for those who had wronged me. I would not become a being who was like Krad, or even… though it pains my heart to say it, like Gray. I didn't want to become someone who had to kill, or wanted to kill… or… anything, really. That I had killed Syerdtsye still startled and haunted me…

Syerdtsye. The thought hit me like a rock, and I wondered why I hadn't figured it out before. Brown hair, green eyes… she'd been tan… still about my height, had a tendency to use Gray's wings or a pair of lighter silver ones… Yes, yes, I could probably pull that off… But my eyes didn't change. Or, they weren't supposed to. Green eyes… green, bright, acid green… My irises were draining of color, and they were being filled again, and it burned…

"Lumi!" Satoshi's voice snapped me out of my self induced trance.

"What happened?" I asked, my eyes stinging.

"You dropped almost fifty feet, I was sure you were going to crash…" Satoshi trailed off. "Your eyes."

"What?" I asked, "Are they –?"

"Bright green," he said. I smiled as I turned to continue flying.

"That's good." I told him nothing about my sudden change of our plans; I knew it would not delay him. This way, even, it could be safer for us all. He'd figure it out. "Just do what we planned."

For another few minutes, we flew in silence, broken only by Satoshi giving a small gasp. I glanced back at him, but he shook his head. I gave him a moment, hovering in the air, but he shooed me onwards and I remembered that we were supposed to arrive separately. I felt like this had been planned… Gray, probably, I thought, and was surprised by the bitterness in my mind.

I suppose I'd better just come out and admit it: I was jealous. I wanted to be like Gray, who'd always known what to do and say no matter what the issue might have been, who had a sarcastic answer ready on her lips the moment a question was asked, who had been powerful and crazed and funny and… Gray. She'd always been herself, even when 'herself' wasn't what people wanted her to be. And I wanted to be like that… but I wasn't sure who I was anymore.

But I continued to concentrate on Syerdtsye, and as I did, I began to feel my form flickering and changing. My spine snapped and popped as I grew an inch or so to her height, my head began to pound as my hair became long and brown, and my skin tingled as it darkened to match her own. I could almost see my wings shimmer and become silver; light and beautiful silver. I wondered who had once had these wings, what they had been like, if he or she had known about Dark or Krad.

I hit a thermal and glided for a few minutes, the wind ruffling my feathers and making my eyes water. I hoped Satoshi was alright, that he would make it in time… this whole thing hinged on time. I could only pretend to be the mortal-despising, evil, slightly insane Syerdtsye for so long before I made a slip or was forced to reveal myself. And if Satoshi wasn't out before then, with Dark and Daisuke or without… I didn't dare think of what could happen. I wouldn't.

Journal Entry, 6-12-11

Krad contacted me today. I haven't heard anything from him or Ryoushi in almost six months, so naturally, I was surprised. Even more surprising to me, was what he said when I offered to release him from the Hikari line.

He said no.

Krad, what do mean? I had snapped, strangely furious at him. I wanted to be rid of him, knew that he probably wanted to be rid of me, but he wouldn't accept the release I was offering him? What notion had taken his mind this time? (Believe me, he's had some crazy ideas before.)

I mean, Satoshi-sama, that I do not wish to be freed yet, he had replied, painfully calm, with that collected voice that always made me want to hit him. It is that simple. I want to be released from the Hikari line with your death. He made it sound so plain, so easy to do… yet it was so morbid.

And what if I die abruptly? I had asked, just to put a wrench in his plan.

Krad was silent for a long moment. Well, if that is the case, I'll probably disappear, unless you have a son, or the Hikari line lives within another. I suppose they wouldn't take that well, but I do quite wish to stay here for a bit longer. I sighed. He'd approached that just as I thought he would…

Fine, I had thought to him, When I die, I'll free you. But now, as I sit here, I wonder how long I'll live. It's odd, thinking about the world without yourself there, but… at the same time, you can tell yourself that, even without you, the world would probably be the same way it is.

Excuse me, I have to go turn on some lights. (Note to self: Never ponder morality in the dark.)

As an afterthought, I must send this to Lumi. She finds some of these entries interesting. (Although I'd have preferred her telling me that she was reading this instead of walking in on her typing up a separate entry at almost midnight.)

Lumi's POV

As I neared the church, my stomach began tying itself into a series of very elaborate knots. I don't quite remember what I'd gotten so shaken up for, but after all that has happened I've forgotten many small details of our adventures. I ought to start a journal like Satoshi's doing, I thought, smiling as I remembered the time I was typing up (and editing) a separate entry… I believe you read it; it was when he came over to the Niwa's. Oh, he was furious…

But anyway, back to the church. Why had we decided to go to the church, when Honoo no Namida was with the Black Wings? Well… to be perfectly honest, we didn't. But as I was gliding on that thermal, I began thinking. If Syerdtsye knew where Honoo was immediately, if she had been dead, it would raise some suspicion. I didn't want to be found out immediately; I would stop briefly at the church and demand to talk to Namida-san. Then I would be directed to the museum, and hopefully still beat Satoshi there.

Hopefully. There were still a lot of things that could go wrong with the plan. Lots and lots of things. More than I knew.

…

As I folded my now silver wings at my back, I stared around the seemingly deserted church. "Who is here?" I asked loudly, haughtily. "I demand you to come out!" Nothing moved. "Come now, you cannot come to welcome your leader back? You think a mortal could kill me? Pah! Now come! I must speak with Namida-san."

Finally, I got a reaction. In the shadows, a figure stirred and stepped towards me. A pale figure, with shoulder length, messy black hair, dressed in black. "Sssyerdtsssye-ssssama," he said with a bow, hissing, I guessed, because of the fangs that sprouted from his mouth, "To sssee you back isss ssuch an honor… an honor…"

"State your name," I snapped.

"I am Kyuuketssssuki," he said, "I hoped you would remember me… you brought me back from the horrid work I wassss trapped in after killing and being killed by Karudo." I felt like I had had a bucket of ice water poured over my head. This was the being, the artwork, responsible for Krad's –and indirectly Gray's, deaths.

I shook the feeling off and snapped, "Where is Namida-san? I need to speak to her."

"Ssshe hasss gone to visit the Black Wings, Sssyerdtsssye-sssama," Kyuuketsuki replied. "Do you wissssh for me to essscort you there?" I looked at him for a moment.

"Does it look as though I need an escort? Do you think there is someone out there who can harm me? Ha!" I laughed and turned away, taking flight instantly. I assumed I had played my role well, and hoped my ruse would continue to be effective at the museum. (I can never keep the names straight, I'm terribly sorry.)

I never knew a disguise could be too good before.

With Krad…

The angel was startled out of his sleep as a golden winged, white blur flew up to him, yipping and trying to lick his face. It was Ryoushi, of course, his faithful companion, his immortal familiar. He shoved the dog away from him and stood. It was time to go now, to seek out whatever silver rose Hateshiganai had told him about, and to find Candra.

"Come Ryoushi," he said, leaping off of the building, "Time to hunt." The dog winged after his master, smiling as all dogs do, knowing he was glad to see him, even if the white-winged being didn't show it. He knew that his master cared deeply for him… he heard Krad's instructions whisper through his mind, and set off after him. Quickly, he overtook his master, and shot forward, guiding him towards his –and therefore their –target.

…

Krad wasn't sure why he had changed his plans; whether it had been a spark of whimsy or something greater, but… he had decided to send Ryoushi on the hunt for Candra first. It was as though something had told him that the girl could lead him to what he sought, and he was willing to take the chance that she didn't know, because if she did, it would save him hours –perhaps days –of searching. But as he followed Ryoushi, he felt cold fear flood his heart:

They were flying to where she had died. He didn't dare even think her name, so mind-consuming were those shadows that enveloped his sight when he did. But he followed his hunting hound faithfully.

He had no way of knowing who he would see when he reached his destination.

Lumi's POV

When I landed in front of the museum, it was empty, which was strange, as it didn't close before ten 'o' clock most nights. But, of course, this wasn't an ordinary night. So now, at five thirty, I stood before the doors of the museum, a perfect copy of Syerdtsye, with the moon shining bright and full in the twilight. Winter was coming, and I could feel it in the air. I quickly stepped inside.

The door slammed shut behind me, sending a final gust of cold wind at my back. It was dead quite within the building, and, though at first I thought them to be my own, I heard footsteps behind me. I stopped. So did the footsteps. I whirled around.

"Shh!" Towa held a finger to her lips, silencing my scream.

"My God, Towa!" I gasped, "Next time, tell me you're coming!" She sighed and shook her head.

"You would have stopped me," she whispered. "Now, keep walking. I've got your back… Syerdtsye-sama." She smiled at me and turned into a small pink bird before flying up to the ceiling. She was practically invisible, which was good. I hoped desperately that Namida-san wouldn't see her; tiny bit of lighter dark that she was, so far into the shadows.

I walked on, my footsteps echoing loudly on the floor. The Black Wings was near the back of the museum, in a place that wasn't quite storage, but not quite a public area either. The statue was so large that it couldn't really be moved, but as it wasn't always open to the public, it was the only room the staff could put it in. (I read a lot, okay?) I'd managed to repair the roof before anyone saw it, but there were some things that I couldn't erase.

Like the blood. I'd tried to use magic to clean it, and I'm sure it was reported, but there had been no investigations (according to Satoshi) and nothing done. Maybe regular cleaning supplies couldn't do anything. Either way, my stomach did an uncomfortable little back flip when I saw the red-brown spots on the floor.

"You've come," Honoo no Namida's voice rang out through the silence. "That's good- oh my. Syerdtsye-sama?" I nodded.

"Yes Namida-san," I said, "I'm back. Did you really think a pathetic mortal like that girl could truly kill me?" I laughed, as though I couldn't believe anyone would think that, thinking how strange it was, acting as though I was my enemy.

"O-of course, Syerdtsye-sama. But… how did you know I came here?"

"I found Kyuuketsuki at the old church. He directed me here."

"Ah," she said, drawing one of her swords, "I do not recall informing anyone of where I was going." My heart sank into my shoes. I was dead. I hadn't even managed to last five minutes. A second later, I found myself hovering in the air, watching a jet of flame stab through the air where I had been only an instant ago. I sighed, but didn't show her who I truly was. That would mean instant death. She might think I was another artwork, and I wasn't about to correct her.

"Would you believe I got lucky then?" I had to keep her talking.

"No." Well, so much for keeping her talking… "But you are a talented work. I suppose you like to keep your tracking skills secret?" I blinked. "Oh, you'd never have found me otherwise. Kyuuketsuki is dead, after all. Try as I might, I was never able to revive him." I almost dropped out of the air. "What is your name?"

"Eizou," I said. It was the first thing that came to mind, and, as it meant 'reflection', I figured it was a decent excuse as to why I looked like Syerdtsye. "And my tracking is most basic, if you will pardon the insult."

"Hm…" she seemed to be pondering my credibility. "Well, 'Eizou', I don't seem to recall you ever existing. However, there is someone who can take care of that." She pointed behind me, and, like a fool, I turned.

And there, behind me, stood a being in white, holding a four foot long golden sword in his hands. Krad.

…

AN: Oh… yeah, sorry Lumi… I guess he's sort of mistaken you for Syerdtsye… I'm evil…

I know you probably all hate me for taking as long as I did to finish this, but PLEASE REVIEW! I'm so sorry it took as long as it did!