Ciel: You know…you guys can't stay here forever. You both have to face the music…

FireSamurai: CielRenamon, we're working on the chapter. Can't the readers see we'll answer the cliffhanger from last chapter?

Ciel: I dunno…you did leave my Master in a bad spot…perhaps I should just feed you to them? *points to the ravenous and/or murderous readers*

Dragon and Sword Master: You wouldn't! Besides, how would they know what comes next?

Ciel: …I hate it when you make a good point. You two can stay…for now.

Dragon and Sword Master: Thanks. Now then, all joking aside, Areku's powers seen in this episode will be explained at a later date and time, I promise. And there's a reason why it's so powerful but…I don't want to spoil it! Just trust me everyone, please? Furthermore, until it's explained in the story, Ark's powers won't be activating much, if at all. I don't want him to be a Gary Stu after all.

Chapter 2: We're not Letting the Fox out of the Bag…Yet

Okay, so apparently I have this crazy freak after me and the only one that knows just what the hell is going on is this fox person thingy. Did I mention my life just went from normal to extremely bizarre? Not to mention that I somehow lost two hours of my life…

Did I mention that my life has gotten very strange in the last couple of hours? I think I'll let the others explain since I have no clue just what's going on…

Sasami sighed lightly as she looked towards her brother currently resting in the school's nursing office. It had been an hour since the events on the roof happened, and both Kitomi and she were still confused. Not only had her brother been immune to the paralyzing effects of whatever that robed man did, but there was also that transformation of his…and that fox woman hadn't moved one bit since they brought Ark into the room. She was currently leaning against one of the walls with her…paws crossed in front of her chest. Whenever Kitomi or Sasami asked her what was going on, she replied that the information she had was for Areku's ears only, causing both female humans to growl in anger. Even if the kitsune hadn't attacked them, or Areku, since her arrival, it didn't mean that the two girls weren't weary of the kitsune they made sure to keep a cautious eye on her.

Flashback

"Areku/Aniki!" both shouted in alarm as they started going upwards due to the wind before they started to fall back towards Earth and to their demise. However, both were surprised when an arm wrapped around the two girls, stopping their descent. When they saw that it was Areku who grabbed them, they were wondering just what he was thinking. Both girls closed their eyes so as to not see the roof of the building that would cause their death. After feeling the winds calm down, Sasami slowly opened her eyes, surprise in them as she saw two pure white wings spread wide open; Areku's eyes glowing an eerie white. Now that she knew Kitomi and she were safe, Sasami looked down to notice that Ark was flying them both back towards the rooftop. She could hear a gasp of surprise and shock coming from Kitomi. Landing softly, Areku let go of both females, knowing that they were now safely on the ground. Raising his left hand, his bracelet quickly glowed white as a barrier shimmered around the two girls. After that was finished, Areku finally turned towards both the fox woman and the robed demon.

"Well demon…" Areku started to speak, his voice much deeper and older than normal…it was almost as if he was speaking in a demonic tone. "You said that you wanted to kill me. I say take your best shot," he said, as a smirk appeared on the angelic boy's face when the last lines passed his lips. The only response that he got from the demon was a bone-chilling laugh, and a look of worry from the kitsune.

"It seems as if you have a death wish, boy…" He stated as his wings folded inwards before he raised a gloved hand, having it ignite in flames once again. "Then allow me to grant you your wish, foolish mortal. Evil Inferno!" he declared as a bluish black flame blasted from his hand, heading quickly towards Areku. As the winged boy was about to raise his left hand to quickly create a barrier, a howl of pain assaulted his ears; the fox had taken the blow for him, causing her to scream in pain. Narrowing his eyes at the demonic being in front of him, he cradled the female in his hands protectively before laying her down next to the two females he called friends. "Rest. I will handle it from here," he suggested before creating another barrier to protect her from any additional collateral damage as he saw that she was going to comply. Sensing another fireball coming from behind, Ark raised a hand as an opaque barrier formed, snuffing the fireball out completely.

"Are you finished?" Areku asked coldly. Before the robed male could answer, Ark continued. "It doesn't matter. The games are over…" he said before letting the barrier drop, the energy being refocused into seven glowing balls of differing colors. This action surprised the females watching below; both human and kitsune. When the balls finished forming, they quickly shot towards the demon. When they came into contact, several explosions occurred in quick succession and when the smoke cleared, the demonic figure was nowhere to be found.

"Mark my words boy, I will be back. And no amount of help will save you…" was the last thing that the four heard from him.

"And I will be waiting," Areku responded. For a few moments, no one moved or spoke, not sure what to say after what just happened. Finally, Kitomi took a step forwards, noticing that Ark removed both barriers, seeing as the danger had passed…for now.

"Areku?" she asked as the white-winged figure turned around, looking at both Sasami and Kitomi for the first time since all of this went down. If it weren't for the fact that they knew it was Areku, the two girls would have stepped back in fear of his appearance as well as for the voice that came from him.

"Are you two okay?" he asked and both girls nodded. Seeing that they were okay, Areku headed over to the mysterious fox woman that helped them during the confrontation. Looking her over, he noticed the various scratches and bruises along her form, as well as the large scorch mark on her back, where she dove in and took the attack for him. Wincing lightly at how much that must have hurt; Areku placed his hand on her shoulder before his bracelet glowed a soft green color.

Once the glowing light covering her form stopped, Sasami and Kitomi saw that all her wounds were healed, causing the kitsune to go wide-eye at this. Looking up towards Areku, she sighed lightly before thanking him for the healing. However, she saw that the boy was finally starting to run on empty of the power that was most likely stored within the bracelet. A few seconds later, she noticed that Ark went back to normal…his wings disappearing and his eyes went back to their normal crimson color. With one final smile to the three ladies, he slowly lost the battle of consciousness and his body fell towards the roof they were standing on.

"Areku/Aniki!"

End Flashback

Turning towards the kitsune, Sasami tried yet again to get answers from her. She thought that if she asked enough times that the fox woman would finally cave in and answer their questions. However, before a word could come from the girl's mouth, the door opened and Sasami took her eyes off of the mysterious kitsune for a few seconds to see who was there, as a scowl forming upon her face as she saw who it was.

"What are you doing here Rei?" She quickly asked the new occupant of the room, not realizing that the fox had disappeared from sight. In front of her was known as the Rebel Punk of their school: Reikou Fushin. Standing at about five foot six, the boy stood there with his arms crossed over the black t-shirt and navy blue button-up shirt that was left unbuttoned. The fact that his denim blue jeans hadn't made a sound as he entered the room only made the two girls glare at him even more.

Ignoring Sasami's question, he looked towards the only person that called him friend with his cobalt colored eyes, the concern within those eyes of his covered by his platinum blonde hair, before asking a question of his own.

"How long has he been like this?" Rei asked, silence being the only answer he received. Sighing lightly, he understood why these two didn't like him, just like everyone else in the school. His reputation as a thug and all around 'bad boy' didn't help matters either, nor did the studded piece of jewelry pierced in his left ear. There were also the rumors about his family's finances…such as his grandmother married into money and then had her husband killed, the family being part of the mafia…in fact, there were so many that Rei stopped caring long ago. This was why he held himself the way that he did, along with getting into several fights.

However…Areku had seen through the façade around him when they first met, only seeing the loneliness that he hid so well from others. He also couldn't hide the golden heart that he possessed either from his friend, even though he did try several times in the beginning. What he didn't know that there was another occupant in the room, staring at him, wondering if who this person was and what his relationship to her charge was. However, she ultimately decided on being passive and would watch the scene in front of her play out. If he was a threat, and only then, would she reveal herself to this 'Rei'.

"Tell me what happened…please," Rei said, spitting out the word as if he hadn't used it in ages, and in fact, he hadn't. The fact that his only friend was currently in this predicament was the only reason that he was sacrificing his pride…even if the two ladies didn't approve of his company, Areku was his friend.

A few seconds passed before Kitomi finally broke the silence. "It all started during lunch when this robed fr…" she started explaining before being cut off by Ark's sister.

"Kitomi!" Sasami shouted, appalled at her friend for what she was doing.

"We're gonna need his help on this one Sami, like it or not, especially if that…thing decides on coming back. I don't know what happened to Ark, but I highly doubt he can fight him off again," Kitomi said, defending herself.

"Ugh…what's with all the yelling you guys?" Ark asked, as four pairs of eyes swiveled towards the bed, and its occupant, only to see two red eyes looking back at them. Before anything else could happen, both Sasami and Kitomi hugged the life out of him. The scene in front of them caused the other occupants in the room, one visible and the other hidden, to smile. "Girls…can't…breathe…"Areku wheezed out after a few minutes. When this was said, both girls quickly stopped hugging him and saw that his face was turning blue, causing their faces to heat up in embarrassment. After regaining his breath, Ark asked them what he was doing there.

"You mean you don't remember?" Sasami asked with worry etched on her face as Ark shook his head in a negative fashion. If he didn't remember that, then what else did he remember…or forget?

"The last thing I remember was seeing this robed demon fighting that fox woman. The demon said something that caused the winds to pick up. You both were unable to keep your grip, so I let go in order to try saving you. After that, my mind's a blank," he admitted. Seeing the looks of wonder and curiosity from everyone, Areku asked what happened, figuring that the fox lady disappeared in the aftermath.

Both Kitomi and Sasami looked at Rei for a few seconds, wondering just exactly what to say in front of the young rebel. "Just go ahead and spit it out. Whatever you girls say, I won't tell a single soul. Promise," he said as the girls looked towards Areku. Seeing him nod, Kitomi started.

Well…you see, after we fell…" Kitomi said as she started relaying the events to what happened. However, before she had a chance to explain what happened, Sasami clamped a hand over her mouth as shock, surprise and betrayal crossed through the raven-haired youth.

"I'm still surprised that you remember a dream like that so vividly Aniki," she quickly stated. Looks of confusion came from the two males as well as the other female occupant of the room with this statement as their bedridden friend wouldn't be in a medical room for something as simple as a dream.

"Then why am I just waking up in the infirmary?" Ark asked, wondering what his sister was trying to hide. Years being with her made him know that she was lying, but he had no idea what she was doing. Until he got some proof that contradicted her story, he would play along.

"You tripped on one of the stairs while we were returning from lunch. We brought you here and the nurse took care of everything else," Sasami said, hoping that he bought the lie. Even though she knew it was wrong, Ark already had enough shit to deal with. This crazy bizarre scene they all witnessed did not need to be added to it.

"Well, since sleeping beauty has finally decided on waking up, can we blow this pop stand?" Rei asked, causing Sasami to scowl.

"No one asked you."

"Sami, be nice," Areku said patronizingly as he slowly got off of the bed. Not realizing that he hadn't gotten his full strength back, his legs started to give out on him.

"Careful buddy, I gotcha," Rei said as he let Areku lean against him, waving his "thanks" off, saying that he was just returning the favor after something similar happened, only with the roles in reverse.

The fox that was hiding in plain sight grinned lightly at the scene, glad that her charge had friends like this Rei person. The only question running through her mind was why Sasami was trying to cover up what happened on the roof. As she pondered over this, she noticed the group of four head out of the room and then the building. CielRenamon quickly followed after them and eavesdropped on the girls' conversation.

"Sasami, why did you do that? Your brother wanted to know what happened, and I highly doubt he believed your lie either," Kitomi hissed, still a little annoyed from when she had the girl's hand quickly pressed her hand over her mouth.

"Would you believe me if I said that he was an angel and fought that demon guy off? Not only that, but ever since Rei showed up, that fox woman disappeared. I don't know who, or what, she is, but I don't trust her," Sasami replied.

"But she helped save Areku from that freak, and she even took an attack meant for him. What else do you need from her to know that she's on our side?"

"An explanation, for one," was Sasami's quick response. She didn't trust the kitsune that came to their aid.

'So she wants an explanation as to why I did what I did…interesting,' the fox thought as she saw the four humans arrive at what she assumed was Areku and Sasami's home. Wanting to keep her presence masked, the kitsune waited until everyone else was inside the house before going in herself, glad that she was able to open and close the door without making a noise. Closing her eyes for a second, she opened her senses to scan for where everyone was within the establishment, and created a mental map of the household as well. After seeing that the downstairs just had a living room, kitchen and bathroom that connected to the living room via a hallway, while the upstairs had three bedrooms and another bathroom, as well as hallways that connected the upstairs rooms to each other, she headed towards the living room. Here, she sensed five people in the room. Once she got there, she saw the person that her Queen assigned to guard and raise Areku, along with her charge and his friends. Wondering what was going on, she snuck inside the room and decided to eavesdrop once more.

"Is that you Sasami, Areku?" a gruff voice asked as a man closed the bathroom door behind him and came into the living room. Looking at him, the kitsune saw the same man from the past, a man that was about five feet ten inches with light-brown hair and storm-gray eyes, wearing a plain white button up shirt with black pants. He was Mr. Tenjin, the man that raised Areku and Sasami since they were babies.

"I see you have friends here. Sasami, why don't you take them upstairs to your room? Areku, start making dinner," he said in the same gruff voice. Before anyone could say anything to him, he sat down in a chair and turned on a movie, not seeing the balled up fists that Rei was making. Before he could do anything rash, Ark placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's fine Rei. Just help me get to the kitchen ok?" Ark asked, knowing that if Rei caused a scene, his father would only take it out on him once they all left.

Rei stood still for a few seconds before slowly nodding, coming to a similar conclusion as Areku did, before helping him to the kitchen. Sasami knew that if she argued with her father that it would only be harder to deal with him, especially when he got like this. It was unfair to her brother, she knew, but there was nothing she could do about it; she had tried in the past. Torn between looking in on her charge and listening to what the two girls were most likely going to discuss, she almost didn't hear the words of Ark's father. "You can drop the illusion digimon. I can sense where you're standing. Who are you?" He asked calmly, surprising the kitsune. However, instead of complying with his demands, she asked him a question of her own.

"How?"

"I just can. Now drop it," he ordered with a cold tone in his voice, something that made her realize that if she didn't obey his order, something bad would most likely happen. Sighing lightly, she did as he asked. "Good. Now then, who are you?" He asked once again, using the same tone of voice as he took in her form.

"I'm a Digimon tasked under the digital king and queen to…"

"I already know all that. What is your name, or should I just call you 'Kitsune-san'?" He asked impatiently. It had been years since he had last seen a digimon, but he knew one when he saw it.

"CielRenamon"

"Good. Now then CielRenamon, are you here to take Areku back and have him be the next savior of your god-forsaken world?" He asked, causing CielRenamon to look at him with narrowed eyes at the insult to her home world. 'What gives him the right to talk about my world like that?' She thought as she resisted the urge to growl at the man, especially with how he treated his charge in her presence…and had a feeling that in the past it was much worse. 'My queen…why did you choose this man to protect Areku?' She silently asked before noticing that Mr. Tenjin was still waiting for her answer and could tell that he was starting to lose his patient with her.

"I am."

"And what happens if he isn't allowed to go?" Mr. Tenjin asked out of curiosity. It wasn't the fact that he cared for the boy, but if his daughter was going to be in danger due to being close to him, then he wanted to know.

"Then it's going to get worse. You may not care about my charge, but what about your daughter?" she asked, causing Mr. Tenjin to narrow his eyes at the kitsune. She mentally grinned to herself, glad to know that she struck a nerve.

"Don't you dare threaten—"

"That's the thing. I'm not threatening your daughter, but I'm telling you that things will get worse. Daemon's minions will come after Areku and more likely than not, Sasami will get caught in the crossfire, not to mention the others. Do you really want your selfishness to be the undoing of these children?" She asked, silently wincing to herself. Maybe she had gone too far, but she wouldn't take back anything that was said. Anything else that wanted to be said between the two would have to wait as a call saying that dinner was ready came from the kitchen. The digimon quickly bent light back upon herself again and became invisible. She wanted to talk to Areku when he was alone and not with his sister or any of his friends.

After dinner, both Rei and Kitomi left for their respective homes. However, before Rei headed off into the night, he grabbed Ark's shoulder and said that if he ever needed help, of any kind, all he had to do was say the word. Ark shook his head, but thanked Rei all the same for the support. Heading back inside, both children started on cleaning the kitchen before going upstairs into their respective rooms. After finishing his homework, Areku looked out at the night sky.

'What happened earlier today? Why did I black out?' he asked himself. He knew that Sasami lied to him, especially since he didn't have any physical bruises signifying that he fell. It confused the hell out of him. Not only that…but there was that mysterious robed freak and that fox woman. 'Just who was she anyways? Ugh…way too many questions without any answers…' Areku thought to himself as he got ready for bed, a yawn escaping from him as he did so. 'I wonder if Kit-chan will answer my questions…' Knowing that it would probably be a good idea to just go to sleep and wait until tomorrow to start asking questions, but until then he would have to wait. As he closed his eyes, he didn't notice the kitsune creature that smiled right outside his window.

I'll let him sleep for now and explain everything that's going on tomorrow. CielRenamon thought to herself as a small smile made its way upon her face. Still…I would have thought that Daemon would send one of his minions to try and kill Areku…not come himself. Better yet, how did he find him? The queen made it so he couldn't be found in the first place…CielRenamon sighed lightly before retreating to the roof for the night. There were things that were about to be set into motion…

Dragon and Sword Master: And that's the chapter. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the fight between Angel Ark and Daemon. As powerful as it is, it may or may not make some reappearances, but it would be a last resort maneuver. And Ark will not consciously be in control of it until way down the line, but there is an explanation for it, I swear

FireSamurai: You mean, 'we swear'

Dragon and Sword Master: Of course I did, I wouldn't have said it otherwise

FireSamurai: If you say so…Anyways, that's it for now. Good night/day gentlemen.

Dragon and Sword Master: And ladies. Can't forget the ladies.

Ciel: *sighs as she reads and swats both authors for being stupid* It's…always going to be like this, isn't it?'

Yugito: Sadly. Also, Dragon and Sword Master would like to request that any and all people who view this story to take a moment and review before going on with your lives. He likes to hear from you all and will respond to every review that he gets, or so he tells me. The previous chapter got 90 views yet no reviews and only 1 follower...he feels kinda bad about that quite honestly...