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Distortion	By : Macx Category: +. to F > DNAngel Views: 3261 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own DNAngel, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
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Distortion 7

It was the realm between two minds, both sentient and aware. They had
once been one in a way, brought to life inside a work of art created by
an aspiring artist. Born from love and energy of the soul that had poured
so much into its creation, as well as from the life and love of others,
it had become more than just a piece of dead stone, glass and metal. It
had come to be the haven of two sentient forms that been violently separated
three hundred years ago.

Now they were together again, but not in any form that remotely resembled
what had been.

Dark looked at his counterpart, taking note of the slender form, the
way Krad seemed to be much thinner and less powerful than he remembered
him from their confrontations. the long, blond hair, bound into a pony
tail, lay over his shoulder. The wings were gone; usually they gave both
entities a larger size. His normal clothing, the white, flowing cape, had
been traded in for a more mundane outfit that enhanced the fragile look.

Fragile and Krad, he chuckled to himself. Not a combination of words
he would have used.

Krad was sleeping, a restless slumber that spoke of little refreshment.
He was lying close to Dark, almost snuggling, and the thief calmly stroked
over the long bangs. Here they were, mortal enemies of before. Now the
entity that had hated him, despised him and wanted to kill actually sought
his presence, needed him so badly it took Dark�s breath away. Krad had
changed. Their last separation had changed him.

Memories teased at his waking mind again. Ever since the reunion inside
the Black Wings, both entities shared more than a common source of existence.
The thing that had torn them apart had each left them with parts of the
other. Dark wasn�t too bad off, all things considered, but Krad�s defenses
were slipping and breaking.

The simple fact that he had told his former enemy everything was a
sign for the desperation the demon felt. Krad was yearning for contact
but all he could have were the moments with Dark.

The kaitou sighed.

Right now it had to be enough. He knew he himself could never be what
Krad needed, but he would try to be there for him as long as the demon
needed him.

~Dark?~

Daisuke�s voice sounded mildly shocked, mixed with quizzical and confused.
Of course his partner knew about he connection. They had talked about it
in the beginning. What shocked him was the way Dark was comforting his
former enemy, how deep the bond truly went by now.

~It�s okay~ he murmured, turning slightly toward Daisuke.

~What... what happened? I mean, how...?~

He smiled sadly.

~He needed me~

Daisuke was silent, then collected himself, looking at the two entwined
entities. ~What happened?~ he asked again, calmer now.

~Nightmares. From a long time ago~ He sighed. ~Long story. Give me
time here, Dai, okay?~

Dark rested his head on the blond hair, felt the demon in his arms
shift a little, but Krad didn�t wake. Exhaustion had taken its toll. He
was close to the end of his emotional rope, actually too close, and Satoshi�s
denial and refusal to let him close only ate away more at the fragile psyche.

~Okay... Dark?~

~Hm?~

Daisuke just smiled and hugged him briefly, then turned his attention
back to the outside world and his lover. Dark chuckled.
* * *
Krad woke to the warm, comfortable sensation of someone close to him.
Physically close, holding him, embracing him. Golden eyes blinked open
and he was greeted by darkness. Not the darkness of night, the absence
of light, but dark clothing and black wings that had folded over him like
a blanket.

Dark?!

Panic surged through his mind.

No...

No!

Memories came back and he gasped, embarrassment, anger and denial warring
for dominance. He had lost it. Completely. In front of Dark. He had...
he had broken down.

Dimly he remembered someone catching him, holding him, soothing his
frazzled nerves. He remembered clinging to that support, holding on and
needing it.

Dark...?

Krad pushed away, out of the circle of strong arms, but he wasn�t easily
released. Fingers curled around one wrist and his head came up, eyes wild,
frantic, meeting the calm, violet gaze of his counterpart.

"Don�t,� Dark only said.

Krad inhaled sharply, his emotions a mess, his shields non-existent.
He looked around, trying to find out where he was, and found he was in
the only place he and Dark could meet without taking over the host body.

The fingers around his wrist squeezed a little, then he was pulled
to his other half. A hand cupped his face, holding him in place.

"Don�t run.�

He swallowed, tearing his eyes away.

"Don�t,� Dark insisted.

"Please let me go,� he whispered.

"Where would you go to?� Dark asked, ignoring the plea. "You�re safe
here.�

Krad tore free with all his strength and fell back, hunching over,
holding the hand that still tingled from the contact.

"I can�t go on like that,� he moaned. "I can�t.�

Dark reached out and touched him again and Krad closed his eyes, shivering
under the gentle contact. It had been so long. So very, very long. He had
existed three hundred years without such closeness, such love, and now
the dams were breaking. Coming back into this world, joined to his human
host again, he was craving it more and more. Things had changed and he
needed the closeness, but Satoshi denied it to him. In the past, he had
at least had the occasional touch. It had been cruel, cold, ruthless and
manipulative, but he had had it.

Now... his host had tried to kill himself.

"Krad,� Dark murmured. "We can do this.�

"No... I can�t. Not any more. It hurts...�

Dark pulled him in close. "Together," he only said, resting his head
against Krad's neck, willing him to relax.

The demon shuddered, then surrendered.

~Dark?~

He felt Daisuke�s touch and turned to his host and partner, never letting
go of Krad. ~Yes?~

Daisuke was a quizzical presence in the back of his mind, not close
enough to peek, but close enough to feel most of what was coursing through
his kaitou partner.

~What happened to him?~ Daisuke asked again.

Daisuke had a right to know. At least Dark believed so. They were all
connected in a way. Still, it felt like telling a secret he wasn't supposed
to reveal.

~Tell me? Please?~

He hesitated a little, then decided that the truth was the best option.
This would need more than him. It needed Daisuke to convince Satoshi that
Krad was no longer the hellish creature he remembered from his childhood.

~Do you know how we came to be?~ Dark wanted to know.

Daisuke frowned. ~I know a little~

The kaitou settled back, part of him entwined with his host, another
soothingly wrapped around Krad.

~About three hundred and twenty years ago a young artist by the name
of Hikari was born. He had a great talent. His work of art was alive, he
gave it soul. He lived for his work, he breathed life into it. Everyone
admired his art, everyone wanted to have it. Like a young thief by the
name of Niwa. He stole Hikari�s art because he had fallen in love with
it~

Daisuke listened, intrigued.

~But Niwa not only fell in love with the art, he also loved the artist.
It was a love that could never be. Both men knew it, but their lives were
drawn to each other, their souls calling out, and Hikari, in his love,
did the only thing he could think of as an artist � he created a work of
art for his lover~

~The Black Wings?~

~Yes. It was an expression from deep within his soul, it contained
his soul and his love and the love of the thief. They gave it life~

Daisuke swallowed. ~That� thing was created out of love? Uh, no offense,
Dark, but.. it's ugly. I wouldn't exactly call it a symbol of love. At
least of a sane person~

Dark smiled sadly. ~It was different once. Before the sealing went
wrong, before everything deteriorated� it was a beautiful piece of art.
It looked like an angel, an image of the thief Hikari loved, with feathered
wings. What was left of it were the ruins of a love that had never had
a chance. That's what got trapped in the seal. Its life, we, were gone~

Daisuke was stunned. ~I� understand~

~Well, the sealing went horribly wrong and the life inside was split
apart, the soul energy and the love were divided. Krad and I were born.
Before that accident, we were aware, Dai, but not sentient in that way.
I remember little of the time inside the Black Wings, only that someone
was there with me and it was a comfort to feel this other presence~

Krad shifted a little and Dark smiled tenderly, caressing his other
half.

~It was him. He was aware of me as I was of him. After the separation,
we were each alone. I was lucky. I ended up in one of your ancestors, the
Niwa thief. Krad was joined with the artist who had created Black Wings~

~The lovers?~

~Yes. Niwa accepted me. He was surprised, he was scared, sure, but
in the end he saw the potential. We had a fun time, actually~ Dark grinned.
~He helped me get over the separation. I had someone else with me and I
was accepted~

~And Krad wasn�t?~

~In the beginning he was. Hikari was surprised and also delighted to
carry the soul of his artwork. It was like an enlightenment for him and
he cared for Krad. A lot. He actually adored him~

Dark looked at the blond head resting against him, monitoring the other�s
sleep. Krad trusted him. It was a desperate trust since Dark was the only
one who could give him any sense of security, who could calm the hurting
demon, who kept him from total isolation.

~But the next generation wasn�t as happy. They barely tolerated him;
it was Hikari�s grandson. An artist himself he saw Krad as a hindrance.
By the third host, the tolerance had made way for hatred. Krad was a curse.
He woke to the of of his hosts, their contempt, and their attempts to...
get rid of him~

Daisuke�s eyes widened in understanding.

~Problem is, it got worse~ Dark added softly.

~Worse? How?~

Another sigh. ~The Hikari first tried to exorcise him. It was... agony~

Dark closed his eyes as those memories came back and Krad moved restlessly.
Agony was a too mild word for it. Krad had lived in constant pain, they
had tried to slice him apart and remove him in pieces, but he had held
on. Actually, he was bound to the Hikari blood line, so he couldn�t be
removed. They simply tore him to pieces and it took him long to gather
his parts. They didn�t understand that their fates were entwined until
much later.

~Gods...~

Dark nodded silently. ~As you can see, it didn�t work. So they put
him into chains. He couldn�t take over without the host letting him. Fighting
against the chains would burn him down to his soul, but it would never
kill him. He would suffer the consequences, recover as much as he could
with no energy to feed upon to speed up the healing. We rely a lot on you,
Daisuke. For living, for healing, for magic... It also didn�t let him sleep
between hosts~

~What?! But... what... how?~

Dark smiled sadly. ~Every fourteen years old Niwa or Hikari inherited
us. I stole the Hikari art for your family to seal and I was around until
the Niwa I was joined to found his true loSomeSome sooner, some later.
I was one with your family, I lived a comfortable life. I had fun. Krad...
had no such purpose, no such cycles, no meaning except to exist as a chained
curse, a demon in the eyes of his hosts. He could never sleep. It was like
a semi-existence. He felt each year pass and he only came to real life
when a fourteen year old son was around~

~That�s horrible!~

He nodded. ~It was pure torture. He was condemned to exist and to watch,
and he knew that I wasn�t. He couldn�t use his hosts, couldn�t pull magic
from their bodies. They used him in turn as a tool~ Dark tangled his fingers
in the blond strands, smiling sadly. ~It damaged him~

He could see the wounds. Now that Krad was without his shield, without
his bluster and pretense, he saw it all. Instead of the powerful, hate-filled
demon, Krad was a jaded entity that had struggled to survive. Dark rested
a hand on a slender shoulder, felt the warmth but also the pain. The chains
had left marks so deeply embedded, it would take time to soothe the hurts.
The exorcisms had dug into his soul and even though it had been close to
two hundred and fifty years, the wounds were barely scabbed.

~Because they feared him~ Daisuke murmured, watching Dark and his tender
ministrations.

~Yes. He was damaged almost beyond repair by the time Satoshi was born.
He had gone without a host for a lot longer than me. The Hikari had two
generations of female offspring. I slept throughout your mother's time,
and Krad... well, he just was. Satoshi�s stepfather knew of Krad. He couldn�t
use him because he wasn�t a Hikari by blood, but he made a deal. He would
give Krad what he wanted if Krad helped him in turn~

~He traded his son�s body~ Daisuke said levelly.

~Yes. He removed Krad�s chains, gave him freedom, and he handed over
Satoshi like a sacrifice. Krad was too weak at first to make his moves,
so Satoshi could fight him. Using the Lamenting Rutile his father tried
to force the subject, tried to strengthen Krad, but Satoshi proved to be
remarkably strong. I think his friendship with you gave him that strength.
His wish to protect you~

Daisuke looked at the figure next to his partner, the jaded, damaged
entity that had been part of Dark once. He felt no jealousy at the tenderness
and affection the kaitou showed. He understood what it meant.

~I never knew all this~ Dark murmured. ~I found out too late and it
hurts, Dai. It hurts so much~

~It could have been you~ Daisuke said softly.

~Yes. I was so damn lucky. So very, very fortunate... to be with you~

Daisuke hugged him close and Dark took some strength from it.

~Three hundred years... he suffered so long. He was alone so long.
We came to be together in the Black Wings again, he had me again, he had
closeness, and now...~

~He�s alone again~ Daisuke finished.

Dark was Krad�s anchor, his only hold left in this world. The reunion
had been brief and a reminder of what had been and what would never be
again. The peace he had found had been shattered again, forever removed.
While apart, neither had known what mig might miss. Now Krad knew it even
more so.

Dark had Daisuke, a warm, living soul. Krad had only the hatred and
fear. Satoshi refused contact, refused him...

~He�s alone~ Dark repeated, playing with the long strand of hair that
fell over the demon�s face. ~And lost~

~He has you~

~Through me he knows what could be, Daisuke. He can feel your presence
with me and it breaks him~

Krad murmured softly, moving restlessly.

"Shhh...� Dark whispered. "You�re safe here.�

Daisuke watched, mesmerized. Dark was very gentle, infinitely so. He
was radiating warmth and reassurance.

~I can remember a little of what it was like to have him with me. Because
of my hosts, I never missed it much ~ Dark murmured. ~He can�t survive
like this. I�m not enough because my life is bound to yours. I�m yours,
Dai, and Krad is Satoshi�s other half~

~And Sato fears him~

~It�ll kill him in the end. He will continue to exist, but the damage
together with the refusal will break him apart and shatter him~

Golden eyes suddenly blinked open and Krad looked up at him, confused.
Suddenly he became aware of his position, curled so close to his other
half.

Dark smiled calmly. "Hey.�

The demon pushed away, vis dis disturbed by the need he still radiated.
He bristled slightly, pulling his shields around him.

"Don�t, Krad,� Dark called, catching him. "Don�t run. It�s not the
solution. We�re one. I�m here for you.�

Krad stopped, eyes wide. Daisuke, still watching, was stunned by the
vulnerability, the sheer longing. He stayed in the back of Dark�s perception,
silently watching as Dark's wings folded around the blond demon again,
protected him, how Krad fell forward and let his former enemy comfort him,
and part of him cried in pain.

This was the demon who had nearly killed him so many times. He had
strangled him, had attacked him by magic, had made him bleed, but all of
that was pushed away as he looked at Krad, the white clothing in stark
contrast with Dark�s black ones, seeking comfort from his former enemy.

~Dark...~

~Please talk to Satoshi~ Dark murmured. ~Please!~

~I will. I promise~

He pulled back, gently, but still the shift made Krad flinch and Dark
murmured tenderly. He sent a silent thank you toward his host, then wrapped
shield around both of them.

"Why are you doing this?� Krad whispered after a while, not looking
at him.

"Because I want you to live.�

He smiled humorlessly, darkly. "I won�t kill myself, Dark. Don�t worry.
We can�t die.�

"But we can cease to be alive, Krad. You can still be inside your host,
but you could lose yourself. I don�t want that to happen.�

Golden eyes turned to look at him with astonishment. Dark cupped his
face and stroked over the smooth, unblemished skin.

"I want you to live, Krad.�

The demon inhaled shakily. "Well, you�re alone there.�

"No.� He grinned a little, not letting the other retreat, continuing
the caress. "Definitely not.�

Krad let his eyes wander over to where his own host resided and he
looked reluctant.

"You don�t have to go. You can stay here with me.�

"Niwa...�

"Understands. You can always come to me. Whenever you need to.�

"Thank you,� was the sincere reply.

Dark smiled, happy.
* * *
Satoshi hadn�t been aware of Krad�s absence until the moment Daisuke
had asked him about the demon. He hadn't really missed the solid presence
in his mind, though part of him had wondered where he was. Not feeling
Krad was as disturbing as being aware of him.

So Satoshi had reluctantly looked inward, searching for his alter ego.
They hadn�t talked, they hadn�t so much as looked at each other. Krad had
existed in the back of his mind, a shadow, and Satoshi had fortified his
mind should an attack happen one day.

It had never come.

Now he stared at the wavering spark, noticed the gray edges to the
formerly so brilliant amber light. Krad didn�t move, didn�t even flinch,
was almost apathic.

Satoshi came closer.

Wary, careful, he came closer.

It could be a trap to lure him closer, to strike.

Nothing happened.

From one second to the next he stood in a mind-place he hadn�t been
in before. It was like looking through a screen, seeing something he couldn�t
enter. In front of him knelt two people, one of them his demon, the other
Dark. Dark had had wrapped himself around the other, protective, soothing...
comforting. Black wings enfolded the white form, almost completely covering
him, and there were only a few stray blond strands visible, along with
a pale hand clutching the kaitou's black clothing.

Satoshi felt a flash of... jealousy? It was squelched quickly. Why
should he be jealous? Krad was his nightmare, his curse...

But he also felt pain. He had been used and abused, he had been suppressed
and twice they had tried to exorcise him. Satoshi had had no idea... he
had never thought of Krad as more than an evil spirit, a malevolent, homicidal
maniac... without feelings, without a heart...

Violet eyes suddenly looked up and Satoshi found himself fixed by Dark�s
gaze. Warmth emaneted from the kaitou. Warmth and comfort and security.
His hands were stroking over Krad in a calming pattern, never faltering.

"Do you want to know?" Dark asked.

Satoshi nodded despite a part of himself screaming that he didn't.
"Yes."
- 6
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- 8
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Distortion