Hello! And thank you to anyone that has decided to read this! I want to tell you a little bit about this story before you begin, but please feel free to skip this if you aren't interested. This was originally going to be a one-shot in which I just picked on one of the characters until I ended it with his death, but over the past day or two, I've really decided I'll make this…more supernatural and fantasy-like, so I apologize to any who aren't interested in that genre. This does take place in an Alternate Universe, and will continue on for quite a while, I suppose. Thank you for your time, and I hope that you can enjoy this chapter!

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Masquerade of the Dead

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Over the few days following the death of his best friend, Dark has learned that life can be hard, but what he doesn't know...is that sometimes being dead is much worse.

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Chapter 1

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Snow was falling heavily, a gentleness of the gods lingering in the air. It was morning, now, and Dark shuddered, a sob heavily wracking his form.

His violet locks were disheveled, a sign that he had taken little time to regard himself of late. His elegant features were contorted into a mask of grief and pain, his eyes were red and puffy.

Krad and me…we were friends for…longer then I can remember. It seemed like he was always there when I needed him…but now… God, why did this have to happen? It wasn't fair—he shouldn't have—didn't deserve any of this!

Dark lay, half under a thin blanket on his couch, staring emptily out at the snow, and he bit back tears as a memory flooded his mind.

--

Krad poked at the food on his plate, and watched Dark do the same.

"Krad…should we eat it?" Dark asked hesitantly, prodding the charred remains in front of him.

"Not on my life, would I ever eat that," the blonde replied, pushing the tray away from him and standing up.

"You're so mean! It isn't my fault, okay? Next time I'll just let my mom cook, okay?" Dark said, jumping up behind his friend.

"All right," Krad shrugged. "What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know—but let's do something fun while you're staying over here with me, okay? How much longer before your parents come back?"

"I'm not sure…about two weeks?" Krad said, as he tried to remember the date they were coming back from vacation.

"Oh, well that's okay—it doesn't really matter. Let's go, though!"

"Where?"

Dark smirked. "The mall."

"Why?" Krad said, as he walked towards the front door and slid on his shoes, Dark doing the same.

"Because I want to see someone there," Dark explained as they walked out the door.

"You have a crush?"

"No. Well, not on anyone at the mall, but still," Dark said as he ran a hand through his hair. "I wanna spy on someone."

"Oh, Dark! Come on—why do you always have to meddle in their affairs?"

"Whose affairs?" He replied defensively.

"Dark—Daisuke and Satoshi's."

"How'd you know?"

"It was written all over your face."

"Oh…Well, in any case," Dark said, immediately perking up, "Let's hurry."

His pace sped up, and Krad frowned, his chest lightly contracting. "Dark--?" he called, and slowed down, closing his eyes as a sudden wave of nausea struck him, and he stumbled lightly.

Dark turned to look at his friend. "Krad—what's--?"

The blonde began coughing, suddenly, violently, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

"Krad !" Dark yelled, running quickly to his friend's side, grabbing the limp form before he fell to the ground. "Krad?"

The blonde gave no response, a thin line of blood trickling down his lips.

--

He and Krad were…how old—14, 15 when this took place? He didn't remember. Right now…he didn't want to remember. It hurt…

Dark bit back the pain, and could do nothing as the memory continued.

--

Dark sat anxiously, kicking his feet against the floor as he waited for something—anything—to happen.

The nurses were too busy, and wouldn't stop to tell him what was going on—or why Krad had been placed in intensive care.

He sighed angrily, and crossed his arms before standing up and pacing.

He didn't know how long it had been since he began, but a kindly hand was placed on his shoulder.

"You've been here for quite some time—are you waiting for someone?"

The woman who stood above him was young, wearing a kind face and looking down upon him with warm eyes. He nodded, and she smiled, "What is their name—I'm sure I can take you to the room, if you want…"

Dark nodded eagerly, "Krad Hikari—he was unconscious when I brought him here, they said he was in intensive care, and—"

"Shh," the woman said soothingly. "He's fine—I was just in his room. Come on, I'll show you…"

Dark followed, and when she opened a door and the golden haired boy looked over at it, Dark's eyes widened and he ran into the room. "Krad!"

Krad smiled, when Dark entered, and he sat up quickly. The nurse shot him a certain glance, and he frowned, lying back down. "Sorry," he mumbled, and Dark looked at the nurse. "Thank you!"

She nodded. "Krad…you have to stay until tomorrow, we can't have you check you out until after midnight—" She had been about to say more, but someone called her from down the hallway.

Turning her gaze to the boys, she said to them, "Don't let him do anything foolish," she said to Dark, and shot Krad a warning glance.

He feigned a smile, but sighed heavily after she closed the door.

"Krad—are you alright?" Dark asked, sitting at the foot of the bed.

Krad nodded, and shot Dark the same smile. "I'm doing much better now…thank you."

Dark sighed. "Good—you really freaked me out, you know!"

"Sorry, sorry," Krad said apologetically. "There…wasn't…isn't anything I can do about it, though…"

"About…what?" Dark said, noticing a sorrowful tone lingering in Krad's voice.

"Nothing—it doesn't matter now. So…when are you going to have to go?"

"Why—do you want me to leave?" Dark said.

"No—no, it isn't that at all, but…it's almost four o'clock…won't your parents be worried about you?"

"They'll be worried about you, too!" Dark said, giving Krad a skeptical glance.

"No—please don't tell them?" The blonde said, sudden enthusiasm stringing his words together.

"Alright, alright. I won't tell them, but…jeez, Krad, you look pretty bad. You should go to sleep, or something."

Krad nodded. "Sure…I'll…I'll do that," he said as Dark nodded. "You…uh…don't mind if I stay here for a bit, though, do you?" Dark asked, and Krad shook his hand. "No…not at all…"

--

Dark pulled the covers over his head, and gave a low moan—he remembered what came next.

--

The nurse had woken Dark up—apparently he had been dozing soon after Krad. Visiting hours were up…he had to go home…see Krad tomorrow—only a few words registered in his mind as she spoke, and he had to work to understand what even they were.

He nodded dumbly, and stood up, taking one last look at the figure that lay sleeping peacefully, before walking home in the cold snow…

He went to bed early that night, his parents having left a note on the counter saying they went out to a movie and dinner he didn't have to worry about explaining why Krad wasn't with him.

He woke up early—eight o'clock, about, and scribbled something roughly on a sheet of paper for his parents. It read,

'Gone with Krad to the park—we'll be back later'

It was Saturday, now—his parents would be asleep for a while, more then enough time for him to go to the hospital and get Krad before coming back.

He ran out the door, dashing madly through snow that was falling harder then it looked, and charged all the way to the hospital.

"Is…is Krad Hikari here?" he asked a woman sitting in front of a desk.

"One moment, please," she said, flipping through some papers. "No…I'm afraid he checked out at four fifteen this morning…"

Dark blinked. Krad had already checked out? Where would he have—"Thank you ma'am!" He yelled, running out of the hospital building and towards Krad's house.

He was panting madly by the time he got there, and nearly ran into the door trying to slow his overworked muscles.

Knocking heavily on the door, he waited. Only a brief moment passed before the door opened, revealing a baggy eyed Krad.

"Dark? What are you doing here?" He said, sleepily, brushing a strand of hair out of his face so that he could see better.

Dark smiled, and leaned heavily onto his knees, glad that he had found Krad. "What are you doing here—you're supposed to be staying with me, remember?"

Krad nodded, and gestured for Dark to come in out of the snow. "I do, but I didn't think you nor your parents would enjoy me going over to your house at four something in the morning—are you hungry?"

Dark shook his head, walking in and closing the door behind him. "No, but I am a little thirsty. I ran all the way to the hospital only to learn that you weren't there—then I had to run all the way over here to see if this is where you were."

Krad nodded, smiling faintly as he grabbed a can of soda from the refrigerator, and tossed it to Dark.

The purple haired teen nimbly caught it, and cracked it open, draining the whole thing in less then a breath.

Krad sighed, and only took a step foreword before he was overwhelmed by a sudden coughing fit. The blonde leaned heavily on the wall as he gasped for breath between coughs, and Dark ran to his side, gripping his friend's shoulders steadily, and guided him to the couch.

Pushing Krad to sit down, Dark remembered, not so fondly, the events of yesterday, and draped a blanket around Krad's shoulder as the coughing began to subside.

"Stay here—I'm going to go make some tea or something," Dark said as he stood up and walked into the kitchen.

When he returned a moment later, a mug of steaming liquid in his hands, Krad had lie down on the couch, and was watching with pained eyes the frozen world outside the window.

Taking a seat on the floor, Dark set the cup next to him to cool for a bit, and said, "Krad…what's wrong with you?"

Krad's gaze slowly lowered to meet Dark's eyes, and he pulled the covers over his head and curled up tightly on the furniture.

"Krad! We're best friends," Dark said, turning his body to face Krad more, "and I know that something isn't right; won't you please tell me?" He begged.

Krad was silent for a few seconds, "I…Dark….Dark, there's a storm coming, and I can't go outside…you should leave now if you want to get home before it hits…"

Dark shook his head. "Krad, I'm not leaving."

The blonde sighed. "Okay…"

Dark smirked, hoping that Krad would take it as a positive gesture—even though he probably couldn't see him from underneath the blanket anyway.

He poked the blonde gently, "What's wrong?"

Krad had a light coughing fit, and then said, his voice still slightly muffled from the blanket, "It isn't anything…I've just caught a cold."

"Liar."

Everything was silent for a moment, the snow continuing to fall outside, and Dark said, "Well…you need to rest, I'm sure. I'll wake you up in a little bit and we'll eat lunch or something."

"You can't cook anything decent, though…"

"Don't be stupid—I know that. I'm ordering out. If I do it now, they'll be able to deliver it before the storm.

Krad smiled faintly from below the covers, and forced himself into a light doze as Dark called his parents, informing them he was going to stay at Krad's house for the night.

When Krad awoke, a good number of hours later that day, Dark allowed him to reheat the food he had ordered, and the two made due with the meal before retreating to bed.

Dark, now donning an extra set of sleepwear he left at Krad's house, followed Krad down the hallway that led to both Krad's room and the guest room Dark had been planning on sleeping in.

Krad suddenly stopped though, and placed his hand on the door frame of his room, and said just as Dark passed, "Dark…My lungs are decaying…I'm dying…"

Dark's head cocked up in surprise, and all he could do was stare dumbly at the blonde, his mind trying to register this new information.

Krad's shoulders slumped, and he took a step foreword into his room. "Goodnight," he mumbled.

It was only then that Dark was able to react, "Wait!" He leapt towards the blonde, and latched onto his shoulders—spinning him around so that he could look the blonde in the eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because…I didn't want you…or Daisuke or Satoshi to worry…"

--

Dark sat, sharing Krad's bed, and the two talked for what must have been hours about little nothings. They talked about the disease Krad had been cursed with as a young child, at memories of how they met, at what was to come in the future.

"Krad…Krad, promise me that you'll make it though this?"

Krad was silent for a long moment, but then, "Dark…I swear to you that I will not let this drive me away from you, if that's what you mean."

Dark nodded, "But remember…you promised me…"

--

Dark choked. Krad had lied. He didn't keep his promise…and they had buried him just this morning.

Another memory—the day Krad had…passed away… He had called him, and just like that, Dark's world was shattered. Four years after the blonde promised he wouldn't leave, he called Dark and said, "Dark…I'm not…going to make it" and left.

Just like that.

Krad was gone before Dark had time to make it to the hospital, before he had a chance to even do so much as say goodbye.

More tears threatened to flow, and he closed his eyes tightly. The funeral…had been today…right? He couldn't stay…he didn't want to hear the sounds of dirt falling heavily onto the white casket that held his best friend. He left…Daisuke and Satoshi would stay for him…

His voice dry and cracked, he said, sadly, "Krad…"

"Meant a lot to you, hmm?"

Dark's eyes flashed open, and he stared in wonder at a figure standing before him, golden hair held tightly in a high ponytail, arms crossed in though.

"What…? Krad ?"

The almost transparent figure nodded. "Yes…Krad," it said, savoring the name as a smirk crossed devilishly over his features.

"But—"

"Shh," the blonde said, and offered a gentle smile to Dark. "If I meant so much to you…why don't you join me?"

Dark blinked. "J...Join you?"

"Yes…it won't hurt…honest," he said, his golden eyes hypnotizing the distraught teenager.

Dark nodded dumbly, and headed towards the kitchen, pulling a sleek knife from the drawers. He gave a hesitant look to the blonde that stood before him, who gave a reassuring nod and smile as Dark looked at his wrists and pushed the knife down, gently, slowly.

He pushed harder, and looked up at Krad one more time, and then…

The front door flew open, a burst of red and blue mixing into his vision as Dark turned his head to regard the boys that stood in his living room.

"Dark!" The redhead called.

The violet haired man turned back to look at Krad, only to find that the blonde was gone, and his hands began to twitch. He dropped the kitchen knife to the floor, and fell to his knees, looking at his palms in confusion.

"Dark!" Daisuke said, running up to him, followed closely by Satoshi. "What were you—what's going on?"

Dark shook his head slowly, as if denying everything that just happened himself. "I don't…I don't know…"

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Interesting? No? Well, Either way, thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed it! Or at least understood it, anyway. I'll update as soon as possible, and please remember that your reviews are highly appreciated, if you can spare the time. Thank you again, and please forgive me for any mistakes I've made.