A/N: wow. how long has it been since my last post? i bet you guys thought i had vanished or something! unfortunately, i have bad news. I'm going to be gone on vacation for the rest of june. sorry! so this is going to be the last chapter for a while again. i hate to do that to you guys, but i do have a life. a pretty crappy life, but a life all the same.

Disclaimer: I've never owned or pwned DNAngel. That's just the way it's gotta be.

The Next Generation

Chapter 16

Deal or no Deal

"Wait. What?" Dark replied.

"Well, I say 'date,' but really Ren just wanted someone to go with her downtown. Aparrently there was some big art contest held to celebrate the opening of a new art museum. The entries are being judged today," Riku explained.

"Hmm. I don't remember Daichii mentioning anything like that," Dark said, frowning.

"Ren only called yesterday, right when Daichii went to bed early. I told her he was sleeping for some reason, but I didn't think he was sick, so he could definitely go." Riku sighed. "Now I wish I had said he seemed sick. It wouldn't be like Daichii to make a promise and then break it, especially when it's about Ren. It would hurt her feelings, and I feel like Daichii's already been going through some rocky times with her lately."

"How do you know about that?"

Riku managed a half smile and put a finger to her lips. "That's a secret. A mother has to have special access to information about her child, you know." She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I think Ren also said something about another guy coming. I can't remember the name. I don't ever remember hearing it come up in one of Daichii's conversations."

Takahashi, Dark mused. Great. I'm sure Daichii would have loved that. At least I get to finally meet Ren face to face. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards into the beginnings of a sly smile. This is bound to be interesting.

"All right, Riku," the Phantom Thief sighed, as if he were making a great sacrafice. "Though it means putting off my long and vital search of the town, I will make sure to put this 'date' in top priority. After all, I wouldn't want to jepordize Daichii's chance at his Holy Maiden. I might have to stay up all night afterward, but if it's for my good buddy, Daichii, then it's fine with me." Dark paused in his dramatic babbling and abruptly started heading for the door. All too eagerly, Dark exclaimed over his shoulder, "Right then. See you later!"

"And Dark!"

Dark froze in the doorway. He peered back towards the hallway, his face half-hidden behind the door. Riku was standing there, looking tired and worried. Without warning, her face darkened in a menacing threat that almost scared Dark. "DON'T . . . SCREW . . . AROUND," she warned all-too-knowingly.

Crap. She saw right through me. Dark laughed feebly. "Now now, Riku. What makes you think I would do anything so dirty? You have my word."

"I mean it, Dark!" Riku shouted as he hurried out of the house and slammed the door.

The world was spinning, and everything started to warp together. Daichii watched in disbelief as the edges of reality blurred into nothing more than meaningless colors. It reminded him of a certain abstract painting made by splashing and slopping things together, only the painting never whirled around you until you were so dizzy that you couldn't tell which way was up or down, and you couldn't even be sure if you were even standing on something, because everything had become nothing, and nothing had become such a confused jumble that it didn't make sense anymore. And it wasn't just the sights. Sounds, smells, feelings of a thousand places--or a thousand memories--all being experienced at once in a multitude of agonizing movement. I'm gonna explode! Daichii gasped mentally. Feeling sick and achy, Daichii tried to block off his senses by curling in a ball, screwing his eyes shut, and clamping his hands to his ears. It was useless. He could still feel the world moving underneath him, could still feel voices and iridecessant lights stabbing at his head. Forget that! I'm going to throw-up, and then I'm going to explode--in tiny, little puke-covered pieces of me.

So great was the confusion, that when the darkness finally collapsed like a sudden snap! Daichii felt it hit him like a powerful wave. Daichii moaned once, relishing the smooth, cool feel against the side of his face. It was soothing, and when his stomach finally settled, Daichii opened one eye. Somehow, he had fallen to his side and was lying on . . . what exactly? It looked like it was just a dark abyss, but Daichii could clearly feel the cold surface underneath him. Daichii opened the other eye and blinked. As soon as he did, the colors returned, but they were softer this time, timidly fading back into existance as if they were ashamed of their behavior.

Daichii was lying on a cool, linoneum floor. Right in front of his nose were two bowls, one of water, one filled with incredibly unedible-looking pellets of food. Stiffly, Daichii propped himself on his elbow and looked around. He was in a kitchen of some kind, with gleaming countertops and a sunny wallpaper. Daichii stared dumbly at all the household appliances, not really knowing what to make of it.

With the feeling of a sigh being released after being held for so long, the sound returned as well, though at first there wasn't much of it. The consistant ticking of the clock hanging over the microwave. The faint rumble of the washing machine. While Daichii stared, the noise of claws tapping against the floor came closer. The boy jumped slightly when a small dog, a Nippon terrier trotted purposefully to the twin bowls. Daichii's jaw dropped open. He recognized the short, white fur, the two black splotches over the eyes, and the faint, black speckles sprinkled on the back. The dead giveaway was the spiked collar it wore, a joke compared to its otherwise cuddly appearance. It had been so long ago, but it could only be--

"Jun!" Daichii cried happily.

Jun, the Mara's pet, who had lived with them when Daichii and Ren were still little. She had always been so bouncy and energetic, and then suddenly, would curl up in your lap and snooze immediately. The boy smiled as he remembered the dog's noisy personality when it always tried to be in the center of things. It had died when Daichii and Ren were ten. Daichii could still remember the cloudy day when they buried Jun. Ren had cried. The twins had locked themselves in their rooms for days.

"Jun! Come here, girl!" Daichii called, sitting up and patting his hands against his thighs. Jun didn't respond. Her ears didn't even twitch. I guess I'm still in my dream, Daichii reasoned. Then this means . . . Daichii took another look at the kitchen. The wallpaper and window curtains were different, but Daichii was finally beginning to recognize the place. There was that familiar nick in the counter, and the beat up toaster that hadn't worked since the twins had tried to launch it to the moon. I'm still at the Mara's. Only, this was what it looked like a long time ago . . . shortly after Mrs. Mara died.

Daichii reached to pet Jun, decided against it, and then wandered aimlessly through the house, not really knowing what he was looking for. While he trudged through the hallways, he heard a voice. It was slow, stern, and heavy. Mr. Mara? Is he scolding the twins for something? Curious, Daichii slipped through the door on his left--which had been convinently left ajar-- and glanced around. Mr. Mara was standing with his arms folded, gazing down disappointedly at the sofa. At first, Daichii thought he was mad at the sofa for some reason, like there was some sort of stain, but when he crept closer, he realized a kid was sitting on the sofa. It was Mini Daichii, his head bowed and his back slumped over as he listened to Mr. Mara.

"Really. Do you have any idea of what you've done?" Mr. Mara demanded angrily in the soft tone that was normally a lot scarier than outright shouting.

It was a bright, cloudless morning. The sky was a crisp blue, and only seemed bluer thanks to the cold weather. Kids were laughing and running down the streets, crying out in wonder when they could see the frozen puffs of their breath. A late migrating bird twittered endlessly, calling out to its friends that were leaving it behind. Very faintly, almost drowned out by the noise of the jittery bird and the crashes of the twins latest plot, there was the sound of a police car, its sirens whirring in the distance. Hearing this, Ren tugged absently at her too-big sweater.

These dreams I keep having. What do they mean?

Ren frowned, and gave the porch swing she was sitting in a little push. While it swung leisurely back and forth, Ren pulled up her legs and hugged her knees to her chest to keep warm. Normally, she wouldn't really consider sitting outside on an early-winter morning in nothing but pajama bottoms and Mara's sweater, but today was different. The frigid caress of the breeze sharpened her mind, and it helped keep the latest dream from slipping away in the depths of Ren's mind--forgotten.

They're so real, like I've seen them before. Deja vu? No, it's backwards. Ren closed her eyes. I swear that every single one is a memory, but is it natural for your dreams to be windows to your past night after night after night?

It's said that all dreams are based off of your past and your emotions, the other voice said, matter-of-factly.

Yeah, but they aren't supposed to be this perfect! Ren sighed, and she listened as glass wind chimes danced in the wind. The blissful melody was interrupted by another wailing siren, closer this time. Ren immediately clapped her hands over her ears, like a little child. I don't want to remember stuff like this! she gasped, gritting her teeth.

. . . Daichii never did call back . . .

The voice was quiet for once, which rather shocked Ren. But she still could taste a slight edge to it, one that she figured the voice would always posess. Distracted by it's sudden change of topic, Ren relaxed her tensed body, and her hands slowly dropped from her ears. Yeah, Ren admitted gloomily. She gave the porch swing another push. But Ni-- Daichii's mom-- Ren refused to use Daichii's last name now-- said that he would still be able to come. So . . . hopefully . . .

Ren knew that she had been avoiding Daichii. She also knew that she was being childish. It was like she had told that voice before. Daichii was a Niwa-- Ren winced a little when she thought of that name-- but he wasn't the Niwa. Daichii wasn't the Niwa who turned into Dark, right? Ren had to get her mind straight and her suspicions removed. Today would be the perfect day. Not only was there the big art contest, but the new art museum was holding tons of other activities to celebrate its grand opening. During the festivities, Ren would have a good long talk with Daichii, and she would apologize for acting cold, and he would assure her that she had gotten it all wrong, and Ren could get on with her life.

And if you aren't wrong? the other voice tested.

I am wrong.

But if you aren't . . .

If I'm . . . not . . .

Ren's head flew up at the roar of an approaching vehicle. An old truck with peeling red paint and a faint white stripe running down its middle pulled into the driveway. Ren jumped to her feet, and could not help but smile in spite of herself. As her heart raced with excitement, she gave a little wave. I am wrong, Ren reassured herself. But if something does happen, I'll have someone there to support me.

The passenger door flew open before the truck had come to a complete stop. A pair of dirty black vans touched down on the ground gracefully.

"Ronin," Ren said softly.

"I said, do you even understand what you've just done?"

Mini Daichii didn't answer. He shook his head mutely.

"That girl has an emotional problem."

That gained a little bit of a response out of the kid. His hand twitched, and he stammered in bemusement, "E-emotional . . . ?"

"There is something wrong with her heart, Niwa. She's gone through things no seven-year-old should have to go through." Mr. Mara's gaze intensified. "Did you know that her parents were killed, she was abused by that murderer until she nearly died herself, and then she was forcibly taken far away from her home town to be placed in an orphanage?"

Again, just a shake of the head.

"Do you know that she may never be able to recover after such trauma?"

Shake, shake.

"And then, while the police come over here daily to remind her about all of her wretched memories and people gossip about some 'trouble-child', you show up and threaten her?"

Mini Daichii's hands clenched into small fists.

"Place yourself in her shoes, Niwa. If you went through all of that, and then suddenly a kid came up to you and demanded something, wouldn't that seem a hundred times more terrifying than normal?"

"But I thought--!" Mini Daichii began desperately. "--my ball--!"

"No buts," Mr. Mara interrupted. "Would it terrify you?"

The little boy averted his gaze. Out of habit, he began to shake his head, stopped, and nodded instead.

"I'm glad we're on the same page then." Mr. Mara's expression was grim. "I have half a mind to call your parents to inform them about these incidents--"

Mini Daichii's head flew up, his eyes wide and fearful.

"--but if you'd rather take my punishments instead, then they don't have to hear a single word about this."

Mr. Mara paused to watch Mini Daichii's expression. The boy was very still, but his eyes betrayed a little bit of hope. Mr. Mara cleared his throat and turned his back so that he could stare into the embers in the fireplace. The silence lingered, and Mini Daichii fidgeted impatiently.

"I want you to come by this house every other day at four o' clock. You will stay for an hour. For tresspassing on my property, you will do chores--tiny chores, but chores nonetheless. And for scaring Ren . . . you are to become her playmate."

"But she's a trouble-maker!" Mini Daichii jumped up and blurted out without thinking.

Mr. Mara glanced over his shoulder and smiled sadly. "So even the little kids have been hearing the rumors and gossip." He sighed, and he kneeled in front of Mini Daichii. He placed his hands on the kid's shoulders firmly and forced Mini Daichii to look him in the eyes. "Did she really look like some sort of criminal to you?"

Mini Daichii hesitated before admitting sheepishly, "No."

"So do we have a deal?"

Mr. Mara held out his hand. Mini Daichii scowled at it before reluctantly shaking it.

Meanwhile, the real Daichii had slipped out of the room, trying to get as far away from the room as possible. What happened?! Daichii thought in horror. These are my memories, but . . . did it really happen like this?! Why can't I remember?!

Ronin slammed the car door shut and faced the front of the house.

"Hello . . . Ronin," Ren breathed, but she spoke too softly to be heard.

Ronin's eyes met hers, and they seemed astonished for a moment. "Ren!" The surprise quickly faded away. Ronin flashed her a crooked smirk, and his mysterious eyes gleamed. He shook his head in mock disappointment and replied, "Why the heck are you still in your pajamas?"

Ren realized with an embarrassed jolt that her hand was still waving idiotically. Flushing heavily, Ren hopped down from the porch and hurried over. The dewy grass was cold to her barefeet, but the girl hardly noticed. Ren was too busy wondering why a guy's mysterious aura would always intimitate her before. It was so-- Ren almost died to hear herself admit something like this-- sexy. The mystery and cool instantly disappeared when Ronin closed the gap between them with two big steps and locked Ren in a tight embrace. Ren gasped out in pleasure and half-hearted disapproval when Ronin twirled her around in a circle. When he finally let go, he was smirking that dark, cryptic smirk again that made Ren giggle senselessly.

What am I doing?! Ren thought in near-horror. I'm not acting like myself at all! But a better question might have been, How can it be so natural and easy to be around someone, and yet still make you feel nervous at the same time?! For Ren's heart was still racing, but she began to suspect that she liked the feeling. Her heart had been stuck in a dull, slow metronome for so long that the sudden "heart attacks" were probably something healthy for Ren.

"Hello," Ren repeated, growing more embarrassed and shy by the minute.

"I overslept this morning, so I was in a rush to get ready." Ronin gently--but rather shamelessly-- tugged at her pajama bottoms. "I wouldn't have had to hurry so badly if I had known I could just walk out wearing whatever I wanted."

It was then that Ren noticed something in the corner of Ronin's smirk. Ronin wasn't just mysterious. There was an sense of danger and wildness about him too. Ren's heart gave another little spasm.

"S-sorry," Ren mumbled, trying to recover. Almost helplessly, she sucked in her breath to calm herself down. "You didn't . . . have to do . . . this." Ren gestured towards the truck, where Ronin's uncle was waiting behind the wheel.

"Aww, everything's fine. Besides--" Ronin narrowed his eyes slyly. "How else would you get your art piece to the museum?"

Ren slumped over dramatically, making Ronin laugh. "Like I said, everything's fine. You just owe me." Ronin held out his hand. There was something in his expression that seemed suspicious. "Let's say, maybe you'll do my algebra homework for the rest of the year? Deal?"

Ren's head snapped up in fierce denial and indignition. Ronin just continued to laugh, and he dropped his hand. "Yeah, yeah. No deal. I should have guessed. I hate algebra too." Ronin waved a hand in front of his face, and he was instantly serious. He grabbed Ren by the shoulders, spun her around, and guided her back to the house. "So before you go to finish getting ready for your big day," Ronin whispered in the girl's ear, almost seductively, "why don't you show me where your greatest work of art is? I'm dying to see it."

Ren swallowed hard to stifle the nervous squeak that threatened to escape her throat. Not trusting her mouth enough to speak, Ren nodded enthusiastically and led Ronin inside.

PREVIEW

"And I don't care what Mr. Mara says. Don't expect me to play with you or anything."

"GAHHH!! HEY! What was that for!? You wanna start someth--?"

"So I hear that there's a New Year's festival held here every year . . ."

"I would die if I had to spend three seconds with that psycho!"

"Takahashi's . . . so kind . . . Takahashi, Ronin . . . and Daichii . . . are all so . . . kind."

KINDNESS COMES IN ALL FORMS