'…What's your name, kid?' The voice was somewhat calmer, more conversational and less hurried.

   From a distant corner of his own mind, curled into a protective ball, Daiichi furrowed his brows, and tentatively replied, 'D-Daiichi. Niwa Daiichi…'

   'Daiichi, is it, then? Fine, how's this for an introduction: My name is Dark Mousy, and it appears you are my new winghost. Now, if you'd like to change that fact, I suggest you hurry up and tell me where you live so I can find out just what the hell is going on and talk to your father—'

   'M—my father? Why him?'

   'Just tell me where you live—Daiichi. Where. Is. Daisuke?' The urging tone was back, tainting Dark's mental voice, and he stressed the final question. 'If you ever want to get back in your own body, you'll tell me now.'

   There was another moment's hesitation, and the two watched as the trolleys clanged their respective bells, signaling one minute to their departures down the hill into separate areas of town. '…Take the Number Seven trolley…it's three platforms down…get off at the second stop…'

   knock knock knock

   "Daiichi-chan?" a muffled female voice called from behind the oaken front door, and the soft padding of footsteps approaching could faintly be heard. Dark stood waiting patiently on the front stoop and lowered his fist back to his side, tensing slightly as the doorknob jiggled, freed from its lock. "Daiichi-chan?" the voice tested, a bit more clearly now as the door swung inwards, opening to let him in, "Home already, sweetie? Why were you knock…ing…" THUD.

   Niwa Riku promptly slipped to the floor in a dead faint, eyes rolling back into her head, barely missing getting a cracked skull from the hallway table. From the table in the kitchen, eyes sweeping over the front page of the afternoon edition of a newspaper, Daisuke happened to looked up just in time to spot his wife crumple ungracefully on the floor, nearly causing him to spray his coffee all over the paper, and swiftly tossed it aside as the chair offered an audible objection to being pushed back so quickly in the form of a loud screech. He practically leapt the distance between the kitchen and front hallway in a single bound. Positioned as he had been at the table, he could not see what—or rather, whom Riku had seen at the door, but he could not miss the face staring down at him as he rushed to her side, frantic.

   "…D—Dark!?" And indeed, it was as if nothing had changed. "You—b-but—how—?"

   As decidedly unnatural a feeling it was seeing his former alter-ego now standing full before him, he could barely manage a complete sentence, so paralyzed was he with shock. The phantom thief stared down at the boy—no, the man, now—for a moment, not saying a word, and merely stepped warily over the fallen Riku and sauntered through the hallway, emerging into a spacious living room, though far from extravagantly decorated. Still, it certainly seemed both time and money had been kind to the Niwas.

   Having finally recovered his speech faculties, Daisuke eased his wife into his arms, carrying her to a more comfortable position on a chaise-lounge, and stammered out, "But…if you're here—then who..." His eyes nearly doubled in size as the realization finally hit him with the force of a raging tsunami. "…Daiichi…"

   Though the father couldn't hear it, inside Dark's mind his son was veritably jumping for joy. 'Way to go, Dad!' But…though his father was, undoubtedly, a genius, how was it that he'd come to the conclusion that his son had been body-napped so quickly? Not that he was complaining—the sooner he got control of his body back the better!—it was just strange, was all.

   'I'll explain later, kid,' Dark returned swiftly, and plopped down into one of the overly cushioned sofas, situated across from Riku, separated by a large glass coffee table.

   Once his unconscious wife was taken care of, Daisuke spat out a swift order for the thief to, "Stay here," and darted up the stairs to some unknown corner of his house. Left speechless by the bold command coming from the lips of one who had, when last they'd met, been so shy and obliging, Dark chose not to disobey, and settled further into the cushions, eyes tightly focused on the slumbering Riku.

   'Don't look at my mom like that, pervert.' Apparently Daiichi was starting to calm down, now comfortable enough with Dark's presence to revert back to ordering him around, and the intruder smiled mentally, a flickering prism of light inside the boy's mind.

   'I've been called worse than that by greater beings than you, kid. And I'm not looking at her because I'm a pervert.'

   'Oh, so you're admitting to being one, that's just not your reasoning right now?'

   'Please, don't even try and start in on that one with me, I'm older than your great-grandfather—you think I'm gonna lose on something like that to a fourteen-year-old?'

   Daiichi blinked, confusion coloring his mind with a thick billowing fog. '…You knew my great-grandfather?'

   'Daisuke's grandfather? Of course I did. The way we are right now—that's how he and I were. And me and Daisuke—'

   But Riku chose this propitious moment to stir back to consciousness, cutting off the disturbing mental conversation Daiichi and Dark had been entertaining, and nearly screamed again when the first thing she saw as she opened her eyes was not what she'd been expecting to see at all. A supposedly dead—or at the very least, long disappeared—phantom thief, lounging on her sofa as if he lived there, arms crossed lazily over his chest, smirking at her.

   "Y—you! What are you doing here?!" He cringed slightly at the piercing tone her voice had taken, faintly reminiscent of Emiko's when she would chastise Daisuke post-assignment for taking some unnecessary risk while on a thieving job.

   Instead of firing back a scathing retort, though, he merely broadened his smirk and replied lazily, feigning a pained expression, "Why, Riku—I-I'm absolutely hurt! You have truly cut me; to think you wouldn't be overjoyed to see me again after all these years…"

   Years, yes, it had to have been years. A grown Daisuke, married to Riku, with a fourteen-year-old son, it must have been some twenty years at least since he'd been sealed—but thinking along that subject did note bode well, and he put aside those thoughts for later, when he would need to start exploring just why he was here. Now. Alive.

   And what the hell had happened over in that Hikari line?

   That girl…the Niwa kid had called her "Hiwatari-san"—but could she be his? How common a name was Hiwatari? Thinking back, he couldn't quite recall the facial features—he had been a bit preoccupied by all the screaming in his head from Daiichi—and so he couldn't relate her to Satoshi in any way, but still, it was possible.

   Man, what a twist of fate. To think, he was back, and it might have been the Hikaris' fault again, when it was they who'd tried to seal him in the first place. How exceedingly ironic—yet somehow no laughter followed from it.

   Riku narrowed her eyes, her insides fuming with pent-up anger. It was like nothing had happened, he was still the grand jerk he'd been all those years ago. But…why was he here now? Why—

   But before she could ponder any deeper, the soft padding sound of footsteps descending the stairway called her attention to her husband's return, and her eyes brightened. His face, however, was a blank slate, and his right hand held something tightly clutched in his fist. Dark leaned forward a bit, regarding Daisuke with wondering eyes, and he uncrossed his arms. His former host said not a word, merely walked silently over and sat beside him on the couch, staring deep into the violet eyes, as if searching for some assurance that yes, this was real, he really was Dark.

   "D-Dai-kun—it's—" she stammered, and he cut her off.

   "I know, Riku-san," he assured her gently, "I know…" But this ended the gentleness, and without further niceties, he gripped the thief's arm by the wrist—not roughly, but in a definite attention-getting manner—and spread out the fingers. Opening his own fist, he deftly slipped a ring over one of the fingers before Dark could object or react to just what was going on. Then, with a soft poof, he shrank back to Daiichi's normal size, now sporting a tousled crop of russet-hued hair, with eyes that mirrored the color. He had only the time to blink and comprehend just what had happened before Riku grew misty-eyed at the realization that it was her son who'd been taken over by Dark's persona, and threw herself at her child in a great hug. "Daiichi-chan!"

   "…Uh, Riku…I'm still Dark on the inside…" She pulled back abruptly, eyes wide and confused. "I take it you didn't know, then…" Once again, he feigned emotional pain, and sighed, "Rejected again…"

   His wife's bewilderment and subsequent frantic state was soon abated as Daisuke slipped over to her side and aimed to calm her down, "Shh…don't worry, don't worry. Daiichi is still inside." He cast a questioning glance at his former alter-ego, "Right, Dark?" A silent nod, and Riku looked up, eyes slightly puffy, but hardly crying as of yet. Tentatively she reached out a few trembling fingers across the coffee table, as if testing to see if it was truly her son's body or merely a figment of her imagination. With Daisuke, she'd come to accept that sometimes, the least plausible answer was actually the right one.

   True, she'd found out about her husband's former activities as a phantom thief, though little of his true relationship with Dark had ever really been explained, and even less of the true events of that night twenty years ago, when she'd finally discovered his secret. The most she could discern was that Dark had lived inside of Daisuke, and at times the two…switched places—perhaps that was the best way to put it. But then, Dark had suddenly disappeared, and she's started her relationship with Daisuke unhindered by anymore strange disappearances and such, as Niwa-kun had been wont to do. Though, she would admit, he had seemed quite depressed for months afterwards, but she could never quite bring him to discuss whatever was paining him with her. Whatever the relationship between him and Dark had been, severing it so abruptly had obviously hurt him emotionally—and she would dare say it had nearly killed him. But that was all in the past now, they'd both moved on long since. Why, though, hadn't he ever mentioned this being an inherited thing? This was definitely a topic that should be addressed in discussion soon.

   "I don't mean to sound like I'm not glad to see you…" Daisuke began tentatively, still a bit uncomfortable speaking this way to what appeared to be on all accounts his only son, "But…why are you here, in Daiichi's body? I mean…that time, I thought you were sealed…"

   Dark gave a heavy sigh as the father trailed off into memory, and he leaned far back, sinking into the great cushions, and clasped his hands together behind his head. Daiichi had actually realized by now that he might get more information by staying quiet and listening for once, rather than screaming his head off for an explanation, and was huddled in a corner of his mind, reticent for the moment. The rust-hued eyes Dark held at the moment fell to the floor and his expression darkened slightly as he struggled for an answer to Daisuke's query.

   "Truthfully…" He looked up, and both parents' eyes were tightly focused on him now. "I have absolutely no idea."

   "You—what?" came Riku's stammered reply to this revelation. "What do you mean 'you don't know'? You—you—you're Dark. You've taken over my son's body, and you're telling me it all just suddenly happened, that you had no control over it?!"

   "Exactly," was the cold retort, and Dark narrowed his eyes. Sure, Daisuke understood the state of existence the phantom thief was trapped in, but it was blatantly obvious that he'd never talked about this with his wife. And to think he might have actually had feelings for her at some point. He shuddered.

   "Riku-san…" Daisuke interrupted gently, steadying her with his hands on her arms, "It's…complicated." He spared a glance at Dark. "More complicated than I'd thought it would be. Dark—" Now he turned fully to face his son's form, "What exactly happened—what caused this?"

   'Mmm, he wants me to tell him about your little display in front of that Hiwatari girl, kid…' he began mentally, smirking lightly inside, 'Apparently you haven't told him yet…'

   'Y—you're gonna tell him… about Hiwatari-san?!' The boy's voice was just slightly frantic now, and the phantom thief laughed an affirmative reply. 'B—but, why?! NO! Don't tell him—that's my dad for crying out loud! You don't talk to your parents about… girls…'

   'Well, sorry—he wants to know why you changed.'

   'But, I don't know!'

   'Ah, you see, but I do. At least on the most basic level…'

   "Hiwatari," Dark stated simply, aloud, and Daisuke's eyes widened in confusion; leaning forward, he continued in question form, "Did he…have a daughter, by any chance? Say, one around this kid's age?" He was all but drawing a line from Daiichi to Satoshi's daughter, and at the very least pointing from one to the other.

   "Y-yes…" Daisuke muttered blankly through the shock, "Kara…Hiwatari Kara…"

   "Hmm, well, good to see you at least kept in touch with that tightwad." He paused. "It was because of her, then. At least, I assume it was because of her; she was the first thing I saw, not like anyone else could've triggered it." Inside his mind, Daiichi was banging his head against a mental wall, bemoaning the wretched fate that had cursed him with the spirit of a phantom thief who was now spilling all the sordid details of his love life to his parents of all people.

   'Gimme a break, you're fourteen—you don't even have a love life, let alone one with any sordid details. And from what I saw that girl didn't look like she was exactly planning on tackling you for some mouth to mouth any time soon.'

   'Tsk, not now.'

      Across the table, Daisuke heaved an obvious sigh of relief, earning a confused glance from Riku. Though he would never admit aloud, he had secretly in the furthest corner of his mind harbored a dirty little suspicion that Dark had willingly and with full knowledge of his actions taken over Daiichi's body. And on one level he wouldn't have blamed him—after all, eternally doomed to love but never be loved? It was the most pitiable of all states to live in, never able to get close to anyone, for fear that you'd soon be sealed away once your alter-ego earned love in return. On this level, yes, he understood Dark. But this was his son he was talking about.

   …If Dark forcibly inhabited his son's body for any selfish purpose…he would never forgive him, and would do everything in his power to oust the phantom thief he'd once battled beside from Daiichi's body. Even if it meant killing him.

   But that was, of course, the dirty little promise he'd made to himself before realizing that even Dark didn't know why this had happened, what had broken the seal that should have erased him from existence altogether. And he believed him, with every fiber of his being. He knew that no matter how much Dark craved a body of his own, he would not resort to stealing the life of another. Never.

   Before any more discussion on the subject could be entertained, though, the harsh squealing of tires on pavement, and then the grating crunch of gravel jerked their attentions over to the front door, whereupon they were soon greeted with a rapid series of knocks, frantic in nature. Daisuke heaved himself up off the couch from his wife's side and wandered over to the entryway, pulling the door open and revealing:

   "Hi—Hiwatari-kun?" Indeed, it was the former leader of the police force in charge of capturing Dark, though it had been quite some time since he'd held that position, abdicating after the incident that had sealed away the phantom thief for what should have been eternity.

   He was slightly hunched over, peering up at Daisuke from dark eyes nearly hidden beneath a mop of sweat soaked bangs, and he was steadying himself with one hand on the doorjamb. His glance shifted ever so slowly to focus behind Daisuke into the living room visible behind him, and the sight of Daiichi seated calmly on the sofa nearly stole his breath.

   "Dark…" he hissed through clenched teeth, and tightened his single-handed grip on his chest, as if it pained him greatly to even speak the name. The form he saw before him didn't fool him in the least, and he saw right through the child-like appearance, straight into the heart of the being he'd battled so long ago.

   Daisuke stepped to the side so as not to block the hallway and beckoned his friend inside, but Satoshi shook his head vehemently, eyes still tightly focused on Dark. "No…no, I can't. I just wanted to make sure Kara wasn't lying, or had been tricked…" Daisuke's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, and he continued. "Your son transformed in front of my daughter, Niwa."

   Inside Dark's mind, Daiichi was about ready to blow a gasket, practically running around like a chicken with its head cut off. 'Th—This guy's…Hiwatari-san's… FATHER?!' But, how did he know what was going on?! Crap, crap, crap—did everyone but he know what was happening to his body right now?!

   Satoshi turned back to the startled father. "Niwa," he began in a grimly serious tone, "This wasn't supposed to happen, ever again. They should have been sealed. Permanently."

   From his seat on the far sofa, Dark regarded the hushed conversation his former host and enemy were having, and cocked an eyebrow when he heard Satoshi's final comment. "It's good to see you too, Hikari!" he piped up in Daiichi's voice, and Riku jumped a little at hearing the words from what appeared to be her son's mouth, still unsettled by the thought that it was really Dark inside.

   Satoshi tried, for all it was worth, to ignore the childish remark, but the knife of pain that shot through his chest would not allow him to dismiss the words so quickly. Riku jumped up to help him, but Daisuke motioned her to stay put. Nearly reduced to bending down on all fours to recover, he grunted out through the pain, "Don't…call…me that…Dark…"

   Worried eyes darting from Satoshi's pained form to Dark and back, Daisuke cautiously queried, "'They'?" No response. "Hiwatari-kun…you don't mean…?" But the huddled form of Satoshi assured him that he most definitely meant what Daisuke feared.

   "I do—and that's why I can't stay he—ere!" He collapsed again, and Daisuke quickly bent low to help him, but was violently brushed away, with Dark looking on curiously from the couch. With some considerable effort, the Hiwatari father heaved himself back to his feet shakily, and pointed a trembling finger at Daiichi's body. "You just keep that boy away from me until this mess is all sorted out." With that he turned on his heel and stormed out of the entryway, slamming the door behind him.

   "…Hiwatari-kun…"

   The sky outside the Niwa home was beginning to darken in the east, bleeding the sky the same violet hue of Dark's hair, and dotting it with countless thousands of stars which the noontime sun blocked from view. In the living room, the trio—well, quartet really, were still deep in conversation, though by now they'd all run out of ideas on just why this had happened, and had turned their thoughts more towards what exactly they should do in light of the situation.

   "Well, this'll certainly make school a little more difficult for Daiichi…" his father commented, a smile threatening to tug at the corners of his mouth as he recalled just how difficult his schooling had been while Dark's host. "…The poor kid, is he still freaking out?"

   Daiichi's face broke into a small grin, "Not so much anymore—I think he's worn out from all the excitement…" After a moment's pause, he continued, passing on a message, "Well, he claims he's still wide awake, just listening."

   "And well he should, we still have a lot to talk about—"

   "Like how to get Daiichi-chan back, for one thing!" Riku piped up from the side, her first words in a while. Like her son, she too apparently had been keeping quiet for the time being, instead opting to let her husband and Dark converse unhindered. However, her patience had long sine worn thin, and the only thing she truly cared about now was getting her son back. The unease that had settled on her the moment she heard Daiichi speaking with Dark's words now overwhelmed her, and she wanted it righted.

   The father and son stared at each other for a moment, before Dark closed his eyes and leaned back into the sofa as before. "And just how would you propose we do that? If it really is as easy a thing to do as you seem to think it is, I'd be greatly interested in your methods…" Daisuke narrowed his eyes slightly in annoyance at the thief.

   Riku sighed, frustrated, "I—I don't care how you do it, I just want my son back. You can… just, go to sleep or do whatever it is you do, and let Daiichi have his body back!"

   He lazily opened a single eye and stared her down, and she felt her face grow warm, unconsciously inching closer to her husband as if asserting the fact that she was no longer up for grabs. A smirk edged over his lips.

   "Well, I'd be only too happy to do that… if you'd care to oblige me with…a kiss." Her facial expression could have melted lead, and he laughed it off. "Hey, hey—you want your kid back, you have to be willing to make a few sacrifices." Daisuke gave a barely audible growl, causing Dark to hold up his hands in defense. "Jeez, fine…alright, then what about your lovely sister?"

   A stark silence descended upon the room as Daisuke and Riku threw each other a nervous glance, brows furrowing in distress. The exchange did not pass unnoticed on the phantom thief's part, whose face took on its own expression of confusion. "…Daisuke?"

   His former winghost leaned forward gravely, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together, staring intently at the floor in his immediate line of vision. "Risa-san…died…fourteen years ago…"

   The boy's eyes widened immeasurably, and his body seemed to shudder momentarily, capturing his parents' worry-laced attentions. "…Dark…?"

   Russet eyes trembling with unshed tears, Daiichi choked out, "M—Mom?"

Post-chapter notes: Quite a long chapter for the first one, but there was so much I wanted to include, I found it difficult to stop until this point. I've got quite a bit planned for this, so I hope you enjoy what's happened so far. As is probably evident by now, this will draw from the anime-side-plot of Daisuke's trip into Towa-chan's world where he met his son from the future, and pretty much just embellish on what Daisuke's future would really be like. How Riku, Risa, and Satoshi all figure into it, what's changed, what's the same, and the whereabouts of our favorite supernatural bishes: Dark and Krad. I can always use ego boosts, so reviews are highly encouraged. Thanks for taking the time to read!—sage