D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Trey ❯ Trials and Tribulations ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Trials and Tribulations:

 

Disclaimer: I told you, I don't own DN Angel. If you still need a note…oh well.

 

A/N: Uh…well I think you should all know that this is Chapter 4 for my first DN Angel fanfic. I'm very sorry that it took so long for me to post this chapter up, it's just that I don't get very much free rein on the computer…so yeah. Thanks for all the support so far! Enjoy!

 

=blah blah=: Dark's thoughts

 

/blah blah/ = Dark's telepathic voice

 

//blah blah// = Lady Yuki's telepathic voice

 

Dark stared at the passed out boy on his bed for the whole of two seconds, and then ran to a drawer and rifled through it, searching for the smelling salts that he always kept in there. Although the purple haired boy himself didn't need them, he always had a bottle or two, just in case his mother came into the room and fainted upon seeing its untidy state (just kidding, it was one of those doodads that he had in his drawers). Grabbing a bottle, Dark hastily made his way back to the bed, smelling salts in his hand. Uncorking the tiny flask, Dark waved it under the unconscious Daisuke's nose, hoping that they would soon take effect. They did-with a loud yell, Daisuke shot up, clutching his nose and crashing into Dark's head.

 

“AUGH!” Daisuke yelled in disgust as his body registered an extremely strong (and pungent) scent enter his sensitive nose. Then of course, his head collided with Dark's, sending a fresh wave of pain through his head. “Gah…what…” The redhead spluttered, attempting to get his bearings. Why was he on a bed? And what had that disgusting smell been? And…what on earth was that purple thing next to him?

 

Dark grunted as he landed on the floor, knocked off balance by Daisuke's abrupt return to life. “Ow…” groaned Dark as he clutched his abused nose. Daisuke looked down at the floor, trying to identify the purple thing sticking up and he realized that it was actually Dark's hair. The rest of the lord was on the floor in an undignified heap, and the sight was so comical that Daisuke couldn't help but laugh out loud. Dark, on the other hand, was still rubbing his nose and reminding himself never to use that particular smelling salt on anyone ever again, when he heard laughter from somewhere above him. Looking upwards for the source, Dark realized that Daisuke was looking at him-and laughing. Hard. The boy was laughing so hard that he was clutching his sides and almost to the point of rolling around on the bed. For the first time since he had entered this castle that was seemingly devoid of anything other than grey, Dark saw something that put colour back into it-Daisuke's laughter. The redhead always had a happy aura around him, but whenever he laughed the aura just seemed to pulse and grow stronger, lighting up the air around him. The comedy of the situation then fully struck the purple haired teen, making him join in Daisuke's laughter.

 

Daisuke laughed, his guard completely down for the moment. Suddenly, his ears registered another voice joining in his merriment and the ruby-eyed boy was made acutely aware of his surroundings. “D-D-Dark-sama?” stammered Daisuke, horrified to no end. Oh crap, now I've really done it. I'm in Lord Dark's bed, and I must have bashed into him when I got that smell! After years of Lord Krad's `training', Daisuke's first instinct was to run. To his horror, his legs did not want to obey, and Daisuke sat paralysed on the bed, his eyes wide with fear. Dark stared bewildered up at the redhead above him. One moment, the boy had been laughing, and suddenly the happy expression on his face had disappeared and the boy looked ready to bolt. Slowly, as not to startle the boy in front of him away, Dark carefully got up and dusted himself off. Then he approached the boy carefully, treating him as though he were a deer that might bolt any second (which, of course, he was in a way). Daisuke stared at Dark with eyes as large as saucer plates-why wasn't he being hit, or cursed at?

 

Dark cursed inwardly as he remembered that Lord Krad regularly beat Daisuke up for minor offences that would have only garnered a frown back home. Carefully, Dark stretched out a hand and gently touched Daisuke's head, stroking the soft hair like he would a cat. To his utter amazement, the red-eyed boy melted into a puddle of goo just like that.

 

As soon as he felt the purple haired lord touch his hair, Daisuke could not help but shut his eyes in fear that he would get a blow on the head. Unexpectedly, the hand began stroking him, and Daisuke was taken back to when he had been around five or so, and his mother had still been alive.

 

-Flashback-

 

Lady Niwa laughed and held out her arms as a young Daisuke ran towards her, holding a ball. The little boy tossed it towards her and she caught it, the smile on her face still there. The child then cannoeds into his mother, the two of them went flying and they landed on the grass, still laughing. Lady Niwa slowly began to stroke her son's hair, her fingers deftly unraveling the knots…

 

-End Flashback-

 

Dark's expression softened slightly as he continued to gently run his fingers through Daisuke's hair, enjoying the pleased look on the other teen's face. A knock on the door, however, spoiled the rare moment. Even as Dark slowly removed his hand from Daisuke's hair, the door swung open to reveal a furious Lord Krad and a horrified Lady Yuki.

 

“Dark!” roared Krad, his huge frame filling the tiny doorway. “Someone told me they saw you hugging that no-good redheaded kitchen boy this afternoon!” Then his ice-blue eyes caught sight of the petrified `no-good kitchen boy' sitting on Dark's bed, with the young lord standing next to him. “Daisuke!” hissed Krad furiously, “What are you doing here?”

 

Daisuke didn't say anything-his mind had gone completely blank from fear and shock. Dark, on the other hand, held no qualms about screaming and Lord Krad. Sure, the man was his host, but that didn't give him any right to come barging into the room just like that! “What are you doing, Lord Krad?” Dark asked, making the title sound like a swear word instead of an honorific. “I told Daisuke to come up here to help me tidy up.”

 

Great excuse, really great excuse, sneered Evil Dark. Why don't you just tell him that you were messing around with his little servant boy?

 

=I was not!=

 

Oh sure, then what you call that kiss? And I'm sure people sit on your bed when they're cleaning up!

 

=…..=

 

Dark broke off his inner conversation and looked at the situation. Daisuke was sitting on the bed. The bed sheets were rumpled. =Oh…wait a minute, Daisuke's wearing his clothes! So they can't accuse me of doing…that.= Dark, happy with this rational explanation, set about trying to pull himself out of the hole that he had dug for himself.

 

Lady Yuki stared in horror as Lord Krad banged Dark's door with his fist and smashed it open. The man was so violent! Just because he had used his magic to spy on her son…why, the nerve of that man! How dare he! Although Lady Yuki rarely got angry, this was one of those rare times. She had often told Krad that he was not allowed to spy on Dark or her with his magic, but apparently this had not stopped him. Lady Yuki didn't like Krad very much in the first place, but since it would have been rude to decline his invitation, she had to go. Conspiracy buffs would have enjoyed the gossip that would have come up if she hadn't gone, but that was just another reason to do so.

 

-Flashback-

 

Lady Yuki sat in her room, catching up on some sewing. She occasionally looked out the window to rest her eyes, and to look at the beautiful scenery. Even in the nighttime darkness, the hills and the sky looked so peaceful. If only Dark could be like that too…perhaps Daisuke could help him? Her son was certainly happier whenever the redhead appeared. Lady Yuki's thoughts were interrupted by Krad storming into the room. “Your son is playing with my kitchen boy!”

 

-End Flashback-

 

Before Krad could reach the bed where Dark stood, Lady Yuki ran in front of him, cutting the taller man off. “Lord Krad,” Lady Yuki said as coldly as her name suggested, “You leave my son and Daisuke alone. I'll deal with them.”

 

Krad snarled. He didn't want any interruptions. Besides, Daisuke was technically his relative, and therefore Lady Yuki had no say whatsoever in whatever happened to the boy. “Shut up, Yuki. This is my castle, remember. I get to decide what happens to whom.”

 

That did it. Lady Yuki officially lost her temper-and the sight wasn't pretty. Even though her magic was a lot weaker than Krad's, her strength lay where he was weakest-political status. Although Yuki was not a scheming woman by nature, she knew that if she wanted Krad to do anything, she would have to use her influence with the Rulers. After all, she technically stood higher than Krad in rank, but whether that meant anything right now was another matter. Yuki did the only thing that she could really do in those circumstances. “Lord Krad, I am afraid that if you feel that way towards my son and me, I will have to leave as soon as possible. You can rest assured that the Rulers will hear about this.”

 

The angry expression on Krad's face, to Yuki's growing fear, did not go away. Instead, Krad roared, “Damn you and the Rulers, you can all go to Sahiro[1] for all I care!” Lady Yuki's eyes opened wide in shock, and without another word, she left.

 

Dark stared at his mother's retreating back with something akin to disgust. She had backed down just like that-to someone of lower rank that her, no less. Just what was going on here? His mother didn't just run away like a beaten dog when she was yelled at! Then his thoughts were interrupted by his mother's voice in his mind. She was telepathically talking to him!

 

//Dark, do you love Daisuke?//

 

/What?!/

 

//I'm asking you if you love Daisuke Niwa, and you're willing to take him along with us!//

 

Dark really did turn purple at this point, and this time it definitely wasn't Risa's fault. Did he love Daisuke? Did he really feel so strongly for him? The young lord groaned at the question pounding around his head.

 

//Hurry up Dark, I really need to know in order to finish planning!//

 

/NANI?!/

 

Dark was shocked at his mother's calm disclosure of the information. It was almost as though she was telling him about last year's crops! Well, actually she would probably be more emotional about the crops.

 

//Well?// Uh-oh. His mom was getting annoyed. Looks like Lord `I-am-so-much-better-than-you' Krad had angered her more than she let on just now. In this kind of situation, there was really only one thing to do. Grabbing Daisuke, Dark stared deep into the other teen's crimson eyes. “Daisuke…would you like to come with me?”

 

Daisuke frowned. “What do you mean, come with you? Where?”

 

Dark quickly explained to the puzzled boy on the bed and the younger boy frowned and chewed his lower lip, obviously thinking about the choice that he now had to make.

 

As soon as he heard Dark's words, Daisuke was shocked. What? I barely even know this guy, and he's already asking me to go with him back to his castle? This is starting to sound more and more like those stupid romance things Risa's always talking about (and even more so now that Dark accepted her cookies… Daisuke cut off that line of thought. What was he doing anyway, thinking about Risa like that? He had wanted to be something more than a friend to her for as long as he could remember, and suddenly a young lord came along and made her vanish right out of his mind? What was going on, anyway? Even though he really wanted to go with the only other person outside Castle Hikari who had actually been nice to him, Daisuke was still a little unsure. After all, he had never been anywhere outside the castle grounds. Also, leaving would mean never seeing Satoshi, Takeshi and the rest ever again-Estate Metane wasn't close to Castle Hikari.

 

Dark's heart sank as he saw the expression on Daisuke's face. <Well, it's not like I really expected him to say yes, I mean I've barely known him for a day and I'm already asking him to run away with me…I mean…oh…> `Good boy' Dark blushed as he realized his thoughts.

 

Yeah right, why don't you just knock him out, take him with you and /then/ convince him when you're back home?

 

=Because it wouldn't be honorable, maybe?= The sarcasm was evident even in the `normal' boy's mental voice (what else can you call it?!)

 

Yeah well, kissing him without his permission isn't honorable.

 

=Shut up!= In another corner of his mind, Dark registered that he seemed to be saying that a lot to his evil side, especially when he seemed to be losing the argument. Daisuke looked up at Dark, and slowly shook his head. He still didn't think that he was ready to go with someone he had just met this afternoon, even if his life would probably be better there. Besides, he had once made someone a big promise that he would keep, and keep it he would.

 

-Flashback-

 

A little nine-year old Daisuke wandered around in the forest, hopelessly lost. Sure, the forest was on castle grounds but it was still big…and he had now lost sight of Satoshi! The blue-haired boy had just told him to stay put and wandered off into the trees by himself. At first, Daisuke hadn't been afraid, but then after 10 minutes or so, the boy hadn't returned and the redhead began to get scared. Suddenly, he heard some rustling from a bush behind him. The startled boy whipped around to face his blue-haired friend coming out of a bush. “Gah, Satoshi! You scared me!” The younger redhead whimpered and rushed towards his friend. “I thought…I thought you left me there…”

 

Satoshi shook his head and hugged the other boy. “Don't worry Daisuke, I won't.”

 

Daisuke looked up and frowned. “Pinky swear?” The little nine-year old asked, holding out his hand.

 

Satoshi sighed. “All right. Pinky swear.”

 

Daisuke beamed as he shook fingers with Satoshi and the two boys walked out of the forest together.

 

-End flashback-

 

Daisuke shook his head at Dark, this time more firmly. Even though the promise had been made about 8 years ago, it still meant as much to the redhead now as it did back then. No matter what, Daisuke would stick by Satoshi (and of course, vice versa). “No, I'm…I'm sorry Lord Dark,” Daisuke whispered. He hoped that Dark wouldn't take it personally.

 

Dark inwardly drooped in disappointment as Daisuke declined the offer. He should have known-no one in their right mind would leave with someone who they had only known for a day! Just then, his mother's voice burst into his mind, and Dark was distracted. Daisuke seized the opportunity and ran out the door, leaving Dark alone.

 

//Dark, are you bringing him along or not?//

 

/…/

 

//Dark?//

 

/…no…/

 

//Oh well, we leave tomorrow. I know it's a bit earlier, but I think this time we've overstayed our welcome.//

 

Dark nodded silently, stunned and saddened by the fact that he would probably never get to see Daisuke again. He didn't feel any guilt over the fight between his mother and Krad, because he didn't like the man anyway, and he knew that his mother bore no love for the blonde, power-hungry lord.

 

In the kitchens

 

Daisuke arrived back in the kitchens to find everyone already in bed. The washing up had been finished long ago, and only a few people were still actually in the kitchen. Daisuke smiled at all of them, tried to ignore the questions coming his way, and walked into his room. Naturally, Satoshi was sitting inside the room, reading as usual. When Daisuke walked in, the blue-haired boy looked up, put his book away and stared at Daisuke, obviously waiting for the younger boy to say something first. Without much further thought, Daisuke burst into tears, but somehow managed to tell Satoshi the whole story coherently. The blue-haired boy sat there, taking in all the new information, and putting the puzzle pieces into place. He knew for sure now-Daisuke was most definitely gay. And he had the hots for Dark, so to speak. He just didn't know it yet. “Daisuke,” Satoshi said, his voice as calm as ever, “How do you feel about Dark?” (man, he's a caring friend).

 

Daisuke stopped abruptly mid-sniffle. “I…” Now that Satoshi mentioned it, how did he feel when it came to the purple haired teen? “I don't know,” he mumbled, staring at the floor instead. Ice blue eyes softened slightly and Satoshi patted the spot on the bed next to him. Daisuke took the offer and plopped down on the bed, cradling his head. Satoshi sighed. There really was no other way around it-he would have to give Daisuke the talk about `the birds and the bees'. Satoshi inwardly sighed and steeled himself for the longest night of his life.

 

Daisuke lay in bed, thinking about what Satoshi had just told him. Sure, he'd heard about men and women doing `it' in their rooms, but he'd known exactly what `it' was. Now, though…the redhead felt another blush coming to his cheeks. Well. Now that he really thought things through, he definitely knew how he felt about Risa-chan. Satoshi had given him a `list' of things to think about when trying to decide whether you thought of a person as a friend or more. Risa-chan suddenly didn't seem so pretty after all. Dark seemed to be a lot prettier than her, and certainly nicer. Also, he didn't think that if he kissed Risa he would feel the same as if he kissed Dark. And certainly not the…Daisuke shook his head from side to side, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts running through his head. After an hour or so, Daisuke finally fell asleep.

 

Dark's room

 

Dark slowly walked around his room, packing up all his random things. He'd only been here for one day, and this was what happened. Sometimes, life really sucked. He just wished that he could see Daisuke just one more time and…well, explain everything to him. For what seemed like the hundredth time, his mother's voice popped into his head, still annoyingly chirpy even though it was only about three hours from dawn-the talk with Daisuke and the following fiasco had taken longer than anticipated. Well, at least he could sleep in the carriage when they left. Dark's eyelids continued to droop, and finally the purple haired young man gave in and flopped on his bed, only intending to sleep for ten minutes or so. Of course, this plan didn't work and Dark slept until morning's light, his dreams filled with a smiling face and crimson eyes.

 

Next morning, Daisuke's room:

 

“Daisuke, wake up, it's time,” said Satoshi, his voice as even as ever. From his voice alone, you would never have guessed that he was the type to stammer and stutter furiously whilst giving a `birds and the bees' type speech.

 

Daisuke rolled over and mumbled an incoherent complaint into his pillow, clutching the soft straw stuffed bag. Of course, this was nothing new to Satoshi, who had been waking his friend up for years. Rolling his eyes with amusement, Satoshi walked over to the small basin that Daisuke used for washing up. Filling it with cold water from the jug next to it, the blue haired boy then crept over to the bed and prepared to splash the water all over the redhead. To his astonishment though…

 

“GOTCHA!” Daisuke yelled triumphantly, grabbing the basin without splashing any water on the bed or himself. “SATOSHI, I KNEW IT!” The blue-haired boy could only manage one word of his explanation before he was forced to dodge the cold water originally intended for Daisuke (who was now grinning widely). Deciding that Daisuke was now well and truly awake, Satoshi made a hasty exit, leaving the redhead to wash up.

 

Dark's room:

 

Dark snoozed on the bed, still dressed in his feastday finery on account of having had no time to change. Lady Yuki, being a cheerful morning person, swept into the room, her traveling skirts rustling lightly as they brushed the floor. Gliding over to her son, the short, fair-haired woman gently shook her son awake, handed him a comb and told him to change.

 

Dark yawned and stared at the comb in his hand, still not quite awake. His brain took a while to process what to do and as he ran the comb through his messy bangs, the lord took the opportunity to plot out when he could see Daisuke, apologise and hopefully leave with a clear conscience. Admittedly, the kitchen boy was on his mind a lot more than was considered healthy, but that was just something he would have to deal with later. Right now, he wanted to talk to Daisuke. Alone.

 

In the kitchens:

 

Lord Krad swept into the kitchens, his icy blue eyes sweeping over the servants working busily. He made sure that everyone was doing their job, and then his eyes shot over to one particular pair, a blue-haired boy and a spiky haired redhead. Of course, Krad was only interested in the redhead at the moment. After all, he had single handedly ruined all of the blonde lord's plans to become great. Such an offense could not, would not, go without punishment. “Daisuke,” Krad said, his voice as cool and emotionless as ever. However, his eyes promised hell for the involved boy.

 

Daisuke swallowed hard as he felt Lord Krad's presence enter the kitchen. He's probably going to beat me up in the courtyard in front of all the servants or something. Even worse scenarios ran through his head and without warning, he dropped his stack of baskets, causing all the corn bread in them to go rolling onto the floor. He and Satoshi hastily got on all fours and began scrambling around, trying to clean up the mess of bread rolls. Unfortunately, the commotion caught Lord Krad's attention and the man turned to them, an evil smile playing on his lips. There was one thought going through Satoshi and Daisuke's minds: Uh-oh.

 

Courtyard:

 

Lady Yuki checked her horse, making sure that it was saddled properly and adjusting the reins so that both she and the horse would be comfortable. Suddenly though, a large crowd rushed past the stable, making her wonder what was going on. Next to her, Dark also looked up, his attention distracted from the black stallion that was his pride and joy. “Mom, what's going on?” Lady Yuki frowned and shook her head. Curious, mother and son walked out from the stables into the sunlight, where they were confronted with a horrible sight.

 

Lord Krad stood in front of the horrified crowd, looming over two kneeling figures. With a stab of horror, Dark recognized one of them as Daisuke. The other was `creepy bastard', a. k. a Satoshi Hiwatari. The blood pounded furiously in his veins, mixing with the anger and other emotions that he felt. As he stood there in shock, his mind numbly registered Krad's last words: “…and they shall both receive a hundred strokes with the whip each.”

 

With an almighty roar of rage that was almost simultaneous with the crowd's gasp of shock, Dark ran into the courtyard, pushing past the staff and others that he had met. Drawing his sword, the now enraged lord ran up to the front, determined to save both young men from the whip. Even though he didn't know what the offense was, he didn't care; it was probably some minor thing. As he reached the front where Krad, Daisuke and Satoshi were, Dark opened his free hand and let loose an energy ball at the tyrannical blonde, whose eyes were open in shock. Despite this, the man somehow managed to dodge the ball, grab the whip and savagely begin to beat Daisuke. Dark's heart throbbed in agony as he saw Daisuke jerk upwards in pain, his eyes wide with terror. Slashing with his sword, Dark managed to separate Krad from his whip.

 

[1] Sahiro: Just the Trey God of Hell kinda person.

 

Oooohhh, cliffhanger again! I seriously need to be kinder to you guys…really. Anyhow, reviews are eagerly accepted, thank you for all your support. Also, I'm not really making this story historically accurate (as in the living conditions are accurate etc.), I'm just making it up based on what I know already. Anyhow, reviews please! Thanks! Oh yeah…I'm really sorry if you guys don't like Daisuke torture, I don't either, it's just for plot purposes! I'm sorry about that, really.

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