Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Demonic Shadow ❯ A castle, a ghost and a murder. #Episode 3 part. 1 ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Digimon isn´t mine,...... but Kisu is!!! Yay. ^_^

Author´s note: Yay. Someone wants to beta it. ^_^ Thank you soooooo much Jesse. ^_~ I really appreciate your help.

Warning: Many yaoi couples. And don´t even ask for straight couples. ^^ It´s futile.

Fanfic. Notes:

"spoken words"

~thoughts~

*inner voices*

Demonic Shadow

Episode 3

By Little Leila

The door opened as Daisuke came home from soccer practice. He was tired and exhausted and still had his homework to do. Kisu hadn't spoken with him the whole day. The demon wasn't mad at him, he was tired himself and slept through the daylight. The last week had been full of strange incidents. They both always suspected another creature or demon behind it, but it turned out to be nothing supernatural at all.

Daisuke flopped down onto his bed and mumbled in his pillow about how much the day sucked. Chibimon was bouncing around, feeling happy and excited, like always when Daisuke came home.

"Dai, Dai you're home, yay. C´mon, play with me! Dai, ....hey Daisuke."

Daisuke´s reply was muffled by the pillow. "Please, ...Chibimon. Let me rest. I just came home."

"Ok." Chibimon pouted, but he understood that his human couldn´t be energetic all day.

*I would say good morning, but I guess it´s noon already.* Kisu spoke with him, for the first time this day.

~Hi, Kisu. Did you rest well?~

*Oh, let me think, .....yes I guess nine hours of sleep are enough. Besides, I awoke from time to time.*

"You did? And you didn´t say a thing??? You're mean! At least say 'Hi' to me." Dai whispered.

*Didn´t want to disturb the lesson.* Kisu smirked mentally, but Daisuke could almost feel it.

He got out of bed long enough to change into something more comfortable. The google boy never liked to wear the same things at home like in school. It was also to Kisu´s advantage. If they needed to switch the place, the clothes wouldn´t be ripped on some places by Kisu´s height. Daisuke got always his pocket money, enough to buy his own clothes. So he bought many oversized clothes and a few of them were for Kisu only, when he went out hunting.

The redhead walked to his desk, to make his homework. Kisu helped him as much as he could. The demon didn´t give the answers. He made the questions easier and explained a few things, but also Kisu had his limits. He couldn´t do history for example. He was imprisoned in stone for a millennia, so he didn´t know much about it.

While doing his homework, Kisu kept quiet. Sometimes he asked a question, but it didn´t disturb the redheaded boy. It was more likely the opposite. Daisuke enjoyed the demons company very much and was disappointed when his friend didn´t say a word.

*Dai? What did your teacher said about the class-trip?*

Daisuke stopped in his writings to answer his friend. He couldn´t write and answer him at the same time.

~We´ll visit an old castle on Friday, and we´ll stay there over the weekend. It´s some kind of hotel. Isn´t that cool?~

*Sounds good. I´m curious of how the castle is built. But, ...how can a castle be a hotel???*

~Our teacher told us, it wasn't a hotel two weeks ago. But the owner of the castle died and now someone else chanced it into a hotel.~

*I see. Uhm, ....Dai? I think we have a problem. Do you know what is in one week?*

Daisuke put his pen away and crossed his arms over his chest. Suddenly he gasped, when he realized what Kisu meant.

~Oh, no. On Saturday it´s new moon. Awww man. ....Does this mean we have to chancel the trip?~

*No, I don´t think so. All we have to do is to stay away from others. And I can hunt on Sunday. One day delay isn´t so worse.*

~There is a town near the castle, maybe you´ll find something.~

Dai flinched when he heard his mothers voice behind his door.

"Daisuke? Come to dinner, will you?"

"Yes, Mom."

~We´ll talk about that later.~

~~~

It was Friday and all children and their parents were in front of the school. Even Daisuke´s parents and his sister Jun were there to help him with his luggage. Iori Hida was also allowed to go on the class-trip, since his mother is the second teacher, who will join the class teacher. Miyako was also there, but she couldn´t go because she was in another class and she wasn't so lucky like Iori. She was almost crying, telling Hikari how much she would miss her and what she should do all weekend alone. Going alone to the digiworld would be suicide, especially when the Kaizer was around.

Hikari had always reassuring words for he. She wouldn´t be alone, she had also other friends and one day off of the digiworld wouldn´t kill her.

They went all inside the bus and Daisuke was the last, because he had a little small-talk with Jun. Their parents stood already by their car waiting for her.

"Listen Dai, what do you want to do about Saturday? I mean about Kisu?" She whispered.

*I heard that!!!* Kisu said annoyed. He hated it when people spoke in third person about him, while he could hear them. And Jun knows he could hear her.

Daisuke smiled about the comment.

"Don´t worry Jun. We thought of something. And ....he can hear you. So please don´t talk like he isn´t here."

"Oh, sorry. It just strange to talk to two people and see just one, you know?"

Their mother became impatient.

"Jun, come here and Daisuke go into the bus the others are waiting!"

"Yes, mom." They said in unison.

"See you on Sunday, ....brat."

"Yeah, please look after Chibimon and ....behave 'til I´m back, .....witchy-bitch."

They parted with a smile on their face, knowing exactly the other didn´t mean what they´d said.

The redheaded google boy entered the bus, searching with his eyes for a place to sit. The place next to Hikari was taken by a friend of hers and T.K. sat next to Iori. So there was no other place left then the empty seats in the back of the bus, which were normally reserved for freaks, looser and people, who came to late to get a good seat.

Daisuke felt left out by his friends. They ignored him, like they always do and he couldn´t do anything about it. It would be nice to chat with Hikari or Iori, hell even T.K. would be good company, though they would only argue on the ride.

Kisu noticed Dai´s mood and tried to chat with him, instead of the supposed friends.

*Question! Where did the others left their digimon?*

~Well, Hikari and T.K. could leave their digimon with their brothers Taichi and Yamato and Iori gave Upamon to Miyako.~

*That explains much. .... Did you notice something?*

~No. What?~

*Take a look at Iori!*

Daisuke looked to the seat where Iori and Takeru were. Since their seat wasn't far away from him, he could see Iori´s face clearly. He had a distant look on his face, like he was somewhere else with his thoughts. Takeru didn´t even notice that Iori wasn't listening, while he talked about different things. Was he thinking about the digiworld and the problems which the Kaizer could cause while they were away? No. For Daisuke it looked more like dreaming.

~I guess, he is thinking about something, which is very important for him. No need to worry. .....Not in the moment. If he keeps zoning out like that, then we have a reason to worry.~

*Hmmm. This sounded like the words of a leader, if you ask me.* Daisuke could feel how Kisu smiled and felt better than before.

~~~

He should listen what Takeru was talking about, but he just couldn´t concentrate on it. He couldn´t concentrate for a couple of weeks now. It was strange. He always tried it and he always failed. He should think about more important things, like the digiworld and the Kaizer, but instead he thought of someone and not something. He saw the person only once and felt an unbearable attraction towards them. How could a single person distract his mind so much? He was longing for them, more than anything in the world and only to see them again would be enough to stop his suffering.

Only a couple of weeks ago he heard some shouts and strange sounds in his neighborhood. He opened the door of the apartment, where he and his remaining family lived and saw something breathtaking. He saw the living example for the word 'beauty'.

He saw him.

Yes. Who would´ve thought that young Iori Hida could be yearning for another guy? A teenager who was only one or two years older then him? But how could he forget such a beautiful male?

He was dressed in black pants and a red sweater. His long silky hair almost shinning in the streets-light. The color? Darker than the night itself. A face which showed noble and handsome features of an aristocrat, like a ....prince or a lord. But the most intriguing thing were his eyes. Golden like the uprising sun, like the eyes of a cat, like the shining metal itself. He saw him when he turned away from the near wall to go, but stayed there for a few minutes looking into the light of the streetlamp, his features and his eyes fully visible for Iori. Then he went down the streets and since then, Iori knew he´d lost something.

He´d lost his heart and the boy walked away with it.

Iori tried anything to find the boy again. He walked through the town more often, he´d checked if there were any new people in town. And he checked through a few schools for new students. But his search was in vain. He couldn´t find him. He didn´t saw him again and the only thing he had, were his dreams, which became more and more ....sexual.

"Iori? .....hey Iori? Did you hear me?"

Takeru shook his little friend by his shoulder, bringing him out of his dreams and memories. He noticed Iori hadn't been moving for about half an hour, but he didn´t think his crush could zone out like this. He was practically sleeping with open eyes.

"Huh? ...Oh, sorry Takeru what did you say?" Iori asked politely.

"Never mind, it wasn't important."

Takeru was upset, not at Iori for not listening but because Iori didn´t notice him. He had a crush on the little brunette for quite a while now. Luckily for him Iori never saw it. For Takeru it was enough to be with him as a friend, to chat with him and to see him. But lately Iori didn´t notice him or his surroundings anymore. He was dreaming and sometimes even blushing. He was thinking about someone and obviously the someone wasn't T.K.

It made him sad but he couldn´t do a thing to change it. That would mean he had to admit his feelings to Iori and Takeru could never do that. Iori was raised in a more traditional family. His grandfather raised him well and he sure as hell told him also not to love another man. So Takeru had no chance to begin with. The only thing the young blond could do was to hope and wait for things to chance for the better.

~~~

The ride to the castle took four hours with two breaks. And finally the four digidestined stood in front of the old castle. It was build in European stile. The ancestors of the family were rich and bought the castle in Europe, then brought to Japan and build it up again stone by stone. The castle belongs to the family Akagi. The owner of the castle was the only son of the family: Kenji Akagi.

The digidestined could only stare in awe at the old building. It was quite impressive, for the children because they never were in a European castle. A mystic air of the dark age surrounded it. Daisuke felt so close to the dark age, like a group of armored knights on horses could ride out of the castle any minute.

Kenji Akagi was too busy to show the children around, so one of his servants did it in his place.

"Hello children, my name is Mr. Matsuda. I am the butler of Mr. Akagi. Well, first I'll show you the castle and then your rooms."

The children followed him and could only stare in awe. There were many rooms with antique things out of the dark age. One room was designed like a museum, with many glass-cabinets. On one side were old weapons, like swords, daggers, bow and arrow and on the other side were the more valuable things like gold, coins and jewels. Somehow Daisuke felt at home, like a high lord. Probably because, Kisu lived in this time of the human history.

The butler showed them the ball-room, the library, the pool, the garden, the living room, the kitchen, the office of Mr. Akagi and his mothers room.

"And this children, was the room of the old Lady Akagi. Mr. Akagi´s mother. She died two weeks ago and Mr. Akagi is still in sorrow."

Daisuke entered the room and stood still. He felt a cold shiver running through his body. Something was wrong with this room. Kisu felt it too, but he couldn´t tell what it was.

*What now? It could be anything from a harmless demon to a great a terrifying monster.*

~Harmless demon??? Since when are there harmless demon in the world?~

*Believe it or not, there´re demon who couldn´t stand against you, if you just snap your fingers. They are beginners or totally amateurs.*

~I see. But you know what? I could find out what´s wrong here.~

Daisuke had zoned out on the group and the talking butler, but nobody had noticed it. So he raised his hand to get Mr. Matsuda´s attention.

"Yes, the young man with the googles."

"Sorry for asking this, but ...how did Lady Akagi die?"

"Uhm .... " The butler was uncertain.

"Daisuke Motomiya, don´t be so nosy." His class teacher said.

"Oh please Ms. Haruna, don´t be so strict. Well, ok I´ll tell you all what happened, if you promise me you won´t tell Mr. Akagi about that. He´s still touchy about the whole thing, understandable since it was .....murder."

The children gasped and also the teachers were stunned by this. Nobody had told them that someone was murdered in the castle were they´d planned to stay over the weekend. Kisu had an idea now why he and Dai felt so uncomfortable when they entered the room, but he needed more information.

"Yes, it was really tragically. Someone must have broken into the house at night. Her son was out and the servants sleeping in the house next to the castle. Someone shot her down with an arrow and her corpse laid there in the doorway. But the police couldn´t find the murder weapon. It was really a mysterious murder. All servants knew that Lady Akagi always locked her own room when she left it. The murderer must have waited for her inside. But she had the only key to the room. And we´re here on the second floor a burglar had to break into the house through the window because the front door has an alert. The police said that the window was closed and unbroken and Lady Akagi always shut the window when she left her room. So the room was totally closed. It was really mysterious, many of the older servants said, it was the ghost of the castle who murdered her. The police has still no clue how she could´ve been murdered. The only evidence is the arrow, no bow, no fingerprints and no murderer. I also believe it was a ghost, because we had strange incidents here in the last two weeks and a few of us heard voices around midnight."

~That could explain some things.~ Daisuke thought.

*I think there is something true about the ghost story, but the ghost isn´t the murderer.*

~You think the ghost is Lady Akagi?~

*Could be. A murdered soul doesn´t always rest in peace. Sometimes they come back as ghost and many have different reasons. A few come back because they seek for vengeance, others because they´re worried about their family. But mostly a ghost stays because there are unfinished things. Things which the person couldn´t finish while they were alive.* Kisu explained.

~So what do we do?~

*Take a guess!*

~We´ll go and find the mysterious ghost and talk him out of whatever he wants to do.~

*Not exactly, we´ll find the ghost and ask him for the reason of his presence.*

"….Daisuke?" Hikari shook Daisuke out of the discussion.

"Huh? Oh, yes Hikari?"

"You spaced out again. You do that a lot lately. Is anything bugging you?"

" Uh, no no. Sorry about that. Guess I´m not myself, sometimes."

*Yeah, every two weeks at night to be precise.* Kisu mocked.

The redhead had a fiery temper, but knows also that Kisu didn´t mean it. It was Kisu´s nature to be sarcastic or to mock about some things or someone and Daisuke didn´t take this so serious. He got used to it.

The other children had already left the room and Mr. Matsuda was waiting outside for them, so he could close the room again. Daisuke took a last glance over the room. It looked like a living room with a big window on the left side near the wall, a chimney on the right with a couch and a table in front of it. There was also another door and it led probably to the bedroom. Straight ahead of the door was a white statue, showing the woman in a tunic, maybe a goddess of the Greek mythic. And behind her were a portrait of a darkhaired, older woman, she seemed to be Lady Akagi. On each side of the portrait was a dark-purple curtain, to hide the picture or to keep it clean from dust if the family went on vacation.

Daisuke sighed and went with Hikari out of the room. He braced himself for the cold chill on the doorway, where the poor woman died, but nothing came.

~Is that normal? To feel such a chill once and not more, Kisu?~

*No. I never had that much to do with ghosts, but from what a gypsy told me, it means only that the ghost was standing on the spot where you felt it. And now the ghost went away.*

~A gypsy??? A real gypsy, who can foretell the future?~

*Yes, and she was quite good in it.*

"C´mon Daisuke!" Hikari became impatient with him.

"Ok, ok, I´m coming."

"Ok, now I show you your rooms and then in one or two hours we´ll have dinner. Maybe Mr. Akagi will join us."

~~~

Daisuke had to share the room with a classmate, but he didn´t care. His thoughts were about the ghost and if it´s really the old Lady Akagi. He flopped down on his bed after he´d put his bag into the closet. He didn´t unpack it, because of his classmate. If the boy would see his clothes he would start asking questions like, why he never wears the black clothes or why most of his clothes were oversized. Daisuke hated the twenty questions game. So if his classmate asks about the bag he would tell him he was too lazy to unpack it.

Daisuke laid on his bed, pretending to rest while in reality he played the twenty questions game with Kisu and the topic was the ghost.

~What if the ghost really wants vengeance? We can´t just go and avenge the ghost, can we?~

*No we can´t, so we have to do something else. Like banishing him. …or like you said talking him out of it.*

~You´re kidding me, right? You don´t really think we can talk to it, do you?~

*Why not? Even if the person is a ghost now, it still has a human mind. So we have a chance of talking to it.*

~And if it´s unfinished business?~

*Then we have to find a way to finish it.*

~When do we go, searching for it? I have a classmate here, you know?~

*How couldn´t I not notice him? I can see him as clearly as you can. We´ll go shortly before midnight.*

~Why is midnight always such a special hour?~

*Because after midnight a new day begins. Ghosts have the ability to be visible for a few minutes, but only in the beginning of the day. That´s why.*

~Now I understand it. Did you hear what the butler said about the murder? How can somebody break into her room without breaking the glass.? Maybe it was another ghost?~

*Don´t be silly! A ghost hasn´t a body, it´s just a free spirit and can´t harm a mortal. But it can scare the shit out of you. You can only die out of fear. And don´t you think, it would look strange for a ghost to use an arrow to kill somebody?* Kisu asked.

*There is nothing like an inexplicable murder and I tell you, it was a mortal who´d killed her and it was somebody out of the house, who knew Lady Akagi and this castle well enough.*

~Oh, please. Don´t tell me it was the butler.~ Daisuke groaned inwardly.

*Could be or one of the other servants who had a dislike against the Lady.*

~Where do we start searching?~

*First 'you' should go to eat dinner, then we´ll wait 'til midnight and look around in the castle. Maybe we´ll find something else besides the ghost.*

Kisu was right. Dai was pretty hungry and nobody can think clear thoughts with an empty stomach. His classmate came through the door and told him it was dinner time. They both went down to the great dining room, which Mr. Matsuda showed them before, and joined the others.

~~~

Fifteen minutes before midnight. Daisuke was tired, but he kept himself awake with Kisu´s help. The quite even breathing of his seemingly sleeping classmate, reassured him. He got out of bed and as silently as possible, changed his pj´s against oversized, black baggy pants and a black shirt. If he needed to switch with his demonic friend, he could do it without fearing about the clothes to be ripped. It was only a matter of time ´til he´d reach Kisu´s height, then they could switch without problems.

After he got dressed, Daisuke snuck out of the room, leaving his googles behind. Outside, he set his powers free so he could find the ghost and he could avoid to bump into something or someone. The darkness became clear and he could see every chair, table or carpet in his way. He could see every picture which hung along the hallway like in daylight. It certainly had bright sides to have demonic powers.

His body was also more agile then normally. His steps were soundless and careful. Dai went through the hallway and walked for ten minutes through the whole castle. Nobody had heard him nor seen him. It was five minutes before midnight when he heard a whimper. Stopping dead in his tracks, he listened carefully to his surroundings.

Now, there was it again and he heard also sobbing. Someone was crying! But the voice didn´t sound like a teenager, so it couldn´t be a classmate. It sounded older, much older and far away, yet the source of the sound seemed to be in one of the rooms near him. Daisuke followed the sound and stopped before a large wooden door. The library!

Luckily for him, the library was never closed. The crying could be clearly heard out of the room. Daisuke was suspicious. He lowered his power to the human standard and listened again. The crying wasn´t so loud anymore. More of a whisper in the wind. A normal human couldn´t hear it clearly. It had to be the ghost!

Carefully he opened the door and stepped inside. He closed and locked the door behind himself and looked around.

Nothing!

*Dai. Say something! A ghost can hear you. But don´t say it out loud so we won´t wake up the others. Whisper!*

~You think the ghost will hear me, if I whisper?~

*Hey we heard the crying outside didn´t we? And in reality it wasn´t that loud. Try it, it will work.*

Daisuke gathered all his courage and tried to speak to the ghost. He was nervous as hell. It´s not everyday he talked to somebody who was dead.

"Hello??? …Where are you?"

The sobbing stopped but he didn´t get an answer. Was the ghost afraid of him?

"Don´t worry. I´m here to help you. …So….please, show yourself."

There was silence for a few seconds and Daisuke wanted to try it again, when suddenly a bluish white woman appeared in front of the desk of the library. Her figure was blurry and she was transparent. The only thing Daisuke could make out of her whole body was her face. She really was the woman on the portrait. She was Mrs. Akagi, the Lady of the castle.

She started crying again and turned around as if she were ashamed of her nonexistent tears. Daisuke felt helpless. How could he comfort a female ghost? He couldn´t pat her back or anything of that. So he spoke to her, hoping his words were enough.

"Lady Akagi?! What´s wrong? I´m really here to help you. But, ….you have to tell me what the cause of your sorrow is."

The white woman looked behind her back, directly at Daisuke. Ok, the first impression of the suddenly appearing ghost made him jump, but now he saw, that there was nothing to be afraid of. She was just a poor soul, who couldn´t rest in peace. And Dai had to help her.

"Who are you, …little boy?"

Her voice sounded strange. They were in the library and yet her voice had an echo, like they would stand in a cave or in a large, empty church. She sounded tired, and she probably was. She wanted to rest. Rest in peace and she couldn´t.

"I am Daisuke Motomiya, Lady Akagi. ….please my Lady, let me help you. What is bothering you?"

Daisuke noticed his slip. He called the ghost 'my Lady', something a knight would say in the dark age. Kisu must´ve put it in his mind. The demon didn´t mean to anger the redhead. He helped him on this way, when Dai searched for the right words to say. The Lady looked at him for a moment and her eyes seemed to look through him

"….I can see you´re honest to me and from what I see, ….your heart is pure, but ….." She hestitated.

"But, …what?"

" ….I can see a demonic shadow over your heart."

Daisuke knew she meant his friend, but would the fact that he had a demon in his body scare her? She didn´t sound scared, more likely stunned. Would she trust him although she discovered his secret?

"Yes, Lady Akagi. ….I have a demon in my body, but he is my friend. He means no harm to no one. And it was his decision to help you. Please, …my Lady. Trust us."

"I trust you, …and your friend ….Kisu."

Now it was Daisuke turn to be stunned. He didn´t mention his name, yet she knew it. Was he so transparent for her? The whole situation was ironically. He thought she was transparent for him and now it turned out to be vice versa. Kisu was silent through the discussion, he was more interested in her words, than in the fact that she seemed to read Daisuke´s mind.

"Yes, …how do you… ." He left the sentence in the air.

"It´s written in your heart, like the name of every person you hold dear."

"Lady Akagi?! ….Why are you here?" He asked once more.

The Lady became sad and was about to cry again, but she didn´t let the tears fall. Instead she looked at Dai and tried to find the right words.

"I, ….I don´t know. Something keeps me here. The last thing I know is the pain. A great pain in my chest and then, ….darkness. I´m so confused. I know, I´m dead but, …..why? I´m so …tired."

*So that´s it! She wants to know why she was murdered. Or better to say, what happened at all.* Kisu told Dai.

"….Murdered?" The Lady repeated.

"Kisu? I think she can hear you." Dai mumbled not even realising he said it aloud.

*Well, if you can hear me, my Lady, then let me tell you the truth.* Kisu said to her.

" ….speak demon. ….I´m listening."

*It´s true, you were murdered. We don´t know by who though.*

The Lady tore her eyes away from the boy, who was standing in front of the door. She looked at nothing in particular. It was hard for her to believe it, but somehow it made sense. Why else would she be here. She had done everything she ever wanted to do. She knew her son was fine and she didn´t seek revenge. And yet, she had a nagging feeling in her mind. Now she didn´t want to know why, but she wanted to know something else.

"….Who? Who did this to me? Who wanted my death?" For a mortal it was a whisper, but for Dai and Kisu it was hysterical yelling.

"We really don´t know and even the police has no clue who could´ve done it." Daisuke answered.

The Lady looked down to the floor, thinking what she should do next. Calming herself, she decided, that she needed their help to find peace. So she glance at the readheaded boy and for a brief moment, she could also see the golden-eyed demon within Daisuke.

"If you really want to help me, then please, ….find him. Find my murderer! I want to know, who did this to me and I want him also in jail, so he won´t harm anyone anymore." She requested.

*Also if the murderer is someone very dear to you, my Lady?* Kisu asked.

The female ghost thought for a few seconds before she nodded as an answer. She wanted the murderer in jail. Others shouldn´t go through the same hell as she did as a ghost.

Suddenly the woman vanished into thin air and Daisuke was alone again.

"Seems like we have a mission now, but how we are going to do this?" Daisuke mumbled.

*First you should return to your room, before you classmate notice you were away. Then you should sleep and me too. I can´t think clearly when I´m tired. And we really need a keen mind. Because we have maybe twenty-four hours to solve the case of the mysterious murder and this will be a quite difficult task.*

"So we are going to play detectives? Jeez, I´m not so good in combining things, you know?"

*That´s not true. You can do it and with my help we can find the murderer. Now we should go back, don´t you think?*

Daisuke unlocked the door and checked the hallway before he went carefully out of the library.

~~~

~Ok. It´s eight o´clock in the morning and we´ll soon have breakfast. Then the class is going to town to learn something about the history of it. So what do we do, to stay here while they´re away?~ Daisuke asked.

Daisuke was on the verge of desperation. They had only twenty four hours to solve this case and they hadn´t even begun with the search for evidence. Kisu thought hard about it and had an idea.

*Daisuke? When was the last time when you were sick?* He asked.

~Sick??? Since you mention it, ….I 'never' was sick! Guess I couldn´t get sick since I have your demonic power, huh?~

*Don´t be so smug about the power. I did most of the work, not the power you have.*

Dai knew that Kisu always watched over him, protected him and kept him company, but that he prevented him getting sick was new. Now he realized how much Kisu looked over him and was very grateful for that.

~ ….Thank you. But, …why do you ask?~

He heard Kisu snickering about something. That was always when Kisu had something evil planned, not really evil more like a prank on others.

*Weeeell, then it´s time for you to experience what it means to be really sick. You just pretend being sick, so we have to stay while the others are gone. And with your permission, I´ll help you.* Dai could hear him chuckle about that.

Kisu´s idea was good, but Daisuke couldn´t imagine how the demon could help him in pretending being sick. Since he trusted his friend with everything, with his secrets his emotions and his life, it was only normal for Dai to give his permission without asking why.

Suddenly he felt really strange. He´d lost his appetite, his body was sore and he felt tired though he´d slept at least seven hours. Then his temperature was rising and he felt unbearable hot.

~Kisu, what are you doing?~

He heard how the demon snickered.

*I make you sick, …that´s all. Don´t you trust me Daisuke?*

~I do, but I never felt so horrible in all my life.~

*Time to change that.*

Dai´s classmate came over to his bed to wake him up for breakfast, but when he approached the bed he noticed already that something was wrong with the little redhead. Daisuke was pale, sweating and heavy breathing. He touched his forehead and realized that the google boy was burning. The classmate ran out of the door to find the teacher.

*….Hmm, that went well.* Kisu said, satisfied with his work.

~~~

"Get better soon Daisuke kun." Iori said in a worried tone.

"I think the journey was too much for you, you should rest, Daisuke."

"Thank you Hikari, ….it´s nice to know that you guys think about me."

~Even if it´s not very often.~

"Bye Daisuke, we´ll be back in the evenning. I hope you´ll be fine until then."

"I will ….T.P. Bye." Daisuke said coughing.

When the class had left the castle, the redhead got dressed and snucked out of the room. Kisu made sure to make the readhead healthy again. Daisuke looked to the left and to the right, when nobody else was around, he went to the library where he and Kisu had seen the Lady.

The butler, Mr. Matsuda, was probably in the kitchen, so they both had enough time. And nobody was around that time in the library, not even Mr. Akagi himself.

Inside, Daisuke and Kisu discussed the case.

"Ok, Kisu. Where do we start searching?" Dai mumbled.

*I´m no detective, but my mind says we should start with the place, where Lady Akagi had been murdered.*

"Her room? But what if it´s locked?"

*It isn´t. Didn´t you hear what the butler said? Since the Lady is dead, her son didn´t bother to lock the door. So there shouldn´t be a problem to go inside.*

"Ok, but what are we looking for?"

*Any kind of evidences. Strange things, things out of place and so on. One more thing Dai, before you go you should use the power. It would be embarrassing to get caught by the butler.*

He did as Kisu told him. Concentrating for a few minutes he set the inner power free. With his, now sensitive, hearing he could tell, when somebody was coming into his direction.

Walking out of the library, he went to the scene of the crime.

The door was unlocked, like the butler had told them. When he stepped inside he felt cold again. He must have stood on the same place where Lady Akagi had died.

I was a strange to stay on a place where somebody else had died. For Dai it was unfair. Why had she to die? Who was the murderer to decide over life and death? What gave him the right to do it?

*I can sense your pain Daisuke. And that´s why we have to solve this case. To show that nobody has the right to take another´s life.*

~….And what gives you the right to kill, …Kisu???~ Daisuke asked silently.

He didn´t mean to upset the demon, but he found it was pure ironic. Here was Kisu, talking about justice and he himself went through Odaiba slaying one demon after another. The question was, what gave Kisu the right? The safety of the world? Of all humans? His revenge? Kisu gave him the answer.

*….I don´t have the right either. I am a murderer, …nothing else. And I will be a murderer forever, no matter if I kill demons, human beings or dreams. …..That´s my role in this act called life.*

~I´m sorry Kisu, I didn´t mean to upset you. I´m just frustrated over her death.~

*I know Daisuke, but you told the truth. Every murderer will be punished for his crimes, sooner or later and if not in life then in death. And I´m no exception.*

~Kisu, you did good things even if you murdered the demons. You won´t get punished. Forgive me for being such a jerk, please.~

*I did that already and now let´s get going we have to look for a hint.*

Daisuke looked carefully through the room. Nothing seemed out of place. He went to the window and looked out into the garden of the castle there were only the servants house and a garden shed. He went back and looked to the couch and the chimney. Somehow the whole room was odd for Daisuke. The room made the impression to be small, but in reality, it was huge. Dai walked into the center of the room to get a better view. When he glanced between the window and the wall he knew what bothered him the whole time.

~Kisu? I´m not an architect, but don´t you think the window should be in the middle? It´s too far to the left. Why would anybody make a window so close to the wall?~

*I´m no architect either and your right it´s odd. And I saw the strangest things in the world. Let´s check the window and the wall.*

Dai went to the window and took a closer look on the frame. Then he touched the wall on the left side. His sensitive fingers sensed the difference. The wall wasn´t cold and didn´t feel like stone at all. Daisuke knocked lightly against it and the wall didn´t respond in the way he´d expected.

"Sounds hollow!" He mumbled.

*Ok, we should to into the room next to Lady Akagi´s.*

~Why?~

*Because I have an assumption and I need to see the other room.*

~Ok.~

Dai went out and went to the room on the left next to Lady Akagi´s. It was closed but it had an old lock and for Daisuke that wasn´t a problem. He searched through his khaki shorts and found a piece of wire. He formed it and stuck it into the lock. Twisting and turning the wire, the lock soon clicked open.

~I should thank you for teaching me this.~

*Don´t mention it. Now go inside and look for a window there and check the wall!*

When he entered the room he noticed it was a office. Probably Mr. Akagi´s office. And the window was too near to the right the wall. Daisuke knocked at the wall and heard the same hollow sound again.

~Here too! What do you think Kisu? Why is the wall hollow.~

*Let´s combine the hints we´ve found. What do we have?*

~Two odd windows and two hollow walls.~

*Ok. Let´s think about the facts. This is an old castle and the ancestors of the Lady sure did some renovations. Assuming the rooms were larger than what we have today. What would fit in between?*

~A secret hallway!!!"~

*I think so. Now we must find the entrance. Did you notice something else???*

~No, only a clock on the wall which wasn´t running.~

*Don´t put the information too low. It could be important.*

The redhead went back to the other room. He took a chair and put it right under the clock.

~You know. It´s like in an old movie I saw once, when the detective turned the hand around. I´ll try it!!!~

*Wait take a handkerchief, you don´t want to leave your fingerprints there, do you?*

Daisuke took a handkerchief out of his pocket and turned the big hand of the clock. It passed ten o´clock, eleven o´clock. Daisuke reach twelve o´clock and suddenly the wall opened and he fell of from his chair directly into the secret hallway. The secret door closed behind him and he was trapped inside.

~~~

tbc.

Oh, oh. Will Daisuke ever find a way out? Will they solve the case together? Who is the murderer of Lady Akagi??? Stay tuned for the next episode of Demonic Shadow. ^_^