Astral remained at the doorframe while his friend and ex-friend while his sensitive ears caught on the conversation.

"I-I attacked him out of nowhere!" Sanji babbled in complete fear and shock. "I kn-know I was mad at him, b-b-but I-I would never..."

Yuma just shook his head with his arms crossed. "Well, tell Astral that; not me," Yuma spat.

While they talked, Astral looked around the mostly empty home. With the discussion that the boys were having, the place had a chilly and uninviting atmosphere.

"Speaking of Astral, there he is." Yuma pointed behind him, where Astral was taking stock of his surroundings. "Go talk to him."

Sanji approached the spirit hesitantly with his head down. He was obviously full of remorse. "Astral...?"

Astral looked at the boy when he was done looking around. "Yes?" His voice held no hostility whatsoever.

"I-I'm sorry for...for attacking you..."

"No need to apologize. You were not yourself." His eyes narrowed. "The reflection was controlling your actions. I know you much better than that. You would never harm anyone in that form."

Sanji smiled in relief. He was forgiven! However, that smile soon morphed into a frown again.

"I accused you. I should have known that you would have never killed a kid in your right mind."

"The past is the past. Right now, we need to capture Dark and make sure he does no more harm than he already has."

Yuma walked up to them, the tapping of his shoes loud against the eerie silnce. "He left shortly after killing everyone," he said with a frown. "Who knows where he went?"

Astral looked around. No one else seemed to be inhabiting the homes anymore. "Are you two the only ones here now?"

"Yeah." Yuma looked grim. "That bastard killed everyone in here. I was only lucky to have been out of town at that time."

"Some voice told me I was needed for something," Sanji sighed. "It just seemed to persuade me to do what I did. It sounded a lot like you, Astral, but it had a dark and evil tone."

"It was Dark. I am one hundred percent sure of it. We must find him." Astral led them outside and looked around for a second time. "He must have left some kind of trace of where he went. This is all a big game to him; it wouldn't surprise me if he left a clue to his whereabouts."

The two boys nodded and took stock of their surroundings.

"If you were him, where do you think he may have gone?"

How funny he says that... Astral looked at Sanji. "Are you sure you want to do this? After all, he may kill you."

"Aw, bring it on!"

That was the Sanji he knew.

Astral gave a slight smile. "Just be careful, both of you."

With that, they marched out of town and carried out their mission. They didn't even bother looking into the other houses since they knew that Dark was in none of them. He had already moved on to a different town.

~.~.~

Dark was perched on top of a tall building, swinging his legs and looking down at everyone below him. They would be his future servants. Oh, they owned the world now, but he would rule them soon with enough time and patience. He had a lifetime.

The people below him were busy with their kids, families, partners, life, everything. They seemed content with their place in life at the moment. Soon, though, it would all be taken away from them.

Soon.

He just had to be patient.

It would be all his.

Soon.

They would soon be busy with their own survival. Dark would make sure of that. He would banish their electronics, their trading, electricity, and factories. If one, just one, supply ship escaped one country and made its way to the next, the sender would be put to death. He would know, too. He had a way of telling. He could read minds easily.

While all this happened, Light Side would be locked away in that wretched wardrobe until the end of his days. Dark snickered. He loved being up high.

~.~.~

The trio entered the mammoth city core, where there was the usual hustle and bustle of the crowd. Looking around at them, it was incredible how their life could go on without a care in the world while the shit hit the fan.

"How can they live like this?" Astral mumbled, secretly shaming them for ignoring their predicament.

"They don't know what's really going on," Yuma answered. Then, he, too, mumbled, "Though they could watch the news..."

"Well, most people don't watch, and news of our town isn't normally passed to the center of a huge city," Sanji pointed out. "It was isolated there."

Astral nodded. This only made his worry sky rocket! If they didn't know what was really going on, they wouldn't be ready for the attack the reflection was surely planning! They would be completely vulnerable!!

Movement caught his eye. He looked up at a tall, tall building somewhere far away from them. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, for perched right there, perched at the very edge of the roof like a king on his throne, was Dark. The reflection was above them!

~.~.~

Dark looked down when he felt eyes on him. Had a human spotted him already? That was ridiculous!!

No... His eyes widened in astonishment. He's here!? He narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth in a low, menacing growl. He can't be here! I locked him in the wardrobe for good!! I bound him to that wretched mirror!

A girl's voice giggled behind him. He looked behind him to see Ivy, Asi's reflection, grinning and laughing.

"Looks like he figured out something you didn't, Darkie," she sang. "That mirror was a portal to the outside if someone was bound to it. If you are, you can't go anywhere except through that mirror!"

Dark stood and confronted Ivy. "Why didn't you tell me before!?" he growled.

Ivy smiled sweetly. "Because," was her only response.

Dark glowered at her. "So useless! Here I am trying to secure my place here, and you forget to tell me the important detail!"

Ivy laughed. "Well, you should have thought long and hard about it!" She gave him her cheekiest grin. "But no! You wanted to get started immediately! The lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part!"

Dark turned away from her. He scoffed at Light Side's dumbfounded stare. "Well, looks like I'll have to show Light Side who's the boss of who," he snarled. With a grunt, he jumped down, carefully aiming his landing in front of the three.

~.~.~

Astral saw Dark jump down and immediately moved out of the way so as not to get brain damage or something. The reflection landed neatly and delicately in front of them with his arms crossed. He looked absolutely vexed!

"Looks like I overlooked something," he stated bluntly, which sounded much more menacing than actually sounding livid. "The fact that the mirror cam become a portal for the one bound to it."

Sanji's eyes widened when he recognized Dark and his voice. "You're the one who killed everyone in the town!" he exclaimed.

"That's me, and I'm damn proud of it."

"Sanji, do not engage in any attacks with him," Astral warned his friend. "He is much more dangerous than you think!"

Sanji nodded, but he didn't back off his glare. Dark's mood lightened some at the sight of this. He chuckled with a huge smirk on his face.

"Trying to be tough, eh?" he mocked. "A human like you isn't at all that intimidating, you know. It's just like being stared down by a puppy!"

Sanji grew angrier, and Astral saw this.

"Sanji, calm down, please," he said, his panic growing, fear of his friend being killed by this monster of a reflection. "Dark feeds off of negative emotions or thoughts!" Though he knew this, he couldn't help but feel fear.

His warning was in vain, though. Sanji lunged at Dark in blind rage. The people around him froze when the sudden action broke out. Curious children tried to get close, but their parents pulled them back.

Amused by his attempt, Dark simply moved to the side with a smirk.

"You know, watching you be stupid is actually lifting my bad mood! You just look so foolish!" Dark laughed. "You can't even touch me!"

Astral remembered that reflective shield he made out of panic. All he did was sweep his arm, but some kind of power seemed to click. It had overwhelmed his body and mind completely. He wondered if he could do it again, except this time, it would be of his own will power.

It was worth a try.