One Hell of a Ride

( Meow, Leopardmoon here, determined to actually finish something I start. So welcome to the beginning of a little idea I had and decided to just roll with...half continuation of Digimon Frontier, half original adventure with tons of OCs and taking place on Earth. I'm sure it's been written before, but not by me, and certainly not with what I have planned. As always, please enjoy the ride, and I'm more than open to your ideas, comments, and critiques. Thank you.

This fanfic is purely for entertainment purposes and I do not claim – whatsoever – the rights to Digimon or any other game/book/music/fiction related stuff I mention. The only things that belong to me are the plot and every original creation I make up. Without further ado, welcome back, Warriors. )

"No one expects anything from a bunch of kids. Especially not when they're all about twelve years old - well, Tommy was even younger - but that's beside the point. The point is that if I ever told anyone about our adventures in the Digital World, they would just laugh and say something like, 'Dream on kid.' But it really did happen...right? I think it did. I-I hope it did. Because otherwise, maybe they're right after all, and I need to grow up. Move on. This is the real world and I'm just a kid with an overactive imagination. It wasn't...real."

Chapter I: Wake Up, Kid

It's always the days that start out like any other; you know the ordinary ones that you blast through impatiently in the hope of moving on to more exciting things. The ones where the clock ticks by so slowly that you're not sure whether you'd prefer knives or the electric chair. Those are the days that get you in the end.

Monday mornings were the worst though, hands down, with the promise of the weekend still hanging over your head. Instead, only the long, torturous week of school paved the pathway forward.

It was on such a morning that the sun graciously greeted the still sleeping inhabitant of a neatly kept room. Books lined impeccably dusted shelves and clothes remained neatly folded in drawers. Peculiar, considering this was the room of a teenage boy.

The aforementioned teenager shifted uncomfortably as his body sensed the change in lighting and decided it didn't like it one bit. 'Damn, is it really morning already?' Groaning loudly, the boy snuggled deeper into his pillow in a vain attempt to avoid the light seeping through the gaps in his blinds. Maybe if he ignored the light it would go away because even one more minute of sleep would be pure bliss. Unfortunately, it was not his lucky day.

"Beep beep, beep, beep beep, beep, BEEP BEE-" The bed appeared to explode outwards as eyes the color of the ocean on a stormy night emerged from a mass of lime green pillows and blankets, raining pillows down everywhere. Brushing away disheveled raven hair, the boy extended an arm over to his bedside table and slammed the SNOOZE button of his alarm down with deep satisfaction. He then quickly retracted back into the confines of his blankets, burrowing like a particularly wrathful mole, until he was once again swallowed up by lime green everything. He was going to sleep for at least five more minutes and nobody was going to stop him, sun be damned.

He could only feel his annoyance rise as the door creaked open unceremoniously, followed immediately by a dip in his double bed as someone climbed up onto it. Well, scratch that, as it could only be one person...his brother.

"Koji?" the voice inquired inquisitively to the large bump underneath the covers. "Koji, it's time to wake up." No duh. He would have snorted derisively to his twin if he hadn't been deliberately ignoring him. "Koji," Koichi continued as he began to poke the bump with his right pointer finger. "Koji...Koji...Ko-"

The few pillows that had survived the initial emergence unscathed joined their fallen brothers and sisters on the floor as Koji pinned his elder brother underneath him. "Koichi," he began in a voice that would make most people shiver, "what did I say about waking me up in the morning? I. Am. Not. A. Morning. Person." He stared into those matching dark blue eyes fiercely as they twinkled back at him mischievously. "Yeah, yeah, I know, but if I didn't wake you up now, I swear you'd wait until there's only ten minutes left before school. And we can't have that, now can we?"

Koji grudgingly let his twin up as he once again brushed his long hair out of his eyes. Well, looked like he could forget about his dream of getting any extra sleep. Goddamn. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Koichi hadn't moved from his bed until he gave the sheets a decisive tug and found they didn't move. "Hey, early bird, get off. I'm trying to make my bed here, and you're in the way." Still smiling, his twin obliged, but refused to leave the room. Whatever, wasn't Koji's problem.

"You know, I can't help but think how strange it is that the guy who got the Spirit of Light shies away from it first thing in the morning." Koji tensed instinctively at this small mention of the Digital World. He warily sneaked a peek at his twin's face to see what exactly he was thinking about to bring that particular subject up but found it unchanged. Strange.

It had been a decision on both of their parts to never bring up their time in the Digital World unless they were alone. Their mom – aka stepmother - and dad were probably in the other room, so the conditions were met. But they had had plenty of opportunities in which they were alone together and never was anything Legendary Warrior related brought up. So why the sudden change?

"Did you...hear something?" It was difficult to keep the creeping note of hope that blossomed in his heart out of his voice. The promise of the DigiDestined remaining friends forever, no matter the distance between them and the trials they faced, lay at the forefront of his mind.

A little more than five years had passed by since their return to the Human World. The return to reality had been filled with joy and promise, and the Digital World had been thought of only in passing. But as the first month slid by, Koji had found himself wondering how Bokomon and Neemon were getting along. Was everything alright back there? Would he ever see the Digital World again?

One month became two months, then a year, and finally years. The DigiDestined had naturally begun to drift apart as they grew older and their lives took them in different directions. But they had together saved a world, so there was no need to worry. It wasn't like any of them could ever forget what had happened...right?

"Still as hotheaded as ever, I see." It had been a casual greeting that had been returned with a familiar cocky grin on the other teenager's face. Koji had watched patiently as his former best friend gently let down the little white dog in his arms, having saved the little thing's life. The tiny creature yipped its thanks, wagging its tail excitedly, before running far away from the road it had nearly met its demise on. Takuya had then shrugged like it was nothing before good-naturedly slapping Koji on the back. "You could say that, but it was the right thing to do." Idiot had charged right across the street of a busy intersection to save the dog when it otherwise would have been run over by a car. That was just like him.

Yup, same old Takuya. "So, don't suppose you've gotten any mysterious phone calls lately?" Koji had tried to be casual about it, calm, cool...nonchalant. Like the Digital World wasn't plaguing his mind constantly. He was surprised when the other boy had snickered, scratching his cheek as he considered how to word what he wanted to say. "Listen, Koji...don't you think we're a little old to pretend all that was real? I mean, it was fun while it lasted, but obviously it was just a kid's game."

Wait...what? Koji frowned as he rounded on his best friend and seriously studied the other's brown eyes. He found the chocolate depths to be lacking the answers he desired. "Anyway, I gotta go. My girlfriend is probably about ready to call the police with how long I've taken...she likes dogs though, so no biggie right? Heh, see ya!" Before he could have said another word, Takuya had taken off.

Koji couldn't have hoped to explain the number of emotions that had surfaced from within him at that moment, but he couldn't deny that he had felt like a dagger had been stabbed directly into his heart. Yeah, it had been four years, but for Takuya to just outright dismiss it as a kid's game like that...well, that was rough. It was like he didn't even know the guy who was supposed to be his best friend.

Koichi's voice startled him out his reverie as his twin finally formulated a response- "No, I haven't." He looked thoughtful as he eyed his younger brother. Koichi knew full well that Koji, despite being the one who had initially refused to be part of a team, was the one who really wanted to keep them together the most. The one who couldn't just dismiss it all as some fantastical dream that they had all shared, or a game that they had all played as children. Yes, Koichi knew that there was more to it than a dream, or a game, but even he had to question whether the Digital World was fiction or reality. It was just...too unbelievable. But for Koji he would never forget.

"Oh." The single word hung in the air between them as both boys fell into silence. At last, Koichi decided to suck it up and break the silence. Smiling wryly, "You should really trim that mane of yours, Mr. Every-girl-in-the-school-wants-to-date-me. Ice Prince. King of Hot Guys. Uh, whatever other ridiculous names they come up for you."

"Hmph, says Mr. Student Council Vice President and the best kendoka in Japan who is only seventeen years old," Koji retorted as he poked his twin in retaliation. And that was that.

"-and I'll make you whatever you want every day for the rest of our lives, three meals a day, plus snacks, and wash your clothes, and-" Koji was really trying his best not to fall asleep as the girl opposite him droned on and on about what exactly she would do for him if only he would ask her out on a date. The thing was, he wasn't interested, and it certainly wasn't anything he hadn't heard before.

"-so, you see, that's why you should make me your girlfriend! Um, please, Koji-kun? I just, I-I love you. Oh my gosh, I love you Koji-kun!" Ugh, finally she was done. He was about ready to just interrupt her and tell her straight up, 'No' and be done with it, but Koichi complained that that was too harsh and he needed to at least let the girl express her feelings before he declined. Something about how everyone deserved a chance, blah blah blah.

He stared straight into the girl's near black irises, brimming with hope, and crushed that little spark of light within with the same disinterest he did every other girl who came after him. "Sorry, but no." Without another word, he turned around quickly before she started the waterworks, or screamed how much she hated him and what an arrogant jerk he was, or even continued to proclaim her undying love for him regardless of his own feelings. He just really couldn't take it.

Koji had never had a girlfriend before. It was something he held with both the greatest pride, and a secret agony. While he couldn't actually get every girl in the school to like him, it was true that about 96% would date him without question whether they wanted him because they actually believed they loved him or simply because it would award them popularity points. That made it rather difficult for a guy like him who wanted someone who was less...easy. Who wouldn't chase him, but would make him chase after her.

But it was such a thin line between interest and disinterest. Romance was perhaps the only thing that Koji felt unsure of outside of the questioning of his sanity for continuing to believe in the Digital World when all of his friends had already moved on. But this was life: one big messed up rollercoaster ride.

'Oh hell, what am I doing now?' He scowled sullenly at nothing in particular, eyes narrowing slightly in the vain hope of finding that he was actually walking home from school like he should have been doing. But nope, he was in the school's small private garden instead, all alone. Always alone.

Koichi had kendo practice and so Koji had only himself to entertain. But that was okay, really, because he was the lone wolf after all. He wasn't supposed to need anyone except for himself.

The sunlight shone brightly upon his lightly tanned face as he tilted it up towards the sky, enjoying the feel of the Sun on his skin. His fingers were already undoing the first few buttons of his summer uniform as he crossed the garden in order to sit on the lone wooden bench. He knew he shouldn't be here, but whatever. This little garden was his favorite place during the warmer months for both its seclusion and its beauty – he couldn't deny that.

Koji also couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face as he admired a blooming yellow tulip near his seat, the fingers of his left hand caressing the petals without conscious thought. Now if only he could have some company...

"Wow, never thought I'd see the so-called 'Ice Prince' smile like that." Damnit. Speak of the devil, and you shall be heard. Koji sharply withdrew his hand as his head snapped up to glare at the intruder. 'Who the hell is this?' he thought crossly.

The intruder appeared to be a girl about his age and he would have assumed her to be a student of the school if not for her clearly foreign blood and the fact that she wasn't wearing a uniform. She was clad in only a pair of light blue denim shorts and a black tank top patterned like the night sky. Glittering gray wedge sneakers adorned her feet which matched the gray headband that pushed back her long dark brown hair, allowing her light brown eyes to catch the light.

Unperturbed by his cold demeanor, she motioned behind her. From out of the shadows came another girl, similar in build, but this was one had fiery red hair and eyes of smoky jade green. She was clad in a white tank top and dark blue denim shorts, but wore red Converse, and her hair was tied back in a ponytail much like his own. She stood shyly to the side of the first girl, jade eyes not quite meeting his steely gaze.

"What do you want?" He wasn't in the mood for games.

The first girl smirked, shrugging as if she hadn't noticed the venom laced throughout his words. "The question isn't so much what I want as it is what do you want?" Cryptic. Great.

His eyes continued to follow her as she leisurely began to stroll about the small garden despite the fact that there was not much to see. She finally seated herself on the opposite end of the bench which put the other girl in quite the dilemma as she wanted to remain next to the first, but not so close to Koji.

Rolling his eyes, he decided at long last that maybe this was the universe's way of telling him it was time to head home like he should have long ago. He didn't want to deal with two strange foreign girls, no matter how curious he was as to their purpose there.

"Bye," he called over his shoulder dismissively, but just as his hand touched the door leading back inside the school, he felt someone pull him back. Not expecting it, Koji stumbled, before straightening and meeting the brunette's eyes. "What the hell!" he spat, hands curling into fists. "What's your freaking problem?" He really didn't want to hit a girl, but if she tried something on him, he would.

Her sunny, wordless smile almost put him over the edge. It was unnerving for some girl to get him so fired up. He didn't like it at all.

"My freaking problem, as you so eloquently worded it, is that a bunch of bad Digimon led by Chronomon in freaking Destroyer Mode are leaking into our world and want to rule it, making all of us humans into slaves in the process. That, my dear Koji Minamoto, is my freaking problem. Oh, and I'd like you and your brother to help save the Earth since apparently you have some experience with world saving. Is that cool with you, or should I go find some other DigiDestined?"

He felt dazed. Was this for real or...? He couldn't believe it.

Wake up, kid. The Trailmon don't exactly wait around. This is going to be one hell of a ride.

( Edit: Made a few minor corrections before I revisit the second chapter again. #perfectionistproblems )