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Disclaimer: this is a fanfic written back in the day.
Chapter 1
A Reality in All Things
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Davis Motomiya had always been a brash but friendly kid, his parents and sister would agree he was much more an outdoor boy than an inside one, he excelled in playing games until he discovered soccer which he played better than any kids his age.
His passion for soccer led him to forgo his studies quite a bit, Jun his older sister would point out more than once at the dinner table in front of his parents. He puffed up his cheeks, stating that he liked playing more than studying.
"That's why you always sleep so late! Cramming for tests and exams again?"
"Pssh! I still pass!"
"Yeah, just above a 'C'!"
"Mom!"
His parents chuckled at their sibling spats, "He passed didn't he?" "He's a kid, let him play."
Jun crossed her arms, "You always coddle him." Davis grinned at her, she glared and leaned forward so he could hear her whisper.
"One of these days, little brother, you're gonna get hit in the face with something worse than a soccer ball."
"Oh yeah?" Davis sneered. Jun's face didn't change in the slightest, his smug face dropped at the seriousness his sister was mustering.
"…like what?" he asked quietly, unsure why he felt so frighten and the single word he heard made his belly drop.
"REALITY."
.
His sister's warning rang through his ears, he took a break from playing and decided to stay inside for a bit. Plus it was raining, he wasn't gonna play in mud puddles and come home like that, he at least had enough tact.
He looked through the many storybooks for the word his sister used to warn him, but all he found was his fairy tale stories and coloring books.
"I need a big kid's book."
He looked through his home, finding nothing but magazines, newspapers, flyers and things too hard to read. For all he knew, the word was right there and he wouldn't know it.
"I need someone to tell me…" Davis mumbled, he didn't want to ask his sister or his parents, somehow he knew they would sugarcoat the answer or tell him to not be worried about it.
His parents were at work and his sister had gone to a friend's house, unsure who to ask he decided maybe the lady at the bookstore next to their apartment might know. He dressed himself with a raincoat and grabbed the house key and walked to the bookstore, he was old enough to be alone at his house, he figured it wasn't a big deal.
It was pouring quite a bit, he pulled up his hoodie and walked carefully on the wet sidewalk, he didn't want to skid and scab his knee again, he already had a collection.
Walking into the bookstore, he could see the clerk had her hands full with customers, I guess everyone wants a good book in this weather…
Was Davis's glum thought, it was bad for a few days now. He waited in line, hoping to get her attention but it seemed to take an eternity for the wee child he couldn't stop squirming in the spot.
"Y'know she's gonna be real busy."
"Gosh, I know but—?"
Davis stopped in mid sentence and turned to see who was speaking to him, he felt his jaw drop, a girl around his age also in a raincoat was standing right behind him. Davis played with a lot of kids, boys and girls in the park, roughing house with both without much thought. But the girl that stood before him only one word came to mind: pretty.
She had soft hazel eyes matching her hair, she stood a bit taller than he, she had small whistle tied to a string that hung by her neck. Davis stared at her, he couldn't help but see this sort of aura around her, it gave off such a warmth and kindness, that it made the chill of the rain an afterthought.
"You okay?"
"Y-yeah…I just, my sister said something to me and I wanted to know what it meant."
She tilted her head slightly, a questioning look on her face, "What did she say?"
"It was really strange…do you know what 'reality' means?" Davis asked, unsure why he felt a wave of excitement.
The girl thought for a moment, Davis couldn't help but notice how she looked, there was something about her that made his heart race.
"Well, it's something like fairy tales and magic." "Oh, I know about those!" Davis said quickly, not sure why he wanted to confirm that, it seemed like common knowledge.
"Then 'reality' is sorta the opposite, like there's no stick that will make water pour from the end of it or make fire with your hands, y'know like the Saturday morning shows."
Davis found the answer glum, "That's…boring."
The girl shrugged but before she could add more another kid came walking by, "Oh, brother did you find it?"
"Naw, but we better get home, it's pouring. Oh, who is this?"
"He wanted to ask the lady something but she was busy." the girl started.
Davis was ready to blurt his name when her brother held her hand and looking at the wall clock, "Ah, shoot, we better go Kari! See you around!"
"Bye!"
Davis lifted his hand half heartedly as the two sibling scurried out of the bookstore, he stood there as the explanation seemed insufficient somehow.
But at least the girl had a name…
Kari…
It seemed like fate she would be named that. He smiled and decided that her explanation would have to suffice for now, he looked back at the line and the sweating bookstore lady and decided he would lessen her load if he just left.
.
Davis let her sister's warning take a backseat in his mind as the weather cleared up again and he played outside, his eagerness to play soccer left him again unprepared for school and his studies bringing about more friction with Jun.
Although, he liked playing he also kept a vigilant eye out for Kari, if she was at the bookstore she had to live close by. He even asked all he played with about her, describing her but to no avail none of his playmates said anything useful.
He decided to play in other parks hoping he would pass her by fate and coincidence, his child courage paid off weeks later when he saw a familiar kid walking away with a group, it was Kari's brother laughing with some other kids. Too late to adequately introduce himself and the distance growing even further, Davis decided to interact with them when they were playing again. He would be playing with the older kids and from past experience, he would most likely just told to play with someone else or play elsewhere.
He decided to just watch them play instead, hoping that they would invite him to play…eventually.
Through the blistering sun, stormy rains and whipping windy days, Davis sat on the bench watching them play soccer, he learned a lot from them, watching their footwork and drive, it was the longest week of his life. His chance came when the ball came to the bench and he eagerly brought it back, he scanned their many faces and found the one he was looking for: Kari's brother.
"C-can I play with you?"
"…"
The group looked surprised at his answer,
"Sure."
"Actually, we wonderin' when you would. Watching all day…"
Davis grinned awkwardly at his prior action and played with the older kids, they were a lot rougher but they tried to stop from deliberately hurting young Davis. Eventually, his childish endurance gave and he found himself unable to keep up as the older kids continued, he panted and sluggishly ran.
"Whoa, take it easy kid, you're beat."
"N-no, I still can—!"
He flopped on the ground and Kari's brother picked him up, he called the other kids that he was gonna sit things out and got Davis to the bench while he bought the both of them a cool drink. Davis sipped his juice box while the older one sat back under the shade,
"You got heart, Davis, but don't let it get the better of you."
"I just wanted to play with you all…"
"Oh, we'll have plenty of time for that."
Davis sat in silence for a bit, watching the kids play, he looked up to Kari's brother for a moment,
"Name's Tai Kamiya, you've been looking for me right?"
"Uhhh." Davis sat in disbelief at the sudden question, he dumbly nodded.
"So…you waited at this park for one whole week in all sorts of weather for a chance to talk to me…"
"…yeah, I was."
"And you were looking for me because?"
"Ooh…just wanted to hang out."
"Heh, okay, let's use that as a pretense. You want to know about Kari, right?"
"…yes, we met at the bookstore. I wanted to know about 'reality'. Then I sorta just wanted to know about her…maybe be friends with her. Oh, and you too, you're pretty cool."
Tai smiled,
"Pretty brave of you to go all around to find me and thanks, I dunno if I'm really 'cool' but its nice to hear."
Davis nodded eagerly, "Yep! Super cool!"
Tai could see the reverence in Davis's eyes,
"So 'reality, huh?"
"Oh, that. Kari said it's the opposite of fairytales, you know, just regular boring things…"
Tai laughed, "I suppose that is! Mhmmm, reality is just real life, it would be cool if things you imagine was real…"
Tai silently reminisce, Davis looked at him seeing the look in his eyes, there was longing.
"You know, I had a strange experience once…my family got cooked up in some convention center one summer by some weird things. My sister was a scaredy cat but I wasn't! My parents and sister doesn't like talking about it though…I wonder if it really happened…" he mumbled out the last part.
Tai froze.
"…you did?"
Davis blinked, keenly aware that Tai didn't laugh it off.
"…yes."
Tai let the information soak in while Davis realized that the older kids had turn up and left leaving them behind, Tai glanced at Davis weighing his worth for a moment: the kid was young but…he definitely had his heart in the right place, he was the embodiment of Courage like him but he was manifesting it all the same, maybe even more than just his DigiCrest.
"Hey, Davis…"
"Yeah?"
Tai held his breath for a moment, wondering if he should, but one look from Davis's curious and eager face told him enough.
"What if I said…it was real. That you really were stuck with those 'things'."
Davis waited for Tai to take it back, just laugh it off and said it was just a fanciful thing.
But when he didn't…
Davis knew.
"So it WAS real."
"Those were Digimon. I know it sounds unbelievable but it is. I saw one as a kid. Kari saw it too. And a bunch of friends I made also saw it. We became the Digidestined and traveled to a world where they came from and when we came back they came along with us too…no, eventually they would have gotten here."
Davis nodded slowly, it seemed outrageous and even though he said it, it was hard to believe! But here was Tai affirming his suspicion.
"We put a stop to that, Kari too. But afterwards we all kept it a secret."
"…then why tell me?"
Tai frowned for a moment, thinking, "Because…I think some time in the future…you will have to step up to the plate…you will have to take our place."
Davis looked frighten for a moment, "What if I don't want to?"
Tai looked at him, he couldn't be any older than Kari and he asked her to do what he did: put her in harm's way, "…Kari didn't get to make that decision…but I hope you get to, Davis."
Davis nodded slowly, in truth yes it frighten him, he was just a kid and he heard all sorts of awful stories but…seeing Tai genuinely concerned and hearing Kari taking part…
"I don't want to frighten you, Davis but don't want you to do something on false pretense…oh, lie to you. When the time comes, make your decision, I won't think any less of you, no matter what you choose."
"…"
Davis sat there, Tai settled for silence as the two contemplated their fates.
To Davis it was mind-blowing that the experience he had prior was real and even the chaos too…it was real, Tai wasn't kidding about it.
To Tai, he was setting up the kid on a path he would or would not take…but in hindsight, he saw those Digimon…maybe it was fate…
"…do you think…I'll do good? Like you did?"
"No." Tai said flatly.
Davis swiveled his head at the answer, Tai looked at him quietly,
"I think you will do better than me, Davis. I was the leader of my group, I pushed myself into that leadership position, butted heads with my friends, split my friends apart without intention and even got Kari to go to the Digital World and faced uncertain odds and dangers…I even put my partner in danger…I let power blind me and it hurt those who I cared for. I want you to be better than me, Davis…learn from my mistakes."
Davis looked at him, he could see pain in Tai's eyes.
"But…I'll still make mistakes…right? I mean...no one's perfect."
"I know. But what I mean instead of being discouraged, I know you'll grow from it…learn from it. One day, I hope you will understand…and it won't cost you your happiness."
Davis felt the talk was for someone older but he nodded, taking his words to heart as the two sat on the bench, letting the sun wane overhead.
The two caught sight of something in particular:
It was Kari walking by.
Tai stood up, ready to go to his sister, he was about to bid Davis when a kid ran up to her: it was TK.
Davis stood up, unsure who was the kid but the way they interacted showed they knew each other.
"That's strange…he's never far…behind…" Tai said slowly as another kid came into view: it was Matt.
"Ah, of course big bro is always…Sora?"
There was a pretty girl walking alongside the blonde kid, Davis saw her giggling and pointing at Kari and TK who leapt over gaps on the sidewalk; the way she walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him…the way she smiled…
"Whose that, Tai?"
"…the blond little kid is Takeru Takaishi…the blond older kid is his brother, Yamato Ishida…and the girl is Sora Takenouchi…"
Davis could hear the distress in his voice.
"Are they your friends?"
"Yeah…they helped save the world…"
The two stood in silence as the four of them walked out of view.
"Hey…Davis…"
"…yeah?"
Davis could feel the coming question.
So he spoke up first.
"Do you like Sora, Tai?"
"…yeah. I'm guessing the same for you, too?" implying Kari for Davis.
"…yeah."
"It seems we're more alike than I thought…"
And the breeze that blew past them felt mocking.
XxXxXxXxX
If you can already get a feel of the story, you'll know it'll be a thrasher.
Instead of your stereotypical Davis, I'm shooting for the Davis that learned from Tai's mistakes as leader of the Digistined in Japan.
Adventure 02 had so much potential but utterly ruined [in my opinion]. I'll spare you the rant with brevity: the formula for Adventure 01 shouldn't be used in Adventure 02 when you have two veteran members in the team.
That said this will be hopefully a different Davis from the rest of the fanfics out there.
Also, this story has been collecting dust in one of my old back up Externals now it has a chance to grow. Maybe. I wasn't going to publish it especially since I haven't kept up with the franchise but after re-watching Digimon Frontier, one of my fave ones, I felt it needed to be read by any fans.
Anyhow, let's see how you my avid readers take to this.
Ciao,
I AM NRG
END OF TRANSMISSION