Title: Guilt
Category: Ami/Arata couple progresses more in each story (Their mothers in this story ship Ami/ Arata)
Category: Digimon
Part: 2 out of 4
Rating: T
Summary: Sequel to Abandoned. Out of the four of them, Arata feels the most guilty. Infermon warned him that Ami was weak, he didn't realize in what context. Ami told him about her fears, he didn't know how much pressure he accidentally put on her. He wishes for her to wake up, so he can try and apologize to her for being a terrible friend.
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Digimon franchise.
~~Story Begins~~
Ami wrapped her arms around Arata, her red hair in a side pony, her digivice goggles wrapped around the pony were out of the way, her cheek touching his, her yellow and black AWA Studio shirt was pressed against his own clothing, her grey skirt formed around her legs, yellow knee length socks and grey shoes prevented them from falling over.
"I'm scared, Arata," she said quietly. "I'm scared I won't be able to save Yuugo, I'm scared that we won't succeed in saving the Digital World. I'm scared I won't be able to return back to my body."
Arata reached out to hug his friend when she started to glitch out of existence before she -
Arata Sanada sat up botly in his bed, his ragged black hair resting against the top of his shoulder blades, sweat covered his face as his grey eyes looked around his dark bedroom, his blue covers slid off of his naked chest as his mind registered that he was in his room. He fell back onto his bed, his arm covering his eyes.
"That damn nightmare again," Arata grumbled to himself. He's been having the same dream - or as he considered a nightmare- for a week now. He knows it's just a nightmare or a dream, Ami was only able to reach his shoulder and his mind wasn't even thinking of hugging her back when she did surprise hug him. It's been a month since they saved the Digital World, since they lost contact with Ami.
Ring, Ring, RIng
Arata moved the arm he had covering his eyes and turned off his alarm clock. Since he started having this nightmare, he hasn't been late to school which was a blessing in disguise considering that he spent most of his time trying to find any clue over Ami's whereabouts in the EDEN system and helping his mom get to and from physical therapy after her leg out of the cast from her breaking it. School was the last thing on his mind, especially since he transferred to a new school and he already knew most of what they are currently teaching, expect history. History was not his strong suit.
Arata's mind was distracted throughout the day, his teachers tried to call him out on it, but since he knew the correct answers, they really had no grounds. Two minutes before lunch ended, he received a Digi-line from Yuuko Kamishiro.
Yuuko: Call Yuugo or me ASAP! It's an Emergency!
Arata got up from his desk and went out into the mostly deserted hallway where his next class - dreaded history- teacher was standing. His dark red hair was cut short revealing green eyes and a face filled with freckles, he was wearing a green shirt tucked into black pants with black shoes.
"O'Starin-sensei," Arata spoke getting his teacher's attention. "I have to make a phone call will quick. My friends are saying it's an emergency, so I'll be late for class."
"Very well, after class, if you can, tell me what was so important that made it an emergency," O'Starin-sensei spoke as the bell rung and he entered the classroom.
Arata called Yuuko's digivice number and entered a group call with the holographic images of Yuugo and Yuuko Kamishiro.
Yuugo Kamishiro was sitting down, his shiny black hair was cut shorter in the back and longer in the front, his black eyes looked concerned. He wasn't wearing a school uniform like his sister, but a white jacket with a fake fur hood was buttoned up and led down to black pants.
Yuuko Kamishiro shared similar features with her twin brother, her shiny black hair was perfectly straightened reaching towards the small of her back and instead of the white and black long sleeved dress with fake white fur around her neck that Arata was used to seeing her in, she wore a black jacket that she didn't have buttoned up revealing the white shirt and black tie her school forced her to wear, a black skirt led to the black tights.
"Well, don't you look different in your school uniform," Arata spoke crossing his arms.
"So don't you," Yuuko stated.
Arata shrugged his shoulders, he left his grey vest in the classroom, his white shirt was buttoned up all the way as well as being tucked into grey pants while he flipped the yellow tie over his shoulder. "New school, new uniform. Basic classes are harder than my advanced classes at the old school. Still can't wait to test out of them and go for the advanced classes."
"Always trying to show off," Yuuko said.
Another screen appeared and Nokia's holographic image appeared. Instead of the pink jacket and blue dress she never leaves without, Nokia Shiramine had her pink hair up in a regular pony instead of pigtails, her blue eyes looked mad upon seeing Arata beating her to the group chat. She wore a white shirt and black shorts giving off the hint she's in P.E.
"No fair Arata! You go to the same school as Ryota and Sakura!" Nokia said whining.
"Why doesn't it surprise me that you know those two airheads," Arata said with a slight shake of his head.
Nokia crossed her arms and a fake, sick smile appeared on her face. Before she could make a retort, Yuugo spoke. "This isn't the time to talk about fellow peers or schools. If it was than we wouldn't have considered this an emergency call."
"That's right," Nokia said. "So, what started the water?"
"It's fire," Arata commented shaking his head. "What started the fire, not water."
"Whatever," Nokia said. "I totally said fire."
"Ami's vanished," Yuuko said before the two could bicker more. It caught both of their attentions.
"Well, that's great!" Nokia said. "It means we can actually visit her and talk to her. I have a lot of stem words for her."
"Ami vanished," Yuugo said repeating his sister. "She's no longer within Central Hospital and no one signed her out."
"What are you saying?" Arata asked. He wasn't in the mood to correct Nokia's word mistake of stem and stern.
"The only trace we have of Ami being here is the bed we had her on and her records. She literally left without a trace," Yuugo explained. "No one entered that ward last night or entered the room she was put into. The hospital searched everyone and can't find her. She's gone."
"How is that even possible?" Nokia questioned, her hands rising to her chest as a sad expression appeared on her face.
"We don't know," Yuuko said, "but we need to try and find her body now as well. We'll diverse a plan once we meet up at Central Hospital Special Ward at 4:00."
Arata and Nokia nodded. "We'll find her," Nokia said.
"We have no other choice," Arata agreed. "She saved all of us and now-"
"It's our turn to save her, Yuuko said before the call was ended.
In Shinjuku, while the four friends were in that call, Ami was sitting on the small brick wall that stopped the plants from growing out into the sidewalk, her red hair was in the side pony, her Digivice google's tied around it. She wore her familiar yellow and black AWA Studio Works shirt, the grey backpack she always wore was sitting on the ground, right next to a container that held mayo and a thermal coffee cup. Her grey skirt was underneath her legs, yellow knee high socks went down to grey shoes.
A man ran by, black brushy curly hair that stopped after his shoulder blades, a black vest, black leather pants with chains, and black leather boots.
"Stop him!" a voice yelled familiar to Ami causing the teenager to stand up. "Shoot he got away." Ami turned around and saw a woman standing there, her hands on her knees.
When the lady stood up, she looked at Ami with her wise almond shaped brown eyes, her pink goggles was on top of her long blonde hair that went down past the revealing unzipped shirt and black scarf, past the short black shorts and stopped at her knees, black heels made the already tall beautiful lady even taller. Her hands were covered in black gloves as she placed a hand on her hip.
"I'm not a creep, I'm actually a detective at Kuremi Agency." She noticed the coffee and mayo, "You have a strange taste in coffee, I might try it some time."
She turned around to walk away before she stopped and turned back to the quiet person. "I'm sorry if this sounds strange, but do I know you? You look familiar to me," the lady smirked. "I'm actually looking for an assistant right now and something tells me you'll be perfect for the job. Plus I'll admit it, I've seen a lot of strange, intriguing and curious things, but I highly curious about your eyes."
Ami looked up at the older woman who kept talking, "If you would like the job as my assistant, visit me at Broadway in Nanako. My office is on the first floor."
Ami smiled as the lady started to walk away, "Ma'am," Ami spoke. "Will it be okay if I told you now that I would like the job?"
The lady turned around and smiled, "I was actually hoping you would say that. Grab your stuff and come with me to my car, we can start to get to know each other."
~~Two Weeks Later~~
Arata was sitting in a waiting room lobby chair, his usual outfit of his white coat with hood and light blue track suit almost made him blend in against the white walls and blue chairs with scratching blue cushions. The blue carpet looked soft but it was one of those hard to touch ones, the color reminded Arata of Ami's blue eyes, so trusting and filled with emotion, he really didn't want to look at it, but it was within his vision while he did his dreaded and boring history homework.
"This sucks," Arata grumbled to the otherwise empty waiting room, letting his pencil sit within the book. "I could be out there helping Nokia and Yuuko look for Ami in Akihabara! I have contacts there, people who owe me favors, but I'm here stuck doing history homework while Mom does her therapy. I can't make heads or tails of these people anyway."
"Well, for starters, choice 'i' is wrong, that belongs to question 52. Choice a belongs to question 55, b goes to 50, c goes to 57," a voice explained from behind Arata but close to his side. "Are you even paying attention?"
Arata turned his head to the side and saw Ami leaning against the back of the chair beside him, her blue eyes showed slight anger in them, but it was mostly in amusement. Something wasn't right with her eyes, they didn't shine as bright.
"Ami?"
"Yep," Ami said mocking an exasperated sigh. "You aren't paying attention." Her hands were holding onto the back of the chair she was leaning against. "I just gave you four answers, Arata."
"Upon seeing you and actually talking to you again, homework is the last of my worries. You do realize we've been looking everywhere for you?"
"Yes, however, I have had my own reasons for avoiding all of you until recently," Ami replied looking at Arata. "Especially you."
Arata narrows his eyes at her before shaking his head, "Understandable." He looked down at his homework before he started speaking again, "Infermon told me you was weak and you told me your fears. I did nothing to truly try and help you."
"It's not because I hate you or blame you for anything," Ami said. "It's mostly because you pick up on the details that others miss. Whatever guilt you are feeling, get rid of it."
"How can I-" he turned to look at her, but she was gone. No trace that she was there to begin with. "Great, I'm going crazy now!"
"Stop!" he heard a voice yell followed by screams as the door that led to the physical therapist room swing open and a man with brushed hair, grey eyes, brown glasses, wearing a boring business suit ran out.
Arata watched as the man ran past him only to trip and fall onto his face. Ami appearing out of nowhere in the same spot she was in when talking to Arata only now she was standing up right.
A lady appeared and leaned over the man, "Well, that plan went off without a hitch. Good job by the way, Ami."
"Thank you, Kyoko," Ami said with a bow.
"I'll take this man to Detective Matayoshi," Kyoko said and noticed Arata who looked shocked. "You must be Arata Sanada."
"Ah yes, how did you know?" Arata spoke standing up, forgetting about the homework he was trying to complete that was on his lap causing it to fall onto the floor in a mess.
"Besides from what my lovely assistant told me about you and from talking to your mother during therapy. I also remember reading a lot about you and the Judes," Kyoko said with a smile. Ami had walked around the chairs and started to pick-up the materials that fell to the floor. "Also, your mother and I agreed upon a deal for the two of you. Don't worry Ami, your mother has been notified," Kyoko spoke.
"I thought that was a joke!" Ami exclaimed.
"No joke, in fact, I believe you said it yourself that you would prefer Arata to be your partner in the cyber sleuthing line of work," Kyoko said pulling the man to his feet.
"Not that part!" Ami said standing up straight, Arata figured the red dusting on her cheeks was from getting mad.
"The part about you helping him with history while he helped you with science," Kyoko said, her smile getting bigger. "I mean that only makes sense considering you both go to the same school and are taking advanced classes in all the subjects. Science is your weakest class and history is his so it evens out."
"Arata hasn't even had a say in this plan of yours," Ami said.
"To be honest, I'm confused, but so far it seems like good ideas," Arata said.
"See, he doesn't mind," Kyoko said. "I'm sure he most definitely wouldn't mind moving in with you and no, that part isn't a joke." She started to lead the man away. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
"Let me go! Do you know who I am? I am Jimi KEN!" the man said fighting against Kyoko.
"I know exactly who you are," Kyoko said as they left the building.
Arata and Ami just watched them until they was out of sight.
"So, why am I moving in with you?" Arata asked the cyber sleuth. He knows he should let the others know that he found her (or she found him), but after the information of him working with her and now moving in with her, he really didn't feel like putting up with their antics.
"Kyoko says it's because since we are going to be helping each other with work and homework, we might as well live together so we wouldn't have to keep traveling between school, work, your place, my place, only to head home. Apparently your mom has different reasons."
"Let me guess," Arata said with a sigh. "She's not getting any younger and wants grandchildren."
"The same reason my mother thinks it is a splendid idea," Ami said shaking her head. She did not think it was fair that her mother and her boss was trying to force him to start dating her, he has a choice too. She handed him his homework that fell when he stood up. "Here's your homework back."
Arata surprised her by pulling her into a hug, her arms trapped by his chest with her holding onto his stuff. "I'm so happy that you are back. I'm sorry that none of us could help you like you've helped us."
Ami took a deep breath, she hated having to do this to him. To any of them actually, but they needed to know. "Arata," Ami said quietly. "I'm still partially data." She felt Arata tensed. "I have my physical body but I still have a half cyber body."
Arata pulled her tighter against him, earning a small squeak from Ami, "Is there anything we can do to bring you back completely?"
Ami shook her head, "No, the data that was the orginal me was to corrupted but it's okay! Everything will be okay. Now, how about I scare Nokia?"
Arata chuckled, "By using that trick?"
"Yep, you might remember it. Stealth Hide, you played around with it in the past."
"We are meeting up at 4:30 at Ueno Park, that will be the best time to do it," Arata told her.
"Perfect. Lucky me will only have to go through the questions once," Ami said happily. She turned her head but Arata grabbed her chin and forced her to face him. "Arata?"
"You owe all of us and explanation," Arata said narrowing his eyes as he stared into hers. Why aren't they shining as bright or filled with as much emotion?
"I know. Do you want to bet that Nokia will be in tears?" Ami asked trying to lighten the tension between them.
"No," Arata said finally figuring out the mystery that has been haunting him. "You are wearing contacts."
Ami closed her eyes before nodding , "Yes, this is why I was avoiding you." Her eyes opened as she stared at him. "You pick up on the little details that no one else notices."
"Why are you wearing them now?"
"You'll find out later."
"I better," Arata said releasing her chin.
~~The End~~