Characters: Taiga, Yuuya, Akiho and Niko.

Chapter word count: 1500.

Story word count: 1500.


"They are what?" Taiga asked the person on the other end of his mobile. He knew him as Kuga Yuuya and that he was the son of the GIGO manager. Sitting backwards on his chair and with his spare hand, he idly played with a lock of his black-blue hair.

"Father says they're called Digimon. It's short for digital monsters, apparently." Taiga heard the other teen's smugness through the device and wanted to, at least once, punch him in the face.

Taiga sighed and mulled over things before answering. "How would he know what they're called?"

"You would ask that." The other boy gave an exhale and leaned back in his computer chair, judging by the creak the arm made.

Taiga thought he heard the beep of a V-Pet and opened his mouth to speak again. "Was that a V-Pet beep I just heard?"

Yuuya laughed, amused by the question. "It was, yes. You have your own, right?"

"I do have one," he answered, smiling to himself. "His name is Digimaru."

"I call mine Black," Yuuya responded. "It's not like they'll become real." He didn't have anything to worry about. None of them did; none of their V-Pets were going to suddenly materialize.

The conversation turned to their V-Pets and whether or not they had any emotions. A loud beep came from Taiga's V-Pet, as if it was expressing its indignation and Taiga had to stifle his laugh.

"I think they do, Yuuya." He replied through his chuckling. "Mine just squawked at me."

A snort came from the other end, but Taiga couldn't tell if it was laughter or derision. "Black's too cool for that. He's very aloof. A lot of times where I've thought he's needed attention, he said he didn't."

Taiga hummed in agreement. "Sounds pretty reserved. Third level, right?"

"Yes. Same as yours?"

To Taiga, it sounded like Yuuya was preparing to shift their conversation online when he heard the beep of the computer as it turned on.

"Yeah, he's at the same stage. Black's a BlackAgumon?"

Yuuya made a noise of agreement as he typed something on the keyboard. "You have an Agumon." The statement sounded final.

Taiga found himself defending his choice. "I've always liked Agumon. They make good-natured V-Pets."

Yuuya didn't reply immediately, which left Taiga wondering if he was still on the other end. Eventually, he did. "You must be the hero-type if you're saying that."

"I can be at times." Taiga admitted, remembering the time he jumped off a rooftop to save a random V-Pet. Not that it was his V-Pet, but the girl was grateful all the same.

Yuuya couldn't help but laugh at this. He barely knew Taiga, but they got along like siblings did at the best of times. "Whose V-Pet was it?"

Taiga snorted in amusement. "Oh, some random girl's from two years ago." He explained she'd been running on the roof and tripped, losing her grip on her V-Pet. He bravely jumped off the roof after it.

Taiga got up and sat in his chair properly, pressing a key on his keyboard to bring his computer out of sleep mode. He opened the window to the chat room, just as Yuuya spoke.

"Are you ready?"

Taiga entered his username and pressed enter. "I am now. Your turn."

Yuuya entered his own details and the chat room appeared.

THE DIGIMON CHAT ROOM HAS BEEN OPENED

Taiga has entered the room

Yuuya has entered the room

Taiga: Hey :)

Yuuya: Hey.

Rina has entered the room

Rina: Hello~

Yuuya: -_-;

Taiga: Lol… I didn't think it'd be so popular

Yuuya: We've got nothing better to do. No one likes doing homework :P

Rina: You shouldn't say that! How else do you expect to pass if you don't study?

Yuuya: We don't even know you.

Yuuya: I'll be fine. I'm quite smart.

Rina: You totally disregarded my name right there.

Taiga: Chill out, you two. No need for a fight.

Yuuya: This Rina person just comes out of nowhere, acting like she knows everything!

Rina: …

Yuuya: XP

Taiga: (sighs) Enough, guys. Anyway, Rina, do you have a V-Pet as well?

Rina: Yes, I do :D His name is V.V

Yuuya: (somewhat interested) … What kind of Digimon is V.V?

Rina: He's a V-mon :) He's a really good friend.

Taiga: Nice work, Rina. ^_^ I have an Agumon called Digimaru and Yuuya has Black.

Yuuya: He's a BlackAgumon.

Rina: Digimaru?

Taiga: (sweat-drops) Yeah, it's unusual, but he likes it.

Rina: I think it's a cool name. I like it. :D

Taiga: Wow, thanks. That means a lot.

Yuuya: Forgetting someone, are we?

Taiga: (laughs) No, of course not. Just got carried away.

Yuuya: Sure (smirks)

Taiga: Totally random question for everyone. How old are you?

Rina: … Why?

Taiga: Just so we know each a little more if we were to ever meet.

Yuuya: Seventeen.

Rina: Sixteen, turning seventeen.

Taiga: And seventeen. :D

Yuuya: Who says we're even going to meet up? Taiga?

Taiga: I'm sure we will at some point. Right? The district can't be that big.

Rina: (gets excited) I so can't wait. Let's meet up tomorrow. Is that alright, guys?

Yuuya: … Don't know. Have to study for college. Ask Taiga.

Taiga: Yeah, sorry Rina. Maybe next time. I'm fairly busy during the day.

Rina: Doing what?

Taiga: Preparing for different things. Sorry I can't be of any more use to you.

Rina: (nods, understanding) It's perfectly fine. I understand.

Taiga: Oh great. :) My friends are here, Niko and Akiho. If I ever meet you, Yuuya, I'd introduce you to them. They're really nice people.

Taiga: I'm Niko. Taiga let us use his keyboard for a minute. Protect Taiga, okay? Something's up with GIGO.

Taiga: Niko? Honestly -_-; Hi, I'm Akiho. Pleasure to meet you. Would like to see you soon.

Taiga: Whoa guys, don't overload Yuuya with so many theories and stuff. I'm back, Yuuya. (pokes above miserably with a stick) Sorry about that.

Yuuya: It's fine. Tell Niko not to spread slander about GIGO, though. I will fix my parents' mistakes.

Taiga: Okay. … Oh? Niko and Akiho need to tell me something important. See you later, you two.

Rina: Bye~ I can come back, right?

Yuuya: Bye.

Taiga has left the room.

Taiga turned his computer off and swivelled his comfortable computer chair around to face Niko and Akiho. "What is it, guys?" He asked, grinning. He was excited to see them, after all.

"There's no easy way to say this." Niko began cautiously. "I wasn't slandering GIGO, either. Tell Yuuya that."

"Next time, though." Akiho added softly, before continuing. "Taiga, what we're trying to say is… There was a big outrage at GIGO seventeen years ago."

Nikolai nodded carefully. "We researched the information after you told us you were talking to Yuuya, who we knew as the son of GIGO's boss."

Taiga remained quiet, taking in what his friends were telling him. What was this big outrage they were so worried about? He wasn't sure what was going on.

"Seventeen years ago, you were born, but so was Yuuya." Akiho clarified, seeing her friend's confusion. "The outrage was twins were born."

Taiga blinked, still not seeing the connection. It was known that he was kind of silly, but even he knew he wasn't that slow to pick up on clues that were given. He just failed to see how he could be Yuuya's brother.

Niko gave a loud cry of frustration.

"Taiga… We believe you and Yuuya are siblings," Akiho pointed out. Because who wouldn't point out the obvious clues?

Niko rolled his eyes, but was smiling. "You're both the same age and your hair colours are almost identical."

"You live with Kenzo's sister, so you must've been separated at birth." Akiho insisted, stopping for the time being. She knew this was a lot for her friend to process, but she wanted Taiga to know now before he found out some other way.

Taiga leaned back, touching his computer desk as he took everything in. It was a lot of information.

Part of him still couldn't believe it. How could he be Yuuya's sibling? They were nothing alike, apart from the similar hair colours, but that was it. Taiga thought for a moment, his eyes widening in realization.

No, it couldn't be, he decided. But it was apparently; their birth dates…

… were exactly the same, right down to their hour of birth now that he thought about it. Did his adoptive mother record these details herself or was she told them by her brother, Yuuya's father? Why was it so scandalous that twins were born and why were they separated?

Taiga didn't understand any of it. What was GIGO trying to keep under wraps? At least now, he understood what Niko had meant when his blonde friend had typed that message to Yuuya. But it had irritated Yuuya and Taiga didn't want him annoyed. He vowed to sort it out.