Author's Note: This story is about the very first Chosen Children taking a summer vacation at the Digital World. This was inspired from My Chemical Romance's song, "The Kids From Yesterday" – the song reminds me so much of Taichi sitting on top of the train (lol so cute). Anyway, I'm still thinking of making this an eight-shot (each chapter focusing on a different character), or leaving it as it is. I kind of want to retain a character-centric theme, focusing on friendship, with a bit of adventure and an aftertaste of romance. Oh well. I'll see how it'll go :-)
Neverland
Lost Boy
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The great big Eastern wind brushed through the mildly sweat-damped locks of his brown hair as they crossed the unnamed yet familiar desert in the Digital World. Sitting on top of the train-turned-bus, Taichi was on the lookout for Coela Cape as the sun glared at him, already wishing he had worn something white than blue. His monocular came in very unhelpful, as sand and speckles of dust had already went inside the prism. The lens was already loosely attached to its body. Taichi didn't blame on it though, the gadget was already a very old friend of his.
Taichi wondered where the source of music came from, since he could hear it clearly despite the roars of engine and wind. He expertly climbed down and went inside the vehicle through an open window. His return was welcomed by a pair of two very surprised wine-rimmed eyes. Shocked as Sora was, he put on a goofy smile on his sweat-moistened face. She was wearing a sheer white shirt and a pair of denim shorts, as if very much ready for the beach. Sora smiled back as she and Piyomon gave him a hand for his bare feet to reach the floor. He soon found out that the music was coming from Koushiro's new laptop. Only God—and Koushiro – know how such a tiny gadget could provide loud outdoor music.
"Tai-kun!" coughed Mimi. She started to fan herself and Palmon from all the dust that he had brought inside. Mimi was wearing a white summer dress, and it was a little translucent as he could already see through her bikini. He playfully ruffled his hair to them, more dust and sand falling off of his bushy hair.
The girl coughed more. "I'm – sniff – never going to share my sunblock with you again!"
Alas, he earned another reprimand; this time from Sora, who just sat on front of Mimi. "Taichi-kun,"
Like always, he listened to her as if she was Word of God. He excused himself and looked for water, but his trusty friend Agumon had already beaten him to it. He thanked the little dinosaur and gently poured some of the water on the Digimon's dry and warm skin to rehydrate him.
"Ahh," Taichi then relished the cold as he placed the bottle on his cheek. He looked around, as if everything seemed at place. His sister, along with Takeru, Tailmon, Patamon, Gabumon, Tentomon and Gomamon were playing cards; Koushiro, Jyou, and Yamato were at the conductor's area. He went over to the rest of the boys as he drank his water.
"I see no sign of the ocean," said Taichi upon his entrance.. He suddenly felt the rest of his company become uneasy of this supposedly little trip. He sat on the floor. "But we should keep heading south,"
"All right," said the blue-haired boy in thick-framed glasses; he was wearing a grey-collared shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. If Taichi was the captain, Jyou was the navigator. Koushiro and Yamato agreed that Jyou would have been more efficient if he wasn't so afraid of exceeding speed limit. He could have gone like a Japanese bullet train since it was a desert they're crossing through.
"According to the map I modded, we're supposedly sixty miles away from the border of File Island," said Koushiro, who was wearing a very comfortable plain white shirt. "At our pace, we'd reach there in two and a half hours."
Yamato, Taichi's favorite friend, already looked like the grim reaper. The blond was starting to regret this whole idea of vacation – besides, why did it have to be at the Digital World, of all places? He wondered if they'd reach the border in time, since they were using up all the electricity Tentomon-turned-Kabuterimon had provided so that the makeshift engine could start. But there was no point in arguing with Taichi right now, especially with the scorching heat.
"I'm going to rest," announced Yamato as he walked away from them. Taichi's eyes followed Yamato's movement, and wondered how he could even breathe in his black shirt. If Yamato wasn't sweating, Taichi was doing it for him.
"Taichi-kun, how long are we going to stay here?" Agumon came behind him, his skin coming very dry again. He was eating some gummy candy or some sort. "The others are bored and we're running out of water, by the way,"
Jyou overheard and answered the Digimon. "For two more hours or so. Tell the others to consume the food sparingly… sheesh, the heat is getting intense!" he wiped the sweat the tricked from his neck and forehead.
Agumon left and went to where the other DIgimon were. After getting a little comfortable, Taichi stood up followed his yellow-orange friend.
"What are you guys doing?" though, he already knew that they were just playing cards. Hikari showed her set to his brother and winked. Taichi smiled at her proudly, knowing that she was winning for a five-point combination. Not for long, Hikari coughed as dust and sand went through her nose and eyes. She dusted off her white and pink dress. "Onii-chan, you're a mess,"
The older Yagami crossed his arms, frowning. No one else wanted to take the job for lookout since it was very hot outside. "I'm sorry, Kari-chan, I was busy being the sacrificial lamb,"
Hikari apologetically smiled at her brother, at the same time admiring how caring he can be, even if it wasn't so obvious. She noticed him slightly tan again, but somehow the colored suited him more. She took out a face towel from her backpack and handed it to him.
"Taichi-kun," Takeru drew out a card, already seeing his defeat. "the rest of the Digimon think we're lost,"
"Yes, Taichi-san!" pressed Tentomon. The brunet turned to him with arrogance.
"And since when were you right, Tentomon?!" It wasn't that Taichi was completely dismissing him, though. The chances of them being lost were already 50/50. But saying such thing will cause a fervent panic, and he'll get to be blamed for it.
"But we are lost! We Digimons know so," insisted Tailmon as she jumped from Hikari's side.
"And how do you know?"
The creatures made a rumbling sound of uncertainty, all in unison; assuring Taichi that they did not know what they were talking about. He felt the creatures' eyes gravitating on him, as if seeking a promise. He found them irresistibly cute, for some reason.
He turned to the younger blond.
"We're not lost, Takeru-kun," he assured, very confident of himself. It was one of his too many faults. "These little guys don't know what they're talking about!"
The Digimon smiled, with Patamon being the most guaranteed. But to Takeru and Hikari, this assurance had only meant that they were lost, indeed. They continued on with their card game, as Taichi and Agumon rested on a seat just across Sora and Piyomon.
"You're not sure, aren't you, Taichi," whispered the dinosaur to his owner. He was eating the last bag of crackers.
The crest bearer of Courage wryly smiled. He breathed in and out, enjoying the cool temperature. "Don't be such a worrywart, Agumon. Since when did I ever let you down?"
The afternoon passed quite silently, with the occasional yelling that came from the rear. Koushiro's laptop seemed to have already run out of battery, and the music was replaced by Mimi's voice, eventually joined by Yamato's guitar.
Two hours and a half turned three, and there was still no speck of blue apart from the sky.
Sora and Piyomon were fast asleep, and so was Taichi's little buddy; he was getting rather sleepy as well until the engine stopped.
"What the-?" he heard Jyou.
Not for long they had to get out of the vehicle, as the room temperature had rocketed to forty degrees Celsius – very much unbearable than staying outside.
"Well this is lucky," breathed Yamato. Mimi started to put her hair in a bun and gave her boat hat to Palmon. Sora, Piyomon, Hikari, and Tailmon huddled together under the redhead's umbrella.
"I hope everything's all right.." sighed Sora, wiping her forehead.
Jyou picked up a handful of sand and examined the composition. There were already little sea rocks and salt. "I think we're near the shore already, though,"
Taichi and Koushiro opened a compartment to check the makeshift engine.
"We just ran out of electricity," said Koushiro in relief, though it did not calm the others down.
"So, Tentomon just has to evolve into Kabuterimon again, right?" asked a hopeful Taichi. The sooner they fix this, the better he'd keep everyone to shut up.
"Mhmm."
"That's really great news, so just do it already!" complained Mimi.
The bug-looking Digimon jilted at her insistence. "Yes, Mimi-san!"
And so Tentomon did – and failed.
"Great, what's wrong now?" asked Jyou as he slammed a hand on the mobile. Everyone started to worry, and the fear of getting stuck in the middle of nowhere - at the Digital World - was becoming a scarier thought than sunburns.
"I don't know.. maybe you need to eat, Tentomon," suggested Koushiro. He was about to rush back inside to get their stock, until the much feared news.
"There's no more food," broke in Gabumon. The announcement earned him a very loud, unison "What?!"
"Gabumon, what do you mean there's no more food?!" demanded his blond owner, angry and heated that the food stock which he and Takeru bought was gone in an instant.
The rest of the Digimon, apart from Tentomon, Palmon and Piyomon, looked at their stubby feet. It was Agumon, who felt very much guilty.
"We're sorry onii-san, we could have stopped them," apologized Takeru as he held Patamon protectively.
Mimi fell down on her knees, her dress coated in sand. "Gaahh. It's so hot! We have at least some water left, right?"
Her plant-like Digimon shyly gave her a half-empty bottle. "It's the only one left, Mimi.."
The complaints have increased persistently, most of them regretting they have agreed to this trip in the first place. When all was said and done, it was Yamato who started to point a finger.
"I told you we should have just gone for Hayama," the blond snapped. Though, even he knew he was just talking out of frustration. They all agreed to this trip to be reunited with their old friends after all.
"I'm not even going to deal with you right now," Taichi went back inside the train, and sat on the front. He could see everyone from his view. The whole scenario was very much like a de ja vu. He made a headcount, and started to notice Sora wasn't there though Piyomon was.
"Taichi-kun," she was right on cue.
"Sora-chan,"
She sat beside him and enjoyed the view from up there. "Everyone's changed, no?"
"Yeah.. but I can't believe we're still having problems like this,"
"Getting stuck in the Digital World?"
"Something like that."
"Haha. Yeah."
The two rested for a bit and watched their friends do the silliest of things, all of them trying to make their Digimon evolve. They all eventually gave in, around four in the afternoon; Mimi had laid a towel for her and Palmon and started to sunbathe. Takeru, Patamon, and the other Digimon eventually joined her. Yamato passed his time playing his guitar. Of course, there were ones who just didn't know how to give up – Koushiro was still trying to make Tentomon evolve while Jyou –well, they really didn't know what Jyou was doing except for walking back and forth. He and Sora reckoned he was just hungry. Hikari was, for a very weird reason, taking a video.
For seven seconds Taichi felt like a genius, and the self-proclaimed genius ran out of the vehicle to get his friend.
"Agumon!" He dragged up the sunbathing dinosaur.
The Digimon stood up from the ground and opened his eyes. "Taichi.."
"Ugh. Taichi-kun, you're so noisy," said Mimi in her wayfarers. The brunet snorted, trying not to look at her half-nakedness. He held Agumon by the shoulders.
"Agumon, you can evolve,"
"Eh.."
"Just try to do it, will you,"
"Why me though?"
"Because you ate earlier. I know. I saw. You ate a lot, Agumon!"
"Ohh.. yeah! Hehehe.. You're so smart, Taichi!"
He inwardly grinned to himself, enjoying Agumon's admiration for him.
Mimi overheard and took out her sunglasses. "That sounds like a brilliant idea!" she exclaimed. Soon, they were joined by the others, huddled together.
So, Agumon did successfully evolve into a giant dinosaur. The next question for everyone was –
"Okay, so Greymon's here now, how does that help, Taichi-kun?" asked Jyou in an obviously stressed manner, since Greymon emitted fire, and not electricity. The brunet jumped onto Greymon's paw, and then climbed onto his shoulder.
"Here's our new ride," signaled Taichi. "Everyone should get their belongings and climb up on Greymon,"
And so they did, and it did not go too smoothly as Taichi had imagined. It wasn't that Greymon couldn't hold eight humans and seven rookie-sized Digimons… there was just barely enough room for everyone.
Greymon got both of his hands – claws, rather – full, with Sora, Takeru, Hikari, and the other Digimons. On his left shoulder were Taichi and Yamato; on the right were Jyou and Koushiro. Mimi, on the other hand…
"God, this is the craziest thing we've ever done yet!" shrieked Mimi as she clung onto the dinosaur's horn-of-a-nose for her dear life. Palmon was with her, and she already secured the both of them with her vines.
"This is weird," commented Yamato as he looked for support – apparently, he could only hold on to Taichi. "And I'm getting really hungry,"
"I'm sorry I'm not as big as Birdramon," the dinosaur bellowed.
"No.. I'm sorry Greymon," apologized Taichi as he patted his masked cheek. He started to feel sorry for his friend, especially with Greymon appearing to be a juggler at a circus.
"Piyomon! Where are you going?!" Sora asked as the creature pulled away from her and flew above her.
"It's okay, Sora! I can fly. It will give you guys more space!"
Patamon and Tentomon followed the pink bird soon.
Greymon tried to walk as fast as he could without losing balance.. A little while they had exited the desert and entered a forest, and the skies were turning yellow orange. The whole travel was quiet, all muttering their prayers that none of them will fall or encounter a rabid and violent Digimon. Eventually, their flying companions had to retaliate back to Greymon, their wings unmeant for long distances.
For thirty minutes of pushing through the woods, they started to hear the waves of the ocean crashing the shore.
"Oh my God, we're here!" exclaimed Mimi, pulling up her bag and adjusting her hat.
Hikari felt the same joy and excitement. "We're here!"
And so did Takeru. "I could smell the salt already,"
As soon as their feet touched the ground, clothes and belongings were thrown in the air, all racing for the ocean. Greymon retaliated back to Agumon, his body landing on the sand.
Taichi stayed behind, tired as well. He lied on his back next to the creature. "You did well today, pal!"
"I did, did I…" replied the very exhausted Digimon.
"Yep!"
"But you're the genius one here, Taichi,"
"Of course I am,"
"You always know what to do,"
The very words hit him with a terrifying impact. So many things could have gone wrong as well. It wasn't all new – being in the face of starvation and even death; but how he managed to get them away from danger (most of the time) was still a mystery to him. He wasn't as smart or as skilled, after all.
He closed his eyes. Perhaps, it was just something about overcoming all of these fears he had. That, or he could just be very lucky.
"Taichi-kun!"
His mind had instantly gone blank, resurfacing from thoughts dragging deep, as Sora called him out from the pink horizon.