A 17 year old found himself walking along the Odaiba river bridge, at about 6:00 at night. Caught up in his thoughts and fuming silently, Kido Jyou suddenly stopped in the middle of the bridge to get his bearings; leaning against the bridge railing.
Jyou gave a sigh and stretched out against the railing, looking up to the stars of the late evening sky. His parents would be freaking right about now, their youngest nowhere near home. Jyou gave another sigh and stood up, looking around again.
The streets were silent, bare and mostly dark. The water gave off a black sheen as it moved under the bridge sluggishly. But Jyou knew, despite its seemingly sluggish gain, the currents just below the surface were strong enough to pull and hold you under. Jyou found himself watching the waters, random feelings from a past event sweeping through him every now and then. Anger, Sadness, Envy, even a faint trace of stubbornness made itself still known in the back of his mind.
Jyou had been ending the day reading a letter from his oldest brother Shin, who was away in Africa. His other brother, Shuu, had made himself known at one point or another as Jyou was reading. The two had started arguing – although over what to begin with; Jyou wasn't so sure. All the youngest Kido knew was that the argument had turned into something rather vicious, clouding the younger brothers mind with rebellion towards medic school, a sudden longing for his Digimon friend, Gomamon; and the urge to run. The strange urge had taken its toll on Jyou rather forcefully, causing him to end the argument abruptly as he stormed out of his home and went for a long walk around Odaiba.
You see; sometimes when you argue with someone it seems utterly harmless, what you say doesn't affect either person any more than silly jokes. But sometimes someone will cross the line, and the argument, although 'childish' to start off with, will become something quite vicious. And when this happens the subject of the argument is changed altogether.
In most cases, however, both sides will become utterly engrossed in the argument to a point that the only way to finish is for one side to run. Or back off. Very many times an argument like this one ends up in someone heading off, in a blind rage, and normally something bad would happen from this. In most cases of this, however, the argument is forgotten, although the feelings and even some images remain.
And that is what had happened with Jyou and Shuu. Shuu was now home sulking in his own room completely oblivious to his parent's questions of where his younger sibling had gone. While Jyou was out contemplating whether or not he should go home.
Jyou watched his blurred, shadowed reflection for a long while as he tried to calm his thoughts.
All around him the world was darkening and deepening into the silence of night.
"I wish I were somewhere else right now!" He glared at his reflection as if it were the cause of his troubles. His reflection simply glared back.
Now Jyou didn't know this but wishing for something like that wasn't exactly a smart move. Seeing as far out in the realm of light and speed, a rip between worlds was open. And poor Jyou just happened to be standing on top of one of the rip's portals.
So no sooner had he finished his wish than the portal reached out for him, dragging him down and under the bridge, through the realm of light and speed into another world. Needless to say, Jyou was scared.
Next thing you know he appeared in a large room with many metallic surfaces, warmth and the sounds of things hitting the metal.
Jyou had appeared in a larger-than-average kitchen. All right, a larger-than-abnormal kitchen. The people working there either didn't notice Jyou or mistook him for the wall. All around the gleam of metal, white ceilings and walls, and grey linoleum shone with water and light.
The people who busied past weren't human, literally. They were giants, twice the size of a normal man, covered from head to toe with long fur. Their feet were large, although clad in various types of shoes and boots. Their eyes were large, peering out from the layers of fur. They were like large pearls glued to their faces, and with a rose-red iris. Their hands were not covered in fur, although looking like they were wearing thick black leather gloves. Each hand had four fingers, with dirty brown, claw-like fingernails.
Jyou backed up against the wall; feeling waves of fear engulf him at the sight of the giants who bustled past, each one doing a chore of the kitchen. He could see through a window that the outside world showed early morning, with grey-yellow clouds and a blood red sky.
Managing to turn his head Jyou noticed a white door, partially open and leading to the outside, only a few feet from where he cowered. It was then he realised he was hidden beneath a bench which jutted out from the wall. If he were to straighten out a little more he'd probably hit his head.
Making a quick decision Jyou hurried to and through the door, leaving the kitchen.
Slipping through the thin opening of the door Jyou found himself in a small alleyway, which led out to a grey-gravel path. Hurrying along he swore he heard shouts from the large kitchen he'd just come through. 'Please don't come after me,' He thought earnestly. 'Please just leave me alone!'
The gravel was loose and slippery from resent rainfall, but Jyou managed to keep his balance somewhat as he sprinted along the path. The path was about the same size as a road to Jyou, who could barely see the large grey-blue gates at the end. On one side of the path was another building, but all Jyou could see was the dark-purple brick wall. When the building ended there was a brief flash of blue-green grass before many trees and bushes surrounded the path. All in two straight lines, evenly apart. The entire estate reminded him of a mansions garden.
Suddenly out from behind some trees only a few feet ahead of him three smaller giants, who came up to his chest, bounded out and crashed into the gravel. Jyou skidded and spun, feeling the adrenaline race through him intensely as he tried to escape. He felt the faint warmth and breeze of a pair of hands, which just missed him as he skidded down the path. Almost back to the outer building Jyou could see that he had guessed right about the mansion.
The entire main building was three stories tall, and larger than a regular human building. The roofs were slate blue with smoke-white walls and five windows along each level, except for the last one, which had two large windows, the one on the right taking up most of the wall, including the corner. In it Jyou couldn't see much for great crimson coloured curtains. There was a neatly kept narrow garden pressed up against the wall of the mansion. The alleyway was shadowed, following the wall of the outer building, which was only a one level extra. This building had dark-purple brick walls, and dark red roofing. The outer building looked somewhat drape against the main building. The path leading out of the alleyway only followed up to the end of the out-building, following the main path, which came from the two great wooden doors of the mansion.
Jyou gasped suddenly when, from out of the alleyway, came five giants baring various items of capture; A net, two poles, a spear and a pitchfork. They all cried out, as if in battle, when they saw Jyou running towards them.
"Gomamon!" Jyou hears himself whisper as he slowed against the gravel on the path. The sudden urge to be with his little Digimon friend was almost overwhelming. Not knowing what to do – and barely being able to think over the sudden amounts of fear coursing through him – Jyou turned and ran. This time out onto a well kept lawn, which ran along past the trees Jyou had been running past – which hid a giant flower garden – past the mansion and around it. Jyou, while looking straight ahead, saw the border of the mansion and its great field, called a lawn. A forest, guarded by a wire fence – obviously some kind of giant chicken wire – lay deep and tall, stretching out and above to the heavens.
The blue-green lawn was slick with dew and various mud puddles. Jyou had to jump a lot to keep from falling over – having no idea how close the giants were behind him. The smaller giants, when viewed in a characterised way, actually looked about six or seven years old. The adults were of various ages and Jyou had no time to slow and guess.
He came to the fence, just as the spear was thrown like a javelin, smacking the wet ground just ahead and beside him, showering him with water as he continued on. He dived beneath the wire fence, dodging the sharp ends and out the other side. He heard shouts from both children and adult, but ignored them as he hurried into the trees.
~
Finally reaching the other side of the forest Jyou just stared at the sight ahead of him. It was open ground, with a few bushes and rocks scattered here and there, a slope lead up slightly. Beyond this all Jyou could see was sky. Looking to his right he could see the same thing as ahead of him, a sudden drop in land. Looking to his right he almost fell over with shock.
The mansion he had just escaped was sitting calmly behind a deep moat in the distance. Jyou stared at it for a while before reminding himself that if he was still near the Mansion, he might still be caught.
He quickly darted across the open plain and up the slope. Reaching the top he looked over to see a cliff ledge, with a fence jutting out from the edges like a net, to stop anyone falling. Jyou jumped into the long grass below the slope he'd climbed, before making his way to the ledge and looking over. He found himself looking down the straight side of the cliff, which only ended far, far below on some jagged rocks creating a small shore for the ocean, which was all he could see. The ocean water was slate grey, with a slight slip of white at a wave now and then. A sudden cry from behind the teenager back him spin in shock to see one of the children standing on the edge of the slope, looking down at him, before turning to call behind him. Whispering his friends name once again Jyou bolted, following the small path between the cliff ledge and the slope edge. He came to a path, which lead down the cliff face. Peering over the edge Jyou saw there was a long path, which curved once, which lead down to another flat piece of land. Running along the edge of a cliff was a dark river.
Jyou jumped down onto the path, regained his balance, and skidded down to the curve in the path. Looking down revealed a short, sloped drop, before coming to some long grass, which ended to begin the field before the river.
A cry from below caught Jyou's attention, who suddenly realised the child from before had called his friends, plus a few older giants who were a few feet taller than Jyou. Below, coming up the path, were a bunch of adults brandishing clubs, spears and nets. 'Oh no. Oh, Kami.' Jyou thought frantically as the two groups closed in on him.
"Gomamon." He whimpers again, wishing with every part of his soul that his partner were with him now. The adrenaline, which flowed through him, forced him to turn and jump, leaping away from the edge of the path he fell, head over heels, into the grass. He gasped as a slight pain from the fall made itself known through out his side, his glasses askew and cracked. He managed to crawl through the few feet of grass to the riverbank.
Jyou gasped for breath as he knelt in the grass, watching the river water flow by. His lungs hurt from the run, as did his legs. His head was pounding from the amounts of pressure being catalogued, and his entire being ached from having leapt over the paths edge.
Hearing voices high above him, Jyou wondered if he was to be caught now. He followed the river with his eyes and suddenly found himself looking off a cliff ledge, yet again. He stood and stumbled on tired, aching legs to the ledge, over which he could see the grey-white surface of a large lake. 'Why does everything have to be so big?' Jyou wondered as he peered at a sudden flash of movement on the lake. There, in the middle of the sea-like puddle, with a flash of red, white and purple, Gomamon inched his way along the surface of the water, looking lost and forlorn.
Jyou's face lit up as he hurried to the cliff ledge.
"Gomamon!" He cried, leaping over the ledge. Even when he heard shouts of warning from the approaching giants. Once again his mind did not want to work, and somehow he had come to the conclusion that maybe if he jumped high enough maybe he'd miss the cliff face – and any awaiting rocks – and dive into the water. Of course he didn't know how deep the water was, or that when he hit the water, it would sting like crazy.
As Jyou fell he tumbled slightly, his glasses finally sliding off and making their own way down the cliff, suddenly Jyou found himself upside-down, and half blind.
"Jyou! No!" Gomamon cried, quickly scurrying along the waters surface. By know anyone would have guessed it. Jyou probably wouldn't get a stinging sensation from hitting the water too hard, but who's to say hitting a thick layer of ice, head first, was any better; for that is just what happened.
"Oh no…"
One second Jyou was aware that he was falling, even if it was upside-down, the next a very sharp and distinct pain made itself known from the back of his head, down the back of his neck and along his spine. His body tingled with the sudden feeling of numbness. For half a second the ice seemed firm under his now limp body, then the crack his fall had created opened up quickly, sending Jyou into the dark cold depths of the frozen lake. This was about the same time that Jyou blacked out.
~
Gomamon screamed his human partner's name, diving into the large hole in the ice without a care that he himself would freeze. The blue-blackness was of no help as the small sea-creature Digimon – despite his sudden confusion of appearing in the middle of a frozen lake and then hearing Jyou call his name a few minutes later – swam down as quick as possible. Jyou's limp form could be seen drifting down into the lake (Which, as I half-mentioned before, wasn't very deep), bubbles of silver-green flouted out of his mouth from his lungs, gently gliding towards the surface. Gomamon followed the bubbles and quickly latched onto his human friend who was just about to the bottom of the lake. Struggling through the water, Gomamon managed to carry his friend back to the lighted opening of the surface and out onto the ice. Gomamon managed to drag his friend half out of the water before he quickly head-butted his chest, trying to get the water out of his lungs.
"Jyou! Please wake up, Jyou!" Gomamon whimpered as he tried again to get the water out of the teenager's lungs. After a few more tries Jyou coughed forcefully, water and blood leaking from his mouth. But he was still unconscious, and very close to catching pneumonia. Gomamon rubbed up against his friend before trying to drag the rest of him out of the water. Two small stains of blood made themselves known on the ice. One from the back of Jyou's head, where he had hit the ice, the other leaking from his mouth along with a few quarts of water. Gomamon, although a fairly small creature compared with his human friend, finally managed to drag Jyou out of the water, and lay him on the ice.
"Jyou? Jyou, can you hear me?" He asked of his friend. When no response came Gomamon curled up on top of his friend, trying to keep him warm. "Jyou…" Tears fell from the little rookies eyes as he rubbed against his partners shoulder.
Only minutes from Jyou's rescue the Giants were back, heading across the ice and looking very menacing, one of which brandishing a large club, looking ready to pound anything shorter than his hip. Gomamon didn't notice the barrage of figures until they were barely two feet away. He instantly stood tall atop his friend, baring his teeth and snarling at the Giants in an attempt to keep them away from Jyou. In Gomamon's mind these… people, had been the cause for Jyou's jump. Maybe they had even pushed him, Gomamon did not know. All he knew was: they were standing over Jyou like a hunter would his kill.
One of them sniggered and reached out to Gomamon, possibly to yank him off of Jyou and fling him back into the water. Gomamon gave a sharp cry and lashed out at the Giants hand, slashing it forcefully with his claws. The giant cried out and backed away, cradling the cut hand. The other Giants looked at each other before growling and grunting in a strange language, which the Digimon did not understand. They then circled Jyou and his defender. 'Oh no!' Gomamon tried his best to attack the giants, using his claws and even biting.
In a mass confusion of hands, fists and even sticks and boots Gomamon suddenly felt a sharp pain rocket through him, blinding him briefly before he fell, landing on the cold ice, and blacking out.
*
Watching the actions of the giants, a winged creature, resembling a Tiger, stood tall on its hind legs, looking out over the frozen lake. On the other side the Giants appeared to be beating at something.
"How strange," The holder of the bright blue eyes and golden stripes breathed.
Beside her a Grey fox, too humanoid in its form to be mistaken for a normal one, looked out over the lake as well with brown eyes. Both were clothed in blue, white, black and silver robes. The Tiger had her golden hair tied back in a plait, which fell over one shoulder.
"I smell… something…" The Fox growled, sniffing the air. His eyes suddenly widened. "Blood… stomach acid… Human… some sea animal… fear… anger… Giants…" He turned to the Tiger who folded her wings over her shoulders.
"A Human, with the Giants? I suppose they think he's tasty," The fox turned to eye his comrade. The Tigeress made a sickened expression. "Gross."
**
| The grass was bright green, with random white and yellow flowers dotting the landscape. Gomamon wandered along through the grass, wondering where he was. Just then he saw Jyou sitting beside a large glass-smooth lake, coloured powder blue in the sunlight. His knees were pulled up to his chest and Gomamon could see his breath as he sobbed silently.
"Jyou!" The little sea-creature Digimon hurried to his friend. Jyou slowly stood, still not facing the little rookie behind him. "Jyou! It's me, Gomamon!" Then he jumped. Even when Gomamon frantically called to him, Jyou jumped into the water, upsetting the perfect smoothness of the lake. Gomamon jumped after his friend, instantly frightened for him. As Gomamon was about to hit the water the light powder-blue colour of the lake became the white-blue of solid ice. Gomamon hit the ice and watched through it as Jyou sank into the dark depths.
"No!" |
Gomamon woke up and looked around frantically. The dream had only been partially real, but it had been real enough to scare the life out of the poor Digimon. He found himself in a room of peach walls, dark purple ceiling, two chairs and a tan floor. He was on a bed, completely white in its coverings. Sitting up revealed that he had been curled up against Jyou's side, who was under the covers, still unconscious. Gomamon quickly slowed his heartbeat and moved up to Jyou's shoulder rubbing against him lovingly. Thankful that his friend was all right, Gomamon curled up and tried to get some sleep.
~
Jyou opened his eyes and groaned slightly. Pain came from all over; even his hair seemed to hurt. He was in a large bed; the sheets and pillows were white. The walls were peach, and a large black blur seemed to be the ceiling. His first thought was that he wasn't dead, or else he wouldn't hurt so much.
"Gomamon?" Jyou managed to croak out, his voice barely able to rise above a whisper. He tried to sit up, but only ended up finding out just how much his muscles hurt. He turned his head away from the wall and squinted out into the grey-brown blur that was the room. Beside the bed was a chair. But that was as far as he could see.
Suddenly something crawled up from his side and onto his chest, looking down at him with concerned azure eyes.
"Jyou?" Jyou smiled happily at the sight of his Digimon.
"Gomamon!" His voice was still barely audible, and could have been mistaken for the sound of the wind and rain outside, but Gomamon was close enough to hear it. He smiled and hugged Jyou from his perch on his friend's chest. Lying out, Gomamon smiled down at his partner.
"I'm glad you're all right!" Jyou merely smiled and closed his eyes, once again tired from his exhaustions.
After a few hours rest Jyou managed to sit up against the pillows, smiling down at the happy grin on his partners face. Gomamon crawled into his arms and wrapped his front paws around Jyou's waist. Jyou smiled again and hugged his Digimon gently.
Just then Jyou almost leapt out of his skin as the sound of a door opening startled him. A creature walked into the room, which Jyou almost mistook for an angel.
It was a humanoid Tiger, dressed in robes of blue, black, silver and white, with golden hair and bare feet… Paws. She smiled with perfect sharp fangs, too small to be of a threat, and cheery bright blue eyes, which reflected a summer sky.
"Ah, you are awake," Her voice was soft and melodic, almost enchanting. But Jyou was still too frightened by the fact that he had no idea what was going on, or who she was, to notice this. "There. There," She spoke to Gomamon who, seeing his partners fear, had leapt to the edge of the bed as if to attack the newcomer. "My name is Adelie, and whether either of you know this or not: My friend and I saved you from becoming a Giant's broth. They only ever think with their stomaches, the strange beasts."
"What about the mansion?" Jyou suddenly asked. Surly a 'beast' couldn't build such a monument.
"It was built centuries ago for an ogre's daughter. The Giants came and they took over. Although not before eating her and her family." Jyou grimaced at the short quick version of the tale. "I wont hurt either of you," Adelie finally spoke, while tapping Gomamon's nose gently. The Digimon jumped back slightly and rubbed his nose in annoyance.
"And… your friend?"
"Coron. He's off searching for portals again."
"Portals?"
"Yup, see you two are on a world which is named; Kataluna. You aren't from here, I presume?" He pointed to Jyou's school uniform, which was rather torn and muddy now.
Jyou shook his head, hugging Gomamon to his chest again.
"I'm from Earth, Gomamon is from the Digital world." It was then Jyou noticed something strange about himself. "It… doesn't hurt anymore…" It was true, the pain from before was gone. And the glasses, which had been smashed, now lay perfectly intact beside him on the wooden chair. Jyou reached over and picked them up, looking at them in confusion.
"In this world magic is a very common source. I, myself, am a Witch." He stared at her at this.
"You… thank you." She smiled and nodded. "How did… Gomamon get here?" Gomamon looked up and smiled at his friend.
"I don't know. One second I'm sun bathing, the next I'm sitting on top of an ice lake!" Jyou slipped on his glasses and smiled at his Digimon partner.
"Did you wish for him to come?" Jyou looked up at the Tigeress and nodded. "The magic hears wishes sometimes, and answers them, if they are strong enough.
"I… wished I were somewhere else… on the bridge. It came true."
"Well… that would be a 'portal wish'."
"Pardon?" Adelie thought for a bit before clasping her hands in her lap.
"You see: in this world, every decade or so the 'mischievous magic' creates many portals and listens to the wishes of the world the portal is open to. It likes to draw them into this world some way of another and try to trap them here. Don't worry, Coron will find the portal you came through and use it to send you back." She smiled warmly. Jyou nodded and smiled back.
~
Later a large Fox-man creature came into the main room of the thatched hut Adelie lived in. Jyou and Gomamon were eating a broth Adelie had served them, at the table. Both jumped as Coron shook off some snow, which covered his shoulders.
"Goodness, where did you go to?" Adelie asked, shocked.
"Stupid portal." was the reply. He nodded to Jyou and pointed out the door. "Yours."
"Uh…" Jyou stared up at the large creature, who smirked and moved up to him, almost menacingly.
"Coron!" Adelie said in a warning tone as Jyou started to lean away from the Were-fox.
Coron stopped his ascent and shrugged, moving back to the door and beckoning for Jyou to follow. Jyou turned to Adelie who sighed and came round the kitchen counter and gently waved the teenager out of his seat towards the large Fox-man standing at the door.
"Let us got." Jyou lifted Gomamon into his arms and hugged him to his chest again, following Coron, with Adelie behind him.
They move out into the bright sunlit world of Kataluna, following a path of White stone, and passed a short Lavender covered fence. The hut, when looked at from the outside, was a quaint little cottage nestled in a large garden of Petunias, Foxgloves, Lavenders, Roses, Sunflowers, Daisies, Vines and Tulips.
They followed a needle-strewn path through the cheerfully light forest before coming to a large glowing, swirling cloud, hovering a few inches from ground level. The portal back to Earth.
"Time to say our goodbyes." Adelie smiled. Coron smirked and nodded, his eyes no longer watching Jyou with a predatory gaze. The young man smiled to his new friends, before peering into the portal.
Inside of the swirling rip images played, swapping randomly to show different places in his realm, on Earth. Once the image changed to show Koushiro at his computer, searching the Digiworld for his blue haired friend. It changed again to show the bridge where he had been standing earlier, where his older brother was looking all around in the darkness for his younger brother.
Jyou turned to the Tigeress and Were-fox.
"Thank you." He told them, before stepping into the portal, which closed behind him.
*
Jyou looked around himself, seeing he was under the bridge where the whole adventure had started.
He wandered out and looked around, everything was the same as he had left it, with the exception of it being darker than before.
"Jyou?" It was Shuu. Jyou hugged Gomamon again and hurried up the slope of the riverbank and up to the bridge, calling:
"I'm over here!" Just then, Sora and Miyako, along with Hawkmon and Piyomon, hurried up to him from the shadows beside the bridge. Shuu turned from halfway across said-bridge and ran to his brother.
"Jyou! Your alright!" Sora cried happily.
"Everyone was so worried!" Miyako told the older boy, who couldn't respond seeing as his older brother had swept him into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry!" Shuu said, eventually loosening his grip on the young man. "I'm so sorry, Jyou!"
"Shuu, its not your fault."
"I know. But I'm just glad you're all right. Where did you go anyway? You were gone for over four hours!" Jyou paled slightly at this.
"Jyou, you're a mess. What happened?" Miyako pointed out. Despite the shock and discomfort Jyou managed to smile at the two girls and his brother.
"It's a long story."
"So tell us then," Sora said as the group headed off, back to the Kido apartment. Jyou nodded, agreeing to tell his tale.
~ ~ ~ ~ Owarii ~ ~ ~ ~
A/N: I have no idea what possessed me to write that, but I just left like writing a 'movement fic', which is one of the main ideas that I have for these things. *Sigh* I like the Jyou x Gomamon friendship piece. Jyou and Gomamon are two of my favourite 01 characters, the other being Mimi (Haven't a clue why ^_^), Koushiro and Tentomon, and Piyomon. ^_^
Ja ne!