A/N: And here's the sequel to Three Brothers! New cast of main characters, but I imagine there'll still be the odd chapter headed by one of the guys in the previous book. They still all have roles to play. We're starting off with Taichi, and after that Yamato, and then…well…we'll see where things go from there.
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Wish Journeys 2.1
Two Best Friends
Chapter 1/Taichi
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He hated hospitals. And he was barely there for the right reasons. Sure, he'd had a broken bone and a case of tonsillitis but most of the time, he was at the hospital as a spectator. He couldn't even call himself a visitor because there was always some rule or other stopping him. The two person rule or the only parents allowed rule or the strictly no visitors rule or the PPE…and he could never remember what PPE stood for, and why it meant he couldn't visit his little sister.
But there was always a reminder on the door. That disgustingly bright sheet hanging there, and the rack with gowns and gloves and masks on the side wall. And they'd all have to dress up in them, even the doctors and nurses and whoever it was that brought the food. And visitors were a rarity for her, except for them. No-one else cared enough to keep up with the constant stream of changing rules. Sometimes his friends came with him, when they asked and he told them it was okay to visit if they didn't mind looking like Frankenstein.
But even then it wasn't a done deal. Sometimes he walked there after soccer practise to find a no visiting sign on the door. And then he'd go to the roof, because he'd come all that way and he might as well get something out of it, since he couldn't get his sister.
He could pretend he was floating off into the sky, and all the worry and guilt could drift away from him.
That was the story that day – sort of. It started that way anyhow. He'd had soccer practice, and then he'd come to the hospital thinking he'd have to dress from head to toe in plastic…except they weren't letting visitors in. So he went to the roof.
The odd bit was that there was a giant doorway on the roof. And it looked like it had come out of some fairytale.
He thought his little sister would love to see that door. And, better, it was on the hospital roof. Of course, if they weren't letting visitors in, they wouldn't let her out. But maybe in a few days. All dressed up like Frankenstein.
It was almost funny, thinking of little Hikari dressed in those gowns. No way the one size fits all gown would actually fit her. She was too small, too frail. It would drag. It was nicer to think of it dragging like a long cloak, like the ones royalty wore. And the shower cap like a crown, and the mask a veil and the plastic gloves being made of silk or velvet or something rich. Transforming the sick Hikari into a princess.
Taichi touched the frame of the door. It really did look like a castle door.
And it opened to his touch.
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He was sucked in before he even realised it. When he caught his senses again, he was being bounced along on pink and blue and yellow and green…somethings. Hikari would call them s'mores – but only because she hadn't been to camp and gotten the authentic version. She was in the hospital every time. Though back then it'd been on and off. Worse during the summers and winters, during the extreme temperatures. But now it'd been some months. More trips to the hospital. Less time spent at home.
Of course, he kept up sports and school and friends because he didn't want anyone wasting time worrying about him. He was fine, and he'd continue being fine. He hadn't so much as rolled an ankle in the last two years. And, considering soccer, that was a pretty good track record. Catching colds were harder to avoid – and considering Hikari's track record with colds, they were picked up early and given more treatment than they deserved. But it meant he was rarely sick, rarely causing concern. Except for a few hiccups during lunch period – because his parents would worry if he didn't bring a detention home every two months, even if they did scold him terribly for it.
The s'mores bounced him along and dragged his mind back to the present. And when they tossed him unceremoniously to the ground, he forgot about Hikari completely. It was like the soccer field. Someone had tried to slide-tackle him and he'd gone head over heels. Except no-one had tried to side-tackle him. He'd been dumped like a sack of flour to go splat in the grass instead.
'More Chosen already,' said a voice and Taichi looked up. The man standing tall looked young – in his twenties or thirties. Thirties, by the face alone. There was age in it that didn't seem to be mirrored in the rest of his body. 'What is your wish worth to you?'
'Wish?' Taichi repeated. 'Who are you anyway? And where is this place?' The s'mores were too crazy for a castle. Maybe he'd hit his head on the doorframe and entered a weird dream?
The man stared silently. Taichi began to twitch under the gaze. It was like waiting for the results of tryouts, or for the doctor in one of their trips to the ED. And then he spoke. 'Find what it is you seek, and then return here.'
And Taichi found his balance lost again, and he was flailing, trying to get a grip on a world that was suddenly changing. Or he was falling.
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He woke up coughing up dust like he'd fallen on the field and the game was still in progress. There were whispers around, dancing left and right and up and down, and he squinted into the darkness trying to see. Then torches flared. Torches illuminating four statues. Four animal statues. Illuminating the bits of concrete falling from the ceiling, towards him. He dodged them easily. Almost brainlessly. He did more difficult things at boot camp. At least, he could say that while the concrete didn't touch him.
There were other statues around. And the whispers grew louder as he moved. More distinct. There was a child singing amongst them. Some sort of song, like the ones Hikari enjoyed so much – and Sora too. And Takeru. And Yamato was always playing that harmonica of his so maybe that meant he liked songs like that too. It was only him who had no ear for those sorts of things.
But the rest of what he could hear were just words, so there must be something in the song, he thought.
It was about a forest. And leaves. And croaking.
Croaking!
There were animal statues. Maybe there was a frog.
Then he noticed the doors. And he started pushing them open one by one, until he found the frog.
And then he leapt into its mouth, falling back amongst leaves with a thud.
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That man was waiting for him. He spat leaves and dirt out of his mouth and stood, dusting off his shirt. It wasn't his soccer shirt, but it wasn't half bad at not catching stains. He managed to make himself mostly presentable quickly enough – except for the hair. He didn't bother with that quite then.
'What was that about?' he asked. He wasn't sure if he should be irritated yet. Depending on the method behind the madness, it might be amusing. They both got a kick out of the western tale with the cat and the girl and the rabbit… Arisu in somethingland?
'A test,' the man replied, interrupting his little spiel. 'To see how strong and pure your wish is.'
My wish again… Taichi still didn't quite understand, but somehow that part didn't seem so important. 'Did I pass?' he asked instead. 'And what happens? What is this place anyway?'
'It is a place that wishes are granted.' The final question was the first to be answered, then. 'If you're strong and brave enough to realise them. As for your results…' He gestured behind the boy.
Taichi turned around. The s'mores were piled up. Four piles. One was remarkably small. One was somewhere between and the other two reasonably tall – but still not taller than him. He didn't see a scale measuring anything, so he couldn't be sure how well they ranked against each other.
'Warrior,' said the man and pulled a sword out of his cloak. Its blade gleamed. Gold? It looked duller than that. 'Bronze,' the man explained.
Taichi took the sword a little gingerly. He'd never handled a sword before, but its hilt fit easily into his hand. He gave it a few swings and the scabbard flew off. The man watched as he retrieved it, a tad embarrassed. That was like losing a shoe while kicking the ball – like Hikari had when he'd tried to teach her soccer. What a disaster that had been, in more ways than one. No way was he teaching her how to handle a sword when he showed her this door.
'What do I do with this?' he asked.
'That is up to you,' the man replied. 'The hilt has five indentations. Five spheres go in to them, currently scattered through the world. How you find them is up to you. But know there is five for every item like this.' When Taichi did not comment, he continued. 'You may find other children like yourself, searching for the spheres. You may help or hinder them, and they you, but there is enough spheres in the world for you all to realise your wish if that is meant to be.'
'You keep on saying wish,' Taichi said, finally. 'What do you mean by –'
But he asked the question too late. There is a gust of wind, and then the forest disappeared, leaving him to scramble for some form of balance again.
