I Hope You Dance

It was weird. All I remember is falling asleep back home and then…..here I am. A strange, white void with…nothing. Nothing except a…picture frame? I slowly walked towards it, after figuring out how to walk, of course. I had a strange feeling, one that said, "You're just dreaming! This isn't real." But another part of me said, "This is real." I ended up listening to both parts of me. So anyway, back to the endless white void. I kept walking through it, so sure I was getting closer. But with what the picture frame looked like, it seemed I was getting farther away from it. Which was weird, I mean, I'm sure I'm walking forward. Maybe here forwards is backwards and backwards is forwards? It's a possibility. So I tried walking backwards, and true enough, the frame slowly come forward. When I was finally able to bend down and pick it up, it moved away. Wow, can't believe I forgot. So I reached up and it found some way to my hand. I tried pulling my hand down towards my face, and, for once in this crazy place, it went where I wanted it to go. But as soon as I was able to get a glance at the picture, the glass in the frame shattered. The picture was suddenly ripped to pieces and the endless white void turned into an endless black void. And it felt like the ground just ended up disappearing on me too because I ended up falling. I did the only sensible thing.

I screamed.


"Kyaaahhhh!" I was suddenly up and staring at my bedroom wall, the one filled with pictures of all my friends and me. I was breathing heavily; it felt like there were a billion beads of sweat rolling down my face. I groaned and let my face fall into my hands. "Not again." I whispered. I finally got over these stupid nightmares after a while and then poof! They came back. I swear, someone out there was just trying to get to me. It just wasn't right; Takato was the one who usually had the nightmares. So why was it me now?

"Daddy?" I looked back at the little girl who had been laying down beside me. She was initially asleep, but I guess my scream woke her up. I smiled down at her with what I hoped was a reassuring smile, stroking her dark hair.

"I'm okay baby girl. Just go back to sleep." She yawned but I noticed her bob her head. I watched her dark green eyes drift closed. Good, I need to be alone for where I'm going.

"And where do you think you're going at this time of night?" Inside I groaned. Can't a man get some privacy and not have to tell his wife where he was going all the time!?!

"Just…out. I need some fresh air." I muttered, slipping on a pair of jeans, an orange t-shirt, and a gray flannel-jacket. Something like what I used to wear back in the old days…Man, I am way too young to be saying that! I heard a sigh behind me.

"Fine. Just be sure to be back before Ai wakes up." I turned to my wife – yes I got married! Sheesh, why are all of you looking at me like that?

"Alright Ki." I softly kissed her cheek before going down to my – err, our baby girl. "Night Eve."

"Nhhnnnn." She grumbled before hugging her little stuffed animal – one of a Coronamon.

"Be careful." I looked up into my wife's deep blue eyes and nodded.

"Of course, my dear."


I sighed as I exited my warm house and entered the freezing cold night. Okay, so it wasn't freezing cold, but it was cold! I knew what I had to do to get rid of this whole nightmare thing. Just a problem.

"The cemetery isn't open at night." I sighed. This was going to be a problem. I don't think I can wait until tomorrow's sunrise, even if that is only a few hours away. So I had to do it.

I barely struggled to lift my twenty five year old form over the fence that separated the cemetery from the rest of the world. Silently walking, trying not to get caught, I realized how foolish this was. There was no one really ever here at night, especially not at two in the morning. I was acting like a fifteen year old in an action movie. I knew that I just might be heading that way too. Visiting her grave at this time was like going back through time. Every single time we came here, we felt like fifteen year olds again. We fooled around, we acted like complete idiots, we imagined the Digimon were still around. But they aren't. Those times are gone; just like them; just like her. I sighed. I was making this way more sad than it needs to be, huh? Heh, I sound like her right now, don't I? I reached her headstone; it almost looked like it was glowing. Of course it would, one of us always comes here to clean and pretty it up. It's also the anniversary of her death, or it will be. Officially, it is, but everyone comes around at around two o'clock PM. That's the official official time. I looked down and suddenly noticed I wasn't alone.

"Henry?" I questioned, wondering if my friend was here at the moment. He was never known to be one of those boys who snuck out of their house back when we were twelve.

"Kenta?" So I wasn't imagining it. I forced a smile onto my face, just like he did.

"Hey."

"Hey." There was somewhat of an awkward silence, before he spoke up again. "So how are Kiachi and Evenai?"

"Good. Fayaki?"

"She's holding up. Rika and Takato are over most times, Rika helping out and Takato being her slave; getting her the things she asks for." We both let out a chuckle. It wasn't much of a surprise when Rika and Takato announced their engagement four years ago. It was as much of a surprise when Henry and Fayaki announced it the next year, along with Alice and Ryo the next. Jeri and Kazu got married five years ago, in case you were wondering. Me? I got married last year. "So why are you here?"

"Probably the same reason as you."

"Really? Mine was just plain instinct."

"Oh." I blinked, actually kind of surprised. "Mine was nightmares."

"Oh. Thinking she can somehow help you out?"

"No. I know she can. She always has, hasn't she?"

"Yeah. She helped me out with mine too."

"Yeah." We were silent, staring at the engraved stone. Sighing, I plopped down on the ground; the moonlight illuminated this place perfectly. That breeze actually felt refreshing instead of freezing, and the other headstones almost seemed to create a light show. "Pretty." I whispered, the words barely audible.

"Yup." I heard Henry mention, just as quietly, sitting down next to me. We were on the two sides of the stone; Henry on the right and me on the left. I suddenly felt...warmer? It was weird, I wasn't sick. It was like there was a third presence there with us…

"Find me." I heard a soft, strangely familiar voice call. I frantically looked around, barely noticing Henry doing the same.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear someone say, 'Find me.'? Yeah." We searched, but there was no one around. It was like the voice laughed. That laugh was so familiar, I've heard it before.

"The funeral…" My ears picked up Henry's mutter as I looked over.

"Huh?" He looked towards me, both of us now standing.

"When was the last time you heard a laugh like that?"

I thought. It was a pretty difficult question; I had to look through all the memories I could remember by going backwards. It clicked in my mind, the last time I heard something like that was when I said…

"I hope she's happy, making me wear pink…" I repeated the words slowly, as if if I said them any louder, I would wake up from this moment, and it wouldn't be real.

"Exactly." Henry whispered, staring out at the moon. "It was her favorite…" I looked up to see what he was talking about and smiled.

"A crescent moon…" I muttered, before all of a sudden light rain came down. I looked up in bewilderment; I don't see clouds… "Rain?"

"Rain. Without clouds."

"Her favorite weather." I muttered again. Man I'm doing that a lot today. I turned to Henry, obviously confused. "What do you think this means?"

"I think it means we should – " He was cut off as the voice sounded again.

"Stay here with me. It's been a while since I've seen you." The voice had stopped sounding soft, like it was away, and had started to sound like the person speaking was right there next to us. We both turned, as if on cue. Our eyes widened as we stared at a girl long gone…

"Patti…" We whispered in unison. She glared at us, at least her spirit did. I had no doubt that this was her.

"Yes! Now why are you two so quiet? It's kind of freaking me out." Well she's one to talk!

"Hey! We're talking to somewhat of a ghost here! And you say we're freaking you out?" Henry argued, voice back to normal level. I noticed her smile; obviously that was her plan.

"Yup. But not anymore." She suddenly ran forward to hug Henry. "Hen!"

My blue haired friend smiled and picked her up, spinning her around. Like a true sibling duo at heart. A soft smiled found its way to my lips as I sat back down, waiting for my turn. I must have zoned out because I became aware of my surroundings at a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I noticed Henry wasn't there anymore. Just Patti. I smiled.

"Hey." I mentioned with a wave. She just smiled at me and opened her arms. I laughed and ran towards her, picking her up and spinning her around like Henry did, except I was doing it out of non sibling love. As I set her down, she looked up at me. Even if she was a spirit down from her rightful place in heaven right now, she looked as real as she did ten years ago. "Patti…"

"Yeah, Kenny?" I laughed again; this was definitely her.

"Nothing. I just wanted to hear you say that." I winced playfully as she smacked my arm. Once again, even in spirit form her smacks still felt real. So very real and painful. "Ow!"

"Awww, sorry Kenny." She kissed my cheek and laughed. I blushed out of habit. "So I heard you got married?"

"Yeah. To Kiachi Shrikara. Remember her?"

"The blue eyed, brown haired girl with the red streaks in her hair?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm….good."

I sighed. "It's not like you could come back to life or anything. I had to move on, you know?"

I noticed her sad smile, but I lost it upon her nod. "I know. I didn't expect me to come back to life either-"

"Wait." She did say 'expect', right? I'm not hearing things? "Did you just say expect? Does that mean you have come back?"

She smiled again, but this time it was a real smile. The smile my once-crush was known for. "Not exactly. I have come back, just not in this form."

"Huh?" I was confused beyond all confusion. She sighed, but not an annoyed kind of sigh, but a "Gosh I missed this." kind of sigh.

"Henry got it easier than you. Then again, he was our Brainiac." We both laughed, after all it was true. Henry was the smartest one of all of us.

"So what do you mean, not in this form?"

"What I mean is that I haven't come back in this form. The one you're talking to now." Patti gestured to herself, smiling brightly. "In a matter of speaking, I've been reborn."

"Into who?"

"Or what. I'm not too sure, but I think I've been split into two."

"Huh?" I couldn't help but question. She hit my arm. That's another habit she didn't get over in death…

"Would you just let me explain?" I nodded. "Good. Now, I do think I've been split in two. One half of my spirit was changed into an inanimate object while the other half was reborn as a human being. And I've got a good idea of who."

"Who?" Oops, I interrupted. I closed my eyes and covered my arm, trying to protect myself from the hit. But it never came. I opened my eyes and all of a sudden she was gone. "Patti?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have much time left. I guess visiting the others took up a lot of time." I heard her voice from somewhere, it's just…where?

"Then who did you think was born as yourself?"

Somehow I sensed her smile, but before she could answer me, she muttered something. "Just promise me you'll do your best to try and find me."

"I promise, Patti." I muttered, trying to find where the voice came from. Then I realized where. Inside. I remember her saying…

"And I'll always stay with you, in your guys' hearts, as corny as it sounds."

I smiled, and I heard her voice for, quite possibly, the last time. Outside of my dreams, anyway.

"Evenai Akanemi Kitagawa."

As soon as she said those words, I was back home. Well, not really. In front of it, to be exact. Somehow I knew she took me here. She was always weird like that. And as I entered the doorway, the sun slowly rising among the mountains as my background, I remembered what the picture was of.

A group picture. Taken at the beginning of a week. The day we met Patti ten years ago.


True to my word, I kept searching. I kept searching for the other half of my once-crush's spirit. It took me a while, and something inside me told me it would be a necklace. I was guessing that was the part Patti had always taken up. But, after twelve years, I've found it. Most of us are thirty seven now, slowly inching towards forty. But anyway, I've found the necklace. It was actually somewhat intricate. It was a black, circular locket that was around the size of an infant's fist. It was obviously made for a very rich person. Why? Because there was a silver painted crescent moon, outlined in diamonds, on the front. Next to that was a gold star outlined with topazes; the entire front itself was outlined with amethysts. The back had a navy blue painted heart, outlined with sapphires, and a crimson diamond shape, outlined with rubies. The back was outlined with emeralds. On the two sides of this locket, which was hanging on a chain that alternated between a silver and gold color, were two charms. One was an opal and onyx yin yang symbol, which was on the left. On the right was a rainbow-petal chrysanthemum pendant, looking so real that it looked like it really was a real flower. It was real pretty, and I could tell my baby girl was so smitten with it. Oh yeah, Eve is twelve now. Her dark green eyes shined with admiration. That's how I knew it was the necklace. My daughter wasn't exactly big on too showy of an accessory. She was simple, but adding all those simple accessories plus her layering style, it was her. So I bought it for her straight away. Kiachi was skeptical about it, but when she saw how it made our girl's eyes sparkle, she let it go. I smiled because, even though her eyes were dark green, I saw a mini Patti within her. Eve was so happy, she put the necklace on right away. She fingered the chrysanthemum gently, as if too hard of a touch would cause it to shatter. She looked up with the 'Daddy you're the best I love you!' look.

"Thanks Dad." Of course she spoke it in a non-girly fashion. I smiled softly at her and nodded.

"You're welcome Eve." As we exited the store, which was in the same district as the one we were at the day she left, I looked towards the sky. It was raining slightly; you couldn't see it, only feel it. This rain created a beautiful rainbow, seeing as there were no clouds blocking the sun's rays.

"Oh cool!" My baby girl ran towards the fountains that still spring up from the ground, waving to some of her friends. I smiled and called out to her. When she turned around, I tossed her another gift the Patti place in my heart had convinced me to buy a week ago. Her own cell phone, an HTC Nexus One. I remember her mentioning how much she liked it after trying it out in the store. She caught it and just looked at it in awe, then looked up at me as if she didn't believe it. 'Really?' she mouthed, smiling brightly when I nodded. She jumped up with her fist in the air and shouted, "Yes!" When her feet touched the ground again, she was surrounded by her friends as they looked at her new phone. After everyone had exchanged numbers, my girl placed her phone in one of the five new Ed Hardy bags we bought. If I remember right, that one was the Black Ed Hardy Tess Postman Messenger Bag. Heh, no, I didn't remember that on my own. Ki has the receipt out now and is looking it over.

"Sheesh, for a tomboy my daughter sure is a shopper." I laughed out loud at this statement, earning myself a glare and smack on the arm from my wife. I guess my daughter wasn't the only one who was influenced by Patti…


Me : At the beginning, did you guys think it was still in Henry's point of view ? Heh, that wasn't exactly what I was going for, but I think it turned out quite nicely, don't you ? Anyway, read and review please ! They would help me greatly ~