GONE WITH THE WIND
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended; I do not own Digimon nor do I own the song "Have you ever seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The only thing I do own is the storyline.
3. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN
Izzy Izumi was frustrated, a state of mind that was evident in every movement he made. Walking across the hallway, one could hear angry marching feet resounding in the corridor, grumpily stomping on their way to the computer lab. And indeed, a moment later, the door of the aforementioned classroom was opened with more force than needed and another moment later closed with the same vehemence.
It was a rare sight to behold for the pupils of Odaiba High, seeing as they had never before seen the Computer Club president in a grumpy mood. At least, not this noticeable. He could sometimes complain about stuff, which most of the times involved a falling out with a certain Tai, but never before had his eyes taken on the now visibly flummoxed glint at the same time.
It was indeed very uncharacteristic of him, but no one could actually blame him if they knew what was the turmoil of his mind that day.
Then again, understanding would prove to be fairly difficult, even if told, because how do you explain to someone that you hold the digital key to unlock an urgent message that could jeopardise possibly two worlds? And that you just weren't smart enough to comprehend how to turn it?
People wouldn't be able to handle that information, not even when it came from a promising young boy genius. The most likely thing to happen upon mentioning that would be the casting of nervous glances towards him because of this apparent display of craziness, and afterwards some forced laughter to try and get him back to the real world.
Except, that was the case in point, it wasn't the real world that was at stake here.
Upon opening the entrance to the place of technology, Izzy took notice of several heads popping up from behind a computer screen, and inwardly, he groaned at the prospect of dealing with everyday life when inside, he felt like far from undergoing the daily routine.
"Hey Sensei! What's up?" a 15-year-old bespectacled girl happily greeted him.
"Huh-what? Oh, hey Yolei. Nothing really, just a lot on my mind today."
"Oh?" Yolei's voice received specks of curiosity, and she focused her eyes critically on her mentor.
Next to her, a good-looking boy around the same age was looking at their joint teacher with a more watchful eye, his emotions unfathomable. Half long blue hair fell in perfect movement over his ears, almost as far as to touch his uniform, that consisted of a white shirt and a green coat, and a tie that neatly fell into place. And although every student at Odaiba High was obliged to wear this, most of them against their will, it looked good on him. He was quite handsome for his age, a fact the official looking school uniform only encouraged, and this had not gone unnoticed by his overly curious neighbour. However, instead of gawking at what she would call "the local god", she sharply turned her head in his direction in disbelief when he spoke.
"I am sure Sensei Izzy would tell us if 'something was up' if it were relevant or necessary to share with his students, Yolei."
At this, not only Yolei was staring at him with a face that spoke of betrayal, also the subject of conversation himself, Izzy, contorted his frowning face into a surprised one upon hearing this.
'So much for trying to cover up my frustrations.'
"But Ken, can't you see Izzy's obviously got his knickers in a twist? We as his friends should help him get out of whatever problem he's in. Right Izzy?" She would not let him get away with this that easily, and turned her head back as sharply as before that he faintly wondered if the movement didn't provide her with a whiplash.
Izzy opened his mouth to immediately get her mind off of that impossible idea – after all, she couldn't possibly know about the Digital World – but then closed it again as sudden as he had opened it. In its place, another frown etched itself in the redhead's features as he pondered her question more carefully, an idea brewing.
'I would have instantly discarded her remark, but maybe they can help. I just need to leave out the reason why and mention nothing about the Digital World, otherwise... Well, let's say they will either drown me in questions or they'll think I'm as mad as a hatter... Yes, better leave that out.'
"Maybe you're right Yolei", Izzy spoke up, stunning once more both Ken and Yolei, as the latter had never really expected to be answered positively.
"I am? Of course I am! Well Ken, I guess this proves that I am the one with better judgement of human nature." She turned once more, but much slower, with her hands on her hips and a triumphant smirk that graced her face.
Ken in turn let his face once more sink into an emotionless state as he questioned his ability to assess people silently, not quite understanding how a fellow genius such as the red-haired president of their Computer Club would be understood better by a gossipy, albeit computer-loving, girl than by himself.
"Well, I am having trouble in opening an important, but damaged email I received this morning. And I think I've tried absolutely every possibility there is, but I still can't figure out how to open it. If you know any methods that haven't been tried, please, feel free to share."
This shook both the girl out of her victorious reverie and the boy out of his self-wallowing state of denial, as they quickly went into techno mode and offered him their suggestions.
"Well, have you tried...?"
"Yes, I've done..." He enumerated every single way he had tried to make his computer work, and as expected, he saw their faces go from eager to helpless with every new word he spoke.
"Nothing works" he concluded. The frustration was making itself known again in the despair that resounded in every new sentence he spoke and his apprentices could see that this message was of great importance.
"If we knew where it came from, it would be easier to guess, you know."
"I'm sorry, but this file and its source must remain top secret."
Ken and Yolei glanced at each other at this, but silently agreed on trusting their mentor, as he had never before lied to them about anything and was a sincere person.
And so, they continued their brainstorming, acting as if that crucial question hadn't even been asked.
Concrete tiles passed by at a steady pace as blue sneakers brought their brown-haired owner to his destination on autopilot. A little ways up, the head of that owner was making torturous loops of memories again. And although it seemed as if his mind had been down that road nonstop as of late, it was as if it couldn't not think about Sora.
Taichi's mind had a strong will of its own and Tai himself had a weak spot for those heart-cringing images; so, he did nothing to protest against them and let them cloud his vision, his feet having kicked in in order to bring him safe and sound to where he needed to be.
He noticed the tiles had come to a halt at a familiar-looking flower shop, and, remembering more happy times that the construction elicited, entered.
A pleasant ring rang throughout the good-smelling shop when he opened the door and met with a friendly-looking woman behind the counter, signalling her that she had a new visitor.
"Hello Taichi, to what do I owe this pleasure of seeing you so early in the morning?"
She silently took note of his green school uniform and the more than obvious symptoms of a sleepless night.
"I need some flowers, for uh, you know." He shifted his feet uncomfortably.
The lady's worn out, but customer-friendly smile disappeared, and without another indication from her client, went to the back of her small store to fetch a special set of arranged flowers she had put together that morning with much care.
When she arrived back at the counter, the woman took a long moment to look intently at the 18-year-old youth, as if she was conversing with him telepathically. Eventually offering him the bouquet without taking her eyes off of him.
"Thank you, Ms Takenouchi." He looked back at her with a face that spoke of gratitude and understanding that went far beyond the normal amount one expressed when being handed over a couple of flowers.
"No Taichi, thank you."
The flower-carrying boy slowly turned towards the exit but took one last glance at the middle-aged woman who probably understood him best at the moment. Not completely of course, because no one would be able to feel the exact same thing Tai was going through, but she sure came close. And so, he allowed himself to show her the sentiments he didn't want anyone to witness. For a second or two, his chocolate pools told her his whole spectrum of current emotions, a tumultuous sight at which she calmly replied by showing him her own.
A small sad smile escaped both their lips, and then he bravely turned his back at her and left the shop.
Izzy was in a pickle. He had finally unlocked the message and it had been burnt in his mind from the first time he had read it silently, but what was keeping him now from contacting those who were needed was the annoying ringing of the school bell. A sound that was normally a very welcoming one since it indicated the beginning of another period in which he would learn new things (and he loved learning new things), but when he had more important matters to pay attention to, annoyance was more likely to be displayed.
He arrived at homeroom only ten seconds after the teacher had entered, and was thankfully in time for the daily list of presences and absences. It wouldn't make a good impression if his perfect record was to be blemished by something as trivial as being too late. Even if it was with good reason.
"Izzy Izumi?"
"Here!" He said panting because of his sprint from the other side of the school.
"Taichi Kamiya?"
Silence.
"So the emo with the large hair decided to skip school again, eh?"
"I suppose. It doesn't surprise me, it's probably the fourth time in a month that he hasn't shown up."
"Taichi Kamiya?"
"Uhm, Ms? He told me this morning on the phone that he wouldn't be coming to school today, because he uhm... has the flu."
The teacher was not in the least surprised by the smart child's explanation, and nodded her head disapprovingly at the absent boy's behaviour. It seemed as if the more he went to school, the more he stayed at home to recover from all that learning he never seemed to participate in. But that was not of her concern at the moment, so she continued with ticking off names, only sighing at the transparent lie without another word about it.
'So Tai hasn't made it to school today, huh? I can't blame him of course... but it sure won't make things any less difficult.' Izzy predicted gloomily.
"So then I told Kari: you clean my room and I'll clean yours. And she actually agreed to it! Of course, she didn't have that much of a choice, or else I was going to tell Davis about her little date with TK. I still can't believe she bought that, though. And besides, everybody knew those two would end up together eventually. But yeah, this is Davis we're talking about... Anyway, when I get home I'll have a floor again. And I'll only have to spend five minutes cleaning hers, because you know how organised she is, right?"
He bellowed an amused laugh at his own luck in getting away so easily, and glanced to his right to see the cold ivory stone he was leaning on stare back lifelessly. His smile faded to a sadder one again.
The lovely colourful bouquet had been placed neatly in the vase at the end of the tomb stone, wherein, if one were to look at the vase's bottom, his own name was engraved. The red-white contrast suddenly looked harrowing to him.
"I hope you like your flowers, Sor'. Your Mum put a lot of effort in them, and look, they're your favourites."
He stood up and stared at her name; futilely, since he had memorised the exact curves of the letters a long time ago. And at her date of death two years ago, also pointless to look at; how could he ever forget? And at her encased picture, where she was smiling and where she was proudly wearing the hairclip he had once given to her as a birthday present. This sight, added to his already sad smile, brought about tears, which he freely allowed to roll down his cheeks, since he was the only one present at the entire Odaiban graveyard and no one would notice his walls crumble.
'Yes Taichi, I like them very much. Please, don't cry. And I'm glad you came to visit me today, I would've felt so alone if you hadn't. Well, except for my mother of course, but it's not the same. Come on, smile? For me?'
A ghostly-looking Sora, identical to the picture behind glass up to her clothes and flowered hairclip that had appeared in his mind's eye in the form of a hologram, looked at him pleadingly, and he couldn't help but let out a smirk at her cute pouting face.
"If only you were real as well, then I'd truly smile. For you."
Hologram Sora shook her hologram head slowly, a small tugging of her lips telling him she had wanted to be as well but unlike him had accepted the fact that she wasn't. There was no way she ever would be real – he knew that deep down, and they'd been over that so many times already – but that didn't mean he couldn't wish it so. After all, those enchanting fairytales he always recounted to his sister when she was younger and still intrigued by those fantastic worlds had to come from somewhere, right?
"Ms Takenouchi seemed to cope a little better than last year, I think. Kind of. Maybe."
'That's good. And you?' A little frown was formed at what she knew wouldn't be a positive answer.
"As well as it goes, I guess... I've been thinking again."
She made a tsk-ing sound. 'How many times have I told you that your head isn't fit for all that? Unless your hair has brain cells as well! Just let it go, Taichi. Let me go.'
"No!... I can't Sor'. I don't want to believe it! And I'll bring you back, I'll prove it to you, if it's the last thing I do!"
She didn't respond to his rant of what was probably on his mind for at least a week, consuming his every thought, and threw him one last wistful smile before her holographic particles disintegrated in light red little sparkles. They were just like a harmless and non-explosive piece of fireworks, that the wind carried with on one of its floats, accompanied by other dust particles.
His eyelids fluttered open and he found himself staring at solid rock again, inevitably releasing a sigh of regret and relief at having seen her image that mixed with the sudden breeze of wind that stroked his half-dried cheeks gently.
He grabbed his backpack off the pebbled path and was ready to leave.
BEEPBEEPBEEP
That is, if the backpack hadn't started to vibrate on its right, compelling Tai to fish out the cell phone first and see who had tried to contact him.
'You have 1 new message by: Izzy.'
Dialling the number he had learnt by heart, he listened to his voicemail, where a clearly agitated Izzy was telling him impossible things. Something about the Digital World being in danger again, an imprisoned Gennai, and a Digital World War on the verge of erupting if they didn't do something about it soon.
He could no longer listen to the information that would've normally invoked an overwhelming surge of adrenaline and heroism, and cut off the insistent voice by shutting his phone off. It was all just a load of crap anyway; it didn't matter. The only reason for him to set foot in that realm again would be Agumon, and even that wasn't something he looked forward to happening. Certainly not at one of the worst times of the year for him. Because, well, he wasn't sure anymore if he still qualified as the Chosen of Courage.
Someone who possesses courage, he reasoned, surely wouldn't break down on a tomb stone for something that has happened years ago. Someone who is brave wouldn't deny any social contact, scared that one might go and ask questions about the strange behaviour said courageous one was having - an uncourageous behaviour. And the one who wields the crest of Courage would never back down from jumping recklessly in a new, potentially dangerous, adventure to save his friends and loved ones.
And that person's crest would've certainly never changed from a bright and burning orange to a dull grey. Because that was what had happened to his encased mini-sun; she had gone black.
Now, Tai wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box, but even he could derive that such an occurrence could only predict not-so-happy consequences. For instance, going to the world that gave it to him in the first place. Or finding himself in a dire situation that required a higher digivolution.
No, you wouldn't be finding him there anytime soon.
Meanwhile, one cloud went over in another, and another, and another so that soon, all of the sky was covered in the same dull grey that his crest possessed. It wasn't long before the first predictable raindrop fell from the heavens, soiling the marble stone.
He lifted his teary-eyed face to the booming sky and let the droplets that covered his complexion mingle with the tears from above. With it, his lips curved upwards in a liberating motion.
"You always did like storms like this one, didn't you?"
Unwittingly, he had started to appreciate the soothing rain and its lovely smell as well.
The pitter-patters on the marble and the rumbling of thunder in the distance were his only answers. But he seemed to anticipate nothing more, and, feeling a little happier than before, left the graveyard to cope with the stormy weather on its own.
Not that he would've been able to do anything, of course.
"Well, I suppose you all know why I called you here. The Digital World is in need of our services once more, and this time requires our assistance in rescuing Gennai."
Several gasps were heard in the small circle that had gathered around the Computer Club president when he mentioned these last words.
"You mean Gennai won't be able to help us?" the blond asked a little worriedly.
"What do you mean, he needs our rescuing? This is Gennai we're talking about here. If there's any saving for us to do, it would be that of ourselves. I mean, if some evil force has managed to capture him in the first place, what can we do?" Joe nervously stated.
"Look you guys, I know this is a setback from what we were used to several years ago, but we can't always count on his presence to guide us, and we certainly can't just leave him to his fate."
This provided the group with a new piece of mind.
Kari spoke up almost instantly. "When do we leave?"
"All right. So, I suggest we go right after school, and we gather here in the computer lab. Unfortunately, my old computer hasn't got enough bits and bytes to guarantee a safe trip without limbs not making it on the other side, so we'll have to make do with the school's main computer."
Joe's face considerably took on a whiter shade when the possible loss of limbs was mentioned. "Yes, let's use the school's computer."
"... and I guess I'll meet you here in a few hours."
"Wait, Izzy. Where's Matt and Tai?" TK questioned their obvious absences.
Although he had expected this question, he couldn't help but flinch a little at his poor convincing failures. "I don't think they'll be joining us."
Another silence followed his words.
"Any more questions? No? Okay, see you later."
As everyone left the classroom to grab a bite in what was left of their lunch break and no doubt to discuss what has been said just now, Izzy remained in his seat. And it wasn't long before a large and loud sigh resounded throughout the room, causing some students that were sitting close-by and who had been unaware of what had transpired moments ago to look in his direction curiously.
It was indeed a strange sight to behold, but Izzy didn't care about his calm and reserved reputation. There were more important things to worry about at the moment. Namely, what exactly were they getting themselves into?
A/N: I'd like to thank MegumiFire and Miamau Kakashi for reviewing, and I hope people still want to read this because it has been a while since I updated. Okay, a huge while, but I'm not going to bore you with excuses ;) Please review, as it really is motivating to write faster.
Thanks for reading! And do click on that lovely review button, if only to say that it's the worst thing you've ever read or to scold me for my lack of updates :p