I apologized for the long delay because I've hit major writer's block these past few months and the truth is, this chapter was really difficult to write. And also, I have other work and business to do first. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but again, it got too long so I had to cut it short...sorry. And also, pardon my grammars...because I'm not that good in English as it is my second language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Frontier or any of its characters.
Warning: Rated T for some bloody violence, a few minor languages, and minor sexual scenes
Bloody Nightmares
Chapter Thirteen: Dreams and an Old Promise
"Hey, guys. Looks like a little kitty just dropped by our own neighborhood!" said a rough, six-year-old boy. He sneered at a little girl in a blue dress as he waved his friends over to join him.
"Is that so? You're right, Hiro-kun, there's a pweddy-widdle kitty right on our door steps. What's a girl like you doing here on our turf, huh?"
The boy named Hiro, was joined by two more of his friends roughly the same ages and built as he is. They stood with their baseball bats and muddy shirts and shorts from playing rough in the dirt. Apparently they had a fight with their opponent team because they lost the game. Losing to them even in a fist fight, these three boys moped as the rest of their team left them behind in the field.
They were pissed, alright. And they were looking for anything or anyone that seemed smaller or weaker than they are to take their stresses out on. Unfortunately, a pretty little girl with dark hair and in a blue, frilly dress seemed lost and alone. Seeing how defenseless she looked, the Hiro and his friends decided to have some fun by bullying her.
"Wow, would you look at that?" said one of Hiro's friends, mockingly. "This pweddy-widdle kitty seems like one of those rich brats. You know how much I hate those snobby little kids, huh? We teach them a lesson in respect, right?"
"Shut up, Kyo!" Hiro snapped. "But you're right, I hate rich little girls like you, princess." With his dirty palm, Hiro pushed the girl back, soiling her clean dress. The little girl fell on her bottom and landed on her side in the dirt. She coughed a bit and wiped the mud from her cheeks. She then got back on her feet and glared at the three older boys with murderous eyes.
"You'll pay for that dearly!" she spat. "Wait until my brother hears about this, you're going to be in big trouble! By my family's name, I'm not afraid of you lumps. And if you don't want to suffer a horrible punishment, I expect you to apologize right now!"
"Ooooh, we're so scared!" The last boy cried sarcastically as he laughed at her.
"See, Hiro? I told you she's one of those bratty little rich kids who think that they can do whatever they want!"
"Listen, princess," the boy, Hiro, sneered, "You're on our turf now, and unfortunately, you've caught us off on a bad day. And do you know what we do to kids like you on a bad day?" As he asked her this, Hiro raised both of his dirty hands and shoved her against one of his friends.
"We beat them up!" Ryo exclaimed savagely, catching the girl as she stumbled back against him. Then with a heave, he shoved her against his third friend. "Catch Kaito!"
But the last boy, Kaito didn't. Instead of catching her, he took one step to the side and let her fall on her knees, spraining them. "Oops! Looks like I missed!"
"I'm not afraid of you!" The girl cried, jumping to her feet as she tried to tackle them on her own. But unfortunately, the three boys were a lot older and stronger than her. Together, they pushed her back down into the dirt. The girl gasped in shock. She breathed a bit heavier than before and then realized that there were tears in her eyes. Quickly, she tried to wipe them away, refusing to let those goons see her cry. Unfortunately for her, they already did.
"Aww…looks like the poor liddle-widdle princess is gonna cry," said Kaito, laughing.
"Shut up, you jerks!" The girl snapped. "You stay away from or my brother will—"
"Sorry, princess," Hiro, the leader commented victoriously. "But we've been at this for a while now and I think your brother's not here. No one is coming to help you, why? Because you're a stupid, rich, bossy, little princess who thinks that she can do anything she likes just like the rest of those losers on our team!"
"Really? Because to me, that's what you are right now!" said a new voice.
The four of them turned around to see another boy about the girl's age standing by the side. He seemed to be dressed up in a martial art uniform with a wooden bouken sword in one hand over his shoulder. He, too, have raven-blue hair and dark blue eyes and from the girl's point of view, they looked annoyed.
The other three boys, however, didn't seem to be in the least bit amused. "What did you called us, you little punk?" Hiro demanded.
"You heard me, you lamebrain. You and your friends are the sore losers here, not me. Typical of cowards like you to take out your anger on a girl."
"Oh really? What are you gonna do about it, huh, pony-tail?" one of the boys sneered.
"Leave her alone!" the kendo boy warned, pointing the end of his bouken sword at them.
The three older boys laughed and said, "Oh yeah, and if we don't?"
"Like she said, you're going to pay dearly for it," the kendo boy replied. And then he charged.
It took him awhile to win. These older boys were tougher than him, but he's smarter. Using what his kendo sensei told him, the boy uses his wits and his bouken sword to defeated Hiro and his goons with ease. But he only emerged victorious with the girl's help. Apparently, she was as tough and skilled in fighting as he was and it took them all by surprised.
Dropping their bats and sticks, the boys ran, with only Hiro behind cursing at the two of them. "We'll get you next time, you hear me? We'll—OUCH!"
He didn't get to finish his threat as the girl threw a pebble and hit him squarely in the forehead with precise aiming. The force of the blow was small and deadly of enough to make Hiro stumbled back a few steps, rubbing his sore spot fiercely. Looking up at the pair of them, he swore and ran after his friends.
"Nice shot." The boy who came to the girl's rescue commented.
"Thanks, nice moves," the girl replied. "But I didn't need your help, though."
"Doesn't matter anyway, because you've got me involved. I can't stand by and let those creeps pick on you just because they lost a game of baseball. It's against my code."
"Your what?" she asked curiously.
"My code of honor," he replied. "My sensei taught me about it from my kendo lessons."
"Oh, that's…very…um…kinda like what my gra-…nice moves, by the way…" she mumbled, changing the subject.
"Thanks, yours not too shabby either. And that was really neat on those throwing and kicking. You're really good at this."
The girl blushed a bit at this. No one has ever complimented her on her own meager martial art skills. Except for her brother and grandfather, this boy is the only one who ever recognized her of her talents. Whoever this guy is, she's starting to like him already.
"Thank you," she said, her cheeks flushed as she smiled at him. "For…rescuing me, that is!"
"You're welcome," said the boy cool and calmly. Holding onto his wooden sword, he bowed to her slightly. "I'm Kouji. Kouji Minamoto."
"A pleasure to fight with you, Kouji," said the girl. "I'm—"
"Kouji, Kouichi…is there something the matter?" Satomi asked, noticing the boys' silence that morning during breakfast. Usually this wasn't unusual, but this morning, she can't help but noticed that her step-sons were being more secluded this morning.
"It's nothing, Satomi," Kouji replied, tonelessly.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yeah, there's nothing wrong," Kouji confirmed convincingly.
"We were just thinking, that's all," Kouichi added, reassuring her.
"Well, if you two are sure," Satomi smiled, handing each of them their buttered-toast. They both accepted their breakfast quietly as footsteps draw near. Satomi looked up to find her husband walking in. His hair was a bit damp and his glasses fogged. Kousei stumbled a bit at his poor eye-sight as he tried to clean his glasses with the hem of his dark, red tie. Apparently, Kousei wanted to shower beforehand as well as he wanted to dress properly in his best business suit as he walked into the kitchen to greet his family.
"Ohayo, everyone!" he said, putting on his de-fogged glasses.
"Morning, Dad," the twins replied in unison.
"Morning dear," Satomi said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "My, you're looking important today."
"Of course, dear. Today's an important day for all of us, after all."
"But we still have two more hours, Dad," Kouichi raised his head up curiously.
"It never hurts to be properly prepared before hand," Kousei remarked. "Not only do we have to be on our best, but we must also wear our best. So I would suggest that the two of you get dress in something more…" he gazed at his sons' casual apparels before continuing, "…something more formal."
"Remember you two, we're meeting with foreign noblemen," Satomi explained. "We have to show respect in manners and appearances."
Kouji didn't answer but he nodded slightly instead. Glaring into his glass of orange juice, he scowled slightly under his breath so that his parents wouldn't notice. Finishing up his breakfast, Kouji left the table without another word. Kouichi noticed his irritation and followed, excusing himself and his brother from the table.
"Kouji, what's bothering you?" the older of the two asked. They were midway up the stairs.
"I don't know, I guess I'm trying to handle all of this in my head, Nii-san," Kouji said, turning to face his brother. At this point, he revealed the concern and irritated expression to Kouichi that he had been hiding from their parents. "Everything seems so…crazy all of the sudden. There are so many things that don't seem ordinary and they are happening to us."
Kouichi nodded in an understanding gesture before he spoke. "You mean Dad's business party? I know it can seem a bit much, but we'll survive, right? Isn't that what we agreed on?"
"It's not just that, Kouichi," Kouji sighed, shaking his head. "There are other things that are bothering me and I can't help but ask why."
"Like what?"
"Like what that woman at the Obon festival—"
"Gali the Oracle?" Kouichi cut in, raising an eyebrow. If Kouji had paid a little more attention, he would have noticed a hint of hatred in Kouichi's tone of voice when he spoke her name. But it was so small that it simply passed by his ears.
"Yeah, her," Kouji answered as he continued. "What she told us during that night and yesterday strikes me as odd. I can't help but think of what she told me and it's been bothering me for a while now. She said that a bond between us and those guys from the festival; Masaki, Takashi, and Kyochi…has been created and we have to depend on it when the time comes? And the last thing that she said to me was "'Be careful when you meet her tomorrow. '" What the hell does that even mean? Am I going to run into someone dangerous today?"
"I don't know, but if you ask me, I think you should heed her words, Kouji," Kouichi replied then lowering his voice as his eyes began to fog. "She knows a lot of things."
"What? You're defending that Oracle woman? Don't tell me that you're buying all of this fortune-telling nonsense!"
"Gali knew that Ami's our classmate. How could she have known that from the news yesterday? She also knew that Kyochi-kun is a medical student who is working at the hospital and he's looking after Ami," Kouichi explained. "You don't think that it's all just coincidence, do you? Kouji, I think you're afraid…"
"Afraid? Of what?" Kouji asked. What Kouichi said surprised him a bit.
"You're afraid of accepting that Gali really is…a sorceress," Kouichi said calmly, yet also sternly.
Kouji didn't know what to say. Perhaps it was true. Kouji was never the one who believes in fairy tales, mythologies, magic, and super powers. All of those things were kids' stuff to him and they were too fictional for his taste. But as Kouichi pointed out the odds, he was starting to doubt that they were less and less…unreal. Could Gali really be magical and could she really be the causes of all of the events that had happened all around them since summer started…or is she just an observer from afar…watching silently and giving advices and warnings discreetly. And could she have known about the past, present, and future? What she said to him at her house yesterday worries Kouji a bit. And also…
Then something struck him. The house? Gali's house was where those two, Lobo and Löwe, ran off into yesterday. Could they be? And then suddenly…
Turning to face his brother, Kouji asked, "Nii-san, why did you hold back yesterday?"
"Excuse me?"
"Yesterday when we chased after those two, Lobo and Löwe, into Gali's front yard. Why didn't you want to go in?"
Kouichi didn't answer at first. Instead, he lowered his head as his eyes began to dim in thoughts. Why? Why didn't he go in yesterday? Kouichi had wondered about that, too. It's as if there's something in his head that's telling him that it's best not to approach and that the place is dangerous. Kouichi had sensed that. Gali's house has sent chills down his spine and for some reason, he felt as though the little, dark voice in his head was right. It was as though his conscious has warned him to never set foot in that cursed place.
"Kouichi? Didn't you hear me?" said Kouji.
Kouichi looked up to face his brother's stern blue eyes. Nonchalantly, Kouichi replied his brother's question with an answer. "I'm not sure. Her place just feels…ominous, that's all. I felt chills running down my spine."
"And that's why you don't want to go in?" his brother asked.
"Yes, it's nothing," said Kouichi. Pushing past his brother, he opened the door into their room where Lobo and Löwe awaited for them.
Kouji knew his brother well enough to know that he's been acting strangely and differently. Now, he noticed that Kouichi is changing more and more. Kouji knew his brother to be the sweet and quiet one. Sure, he can be clumsy at times like tripping over his shoes or dropping his books in the hallway and he always tries to cheer him and their friends with his laugh an sometimes, with his own genuine sarcastic teasing. Usually used when Takuya or Junpei when they make stupid or unreasonable remarks.
But ever since summer started, Kouichi had been acting a bit more cold and more stern and serious. Come to think of it, Kouji remembered that Kouichi didn't laugh or remarked against Takuya's joke much these past few days. Instead, he just kept quiet about it and didn't even bother to say anything in return. Could this be a sign of something dark and stirring? Or could it be that his brother is just experiencing something called a "teenage crisis"? The last was the most possible one.
Following his brother into their room, they got dressed in their best black suits. Their father had bought them a twin pair a year ago and back then, it was a bit too roomy for them. Now that they are a little bit older, their tuxedos fitted them like a glove. Kouji had never liked these suits much. He only wears them for funerals or when his father is taking his family out to a fancy restaurant for dinner. To him, they were sort of a nuisance.
"Are you worried?" asked Löwe curiously.
Kouji turned his head towards him in surprised as he asked, "Excused me?"
"I asked you if you're worried," Löwe repeated calmly.
"And why do you think that I'm worried?"
"Because I'm an animal, my Prince," Löwe laughed. "Lobo and I can sense these emotions at times."
Kouji didn't find it amusing of the sort as he listens to his brother's talking cat. The fact that these two are talking still puzzled him. Animals can't talk and yet these two can. It's unimaginable and it was something that Kouji couldn't understand. Yes, what Lobo and Löwe had told the two of them sounded too fictional, but then again, what happened in the Oracle's fortune-telling tent was also unreal. All of these things were happening and Kouji couldn't understand why and this only frustrated him even more to the point that even the sight and the sound of Lobo and Löwe were pushing him to the brick of anger.
"…and I apologized for the intrusion, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you've seemed a bit pale a second ago, Prince James. May I ask wha—" Löwe remarked as Kouichi observed himself in the mirror as he finished tying his bow.
"WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?" Kouji bellowed viciously. His sudden outburst caused his brother and the two furry animals to jump in surprised. As a part of their animal instinct, Lobo went into a fighting stance while Löwe jumped off from where he had sat and pounced next to Lobo, readying himself in a similar fighting stance. It was more of an old reflex that they do when they are caught by surprised and would take it as a potential danger. When they saw that the "threat" was only Kouji, they lessened their gripped on the carpet and relaxed.
"Kouji, what's wrong?" Kouichi asked hesitantly, taking in air as he spoke. Apparently, he didn't realize that his brother's sudden outburst surprised him so that he held his breath in fear.
"I'm sick of all these things you're pulling on us," said Kouji, lowering his voice to a minimal. After that outburst, the four of them had expected Satomi at the door, curious to know what the matter was. But luckily for them, she was out in the garden and hadn't heard a thing. Knowing that they won't be disturbed, Kouji continued. "Why are you here?"
"Kouji?" Kouichi began but his brother ignored him.
"Why are you two here?" Kouji asked again.
Realizing what Kouji was getting at, Lobo and Löwe replied. "We are here to warn you, Prince Ja—"
"Warn us about what? Some demonic, blood-thirsty killer that you've claimed existed in our past lives and we're in danger again because of him? Please! Look at you! You two are a dog and a cat and you're both talking to us as if you're real humans."
"But we were, Your Highness."
"I'm not to be fooled with. What makes you think that you can just waltz into our lives and toy with us at your mistress' whims? Why should we believe in anything you say?"
"Because it's true!" Lobo growled. "Like you, I've had enough of your rash accusation!"
Kouji fell silent at his dog's stern and powerful voice. For a fleeting moment, Lobo's human-liked voice reminded Kouji of an old friend…a fighting master…long forgotten…He couldn't understand how or why, but hearing Lobo speaking like this, made Kouji yield.
"I understand why you two don't believe us and I can understand why all of these things that are happening to you seem fictional," Lobo slowly explained as he collected himself coolly, nodding his head towards Kouji. "Gali was right, when things seemed beyond your understanding, you disapproved of it instantly without a second though, Prince Jason. But you must learn to put your logic thinking aside for once and try to understand the whole situation from another person's point of view and value it."
"Lobo's right," Löwe agreed. "It's important that you mustn't be ethnocentric. There are things in this world that seems mystical, magical, and unbelievable, but what you see is the truth and that you must accept it. And yet, the eyes that you use to see are not truly enough."
"What do you mean?" Kouichi asked.
"We asked you to open your eyes to the truth and understand that danger. You two are young humans and like all humans, would shut your eyes to things which can't be explain," Löwe closed his eyes, as he tries to remember the Oracle's words long ago. "We you humans see something that you can't understand, it frightens you and in turn, you would destroy it before realizing the truth behind it and by then, it is too late."
When Löwe said that, the twins realized that they had heard those words before. Their mother, Tomoko, had explained the same thing to them once. Like their friend, Izumi, Tomoko loved old legends and folklores. She used to tell them the old and traditional ones with gods and demons and spirits in them. Ones that have a meaning in the story and lesson to learn from like most folklores told to children. One of them, she had explained why humans are such mysterious creatures. Tomoko had explained to her sons why humans can be so cruel in ancient times and even in the present.
"When mystical things seemed mysterious and strange to them, humans would shut their eyes to truth, closing off what they dare not want to hear and see," their mother had said long ago, "they would then harbor prejudiced feelings against these things and would destroy them without a second thought, not knowing whether the things that they had destroys had really meant them any harm at all. The truth to the matter is that people are one of the most senseless and mysterious beings of them all."
After that, she had asked the two of them to never shut their eyes to the truth. Their mother, solemn and still ill at the time, had her reasons why. "Your father did that and well…you know the rest. But please, will you two promise me that you'll understand things before judging them rashly? If you can learn to put your fear aside and accept the truth behind the matter, you can become a better person."
It was a promise made long ago, but it had etched in their minds. But after months passed, the carved words in their minds began to fade with time, but upon chance…or perhaps even destiny, Lobo and Löwe and made the twins rediscovered their promises to their ill mother's words.
Nodding, slowly, they relaxed and agreed silently to each other.
"Seeing the truth, is it?" Kouji asked in his usual cooled mood.
"Yes, open your eyes to the truth before it is too late," said Lobo and Löwe.
"You know, you're starting to sound like our mother," Kouji replied sarcastically.
Beside him, Kouichi smiled as he gestured to Lobo and Löwe. "Alright, sorry about earlier, you two. If what you're saying is true, then we'll listen and try to understand it this time."
Lobo and Löwe looked surprised at his words and Kouichi giggled. "It's nothing really. What you just said really reminded us what we had promised to do a long time ago…but until now, we just remembered it. So please, whatever you have to say, we'll listen this time."
Kouji nodded in agreement.
At his words and reassurances, Lobo and Löwe's eyes lighted up with a sense of victory. At least, whatever they had said had convinced the two princes to give them another chance and it was one where they can't let go this time.
"As you wish, Your Highness—" They bowed their heads respectably before they were cut off by Kouji.
"Under one condition," Kouji said, holding his hand up as the three of him stared at him curiously. "Stop calling us Prince James and Jason or any of those royal titles. Our names are Kouji and Kouichi."
"Right," Kouichi laughed. "You're making us feel old and it's weird when you call us that!"
To be continued…
Author's note: I'm sorry that this chapter isn't very good as I'm quite busy with other projects. Because of major writer's blocks, vacation, families, friends, and other art projects, I'm sad to say that this fanfiction will be put on hold for now. But don't worry, I promised that I'll finish this story and I will. But not now, because there are other things going on. But I'll get the next chapter up and down when I have the time. So don't expect an fast updates soon.
Farewell…for now!