A/N: I'm back! This is for the prompt - fresh! This took forever to redo. Sorry about that!
21. The Innocent Bonds
They are led to a playground by that centaur-creature. Gennai doesn't join them, his bones creak too much. (The two of them can't help but be relieved. The pastel colors here are almost blinding, especially when accented by the thickness of the lines. Takeru's hand is sweaty in Hikari's because she knows all they're thinking of with partners is the creature leading them and that their big brothers are still nowhere to be found.
Eight eggs tremble in a circle. It's like they're preparing to summon a god or something.
No. They're summoning you.
Hikari's head snapped up. Rio's voice, her voice. She had heard it, but…
"Hikari-chan?"
Takeru's eyes were on her, heavy and worried.
She shakes her head. "Thought I heard something."
"This world can cause that." Centalmon's voice radiates sympathy and Hikari's not sure if she should believe it. Her eyes are back on the eggs. The lines wriggle around them, like they want to avoid them all costs.
Is she imagining it, or is one of them glowing?
Without thinking, Hikari pulls away from Takeru. Her feet stumble, but it's like there's a tether pulling her forward. She moves towards one, white with pink rings. Rings are far from lines. She likes that. She likes that a lot.
She places her hands over it. The shell is warm against her fingers. Kneeling, Hikari pulls it into her lap. A thud from next to her helps her see Takeru. His blue eyes are full of bewildered wonder.
She must look the same.
Hikari feels like she should be doing more to the egg, more than just holding it. But if she breaks the magic, will the egg break too? She wants it to hatch, she doesn't know why.
Maybe Rio will come back if she hatches.
'She'? Who is she?
The she is obviously the baby. When will it hatch? Hikari can't help but want to meet her, whoever in this egg is making it feel warm.
She risks a glance at Takeru, who rubbing it like it's good luck. He looks so happy.
If it all wasn't so scary, whatever this world was, this part could almost feel safe.
But it's not.
Sora stops running, panting for breath. Not here. Another breath, she runs forward again, down the halls. She doesn't scream. That will just ask for trouble.
Still. She keeps searching the grounds.
Nothing.
Taichi and Yamato are gone.
They had never gotten along. They hadn't ever not gotten along, but still. Where did they go? They wouldn't go fight, Yamato was too busy fretting over Takeru, who seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and Taichi was too busy watching to see his sister, like Hikari-chan would jump off the school roof.
Then again, Hikari-chan hadn't been quite like herself since her accident. How could she be?
Maybe the worried older brothers were just checking on their siblings.
No, wait, she would have seen them by now.
She's broken from her thoughts by a sudden heat against her chest. The pendant she had found is glowing a gentle red. The air is whining. Her heart thumps madly in her ribs. What is happening?
From a nearby classroom, someone screams.
The sky has turned red.
Somehow, it is begining to snow.