Important note: FFnet doesn't allow the chapter title to be too long, so I had to shorten it for the email alerts and the index. The full title appears in the text.
"I pretended to be sick," Hikari confessed, keeping her gaze on the white roses in front of her. She thought those were the most beautiful ones in the shop. "My brother really wanted me to go…"
"But it'd be awkward to see him," The boy standing next to her completed her sentence.
"I made my family worry about me for no reason," She muttered, looking down.
"Your parents left you alone to go visit your grandmother. Clearly, they weren't as concerned as you think."
"Why do you have to talk like that about them?" Hikari lifted her eyes and stared at the boy. "They do the best they can. They know that I can handle myself."
"The last time they left you sick and without supervision, you almost died." The other reminded her. "And now they're leaving you alone again. If you were to get really ill, I wonder if they would blame your brother once more."
"I'm not sick for real!" Hikari slightly raised her voice. Instantaneously, she brought both her hands to cover her mouth and looked away, back to the roses on display.
The boy stretched his right hand and picked one of the flowers. Then, he handed it to Hikari, who held it with care.
"I apologize for upsetting you, Hikari-san." He said.
"This is my favorite flower." The girl had a smile on the lips.
"In the west, the white rose is related to virtue. In Japan, it's said to represent devotion, innocence and…" An expression of sorrow took over his face.
"Silence, right?" Hikari asked, bringing the rose close to her nose. "I've read about these flowers more than once."
"And they're still your favorites," He murmured, turning his back to her, setting his gaze on the entrance of the flower shop.
"Is that snow?" Hikari questioned, looking at the glass door of the place. Many snowflakes were falling from the sky and covering the ground outside.
"Snowy town…" The boy said to himself, with melancholy.
"I'd like to take this flower with me." Hikari tried to change the subject. The other turned around and saw the girl smiling while smelling the white rose once again.
"You know that's not possible." The boy told her.
"Not even if it were Spring?" She insisted.
He chuckled, briefly.
"You have a peculiar sense of humor, Hikari-san."
"Lots of people call me 'peculiar.'" Hikari said. "In less polite words, though."
"I believe it's time for you to open your eyes." The boy told her. She furrowed her eyebrows, slightly, but quickly put a new smile on her lips.
"Let's talk again soon, okay?" She told him. The boy did not agree nor disagree.
"Good-bye, Hikari-san." He attempted to show her a warm smile. The girl appreciated the gesture.
"See you later, my friend."
Chapter 25: Not to say I haven't talked about the flowers
After taking a hot shower, Hikari went straight to the bedroom she shared with Taichi. Through the closed window, she could see the snow falling more heavily. The little girl put on cotton pants and a white sweater. She looked for her hairbrush but did not find it. Her brother had probably taken it to the camp.
The girl pondered about someday telling Taichi to stop using her hairbrush. It felt like an immature complaint, though. She should just let it slide aside, like always.
The phone rang. When Hikari picked it up, it was difficult to hear the person at the other side of the line.
"Hi…. too m… snow… take lon… come bac… tofu… fridge…" A voice that should belong to her mother said right before the connection was lost. The girl went to the sofa in the living room and turned on the television. The image was distorted but it was possible to devise a reporter talking about the sudden snowfall in a large part of the country, despite being summer.
Her cat, Miko, jumped to the spot next to her. Hikari caressed the feline and said in a cheerful tone:
"It seems that it's going to be just you and me today."
Nobody in her family knew it but Hikari enjoyed being home alone. She took advantage of the fact that nobody was nearby to watch what she was doing to have silly fun. She was too embarrassed to do it any other way. Besides, if Taichi was around and watched her playing by herself, he would immediately jump to make company to his sister. Then, he would suggest, enthusiastically, what game they should play, which roles each would have and what the overall rules could be, grinning the whole time. Hikari did not mind that, she believed. Her brother was clearly having fun and she liked to see him happy.
Taichi was remarkably different from her. Anyone could notice that. Some people who knew both siblings even questioned, at times, how the boy could be so outgoing and charismatic while the girl was shy and somewhat gloomy. Being the good brother he was, Taichi took it upon himself to help Hikari to be more popular.
"Just smile more." He used to say, beaming. "As long as you smile, lots of people will like you."
It worked for him. Taichi's smile and energetic presence could lift the spirits of everybody. Not for other reason he was so well liked and had an ever growing group of friends.
Hikari's smiles were not as large or bright as his. She usually did not show her teeth and sometimes closed her eyes. It became so natural for her to smile that she stopped noticing that she was doing it at all. It was almost as if that was a permanent feature of her face.
Ever since she began to follow Taichi's advice, her peers included her more in their activities. They even called her 'pleasant' to be around. Sometimes, however, Hikari could overhear whispers among her classmates.
"That Hikari girl is pretty creepy, huh?"
Nevertheless, she smiled.
That day, she felt like playing make-believe with her cat. The girl tied a pink sheet around her neck, pretending it was a cape, and picked up the broom that stayed in the kitchen, pretending it was a sword.
"Come, dragon Miko!" She said, dramatically, pointing the broom to her front, where there was the closed glass door to the snow filled balcony. "We must find the… erhm…" Hikari tried to think in a cool sounding name, "Winter Magician! Yes! The Winter Magician is behind this snow storm! We must find him!"
The cat stayed sat on the sofa.
"Oh, my, Princess Hikari!" Hikari talked in a high-pitched tone, pretending to be the animal. "Your brother, the King, doesn't want you to venture outside the castle! It's dangerous!"
"Fear not, dragon!" Hikari spoke in what she believed to be an honorable voice. "Although I appreciate my brother's love for me, I must not allow it to stop me from aiding the people in distress, for I am a Knight before I am a Princess!"
Hikari giggled at her own forced tone of voice. She pretended to go on a quest with Dragon Miko to a cave, where she found out that the Winter Magician had been imprisoned by an evil Trickster. She used the sword-broom to defeat the villain and was about to free the Magician from his confinement when…
"Who comes there?" She asked, pointing to thin air. "Sky Sorcerer?" Hikari gasped in exaggerated surprise. "My brother sent you to protect me? What?! He wants you to take me back home?"
The girl pointed the broom-sword in the direction of the kitchen, where she imagined Sky Sorcerer was.
"I can't leave while there are people who need my help!" She stated. "If you try to stop me, I'll be forced to resist, even though you're my brother's trusted advisor! I do not fear your fire magic! I have a dragon and a magic talisman that can overpower-"
The sound of something metallic hitting the balcony startled Hikari, making her let go of the broom and forget about her make-believe game. She slowly walked to the glass door and opened it, stepping on a thin layer of snow with her home sandals. A little machine was on the floor.
She took it up, gently, and examined it. A weak ray of white light came from it, making Hikari feel warm on the inside. She beamed, looking up to the gray clouds.
"Thank you for the gift." She told the falling snow.
"Onii-chan!" Takeru cried when the wave came in his direction. Yamato ran to him and tried to grab the little boy's hand. He was not able to reach him in time. The wave hit them both.
Under the mass of water, Yamato saw a large and flat dark circle. Takeru was being dragged in that thing's direction, along with four of the five other children. They lost consciousness right before disappearing into the darkness. Yamato tried to swim but could not move from where he was. The dark circle disappeared and the water retreated to the lake a little after that.
Yamato found himself facing the wet ground. Shaking, he got to his feet. Another boy did the same a couple of meters at his right.
"SORA! KOUSHIRO!" The other shouted, running to the lake. As soon as he got to its border, the surface froze, like magic.
"Rock! I need a rock!" The boy with large brown hair looked around, desperate, until he turned to Yamato. "Why are you standing there doing nothing? We need to break the ice and take them out!"
"They're not in the lake…" Yamato was surprised that he could talk despite the numbness in his body. "A dark circle absorbed them… they were taken somewhere else…"
"Dark circle?" The other boy asked. "Everything was dark down there… wait! You're saying they were abducted or something?"
Yamato could no longer reply to his questions. He braced himself, trying to stop the shakiness that had taken his body over, with no success. He closed his eyes and saw once again the scared expression in his brother's face as he was being taken away.
"Where's Takeru…?" Yamato unconsciously voiced his anguish. "Where's my brother…? He's all alone… I should've protected him… I should've stayed by his side… what's happening to him now? Is he in danger? Is he afraid…? How could I let this happen? My fault… all my fault… it's all my fault…"
A sudden hurtful feeling appeared in Yamato's left cheek and he almost lost his balance. When he looked to the other boy and saw his right arm stretched with its fist clenched, Yamato understood what had happened.
"Sorry for punching you like that." The other said. "You weren't reacting to what I was saying and kept talking like a maniac… it scared me."
Yamato simply stared at him, in shock.
"I'm Taichi, by the way."
"Yamato…" The other murmured without realizing it.
"Listen, Yamato, wherever your brother is, Sora is with him. She's good with kids and very caring and responsible, I'm sure he's going to be alright. Also, Koushiro is there too. He's the most intelligent person I know, so-"
The blond child ignored him and walked away, in the direction of the hill.
"Why are you going there?!" Taichi asked.
"I can get a better view of the surroundings from up the hill." Yamato explained. "Maybe I could spot something… Takeru could be nearby…"
"Why do you think they would be nearby?" Taichi questioned.
"It's all I can do now!" Yamato shouted, trembling. "Do you have a better plan?!"
"I think we should tell an adult-" Taichi began to suggest.
"What adult would believe that my brother vanished in a mysterious dark circle?!" The blond child snapped. "They're going to think that I'm lying! Or worse!"
"Hey!" Taichi grabbed him by the arm and forced Yamato to face him. "Stop yelling at me! You're not the only one who's worried! Two of my friends disappeared!"
"MY BROTHER DISAPPEARED!" Yamato roared. "Besides, you don't seem nearly as concerned as I am!"
"That's because I was trying to be considerate of you!" Taichi raised his voice.
The blond boy paled after hearing that. He took a better look at Taichi and realized the other boy was shaking as well. Nevertheless, Taichi tried to keep a smile on the lips.
"You need to calm down, okay?" The boy with brown hair told him. "Getting desperate isn't going to help anyone."
To have a complete stranger telling him what to do triggered a violent urge in Yamato. Without thinking, he pushed Taichi to the snow covered ground, walking away immediately after that, as quickly as he could. He had no other motivation than to get away from him, but he convinced himself that he had done that to better focus on searching for Takeru. Two or three minutes later, Taichi caught up to him and pushed Yamato down; the blond boy fell to the ground.
"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?!" Yamato growled.
"You're the one who started it!" Taichi shouted, climbing on the other and holding his arms down. "What's your problem?! You're the most infuriating person I know!"
"I don't give a damn about how you feel about me!"
"I'll make you give a damn!"
Suddenly, red sparks went up to the sky, coming from a point close to the top of the hill. Taichi and Yamato forgot about their fight and got up the fastest they could.
The two boys went to that spot and found the five missing children and five mysterious creatures. The kids told them that they had gone to a different world and what happened there, until they returned through a crack in space-time continuum.
Yamato had stayed extremely quiet while the others summed up what had happened during the five minutes they were gone. Better said, during the last five days, as the boy with red hair explained that a day in the other world was a minute in the human world. Taichi interrupted the narrative all the time by asking questions and showing concern for the said fourth-grader and the girl with orange hair and bandaged hands. Yamato had problems registering everything that was being told to him.
"Onii-chan." Takeru called him, by his side. The little boy had the creature named Patamon on his lap. "Are you feeling alright?"
Before Yamato could reply, the girl with orange hair, sitting across from him, said:
"We just told your brother too many things; he needs some time to process them, Takeru-kun."
The older sibling did not understand why but what the girl said bothered him immensely. She had guessed what was going on with him too accurately, despite him trying not to let his discomfort show. Did that mean that his act was not good enough? No, it was not just what she had said. Takeru had looked up to her during the whole narration and, when the little boy interrupted to give more details (like he did when he felt the need to explain why he was not being very polite to the group after his partner died and resurrected), the small child kept on glancing at the girl, as if asking telepathically if what he said was okay. The natural way that stranger talked to his brother and the caring looks they shared made Yamato feel something heavy in his heart.
"Let's see if I understood everything." Taichi said after everybody stopped talking. "That storm in Hikarigaoka four years ago had to do with a battle between the first children and a Queen-slash-Goddess-slash-Mother-slash-whatever…" He had a concentrated expression. "The kids were brought there by an Academy. The Academy killed the kids and cloned them. Then, the Kanda guy killed or brainwashed almost everybody in the Academy and pretended to be a dude called Gennai. After that, Kanda-slash-Gennai brought you guys to the Digital World to fight the followers of the Queen-slash-Godess. Your digimon… that's their name, right? Your digimon evolved and became huge and strong when you strengthened your bonds with them. They fought and protect you. When the little kid's digimon died, it became an egg and the kid was pretty messed up about it-"
"Hey!" Yamato glared at Taichi. "Speak about my brother more respectfully! He was suffering! Alone!"
"I wasn't alone." Takeru corrected. "Sora-san and everybody else was there for me."
"Right… Sora…" Yamato muttered, looking down.
"I totally didn't understand the part with the mirrors but Sora got trapped in an orb, somehow, and hurt her hands trying to free her partner from a wall of ice. Then, Koushiro went there and helped… how did you help Sora, exactly?" Taichi asked the redhead boy, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
"Ah…" Koushiro was evasive. "We talked about feelings…"
"You gave emotional support to Sora or something?" Taichi was shocked. "I'd never imagine that happening! And why would Sora, from all people, need that anyway?"
Jyou sensed that the comment had upset the fourth-grader boy and the fifth-grader girl. He was ready to say something. However, Mimi did it first:
"You don't understand anything about Sora-san and Koushiro-kun!"
Taichi raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?" He asked, seriously. "Are you under the impression that you understand them better than me? I've known both Sora and Koushiro for years!"
"I had known Koushiro-kun for years before going to the Digital World with him!" Jyou spoke. "But I only got to start understanding him when the Spirit-"
"Jyou-san!" Koushiro interrupted Jyou, giving him an anxious look. Sora, who was between the fourth-grader boy and Taichi, seemed apprehensive as well.
"What Spirit? What was he going to say?" Taichi asked Koushiro.
"It's an enemy Jyou-sempai faced when his crest glowed." Sora explained.
"And what does that Spirit have to do with Koushiro?" Taichi inquired. "Are you going to give any actual detail of what happened or should I conform myself with 'there were enemies who attacked us, our digimon evolved, we were saved,' heh, Sora?"
"You're really self-centered, aren't you?" Mimi censured Taichi.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The boy inquired. "Sora and Koushiro are my friends! It's natural that I want to know exactly what happened to them!"
"You're acting as if they owed you an explanation! They'll tell you what they want when they feel like it!" Mimi stated.
"Mimi-chan, that's enough!" Sora scolded the younger girl. "You're reading too much into this. Taichi is worried and he didn't measure his words right."
"I didn't measure…?!" Taichi let out a nervous laugh, but it was clear that he was angry. "So you think it's not my place to want to know what happened to you?"
"Give them some space!" Yamato suddenly shouted, startling everybody. "They're the ones who went through the hardest times and they're still recovering from it! How about instead of forcing them to talk about their traumas you try to be more considerate?"
Taichi became sickly pale and stared at Yamato with wide open eyes.
"I hadn't realized…" Taichi muttered, after a minute, furrowing his eyebrows and glancing at the other kids. Sora and Koushiro seemed to be upset. Did I make them feel bad? What's the matter with me? He asked himself.
"I'm going to tell you everything, Taichi." Sora promised, looking into his eyes. "But not right now. Not right after saying good-bye to four people who are now…" Sora's lips trembled. "We need some time to think things through, is that okay?"
He nodded. The sad way Sora spoke made Taichi feel his own heart being squeezed. He felt like a horrid person for not understanding sooner how she felt and thanked Yamato mentally for stopping him from upsetting her more.
"Sometimes people are insensitive without wanting to be." Jyou told Taichi. "It's like you let your anxiety take over your brain and you can't see your surroundings anymore. I understand that really well."
"Jyou got on everybody's nerves at least once in the Digital World. He really knows what he's talking about." Pukamon commented, resting on his partner's left shoulder.
"That's right!" Takeru smirked. "Like that time he thought that I was going to feel better if he told me that I was lucky because my family was split apart!"
The blue-haired guy said what to him?! Yamato was torn between feeling angry at his brother's stead and feeling pity for the person who had been capable of making a mistake like that.
"Yeah… I had some family issues back then…" Jyou spoke in an embarrassed tone. "I still have them…"
"You should talk to your family about those issues." Sora suggested. "We all should do that."
Taichi noticed that his best friend's expression became sadder when she said the later part. He wondered if she had family problems and, if she had, why Sora had never told him. It was in that moment that he came to the realization that Sora barely spoke about her personal life during their conversations. How could it be possible that he had never paid attention to that? Had Sora needed someone to talk about her problems and never asked him? But he was her best friend! She had said so many times! Why did she not trust her best friend? Koushiro said that he talked to Sora about feelings… Taichi recalled. Koushiro never talked about feelings with me. He always just talked about scientific stuff! But then, when I'm not around, suddenly he becomes a sensitive person capable of supporting others? He was so awkward I had to always mediate for him! I was the one who put more effort in making him interact more with the other teammates! Yet, he never tried to have a deep conversation with me. Was he hiding that side of him from me? He didn't want me to know but he let Sora… what even happened to her in that orb? Was she upset just because her partner was trapped and she couldn't free her? Was she in such bad shape that she had to talk to someone and Koushiro happened to be the only person around? But there was something about him seeing a memory of Sora in a mirror and being connected to her...what kind of memory was that? Did that incident make them get closer to each other? That must be it! That must be how Koushiro came to understand Sora enough to be able to help her! It happened by pure accident… and because I wasn't there.
Taichi felt exhausted just by thinking about those things. He looked at his friends and noticed how tired they seemed to be. Not only Sora and Koushiro. Distress and sadness were evident in those five children's faces and body language. To think that he was so focused in his own feelings that he failed to support them filled Taichi with shame. That was not how a good person should act. The boy became determined to make them smile.
"So, this flower is your partner?" Taichi put on a cheerier tone while pointing to the digimon resting in Sora's arms.
"I'm Piyokomon. Nice to meet you, Sora's friend!" The small creature greeted.
"His name is Yagami Taichi, Piyokomon. He's my best friend." Sora introduced him with a smile, which made Taichi feel lighter.
"Ah! That's right!" Takeru shouted, putting Patamon on the ground. He stood up and grabbed his brother by the right hand, making him stand up as well. The little boy dragged him to where Sora was. The girl put herself on her feet.
"I've wanted to introduce you two to each other for so long! Onii-chan, this is Takenouchi Sora, our leader!"
"Leader?" Taichi asked, surprised. "Good on you, Sora!"
The girl blushed. In spite of that, she did not stop looking into Yamato's eyes.
"I've heard many good things about you." Sora showed him a gentle smile. "I know that it would've been better if you were there with Takeru-kun. But I did my best to look out for him."
"See? I told you!" Taichi blinked to Yamato. Nevertheless, the blond boy did not seem to notice the gesture.
Yamato examined Sora, not saying anything. She seemed to be mature and kind, and it was obvious that Takeru had established a strong bond with her. Still, something regarding that girl bothered him. Something that got worse when he thought about how Takeru smiled at her.
"His name is Ishida Yamato and he's in fifth grade." Takeru introduced his brother to Sora. "Don't be fooled by his intense gaze. He's not angry; he's just shy and kind of awkward around people."
"Takeru!" Yamato reacted to that comment, turning completely red.
"It's okay, Yamato-kun." Sora muffled a laugh. "I understand-"
"What do you understand? You don't even know me!" Yamato let his frustration out by accident. The remaining children stood up and gave him disapproving looks.
Why did I say that? She did nothing wrong! He wondered, looking away. I should apologize.
"Oi-" Taichi began.
"Hey, Yamato-san." Mimi took two steps in his direction. "If you think you can talk to Sora-san that way-"
"It's alright, Mimi-chan." Sora interrupted, calmly. "We all went through a lot and need some time to think things clearly."
"He can't help it." Taichi smirked. "Some people just can't control their emotions."
"I don't want to hear that coming from you!" Yamato elevated his voice, clenching his fists and glaring at Taichi.
"Hey, man, how about you stop picking fights?" Taichi suggested.
"Yeah, your attitude is annoying everybody, Grumpy-face-san!" Mimi added.
"Mimi-chan, don't give nicknames to people!" Sora reprehended.
"That was not very nice of you, Mimi-kun." Jyou scolded Mimi. "However, Sora-kun," he turned to Sora, "Mimi-kun did that because she cares for you." He added.
"That's right!" Mimi said. "I can't stand to see my friends being treated badly!"
"Okay, I need to ask something." Taichi adopted an over the top serious tone. "If Sora is the leader of the group, shouldn't Jyou call her 'Sora-san' instead of 'Sora-kun'?"
"I-Is that right?" Jyou got nervous. "Was I being inappropriate? Should I change the honorific? To think that I never noticed that when I was the first one to want Sora-kun for leader! I mean…" His cheeks became very red. "S-Sora-san…?"
"Don't worry about that, Jyou-sempai." Sora giggled. "I actually came to like the 'kun.'"
"R-really?" Jyou relaxed. "I wouldn't mind changing honorifics for you."
"If you don't mind changing honorifics, Jyou-san, you could start calling me 'Mimi-chan.'" Mimi suggested, sheepishly.
"T-T-That's too informal! Mimi-kun, w-what would people think?" Jyou stuttered, flustered.
"They would think that we're close friends, which we are." Mimi told him.
"But 'chan' is so… it doesn't feel adequate!" Jyou affirmed.
"What's wrong with 'chan'?" Taichi asked, amused. "It's perfectly normal to add 'chan' to a girl's name. Isn't that right, Mimi-chan?" He grinned, looking at Mimi.
"It feels wrong coming from you." Mimi let Taichi know. "It makes you sound like that kind of guy."
"What kind of guy?" Taichi blinked in confusion.
While the others were distracted, Yamato got closer to Sora and muttered "sorry" so softly that nobody but her could hear it. She smiled, showing that she had accepted the apology. Then, he retreated to where his little brother was and noticed that Takeru had his eyes on him. Was the little boy watching him the whole time?
"There you are!" A man's voice said, suddenly. The teacher responsible for the summer camp had climbed the hill in search of the kids. "Were you here the whole time?"
Jyou took three steps in the adult's direction.
"Did we worry you? I'm so sorry! I take full responsibility!" Jyou hurried to say.
"What? Don't worry about that!" The teacher laughed. "I was looking for you because the bus is ready to go. Your baggage is already on board."
"The camp was canceled?" Sora asked. "Because of the snow?"
"This sudden bad weather is hitting almost the entire country. We need to leave before it gets worse." The man explained. "I'm needed down there. Don't take too long to come."
He left them. The children exchanged looks.
"I assumed the snow was a side effect of the portal Kanda-san had opened." Koushiro said.
"Is it something else?" Motimon asked, still in his arms.
"Maybe it's an enemy." Palmon theorized.
"There's no way someone dangerous came to the Real World." Patamon assured, taking flight from the ground.
"Someone dangerous certainly came." Palmon murmured, gazing from Patamon to the snow under her feet. Patamon looked down as well. He felt Takeru's arms gently involving him.
"What did you mean by that?" Mimi asked her partner, afraid.
Palmon stayed silent for half a minute, before answering:
"It's just my intuition."
"Since when do you have intuition?" Pyokomon asked.
"It's not like you to act all mysterious, Palmon." Motimon pointed out.
"Leave her alone. When she feels like it, she's going to talk." Pukamon gave his opinion.
"Are you guys going to pretend to be stuffed animals?" Taichi questioned the digimon. "People are going to get scared if they see you talking."
"Scared…" Patamon murmured, disturbed.
"Everything is going to be okay." Takeru promised him.
"We should tell just our parents about the digimon." Mimi suggested. "We don't want the government taking our partners away, like it happens in movies."
"Our parents do need to know that we're having guests." Jyou said. "They're the ones who are going to pay for their food and overall needs."
"Is it really a good idea to tell our families?" Koushiro asked, apprehensively. "If they get to know what happened to us… they're not going to be okay after that!"
"It'd be messed up if they were okay after knowing what happened to us!" Mimi stated.
"Koushiro-kun, you're not thinking about lying to your family, are you?" Jyou confronted him.
"It's not lying! I just don't want them to worry about me." Koushiro tried to explain.
"Koushiro-kun." Sora called him. "I know where you're coming from. But don't you think this could be a good opportunity for you to have an honest conversation with your parents?"
What does that mean? Taichi asked himself. Koushiro has a great relationship with his parents, doesn't he? Does he… have family issues as well? He had a cold sensation in his spine. Sora and Koushiro talked about their families… they trusted secrets to each other. His hands trembled. Meanwhile, I'm here just… left in the dark. As if I'm just some guy they happen to know and not… why am I thinking these depressing things? Of course I'm their friend! We're going to sort everything out.
"That's right! Nothing is more important than honesty!" Jyou affirmed.
"No need to rub our awesomeness on their faces, Jyou!" Pukamon joked. "Although the crest of Honesty is objectively the best one!"
All the chosen children smirked for a few seconds. Then, their expressions became somber.
"She was awesome in many ways." Jyou said, glancing down. "At least she's in peace now…"
"He's talking about Homura-san, who used to have his crest." Takeru explained to his brother. "She died with everybody else."
Yamato paid attention to the serious look on Takeru's face and on how low the boy's voice sounded. His little brother was acting more mature than the older boy had ever seen him.
"I'm so sorry, Takeru." Yamato muttered.
"I never got to know the former owner of my crest; it's not as bad for me as it is for them."
"Hey…" Taichi whispered, getting closer to Takeru. "Are Sora and Koushiro… I mean… how are they… how did they…?"
Yamato raised an eyebrow. Is he afraid to talk to his friends? Is it because I told him to give them space?
"I wouldn't call Kanda-san a good person." Takeru said. "But I wouldn't call him evil either. Sora-san probably had a better understanding of him than anyone else. I'm not sure about how affected she is by his death. I don't know how Koushiro-san is dealing with Otae-san's death either."
"I see." Taichi murmured. "Thank you for telling me that."
"You're good friends with them both, right?" Takeru questioned. "You can just ask them how they're feeling."
"Didn't you see what happened earlier?" Taichi laughed, nervously. "I'm a disaster when it comes to sensitivity… it seems…" He added, scratching his head.
"That shouldn't stop you from trying." Takeru advised. "People who care for each other shouldn't give up on communicating their feelings. Otherwise, they grow apart… and one day it seems like they were never close to begin with."
It was impossible for Yamato not to relate what his brother had described to the situation of their family. To think that a little kid like him had understood that so well and knew how to put it in words scared and saddened Yamato. He's sounding like an adult… He thought. I assumed that he was going to feel isolated in the camp and that he was going to need me all the time. But he managed everything well on his own. He grew up so much… and he made friends. Yamato glanced at Sora, who was talking to the other kids a couple of meters away. People who were strangers to him a few minutes ago…
"You're really intelligent, aren't you?" Taichi spoke with admiration, smiling at Takeru.
"T-thanks." Takeru blushed.
"And it seems that you became good friends with Sora and the others as well, in a short amount of time. That's impressive!" Taichi added.
"I think we're great friends now." Takeru replied, grinning. "Without realizing it, they became essential to me."
It was a simple statement but it had the power to shake something in Yamato's core. A nasty feeling spread through his body, as if it was being pumped in his veins. However, the older sibling did not know what that feeling was.
"We should head to the bus already." Yamato said, beginning to walk down the hill. "We can't let everybody wait for us."
The trip back took longer than necessary because the driver had to do his job with extra care due to the slipping road. The digimon, pretending to be stuffed animals, were a hit among the other children. Apparently, the girl named Mimi caused surprise among her friends because she wanted to sit with the two boys that had travelled with Takeru to the other world. The little brother glanced down many times at Patamon, who seemed to be meditating on something difficult over the boy's lap.
Yamato sensed that Takeru was worried about the tiny monster for some reason. He pondered about saying something to cheer him up but could not come up with anything. Talking to his little brother had been getting more awkward each time they met. However, the knowledge that he was a small child that needed him usually made Yamato capable of putting his personal discomfort aside to support Takeru.
But now, the gradual distance between them had suddenly grown kilometers. Takeru no longer acted like a small child, but someone a lot older and wiser than Yamato himself.
Ladydevimon was in front of the red door to give her report. It had been two weeks since the fall of the Academy and of the chosen children. With no opposition, the Sanctuary's plans for the Digital World were moving smoothly.
"Babamon's rule over Aurora Town is becoming stricter." Ladydevimon informed. "She's making the police suppress manifestations against her."
"What about Etemon?" The Queen asked.
"He's hiding in the Downtown, supporting the opposition to Babamon. He told me that the citizens of Aurora Town would take care of the situation and that we should not interfere." Ladydevimon answered.
"He has always been that kind of fool." The other woman sighed. "Those who believe that flowers can beat canons."
Ladydevimon felt a known pain in her heart.
"He might achieve something." She dared to sound hopeful. "Last time I saw him, my little brother was more determined than ever to reach everybody's hearts. It seems that he had lost a friend that had inspired him. I wonder who that was."
"It doesn't matter what he does, the end result will be the same." The Queen had a morbid tone. "Only Salvation will change things."
"That's true." The other said in low voice. "It's the only way to erase all the injustice that has befallen this world."
"You've told me about Piedmon, Mugendramon and Metalseadramon. What about Pinocchimon? Has he accomplished his task?" The Queen inquired.
"Pinocchimon is already in the Village of the Beginnings to make sure that no new eggs are created before the Salvation." The fallen angel replied. "He is taking care of the place."
"All the lives lost will be restored after the plan is completed." The Mother assured. "Few digimon remember their past lives. That way, Salvation can bring a new beginning to the new world."
"The digimon who will remember the past could start new conflicts, though." Ladydevimon muttered.
"That won't happen as long as the new world is guarded by a digimon with a kind heart."
The Mother's words made her feel at peace. The ultimate level digimon had never confirmed but Ladydevimon was sure that she – Ofanimon – was the digimon that would guard the world. Once everything ended and the red door was open, the Mother would return to her old ways and make everybody happy. This time, there would be no Academy to oppose her.
A depressing song was playing at the other side of the door. The cries from the corrupted data that once was the population of the Cloud Continent were not too loud. The mix of sounds made Ladydevimon's eyes feel warm. The misery of those poor souls, after thousands of years, would finally end.
However, there was one specific sound missing.
"Has Monzaemon given up on whining?" Ladydevimon questioned, glancing at the barely illuminated corridor, by the end of which his cell was.
"He disappeared a few nights ago." The Mother lowered her tone of voice.
"Disappeared?!" Ladydevimon nearly shouted. "How can that be possible?! He shouldn't be able to use magic here!"
"He vanished from inside the cell." The other informed. "He was shouting incomprehensible things."
"Didn't Monzaemon do that all the time?"
"Yes, but he had never mentioned any Mr. Raindrop before." The Queen answered. "I can think of only one being capable of freeing Monzaemon from here."
"Fate?" Ladydevimon asked, frowning. "What does that thing want with Monzaemon? Hasn't it caused too much harm to the world already?"
"It doesn't matter." The Mother affirmed, full of confidence. "Not even God can stop us now."
Vamdemon's castle had been silent since that day. The perfect level digimon secluded himself in his tower, forbidding everyone to bother him. Besides him, the only living creatures in the castle were Agumon, who was not on the mood to wear wigs, and Picodevimon. The little bat had never seen his master depressed like that.
"Nobody has come here since we lost our army." Agumon muttered one day, when he was sitting on the entrance hall along with Picodevimon, staring at the closed door. "Not even one new recruit..."
"Everybody has heard about what happened." Picodevimon said, glancing down. "They won't even give Master a chance. It wasn't his fault!"
"I really wanted to visit the human world." Agumon sighed. "What about you? Why did you join the army?"
"It was only Vamdemon-sama and I in the beginning." Picodevimon told him. "I was his first follower."
"Why did you stick by his side all this time? He doesn't seem to like you." Agumon was curious.
"Master doesn't need to like me!" Picodevimon nearly snapped. "Someone great like him-"
A knock on the door captured their attention.
"It's open!" Agumon announced.
"Don't say that! We don't know who is at the other side!" Picodevimon hissed.
A Gabumon covered in bruises pushed the door open and entered. His eyes were filled with determination.
"Is this the place where I can find the digimon who can take me to the human world?" Gabumon inquired.
In his tower, Vamdemon was sitting on an armchair, looking at a red-covered book from his childhood called "Prophecy Recompilation." The page with the prophecy that changed his life was still marked. He knew its contents without needing to reread it.
In the world of the humans, a monster that defied death would rise and rule the mortals. Venomvamdemon, lord of the night, invincible until Love engulfs him.
"Then, I simply must never love anyone." He came to that conclusion when he was a child.
"There's no way you're going to become that Venomvamdemon." His peers taunted him.
"Yes, I will! I will rule the human world someday!" He swore. "I will prove it to you all! Just watch me!"
The digimon from his village would not be able to watch him, though. They made the mistake of not surrendering to the Bloody Lord.
Now, nobody would ever see him conquering the human world. He had nor army, nor recognition, nor hope. Vamdemon had dedicated his life to a single goal and now watched as it vanished before his eyes. It had only taken seconds for him to lose everything.
Without warning, someone sang behind him.
"Vem, vamos embora, que esperar não é saber. Quem sabe faz a hora, não espera acontecer."
"Who's there? Who allowed you to enter my tower?!" Vamdemon inquired in cold rage. He slowly stood up and turned his body around. Monzaemon was three meters away, observing a bookshelf.
"Not even one romance here." The stuffed bear censured.
"Did Ofanimon let you go?" Vamdemon questioned.
"It's remarkable that you can say her name as if it was nothing." The toy monster commented. "But you don't do that in front of Ladydevimon and the Dark Masters."
"Answer my questions!" The vampire ordered. "Otherwise, I will cause you a lot of pain!"
"Do you honestly think you can do that?" For the first time, Monzaemon looked at him. The stuffed animal seemed to be bored.
"You're nothing but-" The other began.
"In front of you stands a former priest of the Sanctuary, well versed in magic, who outsmarted everybody there." Monzaemon interrupted, in a tedious tone. "And you're nothing more than the Picodevimon who swore loyalty to the digimon who slaughtered your entire village."
A wave of fury took control of Vamdemon's body. How dared that digimon speak to him with so much disrespect? How dared that toy talk about things he did not understand? To remind him of that day?! Of that angel?! Vamdemon took his whip out of his belt, ready to reduce the talking stuffed bear to data particles.
"Since I came here to propose you something, I should show some consideration for you by answering one of your questions." Monzaemon sighed. "Ofanimon didn't let me go."
"Are you trying to tell me that you escaped?" The vampire snarled.
"I was lost in despair." Monzaemon narrated, darkly. "I couldn't escape the horror slowly reducing me to nothing. There was not even one melody to appease my heart… only screams. One day, all the noises stopped and I heard something beautiful."
"What did you hear?" Vamdemon asked.
"A song." Monzaemon answered in a peaceful tone. "You like prophecies, don't you? Do you know the one about the song of the final day?"
"Have you seen the end of the world to know about that song?" Vamdemon taunted.
"Have I?" The toy had a malicious grin.
"You're not making any sense!" The perfect level digimon was getting frustrated. "Why did you come here?"
"As I said, I have a proposition for you." Monzaemon spoke.
"I'm not interested." The vampire rejected him.
"It's about a great source of power in the human world." The toy informed. "A power greater than you can imagine."
"What kind of power?" Vamdemon was a little curious. "In the human world, you say?"
"Godly power, capable of making wishes come true." Monzaemon replied. "Do you want that power, Vamdemon?"
"Do you take me by a fool?" Vamdemon raised his voice. "Do you think I'm simply going to believe whatever you say?"
"You lose nothing by going to the human world with me." Monzaemon pointed out. "Or would you rather stay in this castle and drown in self-pity?"
Vamdemon felt enraged once again but this time could control his temper better. The other was right. If it was true that there was godly power hidden in the human world, Vamdemon's lack of an army would no longer be a problem. Perhaps that power was the key for him to rule that world and fulfill his destiny. But why would Monzaemon share so much information with him? Although he had never met the former priest personally before that day, the toy's reputation was enough to make anyone wary.
"What's you part in this?" The vampire asked. "Do you suggest that we should share that godly power?"
"I have no interest in acquiring more power for myself." The toy's voice was strangely melancholic. He turned his back to the vampire and returned to examine the bookshelf. "You don't have 'The good King's tale,' do you?" Monzaemon changed the subject. "Fun fact: the author wasn't French, as it's believed. She was actually swi-"
"What's your part in this deal?!" Vamdemon had run out of patience. "Answer me at once!"
"I want to go to the human world, obviously." The toy said in low voice.
"Why?" Vamdemon questioned.
"During my confinement, there was one thought that comforted me." Monzaemon once again sounded melancholic. "What I would do if I had the chance… well, I have unfinished business I must attend to."
"Unfinished business?" Vamdemon was not understanding.
Monzaemon was silent for a few minutes. He stared at the bookshelf, motionless. Then, slowly, he turned around to look at the vampire. Vamdemon took a step back, disturbed by the toy's expression. Monzaemon's grin was so large that it made his face seem distorted.
"There's someone I want to see again." The toy told him. "A certain girl."
Thank you for reviewing. This chapter marks the start of the third arc. The song fragment and the title of the chapter come from the song "Para não dizer que não falei das flores" by Geraldo Vandré. The translation of the fragment is: "Come, let's go, to wait is not to know. Who knows makes the hour, doesn't wait for it to happen."