Disclaimer-I don't own Digimon.
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Homeward Bound
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Dinner was quiet that day. Kouji ate like nothing happened; yet he knew that the first chance they got, Kako and Kouichi would demand where Piximon was. Kouichi eyed his brother cautiously. He knew, although he told himself otherwise, that Kouji was behind Piximon's disappearance. He didn't know why and he didn't want to know why.
Kako wasn't at the table with them. She lay in her room, fast asleep. After the experience back at the inn, Ichiro had called a doctor. The doctor had advised Kouichi to make sure that she was "properly rested and given time to recuperate." The fever that had followed was claimed to be a result of extreme emotional experiences, something that could have possibly shocked Kako so much her normal body functions went haywire.
Kouichi let out a sigh and rose to his feet. It wasn't the same knowing the normally cheerful girl he knew was traumatized by some feeling he hadn't experienced. There had been a needle-prick feeling on the back of Kouichi's neck before Kako passed out, but before that, he remembered nothing. "I'm done," he announced, pushing his chair in. With a quick decline of more food and a polite exchange of good night, Kouichi walked straight into Kako's room to see if she was awake.
As soon as Kouichi opened the door he saw Kako move under the covers. If that wasn't enough proof that she was awake, the muffled sobs were.
Smiling gently, he walked up to her bedside after shutting the door behind him and kneeled down. "Kako," Kouichi murmured, "do you want to talk...?" He held his breath, expected her to scream or hit him. When neither came, Kouichi tried again, "Do you want anything to eat?"
That produced results, however negative they were in technicality. "NO!" Kako shouted, throwing her pillow in Kouichi's face. After that, she continued to let out muffled sobs with her back turned to Kouichi.
He moved onto the bed, sitting down just on the edge. "Kako," Kouichi said, "I'm really worried right now, okay? First, let me check if your fever is-" Before his hand couch touch the covers, Kako wrapped them tighter around her.
"It's gone," Kako told him dully.
Happy that she was talking again, Kouichi let out a sigh. His hand reached for the covers again. "Just let me check anyway, okay?" he asked softly, slightly pulling the covers away.
Kako yelled, "NO!" and furiously pulled the blankets around her.
Quickly, Kouichi yanked back his hand. Her fever is worse than before, Kouichi thought. He had just barely brushed it across her forehead. "Kako, you're burning up," he murmured, standing up.
"No," Kako yelled again, weaker than before.
Nevertheless, the boy made for the door. In a firm voice, Kouichi told her, "I'll go get some soup. You...just get some rest."
Her answer came out in a bare whisper. "No..." she tried to say, but nothing audible came out.
The protests remained unheard in Kouichi's ears as he walked into the kitchen to confront Satomi, who was doing the dishes. His cheeks flushed as he spoke to the lady. It wasn't that he didn't like her, but that he wasn't used to talking to her. It was almost awkward. "U-uh..." he stuttered at first, unsure of what to call her. Satomi was too rude and unlike him. Mrs. Minamoto was awkward; she was his stepmother, too. Yet to call her as he called his own mother wouldn't work. Kouichi stood there, realizing his dilemma.
If she noticed, Satomi didn't show her acknowledgement of his awkwardness. Instead of being awkward as well, she smiled at Kouichi as she turned to him and addressed him by his name. "Yes, Kouichi?"
"D-do you...have any...soup or tea recipes...for fevers...?" Kouichi stammered, clenching his hands by his side. His brother and father were in the living room. Watching TV, Kouichi guessed.
Much to his relief, Satomi nodded. She pointed to the stove and murmured, "I'm making it now. Is she alright?" The look of concern on her face was truly genuine. It almost surprised Kouichi.
He was at a loss for words. "I..." Kouichi started, all traces of hesitance or uneasiness gone. "I...um, I mean...th-thank you," he told her gratefully, bowing deeply. She noticed. She actually noticed, Kouichi thought, amazed. The lady in front of him never ceased to amaze him, despite the fact that she could never match up to his own mother. His respect for her grew to another level.
Satomi seemed relief from the lack of tension in the air. She turned to the stove and checked the pot that was brewing. Almost absentmindedly she told him, "I heard the island leaves are used in the teas here. Supposedly each one carries special properties. I got two of every kind in case it was true. You never know, really. There...it's almost ready..." Satomi trailed off as she took out a cup and poured the contents of the pot in the cup. Before handing the cup to Kouichi, she warned him, "It's still very hot."
Nodding gratefully, Kouichi took the cup, ignoring the blazing heat. He carefully walked back to Kako's room, careful not to spill a drop. When he walked in, he found Kako sitting up, blankets still wrapped around her. "Here," he murmured, shutting the door with his foot. Kouichi walked over and held the cup in front of her. "Satomi told me it's still hot, so..." He trailed off and sat down beside Kako, still holding the cup in front of her.
"Thank you," Kako whispered. She dropped the blankets and accepted the cup, bringing it to her lips. Kouichi guessed the contents had cooled down or Kako was too hot to notice the heat of the liquid. Kako downed it all at once, then shut her eyes and leaned against Kouichi. "Please," she whispered, "please don't leave...I never meant...for Piximon...I...I never even..." Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she tried to continue.
He wrapped his arms around her. "It isn't your fault," Kouichi told her firmly. He found he was repeating himself again and again as Kako continued to cry.
Kouichi wasn't sure what happened, but shortly after, Kako was asleep and darkness overcame him as well.
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"You realize she'll probably never speak to you again."
"I know," Kouji snapped bitterly.
"I could tell Kouichi anytime."
"I could tell Kouichi you helped me," the bandana boy spat.
"I didn't help you. I merely appeared at a bad time and left shortly after."
"Spare me the lies, Duskmon," growled the boy. He slammed his palm down on the desk in front of him. Their vacation in Hawaii was over as of tomorrow morning. All Kouji had accomplished was because of Duskmon. It was because of Duskmon he had finished what he had finished, and he hated it.
The walls that separated his room from the hall and Kako's room from the hall were no barriers to the soft cries that could be heard. Each wail pierced through Kouji. Angrily, he swore and hit his desk again. "Could you shut her up?" he growled, turning to Duskmon. His eyes were narrowed dangerously.
Duskmon frowned, but shrugged. He slunk through the shadows, and after a few seconds, Kouji gave up on waiting for him to come back. The cries quieted, and he was left with peace.
He had another regret to bury deep within his soul. "Hitomi no naka no, hitotsu no regret," Kouji whispered softly. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, Kouichi."
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Izumi had stayed over the night to allow Takuya to get some sleep along with Shinya. She watched as the two boys muttered and kicked each other in their sleep. Now sitting with the two at a late lunch and smiling to herself, Izumi thought, Well Shinya's just like Takuya...almost. The girl giggled and tried to silence herself as Shinya's hands reached up to pat the goggles he wore.
The previous evening, the two had left Shinya at the computer for a mere hour, deciding it was only fair. Videogames had lost their appeal after Izumi lost the twentieth round in a row against the young Kanbara. He didn't blame her. He was just bored. Takuya had slept and Izumi supervised.
But now, all she could think about was Kako. There was no call from her cousin or the twins since they had talked to Kouji that day. Kako would be back in the morning, but...
She could have called, Izumi thought, watching as Takuya scowled and hit Shinya's hand back.
"Hey, they're mine now!" Shinya whined, hitting his brother's shoulder.
Rolling his eyes, Takuya corrected, "I'm lending them to you. And it seems it was a total mistake to do so!" His hands crept up to take the goggles back.
The girl opened her mouth and immediately stopped, seeing the look on Takuya's face. She shivered. "Takuya, don't make that face," blurted Izumi. "You look like a zombie high on being dead."
Shinya burst out into giggles, pointing at his brother under the table. Instead of scowling, Takuya just grinned and said, "Well I do a damn great job of being a zombie, then!"
"Whatever..." Izumi murmured and shook her head. She smiled as she watched the two then wondered aloud, "Shouldn't Kako have called by now...?"
Takuya stopped. "Well..." He frowned, seeming to contemplate the reason. Finally, the boy shrugged, patting his goggle-deprived head. "You know, I bet she has her reasons. Like exploring the sites with Kouichi, swimming with Kouichi, talking to Kouichi, scaring and annoying Kouichi, making-er...making sand castles with Kouichi," Takuya said the last guess somewhat awkwardly, noticing Izumi's intense glare.
The younger Kanbara noticed, too. He pushed his plate towards the center of the table and inquired in a very innocent voice, "When do I get to go out on a date?"
Shocked out of words, Takuya gazed at his brother wide-eyed. The only sounds that came out of his mouth were incomprehensible. "Shinya, try when you're a year older than Takuya is now," Izumi suggested. "That way, the girls'll love you because you'll actually be mature."
"Hey, I'm mature!" Takuya argued.
The young boy smiled. "Okay!" he chirped, pushing his hands against the table to scoot his chair back. "Can we go now?" asked Shinya, looking to his brother and then Izumi for an answer.
Takuya nodded and said, "Yeah...and let's call Kouji while we're at it."
Izumi sent her boyfriend a strange look. "Takuya, they're sleeping now," she told him, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.
He stood up as well. "I know that. But I've always wanted to bug Kouji when he was sleeping!" Takuya admitted with a laugh.
"Takuya..."
As the headed out of the restaurant, the customers at the table two away from the one the Kanbara boys and Izumi had sat at chuckled.
"I bet he didn't know that," Hideki muttered under his breath. He swirled his cup of coffee, watching the liquid slosh back and forth in the cup.
Rai shook her head in exasperation. "Idiot. You know," she suddenly said, leaning back in her seat and gazing up at the ceiling, "I wonder if they can get through this okay."
An eyebrow rose. Hideki placed his cup down and asked, "You don't have faith in them?" He too leaned back in his chair and regarded the lady with an amused expression obvious on his face.
She shook her head. "No...I have faith. I just wonder if they have the will," whispered Rai. "If they don't..." Trailing off, Rai allowed her eyes to fall on Hideki. They held an almost childish fear in them. "Hideki, I need to te-...uh..." Unable to finish her sentence, Rai shut her mouth.
"Hm?"
"Nothing. We should go, too," she said quickly, rising to her feet.
The look on her face remained forever embedded in his mind. "Uh...right," Hideki muttered, standing up and pushing in his seat. What was that about...?
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The morning was gray and silent. Fog descended on the island, matching everyone's mood.
"Well let's drive you to the airport," Mr. Minamoto sighed, scratching the back of his head. He found it awkward now, more than ever, that he was in the same room as his two sons.
Kouichi nodded silently and stood up. "I'll go see if Kako's ready," he murmured, walking to the girl's room.
The younger twin sat down at the table, not meeting his father's eyes. At least...the gate will stay closed, he told himself, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. His father must have noticed Kouji's mood, because he stayed quiet.
"Alright...Kako's ready," announced Kouichi quietly. He walked back to the table and gazed at his father blankly.
Glad that his son was talking to him, even if it was over something as pointless as this, Kousei smiled. He nodded and said, "Then I'll put the bags in the car."
The drive to the airport was quiet. Satomi sat in the front beside her husband and Kouichi was sandwiched in between Kako and Kouji. Kouji looked out the window, and there was no smile visible on his face. Kako fell asleep on Kouichi's shoulder; the fatigue from the previous day's events hadn't worn off.
They arrived at the airport in a matter of minutes. After somewhat indifferent and awkward goodbyes, the twins and Kako sat down and waited for the plane in the gate waiting area.
Five minutes before the boarding call, Kouichi stood up. He regarded his brother silently, then turned to Kako. If I hadn't come, would you still be like this? Maybe...we'll never really know, he thought. A hand fell onto her shoulder and Kouichi squatted down. "Smile, please?" he said softly, looking up in her face. When they locked eyes, Kouichi told her, "I've got to go now, and I doubt I'll get back before you, but whatever you do, smile while doing it. Promise me."
Her lips pressed together tightly, and it was then that Kouichi realized she was trembling. He stood up and sighed. "See ya," he whispered to his brother. He removed his jacket and his cap, placed them in Kako's hands, then turned around and walked off.
Going as he came. Kouji allowed a thin smile to form on his lips. Very noble, Kouichi, he thought, Very noble. The bandana boy turned to Kako and rose to his feet as everyone began to board the plane. "Kako, let's go," he told her bluntly, picking up the bags and heading towards the gate.
Kako followed him wordlessly, her own bags in hand. Kouichi's hat was placed on her head, and her jacket was in one arm. As they boarded the plane and slipped into their seats, Kako whispered, "Later...Piximon."
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Kouichi raced out of the airport, ignoring the chill breeze.
"Hey!" a voice called out.
Immediately, Kouichi turned in the direction of the voice and bowed quickly. "Ryuusei," he addressed the other boy, looking around for some place he could digivolve.
A hard glare was concentrated on Ryu's face. He walked up to Kouichi and held out a fisted hand. "Hold out your hand," he commanded.
The boy let out a sigh. "Listen, I really don't have time-"
"Do it," Ryu growled. Reluctantly, Kouichi obliged. There was the feeling of something dropping in his hand, but he didn't have a chance to ask anything before Ryu said, "I expect you to take care of Kako. You can digivolve into Velgemon there." He stopped talking and pointed to a large building. "It's a helicopter zone, but it's abandoned at the moment. Listen, I hate you for taking Kako and all, but..." With great difficulty, he continued, "But I do respect you. Don't you dare use that for anything stupid. You'll know when to use it. In the meantime, make sure your brother doesn't hurt Kako anymore than he has. I...I went to the forest yesterday, after Kako collapsed. Piximon...well, he's gone now, but...the egg he gave you-keep that safe. Got it?" There was a stolid look on Ryu's face.
Without warning, Kouichi broke out into a smile. Letting out a soft breath that was more of a sigh and closing his eyes, he murmured, "A lot of orders, but thanks for the tips." Kouichi's eyes opened. "That egg is..." he trailed off as Ryuusei nodded. Kouichi inclined his head gratefully. "Then, Ryu, I'll tell Kako you said 'hi.'" He was about to run off, but stopped. Turning around, the boy inquired, "Kendo?" Ryu nodded again. Kouichi smiled again. "Maybe once this is over, you and Kouji could have a match," Kouichi whispered softly. "Thank you!" he yelled out, breaking into a run.
Duskmon appeared by his side. You realize what Marise meant now, don't you? He glided through the shadows with Kouichi.
It wasn't until they reached the building that Kouichi answered. "Yeah," he confessed, bringing out his D-Tector. "Well, I'm too lazy to take the stairs, so Spirit Evolution!" he laughed, digivolving into Duskmon.
Lazy, Duskmon's voice sounded.
Kouichi concentrated on reaching the top. Yeah, yeah. Once at the top, he muttered, "Slide Evolution."
That feeling from before...the restless and unending will to fly that lay within him...all poured out as he digivolved into Velgemon. Piximon was forgotten, Kako was forgotten, Kouji was forgotten. All Kouichi saw was the way home.
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The flight attendant beamed at Kouji. How cute, she thought, noticing the sleeping Kako resting her head on his shoulder. "Would you like anything to drink?" the woman asked politely.
Kouji shot her a cold glare. "No."
She remained smiling, unaffected by Kouji's glare. "And your friend?"
Startled, Kouji turned to Kako. Kako...? She should have some soup or something, Kouji realized. His mouth opened as he turned to the flight attendant. After several seconds of trying to spew out words that made no sense in his head, he asked, "Do you have soup or hot tea?"
"Tea? I believe we should...I'll go check," she told him, walking off.
The bandana boy turned to Kako and pried her off his shoulder. "Kako," he murmured, "do you want tea...?"
Drowsily, Kako found herself swaying back and forth. It looked more like Kouji was moving than herself. In a tired voice, she told him, "I want to sleep." Kako pushed his hands away and leaned against the window.
Kouji grabbed a hold of her and pulled Kako into a sitting position. Undoing the latch that held back the tray on the seat in front of her, he growled, "Not an option." The attendant returned with the tea and Kouji accepted it with a quick thank you. As he turned back to Kako and placed the cup on the tray, Kouji found Kako was asleep again. Damn, he thought, swearing under his breath, does she hate me that much? He shook her awake again.
"Let me sleep," Kako snapped, whacking his hand away. Kouji continued to shake her until she finally sat up and slapped him. "Damn it, Kouji, you're worse than Piximon! I don't want tea, I don't want to talk, and I don't want to be sitting by you right now! Can you not leave me alone?" she yelled.
The silence on the plane had broken. "NO," Kouji growled, rising to his feet and turning away from Kako, "I can't! Screw it, Kako, I don't care. Go sit by some other damn idiot!" He stood there for several seconds, waiting for a response. He found that instead of talking, Kako had fallen asleep again. She...totally ignored me, he noticed, slumping back into his seat. Wow, she hates me that much.
Kako startled him as he settled back into his seat. In a quiet voice, she told him, "I'm sorry." She was still resting her head against the window with her eyes shut, but Kouji felt as if there was something different about her.
"Well I don't really care if you're sorry or not, Kako. I'm trying to help you, and if you don't want me to help, you can just tell me," he snapped in return. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Kouji folded his arms and faced the aisle. Finally, he turned his head to look over his shoulder. "You aren't going to ask me what happened to Piximon?" he asked her softly.
Kako had sat up and was now staring at her tea. She shook her head. Picking up the tea, Kako whispered, "If I asked you, you would lie. If you lied, it would make it worse. Kouichi told me to smile, but it makes me tired just thinking about it." There was silence as she sipped the tea. "He's flying right below us, you know."
Suddenly interested, Kouji asked, "Kouichi?"
There was a nod.
An unwarranted smile broke the icy look on Kouji's face. He chuckled a little and leaned back in his seat. "Sometimes," he murmured, "he worries way too much."
You have no idea, Kako thought to herself, occupying herself with the tea.
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By flying directly under the plane until a while before it landed, Kouichi was able to fly faster and make sure there were no accidents. You never know, he told himself as he dedigivolved on the roof opposite his house, Kanaye could bomb the airport. Smiling to himself as he descended the stairs of the building, Kouichi murmured, "I wonder what Mom will say..."
She's right down there, you know, Duskmon pointed out to the boy.
Kouichi nearly jumped. "Duskmon," he hissed, "get back in my room before someone sees you!"
With a snort, Duskmon demanded, "Like?"
"Uhhh..." Kouichi stopped at the base of the stairs to scratch his head. Finally he shrugged and said, "I guess no one at this time, but it doesn't matter. Get going!" With a wave of a hand, he motioned the digimon to go.
Not much to his amazement, Duskmon left, but only after muttering under his breath for at least a minute.
Kouichi raced to the front of his house just as his mother came out. "Mom," he murmured, suddenly feeling extremely awkward.
Miss Kimura gazed at her son for several seconds before she broke into a smile. "Kouichi, you never said good-bye, you know," she scolded jokingly, ruffling his hair as she walked towards the car.
The boy let out a nervous laugh. It's good to be home, he thought. Running to catch up to her, he told her, "Sorry, I wanted to get there as soon as possible. Duskmon wasn't too blunt, was he?" He could imagine Duskmon just trying to scare his mother.
Laughing, Tomoko shook her head. "No...he was rather polite about it," she murmured, pausing to think as she opened the door. Finally, she got in the car and opened the door for Kouichi. "But for now, let's go get your brother."
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Kouji pulled another bag off the belt. "I'm sorry," he muttered for the twenty-fifth time.
"Would you shut up with the 'sorry's?" Kako growled, wishing she could throw her backpack at him. The only reason she didn't was because of the digi-egg in it.
He sighed as another bag passed by that wasn't theirs. "Listen, Kako," Kouji said, turning to the girl. They had all their bags, and he didn't exactly have to pay any attention to the passing baggage anymore. "Let's get walking, and just listen, okay?"
Kako shrugged. "Okay," she murmured, picking her bags up and walking to the exit without waiting for Kouji.
"Wait!" Kouji yelled, dragging the remaining bags behind him as he tried to catch up to Kako. Great, I'm overwhelmed with guilt and she's not letting me apologize. Damn it, I hate girls. It's a good thing she can't read minds or I'd really be dead, he thought to himself, sighing in relief as they reached the room. "You see, Kako, I-"
Instead of listening, Kako pretended to be absorbed in looking out the window. "Nope, no Hideki yet," she muttered. "Maybe I should actually call him now..." She walked up to Kouji and held out her hand. "Cell phone please."
Trying not to yell, Kouji growled, "Would you listen? Look, the entire incident with Piximon, while executed by me, wasn't completely my fault! Do you know what could have happened if he was still here?" Both of his hands fell on her shoulders and he shook her to get the meaning through. "Kako, he could have opened that gate," Kouji told her in a stern voice.
Wordlessly, Kako pushed his hands away. Turning around, she muttered, "Spare me the excuses."
"It's not an excuse!" Kouji yelled, grabbing her arm and turning her to face him.
"Let me go." Her eyes flickered.
The bandana boy remained adamant. "Just listen then," he snapped, grabbing a hold of his other arm as she tried to struggle out of his grip.
Kako's eyes narrowed on him. She exhaled sharply. In a steady voice, Kako commanded, "Kouji, let me go."
"Damn it Kako, why can't you understand?" Kouji hissed, leaning forward.
Eyes wide, Kako tried stepping back, but Kouji moved forward with her. "Wh-what are y-" she tried to ask, but was cut off when his lips collided against her own. Her heart was hammering, and everything was far from understood at that moment.
Someone cleared their throat from behind her. Reddening, Kako struggled to push Kouji away and stepped back into someone else. Kouji pulled away of his own accord and gazed at the person behind her. "Kouichi," he murmured, taking a slight step back. "Uh-"
"You know, Mom was honking at least three times, and you guys still didn't see. Are you going to come? Oh, Kako, apparently you're spending the night at our house because Hideki is...busy," Kouichi informed them, helping Kouji pick up his luggage. "Hurry up. You two are slow."
Angrily, Kako hit Kouji's arm. "Jerk," she muttered, picking up her own luggage and storming after the older twin.
The bandana boy followed, letting out a sigh. Well I tried. She might as well give me credit for that, he thought grumpily. And Kouichi could at least be jealous or something.
"Kouji, hurry up!" Kouichi yelled from the car.
"Coming!"
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"So how was it?" Izumi asked the next day as they sat in the restaurant across from the arcade for an early lunch, eyeing her cousin nervously. Kako seemed to have an evil aura about her.
Kako shrugged indifferently and stared at Shinya. That morning, Izumi and Takuya had informed the twins and Kako about the events that had passed in their absence. "So...Kanaye...was on the move while we were gone. Great going, Kouichi. You were really needed in Hawaii," she muttered, her eyes moving to the boy who was poking at his food.
Startled, Kouichi looked up and reddened. He tried to explain himself but ended up stuttering, "I-wh-um...s-I...but..." Eventually the words stopped coming and Kouichi shut his mouth. "Sorry," he murmured, looking away.
"I didn't mean it like that, idiot," Kako snapped. Noticing all eyes on her, Kako shifted uncomfortably. Under her breath, she muttered, "Way to go."
"I'm sorry," Kouichi mumbled again, more miserably this time than before.
In an annoyed voice, Kako told him, "I had this conversation with your dear twin last night, and I don't want to have it with you." She turned to Shinya and asked, "So Takuya gave you his goggles?"
Happily, Shinya nodded. He then asked, "Where's Piximon?"
Kouichi froze and Kouji, who had just come over to their table, stopped in his tracks. Clearing his throat, Kouji turned around and headed back to the table Tomoki and Junpei sat at.
"What's with him?" Takuya asked, raising an eyebrow.
Her eyes were devoid of emotion as she looked up. Allowing her eyes to slip shut, Kako placed her hands palm down on the table and pushed herself up. Quietly, she told them, "Piximon is detained at the moment and may never come back."
Eyes softening, Kouichi murmured, "Kako...you don't-"
"Be quiet. I'm going home," Kako snapped, walking out of the restaurant wordlessly.
Takuya followed Kako with his eyes. After she was out the door, he turned to Kouichi, who sank back in his seat. There was no smile on Takuya's face as he asked, "What happened?" It was a rare moment that he felt left in the dark and felt the need to be informed.
Uneasy, Kouichi sent a glance at his brother. Kouji was absentmindedly nodding to all of Junpei and Tomoki's questions. "See, it happened two days ago, and I'm not sure how it happened, but..." He trailed off and drew a breath. In a quiet voice, Kouichi began, "Kako and I were at the inn and Kouji decided to take Piximon with him..."
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Kako threw the door open and saw her bags blocking the entrance to the kitchen. Annoyed, she slammed the door shut, tossed her shoes off and picked up her bags. After a journey to her room that ended with her tossing her bags out of her room, Kako snapped, "Hideki if you're making out with Rai, do so out of the house," and fell on her bed, not bothering to close the door.
She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream. She wanted to leave the world and never come back.
"Go away," she muttered, ignoring the stinging of her eyes and focusing instead on the gentle footsteps that entered the room.
Rai sat on Kako's bed, a sad smile on her face. Gently brushing Kako's hair out of her face, Rai murmured, "Bad vacation?" It was more a statement than a question, but nevertheless, she decided the girl ought to have some choice in answering.
Sitting up, Kako turned to Rai. "Does it hurt this much?" she asked in a whisper. Her eyes were overfilled with tears that spilled out endlessly.
Not knowing how to answer, Rai wrapped her arms around the girl and pulled her into a hug. In a low murmur, she told Kako, "I'm sorry, Kako, but there's no easy cure. You have to live out the pain and eventually you move on." As the cries grew louder, Rai tightened her hold. "Keep crying...for now, I'll stay with you, okay?" she whispered.
It hurts, Rai thought, like being forgotten. As long as you don't forget Piximon, Kako, you'll be able to be happy. Smile again, soon. The cries quieted down, reduced to chokes and sniffs. A soft sigh escaped Rai. "Sometimes, we can't stop losing what we love, but every second you try to fight back is worth it," she whispered. Don't make my mistake.
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A/N-
Several things: Parents, bad chapter, realization I messed up Ch. 26 (I get in such a hurry to post I never remember what to fix), and the fact that Mr. Wada isn't singing in Digimon Savers contribute to my unhappiness. Especially the first and the last items. The chapters I can fix (and I have fixed 26). Parents are naturally nagging. But Kouji Wada isn't singing...:goes to cry in a corner:. I also cried for thirty seconds while writing Kako's part (in the beginning) because I realized: Piximon's gone!
And sorry Kouji (Minamoto, not Wada). XP Didn't mean to make you Mr. Evil-Piximon-Killer.
Thank you for the reviews (and putting up with my idiocy!)! Big thank yous to: Lady Hikari-Yami, GemmaniGirl, Winter's Light
Review or PM or Flame!
