Hello, everyone! Thanks for reading. I have decided to publish the first chapter of this fic for Odaiba Day '14, Digimon's 15th anniversary. I'd love some feedback, your thoughts, feelings, whether you enjoyed it or not, what improvements you suggest, etc. Enjoy!

I do not own Digimon

A Second Chance

Chapter 1 – A Brief Wander

He should get it over with. It wouldn't be long before his mother would bug him about it again. It was cyclical. She'd bring up the topic, and like clockwork the argument played out identically each time. The thought made him restless. The longer he held it off, the worse it became. Eventually he'd have to visit them. Did he even want to do it? No. He'd think about it later. Right now he wanted some fresh air, away from the stifling tension he could taste in the air. He needed to get out of the house. Maybe to Palette Town, ride the giant Ferris wheel.

"Mom, I'm going out again." Takeru jogged to the apartment door, his messenger bag flung hastily over his shoulder. Slipping on his shoes, he fought briefly with the heels.

"Again?" his mother's exasperated voice called to him, her head eventually poked out of her study. "It's getting closer to the start of school. Your grades are going to suffer."

Takeru finished tying his laces. He wiped off some sand left over from yesterday's walk. That would need to be swept up when he got home. "They will not! I can go out once in a while, you know."

"It's every night! You stay out too late. There's still so much to do around the apartment."

"I'll be back before it gets dark, then."

"... Are you going to-"

"No."

"Takeru, the whole point of coming here was to see them."

His mother's disapproving stare dug into the back of his neck, sending chills down his spine. He gripped at the door handle, half a mind to kill the conversation with a door slam. With a sigh, his hand loosened and slid off the handle. "... I don't even know what we'd talk about, mom. I don't know them."

"Get to know each other! You spend so much time outside doing who knows what-"

"It's just walking. It's not like there's much else to do around here."

"Then go see him. The more time you spend together, the more you'll have to talk about."

"I just... can't. Mom, please." Takeru begged, turning back to look at her. His mother sighed. She leaned against the door frame, eyes closed in thought.

"Well... if you're not going to go, at least find time to make some friends. Last thing I need is for you to go off somewhere on your own and... I'd feel a lot better if you weren't alone while out there."

Fingers tapped impatiently on the door handle. "...Maybe."

His mother clapped her hands together, a small gasp on her lips. "Oh, I know! Why not see if the Yagami's still live around here? You and their daughter always looked so cute together!"

Takeru rolled his eyes, heat prickling his cheeks. "Alright, mom, I'm heading out."

"Oh, and honey! Don't go near the ADR borders, please? The beaches really aren't safe."

"I will, mom. You know me."

Her eyes flicked to his shoes. "That's exactly why I'm mentioning it."

He waved goodbye and slipped out the door. Feeling some relief, his shoulders relaxed as he walked, getting halfway down the hall by the time his mother opened it again.

"Also, please finish unpacking when you get back! I've been asking for three days!"

"Alright! Alright!" Takeru blushed, glancing around for any open ears in the hallway. Hunching his shoulders, he stepped onto the elevator. "See you later!"

He was getting to know his way around the immediate area. The walks he took every day were paying off; Odaiba was small, so luckily, finding his way around was easy.

He could run across the street, jump over the vehicle bars to the footpath down to the beach. Though, his mother was probably watching for just that to scold him later.

It wasn't like he wanted to swim, he just liked the ambience of being out on the shoreline. Not like he could swim, of course; even if the water was cleaner, the entire beach was closed off to civilians. It was intermittently marked by bright yellow signs depicting a little bowing man and a written apology for the inconvenience. Beyond that, anything within 50 metres of the water's edge was considered off-limits, a restriction so extensive most of the footpaths and observation decks begun to crack and rot.

Daiba Park was still open and had its small barrier apart from Odaiba's. The slight stretch of land between it and the main island was not protected however, and was all an enter-at-your-own-risk endeavour. He'd occasionally see groups of young children daring each other to sprint to the small island only to be chastised by their parents later.

Takeru made his way past the school, avoiding the downtown area by following along the beach. He stopped at Kaihin Koen. The sandy beach was warm, sapping his tensions as he took in the area's serenity. The water was a deep blue on sunny days, perfectly matching the vibrant greens of the trees. The rest of Minato beyond was visible, a stark grey-coloured skyline against the clear blue skies, with the Rainbow Bridge a pure white span linking the island to the mainland. At night it lit up in the vibrant colours of its namesake. It was quickly becoming one of his favourite places to visit; when he was here, it was easy to forget the entire world was under siege.

He stared mindlessly at the scenery for a good half-hour before finally, he picked himself up and moved on. He took the long way to Promenade Park, made his way around Shiokaze Park and the worn-down statues overlooking the bay. The park areas without housing or businesses required restrictions nearly one hundred metres from the water.

At one point, he was sure it was all well-maintained. There wasn't much care given to any area outside of the barriers. Whether by earthquakes, attacks, or vandalism, each statue broke apart. Many had grown over with moss, marred with occasional splashes of graffiti. Rocks meant to act as artful walls and meticulous paths were overgrown with weeds and moss and the nearby trees lacked pruning. He walked along the rope with warning signs, letting civilians know where the safety line was. They were heeded by most. To Takeru, they were practically invisible. Just more clutter that blurred and faded into the background like everything else he'd grown up with. His feet stepped on cut grass and maintained concrete, centimetres away from the wilds of an abandoned world.

Takeru stopped to take it all in. The silence of the park, where even the sounds of the cars barely penetrated. Litter and debris haphazardly dotted a path no human walked along in a decade. Today, no one ventured the approved parts of the park and no boats floated on the river. Solitude. Or seclusion. Like he was the last person left on Earth.

With a shiver, he backtracked a little to make his way through Promenade into the city and to the foot pass.

Typically, around summer, Odaiba was bustling with tourists from all over. Global travel was more complicated in recent years, but not impossible. Tourism took a heavy hit as people opted to stick mostly to their own countries or towns. Now the majority of tourists were from other parts of Japan. Odaiba was being built up as an incredible entertainment district in the '90s. While the attacks didn't outright stop it, the development was stunted at the turn of the century to make way for an increased military presence.

On his way over to Palette Town, Takeru stared intently at one of those encampments in an empty lot that at one time may have been cleared for a mall. It was a small camp, tents lined the outer brim with several people inside, from what he could see. This camp was assigned to protect the entire area of Daiba, from the shipyards in the east and south to half of Ariake to the west. It was surprising there were three bases for such a small area, though he supposed due to Odaiba being an island complex with different moving parts, it had to be that way. He remembered reading something about abandoned waste dumps just a little ways off, likely not worth the effort or expense to protect.

Setagaya didn't have nearly the amount of bases so close together. There was a river that ran along the edge of the city, with three bases along the length, but other than that he couldn't recall running by bases all that often in his day-to-day life. During the move he must have passed at least three dozen camps between his old home and Odaiba. To have one within the neighbourhood was weird, but when he thought about it, it made sense, considering how much water was nearby.

The barriers usually stopped by the water, ineffective on a non-solid surface. None of them reached far. They were digital field; a firewall, invisible to most people normally, though they weren't perfect. The occasional breach of weaker monsters made the news. The larger the barrier, the weaker it became. Many attempts had been made to expand the barriers, with little success. It was decided to layer the barriers for maximum protection.

They were annoying. Cellphones and most other electronic devices had to be switched off when going from ADR to ADR. Each city and special ward had a barrier. Smaller ones were dedicated to wards and districts, even wealthy business centres or public attractions. Not that there were many of those. Large gatherings were perfect weak points for attack. Japan learned that the hard way. There were enough of them to be inconvenient to the average person with a phone or listening to music, though switching them on and off also fell into the listless daily habits.

The largest barrier in Japan surrounded the whole of Tokyo; weak, but effective enough to be a hindrance. It barely covered Odaiba, stretching nearly to Ota, Soka and Ichikawa, just covering Setagaya and Nerima.

The top of the barriers were the strongest. They were arched in a dome with the barrier processors at the epicentre, making them most robust nearest to them. Odaiba's was at the Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation only a little ways from here. For such a small island with a strong barrier, it was unlikely there would be much worry of attack from one of those monsters.

A digimon.

He'd never seen one in the flesh before, only in posters, pamphlets, images on the news. There were so many varieties and in so many different shapes and sizes. His mother was keen on keeping him away from anything involving them. Most of the breaches were of smaller, more harmless ones. The stronger digimon did attack occasionally, breaking through barriers. He overheard an older couple that lived next door mention something about odd openings between our world and the digimon world as being the main cause of unexplained breaches. Maybe that was true. If so, the military really did have their hands full.

Takeru slowly moved on, carefully watching the camp as he did. He couldn't remember a time when he was particularly interested in the military and their activities, not unless there was something near him. Ignoring them became harder and harder after his father and brother joined. It was the reason he'd been so antsy to leave.

Craning to see more of the encampment, Takeru stepped a little closer, painfully aware that he could be reprimanded by the personnel inside if he got too close. He wasn't sure what he expected to see: perhaps how the system worked, what the military personnel did when not directly in combat. Something that could give him a reason why both his father and Yamato felt the need to join.

A flicker in the periphery of his eye caught his attention. He looked out from the camp to the sea beyond. Were there digimon out there now, trying to get in? He looked around, squinting, hoping it would make it easier to see. A shadow fell over him, passing by in an instant. His heart sped up, spotting the owner of the shadow overhead. A large bird-type digimon, red flames made up its plumage, razor-sharp teeth jutting from its beakless jaws.

Takeru's heart jumped into his throat as he watched the hellbird send a shower of fire down, bombarding the barrier. Below, the military camp came alive. Retaliation fire flew effortlessly past the barrier. The bird monster dodged with mild effort on its part, barely twitching a muscle as it glided this way and that.

The military was now on full alert, sirens blaring. Yells of orders and directions fought for dominance over the other noises. Takeru clapped his hands over his ears, watching the bird intently as he backed off from the scene.

The flame bird was soon joined by another bird digimon, a black, crow-like behemoth crowned with a gold helm that blended smoothly into its beak. The joints of it's midnight wings were tipped with polished, clawed vajra that moved unevenly with every flap. Two legs sprouted from below it's bristling white mane while a third dragged behind from the base of its tail. It circled its smaller partner, the bullets from the military guns disintegrating from the creature's aura.

Canons fired at the two digimon, the sky exploding into black clouds of shrapnel. By this time, Takeru was already sprinting toward Palette Town. His eyes were fixated on Daikanransha.

His legs felt like straw; as though they'd give way the next step he took. He could hear a loud banging behind him. Almost tripping over himself, he briefly looked back to see the two bird digimon body-slamming the barrier. Claws raked at the nearly invisible firewall, sparks crackling into the air. Even from this distance, Takeru could smell the unmistakable scent of something burning. A moment later a gust of hot wind shoot past, almost knocked him to the ground.

Any notion of hiding in the shopping mall shattered with the barrier above, a high-pitched screech

filling Takeru's ears. He kicked into a turn, sprinting down the path towards Tokyo Teleport,

jumping the steps three at a time. On the last step his sneaker lost its grip and he mashed is teeth

together in response. Growling, his knees scraped the concrete, his body twisting barely in time

to avoid is face meeting the same fate. Scrambling on the ground he struggled to stand, his jittering

hands refusing to catch until he put actual focus into the action. No good, none of this was any

good. Forcing himself up, stopping never crossed his mind until the he passed under the protective

shade of the skyscraper.

Without bothering to care about what other people around him might think, Takeru finally allowed his body to give, and he slumped to the ground. His lungs burned, but he kept gasping for air, sitting like a ragged doll, flopped over until his body calmed down enough for him to stand.

Peeking over the rail back at the shopping complex, he saw Birdramon and the crow digimon had broken in. They were fighting directly with the military group. A blast shot from a tank, hitting Birdramon in the chest. It dropped to the ground with a loud boom, a cloud of dust billowing from the impact. The military personnel threw some sort of net on the flame bird, and soon the crow retreated.

It was the first time he'd been that close to a battle. Such attacks were usually reported on a newscast documenting digimon activity. If the attacks were severe enough, they would appear on the evening news. Being so close to the conflict, Takeru hoped he didn't get caught on camera. His father would see for sure.

"Crap," Takeru muttered, noticing the white marks on his jeans. Rolling them up with a wince, he gingerly pulled them over the raw, peeled flesh. How was he going to explain this? A shrill cry caught his attention as he rolled his pant legs down.

He watched as more personnel surrounded the bird, struggling to get free. Many dive-bombed out of the way as it opened its mouth, breathing a thick flame that scorched the ground. Moments later, Takeru could feel a hot wind pass over his face. He couldn't imagine the heat close by if he could feel it from over here.

A shrill cry filled his ears as the bird was shot with a taser, struggling and looking around frantically for its long retreated partner. The bird gave a mournful cry as its body lost shape pulsing between a tangible and pixelated body. The scream stopped Takeru's breath, and he suddenly felt cold.

Now that the threat was taken care of, the soldiers scanned the perimeter, securing the area if there were more incursions. They were getting closer to Takeru's hiding place and would question him if found. It was either that, or go somewhere he was sure he'd be safe. The closest place was... his father's. Maybe it was time to get it over with.

Stepping off the pedestrian path, he wandered around until his legs stopped and feeling like jelly. He trudged toward Searea Gobangai complexes, where his father and brother lived. There was nothing left to do except to get it over with. This time he'd cut through downtown. He was unsure about his dad, but unless Yamato was with his band, he was likely at home. Then again, perhaps dad had been called out for the battle he just witnessed? If he wasn't, would he scold Takeru for being out during that attack without seeking a proper shelter?

He passed one such shelter that was in the downtown area. Hundreds of them were built in the few years following the first digimon attacks. Many were connected to underground rail systems. Each had a little barrier, small enough to keep out any digimon they've come across yet. Thankfully it wasn't too frequent.

He heard a friendly jingle from the loudspeakers near the shelters. A few dozen people left the underground staircase to the shelter. The tune was an all-clear that the threat was neutralized. Those within the shelter had relieved smiles on their faces, talking about how quickly the military must have dispatched the digimon threat. Takeru walked faster. His stomach felt tight hearing those words.

To any normal person, the arches in the middle of the complex's stairs were colourful and inviting but for Takeru, they were practically suffocating. Arriving at the apartment door, Takeru took a laboured breath before knocking. It felt weird standing there, as though he didn't belong or was at the wrong door—he wasn't. He double-checked.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he shook his head. He shouldn't be stupid. It was his brother and father; people he should be familiar with. There was no reason to be hesitant. This was family. He shouldn't act like he was meeting strangers. Though with how often he'd seen them since the divorce, they might as well have been. Exhaling, he finally knocked at the door and waited.

A minute later, the door opened, and a broad-shouldered man answered, his expression changed from mild annoyance to surprise as he looked down at Takeru.

Takeru cleared his throat, opening his mouth, taking time to inhale before speaking. "Uh... hi, dad. Nice to see you. Is Yamato home, too?"

Hiroaki nodded, opening the door wider. "Yeah... Come in, Takeru."

He complied, following his father stiffly into the apartment. He silently took off his shoes, taking a moment to look for guest slippers. There were no slippers at all. His father rummaged in a closet, handing a pair over to him. Taking a seat at the kitchen table, Takeru looked around the apartment, scratching the back of his head.

It had a different feel than his place. More disorganized, slightly cluttered and messy. Perhaps it lacked that feminine touch from his mother, or maybe a feeling of family. It was sort of what he imagined a place lived in by college roommates would feel like. Yamato's door was closed. He figured he was in there, doing something or another. Hiroaki walked over, giving a sharp rap on the door.

"Yamato, get out here. We have a visitor."

"Who is it?" Takeru heard Yamato's voice, muffled through the door.

"Well, why don't you get up off your ass and look?" Hiroaki snapped.

A brief silence fell over them before Yamato finally opened the door, running his fingers through his hair. "I swear, if it's Jun again, I'm going right back—Takeru! Wow. Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you until school started up again. How have you and mom been?"

"Mom's busy, as usual. I've been good. Just settling in," Takeru said. Yamato joined him at the table. Their father took a beer and two bottles of milk tea from the fridge. He set one down for Yamato, holding the other one out for Takeru. He hesitated, then grasped the bottle and uttered a low thank you.

"Odaiba isn't big. You'll get the hang of it pretty quick," Yamato said. "There isn't too much to this place. Not compared to downtown Tokyo."

Takeru forced an awkward laugh. "Yeah, I guess if I were really bored, I could take a trip off the island."

"If you go across the water, remember where the checkpoints are," Hiroaki said. He opened the can quickly. A few droplets of beer sprayed halfway across the table, and Takeru could smell the pungent odour. "Be aware of the weak points and stay clear of those areas."

Yamato laughed. "I'm sure he'd be fine, dad. He's a smart kid. I got into way crazier shit when I was fifteen."

"You say that, but there was an attack just a few minutes ago," Hiroaki said. He patted his pockets, then pulled out a small radio. "I was actually gonna suit up and join the lads, but it looks like it all got resolved quick enough. You weren't out there with those damn birds flying around, were you?"

"Uh, n-no. I was walking around, but they captured the digimon before I even made it to the shelter. I was... near Daiba. So I only realized because I saw an announcement when walking by a screen." It technically wasn't a lie that he'd been walking around Daiba.

"I see. Smart choice." Hiroaki took a swig of his beer, sparing little more than a thought to Takeru's words.

Takeru gave a halfhearted smile, his shoulders relaxing. "Thanks. So... you got a new job at the miltary? Mom and I were surprised when we heard you quit your job at Fuji TV."

"Well, they don't need many personnel at the station. I figured I'd find something more productive. But it's great. Sometimes I do more of the same because of my experience. There are different jobs to do, depending, and battle training is intense." Hiroaki looked around; his eyes kept glancing back to the phone. "Though it has been a little busy as of late."

Takeru wondered if he was referring to the recent attack. It was so close, the fight might have been heard around the whole island. Perhaps he was phoned to join? Or had there been other things he was referring to?

He took out his cell, giving his mom a text to let her know he was okay and was visiting his father.

"Yeah, I had a taste of that training—kind of brutal. The youth program looks a lot softer," Yamato said, leaning back and glanced at the fridge. "Hey, would you like a snack? We have mochi in the fridge."

Takeru looked up from his phone. "Yeah, sure. So, how come you took an adult course if you're still seventeen?"

Yamato got up and started rummaging through the fridge. "Well, there isn't much of a point getting myself stuck in a youth program when I'm going to be eighteen in a few months. Dad pulled some strings. They made an exception for me. What about you? At your age you can join the youth program and get the full experience."

"I... don't know. Maybe. It's kind of scary, isn't it? Fighting digimon?" Takeru didn't fail to notice the look his dad was giving him. He tensed again, eyes darting back to his bottle. He picked at the plastic label.

"It can be frightening," Hiroaki said. "But you get used to it after a while." Takeru nodded. Yamato placed a plate of multi-coloured mochi down in front of Takeru. With a mumbled thanks, he took a sip of his drink, reaching out for a purple rice cake.

"So, have you made any new friends?" Yamato asked.

Takeru shook his head. "No. I hope I'll meet a few people when school starts up. Maybe I'll join the basketball team."

"Hikari Yagami still lives in Searea Gobangai. You remember her, right?" Takeru's eyes widened. "She used to ask about you all the time after you left."

"Yeah? It's been... nearly ten years. I doubt she still remembers me."

Yamato moved his head from side to side, spiky hair nearly touching his shoulders as he did. "Well, it's a place to start."

"True," Takeru whispered. Maybe it would work out. If he and Hikari could reconnect, he'd have an easier time adjusting to a new school. He wondered how much she'd changed.

Takeru talked with Yamato and their dad for a few hours—catching up, reminiscing, and chatting about the state of things. Yamato mostly talked about his band, though there wasn't much to talk about in the first place; the ban on large gatherings really killed any kind of upward momentum they might have had. Most of their appearances were in small bars, or a small open theatre; only when the venue could be heavily monitored. They had to adjust. Most of their exposure was from word of mouth, or found through the internet.

Hiroaki explained the basics of what he did in the military. He was too old by now to do a lot of the physical work for hours on end. A lot of it was paperwork, organization, information-gathering. During battles, he operated some larger ground weapons. Sometimes he had to quell dissent among the citizenry. There had been recent talks about changing the SDF to a more active role.

"But wouldn't that go against the agreement we made?" Takeru asked. "We're not supposed to have anything but a defence force."

"It's a lot different now that we're fighting against aliens," Hiroaki explained. He'd long since emptied his first beer and nearly finished his second, with a third waiting on the side. "Some people think it's time that we should build up our military might again and take take the fight to them. It's complicated, but it's the only answer I keep coming across. Plenty of people think we can drive them out and keep them from coming back, and that'd be enough, but I don't really see that panning out..."

"Some people are looking too far ahead, thinking about what happens when the digimon are gone and our military actually has some bite." Yamato added. "They've got a point, but what do they expect us to do?"

Takeru nodded, silent in his contemplation. It was all complicated stuff that went over his head. None of it seemed like there was an easy answer.

It was nearly sunset by the time he left. He stepped out of the elevator, hands in his pockets, feeling lighter than when he came to the building. He was glad that he listened to his mother; next time it would feel more natural to go back. Perhaps he'd go back to Kaien Koen before heading home.

"Takeru!" A feminine voice called out from behind him. Shocked and mildly curious, Takeru turned around. A figure ran towards him through the muggy evening haze. It was a girl, locks of brown hair clinging to beads of sweat along her forehead. Her lily sundress was ruffled along the skirt and shoulders, and an egg-shaped camera case dangled from her neck, bouncing against her stomach. Seconds later she skidded to a halt in front of him, her breath heavy, but her face was graced with a brilliant smile and a dim glow of the nearby streetlight cast her hair with a warm halo. Bent forward, her held herself up with hands on knees as she caught her breath. Wiping at her brow, she pushed her hair back into place as she stood straight. "It is you! I hardly recognized you!"

"Uh," he said stupidly. He swallowed when her brown eyes met his. "Hi. Don't mean to be rude, but how do you know my name?" The girl's smile faded into a pout.

"You don't remember?" She looked vaguely familiar, Takeru had to admit. He couldn't place a name, however. "Maybe you'll remember this? Just one second..."

The girl dug around in her pockets before taking out a whistle. Takeru's eyes widened. She put the whistle up to her lips and blew softly.

"Hikari?" Her smile returned. "Wow, hi! It's great to see you. You look..." Amazing. "Different."

She giggled. "So do you, but I think I'd recognize that blond mop of yours anywhere." She ruffled his unkempt hair. Takeru laughed and grabbed her hands.

"Whoa, now! What happened to the shy girl I knew?"

Hikari laced fingers with his and squeezed. He loosened his grip in surprise. She slipped out of his grasp, fingers trailing butterfly marks along his skin. He shivered. "Maybe she grew up a bit?"

It was true. She had a different air about her. She held herself more confidently and spoke clearly with conviction, not to mention how playful she was. When they were little, she rarely spoke without her whistle, and her older brother was usually always somewhere close by. He and Taichi were both able to understand what she was saying by how she blew the whistle. By the time Takeru moved away, Hikari had become comfortable enough to speak to him without the whistle. Still, she was so soft-spoken it was often hard to hear her.

"Pretty impressive change." Takeru smiled. "How'd you know I was in the area?"

"Your brother called, said you were outside. I'm glad I caught you!"

"Yeah, me too. So, how have you been?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Nothing in my life has been all that entertaining. Other than Taichi moving out. But that's a given."

"Wow, already? My brother is still living with dad. Did he graduate early? Or just not attend senior high school?"

"He attended. But things have been a little... troubled at home in the last few years." Hikari's eyes danced around, avoiding eye contact with Takeru. What was on her face couldn't be considered a smile so much as an attempt at friendly teeth-baring. He gently touched her shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She eventually looked up at him and gave a small, forced smile. It was more natural than the one she had moments ago, at least. He took a step down the concrete stairs, holding his hand out to her. "Come on, we'll go to Kaihin Koen."

"That's near a beach." She looked around, a little worried.

"I know. But it's kind of serene, don't you think? I have only been living here for a few days, but I enjoy going there. Besides, isn't it one area that is protected by the coast guards?"

Hikari was silent for a moment, her eyes cast down in thought. "I guess it would be fine to go there. I'd like to spend more time with you."

Takeru smiled, turning around to face the beach. "Hikari Yagami the rebel."

She giggled. "Maybe Takeru Takaishi is just a bad influence?"

Takeru laughed, stopping at the bottom of the steps, and turned around to face her. "Perhaps. But at least you accept that."

Crossing the street, they walked through the short strip of foliage to stroll along the beach, shoes and socks tucked in their hands. Neither of them talked, just enjoying the sight and smell of the ocean. Choosing a spot, they settled down, wrapping their arms around their legs. Hikari stared out at the water, deep in thought.

At that moment, Hikari looked very different to Takeru. Her expression was complicated, and the rigid way her body rested betrayed the stresses hiding within. Her eyes darted this way and that, brow creasing and smoothing as she internally fought with herself over something. He looked away to give her some privacy to think, staring at the greenish-blue of the water before them.

"My brother... renounced the military," she said after a prolonged silence. Takeru looked over at her, his mouth slightly agape at the news. The country was practically unanimous on the military's increased activity. The encroachment into their lives was seen as a necessary inconvenience as long as it meant there would be protection from digimon. He studied her expression, biting the inside of his lips at the worried look on her face.

"There are plenty of people who disagree with how the military runs things. Your family isn't heavily involved in the war, are they?"

Hikari shook her head. "My father backs them with donations when he can, but that's about it. That's not the problem. He joined... an anti-military rebellion group."

"What!" Takeru winced at the volume the reaction came with. He tucked his head into his shoulders, giving Hikari an apologetic look. She jumped at his loud exclamation. Was it his imagination, or had she flinched away? "Don't those guys go around messing with the military They're crazy, right?"

"Yeah, but they don't just meddle in things. Some of those groups are actively pro-digimon, and some are even saying we should lose and the digimon should be in charge..." She hugged herself, resting her chin on her knees. "It's... not good out there, Takeru. I can't go five feet without someone talking about him behind his back... And the worst part is, what do I even say? I just... don't know what to do."

Takeru frowned. "Did he tell you why? I remember he was always really dependable."

Hikari pulled her legs in tighter, chin resting between her knees and glaring down at the sand. "That was years ago, Takeru..."

"Has he really changed that much? I can't imagine he'd just stop caring about you."

"He sent me a letter. I don't know... I just can't understand why he's out there, doing something stupid and reckless. Why did he—I mean—I hate..." Hikari headbutted her arms, hiding her face. Takeru could hear a faint sodden sniffle. Air escaped from his pursed lips as he struggled to think about what to say.

"So, you're still worried about him?"

Hikari looked up at Takeru, mouth slightly agape. Her cheeks were smudged with partially-wiped tears. She turned her head away as she wiped at her face. "I... I guess?"

"I think you haven't changed much either. Even when you're mad at him, you're still concerned for his safety. That's the Hikari I remember best." He gave her a reassuring smile.

Hikari paused as she considered his words, turning them over in her mind. A tentative, hopeful smile spread across her lips. Her voice was soft as she spoke. "Maybe you're right. Thanks for listening. This... helped."

"No problem." He laid back into the sand, hands cushioning his head. The silence that fell over them was calming. Takeru closed his eyes, intent on soaking up as much of this feeling as he could before school started back up, glad he could share this moment of respite with Hikari.

"Sorry for acting like that before." Hikari broke the silence. Takeru's eyes opened with a start, turning to look at her. Her brows were creased, eyes misty. "Truth is, I kinda wanted to see you before school started, and you heard the rumours for yourself. I'm not normally... I just–"

Oh. "I get it. Don't worry about it, okay?"

She looked at him, finally meeting his eyes, studying him. Her questioning scowl melted to muted surprise as she caught meaning in his expression. "Yeah..."

Silence fell between them again as they looked out to the placid waters, black against the fading light. Neither of them realized the time until the sun was nearly set. Only seven days of summer vacation remained. The idyllic calm of the beach was stained with a foreboding chill as the sun dipped under the horizon.