Author's Notes: First part of what looks to be like another long series by yours truly. So sorry. ;) There are a few things you should know. 1) Some couplings in this are downright... weird. And just because I wrote them, doesn't mean I support them. It just means I was in the mood for something different. 2) Original Japanese is everywhere. That goes for names (Davis, meet Daisuke), evolving (that's "shinka" to you), Crests (Reliability? nah. try Faith) and levels. Why? Because I like them more. And, I'm the author. ;) 3) This is so AU it's not even funny. So, the only thing you should be aware of is that I did use the jobs that everyone had in episode 50.
Also, 4) since Glay demanded it, here are the new Chosen Children's first names, and their meanings.
Tenshi - Angel
Leala - Loyal
Kiseki - Miracles
Hiro - One
Yukio - He Who Gets What He Wants
Kiyoshi - Quiet Child
Seiko - Truth
Nariko - Thunder
Nori - Belief
And Leala is the only one without a Japanese name. "Leala" is French. And you shall quickly find out why. I hope you enjoy. And remember, mature reviews are what feed me. Feed me!!!
****
Circle Game
***
Chapter 1: Turning Points
One baby, screaming loudly. So loudly, it would hurt any normal person's ears. But not hers. After all, she was the mother. It was the greatest sound in the world to her.
Then, where there was one, there were now two babies. Except the second one wasn't crying like the first. This was not good.
"What's wrong with her?"
The doctors ignored her question. They were shouting at each other, barking things that made her heart stop, then rush, just to stop again. Why was the baby not crying? Why did she look blue? They were taking her baby away!
"Stop! Where are you taking my baby? My baby!"
A nurse gave her the first one to hold. A tiny boy, with a little tuff a purple hair, already showing he'd inherited something from her. She took a breath. Don't scream in front of the baby. That wouldn't be right. So, no screaming at the doctors. Best to send the husband to do it for her, then.
"Ken?"
"On it."
He was already halfway to the door when she said his name. She waited for him to come back, huddling with her new baby boy in her arms.
The husband nearly ran down the hall after one of the doctors that had been in the room. The baby wasn't with the doctor. So-
"Where is she?" he demanded, gripping the doctor's shoulder, and forcing him around.
The doctor blinked. "Mr. Ichijouji-"
"Where?" he repeated, this time at the shouting level.
"Calm down, sir, please," the doctor hushed, desperately. "Your baby's been brought to another room in Pediactricts. She's being looked after the best doctor we have by now, and-"
"Why? What's wrong with her?" he parroted his wife's initial question. Anger. He didn't like feeling it, but this was his child, dammit, and he wanted answers! "Tell me!"
The doctor sighed. "She wasn't breathing," he said, matter-of-factly.
He blinked, the statement not completely taking on its full weight. "What?"
"Stillborn." The word dropped like a dead man on a noose. "She was stillborn, Mr. Ichijouji. It looks like she's been dead for a few weeks in the womb."
More blinking. Denial. Not possible... "Th-that can't be true. Miyako felt two babies kicking her just yesterday. They were both alive yesterday!"
"That's doubtful, I'm afraid," the doctor replied, sympathetically. "She was probably mistaken."
"She was not, damn you! What did you do to my daughter?" Denial. So much it twisted around his brain and squeezed until Ken thought he would explode. And rage blinded his actions. His baby could not be dead. Hands flew up, and grabbed the doctor's jacket. "Show me where she is!"
"Mr. Ichijouji, please calm-"
"Where is she?!"
Now the doctor was losing patience. "Let go!"
He momentarily thought of causing physical harm to the doctor. One swift punch, at least. That wouldn't accomplish much, though.
"Doctor Katsura!" A small nurse, with mousy brown hair came running around the corner, arms waving frantically. "You won't believe this. You just won't."
The doctor pulled away from him to turn to the nurse. "What happened?"
"The baby... " the nurse gasped, trying to catch her breath. "That dead baby just woke up!"
What was that? Ken's ears perked, and his heart began pounding.
The doctor seemed more than doubtful. "How? Who did what?"
"That's just it," the nurse waved her arms some more, as if that would help her with the story. "No one did anything! We thought she was dead. I was about to record the time of death for Dr. Adachi, and that dead little baby started crying as if there was no tomorrow. She just... woke up!"
The doctor's face twitched. "Let me see."
Ken glared at the two in disbelief. The doctor wanted to see the baby, and he couldn't? No, that would not do. "Let me see my baby."
"Mr. Ichijouji, go back to your wife," the doctor ordered, sternly. "Now."
He fumed. How dare they treat all this so nonchalantly!
"Listen, Mr. Ichijouji," the doctor sighed. "You're not going to do your child any good by hovering over us while we're looking at her. Trust me. We'll bring her to you as soon as we can."
Ken gave a slight snort of disbelief, but took a step back. It really wouldn't do anyone any good if he was in their way. But still, it troubled him to the core. The baby was alive yesterday, he was sure of it. Then, apparently dead upon birth, and now alive and crying. It just didn't make any sense.
"Shall we go?" the doctor asked to the nurse.
"Oh, no," she waved her hand. "After that, I need some air. I'm going to step out for a moment."
He watched the nurse and the doctor walk away in opposites directions, as he stood where he was for a moment, trying to regain his senses. After shaking his had a moment, Ken slowly made his was back to the room that held his wife and newborn son.
The woman looked up at him with worried eyes. "Well?"
"It was nothing," he shook his head, deciding against upsetting her when there was no reason. "She's fine. They're just giving her a look over, that's all."
"Ken... "
The tone in her voice made his throat constrict. He knew that tone. Reluctantly, he looked over to her. "Miyako."
"She's all right," she said, slowly, as if not believing her own words. "Right?"
He nodded. "Right."
"Good," Miyako gulped, cuddling her son closer to her, who murmured in response to the movement. "Good, good."
"She's fine," he repeated, almost to himself, as he sat down next to her to look at the baby that lay in her arms.
The small creature looked back, but not really. Blue eyes blinked repeatedly on a chubby face, purple hair plastered on the skull. The baby cooed for a second, closing its tired eyes with a sigh.
Ken smiled. At least his son would get some sleep tonight. His son. He doubted the novelty of that would ever wear off.
Then, the tiny moment of peace ended, when a piercing wail of a newborn filled the hallways of the hospital, causing the sleeping baby in her arms to wake up and add to the noise.
Miyako held her child closer, whispering for him to quiet down, as she watched the door, expectantly. Maybe that was their daughter they were hearing.
Instead, they saw nurses fly past the room, shouting out for doctors to come.
"You won't believe what happened!"
"This would only happen on Seiko's break, of course. None of us would ever find babies!"
"Doctor! Doctor Adachi, come quick!"
"It's the strangest thing!"
One of them, the one that had interrupted Ken's talk with the doctor, rushed past with a bundle of blankets in her arms. A bundle that was crying loudly.
"He was just outside on the steps!" they heard her shout. "He would've frozen to death out there if I hadn't decided to take my break when I did!"
Ken flinched. "Someone abandoned their baby?"
"Oh, that poor thing," Miyako frowned, sadly. "Who could do that to their own child?"
He looked down at his son, who was finally beginning to relax again, and something tugged at his heart. "I can't imagine."
They set there in silence for what seemed an eternity, neither one of them wanting to take the chance of waking the now resting child in Miyako's arms. Staying like they were, it seemed so perfectly comfortable. Like this baby had been waiting for them all their lives to get him. 'Yes, I belong here,' seemed to emanate from his tiny form. 'You should've found me sooner, you know?'
There was something missing though. A piece of a the puzzle that was needed to make out the image clearly. Except, the piece didn't seem to be forthcoming any time soon. Miyako had fallen asleep along with their son by the time the nurse walked in with a small little thing in her arms. A very important thing. The nurse smiled at Ken, and he recognized her once more.
"I just had to hand her to you myself," she whispered. "It's funny.
I'd never seen a baby just... get up like that! I left the building because
of her, you know," she said, conspiratorially. "I'm afraid she shook me
up a bit.
"Funny thing is, if I hadn't walked out when I did, I wouldn't have
seen that... " her voice trailed, as she finally caught herself. "Oh, sorry!
That's not your problem, anyway. And, besides, I'm sure you'd much rather
see her," she grinned, allowing Ken to take the small child from
her arms.
He held the child to his chest protectively, possessively. Finally, finally. Her tiny face was calm, peaceful now, awake but not about to cry out. Gray eyes stared up, and Ken had a strange feeling they wouldn't stay that color for long. Indigo locks just barely graced her pale head, and she made a soft little squeak that brought a smile to his face.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again," he demanded in a whisper.
The nurse allowed herself a small smile, then said, "Well, I'll leave you for a while. This night, you know," she said, shaking her head as she walked out, "this night is one of miracles."
"Miracles... " Ken repeated in a murmured, adjusting his hold on his daughter. "Yes. Miracles... "
***
"Osamu-chan!" The little girl with her indigo hair held back with berets smacked at her twin's arm. "Leggo! You're running too fast."
"You're running too slow!" retorted the boy, spiky, purple locks swaying as he shook his head.
"Mama," the girl huffed, turning golden eyes to her mother. "Make him leggo!"
"Osamu," Miyako said, not even looking away from her conversation with Mimi, "let go of Kiseki. If she doesn't want to play, then she doesn't have to."
"Aw... Nuts!" The seven year old promptly released his sister, crossing his arms with a pout.
Kiseki, for her part, promptly fell without proper footing. "Jerk."
"Slow-poke."
"Four eyes!"
Osamu gasped, self-consciously reaching up to grip his wire frame glasses. "Goober!"
"Geek!"
"Dumbie!"
"Nerd!"
"Enough!" Miyako shouted, still not looking.
"Aw... " whined both twins. "Nuts!"
Mimi giggled at the pouting pair on the lawn. "You've got them trained well."
"Well, you know Ken would just let them walk over him," Miyako pointed out. "Wormmon, too. If anything, he's worse. Hawkmon and I seem to be the only ones who can control them. Well, except for Osamu, who has recently decided that Hawkmon would be a great Show and Tell project for school."
Mimi covered up her loud chortle with a delicate hand. "And what did Hawkmon say to that?"
"Nothing," Miyako said, taking a sip of her tea. "He's been in hiding ever since."
Mimi gave up to her giggles. "So," she grinned, "where is Ken, anyway?"
"At a raid, if I recall correctly," Miyako answered, her grip on her teacup tightening a bit. "But he's with Wormmon, so I'm sure he'll be fine." She placed her cup back down on its saucer with a slightly loud clatter.
"Worried?" Mimi inquired.
"No," Miyako denied. "No, of course, not. I never worry when Ken puts his butt on the line, especially now that we have two children. And especially now that he seems to be doing it every week. Of course, not." She clenched her hands. "Of course, if he even gets bruised I'm going to handcuff him to the bed. And this time he won't find it so enjoyable," she added under her breath.
Mimi blinked.
The twins started another shouting match at this time, this particular one about who was taller, which was indistinguishable at their age. Osamu, however, was easily winning by sheer vocal power. Mimi winced at the noise level the two managed.
"I swear, Kiseki isn't usually this bad," Miyako promised. "She's normally very polite and quiet. It just seems that her brother brings out the worst in her."
"Kiseki-chan! Stop braiding my hair!"
"But it's so pretty, Osamu-chan!"
"Kiseki... " Miyako called, off-handedly.
"Aw, nuts!"
If the front lawn of the house was now a small circus because of the Ichijouji twins, the backyard was Ringling Bros. Including a Ringmaster by the name of Hiro Yagami. With a digital video camera his Aunt Hikari had bought him, the little eight year old entertained himself by recording everyone, while climbing lawn furniture to get a better vantage point.
"Hiro," Taichi said to his son, a soccer ball in hand. "Would you like to play?"
"Nuh, uh," was Hiro's reply, per usual.
Taichi sighed. "Not even a little bit?"
"No thanks, Dad," said Hiro, who found sudden interest in a four year old little girl who was sitting quietly in Yamato's lap. "Hey, Kiyoshi! Wave, Kiyoshi!"
The little girl blinked blue eyes, looking up at her father, questioningly.
"S'okay," Yamato grinned. "It's just your crazy cousin. Wave for him."
The small girl looked at the active boy with the camera, and tentatively waved.
"Why don't you want to play soccer?" Taichi asked Hiro, a whine now tinting his voice.
"Because I need to practice," Hiro proclaimed. "I want to work on television, like Mom. Except behind the camera. A director, like Uncle Udo! He just sits there, and tells Mom what to do. I like everything about it. It's cool! Except the girl part," he added.
Taichi frowned, confused. "'Girl part?'"
"Yeah," his son nodded, now focusing his camera a little ways off on a new threesome that was entering the backyard. "Uncle Udo says that if you become a really good director, girls want to sleep over your house." Hiro made a face. "But girls have cooties!"
Taichi paled about four shades. With a forced laugh, he roughly patted his son on his cinnamon brown head. "Eh, heh. You just stay here. I'm going to speak with Mom about... 'Uncle Udo'." Turning, Taichi began to slowly walk away, until he made a quick break for the front of the house. "Mimi!"
"Well, it could have been conceivably worse," Koushiro commented about the scene. "I think."
"Uh, huh," snorted Yamato, who grinned at his little girl climbing out of his lap to walk clumsily over to a small redheaded boy hunched over a blue, pineapple computer.
Without a sound, she sat next to him, watching him type in fascination. The sound of clicking keys was all that was heard for a few solid minutes, until the boy looked up, raising a brow.
"What?" he asked.
Kiyoshi looked back at him, and smiled.
"Eh?" His brow went higher. "What?"
She continued to smile, this time holding up her hands, and moving them in a choreographed way, which only furthered his confusion.
"She's mute, Yukio," Koushiro informed his son. "She's talking to you with sign language."
"Oh," the boy nodded, still unsure. "What's she saying?"
"'Nice to meet you,'" Sora replied, walking out of the house. Kiyoshi turned at her voice, and raised her hands towards her, eagerly. With a grin, Sora went over to scoop her daughter up. "You having fun, hm?"
Kiyoshi nodded, giving her mother as big a hug as she could at her age.
"Hey, everyone!" a jovial voice called, making the small group turn to see. Tanned hand waving, Daisuke offered a warm smile to his old friends. Beside him, a slender blonde waved, as well. "We saw Taichi, Mimi, and Miyako with her kids up front. They said the rest of you were back here."
"Hello, Mr. Motomi- AH!" Hiro stumbled back, as big violet eyes filled the view of the camera.
Falling on his back, the boy wincingly looked up to spot a small girl with cherry brown ringlets tied tightly in pigtails, smiling brightly at him.
"Hello, Hiro!" she declared.
"Hello, Leala," the boy choked, trying to catch his breath.
"We were afraid you wouldn't make it," Yamato said to Daisuke, as he and his wife walked over. "I know the restaurants have been keeping you pretty busy. Iori's not here because of some trial he's working on. Jyou couldn't even get out of his schedule, and he seems to do less work than you!"
"Jyou? No, way," Daisuke laughed. "He does much more than we do."
"V-mon and Floramon are watching everything back home," Catherine said carefully, her French accent still clearly showing through after all the years. "Though, I'm not quite sure that's a good idea."
"Oh, they'll be okay," Daisuke shrugged. "V-mon can handle anything."
"I fear for your financial future, Daisuke," Koushiro said. "I really do."
Daisuke snorted. "Pessimists, all of you. Hey," he perked, "where's Takeru? And Hikari? This is their house, after all."
"Inside," Sora replied, sitting down next to Yamato, Kiyoshi still in her arms. "They're having a bit of an argument."
"Argument?" Daisuke repeated, as if it was a foreign word. "Takeru and Hikari? Is that... possible?"
"Apparently so when it comes to... " Koushiro pointed to a blonde boy sitting under a tree.
Daisuke blinked. "Oh."
As if on cue, Hikari suddenly stormed out of the house. "He's so... !" she muttered, clenching her fists with anger. Then, noticing she had an audience, she blushed and sighed. "Sorry. Oh, Daisuke! Catherine," she smiled, warmly. "I'm glad you could make it. Especially after Noriko called to say she and Iori couldn't come. I've been dying to meet Leala! Taichi and Mimi have said such nice things about her. We should've had this reunion years ago."
Daisuke stared at her for a moment, not sure how to handle the idea that Hikari could ever get mad. Fortunately, his wife picked up the slack without missing a beat.
"Of course," Catherine nodded with a grin. "Leala! Bonbon, viennent ici!"
Leala, who had been animatedly talking to Hiro, switched gears in a millisecond, running up to her mother, beaming. "Yes, Mama?" she asked, pronouncing 'Mama' with the emphasis on the last syllable, like her mother had taught her.
"Say hello to Mrs. Takaishi," said Catherine.
The girl grinned up at Hikari, and waved, energetically. "Hello, Mrs. Takaishi!"
Despite herself, Hikari giggled. "Hello, Leala."
"I've never been here before," the little girl stated the obvious with enthusiasm. "It's really pretty."
"Thank you," Hikari grinned, instantly charmed by the energetic child.
"You have all these pretty flowers." Leala pointed out a few, sounding off names. "Mama has some in our gardens. Papa used to help plant them, but he kept on killing them, so Mama won't let him anymore."
"Okay! That's enough now." Embarrassed, Daisuke picked the rambling girl up, placing her in her laughing mother's arms. "Oh, sure laugh all you want," he muttered to Catherine. "Which one of us still can't iron a shirt without burning a hole through it?"
Catherine's laughter stopped immediately. She gave her husband a feigned look of disgust, to which he grinned at.
"Hey, Hikari," Daisuke turned to the brunette, who was doing her best to cover her giggling. "Is it okay if I go inside? I haven't talked to Takeru in a while."
"Well, sure," Hikari said, shrugging slightly. "If he's up for talking."
Daisuke winced at the unusually cold tone in her voice. Obviously, the subject of their son was not taken lightly between the two of them. " ...Thanks."
With a curt wave, Daisuke hustled himself into the house. He looked around the dining room he had walked into, and whistled, appreciatively. Takeru's writing must be more successful than he let on for them to afford a house like this, instead of an apartment, per usual around Japan. Then again, he owned a house himself, but only on the insistence of Catherine, who wasn't used to being cramped into an apartment.
After eyeballing the intricate chandelier that hung above the dining table, Daisuke made his way to the doorway, only to almost collide into the very person he had come in to see.
"Takeru!" he exclaimed, patting his friend on the shoulder, good-naturedly. "You look good. ...Except for the hair," he added, grinning. "Now I know why you wore that dopey hat."
Takeru blinked, trying to orient himself. "Daisuke?" He stared at his old friend, noting differences in his appearance, but also recognizing the wicked smirk he had as a child. "Daisuke... I didn't recognize you without the goggles." He raised a brow. "Now I know why you wore them."
Daisuke snorted. "Wearing goggles around the noodle shops is highly unsanitary. I have to look out for the best interests of my customers, you know. They expect nothing but good, clean food from me and my staff. It wouldn't look professional if the boss went around in goggles."
The blonde gave him a blank look, before stating, "Catherine didn't like them, did she?"
"She thought I looked better without them," Daisuke admitted with a blush.
"Heh. You and Catherine... " Takeru's voice trailed, as he walked into the room, stopping midway so he could see out the window without being seen from the outside. He spotted the French Chosen, who was telling something to her daughter in rapid-fire French. "I have to say, that was probably the most unexpected thing I'd ever witnessed."
"Hey, you were the one who offered us that summer in Paris those years back," Daisuke pointed out, standing next to him. "Have I ever thanked you for that?"
"A few dozen times," Takeru assured him with a smile. "At least."
Daisuke looked at the window, eyes locked on a pretty, pale face framed by blonde ringlets. The woman laughed at something Koushiro said, and the corner of his lips twitched upward. "Make that a few dozen and one times."
Takeru's smile widened. "Deal."
"Can I ask," Daisuke began, as gently as possible, "what's up with you and Hikari? Sora said you two were fighting. Which, to be honest, I couldn't picture until Hikari walked out actually looking mad. Which I couldn't picture before that, either."
"Ah, that," Takeru sighed, nearly falling into a dining room chair. "It's complicated."
"Hey, got all day," Daisuke waved his arms. "Give me a try."
Takeru raised a brow, but conceded. "It's Tenshi."
"Eh?" Daisuke tilted his head. "Your boy? Yeah, I figured."
"Hikari thinks he's too shy, too antisocial," Takeru explained. "She wants to get him in a few sports programs. You know, put him into more social situations."
"What's wrong with that?" Daisuke asked. "Doesn't seem bad to me."
"You don't understand. Tenshi doesn't want that," Takeru said, shaking
his head. "He'll lose it. Right now, Tenshi is just comfortable with himself.
He doesn't like to socialize much. I don't know why, but he's just very
shy.
"But forcing him into a social situation is just going to make him
worse, I know it," he argued. "He needs to do it on his own. And he will,
I know he will. Hikari just needs patience with him, that's all."
"So, she's mad at you because you don't want the kid to play soccer?" Daisuke concluded, overly simplistic.
Takeru groaned, but nodded. "Something like that, yeah."
"Well, I'd have to agree with both of you," Daisuke said, shrugging. "It probably wouldn't hurt him to join something. But, maybe only one sport. Or not even a sport. Maybe a club of some kind. Something that he's interested in." He looked up. "What's he interested in?"
"Writing," Takeru mumbled.
"Huh? What? Did you clone yourself?" Daisuke questioned. "That would explain the eerie resemblance... "
"I did not!" Takeru frowned, knowing full well his friend was joking. "He writes. It's what he does in his free time. He... writes an awful lot, actually."
"I can imagine," Daisuke muttered, earning himself a glare. "Why don't you two just compromise?"
"I don't know," Takeru admitted, getting up. "We normally do, but when it comes to Tenshi we're both pretty stubborn." Deciding to change the subject, Takeru offered a small smile, and pointed outside to the small girl with curly hair the same color as Daisuke's. "Leala's growing up well."
"She's growing up," Daisuke agreed. "She's just not growing in ways we expected."
"Huh?" Takeru blinked.
"Leala's... Well, she... " Daisuke pondered over the best way to describe the situation. Sighing, he looked his friend in the eye. "You know how Child digimon can be a lot stronger than they look?"
"Yeah, sure," Takeru nodded, remembering how easily V-mon could defeat his partner in an arm wrestling match.
"Well, that's Leala," Daisuke concluded. "She's strong. Really, really strong."
"She can take on the boys," Takeru smiled.
"No, no," Daisuke shook his head. "I think you misunderstood me. She can take on the men."
"What?" Takeru uttered, blue eyes widening. "You're joking, right?"
"Nope," Daisuke said, looking out the window at his daughter. "Around four years old, she just started showing these bursts of strength. First, it was just having wrestling matches with V-mon. I thought he was just being easy on her. Until the day she picked him up over her head so she could see what was behind him."
Takeru choked. "No way. That's not possible."
"Five years old," Daisuke continued, "a girl in her kindergarten class toppled over one of the book shelves trying to climb it. Landed on the girl's legs, and the teacher couldn't even budge it. She was about to call the janitors in, when Leala just walked over, and lifted the thing up like it weighed less than a piece of paper. Freaked her teacher out, I can tell you that much."
Slowly, Takeru nodded. "I... can imagine." Hesitantly, he asked, "Do you think this has something to do with what happened to her?"
"I don't know," Daisuke said. "Maybe. I don't care. She doesn't even remember it."
"How?" Takeru questioned. "She was missing for a week, Daisuke. And then she just reappeared in her bedroom, not remembering a single thing. Doesn't that make you the least bit suspicious?"
"No," said Daisuke, shortly. "That makes me very grateful. My daughter's back, and she's healthy and happy. I don't give a damn if she never remembers, as long as she's safe and happy. That's all that matters to me."
Takeru sighed, but consented, "That's fair enough."
Outside, Leala had sat down next to Yukio, asking question after question until the six year old boy nearly screamed.
"Do you like to play soccer?" she asked.
"No," he answered, black eyes never leaving his computer screen.
"Basketball?"
He offered her a withering glance. Basketball was a game that dealt with height, something that Yukio wasn't particularly gifted with. "No."
"Hide and Seek?" she offered, hopefully.
"No."
"Tag?"
"No."
"Don't you do anything away from your computer?" Leala pouted.
"Not if I can help it," he said, fingers tapping on the keys.
"But there's so much to do!" she stated, stubbornly. "There's running, and playing, and soccer--I like soccer!--and swimming, and running-"
"You've mentioned that," Yukio pointed out.
"But it's so much fun!" Leala exclaimed. "You're never gonna do anything fun if you just sit there. And Mama says that if you stay in front of a computer for too long, you'll get a permama... uh, permamame... Um... " she bit her lip.
"Permanent," he offered, dully.
"Yes!" she nodded. "Permanent slouch, and your eyes will get all red, and you'll need glasses, and you'll be all pale, and-"
The bouncing girl with the thick banana curls stopped in mid-squeal, violet eyes suddenly turning towards a small figure a little away in the backyard. A blonde boy sat underneath a tree, eyes focused intently on his shoe laces. He looked far more interesting than Yukio and his laptop. With more energy even a seven year old like her should have, Leala took off for the boy, her arms waving wildly.
"Heya!" she cried, skidding to a halt in front of him. "Watcha doin'?"
The blonde didn't answer at first, his fingers twisting strands of grass. Hesitantly, he lifted his blue eyes, and murmured, "N-nothing."
"Well, that's silly!" Leala declared, placing her fists on her hips, her cherry brown curls jiggling. "Why are you just doin' nothin'?"
"Don't know," he whispered, shrugging. His eyes went back to the ground.
She bit her lip, suddenly frustrated with the quiet boy. An idea jumped into her head, and Leala grinned. "Hey, you wanna play tag?"
"Um... " the boy frowned, fingers now dragging along the grass.
"C'mon," she encouraged. "It'll be fun!"
"I don't know," he muttered, still not looking up.
"Aw, just a little bit can't hurt," Leala kicked in her patented whine. Then, she grinned and held her index finger up. "L'enfance est amusement!"
That made him look up. "Huh?"
"'Childhood is fun!' At least, that's what my Mama tells me," she clarified. With bright eyes and a wide smile, she held her hand out. "My name's Leala Motomiya! What's yours?"
"Um... " Slowly, cautiously, he reached his hand out and took hers in a tentative shake. "Tenshi Takaishi."
"Nice to meet ya, Tenshi-kun!" Leala declared, vigorously shaking his hand before letting go. "Wanna be friends?"
Tenshi blinked. Did he want to be friends with the loud mouthed, energetic girl, who just seemed to ooze with trouble? "Well, uh... "
"Cool!" she beamed. "Okay, let's play tag. You're it!" She stated, placing her hand on his forehead, and before he could protest, pushing him lightly. With a giggle, she turn and ran.
... And Tenshi fell over. He laid there, not really sure why he was on his back. He just looked at the sky, with its blue and white pattern. Had she really pushed him that hard? She barely looked like she was half his height. No way. But still... She was awfully strong! He felt it in her hand shake. He thought she was going to break his fingers, she gripped him so tightly.
Suddenly, the blue sky was covered by cherry brown curls held in pigtails, and bright, violet eyes.
"You okay, Tenshi-kun?" Leala asked, the abrasiveness in her voice instantly
gone. In its place was nervousness. "I... I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm,
uh, I'm a bit strong for my age. Th-that's what they say. Papa says it's
just because I eat my vegetables. But, um... I guess I am kinda stronger
than I should be. I forget sometimes, because kids... " She bit her lip,
and whispered the rest, "Most kids are scared of me. I don't mean to hurt
people. I just... I just make mistakes sometimes."
"You're not scared of me, are you, Tenshi-kun?" she questioned, voice
strained, pleading. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Honest! Are we... Are we
still friends?"
Tenshi didn't move from his position. His eyes remained focused upwards, looking but not really. Leala sniffled, all her confidence gone in an instant. Something about that sniffle clicked in Tenshi's mind. He had heard it before, or something similar to it. He had made that noise before. All the days and nights that he spent by himself, too afraid to socialize with the other children of the neighborhood. All the times he stayed alone in his house because he was too shy around his peers. And no one ever wanted to talk to the quiet one in the corner, did they? No, they never bothered, and that just made him keep to himself even more.
Now, here was this strange little girl with a carrying voice and bouncy curls. She actually took the moment to talk to him. She wanted to be friends. Wanted to be. No one had ever wanted to be friends with him, no one had never asked. Except for this girl.
" ...T-Tenshi-kun?"
Slowly, Tenshi raised one hand, and stretched it out to Leala, as she watched, blinking curiously. His hand clenched into a loose fist, his index finger raised. With a jerk of his wrist, he tapped her knee cap.
"Tag," he stated, dully. "You're it."
Leala raised a brow, confused. "Eh?"
A rare mischievous grin etched onto Tenshi's face, as the boy scrambled to his feet, and ran away, shouting louder than he ever had in his whole quiet existence, "You're it, Leala-chan!"
"Wha... ?" Leala watched after him for a moment, letting his words sink in, until she finally stood there, smiling in disbelief. "You cheated, Tenshi-kun! Cheater, cheater! I'm gonna get you!" she declared, taking off at great speed across the Takaishi's backyard.
Watching this from afar, Takeru grinned. "I've never heard Tenshi actually yell before. I was beginning to think he couldn't talk above a whisper."
"Eh," Daisuke shrugged, proudly. "My Leala's gotta way to her. She's... What was it Cathy used... ? Une petite bonbon mignonne."
Takeru frowned, confused. "Huh?"
"She's a cute little candy," Daisuke explained, smiling. "That's my girl."
***
The flames were rising higher now, burning their way up the apartment complex so quickly only the people on the bottom floor had a chance to escape.
But she and her family weren't on the bottom floor. They were on the tenth. Coughing from the thick smoke filling her apartment, the six year old crawled around, trying to shout out for her loved ones.
"Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Where are you, Mommy?"
The roar of the flames answered her, and she scurried to the back bedroom, flinching at the heat of fire surrounding her. The back room would soon be on fire as well, but at least it was safer than any other place. She closed the door behind her, shuttering from fright.
"Nariko?"
She turned at her name, eyes widening at the sight of something red glistening in the shadows of the room. Red eyes, that she herself shared.
"Nori! Nori, what are you doing here?" she cried, stumbling over to the pale boy with the bleached hair.
"I heard you screaming," he explained, pulling her close to him. "I just came in to find you."
"Well, now we're both trapped," she sniffled. "You should've ran, Nori!"
"I couldn't leave you behind," he argued. "Then I'd be all alone. Besides, I won't let anything hurt you," he promised, tightening his hold on her, as the door of the room began to burn away. "We're going to be just fine. I know we are."
Next Chapter: "Bellmon, Shinka Yo!"
