Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, its characters, or its ideas.
Everything belongs to Toei and its affiliates. Anything you don't
recognize likely belongs to me.
A/N: My second fic in the Takato-Jenrya Friendship Series (TJFS) I finally got around to working on! ::cheers:: At last I'm making some progress. Joshua Ino, Takato's cousin from my first fic in this series/arc, TJFS #1: Digimon Tamers: Friendship Kindled, seems like a pretty good antagonist for the two, so expect the possibility of seeing him in future TJFS fics. This particular one has him in it. I based it off of Henry's speech in the first new Digimon episode from Saturday, May 11th: "The D-Reaper's Disguise (I think that's the title, but correct me if I'm wrong)." It also alludes to the fourth episode in Digimon Tamers: "It Came From the Other Side." Please R&R! And now on with the fic...
/thoughts/
TJFS #2: Digimon Tamers: Path of Healing
by Sentimental Star
"Henry!" twelve-year-old Takato Matsuda called, cupping his hands around his mouth, his feet pounding against the cement sidewalk, and his brown eyes darting to and fro. The wind whipped his brown hair about as he ran. "Henry, where in the world ARE you?!"
Jenrya "Henry" Wong, his friend and a fellow Digimon Tamer, had narrowly avoided being creamed by Joshua Ino, a sixth-grade bully and Takato's older cousin, earlier today on the track during Physical Education, or PE, as the students of West Shinjiku Elementary School called it. He had only been saved that pain when Miss Asajii, who was assisting the PE instructors, had come over to see what the commotion was about. Takato had arrived at the group of students several minutes before her for the same reason.
The young , unspoken leader of the Tamers closed his eyes tightly as he recalled the scene that had greeted him.
FLASHBACK
The blue-haired, gray-eyed Tamer was crouched somewhat low to the ground, his stance loose and uncertain. His antagonist, Joshua, stood over him, fist pulled back.
Had Takato not known any better, he would have thought Henry was playing a trick on the older boy. But he could see that his friend really did NOT want to fight the black-eyed, brown-haired bully, although he was plenty capable of doing so. In fact, he was probably the better fighter of the two, yet, he refused to engage in any sort of brawl. Takato knew that from when Terriermon had been forced to battle Gorillamon just yesterday, he'd seen Henry's reluctance and obvious uncertainty.
Joshua knew this, too, minus the Digimon battle, but the Tamer saw that his cousin had every intention of beating up the half-Chinese boy anyway and he couldn't allow that.
Then . . . just as Takato started towards them . . . Joshua slugged Henry in his abdomen. The younger boy cried out and promptly crashed to his knees, bent double, holding his stomach protectively. But Joshua showed no signs of mercy and pulled his fist back to deliver another blow.
Takato immediately broke into a run, reaching the other two boys in seconds. "STOP!" he yelled, flinging himself in front of Henry.
But Joshua had already thrown the punch. Gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, Takato braced himself for what he knew would be a painful strike. Even so, he refused to move from in front of his friend.
The blow never came.
Seeing the danger Takato had placed himself in, Henry had managed to struggle to his feet and throw a block, turning aside the punch without too much effort.
Disregarding Henry for the moment, Joshua snarled at his younger cousin, "What the HELL do you think you're doing, Takato!?"
Henry wanted very much to know the same thing.
"Stepping in where no one else was," Takato retorted. "I TOLD you to leave him alone!!"
"Like I listen to you," Joshua snapped, glaring at the two fifth grade boys.
Takato ignored him, instead turning to his fellow Tamer. "Henry, how bad did he get you?"
Henry wasn't listening to him. "Takato, get outta here! He'll hurt you, too!" the boy whispered fiercely, ignoring the agony vying for his attention. "I don't know why you insist on helping me, but I do know I can't let you get beat up!"
"Move!" Joshua hissed, advancing.
"Move!" Henry exclaimed almost immediately after the sixth grader. "Takato, please!"
"Iie and IIE!" Takato countered ardently. He whirled around, once more firmly inserting himself between the two, scowling at his cousin.
"Fine, baka!" Joshua growled, once again pulling his fist back.
/Baka,/ Henry thought, preparing to defend his stubborn, good-hearted friend.
Neither got that far. With a imperious cry of "Matte!" Miss Asajii forced her way into the center of the ring of students.
As she did so, Henry once more collapsed, finally allowing the pain full reign of his body. Tears shimmered in his eyes and he clutched his stomach. With a soft, but frightened and concerned cry, Takato dropped to his knees beside Henry.
Concern flickered momentarily in Miss Asajii's eyes as she took in the two boys, then they hardened as she did an about face and locked with Joshua's suddenly frightened ones. He had never liked this teacher, mostly BECAUSE she scared him, and Miss Asajii returned the favor in full with one major difference---she wasn't at all intimidated by him, rather, she was appalled by him. If 'bad' had to be defined in terms of personality, attitude, and people, Joshua was the embodiment of it. "Care to explain what happened?" she demanded coldly.
Joshua swallowed, looked behind him at his cronies, then put on a false bravado as he turned back to her. "Nani?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Don't you 'nani' me, mister!" Miss Asajii snapped. "I'm sure you're quite aware of what happened, spill it!"
Joshua was crumpling under her imposing glare and received no support from his supposed 'friends.' "Um, I-I don't know, Asajii-sensei?"
Students in the ring started calling out as soon as they heard him:
"Don't listen to him, Asajii-sensei!"
"He's lying!"
"He knows what happened!"
"I saw him, he started it!"
"Yeah, Henry was minding his own business, he did nothing to Joshua!"
"Henry didn't want to fight him and Takato defended him!"
"Takato helped him out when no one else would! It's not their fault!"
"Joshua's the one to blame!"
And so on.
"ENOUGH!" Miss Asajii ordered, at last silencing the other students' interjections. She seized Joshua firmly by his shoulder and the bully had enough sense not to fight her. Turning to Takato and Henry with a somewhat softened expression, she remarked, "That was reckless, Takato. Your kindness serves you well, but sometimes it seems to get you into MORE trouble than it gets you OUT OF. I hope that next time you think before doing something like that again."
Takato ducked his head, face flushed with embarrassment. "Hai and gomen nasai, Asajii-sensei."
What she said, next, however, completely caught him off-guard. "It's all right, don't worry about it right now. While what you did was reckless, it was also very brave. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but, as your teacher, I'm proud of what you did today." Her voice had taken on a definite gentleness.
Surprise animating his features, Takato quickly looked up at her, turning a slightly darker shade of red. "D-Domo arigato," he stammered.
"And, Henry," here she turned her gaze to the half-Chinese boy who was still crouched on the ground, "I hear that you refused to fight, only doing so when you absolutely needed to. For that, I admire you."
"Arigato, Asajii-sensei," Henry murmured, a faint blush stinging his cheeks.
Miss Asajii gave the two fifth grade boys one of her rare, warm smiles. "Takato, why don't you take Henry to the Nurse's Office? Since Physical Education will be over in about fifteen minutes, you can have the rest of it off." She didn't say it, but Takato realized she knew he wanted to stay with Henry until he at least knew that his friend would be okay.
"Arigato," he thanked her.
She nodded, still smiling, then turned to the remainder of the students. "As for the rest of you, I expect you to learn from this and be much nicer and much more considerate in the future. You, too, may have the rest of this period off, seeing as there are too many of you for Mori-sensei to handle." Any trace of a smile vanished from her lips as she looked down at Joshua. Left in her eyes was coldness that promised ill to anyone who did something which she did not approve of.
"HAI, ASAJII-SENSEI!!" the students cheered, hurrying quickly to get changed in the locker rooms.
As Kazu and Kenta hurried past Takato and Henry, Kazu whispered, "Way to go, Chumley!"
"Great job, Takato!" Kenta added, smiling. Then they were gone, drawn into the slew of students.
Takato shook his head with a bemused smile, thinking, /Great job? Yeah, right. My friend got injured because of my gaki of a cousin. They're just glad I got them out of PE. At least Joshua's in trouble, hopefully he won't bother Henry for a while. And if he does,/ Takato's face hardened, /if he does, then I'll make him regret it. NO ONE gets away with harming my friends./
END FLASHBACK
That had happened during second period.
At lunch, Takato had returned to the Nurse's office to see if his friend could go to the cafeteria with him. When he entered, the Nurse wasn't there and neither was Henry.
The other boy could have gone to the cafeteria by himself, but Takato had a funny feeling that he hadn't. Of course, the young leader could have asked the Nurse when she came back to the office where Henry had gone, but Takato had been positive she wouldn't know. So he left the school building, thanking his lucky stars that he had an hour and a half long lunch.
For about forty-five minutes he had been searching the school grounds and he still hadn't found the other boy. He was really growing concerned about his friend. /Why did he just disappear like that? Especially considering the state he's in!/ Takato thought.
A few minutes later he reached the edge of the school's property where dirt met undergrowth and trees. /Don't tell me he went in there. If he did then I'll never be able to find him! Of course, he may not WANT to be found./ Takato sighed, taking a step into the glade. /I just want to be sure he's okay. If he wants me to leave, I'll go, but until then . . ./
A quiet sound to the right made the young leader halt in his tracks.
/Animal, Digimon, or Henry?/ he wondered. He heard it again, this time clearer.
"Takato?"
/Henry./ The Tamer turned and saw his teammate sitting against a tree, gazing at him with gray eyes much too bright for Takato's liking. He smiled slightly at his friend in spite of himself, unable to help the relief that washed through him. "There you are," he remarked softly, moving to kneel in front of Henry. "I was really starting to worry about you."
"Gomen," Henry murmured. "I just wanted to be alone for a little while."
Takato quickly appraised the other boy's condition. All in all, he looked much better than he had this morning. Physically at least. "Would you still like to be alone?" the brown-haired leader offered.
Henry shook his head firmly. "Iie, I'd like some company right now." He raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "What are you doing out here anyway?"
"When I went back to the Nurse's Office you weren't there. Just wanted to make sure you were all right, is all," Takato replied, shrugging easily, warmth in his brown eyes.
To his credit, Henry managed a small smile. "And what do you think, Doctor?" he teased lightly.
The grin on Takato's face was immediate. "Other than having an uncanny ability to worry your friends half to death, you're fine," he retorted good- naturedly.
Henry laughed softly.
"Yokatta," Takato breathed.
Startled, Henry glanced at Takato first in surprise, then in amusement. "If I have an uncanny ability to be the object of worry, then YOU have an uncanny ability to be the worr-IER."
This time it was the young leader's turn to laugh.
A comfortable silence fell between the two. Takato sat back on his heels and, closing his eyes, raised his face so that the sun slanting through the leaves fell across and warmed it. He had a hunch that things wouldn't always be this peaceful, especially not with the possibility of Digimon popping up in Digital Fields at any given moment. It hadn't taken him long to realize that life as a Digimon Tamer would be a great deal more interesting and great deal more dangerous than the one he had lived before he even MET Guilmon, Henry, Terriermon, and encountered that red-headed girl and her Digimon partner. Just as quickly, he realized that if Digimon kept appearing in the Real World, then he and the others had to put it first, before anything else. Somehow, he knew things would get a lot worse before they got better. They now quite possibly carried Earth's fate on their shoulders and that was a heavy burden to bear.
Henry sat silently, watching Takato, even as his mind raged with thoughts and his heart with emotions. The other Tamer's friendship had been invaluable to him, even in the short time they had known each other. But, Henry reminded himself, there was still little they knew about each other, and he was hesitant to even broach the subject. He didn't want to seem prying or intrusive. /Besides,/ the half-Chinese boy admitted, /I don't know if I'd have the courage to tell him the secrets I've kept hidden for years, secrets that not even Terriermon knows. Still . . ./
"Domo arigato, Takato," Henry suddenly spoke up quietly.
The young leader started, opening his eyes, once more locking them with Henry's. "For what, Henry?"
Gesturing with his hand, Henry explained, "For today, for yesterday, for your friendship. You've done so much for me already, the least I can do is thank you."
Takato smiled and shook his head. "No need to thank me, tomodachi. I'd do it again."
Henry closed his eyes in quiet gratitude as they lapsed into silence again. Takato was an incredible person, plain and simple. He'd looked past what many thought about Henry and Chinese and half-Chinese in general, had the courage to disregard those prejudices and that discrimination. The Tamer now knew why his friend was so popular and well-liked---he was always cheerful, always had a smile for everyone, was considerate, and so much more. "Why'd you do it, Takato?" he wanted to know, voice hushed as he opened his gray eyes. "Why did you decide to befriend me in the first place?"
Takato gazed back at him, warm mirth sparkling in his brown eyes as he laid down on his stomach and placed his chin in his hands. "Henry, I've been TRYING to befriend you for the last half-year, ever since we were placed in some of the same classes. But whenever I tried to talk to you, you had already left the classroom or locker-room."
Henry started. "I had no idea."
"That's all right."
"But why . . .?"
"You seemed to be in such pain, Henry," Takato whispered, his eyes going unfocused at the memory. "I knew you didn't like to let anyone get close to you or talk to you, but I also could tell how lonely you were despite the fact that you kept isolating yourself." His voice quieted even more. "I know what it's like to be lonely, I'm an only child who's parents work constantly just so they can make a living to support me. I would never wish that pain on anyone, not even that red-headed girl who thinks Digimon are just data, meant to fight and nothing else. Besides," he shook his head yet again, "something kept drawing me to you. It wasn't just the pain I saw you suffering through, in little ways you showed people that you wanted to help them, even if they didn't give you a second glance. Either by consenting to give advice on homework or helping someone who dropped their books in the hall, even if you were already late for class yourself and so much more. There were a million small things you did, Henry, that let me know how kind you were, how helpful. That's something I see in precious few people. I can't say I read hearts, but I do notice tiny things about people that hint at their true character. It's a strange gift I have, a gift only according to my mother and other adults." Takato rubbed his face. "And I just said a whole lot without making any sense."
"Iie, iie," Henry hurried to assure him. "I understood perfectly." Which was true. He was at a loss as to what to say otherwise.
Takato eyed him. "So that's why you're silent now."
"Iie, it's just . . ." Henry shook his head. "Wow, Takato."
Takato quirked an eyebrow, but remained silent about the matter. After a few more minutes, he asked, voice warm and quiet, "Henry, you don't have to tell me, but I'd really like to know . . . why didn't you fight back, or at least defend yourself this morning?"
Henry visibly stiffened. /He HAD to ask that,/ the blue-haired boy thought, dropping his gray eyes to the brush covered floor.
Takato instantly noted the change in his friend's demeanor and sat up. "Is it that bad?"
Henry hesitated before giving a small nod. /Don't chicken out,/ Henry told himself firmly, his chest tightening in sudden anger at himself. /He put himself in danger to protect you. You owe him this!/ "Hai," he whispered fiercely.
The other Tamer started at the severity of the statement. Had he angered his friend unknowingly? "Henry---" he began.
The gray-eyed boy lashed out, "That was a stupid thing you did, Takato!"
Takato balked. "What?!" /What in the world is he talking about?!/ he thought incredulously.
"You shouldn't have endangered yourself to protect me! You could have been injured!"
"How is that stupid, Henry? I didn't want you to be hurt!"
"It wasn't your fight---"
"I MADE it my fight. You're my friend, for Kami-sama's sake! Attacking you crosses the line, as does causing you pain in any way!"
"Same goes for you!"
Takato took a deep breath to calm himself. Obviously Henry was upset by what he had done, yelling at him wouldn't do any good. He softened his voice to an ardent undertone. "You weren't fighting back, you weren't defending yourself, and you expect me to sit back and let you get kicked around by someone who thinks that sort of thing is FUN?! THAT'S what I call stupid, Henry!"
The young leader expected Henry to continue arguing, but the other Tamer didn't. Instead, tears slipping down his cheeks, he turned away and whispered, "Gomen nasai."
Takato's brown eyes turned sharp. /Something's up,/ he realized. Standing, he walked the last few paces to the tree Henry was leaning against and knelt so that he was directly in front of him. Face and voice softening even more, he ordered gently, "Henry, tell me what's wrong."
Henry turned his face even farther away from the intense, questioning look he KNEW Takato carried in his brown eyes. "Do I really have to?" he whispered, pain in his voice.
Takato winced inwardly. Placing his hands on Henry's shoulders, the Tamer responded quietly, "No, but it might help you if you did. I don't particularly enjoy watching you struggle with your emotions, especially when I KNOW there is something I can do to help you."
With a soft gasp, Henry quickly turned to look at his friend, gray eyes widening and locking fiercely on his teammate's face as they welled up with sudden tears.
The young leader's own dark ones were plaintive, the request in them clear. "Please."
And that was all it took.
Folding over, hiding his face in his hands, the tears cascading down his cheeks, Henry sobbed helplessly, "Gomen, Takato, gomen nasai!! You-you're my first real friend . . . well . . . o-other than Terriermon. I-I'm not used to having another person watch out for me. I-I always t-thought that I had to . . . to prove myself somehow to everyone else, show t-them that I- I was just . . . just as good as they were b-because of th-the way they treated me simply b-because I was half . . . half-Chinese." (A/N: Yeah, I know that his speech was a little different, but for the sake of this series and possibly other, separate fan-fics I'm gonna keep it as more a discriminatory/racial thing. I'm also going to have Suzie as Henry's only sibling, you'll see why in future installations for this series.)
"So you turned to fighting to express yourself and your feelings," Takato remarked quietly, encouraging him to continue.
"Hai!!"
"What made you hate it so?"
"W-When I was eight my parents enrolled me in a martial arts school. M-My sensei . . . taught me t-that we learn how to fight in order to . . . to AVOID fighting. But I-I didn't learn that lesson until I u-used my skills on a neighbor's kid and I-I hurt him. E-Ever since then I've hated fighting w-with a passion. I-I'm afraid to fight back b-because I-I don't want to cause a-anyone else pain, even i-if they're hurting me."
Takato nodded, absorbing all this. He understood Henry's reluctance and fear quite well, but what he didn't understand was how Henry could see fighting to protect their town as the same thing as fighting to hurt someone without a cause or conscience. Shaking his head, he advised his friend firmly, "Henry, domo arigato for sharing that with me. I think I know how hard it was for you to do so. But you should know, Henry, that what we are doing as Digimon Tamers is nothing like that. We aren't fighting just because it's fun, without cause or conscience, we fight because we have to. Because we are the only ones who can protect this town from Digimon who come from, as you put it, the Other Side. There is a difference between the two, you know."
Henry crossed his tanned arms over his chest and looked away again, furiously ordering his tears to subside. /I can't BELIEVE I just told him that! No one knows about that except for me, that boy, and my parents. But . . ./ he admitted to himself hesitantly. /. . . i-it does feel good to get it off my chest. Just a little./ After all, the guilt and grief were still quite palpable, but now they had been reduced to a dull ache. He knew that it wouldn't go away any time soon, still, it was a start.
"Henry," Takato sighed, "I know it probably doesn't seem that way. Believe me, I was quite shocked and upset by what happened with Gorillamon yesterday myself, but I also knew that if Terriermon and Guilmon hadn't fought him, we most likely wouldn't be here right now."
"I know," Henry whispered. He turned back to Takato, giving his friend a small smile. "It's just going take a while to convince my heart and conscience of the same."
Takato smiled at him, eyes beaming warmth. "Still, that's a start. I can tell it helped, you're much calmer than you were a few minutes ago."
Henry chuckled slightly, wiping his tears away. "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing." Then, surprising Takato, he leaned forward and grabbed him in a tight, friendly hug. "Domo arigato."
Still trying to think of a response, the young leader returned the embrace. As they pulled away, Takato grinned warmly at him. "Dooitashimashite. Henry, you do know that whenever you need to talk or need someone to listen to you or just plain be with you, you can always come to me, don't you?"
Henry smiled just as warmly. "Hai. And I hope you know the same."
The End!
A/N: Well, how was THAT for a second installment, hmm? Henry's finally learning to trust and to open up to someone besides Terriermon and his family. Just to reiterate, this is NOT yaoi, strictly FRIENDSHIP. Keep your eye out for the third installment in the TJFS series. Hopefully it will be out by next Friday, but I can't promise that it will be (finals coming up, yuck!). It's going to be Henry's turn to come through for Takato, will he be able to do so? Guess you'll just have to wait! ^_^ Please R&R!
Japanese Terms:
Iie: No
Hai: Yes
Baka: Idiot
Matte: Wait
Nani?: What?
Sensei: Teacher
Gomen/Gomen nasai: Sorry/I'm sorry
Domo arigato/arigato: Thank you/Thanks
Dooitashimashite (excuse my spelling): You're welcome
Gaki: Brat
Yokatta: I'm so glad
Tomodachi: Friend
Kami-sama: Spirits
Please let me know if any of these are wrong! Ja ne!
~SS
A/N: My second fic in the Takato-Jenrya Friendship Series (TJFS) I finally got around to working on! ::cheers:: At last I'm making some progress. Joshua Ino, Takato's cousin from my first fic in this series/arc, TJFS #1: Digimon Tamers: Friendship Kindled, seems like a pretty good antagonist for the two, so expect the possibility of seeing him in future TJFS fics. This particular one has him in it. I based it off of Henry's speech in the first new Digimon episode from Saturday, May 11th: "The D-Reaper's Disguise (I think that's the title, but correct me if I'm wrong)." It also alludes to the fourth episode in Digimon Tamers: "It Came From the Other Side." Please R&R! And now on with the fic...
/thoughts/
TJFS #2: Digimon Tamers: Path of Healing
by Sentimental Star
"Henry!" twelve-year-old Takato Matsuda called, cupping his hands around his mouth, his feet pounding against the cement sidewalk, and his brown eyes darting to and fro. The wind whipped his brown hair about as he ran. "Henry, where in the world ARE you?!"
Jenrya "Henry" Wong, his friend and a fellow Digimon Tamer, had narrowly avoided being creamed by Joshua Ino, a sixth-grade bully and Takato's older cousin, earlier today on the track during Physical Education, or PE, as the students of West Shinjiku Elementary School called it. He had only been saved that pain when Miss Asajii, who was assisting the PE instructors, had come over to see what the commotion was about. Takato had arrived at the group of students several minutes before her for the same reason.
The young , unspoken leader of the Tamers closed his eyes tightly as he recalled the scene that had greeted him.
FLASHBACK
The blue-haired, gray-eyed Tamer was crouched somewhat low to the ground, his stance loose and uncertain. His antagonist, Joshua, stood over him, fist pulled back.
Had Takato not known any better, he would have thought Henry was playing a trick on the older boy. But he could see that his friend really did NOT want to fight the black-eyed, brown-haired bully, although he was plenty capable of doing so. In fact, he was probably the better fighter of the two, yet, he refused to engage in any sort of brawl. Takato knew that from when Terriermon had been forced to battle Gorillamon just yesterday, he'd seen Henry's reluctance and obvious uncertainty.
Joshua knew this, too, minus the Digimon battle, but the Tamer saw that his cousin had every intention of beating up the half-Chinese boy anyway and he couldn't allow that.
Then . . . just as Takato started towards them . . . Joshua slugged Henry in his abdomen. The younger boy cried out and promptly crashed to his knees, bent double, holding his stomach protectively. But Joshua showed no signs of mercy and pulled his fist back to deliver another blow.
Takato immediately broke into a run, reaching the other two boys in seconds. "STOP!" he yelled, flinging himself in front of Henry.
But Joshua had already thrown the punch. Gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, Takato braced himself for what he knew would be a painful strike. Even so, he refused to move from in front of his friend.
The blow never came.
Seeing the danger Takato had placed himself in, Henry had managed to struggle to his feet and throw a block, turning aside the punch without too much effort.
Disregarding Henry for the moment, Joshua snarled at his younger cousin, "What the HELL do you think you're doing, Takato!?"
Henry wanted very much to know the same thing.
"Stepping in where no one else was," Takato retorted. "I TOLD you to leave him alone!!"
"Like I listen to you," Joshua snapped, glaring at the two fifth grade boys.
Takato ignored him, instead turning to his fellow Tamer. "Henry, how bad did he get you?"
Henry wasn't listening to him. "Takato, get outta here! He'll hurt you, too!" the boy whispered fiercely, ignoring the agony vying for his attention. "I don't know why you insist on helping me, but I do know I can't let you get beat up!"
"Move!" Joshua hissed, advancing.
"Move!" Henry exclaimed almost immediately after the sixth grader. "Takato, please!"
"Iie and IIE!" Takato countered ardently. He whirled around, once more firmly inserting himself between the two, scowling at his cousin.
"Fine, baka!" Joshua growled, once again pulling his fist back.
/Baka,/ Henry thought, preparing to defend his stubborn, good-hearted friend.
Neither got that far. With a imperious cry of "Matte!" Miss Asajii forced her way into the center of the ring of students.
As she did so, Henry once more collapsed, finally allowing the pain full reign of his body. Tears shimmered in his eyes and he clutched his stomach. With a soft, but frightened and concerned cry, Takato dropped to his knees beside Henry.
Concern flickered momentarily in Miss Asajii's eyes as she took in the two boys, then they hardened as she did an about face and locked with Joshua's suddenly frightened ones. He had never liked this teacher, mostly BECAUSE she scared him, and Miss Asajii returned the favor in full with one major difference---she wasn't at all intimidated by him, rather, she was appalled by him. If 'bad' had to be defined in terms of personality, attitude, and people, Joshua was the embodiment of it. "Care to explain what happened?" she demanded coldly.
Joshua swallowed, looked behind him at his cronies, then put on a false bravado as he turned back to her. "Nani?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Don't you 'nani' me, mister!" Miss Asajii snapped. "I'm sure you're quite aware of what happened, spill it!"
Joshua was crumpling under her imposing glare and received no support from his supposed 'friends.' "Um, I-I don't know, Asajii-sensei?"
Students in the ring started calling out as soon as they heard him:
"Don't listen to him, Asajii-sensei!"
"He's lying!"
"He knows what happened!"
"I saw him, he started it!"
"Yeah, Henry was minding his own business, he did nothing to Joshua!"
"Henry didn't want to fight him and Takato defended him!"
"Takato helped him out when no one else would! It's not their fault!"
"Joshua's the one to blame!"
And so on.
"ENOUGH!" Miss Asajii ordered, at last silencing the other students' interjections. She seized Joshua firmly by his shoulder and the bully had enough sense not to fight her. Turning to Takato and Henry with a somewhat softened expression, she remarked, "That was reckless, Takato. Your kindness serves you well, but sometimes it seems to get you into MORE trouble than it gets you OUT OF. I hope that next time you think before doing something like that again."
Takato ducked his head, face flushed with embarrassment. "Hai and gomen nasai, Asajii-sensei."
What she said, next, however, completely caught him off-guard. "It's all right, don't worry about it right now. While what you did was reckless, it was also very brave. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but, as your teacher, I'm proud of what you did today." Her voice had taken on a definite gentleness.
Surprise animating his features, Takato quickly looked up at her, turning a slightly darker shade of red. "D-Domo arigato," he stammered.
"And, Henry," here she turned her gaze to the half-Chinese boy who was still crouched on the ground, "I hear that you refused to fight, only doing so when you absolutely needed to. For that, I admire you."
"Arigato, Asajii-sensei," Henry murmured, a faint blush stinging his cheeks.
Miss Asajii gave the two fifth grade boys one of her rare, warm smiles. "Takato, why don't you take Henry to the Nurse's Office? Since Physical Education will be over in about fifteen minutes, you can have the rest of it off." She didn't say it, but Takato realized she knew he wanted to stay with Henry until he at least knew that his friend would be okay.
"Arigato," he thanked her.
She nodded, still smiling, then turned to the remainder of the students. "As for the rest of you, I expect you to learn from this and be much nicer and much more considerate in the future. You, too, may have the rest of this period off, seeing as there are too many of you for Mori-sensei to handle." Any trace of a smile vanished from her lips as she looked down at Joshua. Left in her eyes was coldness that promised ill to anyone who did something which she did not approve of.
"HAI, ASAJII-SENSEI!!" the students cheered, hurrying quickly to get changed in the locker rooms.
As Kazu and Kenta hurried past Takato and Henry, Kazu whispered, "Way to go, Chumley!"
"Great job, Takato!" Kenta added, smiling. Then they were gone, drawn into the slew of students.
Takato shook his head with a bemused smile, thinking, /Great job? Yeah, right. My friend got injured because of my gaki of a cousin. They're just glad I got them out of PE. At least Joshua's in trouble, hopefully he won't bother Henry for a while. And if he does,/ Takato's face hardened, /if he does, then I'll make him regret it. NO ONE gets away with harming my friends./
END FLASHBACK
That had happened during second period.
At lunch, Takato had returned to the Nurse's office to see if his friend could go to the cafeteria with him. When he entered, the Nurse wasn't there and neither was Henry.
The other boy could have gone to the cafeteria by himself, but Takato had a funny feeling that he hadn't. Of course, the young leader could have asked the Nurse when she came back to the office where Henry had gone, but Takato had been positive she wouldn't know. So he left the school building, thanking his lucky stars that he had an hour and a half long lunch.
For about forty-five minutes he had been searching the school grounds and he still hadn't found the other boy. He was really growing concerned about his friend. /Why did he just disappear like that? Especially considering the state he's in!/ Takato thought.
A few minutes later he reached the edge of the school's property where dirt met undergrowth and trees. /Don't tell me he went in there. If he did then I'll never be able to find him! Of course, he may not WANT to be found./ Takato sighed, taking a step into the glade. /I just want to be sure he's okay. If he wants me to leave, I'll go, but until then . . ./
A quiet sound to the right made the young leader halt in his tracks.
/Animal, Digimon, or Henry?/ he wondered. He heard it again, this time clearer.
"Takato?"
/Henry./ The Tamer turned and saw his teammate sitting against a tree, gazing at him with gray eyes much too bright for Takato's liking. He smiled slightly at his friend in spite of himself, unable to help the relief that washed through him. "There you are," he remarked softly, moving to kneel in front of Henry. "I was really starting to worry about you."
"Gomen," Henry murmured. "I just wanted to be alone for a little while."
Takato quickly appraised the other boy's condition. All in all, he looked much better than he had this morning. Physically at least. "Would you still like to be alone?" the brown-haired leader offered.
Henry shook his head firmly. "Iie, I'd like some company right now." He raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "What are you doing out here anyway?"
"When I went back to the Nurse's Office you weren't there. Just wanted to make sure you were all right, is all," Takato replied, shrugging easily, warmth in his brown eyes.
To his credit, Henry managed a small smile. "And what do you think, Doctor?" he teased lightly.
The grin on Takato's face was immediate. "Other than having an uncanny ability to worry your friends half to death, you're fine," he retorted good- naturedly.
Henry laughed softly.
"Yokatta," Takato breathed.
Startled, Henry glanced at Takato first in surprise, then in amusement. "If I have an uncanny ability to be the object of worry, then YOU have an uncanny ability to be the worr-IER."
This time it was the young leader's turn to laugh.
A comfortable silence fell between the two. Takato sat back on his heels and, closing his eyes, raised his face so that the sun slanting through the leaves fell across and warmed it. He had a hunch that things wouldn't always be this peaceful, especially not with the possibility of Digimon popping up in Digital Fields at any given moment. It hadn't taken him long to realize that life as a Digimon Tamer would be a great deal more interesting and great deal more dangerous than the one he had lived before he even MET Guilmon, Henry, Terriermon, and encountered that red-headed girl and her Digimon partner. Just as quickly, he realized that if Digimon kept appearing in the Real World, then he and the others had to put it first, before anything else. Somehow, he knew things would get a lot worse before they got better. They now quite possibly carried Earth's fate on their shoulders and that was a heavy burden to bear.
Henry sat silently, watching Takato, even as his mind raged with thoughts and his heart with emotions. The other Tamer's friendship had been invaluable to him, even in the short time they had known each other. But, Henry reminded himself, there was still little they knew about each other, and he was hesitant to even broach the subject. He didn't want to seem prying or intrusive. /Besides,/ the half-Chinese boy admitted, /I don't know if I'd have the courage to tell him the secrets I've kept hidden for years, secrets that not even Terriermon knows. Still . . ./
"Domo arigato, Takato," Henry suddenly spoke up quietly.
The young leader started, opening his eyes, once more locking them with Henry's. "For what, Henry?"
Gesturing with his hand, Henry explained, "For today, for yesterday, for your friendship. You've done so much for me already, the least I can do is thank you."
Takato smiled and shook his head. "No need to thank me, tomodachi. I'd do it again."
Henry closed his eyes in quiet gratitude as they lapsed into silence again. Takato was an incredible person, plain and simple. He'd looked past what many thought about Henry and Chinese and half-Chinese in general, had the courage to disregard those prejudices and that discrimination. The Tamer now knew why his friend was so popular and well-liked---he was always cheerful, always had a smile for everyone, was considerate, and so much more. "Why'd you do it, Takato?" he wanted to know, voice hushed as he opened his gray eyes. "Why did you decide to befriend me in the first place?"
Takato gazed back at him, warm mirth sparkling in his brown eyes as he laid down on his stomach and placed his chin in his hands. "Henry, I've been TRYING to befriend you for the last half-year, ever since we were placed in some of the same classes. But whenever I tried to talk to you, you had already left the classroom or locker-room."
Henry started. "I had no idea."
"That's all right."
"But why . . .?"
"You seemed to be in such pain, Henry," Takato whispered, his eyes going unfocused at the memory. "I knew you didn't like to let anyone get close to you or talk to you, but I also could tell how lonely you were despite the fact that you kept isolating yourself." His voice quieted even more. "I know what it's like to be lonely, I'm an only child who's parents work constantly just so they can make a living to support me. I would never wish that pain on anyone, not even that red-headed girl who thinks Digimon are just data, meant to fight and nothing else. Besides," he shook his head yet again, "something kept drawing me to you. It wasn't just the pain I saw you suffering through, in little ways you showed people that you wanted to help them, even if they didn't give you a second glance. Either by consenting to give advice on homework or helping someone who dropped their books in the hall, even if you were already late for class yourself and so much more. There were a million small things you did, Henry, that let me know how kind you were, how helpful. That's something I see in precious few people. I can't say I read hearts, but I do notice tiny things about people that hint at their true character. It's a strange gift I have, a gift only according to my mother and other adults." Takato rubbed his face. "And I just said a whole lot without making any sense."
"Iie, iie," Henry hurried to assure him. "I understood perfectly." Which was true. He was at a loss as to what to say otherwise.
Takato eyed him. "So that's why you're silent now."
"Iie, it's just . . ." Henry shook his head. "Wow, Takato."
Takato quirked an eyebrow, but remained silent about the matter. After a few more minutes, he asked, voice warm and quiet, "Henry, you don't have to tell me, but I'd really like to know . . . why didn't you fight back, or at least defend yourself this morning?"
Henry visibly stiffened. /He HAD to ask that,/ the blue-haired boy thought, dropping his gray eyes to the brush covered floor.
Takato instantly noted the change in his friend's demeanor and sat up. "Is it that bad?"
Henry hesitated before giving a small nod. /Don't chicken out,/ Henry told himself firmly, his chest tightening in sudden anger at himself. /He put himself in danger to protect you. You owe him this!/ "Hai," he whispered fiercely.
The other Tamer started at the severity of the statement. Had he angered his friend unknowingly? "Henry---" he began.
The gray-eyed boy lashed out, "That was a stupid thing you did, Takato!"
Takato balked. "What?!" /What in the world is he talking about?!/ he thought incredulously.
"You shouldn't have endangered yourself to protect me! You could have been injured!"
"How is that stupid, Henry? I didn't want you to be hurt!"
"It wasn't your fight---"
"I MADE it my fight. You're my friend, for Kami-sama's sake! Attacking you crosses the line, as does causing you pain in any way!"
"Same goes for you!"
Takato took a deep breath to calm himself. Obviously Henry was upset by what he had done, yelling at him wouldn't do any good. He softened his voice to an ardent undertone. "You weren't fighting back, you weren't defending yourself, and you expect me to sit back and let you get kicked around by someone who thinks that sort of thing is FUN?! THAT'S what I call stupid, Henry!"
The young leader expected Henry to continue arguing, but the other Tamer didn't. Instead, tears slipping down his cheeks, he turned away and whispered, "Gomen nasai."
Takato's brown eyes turned sharp. /Something's up,/ he realized. Standing, he walked the last few paces to the tree Henry was leaning against and knelt so that he was directly in front of him. Face and voice softening even more, he ordered gently, "Henry, tell me what's wrong."
Henry turned his face even farther away from the intense, questioning look he KNEW Takato carried in his brown eyes. "Do I really have to?" he whispered, pain in his voice.
Takato winced inwardly. Placing his hands on Henry's shoulders, the Tamer responded quietly, "No, but it might help you if you did. I don't particularly enjoy watching you struggle with your emotions, especially when I KNOW there is something I can do to help you."
With a soft gasp, Henry quickly turned to look at his friend, gray eyes widening and locking fiercely on his teammate's face as they welled up with sudden tears.
The young leader's own dark ones were plaintive, the request in them clear. "Please."
And that was all it took.
Folding over, hiding his face in his hands, the tears cascading down his cheeks, Henry sobbed helplessly, "Gomen, Takato, gomen nasai!! You-you're my first real friend . . . well . . . o-other than Terriermon. I-I'm not used to having another person watch out for me. I-I always t-thought that I had to . . . to prove myself somehow to everyone else, show t-them that I- I was just . . . just as good as they were b-because of th-the way they treated me simply b-because I was half . . . half-Chinese." (A/N: Yeah, I know that his speech was a little different, but for the sake of this series and possibly other, separate fan-fics I'm gonna keep it as more a discriminatory/racial thing. I'm also going to have Suzie as Henry's only sibling, you'll see why in future installations for this series.)
"So you turned to fighting to express yourself and your feelings," Takato remarked quietly, encouraging him to continue.
"Hai!!"
"What made you hate it so?"
"W-When I was eight my parents enrolled me in a martial arts school. M-My sensei . . . taught me t-that we learn how to fight in order to . . . to AVOID fighting. But I-I didn't learn that lesson until I u-used my skills on a neighbor's kid and I-I hurt him. E-Ever since then I've hated fighting w-with a passion. I-I'm afraid to fight back b-because I-I don't want to cause a-anyone else pain, even i-if they're hurting me."
Takato nodded, absorbing all this. He understood Henry's reluctance and fear quite well, but what he didn't understand was how Henry could see fighting to protect their town as the same thing as fighting to hurt someone without a cause or conscience. Shaking his head, he advised his friend firmly, "Henry, domo arigato for sharing that with me. I think I know how hard it was for you to do so. But you should know, Henry, that what we are doing as Digimon Tamers is nothing like that. We aren't fighting just because it's fun, without cause or conscience, we fight because we have to. Because we are the only ones who can protect this town from Digimon who come from, as you put it, the Other Side. There is a difference between the two, you know."
Henry crossed his tanned arms over his chest and looked away again, furiously ordering his tears to subside. /I can't BELIEVE I just told him that! No one knows about that except for me, that boy, and my parents. But . . ./ he admitted to himself hesitantly. /. . . i-it does feel good to get it off my chest. Just a little./ After all, the guilt and grief were still quite palpable, but now they had been reduced to a dull ache. He knew that it wouldn't go away any time soon, still, it was a start.
"Henry," Takato sighed, "I know it probably doesn't seem that way. Believe me, I was quite shocked and upset by what happened with Gorillamon yesterday myself, but I also knew that if Terriermon and Guilmon hadn't fought him, we most likely wouldn't be here right now."
"I know," Henry whispered. He turned back to Takato, giving his friend a small smile. "It's just going take a while to convince my heart and conscience of the same."
Takato smiled at him, eyes beaming warmth. "Still, that's a start. I can tell it helped, you're much calmer than you were a few minutes ago."
Henry chuckled slightly, wiping his tears away. "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing." Then, surprising Takato, he leaned forward and grabbed him in a tight, friendly hug. "Domo arigato."
Still trying to think of a response, the young leader returned the embrace. As they pulled away, Takato grinned warmly at him. "Dooitashimashite. Henry, you do know that whenever you need to talk or need someone to listen to you or just plain be with you, you can always come to me, don't you?"
Henry smiled just as warmly. "Hai. And I hope you know the same."
The End!
A/N: Well, how was THAT for a second installment, hmm? Henry's finally learning to trust and to open up to someone besides Terriermon and his family. Just to reiterate, this is NOT yaoi, strictly FRIENDSHIP. Keep your eye out for the third installment in the TJFS series. Hopefully it will be out by next Friday, but I can't promise that it will be (finals coming up, yuck!). It's going to be Henry's turn to come through for Takato, will he be able to do so? Guess you'll just have to wait! ^_^ Please R&R!
Japanese Terms:
Iie: No
Hai: Yes
Baka: Idiot
Matte: Wait
Nani?: What?
Sensei: Teacher
Gomen/Gomen nasai: Sorry/I'm sorry
Domo arigato/arigato: Thank you/Thanks
Dooitashimashite (excuse my spelling): You're welcome
Gaki: Brat
Yokatta: I'm so glad
Tomodachi: Friend
Kami-sama: Spirits
Please let me know if any of these are wrong! Ja ne!
~SS