CHAPTER 14 "An old friend returns?"



"You're welcome," Wishmon answered when Ken stood up with Wormmon and they were ready to leave.

"So, Ange, are you still going to leave to study medicine?" Ken asked.

"Yes, I'm still planning to go," I replied.

"But why not stay and study medicine here in Japan?" questioned Wormmon.

"I cannot. Being one with healing powers, I would require to know about modern and ancient traditional medicine around the world. Also, I'm planning to search for a cure to my sickness and this trip will allow me to study herbs that are and aren't used in medicine. Plus, I'll need this information to outsmart Izzy in the field of medicine. Great?" I explained.

"What sickness? The one that causes you to go unconscious? It's getting worse, isn't it?" Ken asked in concerned.

"Yeah. That's the one. But don't worry, guys, it only gets worse if I use my wish powers," I assured them all.

"What about your healing powers?" Wormmon suggested. "Does that have any effect on your sickness?"

"My healing powers are still continuing to fight it or at least slow it down," I answered. "They were doing a good job at it until I started using my powers more frequently to research about my other selves and my past. But they are starting to lose. Can you imagine how many wishes a young child would have? As many as the number of stars. And every time I use my powers, it adds up. I can't stop it, but I can try to delay it."

"So that's why you don't really join the team to the Digital World to fight," Ken interpreted. "You would have won easily every time. But it would mean a drain in your powers."

"Precisely part of it."

"Oh?" Ken and Wormmon said at the same time.

"What Ange means by that, is that we have faith that all of you will defeat them in the end. Besides, you'll get practice for any surprisingly evil and powerful enemies," Wishmon helped in the interpretation. "Do you both understand?"

"Sort of," they both answered.

"Don't worry, you, guys, everything's going to be okay. I won't leave before your birthday this coming Saturday. So that means you'll get your present from me. Now, you better get going. It's getting late now, and you have school tomorrow," I spoke to remind Ken and Wormmon of the time. It was almost supper for Ken and Wormmon at their house.

"Right!" Ken and Wormmon replied in unison as they began to walk towards the door. "Bye."



***



"Hey, Ange, you've got mail," Wishmon confirmed when she checked my messages on my D-terminal.

"Who's it from, Wishmon?" I asked, sitting some metres away from her at my desk in my room with her resting on my bed. I was already busy booking a flight, planning my schedules, destinations, and a surprise for Ken in the evening. My plans and suggestions were already thought of, all I had to do was to put them into writing, and that was what I was trying to do until an e-mail alert interrupted my efforts.

"It's from Mariana. She says that she's going to arrive in Japan tomorrow morning with her dad. She was hoping that you could pick her up at the airport at 8:00am sharp. She requests that you e-mail her with your reply today. She wants you to know that she couldn't find Uraina in Canada. She says that her family is worried about her and they were hoping that you could contact them if you have any idea to where she's gone to. She's happy to say that your help is appreciated," translated Wishmon after she opened the message.

"Oh. Is that it?" I asked dully as I turned to face her instead of continuing to write. Thank goodness I was done.

"That's it, Ange. What's your reply? Yes?"

Lucky her, Mariana, that I take private school only in the afternoons on school days compared to most public high students who take classes for both the morning and afternoon for all five days. And she' even luckier that I discontinued attending school beginning this week so I can finish organizing and packing. She's going to owe me big time. "Absolutely! E-mail her, right away!" I approved.

"Already did," Wishmon confessed.

I approached her and laid along on the bed. "And exactly when was that?" I asked as I faced her.

"This morning when I've first gotten the message."

"And why didn't you tell me this morning?"

"I didn't want to bother you while you were busy around the house. And besides, I had already known that you would accept it, so I replied earlier. Sorry," she admitted softly with guilt as she closed the terminal and placed it down. "Are you mad?"

"No, of course not. I was just joking. I'm kinda glad that you e-mailed her this morning. I mean, she might not check her messages this late at night, and might have asked someone else. But next time, ask away. Okay?" I assured her as I placed the D-terminal inside the top drawer next to my bed.

"Okay."

"Okay, then. Let's get some sleep, we need to wake up early tomorrow," I indicated but discovered that Wishmon had already fell asleep before I had even finished.



***



"Hey, Wishmon. Wake up, we're here," I pointed out when I parked my recently brought car in the drive way outside the airport building. It was convenient having a car in case of emergencies.

"We are?" she asked with a yawn as she scanned the surroundings through the open window beside her for any indication that would defend the fact that we have arrived at the airport. "Oh, right! We're here. Finally!" she admitted excitedly, sitting in the front seat with me. "Wow! This is an airport? It's gorgeous! You're sure we're at the right place?"

"Yep, Wishmon, I agree. It's a gorgeous airport. And there they are, Wishmon, Mariana and her dad, each with luggage of their own," I said, lowered every seat's windows to their minimums so I can wave back at Mariana and her dad. They were barely able to manage a few signals, so I got out of my car, ready to lend a hand (not literally though), and before I parted from my car to help, I advised Wishmon to act like an untalkative house pet that's unique only in existence of rareness of type and not speech.

"Hey, Ange! You made it!" Mariana happily greeted with a hug after we placed every luggage in the back trunk.

"Yeah. I did, didn't I? And I won't be able to drive both of you any where if you choke me to death now, Mariana," I barely managed to point out to Mariana when she forgot to let go.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Ange. I'm just so excited that I'll be able to stay in Japan permanently until further notices," she explained with tears to prove of her cheerfulness when she finally released me from the hug.

"Don't cry, Mariana, I was just kidding. You know me, I usually don't mean what I said," I reassured her with a smile like a proud big sister.

"Oh, I know, Ange. You are so adorably sarcastic," she replied with a sweet smile instead of tears.

"Great!" I exclaimed merrily and we got into the car and buckled in.

"What's this?" pondered Mariana about Wishmon sitting next to her in the back row of the car like an ordinary and lifeless toy. "It looks like a Digimon, but it can't be. What would Ange be doing with it? Does she know?" Mariana asked herself as she stared at Wishmon suspiciously. Thank goodness that Wishmon defended no such suspicion of Mariana's, and instead, she played along like a toy. After awhile, Mariana surrendered to Wishmon and took her eyes off her. Wishmon sighed and loosed up quietly.

"And I trust that everything's fine, right, Ange?" asked Mr. Chaikary with a broad smile. Sitting beside me, he noticed my nod and asked impatiently, but sarcastically, "Then we can go now, right?"

"Where to, Daddy?" asked his obedient daughter who was trying to end the sarcasm instead of adding to it.

"My place?" I proposed hoping for a positive answer when I realize that this was the perfect opportunity to start persuading them to stay at my house since there was a momentarily hesitation. Mariana nodded continuously in excitement until her dad returned his nod of approval.

Halfway there to my house, I asked, "Do both of you want to stay for lunch?"

"Yes! I mean, if you want us to, Dad," she begged, looking at him. He glanced at the mirror and saw that she really wanted to stay. He would do anything to make his daughter happy because she's been sad ever since and every time they leave Japan or move around again and again. He couldn't help that, he was a pilot and still is. It's his job to travel. Because he didn't have any relative in Japan that could have taken care of his daughter while he goes away, he takes her with him. He wanted to ask me to take care of her, but he worried that I might not be able to baby-sit her in his absence since I have a life of my own. So, he never bothered asking.

"Very well, Mariana, we'll stay at Ange's for lunch," her dad agreed and surprised her.

"How about staying at my house then?" I requested them as I kept on driving. Her dad showed an expression of uncertainty while it would seem as if his daughter had already agreed. "I'm going to leave Japan in a few days from now, so my house will be empty then and I'll need someone to look after it while I'm gone and what better people to ask than both of you. I mean, I would like some company at my house and both of you haven't found a place yet than the one I just proposed, so do you both want to stay at my house? There's more than enough rooms for five members," I offered and caused a moment of silence.

"What do you say, Mariana? This is going to be your call," her dad asked her with a smile as he turned to face her from his seat. She smiled back in reply and he got the message clear, she wanted to stay. "Alright, Ange, deal. We'll stay as permanent residents until further notice. So, do I have to pay the bills too?"

"Absolutely yes! You'll just have to pay half of every bill like the water bill, electricity bill, and so on; so it would be fair, but at least, you won't have to pay rent," I answered while I continued to drive.

"Sounds fair enough. Okay, are we there yet?" Mariana answered for her father.

"Almost, Mariana," I replied patiently, "almost."



***



On the night of their arrival, I passed the mission to Mariana. She agreed instantly. Now that she knows about her powers and mission, she changed. She became someone else. She became slave with her responsibilities of both lives, but there's no turning back for her, she had already accepted and she will never quit until her mission is completed.

"Time for school, Mariana," her dad, standing beside the bathroom door, called out as he tried his black tie around his neck.

She heard him calling, so she opened the bathroom door and replied, "Right! Nice outfit, Dad. But where are you off to?"

"I'm off to a job interview at the television station. Are you ready?" asked Mr. Chaikary in a hurry. He finally finished putting his tie on.

"You're quitting as a pilot? What happened? Is it because of me?"

"No, Sweetheart, it's not because of you 'cause I'm not quitting. I'm just finding a part-time job for this vacation, away from the planes. You know how it is. It's going to be a boring three-months holiday if I don't have something to do. And besides, don't forget that I'll have to pay half of every house bill," he joked. "So, you're ready for school, right?"

"Ready!" she replied after she dashed into her room for her black satchel while her dad dashed into his' and got his black brief case in hand. It was like she and her father loved black. They hurried downstairs to meet me at the front door while Wishmon was already inside the car parked outside the garage.

"Good then. Everyone, let's go," I said and all three of us hurried into the car. "Where to first, school or interview?"

"School, Ange," her dad replied, "since that's the nearest."

"Got it!" I exclaimed and started the engine.

At Odaiba Elementary, Davis entered his English class with surprising news for his friends. "Guys, guess what?" he asked T.K. and Kari when he sat down in his seat.

"What?" Kari asked, seating between Davis and T.K.

"Yeah, Davis, what is it?" Matt's younger brother asked.

"We're going to have a new student in our English class today," Davis answered. "And I heard that she's almost as good a soccer player as me."

"What's her name, Davis?" Kari asked as the bell rang. "I wonder how she's like."

"Don't know."

"I wonder why there would be a new student at this time of the year," T.K. said out loud when the English teacher entered and announced that there was a new student.

The door slid and revealed an eleven-years-old girl wearing an ocean blue t-shirt and black casual pants. She held her black robe-looking jacket over her shoulder with her left hand as she walked towards the teacher. With her right hand, she took off her baseball cap and took a small bow, revealing her long dark hair tied in a ponytail. "Her name is Kamari Chaikary," the English teacher introduced to his class.

"But everyone can call me Mariana," she encouraged them.

"Isn't that...," T.K. and Kari thought at the same time.

"Maria," Davis ended for them. But he wasn't sure if it was really his old friend returning. "I could swear that she had shorter hair," he mumbled, but no one heard him clearly enough to understand what he was saying.

"Let's see, where should you sit? Why don't you take the empty seat next to the boy with the goggles?" he requested her and she gave a nod. Then, she followed orders and sat down with her bag on the table. She dared not distract Davis, but she had to be polite, so she said hello to him and his friends at the same moment when she organized her stationery stuff in place.

Davis was happy to see his friend back with him, at least be in Japan. "Together again," he merrily said to her.

"Maybe," she answered him with a grin, almost breaking his good mood if it wasn't for the smile.

School was interesting for Mariana and her friends. She joined most of the athletic teams, especially the soccer and track teams. Although she loves swimming, she didn't join the swim team, she didn't want to exploit her swimming skills because she enjoys it so much. So instead, she would just practice swimming on Saturdays. Everything looked so easy to her, it seems as if she could be a non-identical twin of the famous genius Ken Ichijouji when he was still the Emperor. At least, that's what Yolei thought and feared when she said out loud to Davis and the others while they were in computer club, "At least, she's not going to be a Digimon Empress, I hope."

"Of course not," Cody said. "It's not going to be possible since she has neither a Digivice nor a D-terminal."

"But we did tell her about the Digital World," Yolei added.

"And she promised not to tell," Davis defended.

"We know, Davis, but we just can't take any more chances," T.K. stated.

"But she seemed so nice in all of my classes. She even said goodbye to me at my locker," Kari informed.

"That's what so strange about it. She's in every class that Kari's in, and she even has a locker right next to Kari's," Yolei concluded. "But I could be wrong." She sighed.



***



The moment I was trying to close the bakery shop, one of my best customers appeared, so I stopped and waited.

"Hello, Mrs. Ichijouji," I greeted, "what would you like today?"

"Oh hello, Ange. I would like to place an order for a birthday cake delivered to my house on Saturday," she requested.

"Okay. With twelve candles for Ken?" I asked.

"Yes. How did you know it's for Ken?"

"Just a guess, Mrs. Ichijouji. By the way, did you invite his friends to his birthday party yet?"

"No, not yet. I don't really know much about his friends, and I don't want him to invite them since I want it to be a surprise. By the way, is it true that you're closing?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I'm going to be leaving Japan this Sunday, but I'll manage this last order for Saturday."

"Oh. So what happens to your shop?"

"It'll be close until I return. Say what, how about moving Ken's birthday party to my house? Then, he'll be really surprise when I invite his friends over too," I offered.

"Okay!" she answered excitedly. "Thanks a lot!"

"You're welcome, but don't mention my name to Ken, it might ruin his surprise. Bye," I stressed and waved.

"Right!" Mrs. Ichijouji waved and hurried to get back home.

That night, I e-mailed all of Ken's friends and told them that they were all invited to his party at my house Saturday night. I asked them to reply before Saturday arrives so I can make the preparations. They all replied yes.





Author's Notes: Don't own Digimon.