Chapter 4: Kage ni Aruki

Ryan found himself waking up in a small city. Everything was dim, and trimmed in a smeared black. Ryan found himself as a young, 4 year-old boy. "Where... where am I...?" Suddenly, he heard a crash in the other room. "Huh?" He went to open his door, but found that it was locked.

"Do you really want to see what's behind that door, Ryan...?" a voice echoed. It was the shadow from before... The same Darkness.

"Yeah, now lemme through."

"Very well..." The door clicked and Ryan reached way up to turn the knob. When he came out, he saw blood everywhere. His mom and her tall, skinny boyfriend were both drunk and were breaking beer bottles over eachothers' backs and heads. Ryan gasped a little. "That's my... Mom...! Get me outta here!"

"I cannot do that," the shadow responded mercilessly. "It was your desicion." Ryan tried to stay brave and stepped up to the two.

"I'm gonna go get some food, you son of a bitch!" his mother yelled at his boyfriend. "Stay here and watch Ryan!" She stormed out the door and the man, named Larry, looked at Ryan. He just stared for a moment, his eyes bloodshot from his drinking.

"... What're YOU lookin' at?!" he finally demanded, hiccuping. He plopped down on the couch and picked up a steel bat next to him, hitting the ground with it for fun.

"You... You shouldn't be drinking, you know! It's bad for your health, I heard!"

"Aah, whadda you care, ya little bastard..?!?!" He stood up and swung the bat at Ryan,

"Whoa!!" Ryan crawled under the glass table in front of the couch, then his heart stopped. (I...! I remember this..!!) Suddenly, the bat hit the glass, and it shattered causing Ryan to cover himself and close his eyes tightly. He gasped and his eyes shot open. He was now at normal height, in front of his dad's apartment. Everything was still outlined in black, but he didn't recongine that. He just let out a sigh of relief to be home. "Man, that was weird.."

"You've seen the past..." the shadow echoed omniously. "Now, you'll see the future..."

"... Huh...?" He shook his head and walked up to the door, than rang the buzzer. He got a busy signal. "Hey, how in the...?" He dialed again, and got the same thing. "Wonder where he could be...?" He pulled at the door to see that the lock was shot out. "... Huh...?" His heart raced, and he began to panic. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could. He looked at the knob to his dad's door - it was also blown out. "Oh, crap... Oooh CRAP!!" He kicked the door open to see his dad lying on the couch, blood EVERYWHERE, and his mother with a gun pointed at him. She looked up at him and, without a word, shot a bullet at him. "Whoa...!" He put his arms up and moved back, but the image froze there. He peeked out from behind his arms to see the bullet frozen in front of his face.

"This is the future," the shadow said in a non-echoing voice behind him. He quickly turned to face it.

"You're lying!" Ryan yelled angrily, holding back tears of shock from earlier.

"No. This will happen within months, in fact."

"You piece of...!" Ryan had had enough. He ran at the shadow and swung his fist at its face. His fist stopped, however, and he was thrown back into the apartment. He got up without heistation and ran at him again.

"Ryan, wait!" another voice called. He stopped what he was doing and turned around in a fighting stance.

"What do you things WANT?!" A bright silver figure, like the shadow, appeared in front of him.

"Do not fear me."

"Gyaramon! Leave now!" the shadow ordered. The figure, Gyaramon, turned to look at him.

"Nyxmon, get out of this boy's mind."

"Er... I'll go for now... But I WILL be back... I'll destroy you one day, Gyaramon! Mark my words!" The shadow then disappeared.

"Ryan..." Gyaramon looked at him again. "It is true that your father will be killed."

"W-what...?!"

"But you can stop it. As long as you know what will happen, you can do your best to prevent it. Do not allow Nyxmon to make you think differently."

"... You're sure...?"

"Of course. Ryan, you have a large amount of courage within you, if it only awakens. You also feel strong love. Of course, Jenny was not the person to bestow that love upon. But you'll find the right girl someday... I promise."

"Wow, thanks... Was it... Gyaramon?"

"Yes."

"Gyaramon, what about this darkness I've got...?"

"It can be overcome. Do you remember what Kumamon told you about the D-Plug?" Ryan looked at his D-Plug.

"He said... They all have unique abilities."

"Exactly. And, you didn't know it, but the Silver D-Plug has the ability to overcome darkness. It can give you strength. Allow it to."

"Thanks... For everything, Gyaramon."

"My pleasure. Now, back to reality with you. It's your time to shine!" The silver light was emitted once again and it drown out everything.

In reality, Ryan's eyes shot open. His strength was fully replenished. He began to roll over, which woke Jenny up.

"Hmm...? Ryan? What are you doing?"

"I'm making my own destiny..." He nearly rolled her off of him, but she rolled back over and trapped him down.

"Oooh no, ya don't..." she taunted. "You're not going anywhere..."

"Allow me to disagree... Kumamon!" Kumamon came bursting in at the order, making Jenny screetch and jump off of Ryan. "Cut me loose!"

"You got it!" Kumamon's claws cut through the leather bands easily, and Ryan threw all of his clothes on.

"Jenny? I suggest you keep quiet about all this. My grandma'd kill you, your husband'd hate you, and it'd prove that opposite of your 'loving me' like you say." He then grabbed his D-Plug, which was beeping again, and put it on. "Hang on, Ruki... I'm comin'... Let's bounce, Kumamon!" The two ran out of the room and eventually the house, Jenny looking at the door.

"H-huh....?"