The 2nd Digi-Phase

Cager:  I know what you're thinking, 'Cager, you have too many muses.'  Well, tough!  I just got three more!  ^_^  Raistlin, Tasslehoff and Gilthanas from the Dragonlance Chronicles!

Gilthanas:  Grrreat! Just what I needed!  Another job... under humans. -_-;

Raistlin:... *eyes flash golden*

Tas:  Aww, don't be so sour, guys!  This is great!  We're muses!.... Um, Cager, what's a muse?

Angi: Muses are creatures that help give a certain person or persons inspiration and give disclaimers for their fanfictions and stuff!

Antea: Awww!  *looks down at little Tasslehoff*  He's... so... CUTE!  *hugs Tas*

Anto: *whispers to Cager*  But why'd you bring the other two?  Gilthanas is a pill and Raistlin... is scary!

Rastlin:... *looks to Anto with flashing hour-glass eyes*

Anto: *gulp* Uh, I, uh.... gotta go.  *runs off*

Jouti: Well, I'd better give a disclaimer before Raistlin scares everybody else off.  Cager does not own Digimon or the Anime Kitties or Rastlin the mage, Tasslehoff the Kender, or Gilthanas the Elf Lord.  She does own the Anti-Clones, her made up Digidestined and the plot to this fanfiction.

Antea: Hey!  What happened to my watch?

Tas:  Oh!  Was that you're watch?  I was quite sure it was mine....

Antea: And that's my ring... and my favorite dagger... and my earrings!  *glares at Tas*

Bakura Kitty: Please, read and give a long remew!

Chapter 13: Wishes, Plays, and Match-Making Days

            Heroki sat on his bed and looked up at the ceiling with a sigh.  Upamon slept in his lap, giving off only small snores.  The new Digidestined absently stroked his Digimon's soft, yellow skin.  Everything had happened in only a few short hours, but it seemed to have taken longer than that.  Much longer.

            'Am I really up for this?' Heroki asked himself as he blinked around at the pictures of the Digimon he'd drawn that lay scattered over his floor.  'I've been to the Digital World for about two years now, but I've never had this happen to me.  Why's it happening now?'  Heroki was suddenly pulled out of his deep thoughts when he heard a soft thumping sound.  He gasped when he realized what it was and slowly began to make his way to the window.  Upamon was slightly jolted around by Heroki's movement and woke up.

            Heroki cautiously pulled back a few of the shades to look out the window.  Thump-thump Thump-thump Thump-thump!  Heroki's breath began to quicken as he watched the soldiers make their way down the street, right past his window.

            "Heroki, what is it?" asked Upamon.  Heroki didn't hear him.  Fear reflected in his eyes as he watched the soldiers, his breaths now frightened gasps.

            Thump-thump Thump-thump Thump-thump!

            "Heroki, what's wrong?" asked Upamon giving a small jump in Heroki's hands.  That snapped Heroki out of his thoughts and he quickly released the shades.  He was still breathing hard but it had slowed considerably.  He then walked out of his room, Upamon still in his arms as he made his way down the small hallway.

            "Where are we going?" inquired Upamon.

            "Sush, Upamon," hissed Heroki as he reached a door at the end of the hallway.  He gave a few knocks and opened the door after being acknowledged by a female voice from inside.  The room was almost completely bare.  It had a small bed, a nightstand with a picture of a three-person family and a lamp on it, and a dresser.  In the bed was a small woman who seemed to be filling out paper work.  Heroki came and stood at the foot of the bed and waited.  The woman looked up from her work and frowned at Heroki.

            "Heroki, Sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked, pulling away some of the papers to clear him a space.  He quickly climbed up on the bed and crawled over to her.  He threw his arms around her and buried his face into her nightgown.  She reached down and stroked back his hair with her soft hands.  "What is it that's upset you, Sweetie?"

            "Mom," muttered Heroki as he snuggled up against her, Upamon still in his arms.  "They're outside, Mom!  They're outside my window."

            "Oh, Honey," she muttered sadly as she wrapped her arms around him.  She knew her son was afraid of the soldiers, and she had to admit, she was afraid of them too.  "I'm sorry, Sweetie.  We can't make them go away."

            "Mama, why can't we go back to Japan?" sobbed Heroki.  She sighed and shook her head.  "They don't have soldiers in Japan!  And Papa's there, too."

            "Grandma won't live anywhere out of China, Sweet.  You know that, and she needs us."  Heroki just snuggled closer to her.  His father still lived in Japan, he sent them money often.  Had any other kid been in Heroki's position, and with the same fear of the soldiers, they would've bawled and cried and pleaded to be sent to live with his father, but Heroki didn't.  Not that he didn't love his father.  It was just his mother needed him more.  She wouldn't leave her mother all alone and Heroki knew she wanted to see her husband, but he had his work and they probably would've been in poverty had he moved to China with them and quit his job in Japan.  He missed them too, but he could take care of himself.

*          *            *

            "Alright, ladies!  Line up!" ordered Naoki as she twirled a soccer ball around on her finger.  The boys that stood in front of her all sighed.  Besides Kendo, Naoki played many other sports.  She loved them, but sometimes they seemed to get in the way.  Today, they didn't.  Soccer was one of her specialties and it was recess so she actually had a chance to boss the boys around.  As the rules go, the first one with the ball in their hand is the first team captain.

            "Come on, Naoki, we're guys!" groaned one of the boys in the group.  "We at least deserve to be able to keep a little of our dignity."   She glared at him and he fell silent.  She smirked and then flipped her midnight blue ponytails around her.

            "You guys know the rules," she snickered as they squirmed under her control.  "I was the first to the soccer ball.  I'm the first team captain and I get to choose the next one!"  She looked around the small, skinny boys in front of her, weighing her chances against them.  Her eyes then left the crowd and fell on a boy behind.  He was sitting on the side of the field and he appeared to be watching what was happening.

            Naoki frowned.  'Why would some kid come out during recess and not play anything but watch?'  She thought for a moment then smiled.

            "Hey, you!" she yelled, getting the surprised child's attention.  "Yeah, you!  Come be the other team captain!"  The other boys turned around and looked at the surprised and still unmoved kid before bursting out into laughter and jeering.  They tried to quiet themselves while he arranged something inside his bag but were still snickering when he finally placed it on the ground and walked over to them.

            "Hey, kid," said Naoki as she tossed him the ball, which he caught easily, "what's you're name?"  He looked at her with his intense blue eyes before giving her a small half smile.

            "Eriko," he replied softly.  She returned the half smile and gave him an approving grunt.  She didn't know why, but she liked this kid.  Maybe it was her girl's intuition.

            "Alrighty then, Eriko," she said in a professional tone, "pick your first team member."

            "Uh, Naoki, just so you know," started in the first boy who's name happened to be Heero, "Eriko... isn't exactly the sporting type, you know?"  Eriko's smile faded and he glared at the other boy through his glasses.  'If only he knew...'

            "Watch what you say Tomei Heero!" snapped Eriko.  Heero smirked back.

            "Oooo!  Someone's getting proper," laughed Heero with mock-fear.  "Guess what, Yuki Eriko, I can use full names, too!"  Eriko growled and threw the soccer ball down on the ground.

            "Forget this, I'm leaving," muttered Eriko as he turned to leave.

            "Yeah, just walk away from your problems as usual, Eriko," snickered Heero and a few other boys snickered along with him.

            "Hey, leave him alone!" yelled Naoki as she stepped forward with her fist raised.

            "Yeah, lay off him, Heero," said another boy popping up to Heero's side.  This boy was rather small for a twelve-year-old, with black hair and very black eyes.

            "When did you start telling me what to do, Kohji?" asked Heero with a venomous tone.  Kohji sniffed in disgust and walked over to Eriko, putting his arm around the boy's shoulder.

            "I don't care what you say, Heero, you're just being plain mean!" stated Kohji.

            "That's right.  You other boys are a bunch of jerks," growled Naoki recieving surprised looks from the rest of the soccer players.  "I'm outta here, too."

            "No," said Eriko turning back with a fierce look of determination.  "Naoki, let's play."

            "If Yuki's playing, then I'm not," snapped Heero as he folded his arms.

            "Then don't play, or are you really just afraid you'll lose to someone who's 'not the sporting type,' Heero?" replied Eriko Yuki coolly.

*          *            *

30 minutes later....

            "Good game, Eriko!" laughed Naoki as he shook hands with the winning team's captain.

            "You too, Nao," replied Eriko with a slight smile.  Naoki grinned back before turning triumphantly towards Heero.

            "Yeah, well, I guess he is okay," muttered Heero before heading back towards the school.  Some of the other boys muttered their praise but a few of them smiled and gave Eriko a slight bow with newly-found respect.  While the other boys went back inside, Eriko and Kohji, as well as Naoki, stayed behind and walked a little more slowly.

            "Man, 'Riko, I didn't know you could come up with plays like that!" chuckled Kohji, still staring at Eriko in amazement.

            "Nobody knew he could come up with plays like that," corrected Naoki.  Eriko just shrugged as he reached down and picked up his unusually heavy back pack.

            "Nobody ever asked me, you know."

            "That's because you don't play, Eriko."

            "I play... sometimes."

            "Wowie, Eriko!  You're better at soccer than Davis!" squeaked a voice from inside his backpack.  Both Naoki and Kohji jumped back and stared at Eriko's pack with shock and surprise.

            "What was that!?" demanded Kohji, looking up from the back pack to Eriko's pale face but before Eriko could come up with an excuse, Demiveemon stuck his head and forepaws out of the bag.

            "That was the Digimon," chuckled Demiveemon, his ruby eyes sparkling.  Kohji and Naoki both froze and their mouths fell open at the sight of the odd-looking blue Digimon.  Their eyes followed him as he jumped down out of the backpack and onto the ground.   By this time, Eriko's face was not only pale, he was starting to look a bit green.  Sweat poured down his forehead as he worried what effect Demiveemon might have on his newly acquired friends, but that wasn't the only emotion he was feeling.  Eriko was quite surprised Demiveemon had just jumped out like that.  Izzy had told him that, although Digimon didn't seem to understand the entire meaning of remaining discreet, they didn't often talk to any other humans except for their partners and other Digidestined.

            "My name is Demiveemon, I'm Eriko's partner," announced the little In-training Digital Monster with a smile.  "You were nice to Eriko.  I'm glad you're Eriko's friends."

            "Eriko...?" muttered Kohji, looking up with confused, frightened, shocked eyes.

            "Y-yes, Ko-kohji?" said Eriko uncertainly.

            "H... have I... gone... um, insane, or is that... that thing talking to me?  To us?" asked Kohji pointing at Demiveemon.

            "Who are you calling a 'thing?'" demanded Demiveemon with an impatient frown.  "I'm a Digimon.  A Digital Monster!"

            "A... a Digimon?" asked Naoki speaking for the first time since Demiveemon had appeared.  She seemed to force herself to relax and take a timid step forward.  "Are all... Digimon as cute as you?"  She forced a confused smile and knelt down to the little Demiveemon.

            "Not all of them, but lots of them are!" chuckled Demiveemon with an even bigger smile.

            "Eriko, what is this?" asked Kohji, still quite confused.  "I've never seen such an animal in my life.  Not even in my dreams!"  Kohji was known to daydream quite easily and often slipped off in classes, resulting in barely passing grades and many detentions.

            "Don't you know, Kohji?" asked Demiveemon suddenly very serious.  "Don't you feel it, Naoki?  Can't you tell, Eriko?"

            "Demiveemon, what are you talking about?" demanded Eriko scooping up his Digimon so he could look him in the eye.  Demiveemon smiled and shook his head, as if he couldn't believe Eriko just couldn't get it.

            "Eriko, I thought you were really smart," chuckled the small Digimon.

            "Well, for my age, but what does that have to do with..."

            "Eriko, look at Naoki.  Look at Kohji.  Look in their eyes; you can see it if you just look hard enough."  Eriko looked up from his little partner and into the eyes of his two new friends.  They were staring straight back--Confusion, fear, excitement, longing and... and...  Eriko gasped.  He could see it!  He now understood what Demiveemon was talking about.

            "You get it now, Eriko?" asked Demiveemon, his already bright eyes surging with happiness at his partner's new understand.  Eriko swallowed and nodded.  Demiveemon gave him a small tap on the arm and nodded towards the other two children, his eyes saying 'Go ahead and tell them.'

            "Naoki, Kohji, you aren't going to believe this but... you... your both... Digidestined."

*          *            *

            "Hiroyashi-san!" cried the raven haired girl as she ran through the building, looking for her instructor.  "Hiroyashi-san!"

            "Yes, yes!  What is it, Rena-chan?" asked Hiroyashi Kazuko with her regular, happy tone.  It had been a few days since the 'loose board incident' and Kazuko was now back to her old self.  She truly wasn't a mean, easily angered person but performance nights always made her uptight.  When she wasn't worrying about a performance, she was usually kind, cheerful and smiling.

            "Ahh, there you are!" laughed Rena, coming to a halt outside Kazuko's bedroom.  The door was still slid open and Hiroyashi-san still had not taken off her practice kimono.

            "Come on in, Rena," said Kazuko with a beckoning hand.  Rena walked into the room and sat cross-legged on the soft pillow next to Hiroyashi-san's.  Kazuko was happy to see her star pupil and was always ready to talk to her girls.  Even though Rena didn't like to dance, she still liked her teacher and even if Kazuko had seemed angry and upset about the accident, she was still good friends with Rena.

            "Is there something you wished to speak with me about, Rena?" asked Kazuko as she pulled out the hair-sticks that held up her tightly wrapped hair so that it all fell loose of the bun.  Her hair hung only slightly below her shoulders, framing her face beautifully.

            "Yes, I was wondering... do you have a boy-friend, Hiroyashi-san?" inquired Rena, letting her own waist-length, black hair fall down, looking as if she really wasn't at all interested in the question.  Rena truly already knew the answer, but she was trying to make this as subtle as she could.  Hiroyashi-san, on the other hand, was quite stunned.

            "Why, no, Rena.  Why do you ask?" she replied, looking at her pupil questioningly.  Rena looked into Hiroyashi-san's eyes with pretend shock.

            "No!  You can't be serious, Hiroyashi-san!" gasped Rena, her blue eyes expanding.

            "I am absolutely serious, Rena.  Now, tell me why you asked that question!" demanded Kazuko.  Rena lowered her eyes and smiled in a mock-dreamlike way.

            "Well, you'll never guess what I've been hearing then," she giggled.  Her laughing made Hiroyashi-san a bit irritated but she tried not to be cross.

            "Alright then, I'll bite," chuckled Hiroyashi-san, trying to cover up her edginess, "What is it you've been hearing?"

            "Well,... hehe, well, it's rather funny, actually.  I mean, I figured you already had a boy-friend so I didn't think.... Well, it's... you know."

            "No, I do not know, Rena-chan.  Now either you're going to tell me now or I'll... I-I'll... I'll have to tickle it out of you!" threatened Kazuko, feeling her irritation fleeting as she looked into her student's blue eyes.

            "Alright then, I'll tell you.  Well, I've over heard this hansom, young man talking about how much you seem to... captivate him when you dance.  How he just can't keep his eyes off you.  And... he even said he'd do anything just to meet you... but, there's a problem...."

            "Problem?  Does that problem have anything to do with him being a stalker?" asked Kazuko, feeling a little frightened by the thought of it.

            "No, no, it's not that," sighed Rena, shaking her head.  "Poor fellow, I feel so sorry for him...."

            "What is it?  What's the problem?"

            "Well, the problem is... the problem is... he's... very shy.  He just... can't seem to... to get up enough courage to just... come up after a show and say 'hi.'  I think... I think if you'd only just meet him, he'd feel better."  Rena went silent then, looking up at her teacher but careful to show no emotion.

            Kazuko was still a bit frightened but by the sound of it, Rena seemed to be wanting her to really meet this man.  He must have really been desperate but can't desperate people usually overcome their shyness?

            "Rena, why is it that you want me to meet this man?" asked Hiroyashi-san, finally speaking after many moments of silent thinking to herself.

            "Well,... he's... a dear friend of mine and I promised him I'd help him meet you.  This wasn't my first attempt, but every time I pushed him towards the stage, he'd just get scared and backs off.  I think... maybe you should schedule a time and place and you two can meet.  I'll make him promise to leave immediately if you start to feel uncomfortable, I swear, Hiroyashi-san!"  Rena was now begging, her big, blue eyes shinning with unshed tears.  "Please, Hiroyashi-san!  Please!  I promised him!  Please!"  Hiroyashi-san frowned with confusion.  Just a few minutes ago all she had wanted to do was take off her practice kimono, take a bath and then have a nice, long nap.  Now, suddenly, she was being forced into a blind date that she really didn't want to be in.  She was trying to think of a way to back out but Rena looked so distraught and she really didn't want to disappoint her...

            "Well, alright Rena, but only if you make him promise to leave when I ask him to and-ugh!" Rena had thrown her arms around her dance instructor and was now squeezing so hard she thought all her air was lost for good!  Rena finally relinquished her grip, promising over and over again she would make sure he did as she said.  Hiroyashi-san got her breath back and then sighed as she looked to Rena once again, trying to think of a good place to meet this mystery man.  "How about we meet at... Odaiba Park, in front of the big fountain.  Four o'clock tomorrow afternoon.  How does that sound?"

            "Great!... Um, Hiroyashi-san, if it would make you feel better, maybe I should tell him to hold a rose in his hand, just so you can see him before he sees you and you can judge on weather or not you want to speak to him."  Hiroyashi-san's face broke with a thankful smile as she took the girl in her own arms for a hug.

            "That would be wonderful, Rena.  Just wonderful...."

*          *            *

            "So, what made you have to stay longer, Rena?" asked Kimiko in a cheery voice.  Rena just kept on walking and hoped to high heaven that Kimiko would forget she had stopped to ask and go on her own way, but that didn't seem to be happening.

            "So...?  Why, Rena?" prompted Kimiko, keeping in step with her fellow kimono dancer.  Rena stopped and turned to look at Kimiko so she could gauge for herself if she really wanted a true answer.  Kimiko a beautiful girl with long, strawberry blonde hair and sky blue eyes.  She wasn't the most careful of people and definitely wasn't one of the sharper tools in the shed but she was quite friendly and very amiable.  Rena couldn't help but smile at the other girl's naive interest.

            "Well, it seems Hiroyashi-san has a secret admirer," answered Rena as she turned back to the sidewalk ahead of her.  Kimiko burst into giggles for this announcement.

            "You know, I knew it would only be a matter of time before someone noticed our dance instructor.  She's quite a beauty, don't you think so, Rena?"  This question stopped Rena short.  Just the other night, when she was talking to Izzy, she hadn't even dreamed of Hiroyashi-san having someone falling in love with her.  She didn't think Hiroyashi-san was very beautiful, but, then again, she hadn't thought of it before.

            "Do you know who the admirer is, Rena?" asked Kimiko, apparently having forgot the last question.

            "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," answered Rena.  "He's a very nice guy.  He asked if I would set up a meeting between him and Hiroyashi-san."

            "How sweet!  Oh, Rena, you just have to introduce me to him!  Please, please, please!" begged Kimiko.  Rena sighed, knowing Kimiko wouldn't give up until she was finally given a 'yes' for an answer.

            "Alright, I'm meeting him soon, anyway, so I guess it would be alright if you came along," sighed Rena.  Kimiko thanked her many more times than necessary, so Rena only half-listened to her other rambles.  Kimiko could be a nice companion at time, but she could also be quite a pain.  'At least this meeting with Izzy will be quick.  Then I won't have to deal with her for the rest of the day.'

To be continued....