Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon!!


A/N: People were wondering why I called the last chapter "The Hardest Question" I called it that, because from Kiku's point of view, asking Taichi to the dance was the hardest question she was ever going to have to ask. You have to realize that she's very inexperienced when it comes to dealing with the darker half of the human race (a.k.a. guys (and I'm joking, btw)) So, yeah, that's why.


Chapter 9: At A Crossroads



Yamato opened the door and grinned at Taichi and Kiku. His grin seemed almost fake, as though he really didn't want to see the two there, like they were unwanted vermin, but Taichi didn't say anything to Kiku who didn't see the smile because she was too busy looking at her feet and mumbling "thank you for having me."

Once inside, Taichi saw all the Digi-destined spread out through the apartment. Yamato had his own little corner with Sora, Koushiro, Mimi, and Jou were sitting on a couch together, and Hikari and Takeru were playing some sort of card game on the floor. Everyone froze and looked at Kiku when she came in.

A strange smell filled Kiku's nostrils, but it was a smell that was imprinted in her brain. She froze. It was the smell of alcohol. The scent had once brought her comfort, for it was what her grandpa had smelled like before he died, but after she had witnessed what it truly did to people, she hated the smell. Every part of her wanted to leave the party, but every part of her also wanted to be with Taichi for as long as possible. She remained where she was.

"Taichi! Come on in! You don't have to stand in the doorway!" Mimi called.

After a moment's hesitation, Taichi moved inside further. Kiku remained where she was. Hikari looked up at Kiku and smiled, but she was the only one in the room who was able to see the distraught guardian, or so it seemed.

Kiku swallowed hard, trying to rid herself of a lump in her throat. The lump rose again as Taichi sat himself by Mimi. She was jealous....And her necklace began to glow green. Hikari noticed this and ran over.

"Kiku-chan!" she exclaimed. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Thank you Hikari-chan," Kiku replied.

"Do you want to come and play poker with Takeru and me? It's not strip, because Daisuke's not here," Hikari said with a smile.

"He's just a guy," Kiku assured. "At least, that's what Gennai keeps telling me..."

Hikari's grin widened and she laughed a little, obviously agreeing with Gennai's quoted statement. She put her hand on Kiku's shoulder and grinned, glad to have someone at eye level.

"Taichi doesn't like Mimi, you don't have to worry. They're just old friends, and Mimi has had one too many drinks," Hikari explained. "She gets like this a lot, and she always picks someone knew to have as her little friend. But she doesn't remember it the next day, so we don't tell her."

"No one sees me Hikari," Kiku whispered. "It's like I'm invisible. I don't think anyone here sees me..."

"They don't see Takeru...Or me for that matter," Hikari said. "It's when they get like this...They can't see people like us."

"What do you mean, "people like us"?" Kiku asked.

"We're the pure chosen children, well, you're the guardian, and you have to be pure, so that's why they don't see us."

Kiku paused to take all of this in. She looked around at the Digi-destined. These were the Chosen Children, the ones chosen to protect the Digital World, and here they were, drinking like idiots. A frown came upon Kiku's face as she looked at them with disgust.

"Here they are, as happy as can be, drinking, living there lives," she thought. "They're free to do whatever they can get away with, while I'm being hounded by Gennai day in and day out. While they're dating and kissing and having fun, I'm stuck being the martyr."

Kiku's blood began to boil. She couldn't understand why she was so upset....

~Meanwhile~

Gennai froze as the whole Digital World began to shake under his feet. He looked up at the sky and sighed.

"I knew this would happen," he said to himself. "Jealousy is the hardest emotion for anyone to overcome...Kiku is not immune to it's effects, and the Digital World is not immune to her."

A nearby tree crashed into the ground and shattered while the sun set behind it. It looked as though all of the Digital World was on fire.

"Kiku, now what am I supposed to do? Is it worth letting you live in your world if this is how you act?"