Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon


Chapter 10: Hi and Good Bye



"You win again, Kiku," Takeru said, folding his hand and setting it with the other cards. "I don't know how you're doing it, but some how you keep winning."

Hikari nodded, a sweet grin plastered on her face. Kiku's expression was blank. She was watching Mimi hanging all over Taichi, and that was enough to make her cry. But she didn't. Instead she tried to just play cards, while her crystal was glowing blue. Hikari noticed this as well, and put and arm around her friend.

"Don't worry," she said. "The party will end, everyone will go home, and Taichi will be all yours again."

"No. Tonight was it. I had tonight to be a regular, well, responsible teenager. I wanted to go to the school dance and be able to spend one night with Taichi-san, but I didn't even get that. This party sounded like fun . . . But now I just want to get out."

"I wish Yamato hadn't found Dad's alcohol supply. I know Dad's under stress, but he doesn't need to drink or smoke to unwind," Takeru mumbled.

"Hikari, you said that the three of us cannot be seen because we're pure . . . But what makes us pure? Why isn't Taichi-san pure too?" Kiku asked.

Hikari released her hold on Kiku, then looked down at her lap. Takeru was doing the same thing. Another lump rose in Kiku's throat.

"Why isn't Taichi-san pure, Hikari?" Kiku asked again, only this time her voice came out stronger.

"Onii-san, he's well," Hikari started to say.

"He's not a virgin, Kiku," Takeru finished for Hikari. "I know that I said that a little harsh, but I thought you might want to know. As long as we're here, he won't be able to see you. Or the two of us . . . "

"But . . . How can all of these people . . . ?" Kiku started to ask, but then she looked over at the drunken Mimi, then at Sora, and she didn't have to ask anymore. The answer seemed to come right to her. "Oh."

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way," Takeru said. "We really didn't want you to know, Taichi didn't want you to know. He really didn't. He was always telling us not to tell you, because he wanted to tell you on his own. He wanted you to know that you'd still be special . . . "

Kiku stood, now too angry to sit back and play cards anymore. The crystal was now a flaming red, as was her whole body.

"I'm tired of sitting around!" she exclaimed.

Suddenly, she wasn't invisible anymore. The older Digi-destined were now watching her as her whole body began to glow red.

"I have to be the Guardian to this stupid Digital World you love so much, the world you abuse so much, and not once do I even get a thank you!" she continued. "I've had to give up my whole life just for you guys and your stupid world, so you can imagine how happy I was when Gennai told me I could go to the dance with Taichi! All I wanted to do was spend a night with the guy I like. I didn't want to spend tonight watching him get drooled on by a drunken fool!" (Mimi had no clue Kiku was talking about her.) "And just to let all of you know, I'm going back to the Digital World, and I'm not coming back to this one. So please tell my teachers that!"

Without another word Kiku turned and ran out of Yamato's apartment, straight to her own. As strange as it was, she made it there in a few seconds, though the drive took around ten minutes. She practically flew to her room once inside, but her parents caught her before she could leave . . .

Meanwhile, back at the party, everyone was silent. Yamato's mouth was hanging open, and Taichi had gotten to his feet. Hikari was standing as well, her hand extended like she was still trying to stop Kiku from leaving. Takeru was still sitting on the floor, eyes wide, staring at the door. Mimi had no clue that something had happened, so she kept asking Jou and Koushiro why everyone was staring.

"Yamato," Takeru said. "She didn't even open the door, did she?"

Everyone looked at the door. It looked as though no one had touched it since the party began, but Kiku had gone out of it.

"How did she do that?" Yamato asked.

"It's part of her power . . . When she loses control like that, her powers go insane. She can't control them. That's why Gennai was training her, to keep her emotions in check," Taichi explained.

Koushiro walked over to the door and touched it. His hand went straight through.

"Prodigious," he said. "Kiku's effect hasn't worn off yet!"

Just as he said that, the door grew stiff again, around his trapped wrist. His eyes grew small, and he looked over at Jou.

"Help," Koushiro squeaked.

On a hunch, Hikari walked over to the door as well. She took a deep breath, but stepped right through it. Everyone stared as she came back into the apartment.

"It's not the door, Koushiro," she said. "It's the person who's using it."