Hey, there, everybody! Sorry it's been a while, but I've been busy with
school and related events. We just finished the fall play, for which I
helped run crew and construct sets. But now it's done, and I'm back to
typing in my spare time. So here's the next installment in Lord of the
Whistle!
Disclaimer: Oh, you know.
Ch. 6: With Friends Like These
Freddy woke up one morning and sighed. Today was the last full day he would spend here. It was the last day of school, usually a cheerful event - but he felt nothing except nervous apprehension.
Someone knocked on his door. "Heya, sport, you up yet?" his uncle Tai asked.
Freddy grumbled and rolled over. "Yeah, I'm up, I'm up. Be out in a sec."
"Okay, just makin' sure."
Sighing again, Freddy got out of bed. He dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast. As he entered the kitchen, his aunt Sora looked up from her meal.
"Good morning, Freddy! How are you? Excited for the last day of school?" she asked brightly.
Freddy tried to grin. "Yeah, it'll be great to be on vacation." Then he turned bitter, "Not that I'll have one."
She got up and went over to him. Putting her arm around his shoulders, she said, "I know how you feel. I wish you had more of Tai's personality; he always thought it was a fun adventure being in the Digiworld. You're like me, though, aren't you? I was always worried about all the things that might go wrong; but you know what? In spite of all the hardships, in spite of all the sorrow and all the pain...it was the best thing that ever happened to me. And anyway," she said, now smiling a little, "you at least *know* when you're going. We just sort of got yanked out of our world and into another, with no warning at all!"
Freddy smirked. "Yeah, I suppose I am better off than you guys were, and you all survived just fine. I shouldn't be so worried."
"That's the spirit! Now come on, your cereal's getting soggy."
+ * * *
The school day went by in a blur. Freddy was so preoccupied, he didn't even notice the looks Mary, Peter and Sam were giving him, or the explanations they were giving to classmates who were curious about his strange behavior. When the bell rang, Mary and Peter looked at each other once, and ran over to Freddy.
"Hey Freddy, Sam told us you were going on a long vacation!" Mary said, "Can we come over and help you pack?"
"Hm? Oh...sure." *I wanted to talk to them anyway. They deserve to know where I'm going.* He didn't see Mary's wink to Sam.
When they got to Freddy's house, he opened the door and shouted inside, 'I'm home!" There was no response. "They must be out somewhere. Come on in."
Mary and Peter led the way upstairs to Freddy's room, with Sam and Freddy coming behind at a more sedate pace. Freddy stopped at a hall closet instead, and pulled out a pair of hiking backpacks which were stuffed with supplies and clothing, one for himself and one for Sam.
Mary was already rooting through his closet. "All right, so you'll want beach clothes, a few warmer outfits in case the nights get chilly, a formal outfit for when you go to a nice restaurant for dinner..." She paused and stuck her head out the door. "That sound about right, Freddy?" she asked, knowing full well that it didn't.
"Um, well, actually...I have something to tell you guys. You see..." he faltered. How could he explain it to them? "I, uh..." He stopped, unable to find the words.
"Mind if I make it easier for you?" Mary asked gently. "You're going on a long trip, all right, but not to a nice beach resort, not even to another country. You're going to another world. You'll be traveling through the wilderness, never sure of survival until the next day, let alone until the end of your journey. You'll be in the shadows, moving from danger to danger, and you don't know how to tell us that you're going but we can't come." She looked at Freddy squarely, waiting for a response. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finding his voice.
"H-how did you know?"
"I figured out part of it, then confronted Sam. She filled us in on the rest."
Freddy gave Sam a look, to which she responded with a little shrug. "I see," he said finally. "So, then, you understand what's happening, and why you can't come with me. It's too dangerous."
Peter responded this time. "Oh, we understand what's happening, all right. You're trying to be all noble and self-sacrificing, and run off without us into terrible danger, and we aren't going to let you!"
Freddy shook his head sadly. "But I have to go, don't you see? The fate of the world depends on it."
Mary rolled her eyes. "Of course you have to go, you idiot! That's not what we're saying!"
"Then..."
"What we're *saying*," Peter finished, "is that you won't be leaving us behind. We're here to let you know that we understand what's happening, and that there's nothing you can do to stop us from coming."
Sam nodded, saying, "After all, Wizardmon said to take friends that you can trust."
Freddy snorted. "And who would those people be? Clearly, I can't even trust you, Sam! It was supposed to be a secret!"
Mary broke in as Sam reddened. "Now that's not fair, Freddy! We're your friends! Of course you can't trust us to let you go wandering off on a quest without proper companionship! But you can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin, and to keep your secrets...better than you can!" She crossed her arms and leaned back a little, waiting for Freddy's response. She expected him to explode in anger, and to insist even further that they couldn't come.
Freddy surprised everyone by bursting out laughing. "It looks like I'm stuck!" he told them between chuckles, "Here I was, worrying about how to break the news to you, and constructing all these arguments about why you have to stay behind, and not only do you break the news to me instead, you counter my arguments before I can make them! And I'm glad. I didn't really want to leave you two behind. I suppose we'll all go together, then. Call your parents, and let them know. If they need convincing, I'll have my aunt Sora talk to them, she could convince a tiger to turn vegetarian."
Just then they heard the door open and shut, and voices came from downstairs. "Hey, Freddy, you here?" Sora called.
"Up here, aunt Sora!" Freddy shouted back down. "Who's with you?"
"Your uncle Tai, and a couple of your parents' friends. Come on down!"
There was a minor stampede as the four children rushed down the stairs. Tai and the guests were standing in the living room; Sora, despite the guests' protests was hanging up their coats.
Tai looked up from the conversation. "Wow, are all you guys going? That's great! The more the merrier in the Digiworld, and there's safety in numbers." Freddy sweatdropped. "Anyway, I'd like you to meet Ken and Yolei, of the second wave of Digidestined. Ken, Yolei, this is Freddy - you've met him before - Sam, Mary and Peter. These three are his friends who will be traveling with him, although I didn't realize these other two were coming along." He looked quizzically at Freddy.
"Neither did I, until a little while ago," Freddy said, "They told me not long before you arrived."
Sam was gaping at their distinguished guests. "Wow! It's nice to meet you guys, I've heard so much about your adventures from Kari and TK!" she gushed. Ken and Yolei looked at each other, Yolei amused, and Ken embarrassed.
"I'm glad to hear it!" Yolei replied.
"And I'm sure we'll be hearing about your adventures soon," Ken added.
Sam practically glowed with pride. "Anyway," Tai continued, "this isn't just a social visit. Are you guys packed?"
"We are!" Mary and Peter said in unison. Freddy gave them an odd look before responding.
"I am," he said.
"Me too," Sam put in.
"Good! Let's head on over to the computer, and we'll send you off!" The whole group trooped over to the computer.
"Now remember," Sora said, "you'll arrive in the part of the Digiworld parallel to this point in our world, so you'll have a few days' journey to get to Gennai's house. You have enough food, right?" she asked anxiously.
"Yes, I made sure we would," Freddy told her with the air of patience one directs at someone who is worrying too much.
"All right then! Be careful!" Tai said.
Ken and Yolei opened the Digiport. "Follow your hearts," Ken instructed them.
"And have fun!" Yolei added.
"E-mail us when you get to Gennai's house," Sora told them as she ushered them forward, "Now, go on! And Freddy, say hi to your parents from all of us!" she called after them as they disappeared into a land of swiftly swirling data.
"I will!" he called back, just before he vanished completely, and succumbed to the pull of the maelstrom that would bring him to the bizarre wonderland known as the Digiworld.
****************************************************************************
So, what do you think? Review, please! And no lurkers allowed! (Lurkers are people that read stories or newsgroup forums, but never review or post.) Just let me know how many readers I have, it helps inspire me to new heights of guilt for leaving you in the dark for so long. Guilt levels increase over time, and when they reach a certain point, I type out another chapter, usually in one night. The guilt is multiplied by the number of reviewers, so the more reviews I get, the faster I post! I'll be putting up the next chapter soon, titled: Into the Digiworld or Dark Encounters, in which we'll be seeing the "Ringwraiths" and some "Elves".
Nina: Good. I can't wait to try out my new toys.
Lily: And I get to have some fun with Digimon that share my name, and drive away those nasty evil things. So there!
Disclaimer: Oh, you know.
Ch. 6: With Friends Like These
Freddy woke up one morning and sighed. Today was the last full day he would spend here. It was the last day of school, usually a cheerful event - but he felt nothing except nervous apprehension.
Someone knocked on his door. "Heya, sport, you up yet?" his uncle Tai asked.
Freddy grumbled and rolled over. "Yeah, I'm up, I'm up. Be out in a sec."
"Okay, just makin' sure."
Sighing again, Freddy got out of bed. He dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast. As he entered the kitchen, his aunt Sora looked up from her meal.
"Good morning, Freddy! How are you? Excited for the last day of school?" she asked brightly.
Freddy tried to grin. "Yeah, it'll be great to be on vacation." Then he turned bitter, "Not that I'll have one."
She got up and went over to him. Putting her arm around his shoulders, she said, "I know how you feel. I wish you had more of Tai's personality; he always thought it was a fun adventure being in the Digiworld. You're like me, though, aren't you? I was always worried about all the things that might go wrong; but you know what? In spite of all the hardships, in spite of all the sorrow and all the pain...it was the best thing that ever happened to me. And anyway," she said, now smiling a little, "you at least *know* when you're going. We just sort of got yanked out of our world and into another, with no warning at all!"
Freddy smirked. "Yeah, I suppose I am better off than you guys were, and you all survived just fine. I shouldn't be so worried."
"That's the spirit! Now come on, your cereal's getting soggy."
+ * * *
The school day went by in a blur. Freddy was so preoccupied, he didn't even notice the looks Mary, Peter and Sam were giving him, or the explanations they were giving to classmates who were curious about his strange behavior. When the bell rang, Mary and Peter looked at each other once, and ran over to Freddy.
"Hey Freddy, Sam told us you were going on a long vacation!" Mary said, "Can we come over and help you pack?"
"Hm? Oh...sure." *I wanted to talk to them anyway. They deserve to know where I'm going.* He didn't see Mary's wink to Sam.
When they got to Freddy's house, he opened the door and shouted inside, 'I'm home!" There was no response. "They must be out somewhere. Come on in."
Mary and Peter led the way upstairs to Freddy's room, with Sam and Freddy coming behind at a more sedate pace. Freddy stopped at a hall closet instead, and pulled out a pair of hiking backpacks which were stuffed with supplies and clothing, one for himself and one for Sam.
Mary was already rooting through his closet. "All right, so you'll want beach clothes, a few warmer outfits in case the nights get chilly, a formal outfit for when you go to a nice restaurant for dinner..." She paused and stuck her head out the door. "That sound about right, Freddy?" she asked, knowing full well that it didn't.
"Um, well, actually...I have something to tell you guys. You see..." he faltered. How could he explain it to them? "I, uh..." He stopped, unable to find the words.
"Mind if I make it easier for you?" Mary asked gently. "You're going on a long trip, all right, but not to a nice beach resort, not even to another country. You're going to another world. You'll be traveling through the wilderness, never sure of survival until the next day, let alone until the end of your journey. You'll be in the shadows, moving from danger to danger, and you don't know how to tell us that you're going but we can't come." She looked at Freddy squarely, waiting for a response. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finding his voice.
"H-how did you know?"
"I figured out part of it, then confronted Sam. She filled us in on the rest."
Freddy gave Sam a look, to which she responded with a little shrug. "I see," he said finally. "So, then, you understand what's happening, and why you can't come with me. It's too dangerous."
Peter responded this time. "Oh, we understand what's happening, all right. You're trying to be all noble and self-sacrificing, and run off without us into terrible danger, and we aren't going to let you!"
Freddy shook his head sadly. "But I have to go, don't you see? The fate of the world depends on it."
Mary rolled her eyes. "Of course you have to go, you idiot! That's not what we're saying!"
"Then..."
"What we're *saying*," Peter finished, "is that you won't be leaving us behind. We're here to let you know that we understand what's happening, and that there's nothing you can do to stop us from coming."
Sam nodded, saying, "After all, Wizardmon said to take friends that you can trust."
Freddy snorted. "And who would those people be? Clearly, I can't even trust you, Sam! It was supposed to be a secret!"
Mary broke in as Sam reddened. "Now that's not fair, Freddy! We're your friends! Of course you can't trust us to let you go wandering off on a quest without proper companionship! But you can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin, and to keep your secrets...better than you can!" She crossed her arms and leaned back a little, waiting for Freddy's response. She expected him to explode in anger, and to insist even further that they couldn't come.
Freddy surprised everyone by bursting out laughing. "It looks like I'm stuck!" he told them between chuckles, "Here I was, worrying about how to break the news to you, and constructing all these arguments about why you have to stay behind, and not only do you break the news to me instead, you counter my arguments before I can make them! And I'm glad. I didn't really want to leave you two behind. I suppose we'll all go together, then. Call your parents, and let them know. If they need convincing, I'll have my aunt Sora talk to them, she could convince a tiger to turn vegetarian."
Just then they heard the door open and shut, and voices came from downstairs. "Hey, Freddy, you here?" Sora called.
"Up here, aunt Sora!" Freddy shouted back down. "Who's with you?"
"Your uncle Tai, and a couple of your parents' friends. Come on down!"
There was a minor stampede as the four children rushed down the stairs. Tai and the guests were standing in the living room; Sora, despite the guests' protests was hanging up their coats.
Tai looked up from the conversation. "Wow, are all you guys going? That's great! The more the merrier in the Digiworld, and there's safety in numbers." Freddy sweatdropped. "Anyway, I'd like you to meet Ken and Yolei, of the second wave of Digidestined. Ken, Yolei, this is Freddy - you've met him before - Sam, Mary and Peter. These three are his friends who will be traveling with him, although I didn't realize these other two were coming along." He looked quizzically at Freddy.
"Neither did I, until a little while ago," Freddy said, "They told me not long before you arrived."
Sam was gaping at their distinguished guests. "Wow! It's nice to meet you guys, I've heard so much about your adventures from Kari and TK!" she gushed. Ken and Yolei looked at each other, Yolei amused, and Ken embarrassed.
"I'm glad to hear it!" Yolei replied.
"And I'm sure we'll be hearing about your adventures soon," Ken added.
Sam practically glowed with pride. "Anyway," Tai continued, "this isn't just a social visit. Are you guys packed?"
"We are!" Mary and Peter said in unison. Freddy gave them an odd look before responding.
"I am," he said.
"Me too," Sam put in.
"Good! Let's head on over to the computer, and we'll send you off!" The whole group trooped over to the computer.
"Now remember," Sora said, "you'll arrive in the part of the Digiworld parallel to this point in our world, so you'll have a few days' journey to get to Gennai's house. You have enough food, right?" she asked anxiously.
"Yes, I made sure we would," Freddy told her with the air of patience one directs at someone who is worrying too much.
"All right then! Be careful!" Tai said.
Ken and Yolei opened the Digiport. "Follow your hearts," Ken instructed them.
"And have fun!" Yolei added.
"E-mail us when you get to Gennai's house," Sora told them as she ushered them forward, "Now, go on! And Freddy, say hi to your parents from all of us!" she called after them as they disappeared into a land of swiftly swirling data.
"I will!" he called back, just before he vanished completely, and succumbed to the pull of the maelstrom that would bring him to the bizarre wonderland known as the Digiworld.
****************************************************************************
So, what do you think? Review, please! And no lurkers allowed! (Lurkers are people that read stories or newsgroup forums, but never review or post.) Just let me know how many readers I have, it helps inspire me to new heights of guilt for leaving you in the dark for so long. Guilt levels increase over time, and when they reach a certain point, I type out another chapter, usually in one night. The guilt is multiplied by the number of reviewers, so the more reviews I get, the faster I post! I'll be putting up the next chapter soon, titled: Into the Digiworld or Dark Encounters, in which we'll be seeing the "Ringwraiths" and some "Elves".
Nina: Good. I can't wait to try out my new toys.
Lily: And I get to have some fun with Digimon that share my name, and drive away those nasty evil things. So there!