Rika: Well, are you going to start singing before I used your face as a punching bag?
Me (sighing): Listen you royal pain in the backside, you have been trying to get info from me this whole story and my answer is still the same.
Rika: Well you're going to tell me this time and trust me I mean it this time!
Me: What did I ever do to you in the first place, anyways?
Rika: You want know? Well first, you change gogglehead and myself into small, weak animals that could only blow bubbles and then you throw my partner and myself into the past and now you nearly made me choke on smoke in that last chapter. Do I need to go on?
Me (Yawning): No, that enough. Anymore and I would never be able to get working on this chapter. (Muttered last sentence)
Rika: What?
Me: I was saying, I think we should start this chapter.
Rika (Throwing a suspicious look)...Okay, but I'm watching you.
Me (Rolling eyes and sighing): Why I am cursed?
Shadows of the Past:
Chapter: Nine: Four Years in The Shadows
Four years. To must, it was nothing but a short period of time in their lives. In four years, young children grow into preteens and four years after that they grow into teenagers and after that into young adults and then beyond. For most, four years were just part of the cycle of life that they needed to live with. But ever so often, four years could mean something to someone.
In the house of a Sango Uarmeshi, two figures moved across the back lay with such speed, that they would appear be nothing by blurs to the mere eye. Matt AKA, the black blur, moved in on his opponent, Rena, otherwise known as the yellow blur.
Rena flipped over her opponent and admitted to trip him up, but Matt saw this and jumped up slightly to avoid the attack. He landed on the spot he was just on and threw her a cocky smile over his shoulder. The shadow fighter knew how much that smile would get to Rena and like clockwork; the disguised fox lunged at her self-proclaimed cousin. Matt dodged to the right, thinking he was foreseeing Rena's movements, only to have an elbow meant with his check. Matt's head was jerked a little, but he quickly recoiled and looked at Rena.
"Well, looks like my little cocky smile can't fool you anymore, cousin," Matt said light heartedly as he lightly rubbed the red mark lift behind from Rena's last attack.
"Well, you have been using that same strategy for our last three matches, so I thought I would try something a little different then normal," Rena replied, grinning lightly and resumed her stance.
Matt also resumed his fighting stance and the two fighters began their usual staring contest. If someone would look at the two teenagers for a long distance, they wouldn't be able to notice any difference between the two. But one would have to have a birds eye view in order to see the thin lay of sweat on Rena's face and one would have to be near the fox, herself to hear her shortened breathing. Matt, on the other hand was just beginning to sweat and his breath was still even and level...to a certain level.
The fighting pair continued their staring contest for about five minutes, each looking into the other's soul to see if any weakness could be found. When that proved useless, the two just charged at each other. Matt darted to the right suddenly and disappeared, but it didn't surprised Rena in the least. She waited, trusting more in her senses then her eyes for the right time. When that time came, she jumped up; avoiding a punch sent her way by her friend. Flipping over Matt, Rena get him in lose headlock and threw him over her head. Matt recovered quickly and landed on his hands and knees in an almost cat-like position. Using that position to his advantaged, Matt lunged for Rena, knocking her feet out from under her and causing her to fall into her back. Stopping himself, Matt jumped over to his back and thrust his leg into the air. He swings it down and stopped just mere inches from Rena's nose.
Rena stared at the heel of her "cousin's" foot with complete ease and sigh. "Okay, okay, you win...again."
Matt pulled his foot away from Rena, and jumped to his feet. He offered his hand and Rena took it. Matt helped Rena to her feet and then the fighters went over to the porch were they kept some water for after they got done with they morning spar.
"You know, Rena, you throw like a demon," Matt said as he worked his sore neck.
"Hey you got to be touch if you want to take on a power house," Rena replied causally.
The last four years have been quit well for the two fighters. All of they morning sparing matches have kept their bodies well toned and fitted. Rena had also developed into quit the knockout and must men in the school would tripped when they saw her, but she could do without all of the men trying to ask her out, but when that happened she would tell them that she was already taken, which was true to a certain level.
Matt was pretty much that same. He had grew into a lady killer, but to someone who really knew him, they would know that he was waiting for that fateful moment when he would be reunited with his one and only true love.
Taking a seat on the steps of the porch, Rena took the bottle water that was there and tossed one to Matt. She opened the bottle and took one long drink from it.
"So Matt, what are you planning on doing after we leave high school?" Truly, Rena didn't think she would actually be in the past this long, but she knew, she needed to keep up her appearance from keeping Matt from getting suspicious again. "Um, Matt are you listening?"
She looked at her friend and notice that he was looking up at the sky with one of theses lovesick look on his face. Leaning out of the porch, Rena saw that Matt was staring up at the full moon and knew what was coming next.
Oh boy, here's it comes, Rena thought in annoyance. ...Three...two...one and cue Matt.
"You know, Rena, I told her my deepest and darkest secret on the night of a full moon, just like the one that shines over us now," Matt said softly, turning his eye from the moon to his water.
Rena had to resist the urge to groan out loud. Matt had told this same story for the past four year, even time he sees a full moon and it was getting to the point that it was starting to wear on Rena's nerves.
"I knew she would kept that secret for me, partly because at the time, she was a cat and couldn't talk, but I knew she was more by just looking in her eyes," Matt returned his eyes to the moon as he took a long drink of water.
"If you missed her that much, why don't you just go and see her?" Rena asked, the annoyance in her voice clear.
Matt took the bottle away from his lips and looked at Rena in a thinking manner. But soon his eyes lost that look and gain something that looked like embarrassment," I wouldn't really know what to say when I saw her."
This time, Rena did groan, but just a little. At the moment, Matt reminded the former digimon of certain, shy, goggle wearing teenager instead of a powerful warrior, he was now.
"Well how about this...Hi, how you been," Rena said, the annoyance in her voice, growing.
The embarrassment in Matt's eyes faded and was replaced with annoyance. "Oh, really and what would you say to your lover when you saw him.
"I, ummm. I mean I would..." Rena found herself at a lost for words at that little question and a light, almost useable blush spread across her nose and cheeks.
Matt watched as his "cousin" began fidgeting with herself as she tried to come up with an answer. A cocky grin began forming on the lips of the shadow fighter. "Well, c'mon, Rena. I'm, waaaaaaiting."
Rena started to get ticked off by all of this; she gulped down her remaining water and threw the empty bottle at Matt. "I'm going for my walk now." And got up and hurried off before she said anything she might have regretted.
Matt allowed a big grin to appeared on his face as he called to Rena," Oh sure run away when things aren't working for you!"
He then finished off his water, tossed the two bottles on the porch and jumped onto the roof, so he could continue thinking about his wildcat.
(With Rena)
Rena was walking her normal route she usual go after sparing with matt. Usually, she walks to stretch out her sore muscles, but this time was different. She was trying to work off the frustration and embarrassment she was feeling from all of Matt's teasing.
Oh just come off of it, Renamon, she told herself firmly in her mind. You know, you can't see a loaf of freshly made bread or a child innocently playing in the park without thinking about Guilmon.
In these past four years, Rena had found herself longing for Guilmon. She would often zone out while in class and would began writing Guilmon's name on her notebook or something else that was in front of her. Luckily no ever saw her doing that or she would have to do a lot of talking to save herself.
As Rena walked down the street, hands shoved in her training jacket's pockets for warms, her thought continued to drift to the baby-voiced, bread eating machine, digimon, who she had fallen for. She would dream about the fateful time when they would be reunited. But she also have more unique dreams as well. But she had this one dream that was probably the most embarrassing one. She closed her eyes and the event of the dream was clear to her.
She as Renamon was sitting on the steps to the old hang out of the digimon tamers. She was holding a rose in her right paw, twisting it around and taking it in its strangely familiar scent. Everything around the yellow-coated digimon was surprisingly painted red. The leaves on the trees, the bushes and even the steps she was sitting on, all seemed to have been colored in red.
The wind suddenly picked up, sending a chilling breeze the fox's way and surprisingly effecting Renamon, even with her thick coat on. Putting down the rose, gently, she brought her hands onto her arms and was a little surprised to feel bare skin instead of fur. Looking down at herself, Renamon was shocked to find herself in her human form of Rena Kamiya. She was in a causal dress, but for some reason, she felt like she should have dress a little my fancy then she was now.
The wind became colder, freezing the once former digimon more and she began rubbing her arms in admit to keep herself warm. Something was suddenly dripped over her shoulders and followed by a deep, yet familiar voice.
"Better, my beautiful fox?"
Arching her neck, Rena stared up into a pair of golden yellow eyes, beaming with child-like innocence. Standing up, she face a boy about her age, wearing black dress pants and what appeared to be a new pair of dress shoes. He also wore a faded violet red dress shirt with the collar of it, unbuttoned. His crimson red hair, which Rena knew for some reason was usually a mass and wild, was now slick back with just a hint of gel in it.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting for long, my beautiful fox?" the boy said in somewhat innocence, yet romantic tone.
Rena always laugh when her lover uses her nickname. "No I haven't been waiting for long, my cute little lizard," she said in a lovely tone as she slipped her arms through the sleeves of her lover's crimson red sport coat. "So what are we going to see, Guil?"
The boy otherwise known as Guil smiled down at his beautiful fox and dent down to pick up the rose, Rena put down earlier. He straightened up and placed the rose in Rena's long, blonde hair, causing her to blush lightly.
"To answer your question, my beautiful fox, we're going to see that new romantic comedy movie, you have been bugging me about," Guil answered as he slipped his slightly muscular arm around Rena's shoulder, causing the former fox's blush to deepened.
The two began walking as they kicked up some small talk.
Rena let the smoothing memory of her dream slip from her mind as she opened her blue orbs and turned them towards the moon. When she first had that dream, she wanted to laugh out loud, for obvious reasons. First she knew Guilmon could never be that slick with words, like her dream vision of him, Guil. And plus Guilmon didn't know the first things about romance either.
Sighing, Rena pushed herself off the wall she had leaned up against when she started to think about that dream. She turned to her right and muttered," I have become just as lovesick as Matt." And then resumed her morning walk.
(Later...At Matt and Rena's high school)
(Author note: Okay, I really don't know much about Japan school graduation ceremony, so I'm going with how my want.)
Though school had ended about a few weeks ago, the graduating class of the year was there, waiting in the lobby, near the auditorium. The class itself was sweating because the AC system wasn't on, thus leaving the students to roast in their heavy graduating gowns.
The lineup was set up by height, starting with the tallest person going to the shortest person. Matt was man about 5 foot 10 inches, so he was in the middle of the line. But by a strange twisted of fate, Rena was about two inches shorter, then her self proclaimed, so they were right next to each other.
How do humans survive doing this? Rena wondered as she tugged at the collar of her thick gown.
She looked towards her friend and wasn't surprised in the least bit that he wasn't phase by the heat. Sighing, she leaned her head against the wall and tried to forget about the heat, but heat was just too much, even for the usual unshakeable.
"Hey Rena, have you ever felt this strange feeling in your heart?" Matt asked suddenly, catching his "cousin" attention.
"What?" Rena asked, looking at Matt.
"Well, I really don't know how to say this, but it feels like something inside of my heart has just been filled," Matt said in a whispered, so only Rena heard.
"No, I never felt like that. Why are you asking?" Rena asked feeling lost by what her friend was trying to tell her.
Matt shrugged and looked towards the ceiling," Well I have been feeling like this for last half an hour and I was just wondering if you ever felt like this?"
"No I have never felt like that before," Rena said, shacking her head.
"Hmm," Matt looked at his "cousin" with his eyes for about a second before turning his eyes back to the ceiling and placed his hands behind as he leaned up against the wall. "Or maybe I just nervous or something."
"Maybe. I mean, this is an important day," Rena replied, also turning her eyes to the ceiling.
"Yeah it is, I'm just glad my grandmother is going be here to witness it," Matt said, a light smile forming on his face.
"Yeah and we have you to thank for that," Rena said, making a like light joke.
When Matt hanged his head, Rena realized she had just opened her mouth and shoved her feet into it. She knew better then anyone what Matt want through four years ago. Even though it did help to squash his anger, it still left him with emotional scars that he would never forget it. But Rena had a feeling that, Matt didn't want to forget that for the world, but it still didn't mean, it didn't hurt.
Rena put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder and said in her best voice," Hey, Matt, don't worry about things that already happened, just try to focus on the here and now."
Matt just stared at the floor for a moment, not really hearing his friend's words. But after second, he lifted his head up and dashed out a small smile. "Yeah your right, I guess I'm just nervous and this feeling I getting is just making me confused."
"Yeah that's must be it," Rena said calmly.
The two resumed their staring up at the ceiling as they fell into a comfortable silence for the rest of the waiting period. When the time came, the coordinator, a teacher in her mid 20 came out and told the kids to get ready. The kids did as they practice and in moments were heading into the auditorium. The students calmly take their seat and waited for the ceremony to begin.
The principal came up to the microphone and began speaking in her best voice," As we stand here today, ready to accent these fine, young adults into the world, we are reminded of all that these men and women had done in they years at this high school and we also must be aware of each of their own special achievement..."
Matt drowned out his principal's words as he began scanning the seats for a familiar face. His eyes landed on his grandmother, setting in the central roll right in the middle seat too. Sango had the biggest look of pride beaming on her face and tears of joys in her eyes. It did Matt's heart great, knowing that his grandmother was here to see this day.
I'm glad you were able to see this gram, I only wish gramps was here with her, Matt thought to himself.
Matt let out a small gasp when he felt that feeling in his heart grow greatly. His lightening bolt tattoo also began growing a color it never had before. Looking down at his tattoo, Matt saw it growing in a color that matched his skin perfectly and he quickly covered it so no one else would see it.
Okay, that's something new, Matt thought as he did a quick scan to see if anyone around him spotted his glowing tattoo. Relieved that no one saw it, he quickly began running down his list of glowing tattoo colors. He knew that his tattoo was linked to his emotions and certain colors such as red meant anger, green meant envy and etc, but what did skin color mean?
Looking back at the seats, Matt scanned the room for anything out of the ordinary and he landed on a suspicious looking person sitting on the very top roll. This person was wearing a long trench coat, a black scarf, hiding her hair, but Matt thought he saw some blonde strains hanging out from it and wearing a pair of shades, hiding her eyes from view.
Matt found himself unable to tare his eyes off of that person, as that feeling in his heart grew beyond belief. He didn't know why at the time, but he had this gut feeling that this person was something important to him. As he continued his staring, he realized that the person he was looking at was also at him; like that person was here only to see him.
"Matthew Smith? Matthew Smith!"
"Huh?" Matt looked away from the suspicious person and noticed he was next up for his diploma. He gave the principal a semi nervous smile as he got up from his seat and made his way over. He cast one last quick glaze over to where the suspicious looking person last was and found the seat emptied, but that feeling in his heart was still there.
The shadow fighter walked up to the principal and took his diploma, while shacking hands with the principal. As he returned to his seat, he couldn't help but look at his grandmother and notice that she looked more proud of him then she did five minutes ago. But still that mysterious person was on the mind of the shadow fighter.
(Later)
"I'm so proud of you, Matthew!" Sango exclaimed happily as she wrapped her grandson in loving embrace.
"I was just glad you were here to see it, gram," Matt said, fighting off the huge blush that threatened him and failing too.
"Are you blushing, Matt?" Rena asked teasingly.
"No! It just hot in here and these stupid gowns isn't really helping matter!" Matt said, coming to his defense quickly
"Right," Rena said sarcastically.
The shadow fighter glared at his friend as the blush he was fighting back fully came to the surface.
"Rena, how come I didn't see your parents there? I know you had your difference with them, but I would at least think they would have been here for their only child's graduation," Sango spoke in a sweet elderly voice as she scanned the room for anyone who resembled Rena.
"Well, actually I haven't spoken with them since I moved in with you and your grandson," Rena replied with a fake sympathetic tone and hanged her head in mock shame.
Rena knew everything she was saying was just a pack of lies, but she really had no other choice at the moment, now did she? Sango had a look of mild shock and surprised on her face, but that quickly gave away to that gently look she was known for.
She put a comforting and reassuring hand on Rena's shoulder and said," Don't look so worry about it, dear. I known pretty of good people who haven't gotten along with their parents, but you should call them sometimes, just to let them how you're doing."
"Okay," Rena replied in a mild voice and let one of her small smiles graze her lips.
Sango returned that smile ten fold and then look at her grandson. Matt had removed his grown and cape and was for some reason looking through the coward.
"Something wrong, Matthew?" Sango asked, slightly confused by her grandson suddenly behavior.
"Probably, looking for her," Rena said half teasing, half serious tone.
"Oh you mean that nice young lady who owed that cat that my grandson was taking care of?" Sango asked.
Rena nodded her head and looked at Matt. He was stilling looking through the coward and didn't show any sighs of hearing the small conversation, she and Sango just had.
"I wouldn't have realized that my grandson would developed such a crush on someone from just one meeting," Sango said lightly.
"If you only knew the truth," Rena muttered to herself.
"Did you just say something, dear?" Sango asked.
"Umm, I was saying, shouldn't we be getting going, I mean we do I these reservation, don't we?" Rena said calmly.
"Oh, yes, I have nearly forgotten about that," Sango said and then looked at her grandson. "Matthew, are you ready to go?"
Matt took one last quick look, sighed and then joined his grandmother and Rena. "Yeah we better be going before they gave away our seats." There was a level of defeat in his tone.
Then without saying another else, the group of three made their way out of the building and to a used 1989 green ford car. Matt opened the passenger front door and waited for his grandmother to settle herself in. He then hurried over to the driver side and got the keys out of his pocket as he got in. He started his car, but before driving off, took one last look at his old high school.
"I may haven't have the best of memories of this school, but it's going to be weird leaving it," Matt said with a long sigh.
He then took his car out of park and backed out. The shadow fighter took one last long look at his school before putting his car into drive and began driving out of the school grounds. They were half way out, when suddenly someone jumped right in front of the car and Matt was forced to slam on the breaks, stopping the car mere inches from hitting the person.
Inside of the car, its passengers were just recovering from the suddenly stopped. Matt lifted his head from the wheel and rubbed his sore neck. He knew he was going to feel that one in the morning, but it wasn't anything big, well not for the shadow fighter at least.
"Gram are you okay?" Matt asked as he helped his grandmother up right.
"I'm fine, Matthew. It would take more then that to start this old ticker, now," Sango said lightly. "But what about that person who ran in front of us?"
Matt's eyes widen slightly, he had forgotten all about the person who ran in front of his car. He looked down and quickly looked her over. He also relieved that the person wasn't hurt, but that soon faded when he notice that the person was the same one that was staring at him early, but now the glass on her right side was missing, giving the three in front of her a clear view of a blue eye.
Something about that one eye seemed to put Matt into a trace. Something about that blue orb was familiar to the shadow fighter. Like the eye was a gateway into the past for Matt. There was just so much familiarity in that eye that Matt was tempted to get lost in it for ages.
He then unknowingly undid his seat bolt and got out of his car. He walked up the stunted person and for the time since seeing that person realized it was a woman. Matt slowly raised his hand and touched the cheek of the person in front of him. The mysterious woman for most of her part seemed to be comfortable in Matt's presence.
She suddenly jerked away from Matt's touch and looked to her right. She then bolted in the opposite direction she was looking, leaving one confused shadow fighter before.
"Wait, don't go!" Matt shouted in a pleading voice.
A dark cloak figure suddenly ran past Matt and he got this burning feeling in the back of his neck. Matt only knew of one person who could gave him that feeling and that didn't set well with him. He went off in hot pursuit of the two without even thinking it over thoroughly.
"Matt! Wait!!" Rena's call fell onto deaf ears as Matt ran out of the campus.
It has to be her, I sure of it now, Matt thought as he began scanning the area for any trace of the two mysterious people.
"Matt, what's wrong?" Rena asked as she joined her friend.
"I think that's black cloak figure was Kai." Matt answered in a firm voice.
"Kai?" Rena gasped.
Matt nodded and said," Yeah and where's there Kai, there's Rumiko." Matt said Rumiko's name softly.
"Well I don't see them now," Rena said, looking around herself.
"They must be gone now or maybe my mind was playing tricks on me," matt said, sighing in defeated a little.
Sensing Matt's pain, Rena moved closed to her friend and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it, it like you keep saying, the winds of destiny. I'm sure you'll see her soon enough."
Matt was silently looking down at the ground, slowly took in his friend's words. After a minute he looked up at Rena with an obviously forced smile and said," Yeah, you're right. Well, c'mon let get back to gram before she start to worry."
Taking one last look around, Matt sighs and began walking back to his car, hands shoved in pockets and shoulder slumped slightly. Rena made one last quick swamp of the area, looking for anything that might help her friend. She knew what Matt was going through to a certain level and wanted to help out in anyways possible.
"Be save my friend, until he's finds you again," Rena spoke to the air and then hurried to join her friend and his family.
Hidden within the shadow not to far off from the school, a single blue orb watched the boy with strangely color hair with longing. The owner of that blue eye longed for the boy who held her when she scared or when she was lonely. She longed just to be with that boy who made her heart sore higher then a hawk, but she knew, she would only be putting the one she loved in great danger and that's something she didn't want. So with a heavy heart, she tore her glare away from the shadow fighter as a single tear fell from her uncovered eye and lifted.
(...)
It has been nearly two mouths since graduation, but for Matt it seemed longer since he thought he saw the love of his life. Doing that time, he was slowly falling into a state of depression and to hide it, he was withdrawing back into his casual personality.
The shadow fighter was walking around the street, wearing his second attire of black jeans, low tops, white and back tee shirt under his black leather jacket. He only wears that attire when he felt down or out about something and right at the moment, he was feeling like gum stock to someone's shoes.
Two mouths that's how long I have been searching for you and with each passing day, my heart crack more. It wouldn't be much longer before it breaks, Matt thought solemnly.
The shadow fighter was heading to local newsstand to pick up the latest issue of an auto mechanic magazine. He had only told Rumiko, about his secret passion of being an auto mechanic and at the time, knew she would keep it, partly because she couldn't talk.
Matt went up to the stand, owned by a gently old man about a couple of years younger then his grandmother and grabbed his magazine. He was about to pay for it, when something caught his eyes. He dropped the magazine in hand and snatched one of those gossip magazine teenage girls like to read. Normally Matt would stay clear of those types of thing, but the picture on the cover really caught the shadow fighter's eyes.
"Rumiko Makino," the words slipped from his lips as he eyes began widening.
"Yeah, she appeared on the fashion scene about a year ago and totally took it by storm," the stand owner said, looking up from his newspaper.
"Really?" Matt asked in shocked.
The old man nodded and said," Oh yeah and I hear she has so highly popular that every men in this city wants a piece of her."
Hearing that caused the shock look on Matt's face to turn into that of pain as a million thoughts basically ran wild in his head.
"It that...true?" Matt asked slowly.
The stand owner nodded and said," Yeah, but what I read in that magazine in your hand, that's she waiting for her black knight in shining armor. Kinda of funny when you look at it because good knight are never wear black." There was a light chuckle during the last sentence.
Black? Matt eyed the hand that had his black lightening tattoo on it. He then looked at the owner and asked," Did she say anything else about her mysterious knight?"
"Uh huh. She only gave out two features about the guy," the owner said, leaning his face against his right fist and looking to his side.
"Well...what were these features?" Matt asked, a hint of nervousness working its way into his voice.
"Well it seems like our young diva had worked her spell onto another young, hasn't it?" the owner asked in a teasing manner, causing Matt to blush lightly.
"Welllllllllll..." Matt dragged out the word because his mind choose that moment to freeze up on him.
The owner shrugged off the boy's reaction and want back to reading his paper," If you really want to know, its all in the book you're holding."
"Really?" Matt asked, eyeing the magazine slyly.
"Yes, really. Now buy something before I got ticked," looking up, the stand owner saw that the boy was gone and the money for both of the magazines were on his stand.
Running like his life depended on it, Matt ducked into an empty alleyway. He quickly peeked out of the alley to make sure no one saw his little moment. Once he was sure that he was in the clear, he turned his attention to one of the paper books in his hands. Looking at the picture of the woman he loved for the past four years, he was tempted to kiss it, but quickly crushed that. He looked at the page number for the right page and quickly flipped to it. He scrolled through the page, until he came to nearly the end of the page and began reading.
"On the night of a full moon, I would become restless and unable to sleep, so on those long nights, I set and watch the moon. During those nights when the moon cast it light down onto land, I think about him, the boy who saved me in my time of need." Pausing in his reading, Matt looked towards the sky as the memory from they first meeting came rushing through his head, causing him to smile slightly. After zoning out for a minute, Matt resumed his reading.
"When I first meant him, I was scared and ran into hiding, afraid that I was going to be hurt. But then I saw his eyes and oh, what eyes they were. They had deep piercing feeling, but at the same time, could be gentle. It was those eyes that first draw me to him and I would never forget that deep piercing eyes," stopping, Matt began rubbing the spot were Rumiko had clawed him more then four years ago, the memory flesh in his mind.
Looking back at the page, he continued to read," When I was scared, he would hold tightly, when I was lonely, he would whisper soft words to me and when my worse fear came knocking at the door, he did everything in his power to help. From that day on, I felt like I was forever bonded to this person...this person with strange hair black and blonde hair and piercing violet eyes."
Tarring the page from the book, Matt closed it and tore off the cover and threw away the girly magazine into a nearby dumpster. He stared lovingly at the picture of his lover for a long moment before carefully folding up the two pages and sliding them into his jacket pocket.
If she's willing to turn away every men who comes her way, then I can wait until the sun dies, Matt thought as he walked out of his hiding spot and headed for home. If he could only have known that he didn't need to wait for the sun to die, he would probably be jumping for joy right at the moment.
(Later that day)
Day turned quickly into night and most were getting ready to a good nights rest, but most just don't cut it in this city. In a lush green park, two figures moved about the trees with the speed of the demons, racing through the trees. It would appear that the one was chasing other, but one of these people knew that a trip was being set.
A figure in a dark black cloak jumped from tree to tree, while his pursuer, a girl in running clothes and a hood, covering her head, was having a somewhat harder time, but still she kept up with him nonetheless. Under his cloak, the mysterious follow was keeping his eyes on alert for something that he himself had put there early that day. When he saw the marker, he jumped from the branch he was on and spun around in the blink of an eye, sending a fireball his pursuer's way. The fireball didn't hit the girl though, but instead hit a spell trap that the cloaked figure also set up. The fireball activated the trap and it covered the tree, the girl was on, in blue magic energy. The girl jumped just as the tree vaporized. The girl had jumped just in time, but that's when the cloaked dude appeared in front of her and delivered a wind-powered kick to the girl's face. The wind magic around the cloaked figure's foot, caused his prey to go slamming in thick tree branches as she fell to the ground.
The girl groaned as she fought her way got onto her feet. The fall has caused several things to happen at once. First the hood of the woman was tore off, revealing golden blonde hair which now covered the girl's entire left side of her face. Her other side of the face was covered in blood, making his hard to see her face. Her running suit was tore in many places and her right arm was now completely useless.
"So my darling sister, what did you think of my trap?" the cloaked figure asked, his voice sounding almost machine-like.
The girl kept her mouth closed as she slowly began walking towards her opponent.
I may only get one chance at this and I better make it count, she thought as she dipped her good hand into her pocket.
"Have you finally decided it was pointless to fight someone as great and as powerfully as me?" the cloaked figure boosted in that machine voice.
Just a little closer, the girl thought, taking her hand out of her pocket and tightening her finger around something.
"But then again even if you have that knight you keep babbling about, you might just have a slim chance of beating me, but then again, I bet even that pathetic fighter couldn't even take me on now," the figure said, boosting some more.
"Didn't ever call him pathetic!" the girl screamed angrily and shoved her good fist into his opponent's gut.
There was a star shaped object with a white center about the size of a fist in the girl's hand. It came to live and release it magic onto the cloaked figure. Yellow light began covering the figure and he felt like his body was being erased from the plain all together.
"WHAT'S GOING ON!!" the figure screamed as he felt the magic effect begin to tare into his body.
"This is just a little gift from mom," the girl said coldly.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!" the figure screams echoed into the night as the light completely covered him and he completely disintegrated.
"Finally it's over," the girl muttered tiredly and let her arm dropped to her side.
Letting go of the now useless object, the girl grabbed her injured arm and began walking away. But unknown to the tired girl, another figure was watching from the shadows.
It was worth all the money I paid for that clone. I had a feeling my dear mother would gave her something to help her, but now that the star magic is used up, I think it's time the real star of this show appear, the figure thought as he stepped into the light of the moon.
Sensing someone behind her, the girl turned around and nearly had a heart attack when she saw a flame colored haired man picking up the object she just dropped.
"I killed you?" the girl said in disbelief.
The man looked up at his prey with a sinister grin blossoming on his face.
(At Matt's house)
"I can't believe this day is finally coming," Sango said to herself in a happy, sad way.
"Gram, it's not like I getting married or anything, it just collage," Matt said in a light tone.
"Yes, but for most, seeing they babies going off to collage is a big thing and I'm no different," Sango replied in the same tone as before.
Smiling lightly to himself, Matt resumed his packing. The shadow fighter and his foxy friend were in the process of packing their perspiration for they're tripped for collage. The living room was basically stuffed with boxes of all sizes and shape.
Matt was now in process of packing the last few things lift in his room. These were the most treasure items for the shadow fighter and he was being extra carefully packing them. He had his black leather notebook that has his many poems he had written over the years. A sweatband that was given to him by his grandfather when Matt was 11 year old and many over things that was special to the shadow fighter. But what was probably the most to the shadow fighter was a picture he was currently holding.
The picture was taken about a week after Rumiko came to live with Matt, and it was one of the most memorable moments in his life. He looked down at the picture, the memory of that event clear in his mind. Matt and Rena were standing in front of the house with their fury friends with them. Rumiko was in Matt's arms and was looking up at the man instead at the camera. Rika was on Rena's right shoulder, looking bored out of her skull. And that how the picture was taken and Matt wouldn't have it any other way.
He stared at the picture for a few more minutes before putting it back in its frame and carefully setting it in the box. Getting off of his bed, he lifted his room and made his way down stairs, where Rena was waiting for him.
"Your car is filled to the mix and can I ask why we're doing this?" Rena asked, feeling somewhat tired from all the things she has been doing this day.
"Because I want to get this all out of the way so we don't have to do much but move our stuff into our dorms," Matt said as he walked pass Rena and put his box in a place far out of his grandmother way.
"Hey, Matt, wasn't your grandmother with you?" Rena asked, looking up the stairs for any sighs of the elder.
"I guess, she must have lift while I was still packing," Matt replied, joining his friend at the stairs.
Rena looked at her friend and knew what he was basically thinking, by the stare, he was casting.
"You're still worried about leaving her on along?" Rena asked, though she knew the answer already.
Nodding, Matt replied without taking his eyes off the stairs," I just feel like I shouldn't be going half way across the city is a bad move when my grandmother could be in great danger."
Rena resisted the urge to sigh as she put her hand on her friend's shoulder and said reassuringly," We already been through this and she's going be moving in with your doctor's mother, remember?"
"I know, I know, it just make me feel..." he trailed off as this strange feeling over took him. He walked over to a window and stared out of it in a traced like state
"Matt?" Rena asked when she noticed her friend's strange behavior.
She walked up to Matt, when she noticed that his lightening bolt tattoo was glowing in a color it never has before. His tattoo was growing the color of his skin, making almost invisible to the naked eye.
What the...that never happened before. Grabbing Matt by his shoulder, Rena lightly shook her friend as she said," Matt. Matt! Are you okay?"
"I really don't know, Rena. I suddenly feel like someone is calling me and I intend to find out who that is," Matt replied while still looking out the window.
Then before anything more could be said or done, Matt ran out the door, leaving one confused disguised fox behind.
Now that was certainly weird, Rena thought as she walked over to the opened door.
"You better follow him," a soft voice caused Rena to jerk her head to her right. Sango was at the feet of the stair, looking at the opened door too. Looking at the foxy lady, she said," I have seen many things, being wife and mother to shadow fighters, but I have never seen something like that before."
Looking out the door again, Rena began thinking it over in her head. After a minute of thinking, she decided it would be best if she did go along with Matt. Looking back at the elder, Rena nodded quickly and dashed out the door much like Matt just did.
Rena caught up with Matt in a park, just as he tackled someone off somebody else. The two began rolling about as Rena watched the other person struggled to get to get her feet. Even from her distance, Rena knew that the person was in bad shape and was about to go and aid her when a thought suddenly popped into her head.
What if this is that time when it happens? And if this is right time, maybe I just should stay out of it and let history works it fingers, Rena thought as she turned her attention to the others.
(Matt and our mysterious person)
Matt ran with speed that even threw him off, guided by some unseeing force. That force lidded him to a nature park and without a moment hesitation, he went in. Guiding by that strange force, he dash back into the park, where he came to a scene that caused something into of him to just snap. He watched as a stranger, wearing a hat slowly overtook a batter and bruised girl and without thinking, lung at the guy. He tackled him and the two began rolling away from the victim. The two rolled away from the victim's ear shoot and the other man's hate came off in the process. Finally the two came to a stop and jumped off each other, only to be meant with a big surprised.
"KAI?" Matt shouted when saw his old rival.
"Smith," the elemental sorcerer hissed angrily.
The two old rivals got into fighting stances at the drop of a hat and began circling around, taking in each other. Matt notice that Kai had changed quit a bit in the past four years. His once blonde hair was now either died flame colored or suck like that for some reason. He had also gained some bulk too. But he still dressed in all black and wears a trench coat.
"So, Kai, mind telling me what you did to that mass of blonde hair you had?" Matt asked coldly.
Kai frown angrily at the commit and he shouted," Shut up! It's because of you that my hair is stuck like!"
"And what does that mean?" Matt asked with no interest what so ever.
"I trained in my arts for four long years and the end results is as you see," Kai stated angrily, pointing at his hair and then at Matt. "And it's all your fault, Smith."
"Huh?" Matt made of face of mock confusion and then shrugged it off. "Hey, don't come around my home town and put the blame of something I didn't even do, on me."
"ENOUGH TALK!!" Kai screamed angrily and threw himself at him.
The evil sorcerer threw a punch and Matt easily dodged it, but that was a mistake he would live to regret. A burst of wind suddenly came off of Kai's fist and threw Matt back. The shadow fighter sled back a few inches before he crouched down and stuck his hand into the ground to stop him.
"What the..." Matt looked up at his opponent in shock and confusion.
Kai snickered as he face Matt and lifted his left fist, swirling with wind. "Oh did I forget to tell you that I also learned some fighting move and mortified them with my magic?" He asked in a smug voice.
"No, you forget that, but then again a lot, do that when I'm around," Matt replied coldly and jumped into the air.
The shadow fighter aimed a foot at Kai's face and he in response, sucked out his hand, palm out and sent another blast of wind. Matt was once again thrown back and would have slammed right into a tree if not for his quick thinking. He repositioned himself, so his feet were facing the tree and rebounded off it. He went at Kai so quick that the evil sorcerer didn't have time to act. Matt slammed right into his opponent at his chest and knocked him off of his feet. Kai landed on his back and Matt jumped off of him.
"Boy that was sure something new," Matt said to himself as he wiped the light sweat from his brow.
Suddenly roots began tarring themselves from the ground and tightened around Matt's ankles.
Now what? Matt thought as he tried to pulled his legs free, only to found the roots were on to tight and weren't even bulging one bit.
Kai chuckled evilly as he got up and looked at the shadow fighter," Don't bother Smith. One of my many new powers allow me to not over control fire, but the other elements as well and when they're linked to me, they just as great and powerfully as myself."
"Well care to put your words to the test," Matt said firmly as he stood out and held out his hand with his tattoo.
"HAHAHAHA! Don't try to bluff me, Smith. I know for a fact that you can barely control that power of your, so don't make me laugh," Kai said with cocky smile.
"Once again, care to put your words to a test," Matt said firmly, wrapping his other hand around his wrist.
Kai opened his mouth to see something, when he saw Matt's tattoo flash and he closed his mouth. Matt's tattoo flashed again and this time black electricity began around Matt's hands. All the electricity converged onto his the center of his palm and lit up a small sanction of his palm. The black light grew until it covered about a quarter of Matt's palm and it began pulsing with energy just waiting to be released onto any unexpected victim.
"WHAT THE..."
"Black lightening strike!!" In a burst of light and clap of thunder, a black lightening bolt came flying out of Matt's hand and straight at Kai. Kai were able to dodged just as the black lightening hit the spot where his foot was moment before.
"How did..."
"Black lightening strike!!"
Once again, Kai barely dodged the strike and could only looked up at a person he thought he had figure, in shock and fear.
This went on for a few minutes. Matt would fire a black lightening strike and Kai would barely avoid it. By now the area around them had a few black stains on it nice lush green grass.
When did he learn to control his powers? Kai franticly thought as he dodged another black lightening strike. Well at least his aim has gone down in these past years.
But what Kai did don't was that Matt was missing him on purpose, so he would lose control on the veins and they would loosen on Matt's ankles.
Just a little more and I'll be free, Matt thought, casting his eyes down to the veins on his ankles and was pleased that they were nearly off.
"Black lightening strike!!"
"Aren't you getting tired of this yet, Smith?" Kai shouted as he dodged the bolt.
The evil sorcerer looked to where his opponent was trapped and got a big surprised when he saw that he was gone.
"What THE-,"
"Look behind you," a calm voice said.
Spinning on his heels, Kai looked deeply into the violet colored orbs of his opponent and everything began clear to him in that moment.
He lured me into a trap! Kai screamed in his head, but then calm down when another plan began coming together. If I can't win by one way, go for plan B.
Smirking, the evil sorcerer jumped away from his opponent and raised his arms and slightly bent them at his elbows. The areas around and inside Kai's hand began heating up as his concentrated on his primary power.
"You know what, Smith, I just remembered that I hold the key to your greatest fear in the palm of my hands," Kai said slyly as his hair started to glow and fireballs appeared in his hands.
Matt stared at his opponent with unflinching nerves as the fireballs doubted in size.
"What the matter, Smith? Fear already got a hold of you?" Kai asked with a sly grin forming.
Matt kept his silence and got into his fighting stance. Holding out his left hand, he made the gesture for "bring it on". Natural that got Kai mad and his grin gave away to an angry frown.
"SO YOU THINK YOU ALL THAT? Well then took this!!!" Wheeling his leg up like a pro pitcher does, Kai let the fireball in his right hand go.
The ball of fire soared towards Matt at blinding speed, but the shadow fighter kept his head leveled and his eyes on his objective. He then jumped off the ground and executed a spin kick, sending the fireball back at its thrower. Doing the only thing that came to his mind at the moment, Kai threw the other ball to intercept the other fireball. The two fireballs exploded in a mass of fire, blocking the fighters from view. Kai waved his hand and the fire in front of him, instantly died down, but his foe wasn't in sight.
"Looking for me?"
Spinning around, Kai was once again, staring into Matt's eyes and his fear returned, greater then ever.
He's really is a freak now, Kai franticly thought, but said in a creaking voice," What are you?"
"I am nothing by a shadow destined to protect others from the shadows," Matt answered in a plain voice.
Kai stared at the man before him for a minute in fear, but that was soon replaced by anger and fury when Matt's words starting to sink in.
This freak isn't going to win! I haven't suffered for four long years, only to have myself beating again by this freak, Kai angrily thought.
The evil sorcerer quickly came up with a new plan and had to resist the urge to grin in fear of giving himself away. He then quickly spun around at his heels and dashed off towards where the injured girl was. Using some wind magic to boost his speed, Kai was on top of the girl in no time and there was no sigh of Matt anywhere. He allowed that grin from early to blossom on his face, but that quickly vanished when he rimmed into something, causing him to fall float on his butt. Shacking off the blow, he looked up into the cold face of his opponent and that fear returned, only this time, it was mixed with some of his anger.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Kai yelled angrily as he bolted to his feet and then said so only Matt could hear. "You might not even know this person."
"Because..." Matt got into a stance and stared hard at his opponent. "...Emotions like love and kindness are the power behind these fists of my!!"
The shadow fighter then went at Kai and the evil sorcerer threw a punch in fear. Matt easily ducked the punch and then executed an underhanded punch, right to Kai's stomach. The evil sorcerer let out a cry of pain and agony, as he was sent airborne. Matt heard Kai breathless chatting and a moment later saw Kai make the same exit as he did four years ago.
It can't be her, can it? Matt thought as he turned to the person in front of him and began studying her.
Walking up to the girl, he tried to look at her, but she turned her head away. He tried again and again the girl turned her face away.
"Hey, why wouldn't look at me?" Matt asked in a soft tone.
"I don't want you to get hurt," the girl replied timidly.
"Hey, I can handle myself, so why don't you show your face," Matt said softly.
"No I can't, I don't want anyone else to get hurt," the girl said and turned to leave.
Feeling a bit annoyed by this girl's stubbornness, Matt gently grabbed her by the shoulders, making sure not to irritate her wounds too much. He forced her to face him, which caused her hair to fall from her face and giving Matt a clear view. Needless to say, both were surprised once they got a good look at each other's faces.
"M-M-Mathew Smith?"
"Rumiko Makino?"
Not to far off, Rena watched as the reunited lovers just stared at each other in wide-eyed shock. After a minute the shock of seeing each other seemed to wear off and the two began talking. From their expressions, Rena could tell Rumiko was worried about Kai, and Matt, being the person he is, reassured her everything was going be find now that he was here. After a while Rumiko gave up and that's when Matt's swiped her off her feet. Rumiko giggled like a schoolgirl and the lovers went off towards Rumiko's house. For some reason seeing her cursed tamer's parents reunited, renewed Rena to a certain level.
Guilmon, the disguised fox thought as she looked towards the night sky. I'll find my way back to you and then maybe we too, can share a special moment, just like Rika's parents. But for now wait and hope for my return.
With that out of her system, Rena hurried after her friends with a small smile on her face.
(...)
Rika: You know, I notice a few differences between this chapter and the flashback you gave my mother.
Me: Well I'm not one those people who remembers all the detail of his stories, so to make up for it; I put in a sort of ankle deal.
Rika: Now what does that mean, empty head?
Me: Simple when something happens from my other story; I just put Rena in it as she watching it.
Rika: But aren't you at least worried that someone would review on that.
Me (Shrugging): hey I not one these picky types and I like my review to be honest.
Rika: You're weirder then gogglehead, and that's saying something.