FOT: ((Peers over sand bags)) 'No tomatoes? No tomatoes? Guess they don't mind' ((Steps up)) Hi, you guys! ((gets tomato juiced.)) Hitomi.
Hitomi: HIIIII! ((stops for update meme))
FOT: Okay, sorry you guys…it took longer than expected to update due to personal problems, school, and hate-able writer's block. And that personal problem actually caused the writer's block to get worse…and I think starting new originals and fanfics doesn't really help, now does it?
Well, here is chapter 2!
Irremovable scars by fairyoftwilight
Chapter 2: Still in the Dark
Kouichi startled himself awake. He wasn't sure how he had done it, but he managed. He was learning to do so slowly out of necessity. He looked at the clock next to his bed out of habit: 6:00 AM. There was no point in sleeping anymore.
He sat up and started to think about his dream, only to find that he couldn't remember what it was he had dreamt. This was sadly becoming a consistency. He couldn't remember any of his dreams anymore, only the feeling left behind, both physical and emotional. He could still feel he pain in his legs. He had been running, he was sure of it. His heart was still beating rapidly as he stood up and made his way to his dresser. Maybe a morning shower will steady his nerves. Yes, a nice hot morning shower.
He was about to open the door when he heard rustling coming from his room. He turned around rapidly and caught his twin shifting position again. 'Oh, that's right. Kouji's sleeping over for the next week,' he thought. 'How did I forget that?'
A bit disoriented and confused he made his way to the shower, making sure to take his time and let himself relax. It wouldn't happen quickly, he knew that. The feelings from his dreams usually lasted for an hour or two after he woke up.
When he got out, the alarm went off, waking his brother. He tried to get rid of any evidence that he hadn't slept well, but there was none that he could, even those on his face. Kouji turned over, gazing at his brother.
"Take some sleeping pills, Kouichi," he muttered as he pulled the blanket over his head. "It's the weekend."
"Huh?" Kouichi looked at the calendar, noting that it was the weekend. "Guess I forgot."
He didn't wait for Kouji to react to what he said. For one reason or another, Kouji couldn't sense anymore of his distress. He did before. They're twins, but it started to go away. He couldn't even feel any of Kouji's emotions anymore. Why?
Kouichi didn't notice time slipping by him as he looked down and saw a plate of food before him. Didn't he just eat?
"I ate already," he said.
His mother looked at him with an odd expression. "But honey, I just made that for you. How on earth could you have eaten?"
"Oh," Kouichi started to eat his breakfast. By the time he was done, he just stared at the empty plate. He hadn't eaten breakfast yet. But he wasn't hungry. He looked around and noted that Kouji wasn't at the table. "Mom, has Kouji eaten?"
"He was in front of you all morning."
"Oh."
He stood up slowly, only to be met by his twin, who was carrying his backpack. Wasn't it the weekend? Why did he have his backpack with him?
"Hey, Kouichi, you ready to go to the arcade?"
"Huh? Why are we going to the arcade?"
"Don't you remember? Those foreign exchange students wanted to go to the arcade. We planned it for the weekend. Takuya said he'd join us, remember?"
"Oh. Well, let me grab my sweater and we'll go."
"Kouichi, you have your sweater on."
"What are you--?" he looked at his arms and saw the black fabric of his sweater. "Oh."
Kouichi's blank stare was all that met Kouji's confused one.
"Kouichi, what's wrong? You've been acting weird all morning."
Kouichi smiled and reached for his shoes before heading out the door. "Nothing, really."
If Kouji didn't sense that anything was wrong, then he wouldn't press it. He couldn't remember the foreign students' names or where they were from. He wasn't sure why he was forgetting everything so easily. Maybe it was lack of sleep. It was bound to take its toll somewhere. Maybe he was getting sick.
It didn't take them long to reach the arcade, but he couldn't recognize any of it. He couldn't recognize any of the people that greeted him, not even the area it was in. Something was wrong. He managed to bear with it for a few hours before he started to notice his vision was starting to blur and shake violently.
He started to breath in deeply, unsure what was happening before he started to step back. The people around him turned toward him, confusion on their faces as much as on his own.
He looked around, his world shaking before his eyes. He gazed at the people before him, his friends. No. They were not his friends. 'They're the enemy; trying to kill me, attack me. What should I do?' he watched as one took a step closer, the one pretending to be Takuya. He took a step back, not wanting to be touched or looked at by this wolf in sheep's clothing.
"Kouichi, are you okay? You look sick. Maybe you should sit down."
Takuya reached out his hand, but Kouichi knew better. Never touch the enemy.
"Get away from me!"
He took a few more steps back, grabbing onto the closest thing possible. The army before him was growing in number around him. He needed to run, but where?
"Kouichi?"
There was that voice again. Who was it? There were too many imposters around him! What the hell was going on! What's happening to him? He zipped around, making the world spin more than it should have. And there before him was the only real being. There he was, the only one that wasn't an imposter, his brother. The world stopped as he gazed at his partial reflection. It was his other half. The facial expression was familiar. He had to be real. There was no way that worried expression on his reflection could be an imposter. No one could copy him like his brother. He couldn't be an imposter.
"Kou-Kouji," he managed before being forced into an empty dark corner.
It wasn't shaking here, but the darkness was enough. There was no light at all, nothing could cguide him to where he was or where he was going. Just silence, and a deafening darkness.
"Kouichi!"
It was Takuya's voice, but where was he? He was echoing, that Kouichi knew, but just where was he? Was this a cave? Caves were the only places that echoed, right? Silence again. He couldn't' stand it. He couldn't see. Something had to guide him.
"Takuya?" he yelled, not hearing his voice echo. "Where are you!"
He started to walk forward, not sure where he was going, but positive he would soon find out.
"Kouichi, wake up."
Kouji.
"What are you saying? I am awake. Where are you?"
"Is he okay?"
Panic began to fill his mind. He started to run, not stopping until he was out of breath. It was a waste of time if he couldn't see where he was going. He extended his arm out and began to wave it back and forth, wanting to feel a solid surface, only to be met by emptiness.
"I am fine! Where are you guys? Stop playing games. This isn't funny!"
He felt something touch him, but he wasn't sure what or who it was, all he knew is that he felt safe. He turned around, hoping to see something, but it was nothing. How could he feel safe? And how could he still feel that warmth around him when no one was there. He started to panic much more, his lungs taking in air and exhaling as quickly as he breathed in.
"He's shaking….He's burning up! Call an ambulance!"
"Kouji! I'm not shaking and I don't need to go to the hospital!" he yelled, trying to calm himself.
"What happened to him?" one of the other students asked. "Is he okay?"
"I'm fucking peachy! Why are you guys acting this way? Hey! Answer me!"
He felt something wet hit his face. He reached up, wiping the water off his cheek. It was a tear. Someone was crying.
"Kouji. There's an ambulance on its way, okay?" Takuya.
"Alright. Kouichi, please be okay."
"I am okay! Tell me where youa re! Is this some kind of joke? Don't play games with me!"
There were more drops on his face.
"Kouji, he's going to be fine. He probably just has a fever."
"This isn't normal. People don't' just collapse like that. What if it's the same as that time?"
There was dead silence around him. He was alone. He started to run again, feeling the security he had escaping his body. Where the hell was he?
He stopped running, letting himself sit. There was no way he was going to get anywhere with just running in one direction. He wasn't even sure how far he had gone. His brother's question never left his mind. What if this was like the previous time? What if he became Duskmon again? He couldn't face hurting his brother a second time.
But now, he couldn't even feel anything anymore. No warmth, no coldness, nothing. He had an uneasy suspicion someone was there with him, just the same, but who? It wasn't a dark digimon. But who?
"Hello?" a voice called out. It was unsure, just like him. It sounded like a boy, probably no older than he was. "Is someone there?"
Kouichi stood up. Something was leading him this time. "Who's there?"
Someone tapped his back, making him turn around rapidly, ready to defend himself. Instead of not feeling anything else, his hand brushed up against someone's shoulder.
"Someone's there, thank god. I thought I was hearing things," the person said. "I can't see a thing. Am I blind?"
"No," Kouichi said, just as relieved. "This place is just dark. Where are we?"
"I'm not sure."
Kouichi was ready to just give up, but a light seemed to turn on above them, practically blinding them both. Kouichi saw a boy that was his age, but with dark blue hair rather than black and pale skin. He was about to speak, but he saw something come down and take the boy in it's hand, not letting go.
"Wait a second! Don't leave me here alone!"
"Let me go!" the other yelled, fighting the hand as best as he could. But it wouldn't let him go.
Kouichi was once again left in darkness as the boy disappeared. He wasn't sure if he'd ever see the boy or another person again.
((6.6))
FOT: Confused! No? You should be!
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