BONNIE! - Kouichi isn't DEAD!
Sacred - Email sent!
Taku-kun - Takuya is still blind...He just...had his sight back for a moment...Uh...time lapse in Baronmon's data perhaps?
Chapter 9 - Let It Rain
'Thoughts'
'Takuya/Telamon thoughts'
"Speech"
Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...
'What's that sound?'
Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...
Deep blue eyes opened slowly, but closed soon after at the bright, white ceiling.
'A heart rate machine? And what's this on my mouth? An oxygen mask? Am I in a hospital?'
Kouji opened his eyes again and looked around. His bed was surrounded by curtains and the basic hospital equipment. He could faintly hear voices, probably outside the room he was in.
"...close to suffocating. They're very lucky."
"What about the others?" a female asked.
"They've got burn marks on their backs, but are otherwise fine." he answered.
The curtains around his bed were drawn back revealing a doctor, his real mom, his dad, Takuya's mom, Shinya, and a couple people he could only guess were the others' parents in the background.
"Ah, you're awake." the doctor said, his black eyes glittering slightly in happiness. His mom and dad rushed to his bedside and his mom bent down.
"I'm so glad you're alright..." Ms. Kimura said as she hugged him. The doctor removed the oxygen mask when she let go.
"Hi mom, dad..." he nodded to each with a small smile. "What happened?"
"You were found, along with your friends, near the sight of the most recent fires. I believe you inhaled to much smoke, the same goes for your brother. Your friends seem to have been exposed directly to the fire and have mild burns on their backs, but are otherwise ok." The doctor explained. Kouji nodded.
Telamon flipped around and caught Kouji by the neck.
Kouji furrowed his eyebrows.
"T-takuya...I can't...breathe..."
"Kouji?" his dad said softly as the doctor led the other parents to their own kids, along with his mom.
"Yea dad?"
"What were you kids even doing in that area?"
"We...we thought...maybe Takuya was-"
"Your...mom said that you and Kouichi leap up and run whenever this happens. Why?" he was dead serious, and keeping his voice low.
"Because we think that Takuya might be at any one of those places and we wanted to-" Mr. Minamoto interrupted him.
"Find him?" his voice rose slightly. "Kouji, you worried your mother sick." Kouiji didn't know which 'mom' was being referred to. "If Takuya is still out there-"
"We'll find him." Kouji said sternly, yet softly, cutting his father off. "We'll find him." he repeated, a little louder. "We have to."
"Don't go getting yourself killed." His dad said softly. "You're my son." he was speaking as if he was firing a subordinate. Kouji scoffed softly and his dad paused before closing the curtains again. "Don't die."
"Like I would." Kouji said determinedly. He locked eyes with his dad, who's eyes widened. His eyes were alight with a strange...power...
"Alright Kouji. Just stay safe." he conceded, backing out of the curtained area.
Kouji looked down at his hands in his lap until something was placed on his bed. His head turned to the 12 year old standing next to him, looking both sad and happy, and determined. His eyes were locked on the large goggles he had just laid on the white sheets, and for a moment...he looked about to cry.
"Shinya?" Kouji asked. The smaller boy's head snapped up, and they locked eyes.
"Thank You." Shinya muttered, no trace of tears in his voice. "You still think he's out there. And you're trying so hard to find him too...Thanks Kouji..."
"Hey, I can't just sit in one place too long when someone I know is in trouble." Kouji assured him, patting Shinya on the head.
At the Takuya-like motion, Shinya began to cry. He climbed into Kouji's hospital bed and curled into the former-loner's chest, and cried.
"Shinya? Oh, Shinya..." Ms. Kanabara sounded scolding until she noticed Shinya crying. "Shinya...why are you cry-" she paused, seeing the goggles Shinya had been holding onto for the past few days, ever since she'd stopped him from looking for his brother personally. "Oh..."
"See? He's still looking for Takuya. Why can't I?" Shinya asked, crying.
"Shinya!" His mom scolded. She looked up at Kouji. "I'm sorry about this."
"Not a problem. I nearly lost my brother once too." Kouji assured her, holding Shinya in a comforting hug as the boy cried.
"Almost?" Ms. Kanabara asked. Instead of answering her, Kouji spoke to Shinya.
"I saw him Shinya." he whispered.
Shinya stopped crying and looked up at him in the time of 1 second. He looked so hopeful, Kouji couldn't help but smile.
"Really? You sure? Where?" Shinya asked.
"It was only for a moment." he said, as if telling an amazing story to a little kid. "But he was there, at the fire site." Both others gasped. "But he was taken away again." Kouji laid his head against the wall behind his bed.
"So...you don't know where he is..." Shinya lowered his head. Kouji looked down at him.
"We're so close. We've almost got him. Don't worry Shinya, he'll be back before you know it." Kouji said softly.
"Excuse me. I'm sorry, but he needs to rest." The doctor informed them lightly. Ms. Kanabara stood up from the seat she'd taken as they spoke.
"Of course. Shinya, Shinya we have to go." she placed a hand on the preteen's shoulder, who in turn looked to Kouji, who nodded.
Shinya crawled out of the bed and thanked Kouji, then began to walk away with his mom. Kouji blinked and looked at the bed.
"Hey, Shinya." he said calmly. Afterall, he's in a hospital, no yelling. Shinya turned around. "You forgot these." he tossed the goggles lightly to the light brunette, who caught them.
Shinya walked back to the bed and gave them to Kouji.
"Yours. Give them to Takuya when you find him."
"What makes you think I'll be the one to find him?" Kouji asked, slightly surprised in the boy's trust in him. Shinya gained a thoughtful look as he remembered...
-
Fwoosh!
Shinya walked out of the bathroom, a tired look on his face. He walked past Takuya's room and saw a light on under the door. Lightly pushing it, the door opened and he looked in. Across the room, Takuya was staring at his cell phone. A moment later, he started dialing.
'Who's he calling at this time?'
There was a muffled hello, then...
"Hey! Kouji!" Takuya called happily.
'Kouji?'
Takuya's face fell after Kouji's next words. For a moment, Shinya thought it was something Kouji had said.
"Hey...listen..." Takuya said softly, sadly. Shinya' s attention was caught.
Pause as Kouji spoke.
"We've known each other for a long time right...I can tell you anything, right?"
Muffled reply.
"I...I think I...Do you like anyone Kouji?" he asked suddenly. Kouji must've blanched.
An angry yell came from the other end of the phone. Takuya smirked sadly. What was there to smirk about?
'Hmm...Kouji must be faking anger if Takuya's smiling...'
"Do you?" he asked softly.
Sigh, an answer. Shinya waited. Takuya smiled, he seemed to have brightened up.
'Maybe he got the answer he wanted?'
"Good. Then I'm not the only one."
...Reply...
"Yea. But besides him!" Takuya said, slightly happy. "Listen, I'm gonna let you go, ok?"
Takuya hung up and Shinya went to close the door when Takuya started talking to himself.
"Takuya you idiot...that's not what you were supposed to say..." he berated himself.
He looked in the mirror on his desk, his face straight, he recited.
"Kouji...I really like you. I know it's wrong, we're both guys...but...Do you like me? If you don't, it's alright. We can just act like this never happened. Yea."
Shinya blinked.
'Takuya's gay?'
Takuya turned from the mirror.
"That's how it should've gone. Not call, hear his voice, and clam up!"
Shinya smiled slightly, unsure why he was smiling himself.
"Takuya! Go to bed!" a female called. Shinya jumped.
"Sorry mom! I'm going to bed now!"
"Good!"
Shinya ran off too.
-
"If he'll come back for anything...it's you...So...keep looking, alright?" Shinya closed Kouji's hands around the goggles before he turned and ran after his mom.
"Ah..." Kouji started, then stopped. He looked down at the goggles in his hand, sighed, and laid down as the lights were turned off and the curtains closed. Moments later, thunder flashed and it began to rain again, but Kouji was already asleep.
-
The thunder crashed, the rain fell down. It was dark...wet...and cold...
But if you listened close enough, you could hear something...crying...
Somewhere in the city, in a dark alley, a leather clad boy was curled up. He was laying against the wall, his knees to his chest. His arms were wrapped around his legs, his face hidden. Anyone walking by might think he was a runaway...or a stray dog wearing clothing...
His tail was limp next to him and it's color was diminished by the rain. In fact, his tail and hair now looked like...normal redish-orange hair/fur. Like the fire had gone out in the rain...Telamon raised his head and looked around. Not that he could actually see anything, but hey.
'Takuya...I can't...breathe...'
He quickly hid his head.
'Thanks a lot Kouji, I owe you one.'
'You don't owe me anything. You're the one who sensed something.'
'Huh?'
'I hear barbarians always go by instinct.'
'You just can't stand being nice, can you?'
Telamon held his head.
'It's obvious you don't care about your own life. But...can you guarantee that the others wont get hurt as well?'
He let out a small noise.
'You and I are the only ones who can do it!'
"What...what is this?" Telamon asked, beginning to shake.
'Why does everything feel so hopeless?'
'Cause it is hopeless!'
'Takuya...I'm sorry I yelled at you...!'
'No, I'm sorry I yelled at you!'
'Hey! That attack is so unfair!'
'Yea.'
"I don't understand any of it..."
'Hello?'
'Hey! Kouji!'
'What d'you want Takuya?'
'Hey...listen...'
'What is it? What's wrong Takuya?'
'We've known each other for a long time right...I can tell you anything, right?'
'What is it Takuya?'
'I...I think I...Do you like anyone Kouji?'
'Wh-where'd that come from?'
'Do you?'
'Yea...I guess so...Why?'
'Good. Then I'm not the only one.'
'Only one-J.P. likes Zoe.'
'Yea. But besides him! Listen, I'm gonna let you go, ok?'
'Uh...ok...'
'Takuya you idiot...that's not what you were supposed to say...'
'Kouji...I really like you. I know it's wrong, we're both guys...but...Do you like me? If you don't, it's alright. We can just act like this never happened. Yea. That's how it should've gone. Not call, hear his voice, and clam up!'
"Kouji?" Telamon muttered in confusion.
He was suddenly filled with emotions that were accompanied by pictures.
Amazement.
Anger.
Jealousy.
Contentment.
Joy.
Real Happiness.
Love...
His eyes snapped open and he pushed himself away from the wall, immediately landing hard on the cold, wet ground. The world was so black, but the images in his head were so colorful...It hurt.
It hurt to not be able to see. It hurt to feel these things and not truly know why. It hurt to hit the ground. It hurt to have no place to go. It hurt to not know. It hurt to remember...
"Who am I?" he asked, punching the ground. More tears falling from his face.
'And why am I crying?'
-
"Matamon, this is the worst thing that could've happened. His sight left him again, he seems to be recalling some memories, and he's run off. But that's not the worst of it! Not even your incompetence at not being able to find him ranks up to this!"
"What might that be sir?"
Heraldomon sighed.
"When I turned him into a digimon...I gave him the power of fire. Because it matched him so well, and he seemed to already contain that power deep within him. But, not being a real digimon, that fire can be extinguished. The rain that started when he ran off, it'll weaken him."
"Weaken him?"
"Yes. The flame of his powers, his very soul, could be put out if he remains in the rain too long...We must find him. He has the power we need to control the worlds. Once we enter the digital world, nothing will be there to hinder him. He will be free to unleash all of his powers."
'Somehow...I think the conversation turned from Telamon's good, to the good of the plan...' Matamon thought glumly.
"When do we search for him?"
Heraldomon made a noise that meant he was thinking. He turned to Matamon.
"I think that...if we were to search for him now...He might just run away. Besides, we can't go in the rain..." his eyes lit up. "Send a few of the Gazimon to look for him first thing in the morning."
"Yes sir." Matamon bowed and left the room.
End Chapter 9!