Disclaimer-I don't own Digimon.
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With D-Tector In Hand...(Nothing Changes)
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"How...the...heck did my D-Tector...get in my backpack?" Kouichi stuttered, hand shaking visibly.
Shocked, but nevertheless happy, Lowemon whispered, "It's as if Lady Ophanimon..."
A frown appeared on his face as Kouichi looked up. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Ophanimon is...she sent you here?" questioned the boy. Lowemon bowed his head quietly. Kouichi let out a nervous laugh, one which soon grew loud and clear, filled with relief. As he looked upon Kouichi, Lowemon smiled and shut his eyes. Finally, Kouichi's laughter died and he asked, "So, th-then...am I the only one with digimon in the real world?"
Lowemon nodded and murmured, "Ophanimon decided it would be too risky to send us all at once. You were the one with most trouble on your hands, so we were sent first."
"B-But why Duskmon, too?"
"I don't know. Everyone thought him gone, considering I appeared after he was cleansed, but he requested to come along...and torment me." Lowemon muttered the last part to himself somewhat bitterly.
Kouichi held back a laugh. "Then...would Takuya get his D-Tector next?"
"Alas...I doubt it, Kouichi. He's in more trouble than any of you. I suppose Izumi would come next. Or Junpei, considering all the trouble he's getting into."
"Junpei's getting into trouble?"
"Yes. It seems he's gotten involved in some little scam created by his so-called friends. Duskmon warned him, but seeing as you're the only one who knows Duskmon has had a change of heart...the poor boy screamed his heart out and started for the nearest thing he could make a weapon."
Again, the boy held back a laugh. Drawing a breath, he murmured, "So, then...the rest will eventually come to the...the real world?" Lowemon nodded. "And...I shouldn't tell anyone, huh?" Lowemon shook his head. Kouichi winced. "I kind of...spilled to Izumi."
Lowemon snorted. "Don't worry about it too much. And now, the note. I believe Takuya would want you to read it, not forget about it," he reminded Kouichi.
Laughing nervously at his mistake, Kouichi nodded, placed the D-Tector back in his bag, then picked up the goggles, taking out the note. He read, "Um...let's see...'Kouichi...' blah, blah, blah, 'Agunimon back...' Okay, Lowemon, you read it. My brain has died from running."
With a sigh, Lowemon obliged, "'Kouichi, if you get this note, make sure no one else reads. Obviously, Izumi must've told you my predicament-' I never knew Takuya had such an expanded vocabulary," the digimon mused.
"Shut up and read," Kouichi growled, throwing the goggles against the digimon.
Biting back his smart retort, Lowemon continued as Kouichi pocketed the goggles, "'But yes, I'm in trouble. So I'm not allowed to talk to you, and to make this as inconspicuous as possible, I'm punching Kouji. You'll understand why after your birthday, I promise. I'll get free from this stupid bet by then. Agunimon...I almost forgot. Yeah, he's back. Weird, huh? But apparently Duskmon and Lowemon are back, he told me. You knew all this time, sly guy, aren't you? Unfortunately, someone else (one of those ridiculous bad guy wanna-bes) seems to have some link with the Digital World, so I'm going to have to leave Agunimon in your care (keep him far away from Duskmon). He told me to tell you to put on the goggles in order to see him. Do that, will you?'"
Kouichi frowned and took out the goggles once more. "Why do I have to put on the goggles?"
"Because," Lowemon explained, "you only experienced the Digital World spiritually, while your physical form didn't. Thus you wouldn't be able to see any digimon other than us, unless they revealed themselves to the entire world. But that wouldn't be safe, seeing as L-" Lowemon flinched. Clearing his throat, he said with a calm and steady tone, "It wouldn't be safe."
"Seeing as Lucemon's in the real world?" Kouichi guessed the finish.
Lowemon said nothing. Instead, he gestured to the goggles. "Put them on, will you?"
Kouichi looked at the goggles, wincing as he raised them to his eyes. "Does he wash these?" he whimpered. He slipped them on. Blinking several times, he found that the lenses were quite clear, something that amazed him. "So...where's Agunimon?"
"Not here."
"WHAT? Then why do I have to put these on?" Kouichi cried, practically tearing the goggles off. He threw them to the side, then wiped his eyes. "They're all sweaty."
Lowemon chuckled. "You don't have to put them down in order to see Agunimon. Simply having it in hand will show you him."
"Now you tell me," Kouichi muttered under his breath, slipping the goggles over his head so the rested around his neck. "So where's Duskmon?"
"I told you, I don't know."
Kouichi let out an impatient sigh, "Well, that's just great. No Duskmon, no A-what the-" Looking up, Kouichi found Lowemon gone, and Kanaye in front of him, sneering.
"So, the proletariat's missing a few friends?"
Kouichi stood up, yanking up his backpack as well and zipping it shut in one smooth movement. "Get lost, Kanaye. Some of us take a break from being snobby know-it-all's."
This surprised the other boy. "So you admit it?"
"Admit what?" snapped a now-moody Kouichi. "Go trample someone else's parade. Try someone who actually has one."
"What, like Kako?"
"No...try Kouji. He could use a little less carefree attitude." There was a pause. Suddenly a smirk found its way onto Kouichi's face as he slyly included, "And how am I the proletariat if I've got my own little place away from the world? It would be more like I was the rich one and you were the proletariat, having to go around and beg everywhere. Only difference, I work, you don't."
Saying so, Kouichi walked off, backpack slung on his shoulder. He shivered, not from the cold but from the sheer joy of actually triumphing over Kanaye in something.
He could definitely get used to this.
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"Alright...since Ms. Kawai kindly decided to change your Literature unit, we'll just have to hope you have some poetry skill in you. Today," announced Mr. Ogata, his hands slamming on the desk, "you will be writing a poem. Your theme is simply the word, 'dark.' I'm giving you fifteen minutes, then collecting this."
Dark? Kouichi frowned. What is this, he thought, some kind of sick joke? Nevertheless, he got out a paper and began to think.
It wasn't until a minute later he realized Kako still wasn't back from the nurse's office. Worried and clueless on what to write, Kouichi let out a sigh. He didn't know how, but he resisted the urge to crumple the paper and throw it at Mr. Ogata.
Dark...what did Patamon say about the darkness? We make it what it is...it can be...good or bad? It's not always bad, Kouichi shut his eyes as he tried to recall the conversation with Patamon.
In the dark I find my way...
Kouichi's eyes shot open. He looked around, trying to locate the voice. Someone was speaking...right? Realizing he was the only one hearing the verses, Kouichi shivered slightly, but wrote them down.
"In the dark I find my way,
Light will never be needed,
For in the dark all we ever need.
Is for Hope to be heeded," Kouichi whispered this first verse to himself, shutting his eyes as the voice replayed it, making it into more of a song. It sounds...familiar. But apparently, so does everything else these days, he thought, a grim look on his face as he took down more of the lines, I'll just tweak it so it's my own words...or maybe use it for inspiration. These are way too good for Ogata to ever read.
Don't be stupid. These are for you to turn in! the voice commanded.
Kouichi nearly jumped out of his seat. He did, however, hit his back against the chair. Okay, okay...I'll turn it in, he agreed, not understanding why he was arguing with a shadow of a person who he couldn't see...a shadow only he could hear.
Very good. Now, continue.
The light of the moon was taken from me,
Clouds swallowed stars eagerly,
Alone in the dark, I was cold, alone,
Until that day I realized truth, Kouichi suddenly returned in his head. Surprised, he wrote it down, then gazed out the window. How...did I do that?
It is because...well, continue, first. Talk later.
And so Kouichi continued until he reached the final verse.
And so the boy, alone and cold,
Whimpered as he walked in town,
'How I long for the warmth,
But losing my light in the dark,
I am forced into a new turf.
The trees cover all with their heavy bark.
Wolves howl, and a new sun rises.
My heart is relieved of pain
for the moon has risen in the sun's place.
The light shines on every grain,
But with something more at hand,
The stars are truly precious.
Yet with clouds in the way
the approaching wolf seems all the more vicious.'
So then the townsfolk smiled,
Returned to their work, leaving the child.
In the end, although he cried, cold, alone,
Darkness took him and showed him warmth.
Kouichi shuddered as he wrote the very last line on the paper in front of him. He looked around once more, trying to find the body of the voice. And once more, he was unable to locate it.
Don't be stupid, Kouichi, the voice laughed.
Surprised, Kouichi looked around once more, a helpless look plastered all over his face.
Don't be stupid, the voice repeated, because I'm you. Remember that time when you were nine? We wanted to cheer up Mom! So we tried writing a poem...but it came out like this. You got angry and threw it away, because you thought...you thought that...it would make her sad. Don't you remember? You aren't mad, are you?
Kouichi said nothing, but shut his eyes. As soon as he opened them, he shook his head slightly at the mini version in front of him and whispered quietly, (as this, he believed, was one of those moments when he was in a dream world, yet everyone was right there), "No...I'm not mad. Thanks."
The child smiled. Kouichi...Marise. Don't ever forget that diary. It's important, he was reminded.
"Th-the diary?"
"KIMURA!" shouted Mr. Ogata. Kouichi winced and looked up. "Hurry up and turn in your paper instead of mumbling to yourself while looking out the window!"
Kouichi's face burned as he pointed to everyone else. "They haven't passed their paper in, either!" he retorted angrily.
"Be quiet. Hurry up and pass it down."
Eyes flashing, Kouichi did so. There was a small ache in his heart, however, remembering that poem. He had never imagined that anything he did as a child would help him at all. He had come to that conclusion after hours and hours of attempting to write a poem to cheer his mother up.
Yet, at the end of the year...
"So, since Mr. Kimura thinks he's all high and mighty for spacing out, we'll read his poem first!" Mr. Ogata snapped before the class could erupt into conversations.
Kouichi snorted and looked out the window. "Read it if you want. Your brain couldn't understand it."
"What?"
Laughing a little, Kouichi stood up, a triumphant smile on his face. "Your brain. It wouldn't be able to take the meaning of the poem. I hope you realize, that's incredibly pathetic. Now, I realize. This class is pathetic." He slammed his hands on the desk, then slung on his backpack, his eyes coolly meeting those of Mr. Ogata.
"Uh...Kouichi," Kouji sputtered, eyes wide. Gee, he's beating me! I'm supposed to do stupid stuff like this!
"So, now I'm taking my poem, and I'll see if I can transfer out of this stupid class that doesn't even teach anything," continued the older twin, marching up to the front and snatching the paper out of Ogata's hands, quickly taking a look at it to make sure it was his. Suddenly twitching for some incomprehensible reason, Kouichi muttered, "The only person who would actually deserve to read this poem...in this room? Well...none of you, actually, but that's not the point. THE POINT IS YOU CAN'T TEACH AND I'M SICK OF IT!"
Quickly, he stormed out of the room, then ran towards his locker, stopping there and clutching his head. "What...the hell was I thinking?" he muttered, twitching nervously. I need to see the nurse...
-------------------------------------------------------
"Ah...Kouichi, did you faint, too?" the nurse, Erika, asked.
Kouichi laughed good-naturedly and replied, "Nah...I kinda...um...kicked myself out of class, you could say..."
"Ogata again?"
"Yeah...it all just went to my head, I guess."
Erika sighed and placed her hands on her hips, frowning at the boy in front of her. "Now listen here, Kouichi. If you ever expect to get to college-"
"I know, I know...I'm going to have to live with Ogata's bunch of...beep," Kouichi muttered. "But he was yelling at me for looking out a window and not passing up my paper...when no one else really was passing up their paper, too!"
"So you need a 'hide-out?'" she asked, her hands making air quotations.
Kouichi nodded.
"Stay here, then."
"Thanks, Erika," he murmured gratefully, bowing quickly. "And...uh...Kako..." His face suddenly burned bright red. "Yeah...is...she...okay?"
Erika nodded, hiding a smile.
"Just wore herself out," the lady replied, pointing to a room. "She's there if you want to talk to her...but I think she's out, right now."
Nodding, then swallowing, Kouichi forced himself to enter the room, his feet shuffling in order to get in. Finally, dropping his bag on the floor, he pulled up a chair by the bed, then realized he still had the poem in his hand. He scanned over it quietly, only shoving it in his backpack when Kako turned to her side and murmured something in her sleep. Kouichi chuckled.
"So even in your sleep you think about chocolate. Nice, Kako, very nice," he whispered, smiling in her direction. His eyes glazed over and he leaned forward, eyes glued to her face. Why did you wear yourself out? Why didn't you sleep on Kouji's shoulder? Why do I want an explanation so bad? Kouichi shook his head and pushed himself away.
He drew a sharp breath while Kako turned over again, on her back this time, one arm by her side, the other by her head. "K-...K-K...," she whispered, "please...n-no...don't go..."
Stunned, Kouichi stood up, placing a knee on the bed for support as he leaned closer to hear what she was saying.
"Mom...no, Dad...stop...n-no...it's not fair," Kako cried, turning over once more. Kouichi nearly yelped as she barely touched him and then sighed as she rolled onto her back again. "D-damn...you...K-K-...k..."
Kouichi held his breath, waiting for her to finish, but it never came. Instead, Kako fell silent once more.
It was in this silence where Kouichi's eyes glazed over once more. Not even thinking about anything else, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kako's, softly, so as to not wake her up. Then, he sat back down in the chair, drawing up his knees, then hugging them as he thought about all that Kako had said.
She didn't mention any names...nothing but her mom and dad. But, he thought, shutting his eyes and groaning, who's 'K-...K,' then? There's ten billion people whose names start with 'K.'
"Doesn't mean you're the one," Kouichi heard Duskmon grumble. The boy nearly yelped and fell of his chair just as Duskmon walked out of the shadows. "I'm just here to congratulate you on your burst in class."
"What are you, stupid? That isn't something to celebrate!" Kouichi returned hotly.
Duskmon snorted, but Kouichi could tell he wanted to laugh. Instead, the digimon said serenely, "Of course it is. Someone has to tell the guy he's stupid."
Kouichi looked away. In a grumpy tone, he muttered, "Kouji would have done a better job. I cracked last minute after I realized I was technically going to be cutting class."
At this point, Duskmon did let out a laugh, "But hey, those are the fun times of life!"
"You mean cutting class, playing video games mindlessly, and computer games while staring at the computer screen endlessly? Oh, yeah, some life..." growled the boy.
Kako stirred in her sleep, and the two fell quiet.
"Your poem, though...where'd you get that?" Duskmon suddenly inquired.
Kouichi just shrugged and responded, "I wrote it when I was nine. Why?"
"It's...well, it's a song," Duskmon said bluntly, and with some awkwardness, Kouichi noted. "Many digimon know it."
Another shrug. "Oh."
Silence fell between the two again. This time, Kako rolled over the other side of the bed, yelping as she hit the floor. Kouichi hid a smile, and Duskmon disappeared into the shadows, wanting to laugh at Kako, but yell at Kouichi at the same time.
I...should've asked him where he was earlier, Kouichi realized as Kako stood up, rubbing her head and plopping back on the bed, her back to Kouichi until she realized his presence. Yelping again, she fell off the bed (again), and pulled herself back up, glaring at him all the while. "Hey," Kouichi greeted her casually, pulling out a notebook and pencil from his backpack.
"Why are you out of class?" demanded the girl, pulling the covers around her.
Kouichi decided it wouldn't hurt to lead her somewhere else. "Oh...it's the end of school. An hour past, actually."
"WHAT? ERIKA!"
"Sheesh, keep quiet, I was joking!" Kouichi assured her, nearly dropping his notebook as he covered his ears.
Erika ran in, surprised. "What...? Oh...Kouichi, don't tell me..."
The boy told her sheepishly, "I told her it was an hour since school ended. I didn't really expect her to believe me..."
Kako sniffed, pulling the covers around her tighter. "Well I did, you jerk!"
Kouichi smiled. "Well that's too bad for you, then, hm?" he replied, opening his notebook and writing something down.
"Then why are you out of class?"
"Someone," Erika cut in, "decided to cut class."
As Kako's jaw dropped, Kouichi flushed as he explained, "It's not cutting, it's...it's...standing up for the truth! Ogata can't teach, and that's a fact!"
"Y-y-you idiot! How could you do that! Kouichi, don't you have a brain? I mean, honestly, I would've imagined Kouji, but you? That's just ridiculous!" Kako ranted, continuing despite the fact that Erika winked slyly at Kouichi, then walked out and shut the door.
Kouichi winced and covered his ears as Kako continued. Relentless, he thought. She's relentless. She won't stop. Swallowing, he leaned towards her and placed a hand over her mouth. "Shut. Up. Thank you. And he was being ridiculous. If any of my poems are going to be read, they'll be done so anonymously, or they'll be in Kouji's name. But since they were neither, I don't want it read. Besides, his brain couldn't handle it," he muttered for an explanation before removing his hand.
Kako yanked his hand, pulling him towards her. "You shut up! All that for a poem?" she exclaimed.
"Not just any poem, okay? It's not what you think! Remember...that poem? The one for my mom, that you helped me on?" The one that I promised you a favor for...? he thought in his own head. Kouichi drew a breath. Sighing heavily and yanking his hand away from Kako, he murmured, "Well...I was nine when I tried writing it. Well, that's the poem I started off with. But after writing it, I realized it was selfish...and...it would break her heart. I wanted a better family, but I couldn't have it, so I was selfish for writing that poem, asking for more than she could give me."
Kouichi drew a shaky breath and Kako scooted towards him. Looking around, she whispered, "Can I read it?"
He looked up at her in surprise, but nodded and brought out the poem. Kako snatched it, her eyes widening as she read every word.
After finishing, she exclaimed in a whisper, "You wrote that when you were nine? And remembered it?"
Trying to ignore the hint of awe in her voice, he murmured back modestly, "But...I didn't really remember it. It...it sort of...came to me..."
"Wait...but it seems kinda familiar...did you ever let me read it? Because that's what it feels like..."
"No...I don't think so."
"Oh..." Kako remarked quietly. She flashed a glance at the clock on the wall above the door, then got of the bed, looking down at Kouichi. "H-hey...Kouichi?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you...um...t-tell me something?"
Kouichi nodded, but frowned as he detected the quivering in Kako's voice.
"Are you really going to the masquerade with Naoko?"
I nearly forgot about that, Kouichi thought, wincing. "Uh...yeah. I almost forgot about the dance," he confessed, rubbing the back of his head with a nervous laugh.
Kako let out a small "Oh," then sat on the side of the bed, gazing at Kouichi as he picked up his pencil and began writing again. "Hey...Kouichi? Could I ask you another question?" she suddenly inquired, leaning over and trying to read the writing.
Kouichi covered the notebook and nodded, a sheepish look on his face. "Let me guess...you want to know what I'm writing?" Kako nodded. "It's a story. Hopefully, maybe when it gets published, if it ever does, you can read it." He paused, then added, "Actually...you read part of it."
"I...did?"
"Yeah...you know the Napoleon debate papers? Well...eh...I was writing on the back of one of my pages without realizing it...ehe...heh...so yeah, you did technically read part of it."
Kako's eyes widened before she turned red. Then...all that worrying...for nothing? I am going to make him pay, she swore. "So, then, what was that part about?"
Letting out a nervous laugh and realizing he was in trouble, Kouichi gulped and quickly put away his notebook. "Um, well, the main character was...well...reviewing some thoughts on a friend who turned their back on her..."
"Her?" Kako nearly fell back on the bed.
"Yeah...her...why? Is it unusual?"
"Um...actually? Yes," the girl admitted, her eyes glued on Kouichi. "I mean, it's rare by itself, but coming from you? That's...even more rare."
He shrugged and looked around uncomfortably, trying to avoid Kako's gaze. Great, so I'm uncomfortable with the fact that my brother's girlfriend is staring at me when the fact is that I kissed her minutes ago. And why did I kiss her? I...hate hormones. Despise them. They ought to die, he thought, wishing he could break the silence as he found his eyes glued onto Kako's. "Uh..."
"Kouichi...a...about..."
"Kouichi! YOU IDIOT!" Kouji yelled, running through the door at the same time as the bell rang. "What the hell were you thinking? Oh...Kako...you okay?" he suddenly asked, sitting by Kako and kissing her.
Kako nodded, silent and blushing. Kouichi sighed, picked up his backpack, and muttered, "Do not tell Mom. I'm going to talk to Aizawa about this, so if I find you told Mom..."
"What? Are you going to charge me twenty dollars?" asked Kouji sarcastically. "Please, that's the worst you could do! That is," he added on an afterthought, "if you aren't sick. Then the worst you could do is order me around and punch me once. But that's it! I'm telling Mom, so tough! And...are those Takuya's goggles on your neck?"
Kouichi clenched his fists, but instead stormed straight to the principal's office, ignoring everything on his way there while he ranted quietly to himself. "Oh, I can't do worse? Hah, I'll show him. He's not the one that nearly died. He's not the one who had to race Kanaye and compete with that...thing on all that...beep. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't know Mom, and I can't do worse? Who is he kidding?"
Stopping in front of the door to Mr. Aizawa's office, Kouichi sighed and pushed the door open. Who am I kidding is a better question.
He was too caught up in his own despair to notice the faint beeping sound emitted from his backpack as he entered the room.
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A/N-
Yet another stinky filler chapter! With...more insight (kind of)! .:feels dumb:. So I'm playing around with a few writing styles, in case you haven't noticed, trying to see which works better. I think my own style doesn't show up unless I've got this great inspiration...I almost did, after watching, 'Island of the Lost Digimon.' But...then I found it didn't work, because the stupid antagonist was having some gender problems...I really liked that idea, too! It would have been funny! (I'll write it down as a bonus chapter) And yes, the poem is mine! I wrote it, I made it up! Don't copy it, please?
Now, I promise, and I swear, the next few chapters will be more informational! They'll actually get the plot going. It seems 'um...what the hell is going on,' right now, so if you have any questions, review and ask, and I'll answer them in the livejournal (which I set up for answering reviews! .:gasps:.)
Livejournal site, and check it, too, if you ask questions-
www (dot) livejournal (dot) com (slash) users (slash) dragonsunlight
...that was quick! Just replace the (dot)'s and (slash)'s with . and / .
I may not be able to post some chapters in the future due to the possibility of a power outage. I shall tell you this before hand.
Thank You-
WithBrokenWings, piyomon, Snowy Leopardess, The Light's Refrain, Lady Hikari-Yami. Your reviews brighten my cloudy day.
I know it's really stupid that I'm about to do this, but COULD I PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE FLAME? Someone who MEANS to flame! It just doesn't feel right without a flamer...:sob:. And I mean a genuine flamer, because if it's just someone pretending to flame...it doesn't feel right!
So...
Review or Flame. Someone flame (or take your useful criticism and put it in a mean way!).