Disclaimer: This story is written for fun-purpose only. I don't own Digimon or the characters I use in this story; and no money is made with this fanfic.

Genre: Tragedy/Drama

Rating: PG-13

Criticism: Always welcome, as long as it's constructive.

Summary: "In order to keep sane, I need to continue pretending. Because otherwise, my whole world would fall apart…" (Daisuke-centric)

Warning: Still not beta-read and therefore full of errors.

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, guys! Yes, I know, I only write dramatic stories, but somehow, I can't write anything else. Poor Daisuke, I start to feel sorry for him… This chapter is a bit weird; it jumps back and forth to different persons. I wanted to show little outtakes of the lives of the people before I bring the story, however, I don't know if I managed to do that.

Replies to the reviews are on the bottom.

Little Dragon

by Kaeera

Chapter Two: Snippets

Sometimes smiling hurts.

I want Jun to be happy, so I smile, while in reality, I feel like crying. I can't even remember when I smiled for real the last time. I laugh and make jokes and I'm being silly at school…but it's not real. It's all just acting. I always tell myself that it's only for a short while…that Jun will become healthy again, and then we'll be like before, brother and sister, fighting with each other every single day.

But then I see her, see how weak she is, and I know that I'm lying to myself, that everything is a big grand lie and in reality, my sister is dying, she is leaving me alone and there is nothing I can do.

And so I am torn between hope and despair and I don't know what to believe anymore. I just…I just want everything to be normal again.

The alarm-clock rang and he jerked up in surprise. Wha…what was he doing? Why was he sitting at his desk? Daisuke shook his head and stared numbly at the books in front of him. Mathematics. Oh yes. He had studied yesterday, he had done the whole chapter and then he must have fallen asleep.

Veemon was snoring lightly at his feet. Carefully, the boy took a blanket and spread it over his partner. He didn't want to wake the digimon; it was enough if only one of them didn't get enough sleep.

Yawning widely, Daisuke made his way towards the bathroom. The apartment was empty, as always – his parents had already left for work. He was beginning to believe that he lived on his own in these rooms.

"Jeez," he recoiled when he saw his mirror image. The boy in the mirror was pale and had huge rings under his eyes. "I look as if I'm hungover." He sighed and splashed water in his face. Although he was immensely tired, he couldn't go back to sleep – he needed to go to school. Every lesson was crucial for the exams.

"It's only until next week." He told himself." Then the exams will be over and I can relax again. Only a few more days. I can do it."

"Do what?" Veemon popped his head in the bathroom. He blinked a few times, hid a yawn and sent Daisuke a scornful look. "You didn't go to bed last night!"

Daisuke sighed. "I know. I fell asleep on my desk. Made my neck hurt like hell." He grimaced and dried his hands on a towel.

His partner watched him worriedly. "You'll make yourself sick!"

"Nah, I'm fine. I can deal with a little bit less sleep."

"Maybe with a little bit," Veemon became agitated, "But this has been going on for the last few weeks! Davis, you can't keep doing this! You're barely eating or sleeping, you're studying all the time, and…and I haven't seen one real smile on your face for at least a month. It's tearing you apart!"

Daisuke closed his eyes. "No." he whispered. "I'll be fine. Jun'll be fine. It's just…just until next week. A few more days…"

"And then what?" The blue digimon nearly cried. "What will happen after that? Will you tell your friends? Will you talk with somebody else? Because I can't help you anymore, Davis…you're hurting, but you don't let me help you. You bottle your feelings up! We are partners, friends even! Let me comfort you, let me help you!"

"I can't!" was the shouted reply.

"But why?"

"Because…" Daisuke gulped and leaned his head against the mirror. "Because…I will break down. And if I break down, nothing is left, and I won't be able to be there for Jun anymore. She needs me, Veemon, she needs me more than ever. I'm the only one left. Mom and Dad…they don't know how to deal with it. It's as if they are afraid of her, as if she's already dead! I'm the only one who can make her feel like normal…who can make it easier for her, no matter what happens…"

Tears were rolling down his cheeks freely now. "I'm sorry, Veemon. You're my best friend and I trust you with my life. I tell you everything, but I…I cannot stop being strong. Even if I'm just pretending."

"No!" Veemon shook his head. "I can understand why you are doing this, but Davis, how are you going to help Jun if you continue to destroy yourself? Look at you, how much weight you lost! I can't even remember the last time when you had a decent night sleep, and you look so pale and sick all the time…and yet you keep telling your friends that you are okay, that nothing is wrong, but you can't keep it up any longer! Your body will break down…and what then, Davis?"

A stubborn look crossed the boy's face. "I'll deal with it when we come to that point."

"But by then it might be too late! And have you ever thought what your friends will think when they find out?" Frustrated, the digimon balled his fists. "Imagine that…they will wonder why you didn't tell them sooner, and they will be hurt because they are your friends and you didn't trust them. They'd want to help you, and they'd make it easier for you, don't you believe? But you keep pushing them away, for some stupid reason…"

Daisuke threw the towel away. "Stop it!" he yelled, face crunched up in pain. "I can't! Veemon, I can't! So please…just stop it, alright? Nothing you say will change my decision!" Abruptly, he turned around and left the bathroom.

"I can see you fading in front of my very eyes." Veemon called after him, tears in his eyes. "I'm supposed to protect you, but how am I supposed to do that if you won't let me, Davis?"

He didn't receive a reply. After a few more moments of waiting, the digimon slumped together on the ground and started sobbing. Oh, how much he wished for this to be over…somehow. It drove him mad to see his partner like that. It was as if all of sudden someone had sucked all the life-force out of the usually so cheerful boy…and there was nothing he, Veemon, could do!

"I miss you Davis," he choked out between sobs. "I miss you."

Sometimes I wonder how I'm ever going to survive this. What if Jun doesn't make it? What if she dies and one day, I'm standing at her grave? What then? Just go back to my normal life?

How?

I mean, even now I find it hard to walk past her empty room. So if she was dead…no. No. I cannot think of that. Death is not a possibility. She will survive. I'll help her. I believe in her. I'm giving her all my strength.

Please.

Daisuke's Notes

Hikari walked to school with a frown on her face. Since yesterday, she hadn't stopped thinking about their begoggled leader. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Daisuke had been acting kind of strange during the last weeks. More distant and not as cheerful as he used to be.

Maybe he had problems. But why didn't he tell them about them? They usually told each other everything.

The girl decided that she would have to investigate this matter further.

"Morning Hikari!" A cheerful Takeru appeared beside her. "How's it going? It's a shame that we've to stay inside all day when the weather is so beautiful."

"That's true." Wistfully, she looked at the blue sky. Oh, how much she'd rather go and sit in the park right now. Alas, the exams were drawing closer and needed her full attention.

"Takeru…" Hikari began, her voice hesitant. "Do…have you noticed anything strange about Daisuke lately?"

"You mean more strange than usual?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm being serious!"

"Oh. Right." He rubbed his chin, obviously thinking. "Hmm, now that you mention it, he has been kind of subdued lately. Why do you ask?"

"I just have a feeling…that something is not right." The girl shrugged. "I can't explain it, really."

Takeru frowned. "I'll keep my eyes open." He promised.

Hikari smiled. She knew that she could trust her friend. He and Daisuke might fight now and then, but actually, they were quite good friends and respected each other. Maybe she was just imagining things. Maybe it was the stress of the exams. Even Daisuke couldn't escape the building pressure among the students.

Yeah, maybe it was just that.

I sit in my room and think: how can anybody smile at a time like this? How can people enjoy themselves while Jun is struggling in the hospital?

And then I realize that a few months ago I was doing the same. I was enjoying my life, unaware of all the millions of people who are dying, who are hurting, all the time, every second of their life.

Daisuke's Notes

"Hey Davis, do you want to come to the park with us?" Takeru shouted. "Just for a quick run before the studying starts again. I'm dying to move my legs!"

Daisuke scratched his head. "I don't know – there's a lot of homework to be done, and then Ken promised to come over and help me studying."

Takeru stopped and stared at the brown-haired boy. "Are you kidding?" he exclaimed. "Who are you and what have you done with Davis?"

Daisuke felt his face going red. He knew that it was untypical for him – and oh, how much would he have liked to go to the park, just for half an hour! But…but he had promised, and Ken was really going to come over and he had to make sure that he was there so that he wouldn't get suspicious…who knew what his parents might tell him…

He made an attempt to grin. "Yeah, a weird alien has overtaken my brain and meddled with my senses…nah, actually, I promised to be home on time, Mom's cooking a nice dinner for us."

This was at least halfway true. He had promised to be home on time, but not because his mom was cooking dinner, but because they were all having a serious family discussion about Jun's health. About twice a week, Daisuke's father would gather the family (with exception of Jun, of course, who wasn't allowed to leave the hospital) around him and update them on the latest facts. Daisuke was never looking forward to it – the news hadn't been good the last weeks, and he didn't think they'd improve today.

Well, and dinner? He hadn't had a nice homemade dinner for a long, long time.

Takeru looked at him strangely. "Well…I guess I can't keep up with that." He said and frowned. Something was amiss there, but he couldn't place his finger on it. Remembering the conversation in the morning, he sent his friend a worried glance. "Are you alright, Davis?"

"What?" The small boy looked up in surprise, a look of panic in his face. Had he given himself away?

"Sure I'm fine – why are you asking?"

"Just because." Takeru shrugged. "You seem a bit out of it lately. Not as cheerful as normal. I don't know."

"Ahh, it's just because of the exams. I hate it when they're piling me with work like that."

"You sure?"

"Positively." Daisuke flashed him a grin. "After all, what could bring a Motomiya down?"

The blonde boy grinned as well. "I don't know!"

"That's exactly my point." Daisuke waved his arms. "You're probably just seeing weird things because your brain is going overdrive from all that studying. Study less, smile more, that's always my saying."

They both chuckled and continued their way out of the school. It was the end of yet another horrible school day – long and full of teachers who once again repeated how important the exams were…and that especially the subject they taught was the most important, even if it was something as unimportant (in Daisuke's eyes) as history.

little dragon

feel the air under your wings, come

don't be afraid of the last step

little dragon

life is one big adventure

but what comes next, we don't know

"Why are your hands trembling?" Ken asked concerned.

"What?" Daisuke looked up from the text he had been reading and then down at his hands. True, they were trembling. Fascinated, he watched for a bit. They looked like an old man's hands!

"Whoa, that's weird." He confessed. "I don't know why this is happening."

Ken frowned worriedly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course I am." Daisuke seemed insulted by this question. "I'm probably just a bit tired, that's all."

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Uh…" Daisuke thought of the many hours he had stayed awake over his books, and the fact that he had fallen asleep on his desk. "Not really."

"You should go to bed early tonight."

Daisuke nodded. "I suppose so." But he knew that it would be another late night today – too much homework, studying, visiting the hospital and then the fact that he couldn't sleep anyway.

Ken studied him intently. He knew that something was wrong with his usually so cheerful friend, but he wasn't sure what.

Daisuke apparently didn't want to tell him, and Ken didn't like to force people. It was so difficult; on one hand, he knew that it would be better if Daisuke talked about his problems. On the other hand, his friend seemed determined to deal with it himself. What was he, Ken, supposed to do? He didn't know.

So he kept silent and watched.

Already he could piece a few things together, for Ken wasn't stupid. In all the years he had known Daisuke, he had learned how to read between the lines. There was something wrong in the Motomiya household, for the spirit of the family seemed to be subdued.

"I'm hungry!" Veemon's whiny voice interrupted the two boys in their studying.

Daisuke sighed. "You just ate two bars of chocolate and a whole bag of chips! Even I'd be stuffed after that!"

The blue digimon just stared at him with big, pleading eyes.

"Alright!" Daisuke threw his hands in the air. "I'm getting you something. Ken, can I offer you anything? A drink? Chocolate – no wait, this little monster here ate it all…well, anything else?"

The blue-haired boy smiled. "A juice would be nice, thank you."

"What about you, Wormmon?"

The little caterpillar blinked. "Whatever Veemon is getting is fine."

"Alright. Be back in a sec!"

Daisuke bounced out of the room. Ken sat in silence for a few moments, and then turned towards Veemon.

"He's hiding something, isn't he?"

Veemon's face became serious all of sudden. "I can't tell you." He said softly.

"I know that, and I accept it. But…I'm worried. Something is not right, and I have the feeling that Davis is hurting, but I don't know why. I want to help him…but he doesn't seem to trust me." Pain shone in the eyes of the genius. "I thought we were friends…did I do something wrong? Why won't he trust me?"

The digimon shook his head. "It's not because of you! He doesn't want to tell you, because…because of his own reasons….I can't tell you…but you're doing nothing wrong, he just wants to…protect you…"

Ken frowned. "Protect me? Us? Why?"

"You've all got exams…you need to concentrate. And you know Daisuke, he's always there for everybody, but when it comes to his problems, he doesn't want to be a bother…" Veemon clasped his hands over his mouth. "I'm not supposed to tell you, I'm sorry! I promised! I always try to convince him otherwise, but he can be so…stubborn."

Ken nodded. He knew the stubbornness of the begoggled Digidestined Leader. Still, what he had heard worried him even more. Something far more serious than exams was going on, and he was determined to find out what it was.

"Say Veemon…," he began slowly. "If he's protecting us…then who's going to protect him?"

"I don't know, Ken. I don't know."

I feel sorry for Veemon. He knows I'm hurting, but he cannot help me. He's a great friend, really. The only one I can confide in. The only one who knows what's going on in my head all the time. Well, Ken is pretty close, too, but he doesn't know about the whole Jun thing.

Sometimes I wonder if I should talk to him; after all, he lost Osamu and knows about these things. But then I think that he's got enough on his plate as it is – he doesn't need my problems on top of it all. He's finally getting rid of his old guilt and depression, and I certainly don't want to drag him down again.

Naw. That's my thing to deal with. Me and Veemon, we can do it. I'll be there for Jun when she needs me, and she'll pull through – somehow. Because she's a Motomiya and Motomiya's are strong.

Daisuke's Notes

Jun Motomiya was watching TV, but to be quite frank, she could have been looking at a pot plant and it would have been equally interesting. TV had lost its novelty for her a long time ago. Things like that happened when one was in the hospital had had nothing better to do than watching TV or reading books all day long. There were only so many soap operas and talk shows a decent human being could bear.

And besides, most people shown on TV were happy, beautiful and dealt with such unimportant problems as relationships and clothes.

Just a few months ago she had belonged to all these people, but now she was confined in her hospital room, longing to go outside.

There were stories she never told her parents or her brother. Stories about the hospital, stories that made her incredibly sad. Jun was a cheerful girl by nature, but the hospital destroyed even her spirit.

Since her room was in the ward for the long-time sicknesses, she was witness of quite a few dramatic moments, and unlike in soap operas, these didn't end nice. Sometimes, when she was allowed out of her room, she wandered around and saw all these children. Children with horrible burns, children who were being treated for various diseases, children in a coma…

Like the one girl, Ruby, who was in a car accident and was lying in a coma ever since. She was barely twelve years old and looked so much younger in the huge hospital bed.

Or Miruko, a tiny boy with a brain tumour that slowly robbed him of his ability to speak. When he first arrived, he had been energetic, always babbling away, and now he was struggling to form a coherent sentence.

And then there was Chinwut, a chinese teenager who must be around her age. She didn't know what had happened to him, but he was battling with the remnants of a terrible accident that had scarred his whole face and took away his eyesight.

These kids – or young adults – were like her. They had once led happy, innocent lives, which were now being taken away from them by some unknown forces.

Hugging her pillow close to her, she let her eyes trail over the small room she occupied. Even though the walls were decorated, it looked bare and lonely.

"I have to do something." The girl murmured to herself, for she knew all too well that she would become even more depressed if she stayed put.

Sometimes she wished for a digimon partner. It would be so nice to have a little friend by her side all the time! She would be able to tell him or her all her fears and they would cry together.

But Jun Motomiya didn't have a digimon partner and therefore she had to bear the burden alone.

"Right. That's enough. I'm getting out of here!" the girl declared to nobody in particular and stood up.

She was allowed to leave her room from time to time, as long as she didn't overdo it. The nurses had become quite wary of her, since Jun's understanding of what exactly 'overdoing it' was differed greatly from their own. Even while in hospital, Jun liked running around, looking into various rooms and chatting with all the people she met. Often she would disturb the quietness of the hospital.

Jun peeked out of the door and was satisfied that no nurse could be seen. Dressed in a loose t-shirt and trainers, she padded along the corridor in search of company.

The first door she passed was the door to Ruby's room and it was slightly ajar. Inside, she could see the girl lying on her bed, tubes attached to her mouth and nose, the only noise the faint beeping of the heart monitor. Seeing her like that always broke Jun's heart. The little girl hadn't shown any sign of awakening since Jun had seen her first; she was just lying there, motionless, pale, like dead.

"Hello Ruby." Jun whispered. "I hope you are well. There's a world outside waiting for you, you know."

But as always, she didn't receive a reply. Ruby was lost in her own world and would probably never come back.

"At least I'm still awake," Jun encouraged herself. "And I can talk and watch TV and read books."

She had long ago realized that it helped to think in that way. It made her appreciate the few things she had left.

Wandering onwards, she came to Miruko's room, but his parents were there and she didn't want to disturb.

On her way, she passed a few nurses, smiled at one of her doctors and then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a bed being wheeled out of one of the rooms. Now beds like that were frequent sights in the hospital, but this one had a person lying on it and said person was covered with a white cloth.

Jun knew what that meant and it made her heart freeze. This person had died, and judging by the shape of the body, it hadn't been an adult, but a young child.

Being so close to death made her realize her own condition once again, and she couldn't help but shudder. Tears threatened to fall, but she wouldn't let them. Death was always lurking behind the next corner and she was very aware of that.

Still, between being aware and actually seeing it was quite a difference.

Shaken by this experience, she decided that she had ventured out long enough and steered back to the safety of her room, the only place where she would allow herself to cry in solitude.

Little Dragon, be my guide

Help me being strong

And teach me how to laugh again

For I fear that the shadows are overwhelming

And I cannot fight for much longer

Little Dragon, don't be sad

I feel it's time for me to leave

I'm getting weaker, getting pale

But I will always think of you

And be with you in your dreams

To be continued…

Koi Seracus – How I said, I don't know why I'm always writing unhappy stuff. I wanted to write a nice little story about Australia and the Digidestined, since I'm living in Australia right now, but it just wouldn't turn out right, so I dropped it. Instead, I wrote this. lol What a luck that I don't wear make-up.

Dragen 545 – Jun's illness will be revealed in the next chapter, but you can probably already guess it – it's not that difficult.

Doodoodedoo – Well, up until now I've always finished my fics, even if it was a big pain sometimes, so you can be happy. It may just take a while, that is all. If you would have read more of my stuff, then you would know that I can't write romance even if my life depends on it and therefore the possibilities that there might be a pairing in this fic is very small. Be relieved :P Besides, it wouldn't fit into the plot anyway.