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.

Exams, stress and real life took hold of me. I apologize for being late, but…well, read the author notes at the end of the story if you want to know why.

Little Dragon

by Kaeera

Chapter Nine: Two sides of a coin

Daisuke left the hospital with mixed feelings. After endless hours of conversations, his friends had finally managed to convince him to leave the building. Even Jun had backed them up, stating that he should enjoy the sunshine and have fun, even when she couldn't. 'At least one of us should live', she had stated wryly and sent him away, 'besides, you can tell me about it later.'

Then his parents had come, cutting off his excuse that he couldn't leave her alone. They had seemed quite relieved to see him go, Daisuke remembered guiltily – maybe they wanted a little bit time with Jun, as well – without their son.

The boy remembered his mother's words – her eyes shining with hidden tears. "You go and laugh a bit, Daisuke," the small woman had whispered and ruffled his hair. "Because we're going to need all the laughter we can get, and you are the best at cheering people up."

The words stuck inside his head. He didn't feel very cheerful – in fact, it was him who needed the cheering up. But he hadn't been able to protest, not while his mother was gazing at him so fondly, so he had simply nodded and sauntered off.

It had to be a conspiracy of some sort, he was sure!

But then again…he was glad to be outside, do something else for a change and, most importantly, have some time for himself - even though he felt guilty about it. The others had invited him over to Miyako's house, to have some 'fun' time, as they had called it.

Fun time. Before Jun had become sick, fun times had been frequent…

"I bet they'll have tons of food!" Veemon bounced up and down. The little dragon had been blabbering all the way about the meeting, overly excited at the prospect of having an afternoon off. Daisuke realized how much they had withdrawn over the last weeks, how much he – and thus Veemon – had suffered.

Hell, he couldn't remember the last time he had went out just for the fun of it. It all seemed a blur.

"I've become a horrible geek, haven't I?" Daisuke shook his head, disappointed in himself. "Imagine – I spent the last weeks studying! Staying inside all the time, drinking coffee and learning all these stupid facts nobody needs to know…"

Veemon nodded impishly. "Indeed, that you have."

Daisuke shot him a disbelieving look. "And someone seems to have caught it."

"Well, as we digimon are quite similar to our partners, it seems quite logical to assume…"

Daisuke snorted. "I'd rather have you talk normally again. There are enough academic people in this world as it is."

"Okay. Whatever you want."

They walked in comfortable silence and enjoyed the sunshine. Veemon stared straight ahead, his mischievous face suddenly apprehensive. "It's not going to go away, is it?"

Daisuke shook his head. "No." There was no need no mention what 'it' was. It was firmly planted in their minds. 'It' had become a very much used word between them, describing things there were afraid to speak.

"Are you okay?" Serious eyes gazed at him, as Veemon said the same three words he had heard so often over the last couple of days.

He didn't reply with his usual 'I'm fine'. Instead, Daisuke took his time to answer the question, pondering what he was feeling. As the best friend he'd ever had, Veemon deserved an honest answer. Besides, the digimon always knew when he was lying.

"No. No, I'm not," he finally admitted, feeling defeat.

"Don't understand me wrong," he then added hastily. "It's great that I'm not alone anymore, and I feel better after talking with Jun. The last couple of days have been…easier. The others, they were great, always trying to help me and spending time with Jun, telling her stories and showing her photos. She appreciates it a lot, I know that. And it really helps. But…"

Veemon took his hand, offering his comfort. "But?" he prodded, gently, because he knew how difficult it was for Daisuke to find the right words.

"But…I won't be okay as long as she's sick, Veemon. She's my sister. Even though the others try, they will never understand what I'm feeling. Everyday I see her might be the last, and that's…that's painful. So I'm not okay. I'm better, but far from okay."

"But that's alright, isn't it?" The little digimon whispered softly. "Nobody expects you to be perfectly fine. They know that you're hurting, and we wouldn't have it any other way, because that would mean you didn't care about Jun."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess." Daisuke dropped his head and sighed. Veemon was right; he had to accept the pain and live with it.

"So the right question would rather be: are you coping?"

At that, Daisuke involuntarily had to grin. It was so funny to hear his digipartner talking like that. "All those books have gotten to you, haven't they?"

Veemon smirked. "Well, at least one of us had to make use of all the random knowledge."

"Better you than me."

"So I thought. Now…"

"Yeah. Coping. Sorry." Daisuke coughed. Sometimes it was so easy to fall into the old, easy bickering-fooling-around-routine, easier than dealing with the current issues. He thought for a while, remembering all the things that had happened. "I guess I am." His face became wistful. "Yes. Yes. I'm coping. Somehow."

"That's good." Veemon nodded wistfully. "The rest will come in its own time."

"Mum, I'm fine!" Jun protested for the umpteenth time during the last twenty minutes. "I told you, it's just a little cold. I don't even have fever, just, ya know, sniffling and a sore throat."

Mrs Motomiya wasn't entirely convinced. "You know you have to be careful, dear."

"Yes, Mum." Her mother was obviously in full fledged mother-hen mode, and Jun knew as well as every other daughter that there was no point in arguing. "I'm going to be careful."

The older woman smiled, but couldn't banish the worry from her eyes. Jun hated to make her mother worry, but what could she do? After all, it wasn't her fault – so why did she still feel guilty?

Sometimes

There's so much pain in my heart

That I might burst

So much sadness

So much despair

And nothing to be done.

The days passed uneventfully, became a kind of routine. They would visit Jun at the hospital, take her out if the doctors allowed it and ignore the little hints of her weakening condition. The other Chosen had made it their task to distract Daisuke, and so they took him to the cinema, to the park, anywhere. They made him laugh, told him stories, and for a couple of moments, he was able to forget his misery, to be himself again.

As much as he appreciated this distraction, his heart wasn't always in it. He took part, he made his best effort to laugh and smile, but one could see how much it cost him.

Slowly, some kind of normalcy evolved. The days passed. Jun smiled more often, especially when all of the Chosen visited her and brought their digimon. They told her about their adventures in the Digital World, and the older Motomiya, who had never known in depth about her brother's actions, was astonished at what he and his friends had achieved.

"Why did you never tell me about it?" she had inquired.

Daisuke had just shrugged with a very untypical modesty. "You never asked."

Jun, being used to a brother who boasted about the tiniest details, couldn't help wondering how grown-up he appeared and whether this had been an achievement of his adventures or not. How come she had never noticed?

As the hours fly by, I notice the little things

She asked and inquired, until she found out about everything – the first Chosen, their fight against evil digimon, their quest to protect the Digital World. What fascinated her most was the bond between Chosen and digimon, and the more she listened, the more she wished for such a partner herself.

Like how blue the sky can be

Jun told Hikari in secret about her wish – Hikari, because she was a gentle soul who could keep a secret and would tell honest advice. Hikari's eyes had twinkled and she had promised that they would take her to the Digital World to find a partner as soon as she got better.

And how beautiful rain sounds when it splashes against the window

Then came the day when Jun tried on a wig. She had absolutely refused to go outside with a bald head, joking that she couldn't do that to the rest of Japan. The wig was black, itchy and ugly. When she tried it on, she looked like a monkey and they broke down laughing.

"People are going to hunt me for ugliness!" Jun panted between giggles. It was nice to be able to laugh, the more so because she was able to laugh about herself and her illness.

For the first time, I see the fragility of people.

Sometimes, they would watch TV and make rude comments about stupid people on Talk Shows. Funnily enough, Takeru proved to be an expert in those kinds of games – understandably: he had learnt from the best. Yamato was still the master of sarcastic remarks, after all.

See how they're hiding behind masks.

Every evening, the Motomiyas would gather in Jun's room and have dinner. It was still a subdued affair, but Daisuke and Jun tried their best to lighten the mood, and slowly, it worked. Their enthusiasm was infecting, and when they finally started drilling their parents about their teenage years, laughter was heard all around.

Who would have expected Daisuke's mother to be a rascal at school, breaking glass and torturing kids? Certainly not their children, who listened with rapt fascinating when she told the stories of her 'bad years', as she called it.

And I realize that I really know nothing about the world around me.

She got used to the tests. Got used to the looks, the whispers, the concern, and most times she ignored it. Sometimes, it hurt. Sometimes, she cried at night. But she was living, and that was all that counted.

Little Dragon,

Can you see the shining stars?

When you look at them and wish, wish with all the power of your heart…them maybe, your wish might come true.

Little Dragon,

Can you hear the cicadas? When they're here, then it's summer. It wouldn't be summer without them, after all.

Little Dragon,

Can you live without me?

And as the days pass, we get used to the miserable existence that we call life…

"Daisuke! They're out! The exam results!" Takeru screamed out of his cellphone.

Daisuke, who was just on his way to the school, rolled his eyes. "Well, they should be, after all, today is the official day…"

"Oh, don't play the cool one. I know that you're as nervous as I am!"

"Me? Nervous?" The boy laughed. "Remember, you're talking with Daisuke the Great! Nervousness is my mortal enemy."

He was lying, however. His insides were churning with anticipation as he thought of the upcoming results. Would all the studying pay off? Or would he fail yet again?

It was a strange feeling. Never before he had been nervous because of some results, but those…those were really important and he had worked so hard for them! Besides, he had promised Jun, and she'd certainly be disappointed in him should he fail

"Liar!" came Takeru's good-natured reply over the loudspeaker. "I can hear it in your voice: you're scared. Admit it!"

"In your dreams."

"Dreaming of you? That'd be a nightmare…No, thanks, I can think of better dreams."

Daisuke refused the urge to grimace, knowing that his friend wouldn't be able to see it anyway. With their friendship slowly sliding back on track, Takeru had fallen back into the old habit of bickering and fighting. While he appreciated it on some level – it made everything much easier - Daisuke wasn't entirely sure how he really felt about it. After all, their kinds of fights took a lot of trust and self-confidence. He was certainly lacking the latter.

Plus, the feeling that he was on his own hadn't totally disappeared, and he knew that it would take a long time to completely vanish.

For now he decided to let the comment slide. "Haha. I see you at school, then."

Takeru laughed. "Sure. Don't bite your nails."

The connection shut down. Daisuke glared at the offending phone. "Idiot."

He slid the device back into his pocket and marched down the streets. Veemon sent him a quick grin from his position on the ground. Normally, digimon weren't allowed at school, but today was an exception; after all, there would be no lessons. Only marks.

"It's going to be okay." Veemon said in a soothing voice when he saw the anxious face of his partner.

Daisuke flashed him a smile. "I know. I'm just…nervous."

"I'm sure you did well." The digimon stated confidently.

He wasn't so sure about that. Over the years, he had gotten used to find his name on the bottom of the lists. He didn't mind; school just wasn't his thing and he knew that he had other strengths. Fighting in the Digital World and saving the world did that to you.

Occasionally, he had felt bothered by it, though – especially, when all if his friends got better marks. Nobody liked to feel stupid. Not even Daisuke.

However, even though he hadn't liked it, he had had an excuse – laziness being the most important of all, he simply hadn't studied, had goofed off – all good reasons for writing horrible exams.

This time, however, there was no such excuse. He had studied, nights and nights, had calculated and written until his fingers were bleeding, had forced himself beyond the point of exhaustion, all in order to cram as much knowledge into his head as possible.

So if he was – once again – at the bottom of the list, then that meant that it was all because he was, well, stupid. It would be a proof that he was indeed dim-witted, at least when it came to academics.

Somehow, that frightened him.

And that was the reason why he dreaded the results.

The school loomed over him threateningly. Daisuke growled at the building as if it was at fault for his life's misery.

Several other students were already on their way inside, chatting excitedly. The air hummed with excitement, hung heavy with anticipation. Exam results were very important and could decide about one's future career; so of course the students took them very seriously.

"Davis! Davis, over here!" Hikari jumped up and down, waving at him. Her brown eyes sparkled. "We were waiting for you!"

Takeru stood beside her, laughing. "Why are you so late?"

"I had a phone call this morning."

Their moods immediately deflated. Phone calls were dangerous business. "Really?"

"Something serious?" Takeru's eyes shone with worry.

"I don't know. Jun's got a cold, my Mum said." Daisuke shrugged. "So she has to take some tests and stuff, but they said it wasn't serious. She just called me to make sure I knew she wouldn't be home for dinner. "

Hikari sighed in relief. "And Jun is really okay?"

"Yes. A bit tired and cranky – she hates colds – but that's to be expected." Daisuke smiled. "So, shall we go inside and face the results of doom?"

"Well, there's no turning back now, is there?"

They followed the stream of students. The chattering grew louder, as they came closer to the notice board. Daisuke felt the uneasiness in his stomach increase when he saw a crying girl in the corner. Her friend was trying to calm her down, but obviously she didn't have much luck.

The boy wondered whether he would be crying in a minute or not. Well, okay. He certainly wouldn't cry, because hen ever cried (or at least tried to), but he'd probably stomp on the floor in anger or hit Takeru, simply because he was there and an easy target.

Strangely enough, that thought comforted him.

"I'm so afraid that I flunked math!" Hikari babbled nervously. "I didn't write anything on question four, and I almost certainly used the wrong equation in exercise seven…"

Takeru rolled his eyes. "You'll be fine. Look, there are our results."

The blonde squeezed through the people, until he stood in front. Searchingly, he let his eyes wander of the rows until he found his own name near the top. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips; yep, his results were quite good.

Then he turned to Daisuke, expecting the boy to imitate his actions, but instead, the Chosen of Courage stood there with his eyes closed.

"Davis?" he inquired carefully. "You okay?"

Brown eyes blinked carefully at him. The boy smiled sheepishly, aware of his own actions. "Would you guess it, I'm actually afraid to look." he admitted. "Silly, huh?"

"No, it's not." Takeru hid a smile. He didn't say it, but Daisuke had come a long way in admitting that he was afraid. In the earlier days, he would have denied everything and made a huge ruckus about not caring about any marks. They all had come a long way, he realized; the Digital World had helped them grow up, both in body and in spirit.

"Alright. Now or never." Daisuke took a deep breath and looked at the board.

Silence.

Then a soft "Oh".

Hikari looked at him in concern. Her own marks had been satisfactory, but she was worried that Daisuke's weren't. He really didn't deserve another blow right now…

But the look on Daisuke's face wasn't one of shock and horror, she realized with relief; no, it was one of honest surprise. A bright smile lit his face. "I…" he began, obviously at a loss of words.

His two friends looked at his marks as well – and their mouths fell open. "I can't believe it!" and "Davis, you prat!" they exclaimed simultaneously. For there, under the best ten of the whole grade, was Daisuke's name, listened in black letters for everybody to see.

Success is another method to make your heart fly higher...

Veemon jumped up and down in glee. "Davis is the best! Davis is the best!" he sang loudly and off-key, dancing all along the way.

Daisuke grinned broadly. It was the first time he had achieved outstanding academic result, and it felt…great. No, cut that. More than great. It was exhilarating, breath-taking, awesome, wonderful…

And best of all, he now had a proof that he wasn't stupid. If he wanted to, he could do it, and that alone was relief enough. He still didn't like studying, but at least now he knew that his bad marks were a result of his laziness.

"Seems as if we have another genius among us." Takeru chuckled, slapping Daisuke on the shoulder.

"Yeah, you did really well!" Hikari beamed at him. From the look on her face, she was almost happier than Daisuke himself.

Daisuke shook his head. "Well, I worked hard enough for it – Veemon can tell."

"Yep." The digimon nodded. "All those nights studying, I really was beginning to think that aliens sucked out your brain and replaced you with someone else!"

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad." Daisuke protested. Then he remembered all the books, the cans of coffee, the sleepless nights, and relented. "Well, maybe a little."

"I knew you were smart." Takeru told him in satisfaction. "You just needed to do a little. Jun will be so proud of you!"

"Yes, I can't wait to see her reaction. She'll be flabbergasted!"

The trio had spent about an hour in the school, collecting their papers, talking with class-mates and generally enjoying the end of the exams and their good results. Now they were on their way back, debating on how they should celebrate this special day.

"We should go out and have fun." The blonde insisted. "Invite the rest and have a party, it would be wicked! What do you think, Davis?"

"I think it sounds great!" Daisuke grinned and exchanged a glance with Veemon. "Junk-food and free time? I'm certainly in for it!"

"Me too, me too!" the little digimon cheered.

They all laughed and for a moment, all worries were forgotten. It was the first time in ages Daisuke had felt so free, so…well, like himself. It seemed almost unreal.

He should have known better.

When his cell phone rang, he knew that something was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it; it was merely a feeling of uneasiness, but it was enough to wipe the smile from his face when he brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Daisuke asked cautiously, a frown on his face.

"Davis?" A shaky voice inquired. His mother, he realised dimly, and the frown deepened.

"Hi Mum, what's up?" Daisuke asked in a forced, cheerful voice. "You won't believe what I got in the exams – I'm among…"

"Davis," she interrupted him, and now he could hear the tears in her voice. His heart turned to stone, as a feeling of dread spread over him. "Daisuke…something happened…I think it's better…better, if you come here…to the hospital…"

"Happened?" His voice had become dry and he was barely able to speak. "With Jun? Is she alright?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Takeru und Hikari exchanging worried glances.

"She…she had an attack." Suddenly, his mother started sobbing. "Please, Davis, you have to come immediately, it's really bad…I can't tell you, but…she might…" her voice broke, but the boy didn't need to hear anymore. He started running, unaware of the surprised shouts of his friends. The cell phone fell to the ground with a loud clatter, forgotten amidst the chaos.

Daisuke's heart pounded loudly in his ears. It couldn't be! Jun had been fine this morning, she had been fine the last days, and he had actually started to hope again…surely his mother was wrong? Maybe nothing had happened, maybe it was only his imagination playing tricks again…

But he had heard the despair in his mother's voice, had felt the worry creep down his back, and he knew that this wasn't a hoax, that this was true.

My sister is dying.

The thought shot through his head and damn, it hurt. He couldn't lose Jun, not now, not when he had passed his exams…he had wanted to tell her his glorious result, so that she would be proud at him, so that she would smile and say "Well done, Davis", as she sometimes did when she was in a good mood. He wanted her to be there and shout at him for being lazy, for borrowing her playstation without asking, for being a pain in the ass, for being his sister and…

No.

No.

No!

He wouldn't make any assumptions. He would talk to his parents first. Assumptions had brought him into a big mess and he had learned his lesson.

Daisuke suppressed the horrible visions of his sister's death and focused on running instead. They would tell him soon enough; now he needed to be there. For himself.

For his parents

And for Jun.

To be continued…

A/N: Now, I'm well aware of the fact that you're probably going to complain, and that's your right. This story is getting crappier and crappier and there's really no excuse for that. I simply lost all inspiration and drive for this piece, and as hard as I tried to recapture it, the spark is simply not there anymore. Right now, I'm trying to get it done (because I vowed to myself never to leave a story unfinished), so that I can finally have it out of my mind and forget about it.

This is the reason for the rush and heaps of plot holes as well as unrealistic characters. I'm sorry, it's just…I tried and tried and tried and there's only so much I can do. Little Dragon started out very promising, but I, as the author, failed and now it's going downhill. Rapidly. So, there will be one, maybe two more chapters and then it's going to be the end of it.

I'm really sorry. You've been incredible reviewers and I feel very bad at disappointing you horribly, but I can't see any other way. I'd rather finish this thing and be done with it then have it stuck in the back of my mind forever.

The next chapter should be out in the next few weeks – I finally completed my exams so I should have time.

Kaeera