(Funny how you can find more time to write while quarantined at home 24-7, even still working full time!)
Those who have been following this story from the beginning may or may not have noticed I've been doing a bit of fiddling with it. Trying to tighten up a few previous chapter scenes and even redoing the summary. 99% of these changes are minimal, with little impact on the plot as a whole, and involve continuity fixes and rewording some of the more awkward paragraphs. Small touch-ups that still don't require having to go back and reread anything to make upcoming chapters make sense (unless you want to, of course!)
In addition, for very little reason beyond my own personal amusement, I did include another anime crossover in the middle of the chapter. I would say 'obscure', but the truth is, I genuinely have no idea how well known the series might be because it only came out a few years ago. See if you can spot the reference.
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DIGIMON TRI: BALANCE
o
Takeru was on a mission.
...okay, technically, he was on two missions, the first having been assigned to him before he'd set foot in homeroom. What their Class President lacked in patience, she more than compensated with enthusiasm. Fliers advertising the scavenger hunt had been shoved into his hands while the Secretary rattled off a list of places around the schoolyard to solicit potential participants. Reminders of deadlines and rules were drowned out by one of the other students yawning the previous night's sleep away. One of several still standing off to the sides with shell-shocked looks on each of their faces.
Takeru had simply accepted the fliers with a compliant grin before turning to head back out.
Across the courtyard, he heard the school bells chime. 10a.m.
Good; he knew exactly where she would be at that time. Hers was one of the few clubs scheduled for indoor set-up. Most of the rest were already stationed for immediate post-opening ceremony services, or not on duty until later in the day.
The crowds were still relatively thin. He recognized nearly every face he passed by. Some had a smile and wave in greeting. Others looked preoccupied. Like two of his classmates he caught sight of at the end of the path. He shook his head, inwardly wondering what Class President would have said if she caught sight of the two giggling and exchanging numbers with the blonde boy they were chatting with instead of passing out…
Wait.
Blonde.
And...that was definitely an American accent.
Wallace?
Surprise stopped Takeru cold. Curiosity kept him there.
People-watching had become a favorite hobby of his the last few years. There was something about getting to observe from an objective distance—even if, he was willing to admit, some of his curiosity about the American Chosen was anything but objective. Still, whatever the (ironic) feelings slowly emerging from within, he was resolved to give Wallace his best shot.
He was certainly friendly enough, with a pleasant aura even as he chatted with two girls he had just met. They were receptive, giggling at some comment he made. He was smiling brightly, taking the time to offer equal attention to both. There was a cell in his hands. A red AU by kddi flip model, Takeru recognized. He must have gotten it over the weekend. The girls still had their cells out as well.
Grinning to himself, Takeru shook his head. Wallace certainly had a habit of moving fast, but he also had the skills to—
"Takeru!"
He looked back up in time to see the boy in question approach. The two girls still lingered nearby, though they had since turned away and appeared far more interested in their cells.
"Good morning, Wallace-san." Takeru realized he'd started to smile back. A mix of forced habit, along with...well...Wallace looked so at ease with himself, it was hard not to emulate. Though that didn't stop from adding a slight tease to his tone: "Still looking for a date for the wedding, I see."
But Wallace was quick to shake his head. "No, actually. I ran into Hikari while dropping the twins off at Koushiro's Saturday. We talked for a little bit, and she agreed to come after all."
"She did?"
Takeru had...not expected that.
"Yeah." There was little change in Wallace, either oblivious to the tone of Takeru's reaction or seeing no reason to comment on it. "Lucky for me, the hotel gardens are so picturesque. I mentioned she could be our unofficial other photographer for the afternoon as a joke, and her eyes lit up more than if she'd already caught the bouquet."
Takeru couldn't help himself. He laughed. The bouquet reference was lost to him—he briefly wondered if it would be worth the risk to ask his mother later—but there had never been so predicable a response than Hikari agreeing to another opportunity to take pictures. Maybe if the wedding cake was made of ice cream too. It was strangely comforting in the familiarity of it all.
"So, where were you heading. If it's alright for me to ask?" Wallace wanted to know.
Takeru hesitated. He had a decision to make.
"To see Hikari-chan, actually." An olive branch. Whether or not Wallace would ever know he was being extended one in the first place. "It's funny you should mention her photography, because that's exactly what she's doing today." He turned back towards the same path he'd been heading down earlier. A silent invitation for the other boy to join him. "A few of the smaller clubs in the school teamed up for their Festival project. They've turned the choir room into a photography studio, or so I've heard."
"A Photography studio?" Wallace's eyes were wide. "That's really creative. I would have never thought a School Festival project could be something like that."
"Just wait until you see it."
They fell into step with one another with ease. Being of similar heights, neither boy had to speed up or slow down to keep up. It was an oddly refreshing change for Takeru, who usually needed to do one or the other. Yamato and Taichi and even Sora had gotten tall, and had a habit of walking fast. But Hikari was still on the shorter side with a much narrower gap to her stride. Not that he ever minded having to wait for her.
A few additional familiar faces passed. Takeru had a smile for each one of them as he always did.
"You two seem close," Wallace commented at one point, though his gaze lingered elsewhere. He was still taking in the rows of booths and various degrees of dress. Most of the middle schoolers were in matching uniforms, though there was a growing variety as other schools began to show. Some were donned in costumes. Or yukatas. There were even a couple of grannies decked out in full kimono, complete with traditional hair and makeup...although the illusion may have been dispelled by the fact that they were walking around with more charms hanging from their open cells than there was phone. "How long have you known her?"
An innocent enough question. More than likely just making conversation.
"We used to live in the same apartment complex when we were little." Flashes of Hikarigaoka played in his mind and, for once, they didn't involve two battling digimon. "I didn't fully meet her until I was seven, though."
"When you have to go up against that Piemon guy?"
"No, a little before that." Takeru shook his head. Instinctively, he glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Their voices barely carried over the buzz of the crowd. Just in case, he softened his voice before continuing. "Hikari-chan wasn't with us the day we went to the digital world. We had to make it back home to find her first."
"I see. So she and Tailmon were accidentally left behind."
"Something like that."
If someone had asked him that morning how he'd predicted his day would go, walking with Wallace while talking about his and Hikari's shared past would never have made the list. And while he had little objections to his learning more about that, Tailmon's story was not his to tell.
Instead, he turned the focus back to himself and Hikari.
"When I finally saw her in person, Tailmon had just evolved to Angewomon for the first time." The corners of his lips twitched upward at the memory. "I remember looking to Patamon, and we didn't need to say anything. He evolved to Angemon and flew out to fight with her. It's like the two of them became an instant team."
The doors to the main building were wide open because of the festival. Takeru side stepped once to allow a group of seniors by—noting Wallace do the same thing on the other side—before entering into the main hall. His feet moved of their own accord, guiding them both to the right stairwell, and up to the third floor.
"Even from the start..." Wallace was murmuring to himself. He looked contemplative for a moment before shaking his head. He started over. "That must've been strange for you. Meeting a girl for the first time and finding out her digimon was the female counterpart to yours."
Takeru opened his mouth to comment. Words failed him. He closed it, instead offering a light shrug, not knowing what to say. He'd never given much thought to the notion before. Mostly because he'd never had a reason to. Their wasn't a story that could be shared with non-Chosen friends. Almost everyone who was in on the 'secret' had been there in some way.
Really, only Daisuke had ever come close to questioning the connection. For (maybe) different reasons.
What would he have said if he'd heard them talking?
"I guess...it just made sense." Takeru seldom spoke his thoughts aloud as they formed. Usually, his words were more carefully thought out. And less...vulnerable. "Everything about Hikari-chan...even the parts that shouldn't make sense...she's always made sense to me. From the beginning."
Wallace's expression was unreadable.
"You trust her."
"It's hard not to."
Only one of the doors in that hallway was open, a dozen or so voices coming from inside. Wallace peeked inside and counted an even blend of male and female students darting about. Some were carrying bundles of fabric. Three were up on ladders.
Whatever a Japanese middle school choir room once looked like had been replaced by a wall-spanning gallery of photo-realistic backdrops, stage lights, hand-held reflectors, and various sized tripods. A large rack of costumes sat near the entrance, and there were tables set up with basic makeup and hair supplies. Above the door, a sign reading PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO was decorated with pictures of everyone involved with the event.
"Oi! Takaishi-san!" One of the boys on the ground lifted his head, waving from beneath an obvious wig. Without asking, he jerked a thumb towards the back of the room and told them, "She's over there."
Wallace was somewhat confused, but a flash of brown hair was all Takeru needed. He made quick work of crossing the room, avoiding the hazards scattered about, and ignored any pairs of eyes that may have been watching.
After all, he was still on a mission.
"Good morning, Takeru-kun." Hikari was kneeling on the ground, fixated on her tripod's several adjustment knobs. Judging from the way she kept biting her lower lip, one of them was definitely stuck again. "Are Oniichan and the others here yet?"
He waited until she had tried for the umpteenth time to loosen the screw, using the exact moment she let out a small huff in frustration as his cue. Biting back a rising smirk, he crouched down beside her and reached for the knob. She leaned back, allowing him the space to put his strength into it. The first attempt yielded very little, but it wasn't long before he was able to get a full twist. Enough to loosen it for her.
She smiled her gratitude. Praise enough for him.
"I don't know. I haven't seem them." He finally allowed the smirk to surface. "But that's not why I'm here."
Her head tilted to one side. "It's not?"
He shook his head.
She waited for an explanation.
He continued smirking.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She knew that smirk. Too well. "What is it?"
From where he still lingered in the doorway, Wallace watched Takeru lean in to whisper something in the brunette girl's ear. A hand even came up to lightly touch her upper arm. The boldness of the gesture—even by Wallace's standards—caught him off guard. But not nearly as much as the fact that he seemed to be the only person in the room reacting.
Not one of their classmates was paying them any attention.
Hikari didn't even blush.
What she did do was flicker her eyes downward, unfocusing them so she could better hear. Until they widened, brightening with such excitement as she let out a gasp.
"Really?"
Takeru nodded.
"Where?"
Takeru said nothing more as he grabbed her hand and pulled them both back up to a full stand. Tripods and fliers were forgotten as he half led, half pulled her out the room through the back door, leaving an even more confused Wallace to watch their retreating forms with far more questions than his brain was ready to handle.
"Great." He heard one of the other girls sigh in annoyance. "He'd better bring her back before we open this time."
o o o
o o o
Footsteps clacked against concrete. All kinds. Some smaller than others. Some wearing soft soles, others clad in wooden geta. Some of them came and went in groups. Others in pairs or even by themselves. Some walking at a leisure pace, while others darting by so quickly, there was even less of a chance they'd notice the cluster of bushes to one side rustling.
Without wind.
Under the thick foliage, fourteen pairs of eyes were trying their hardest to steal a peek. There were grunts and snorts. Wiggling and shoving. The distinct sounds of a cross between buzzing and hushing.
"Shh! We're going to get caught, you guys!"
"Oh, take it easy." Terriermon glanced back over his shoulder with a roll of his eyes. He was flat on the ground, body half buried beneath the leaves in attempt to get closer. "You should see this place. I bet we could walk right out and no one would notice."
"I'm not risking that," Piyomon shook her head.
"How did we used to get around?" Gomamon wondered.
"Yamato carried me in my Baby II form..." Gabumon blushed
"Does anybody see a stroller we could borrow, maybe?" Palmon wondered.
"Maybe we should've stayed in the trees." Minomon murmured.
Upamon's mouth twisted into a deep frown. He had one of the better vantage points, peering out from just over the top of the bush. His coloring blended in a little better with the leaves, making him less likely to be spotted by the crowds walking around.
"Are we sure this is where Koushiro went?" A group of five walked by, all of them dressed identically. "Those uniforms don't look like the ones he was wearing when he left."
Agumon turned to Gabumon. "Didn't Taichi and the others used to wear something like that?"
"Maybe he's visiting someone." Patamon suggested, turning to Tailmon with a hopeful grin. "Takeru and Hikari could be here!"
"And Daisuke!" Chibimon cheered.
Tailmon, too, seemed pleased by the thought, mirroring Patamon's expression (albeit at a bit more subdued level.) Her mind whirred with the possibilities of their situation.
It had been a few years' Real World time since she'd traveled Odaiba's streets, but she remembered a lot of the tricks picked up from her earliest visits. Between all the digimon, her form most closely resembled that of a familiar creature. She had even walked among children who thought little of her "strange" coloring.
"We've kept out of sight in the past." She agreed. "If we're subtle about this, we might be able to—"
"Anybody else smell food?" Agumon lifted his noise into the air, so large it poked out the top of the bush. He inhaled deeply. "It smells like roasted fish! This way, guys!"
With absolutely no subtlety whatsoever, the dinosaur digimon made a dash for open space.
Luck brought him to a walkway momentarily cleared of traffic and he made a dash for the grassy area on the other side of the concrete. The rest of the group had seconds to spare before following.
"...move without getting noticed." Tailmon finished with a heavy sigh. Her expression flattened. "I'm friends with a bunch of idiots."
"But you love us anyway." Patamon was still by her side, sending his dear friend a warm smile.
The feline digimon refused to either confirm or deny this claim.
...though she did have to fight a hint of smile after glancing his way, shaking her head before starting after the rest of the group. Patamon flying close behind.
They were the last ones to make it across, guided by Chibimon's flailing feet under a large stretch of cloth. It was dark underneath. Very little indication of what they'd actually crawled under. Tailmon would have guessed a table, but the shape and size didn't seem right to her. Her eyes adjusted, and she did a quick head count. Thirteen. A nod. That checked out.
"Which way from here?" A voice sounding like Gabumon's asked.
Everyone shifted about as they tried to figure out which shadow was Agumon. Until there was light at the end of the darkness.
"This way, guys!" Terriermon used one ear to lift the edge of the sheet higher. Sunlight flooded their temporary hiding place. "All the humans are facing the wrong way and I think I see another place to hide over there."
A murmurer of agreement between the group, and they were off once more.
Just as Terriermon claimed, this new area appeared to be divided by rows with several pairs of feet facing opposite directions. Large, wooden structures had been set up. Most of them heavily decorated. At one point, Tentomon glanced up and saw a bunch of balloons stapled to a wall. Gomamon grimaced when he spotted a fish-catching station. There was laughter and frivolity all around.
"Is this what school in Japan is like?" Lopmon wondered aloud.
None of them knew how to answer that.
Their destination was close. Just past a group aiming weapons that shot out water into sideways buckets. The humans were focused intently on their task. One last dash, and they each slipped back under the cover of shadows.
"The smell's getting stronger." Chibimon's voice noted, followed by the sounds of sniffing. "We must be really close."
Amidst the rising excitement, Tailmon did another count.
Twelve.
She froze. Then recounted. Just in case.
Twelve again.
"...guys..."
"Lopmon?" Terriermon's voice called out. Concerned. "Aniki? Where are you?"
Light. From the direction they'd just come.
And a sharp gasp.
"Uh-oh..." Piyomon had one wing to her beak while the other kept the sheet lifted for the others to see.
Everyone crowded around.
Lopmon was in the middle of the grass, laying prone on his stomach. Unmoving.
Terriermon's first thought was that his brother had accidentally knocked himself unconscious. Possibly while staring at all the pretty colors adorning the booths. He steeled himself, rolling up imaginary sleeves in preparation for retrieving his poor twin.
Two steps in, both Palmon and Gabumon had to hold him back.
He barely had time to cry out in protest when he heard a sound that sent a chill down his spine:
"Bunny."
It was a child. Young. Younger than Terriermon's first memories of Wallace. The little boy stood over Lopmon's prone form with a stoic expression so out of place on someone his age. The whole of his body language was calm, save for the traces of curiosity behind a half-lidded stare.
"Kotarou!" A second boy—this one, significantly older—called to him. Feet connected to legs too long to see the top of appeared next to the child. "Did you find something?"
The child looked up, expression unchanging as he pointed down. "Nii-chan. Bunny."
His brother obliged, crouching down until he came into the hidden digimon's line of sight. Resting his arms across his knees, he gave the object on the ground a quick once over, taking in the unnatural coloring and oversized ears, and came to a reasonable conclusion. And smiled.
"You're right. Someone must have left their stuffed animal here. We should bring it to the lost and found."
He reached to pick it up, but was stopped by a tiny hand on his forearm.
When he looked to the child in surprise, the younger boy shook his head. There was determination in his features now. This was emphasized by a curt nod. He held out both hands.
His brother must have understood the nonverbal message easily, because his smile warmed. "I see. You're the one who found him. It should be your job to return him." Seeing no fault to the logic, he picked up the 'bunny' and passed it over. The sheer size eclipsed Kotarou's tiny frame, but he was not deterred. "The rest of the group is waiting. Let's head back."
Something vaguely resembling another nod came from behind the 'bunny'.
Together, the pair of brothers turned and started back down the grassy path. Only then were Lopmon's wide eyes visible over the child's shoulder. Catching one last glimpse of his fellow digimon beneath the sheet, he silently mouthed the word 'help' before disappearing from view.
Terriermon let out a sharp cry, ears flying into the air with such force, they knocked back his two captors.
"They've digi-napped by brother!"
"Don't worry." Chibimon came up beside him, placing a small, comforting paw on Terriermon's equally small shoulder. "We'll help you get him back. Right, guys?"
Everyone nodded their agreement.
Even Tailmon.
o o o
o o o
Taichi squinted as morning sunlight shone through the pristine lenses, watching the iridescent blues shimmer. The glass was barely tinted. It weighed no differently than he would have expected it to. Even the material of the band felt too familiar as he tentatively wrapped the goggles around his head, letting them rest atop his unruly mop of hair.
Sora was staring. Not that he could blame her. From the look in her eyes, she must have been seeing the image of him at eleven. Prepared to lead a group of preteens through a foreign world long before he was ready.
"I'm amazed they still make them in that style," she commented fondly.
Yamato stood beside her, stiff in posture and arms crossed over his chest. More than once, Taichi caught him staring as well, but he could have cared less about whatever image flashed in the blonde's mind. This was the first time they'd spoken since their latest fight, and the tension was still palpable.
And honestly? After that stunt Yamato'd pulled in front of Hikari and Mimi and the others...yeah, Taichi was still pretty pissed.
Koushiro nodded his approval. Then almost immediate had to stiffen another yawn. He resisted the urge to rub the sting from his eyes.
Sora frowned. "How much sleep did you get this weekend?"
"Enough."
"Liar," Yamato snorted.
The auburn-haired boy frowned, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he reached for his pack. Sure, his hair was still wet from a rushed morning shower. He knew there were still shadows beneath his eyes. Still, it couldn't have been that bad?
"I made it here on time, didn't I?" Give or take fifteen minutes. "I only finished programming the lenses about a half hour ago. I haven't even had time to test them myself."
Taichi immediately yanked the goggles off his head, holding them out at arm's length.
"Test them for what?" He let them hang from a single pinch between his thumb and forefinger, watching them twirl back and forth with heightened suspicion. "What did you do?"
"Put them back on and you'll see."
He looked to Koushiro. The younger boy looked confident. He looked to Sora. She looked wary. He looked to Yamato, then immediately looked away when realizing Yamato was looking back at him. Between the two (...okay, three) of them, every instinct of Taichi's was screaming at him to do exactly not that.
So, in the heat of the moment, he made a spontaneous decision based on what he thought was his best option: he put them on, this time pulling them over his eyes.
And waited.
"Nothing's happening," he stated after a moment.
Sora let out a sigh, and Taichi wondered if she'd been holding her breath.
"Assuming they're working properly, that's actually a good sign." Koushiro's lips were pressed together as he balanced his PineApple laptop on one hand while his other danced across the keys
Yamato raised an eyebrow. "Not doing anything is them working properly? What would happen if they weren't?"
"I didn't mean it like that." Koushiro paused in his work to lightly rub at his temple. Was that a caffeine headache, or was he dehydrated? Some days, it was difficult to tell. "It's like Nishijima-sensei said. Their technology was primarily meant for detection. If the lenses aren't activating, it means there's no digital radiation for it to detect. Which, given where we are, I'd say is a very good sign."
"You stole tech from the government?" Yamato's jaw dropped, hands falling to his sides.
"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I didn't. I simply memorized enough of the program algorithm that, with a little help from a few online friends and the digimon, I was able to replicate it. All it needed was a translucent detecting screen to use as a visual input. Goggles seemed the logical choice."
Sora's expression mirrored Yamato's.
Taichi was still fiddling with the frame. He turned his gaze upward, then slowly to the right. At some angles, he could see a hint of refracted light indicative of an extra piece of glass inside. Almost undetectable if he hadn't known it was supposed to be there.
"Not that I don't trust you with my life, Koushiro," he began, shifting back to the left. "But these things had better not explo..."
The screen flared to life, flooding his vision with a subtle increased brightness. Minuscule characters scrolled along one side. Colors shifted. The world around him muted as his eyes widened in vain attempt to take in the rush influx of data. Only half of which he even understood.
"Taichi?" Sora's muted voice called to him. "What is it? What do you see?"
He didn't answer.
At least, not at first. His pupils flickered back and forth rapidly, dilating just before he abruptly spun on his heels. And grimaced.
"You guys aren't going to believe this..."
o o o
o o o
Hikari's eyes sparkled with delight as she gazed out the school window. The bulk of her weight was pressed against the sill bottom in attempt to get the best possible view, and at her height, she had to rise up to the balls of her feet for leverage. A soft hum escaped her lips, carried on a single breath. Her shoulders were relaxed. Her smile, warm. She looked genuinely happy. And radiant, her delicate features highlighted by the gentle beams of sunlight streaming in through the crystal clear glass.
Then her eyes flickered towards him, and Takeru knew he'd been caught staring.
Fortunately, he had an excuse. He always had an excuse to look at her.
"You knew, didn't you?" He came up beside her and made a point of mirroring her posture. Glancing back out of the corner of his eye with a smirk, as if he'd meant for her to catch him. "It's written all over your face."
Whether or not she believed him, Hikari instead turned back to the window.
"Did you?"
He didn't answer that either.
He followed her line of sight, down onto the field of booths lining the outer and inner edges of the school courtyard. The crowds had gotten more dense in the last ten minutes, and the number of other school uniforms was close to outweighing those of their fellow middle schoolers. But what had captured their attention most was a certain familiar individual not wearing a uniform. And the brown-haired girl beside him who was.
"So much for studying."
Hikari suppressed a giggle.
From that angle, it was difficult to see which of the booths Mimi had chosen to stop at first. They were in the prize games area. Beyond that, it was a random guess who she was talking to, or why Jou was standing behind her looking sheepish. The conversation lasted several seconds before a few objects were placed on the counter. Balls, maybe? Whatever they were, Mimi grabbed the first one for herself and shoved the second one into a flustered Jou's hands.
Glasses askew, the poor boy seemed to consider protesting before resigning himself to compliance. Smiling faintly all the while.
Mimi relished in the small victory.
"There must be something in the air." Takeru quipped. He risked a glance at Hikari, and was unable to stop himself before adding: "I even heard a rumour you'd been recruited as a wedding photographer. New career choice?"
Usually, his teases earned him a minimal of an eye roll. Maybe narrowed eyes on one of his better days.
Hikari barely reacted. Almost as if she didn't hear him. Pensive contemplation washed across her face, and though she never once let their friends out of her sight—still watching them as Jou threw one of the balls at something with results that left Mimi tossing her hands up in excitement—it was clear her mind was elsewhere.
Takeru felt a strange pit deep in his stomach.
"When he asked me...there was something." Vague. Distant. Almost...dreamy? No, he had to be imagining… "It's hard to describe. Different. Like it was in the van. I think I felt it then, too."
He immediately regretting asking.
Just as he meant to turn his head away, he caught Hikari's whole body stiffen. Her lips parted in silent gasp as she straightened. Eyes confusing in a different way than before. Pupils dilating.
Takeru knew that look.
"Where?"
She turned to him. Her shoulders weren't relaxed anymore.
"Here."