Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon…or anything about it. I don't even own anything that contains the word 'digi'…except this digital camera…oh wait; it's my dad's…hehe?


Shinya was glaring hard at his brother, through narrowed eyes. "You're possessed…" he began, "aren't you?"

Takuya glared at Shinya in return, "Shinya…" he said in an exasperated sigh.

"You're not gonna…?"

"I'm not gonna tell anyone, I promise."

Now Takuya was gonna get it. He just told Shinya…

Takuya felt his eyes stinging, blazing, screaming, and felt like he should be crying. For what reason?

"So are you crazy, then?" Shinya asked, with imploring in his voice.

Takuya scoffed; he wished he were crazy, to use that as an excuse from everyone if they asked what was wrong with him. Everyone would ask, because everyone liked Takuya… he didn't know why. He guessed they just couldn't help it.

Finally, Takuya managed a chuckle, "I hope not."

Shinya eyed his brother's expression thoroughly, "Are you still…you?"

Takuya felt something in his stomach that was quite uncomfortable. His eyes were still stinging and they cried out in pain. He grabbed the side of his head once again, "I don't know, Shinya…"

"Who was the girl you were talking about?"

Again, Takuya's head hurt, causing a grunt of pain, "A…friend."

Shinya looked confused, "Well the way you were acting and talking, I would've thought that you liked her or something…"

Takuya resisted the urge to shake his head furiously, but the pain in his chest and the uncomfortable sting in his stomach prevented him from doing so. He tried so hard, with hopes of ignoring the feelings, to dismiss them as merely nothing, or a figment of nothingness, that would disappear if Takuya woke up. He wanted so much to be dreaming all this right now.

"She's just…a really good friend of mine," Takuya insisted with a grin that seemed forced, even to him. He knew Shinya could see past that. Shinya read the look in Takuya's eyes very easily, no matter what Takuya tried to hide it up.

Takuya's eyes were still stinging, still blazing, still screaming, and they wanted so much to cry, because of all the pain he had to feel. And this all started with Izumi.

Izumi was the reason why Takuya was hurting.

Izumi was the reason why Takuya felt crazy.

Izumi was the reason why Takuya couldn't think anymore.

And…Izumi was the reason why Takuya felt so different about everything.

Takuya gazed up at the ceiling, pondering.

Was Izumi really worth all this pain he was going through? Was she worth the possible insanity along the way? Was she worth spending time with? Was she worth…falling in love with?

Takuya grabbed the side of his head once again. He let out a pained cry toward the ceiling, eyes clasped tight shut.

Shinya didn't budge from his spot. Nothing Takuya did could possibly scare Shinya now, "If she's such a 'good friend' of yours, why're you screaming?"

Takuya ignored his brother, lowering his head down, now grabbing both sides of his head.

"I…like you, too."

"Really?"

A nod followed.

"Izumi?" Takuya muttered, raising his head back up.

Shinya raised a brow, "You want me to call Koushiro Izumi?" he offered in his own confusion.


Shinya wanted to find out what was bothering Takuya. He wanted to know if, he too, was destined to descend into insanity like Takuya did. He wanted to know why his own eyes were screaming out concern for Takuya. Perhaps it was just a brother thing.

Shinya made a mental note to himself to ask Kouji or Kouichi if that was true. If it was, he had nothing to fear.

Takuya shook his head, "Koushiro probably has work to do…you know him."

"So then what were you talking about?" Shinya's tone was dead-serious. He never used that tone before, and it frightened even him while he resisted the urge to smirk at his accomplishment, no matter how weird he found it.

"Izumi…Orimoto." Takuya spoke slowly, hoping that his brother would understand. Unfortunately, that wasn't so. Said brother cocked another brow at him, and then folded his arms.

"A girl," he started, "the one that you were talking about?" (A/N: Izumi's a common female name in Japan… also a family name.) Shinya didn't feel like himself. He felt like he was the older one, advising Takuya in what to do next. If Shinya ever went crazy, Takuya'd have to do this… Shinya saw his brother nod, "What about her?"

"I…I think I have something to do with that kid nine years ago…" Takuya spoke softly, his voice not even trying to counter Shinya's dead-serious tone.

Shinya felt something crawl into his stomach, "Takuya-onii-san," he began, resuming his normal baby-ish voice, "Can we go eat dinner now?" he put a hand over his growling stomach, "I'm kinda hungry…"


Takuya's eyes widened in shock; just now, he had noticed that Shinya was acting quite mature, not being his normal baby self, long enough for Takuya to eliminate the sore feeling in the pit of his stomach. Shinya actually helped him…but for what reason? But Takuya still had the pain in his chest, although he was quite unsure of what it was or how to get rid of it, but he was certain that it involved a certain jade-eyed blonde…
"Hika, why did you just leave me like that!" Izumi screeched into her phone. On the other line, Hikari pulled the phone away from her ear because of the intensity of the sound. Once she thought it was safe, Hikari put it back.

"Well, sorry, Izu, but Takeru and the others told me and Chiaki to leave you to walk by yourself so that Takuya could do it." Hikari rolled her shoulders, sounding like it wasn't such as big of a deal as Izumi intended it to be.

Izumi clasped the phone in desperation, "But you don't understand! I think he got high off of the ramen!" she said loudly.

"Izu, you're just overreacting…" Hikari said flatly, "Besides, he's not so bad… Daisuke told me about Takuya when they're at soccer practice; Takuya's really nice…"

Izumi sent her emerald orbs to glance at the red box containing the bracelet Takuya got her lying on her desk, "Yeah…I bet…" she said, slightly uneasily, then she looked back toward the window, "really nice."

"You sound different…did something happen?" Hikari asked, curiously.

"No!" Izumi said a bit too loudly and forwardly. Hikari cocked a light brow on the other line. Oh yeah, she was lying. The brunette chuckled lightly to herself.

"Sounds like something did…" Hikari pointed out, "anything you wanna talk about?"

Izumi huffed out a sigh, blowing a golden strand aside, "No…'cause even if I did, you'd just coo and make fun of me later." She said dryly.

Hikari giggled, "You know I wouldn't do that to you…"

"Don't start…" Izumi warned, "Hold on, Hika, I got another call. Hello?"

"Izu, can you come here?"

"Kouji?"


After his dinner, Takuya grabbed his hat, "Mom, I'm going over to Kouji's again."

"Yeah sure…wait…" she sent him a suspicious look, "are you still sick?"

He scoffed, "Tche, I wasn't even sick to begin with." He ran out of the house before his mother could object the brunet even further.

"Hiya, Kouji!" Takuya grinned, "You're not Kouji…"

Izumi folded her arms, "How perceptive of you to notice…"she said flatly.

Takuya glared at her for a couple of seconds, with her returning every glare. He grabbed the side of his head again, "I have no time for this, where's Kouji?" he demanded.

"With Kouichi…" Izumi stated, jerking a finger behind her, "why?"

"Does he know about the…?" Takuya started, giving her a curious look.

Izumi tilted her head to the side, "…boy?" she finished, "No…you're the only one I've told."

"But Kouji's your closest friend…why would you tell me over him?" Takuya asked with confusion and lost feelings hanging on his words. Izumi didn't answer, but merely turned her head away from him. Takuya noticed her emerald orbs quivering. He had seen Shinya with the same look before.

Izumi muttered something softly, hoping that he wouldn't hear her. Takuya tilted back for a bit, his mouth slightly open as he took in a gasp.

"Izu, you'll have to say that again…just so I can be sure…I heard right." Takuya spoke softly.

"I thought you were him…" Izumi refused to look into his inquiring hazel eyes. He wanted something from her…and she knew what. She wouldn't give it to him. He wanted the truth…the whole truth.

Takuya's expression softened to a warm look, filled with some pity, a weak smile and affection. Izumi was fiddling with the hem of her skirt, looking for anything to keep her attention off of him. She didn't want to face him, for some reason. She sounded crazy, even to herself. What kind of person believes that your late best friend is reincarnated in someone you've never met before? (A/N: ME!) And that would sound crazy, but if it were true, and…what would happen then?

Then why did you suddenly feel like this stranger knew you better than anyone, after just one thing that happened? It felt like…she could trust Takuya better than anyone, despite having only met him, yet she still felt like she knew him all her life. Like…there was something inside him that she just felt was safe. She shook her head, her golden hair flowing with her movements. Now it was her turn to grab the side of her head as she shut her eyes tightly.

It was impossible; Akechi was long gone; dead. Takuya had to be someone else, with similarities to that of Akechi…that was all. She couldn't use Takuya to replace him; it didn't seem right. Izumi slipped a hand into her pocket and felt the cold metal of the bracelet. Inside, she shuddered; what was she supposed to do? She pulled out the jewelry, slipping it on her wrist, and then sent a sunny smile down at it. No more Akechi…just Takuya. That's all Izumi believed in now.

Takuya put a hand to her shoulder once again, "How can you be so sure?" he asked gently, making her crystalline emerald eyes stare up at him. Izumi sent him a smile, which he returned only for a moment before lowering it down again. He couldn't smile, not now. He was in too much confusion to smile.

"I'm not…" Izumi stated in her gentle tone.

His brows furrowed in question, "Then…?"

Izumi cut him off with the shake of her head, "Just…forget about him. I don't wanna wallow anymore, Takuya. What's done is done and I'm moving on."

"It took you nine years to figure that out?" Takuya inquired teasingly, giving her a rough smirk. Izumi giggled a bit, and then lightly punched his arm.

"It took you to get me to figure that out," she smiled at up at him. To her, it made sense. If Takuya hadn't come around, she would've been wallowing, searching and waiting around forever. The fact that she thought she could replace Akechi with someone like him made her realize that it was just believing in a false hope. Wishing that something impossible would happen.

Takuya nodded nervously. She was giving up, when he was just figuring it out? He thought…maybe if she held on to that belief just a little longer, then something that wouldn't have happened should've happened. He refused to believe that the confusion and pain he went through was for nothing.

He took a hold on her shoulders, "Izumi…" he began lightly, with a little begging in his voice, "what if I told you I knew where the kid was?"

Izumi raised a light brow at him, "He's buried in the cemetery, Takuya, I know that." She said matter-of-factly.

The brunet shook his head, "No, I mean…" he incidentally slid his hands down her arms so that they were at her wrists, "his spirit. The one that knew you…the one that loved you."

Izumi kept her confused look directed at him. What did he mean? "Where?"

Takuya sighed, turning his head away from her, his hands taking a strong grip on her wrists. He didn't want to tell her, because he didn't know himself. Then he realized that he asked her a question that she didn't answer, "You still didn't answer my question yet."

Izumi blinked, then remembered, "If you told me, then…" Izumi didn't know how to finish that in a way that didn't suggest that she maybe kinda liked him, "I won't hit you."

Takuya looked at her with another inquiring look, "Okay, whatever. Izumi, I…" he got cut short by a certain upset blue-haired boy.

"Hey! How long have you two weirdoes been standing in my doorway?" Kouji demanded, coming up a few steps behind Izumi, "Geez, if my neighbors see, I'll never hear the end of it." He shook his head at them, "Idiots…" he scorned. Both gave him a curious look, "both of you!"

Takuya let go of the blonde's wrists and went inside, closing the door behind them. Kouji sneered. God only knows how long those morons were there. He really didn't want anyone to see him. He wasn't exactly friendly with dear old step-mother and he hated her friends.

"Izumi said you were with Kouichi…" Takuya pointed out, "How'd you get back?"

"There's a back door, genius; the one I always use…" Takuya and Izumi sent him another weird look, "for reasons that you don't need to know. Or that I doubt you'd understand…" Kouji stowed his hands in his pockets, sneering that them again, and "Did you come here for something, Kanbara, or what?"

Takuya shrugged his shoulders, pressing past the blonde to the upset boy, "I just wanted to say hi…and to talk."

"Humph…" Kouji cocked his head up, and then walked away, "Fine."

Takuya just stared, and then with some hesitation, he followed.


Yeah, sorry to leave it there, but I was just finishing up some AMVs and I need to make two more without a distraction.