DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon. I know that's surprising, but, I don't. Oh well, Digimon: Digital Monsters belongs to the good folks over at Toei Animation. Don't sue me, and I'll give you a cookie.
ILLUSIONS OF SERVER
by
BRIAN MILER
PART ONE of THREE
connection
CHAPTER ONE.
A gravestone.
A simple object in the grand scheme of things... There to mark the passing of someone only a few barely knew... and barely anyone had the chance to care about.
The gravestone of an infant.
A kidnapped infant, who's body was never recovered.
The gravestone of Hikari Yagami.
Taichi Yagami wasn't old enough to understand the concepts of life and death... His parents explanation, however, seemed to suffice enough in his young mind. His baby sister was in a better place now... and she was never coming back.
There he stood in the cemetery. A little boy, age seven, standing between his crying parents on this picture perfect summer day.
Blue skies.
Ocean air.
A gravestone.
As young Taichi stood there, dressed in a tiny suit, loosely gripping the hands of his mother and father... He heard the faint sound of ringing.
He looked to his mother, she didn't seem to notice. She was crying too hard.
His father didn't hear it either. His expression remained cold and grim.
Taichi turned his head from left to right, trying to find the source of this mysterious sound.
And suddenly...
He blinked.
Taichi mumbled as he shoved his face into his pillow. He was comfortable as he was.
He didn't have to wake up. The cell phone on his mantle couldn't make him. It didn't have any power over him. He could get used to the it's shrill sound, as it tried desperately to get his attention.
"Hello?" He grunted into the phone, finally.
I'm so weak, he thought.
"Taichi? What are you doing?" It was a girl's voice. Not even the sweet sound of a female voice could lift his grudge of being woken up.
"Well, up until now, sleeping."
"Sleeping? Oh, that's great. Thanks, Taichi."
"Oh shit! Sora!" he gasped, immediately erasing the drowsiness from his voice. Instantly, he sprang from his bed and searched for a pair of jeans off of his floor. "I'm sorry! I just... I just forgot!"
"Oh, you forgot. Yeah, that makes me feel so much better."
"No! No! No!" Taichi stuttered, attempting to reclaim his fumble. "I didn't forget, I just... forgot. I mean, I just woke up. Disoriented, you know?"
Taichi shuffled to throw on a pair of beaten and worn jeans with holes in the knees over the pair of plaid boxers he slept in.
"Where are you? I'll be there in..."
"Oh, no... It doesn't matter now... It's okay, I know I'm not important enough."
Taichi quickly peeled off his white undershirt and replaced it with the blank black t-shirt he found at his feet. He wedged the tiny cell phone to his ear with his shoulder as he searched his closet for his favorite logo-less baseball jersey.
"C'mon, Sora, don't be like that. I'll do anything."
"Anything?" She asked, losing her serious tone.
"Anything," he confirmed, throwing the new found jersey over his shoulders and leaving it unbuttoned.
"Say you're going to miss me," she said flatly as Taichi left his bedroom and made his way towards the bathroom.
"What?" he asked, turning on the sink and wetting his hands. He then proceeded to make his thick black hair stick up the way he liked it. The way Sora said that she liked it.
"Say, 'I, Taichi Yagami, am going to miss you, Sora Takenouchi."
Taichi rolled his eyes and put the finishing touches on his hair, adding some gel where he assumed it needed.
"I, Taichi Yagami, am going to miss Sora Takenouchi like the dickens when she leaves me forever to go to college. Happy?"
"Ooh, very," she laughed.
Taichi rolled his eyes once more, taking the phone back into his hand and marching back into his room. Quickly, he made his way for his dresser, from which he grabbed his prized possession, a ridiculous pair of goggles he insisted upon wearing on his forehead. He pulled the elastic over his head and snapped it into place as he turned his attention back to the conversation.
"So, are you going to tell me?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
"...So?"
"Weeeeell," she teased.
"Sora," he grunted firmly.
"Okay! Okay! I'm at the shop!"
"That's better. I'll be there in a few, okay?"
"Mmkay, hurry up, though... Yama's already talking about leaving without you."
"Figures. Tell him to shut it."
Taichi covered his face with his hand as he heard the mumbling of Sora saying - "He says to 'shut it'."
Suddenly, there was a sound of a shuffle, and the sudden burst of a laugh. Yamato Ishida's voice came over the phone.
"Yagami! I swear to God, I'll..."
There was another shuffle, more laughs from the two of them, as Sora's voice came through the reciever again.
"Nice job," Taichi commented.
"Hey, I only did what you said," she sighed, then piped up again. "Oh! Tell your Mom that I'm sorry I can't see her..."
As she said this, Taichi looked out from the bedroom into the kitchen where his mother sat... her eyes were red from tears.
"It's okay... trust me... She doesn't feel like seeing anyone today. It's... you know."
He sighed as he looked out at her. It was the anniversary of the day Hikari had been kidnapped and killed... all those years ago.
"Oh shit... Taichi... I didn't know that was today."
"Hey," Taichi said lightly. "It doesn't bother me. I'll meet up with you in a few, okay?"
"Okay, Taichi... No rush."
"Mmkay, bye, Sora."
"...Bye."
And they both hung up.
Taichi emerged from his bedroom a few moments later, stepping into the kitchen quietly. His mother still sat at the table, silent.
"Hey, mom," he said gently, grabbing a cookie from the pantry and shoving it in his mouth.
"Hey, Taichi," she replied, wiping her eyes and sniffling, trying to hide the fact that she'd been crying.
"Look, uhm, I'm gonna go out with Sora and Yama for the day... I probably won't be back until late," he paused. "Unless..."
His mother tried to laugh lightly, continuing to rub her reddened eyes.
"No, no, no – Go, please. I'll be fine, really."
Throwing an arm around her shoulder from behind, Taichi held her close for a moment.
"What're you going to do?" He asked.
His mother softly placed her hand on his.
"Call your father, maybe... See how he's doing."
Taichi smiled and hugged her tight once more.
"You should. It'd be good for you," he released her and made his way to the front door. "For the both of you."
After he shut the front door behind him, Taichi's mother remained still at the table again, her eyes growing glossy once more.
"Yeah," she said. "Yeah."
Taichi sighed once more, taking a look back at the front door of his apartment. Nodding to himself, he took a step into the elevator and promptly hit the "Lobby" button. It illuminated, and the doors began to close.
"Wait! Hold it!"
The sudden cry startled Taichi as he watched a surprisingly agile old man slip between the steadily closing doors in a single, swift motion.
"Hoo, boy," he exhaled loudly. "I love doing that."
The old man, who was dressed in a comfortable pair of shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and flip flops, caught his breath and leaned against the side of the side of the elevator. His face was worn, and mostly bald, save for the fuzz of gray hair around his temples. He held a toothy grin as he examined Taichi.
"So, where you off to, young man?"
Taichi sighed, he hated strangers... He especially hated delirious elderly strangers who insisted on starting conversations in elevators.
"Nowhere in particular," he said flatly. "Just going out."
The elevator hit the main level, and the doors opened. As Taichi stepped out, the man followed.
"That sounds like fun... But, don't have too much fun, now!"
"Uhm, yeah," Taichi replied awkwardly, picking up his pace a little bit. "You too."
"Why thank you, kindly," the old man smiled, backing off and watching Taichi exit through the main doors of the complex, and disappear into the streets of Odaiba.
Takenouchi Floral was a tiny, stand alone building that was barely noticeable between the two towering sky scrapers it stood between. Taichi had managed to get a job there last summer, however, couldn't manage to hold it for over a week. Taichi claimed he quit because of his inability to stand high maintenance customers. Mrs. Takenouchi, Sora's mother, claimed that he was fired due to his blatant disregard for customers.
As Taichi triggered the sensor, the sliding glass door opened, allowing him inside the flower shop. Sora was seated on the counter, her eyes illuminated when he walked through the door.
He was taken aback each time he saw her... Her athletic body, her adorable, innocent face. She was everything he had always wanted – and now it felt like he'd never get the chance to tell her. She was dressed casually bohemian, as she normally did, wearing a black t-shirt with the spattered design of pop star, Gackt Camui, in the center. She had on a long jean skirt, and her favorite pair of beaten and worn converse sneakers.
Her hair. Taichi's favorite part about her was her hair... Jet black, cut short behind her ears, with the tips dyed a fiery red. The very thought drove him wild.
"'Bout time!" she cheered, bouncing off the counter and embracing her best friend in a tight hug. "You doin' okay?"
"Oh yeah," Taichi casually shrugged. "It's not a big deal."
Sora gave him a stern look.
"That's not what I meant," he stuttered. "I just mean that I'm over it... It happened a long time ago. All that's left now is being sensitive to my Mother about it."
Sora sighed and let him off the hook. Taichi smiled and ruffled her hair playfully, to which she protested by laughing and squirming out of reach.
"So, where's Yama?" He asked, scratching the back of his head.
As if on cue, the sound of the toilet flushing flustered around the store. The bathroom door in the back of the store opened, and Yamato stepped out.
Yamato Ishida was the guy Taichi always wanted to be. He was the epitome of cool, and had nearly all of the girls of Odaiba at his disposal. He was built well. His hair was bleached blonde. He played guitar. He could sing. What more could anyone ask for? He was dressed simply in a pair of black jeans, a brown zipped up hooded sweatshirt, the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of boots. Considering that it was particularly chilly for August, his wardrobe wasn't all that out of place.
"Yo," he said plainly, joining the two of them in the center of the store. "Yagami finally showed, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah," Taichi rolled his eyes. "Leave me alone."
Yamato shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and smiled.
"Just busting your balls, man... We all set?"
"Mmhmm!" Sora pipped with excitement. "Sora's last day in Odaiba starts... NOW!"
In all, the three of them couldn't have asked for a better day. They didn't waste any time, making sure that hey screwed around in the park, wasted hard earned cash at the arcade, made obnoxious commentary at the movies, and made sure to vandalize their high school by spray painting male sex organs on the side of the building. Somehow, knowing that the best of times weren't going to last made all the living so much sweeter. That taste of mortality made them treasure the moments they had with one another... What they did wasn't important... it was that they did it with each other. The ones they loved the most.
One in the morning came faster then expected, and the trio found themselves at the pier, looking up at the stars and listening to calming sounds of the ocean.
"Wow," Yamato said flatly. "It's fucking late."
Taichi checked his watch to confirm. It was, indeed, coming time to say goodbye.
Yamato was the first to stand and dust himself off.
"C'mon ladies and gents, I really gotta get home."
As he disappeared into the night, Taichi rose, and helped Sora to her feet.
"I don't want to go home yet..." She sighed. "I'm leaving early tomorrow, though... so..."
"Yeah, I know," Taichi sighed as well, taking her hand into his own.
"I'm not leaving you forever, you know."
"...What?"
Sora paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts.
"What you said earlier... About me going off to school and leaving you here forever... It's not forever."
"Yeah, I know, I was just -"
Sora grabbed his hand tighter.
"No, really... I mean it. I'm going to IM you all the time, and I'm gonna call you. I'll see you at Christmas, too.. So, it's not like..."
Taichi just looked at her for a moment. This would be a perfect opportunity to lean in for a kiss... Here, under the stars, listening to the water... This was romance at it's best. This was his chance to get the girl he'd been pining for since the third grade...
"Yeah, I know," was all that came out.
I'm so weak, he thought, as he squeezed Sora's hand, leading her off the pier to go and join Yamato.
Yamato and Taichi saw Sora to the door of her apartment, where she gave them both tight hugs, and a kiss on the cheek. Finally, when she shut the door, the two found themselves on the sidewalk, walking in silence under the pools of light from the streetlights above.
"You're a moron, you know that?" Yamato said after a long while.
"What?" Taichi questioned, a little taken aback.
"That girl is nuts over you, man... and you didn't do a damn thing about it."
"Wha? Well... I..."
"And don't try and tell me that you don't feel the same way, man... I know you too well. No offense, or anything... but you fucked up."
Taichi shoved his hands into his pockets and looked to the ground. Yamato was always able to read him like a book.
"Good luck finding another girl like that, man. Good luck."
They walked in silence all the way back to Taichi's apartment.
When they reached their destination, they gave each other their typical casual handshake goodbye. Yamato put an extra firm grip.
"Hey man, promise you're not going to leave me here for some college, all right?"
Taichi smiled back.
"Don't worry... I'm not going anywhere."
Taichi watched as Yamato lit up a cigarette, gave him a corny salute goodbye, and walked off into the darkness.
"I'll give you call tomorrow, or something. Catch you later, Yagami."
Tired, Taichi yawned loud and made his way to the elevator. He hit the tenth floor button, and watched it illuminate as the doors began to close.
Suddenly, there was a strangely familiar cry of..
"Wait! Hold it!"
No way... Taichi thought as the bizarre old man in the Hawaiian shirt slipped through the closing doors. Taichi found this coincidence awakening, but, the old man didn't seem to see anything odd about it.
"Well there," the old timer grinned. "Did you have a good time?"
Taichi stayed silent for a moment.
"Yeah... great..." he mumbled as the elevator halted at the tenth floor.
"Well, good night, then!"
The two broke direction as the elevator door opened up, releasing them.
"Yeah," Taichi mumbled, fishing for his keys in his pockets. "Good night."
Taichi couldn't sleep. He didn't know what it was... He was tired beyond all reasonable imagination... but couldn't seem to stop tossing around and turning in his bed. Something was wrong. HE could feel it... It was... a presence.
It was almost as if something was calling to him from the distance... Nothing he could put into words... more of just a sense. After an hour of this, the tension in his body began to build, and his desire to go investigate the situation was growing.
Rising from his bed, he began to walk... He didn't know where he was going, but the feeling was like a guide... It was leading him somewhere.
Soon Taichi found himself leaving his apartment complex, back onto the dark streets of Odaiba. So fixated on this strange calling, he didn't notice the strange figure in the dark brown cloak, tailing him the entire way.
As if he were on auto-pilot, Taichi found his way to the park... The one he and his friends had been hanging out in earlier. What brought him here? What was going on?
In the middle of the moist field stood a figure in a pitch black cloak, barely visible in the night. Seeing Taichi approach, he reached out a pale white hand towards him.
"Come, my Prince, time is pressing," a low pitched voice sounded. "Come."
The figure in the dark brown hood stayed concealed in the bushes, attempting to keep his presence a secret.
"Oh no," he gasped softly.
Drawing back his hood a little, the old man from the elevator attempted to get a better view. The well humored face was now gone, and was replaced with one of sincere grimness.
The figure in the black drew the boy closer. Taichi didn't know why, but he couldn't resist the calling, and soon found himself within steps of the mysterious man.
The old man growled and drew from his cloak a simple wooden rod with strange markings deeply engraved within it. After muttering something under his breath, a full length silver blade materialized from the tip. The time to act was now!
As the figure in black took Taichi into his arms, the cloaked man leapt from the bushes, sword drawn, ready to combat. As he lunged forward, he could see inside the dark hood of the strange man. His pale skin. His yellow eyes. His red lips. The old man knew this evil, and it chilled him to the bone.
"Stay away," the deep voice echoed hauntingly.
"LEAVE THAT BOY ALONE!" The old man cried as his feet hit the ground, taking a mighty, strong, agile slash with his sword.
...But he had struck nothing. There was no one there... The boy and the figure in black had both vanished.
"Damn it," the old man cursed. "Damn it!"