My Little Big Sister

RD doesn't own Digimon.

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First Interlude

Somewhere a million miles of possibility away from the group

Hika's Home

"Hika? Wake up!"

The dark-haired girl stirred in her sleep, reluctant to be woken from the dream she'd been having. The sleeping bag was warm and comfortable, and on these early mornings it was a shame to be roused.

"Hika, you really do want to see what I've got here." The voice was patient but firm. It had tones that suggested its owner would wait all day if necessary.

Out of nowhere, a sweet scent caught her attention, and she sat up in bed. "What's this? You brought coffee... and marmalade? What's going on?"

Her bespectacled best friend and second-in-command grinned, squeezing Hika's hand playfully. "Happy birthday, Hika," she smiled. "You're twenty years old today. Did you forget?"

"I admit it! I did." Hika sipped the coffee lovingly, savouring each bittersweet mouthful. "You're an angel in disguise. How's the kitty?"

"Asleep. Now, are you getting up, or do I have to carry you down the corridor?"

"The team have something they want you to see," her friend told her as they walked the length of the subterranean corridors. "It's sort of your birthday present. They're kinda scared you're not going to like it, though."

"I fake things OK when I'm in a good mood," was Hika's only response.

By 'the team' they both meant the little scientific group that lived down here, one extremely preoccupied human and two Digimon. One of them had just turned up out of the blue, a refugee of sorts. He had quickly settled in and grown to love his new home. The other had sadder circumstances surrounding his arrival, and when he hatched- quite unexpectedly- they'd wondered how to break the news to him. But he seemed to accept everything that had happened, and now he was a valuable member of the team.

"So where have they been working, then? I haven't seen them in ages."

The taller girl swallowed hard and took a breath. "In the... memorial room, Hika. We're sorry."

A moment later, Hika exploded in rage. "They what!?"

A very sheepish Digimon was being faced down by an incandescent Hika, cowering to escape the force of her fury. "The memorial room? You know that room is- it's-" Her education broken off at an early age, the little streetfighter had never learnt the word 'sacrosanct', but her intentions were clear enough. "It's special! I only go in there every so often. And now you've been tinkering with your machinery in it..."

"Er..." The little Digimon struggled to get across his point of view. "Perhaps you should see what we've been doing."

The room was mostly dark, holding no candles or electric lights to break the gloom, but with one skylight in the roof that let a pool of daylight shine against the stone floor. Now, an immense machine of some sort stood in the centre. As Hika entered, a dark-haired young man stuck his head out from underneath it. "Oops, sorry Hika, didn't know you were up. I'll be with you in two ticks."

He clambered into the open, a tiny screwdriver lodged behind his ear. "Happy birthday, Hik'. How're you feeling?"

"Furious!" snapped his friend. "What are you doing working in here?"

"Please. We've all been helping, and we had to do it here. It's the only place where the light is just right, don't you see? It wouldn't work anywhere else."

"It... what is that thing?" She gestured towards the gigantic metal structure that caught the glow from the skylight. "Some sort of new weapon?"

"It's your birthday present, Hika. But me and her-" he gestured at the nervous figure holding Hika's coffee cup- "and all the Digimon've been working on it for more than a year. We thought you should be the one to use it. It's- what it does- well, as a matter of fact it's..."

And he told her.

"No," said Hika instinctively. "I couldn't do that. Even if it was possible."

"Not to save a life, Hika?" her friend whispered. "That's how important this machine could be."

"I don't think I'm brave enough..." Hika was trembling all over.

"Maybe you just need time to think," the scientist said soothingly. "Come on, everyone, we'll go and see if the kitty's awake yet. Hika, just call out if you need anything."

He picked up the Digimon and left the room. The girl followed him, closing the door silently. Hika, sitting there in a patch of light amongst the darkness, was left alone with her thoughts.

End First Interlude

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Kay- Note that I screamed at until it would let me log in. Note that your review is now gone. Note the small award currently arriving on your desk. Got me?

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