OK so it took a bit longer to upload than I thought so I will say I'm sorry again. This kinda goes back and shows an event that happened in the past, which helps set something's up for later.
Chapter Nine: Swing Set
(Kari's P.O.V, Age: 9)
I just swung back and forth on the swing; I felt kinda lonely wondering slightly if I would spend this day alone again. Half of the time I spend my days alone. I jumped when someone sat down on the swing next to me; it was Koji and he was smiling. That's right; I've known Koji, Koichi, and Takuya for about a few weeks now. I was starting to feel at home in their group but for some reason the loneliness I've grown accustomed to makes me forget about them for some reason.
"Why do you jump every time someone gets close to you Kari?" I stopped swinging and I actually wondered if could trust Koji with the truth behind that.
"It's hard to explain, you probably wouldn't understand it and you would probably tease me a little." He tilted his head, I noticed that his hair was longer than most boys and I couldn't help but think he must be hot since it was almost eighty some degrees.
"Why would I tease you?" Something about him seemed to make me want to tell him, something made me know that I could trust him.
"I don't really like people touching me you know? I'm teased at school and since I get sick so easily everyone makes a joke that if they touch me they would get sick and so now I got used to no one touching me." He laughed slightly and I felt slightly betrayed, yet something about his smile made me forgive him for laughing.
"Forgive me for laughing but I don't think that's odd at all; I don't like people touching me either so if anyone would understand you it would be me Kar." I blushed slightly when he called me 'Kar' since only my brother called me by that.
"I see so you don't find that o-odd?" I blushed a bit more when I stuttered; almost no boys pay attention to me.
"Anyways why don't you have friends, I mean something must've triggered you staying away from kids before the teasing began?" He seemed to just know that I had been given the chance to have friends before I began getting teased.
"Well you see due to always getting sick I was always kinda alone and so I became used to being alone and I became a loner at school." He nodded seemingly getting that.
"It's hard to get out of being a loner, stepping out of your comfort zone to try and make friends." For some reason with just those words I got that he also was a loner, that he was right that he would understand me.
"How about we change the subject? I don't like talking 'bout all of this." He smiled and nodded, standing up I was surprised when he offered a hand to me.
Didn't he just say that he didn't like people touching him? If that's true why offer me his hand, since that would mean that we would touch each other. Yet after a few seconds thought I placed my hand in his and I squeaked slightly when he pulled me forwards off of the swings and onto my feet but he took off running, making me follow him. As he led me who knows where I couldn't help but realize that for once I didn't feel bothered by someone touching me. I wasn't afraid of him.
"W-where are we going Koji?" He didn't answer me but he did chuckle slightly.
"I think we should have some fun you know? Its summer time and that old playground aren't always fun." I gulped when he said 'fun'; I knew one thing for sure, Koji Kenji Minamoto had a wrapped sense of fun.
Soon enough I remember the familiar streets, he was leading me towards the place where the he, Takuya, and Koichi were staying. They were staying in some abandoned building that no one could enter since the entrance was blocked off and only those brave enough to go through a hole in the rocks blocking the entrance would enter. Yet not many went there because the hole once collapsed and someone actually was killed. I don't know why they're so brave or me for that fact. Once there I noticed that something was wrong. I stopped myself and that of course caught Koji's attention. I couldn't sense Takuya or Koichi.
"What's wrong Kari?" I looked at him and I noticed that he looked slightly worried; was he actually worried about me?
"I don't sense Takuya or Koichi; where are they?" He seemed to be caught surprised by that.
So he didn't know that they weren't there? Did he have something planned? Are the missing? Did they get attacked? Argh I hate when I think five steps ahead of where I am!
"I told them to stay here! Dang those two! I told them that I was bringing you here!" He had his moments when he was open with his emotions; of course they were usually the emotion of anger or sadness.
"Is something wrong? Did even Takuya get scared of your plan?" He sighed and crossed his arms.
"I was gonna surprise everyone; I was bored the other day and I play a game where I won four tickets to the fair." I was surprised; that was different and something I didn't expect Koji to say.
I smiled and titled my head to the side. I was glad I had decided to wear a pair of dark blue shorts and a short sleeve white shirt today. I giggled slightly, catching him by surprise.
"Then how about we just go by ourselves then? Who needs them to have a good time? They can hide and then we can taunt them on what they missed out on." He smiled slightly and I noticed a faint pink tint his cheek; I was right he has gotta be hot wearing that stupid jacket of his plus a pair of cargo pants and with his freakin' hair!
"Yeah I guess you're right, just you and I." He grabbed my hand once again and he began running once again.
I smiled following after him; we may be young but we act more grown up. I think it's because of the fact that we're DigiDestineds, also possibly the fact that we are both advanced. I know that I act more grown up because of the fact that I've been teased and with my sickness and all I've lived in the real world, not the kiddy world where I think the world is all good and no one dies, I lost that innocence when I almost died when I was five years old. I don't know Koji's reason; I think it might be because he found out that his father lied. He actually didn't know that he had a brother; never less Koichi was his twin brother until shortly before he came here, along with the fact that his father lied saying that his mother died. I think that was what took his 'innocent' view on the world but then again he doesn't like talking about his past, almost as much as I hated talking about mine. Before I knew it we inside the gates; meaning that I totally spaced out, hopefully he didn't say anything because I don't want him to think that I ignored him.
"Well I'm guessing you spaced out real good. So as I had asked, what do you want to do first?" I took in everything that had changed since the last time I had been here.
Everything was different; I had come here when I was six years old but my parents think that I should ride anything because they don't want me getting sick. They didn't want me to do anything fun now of days. Some of the lights had flickered on since the sun would set soon since it was in the late afternoon when Koji had found me at the playground.
"Earth to Kari." I snapped out of trace and I looked to Koji.
I just stared at him; as we stood there with people walking past us I couldn't help but realize that we truly didn't look our age. At least he looked older than he really was.
"Is something wrong?" I sighed and shook my head.
"Sorry, I just spaced out once again. I haven't been here since I was six. Its odd standing here you know? My parents never let me do anything fun after I was five." Oh crap, I never told them that I almost died when I was five so I braced myself for his question that came next.
"Why is that Kari?" Oh how did I know that he was going to ask that question, I hate talking about that time!
"I almost died when I five…" That sent his eyes wide, he was surprised hearing that.
At that moment I think he understood what took my 'innocent' view of the world away.
~Time Skip, Later that Night~
I sat under the willow tree in the playground with my back against the tree bark. I couldn't get the scene from my head. It was shortly before I ran from the fair; it was before this day was ruined. As I began to remember what happened I saw it beginning to rain. I can't believe it. My day was going great. We were laughing and having fun when we had to run into kids from my school.
"Why am I so stupid?" Why did I believe that trusting Koji would make everything go away?
Everything that is good always turns painful for me after a while. I thought it was going to be fun staying home alone but that soon became lonely without anyone. I was happy when I met the three of them but I know that once this battle is done they'll disappear and I'll never see them again. Despite the fact that it was pouring down raining I was so tempted to stand up and sit on the swing set. This playground was never a park; it belonged to the old academy that burned to the ground years ago. They say that if you listen hard enough when you are so close to the darkness of giving up and/or dying you can hear a voice if you're here. I closed my eyes as the tears began coming from my eyes.
"I can't take this anymore; everything is just becoming too hard to keep up with for my mental state and my body…" My body ached to the core and I was feeling so sleepy.
I can't keep taking all of their words, it's getting tiresome. I'm tired of dealing with everyone's shit. I'm tired of being alone. I'm always walking this path of life alone. Even if momentarily I have someone to help me they'll just disappear soon enough. I heard something so I looked up; standing there in the rain was a girl. She had red hair that was down to past her butt almost. She wore a blue cape thingy with an orange shirt like dress, white stockings, and brown boots. She had red eyes and she stared at me. Even standing in the rain she didn't get wet. The rain fell around her.
"Why are you sad? Why are you giving up? Would it help if you had a friend that never left your side?" Her voice was hauntingly beautiful; it like she had an accent but I couldn't tell if she did or not.
I was staring at her, something about her was off. Was this perhaps the legend of this place acting out or could this girl be something different completely, perhaps Digital World related. She smiled slightly and she kneeled down on the ground in front of me, not even caring if her clothes could get muddy.
"Don't cry please. I'll be your friend forever ok? I'll protect you and keep you safe." Something about her words seemed to give me the sense that she was serious.
She reached over and she whipped my tears away. Her hand was warm, yet it felt like it was sunshine touching my skin. Could this girl be something other than human?
"Who are you?" She smiled seeing that I talked I believe.
She moved her hand from my face and she held both of my hands that were holding my legs to my chest.
"My name is Yune; you can call my Harmony through. I'll always be there for you and you can trust me. I'll protect you my friend." I stared at her, Yune.
It was then that I noticed the necklace that I had gotten from Koji, Koichi, and Takuya was glowing. The necklace that had a yin and yang charm; it dawned me slightly. She just giggled and nodded.
"I am the Spirit of Harmony; I'll always be with you even should you part with the necklace. Yes the other Spirits are Digimon but I'm also a Digital Being. I'm much more human like through because I'm part human. Perhaps I'll tell you the sad tale of how I was bound to that necklace another time Hikari."
I saw something I hadn't in years; I saw hope. I saw a thin thread of hope that I could cling to. I believed her words; she could've never showed herself to me but could've chosen to just abandon me but she hadn't. She had taken time to show herself and to help me. She leaned over and gave me hug, which surprised me. I saw her flicker as if she was light burning out.
"I can't stay manifested for long my dear. My dear, you are the one who will create peace. I won't let you be alone any longer. If you can find the light in yourself you'll be able to talk to me whenever you want." Just like that she disappeared but I could tell I would see her once again, that I would hear from her at another time.
I stood up after a few seconds; I can't wallow any longer. I have to realize I'm not alone. I push people away by accident so if I open up and be a bit friendlier I may be able to make friends. I stepped out from under the protection of the old willow tree and into the rain. I stood by the swing set and I was soaked to the bone in seconds. Standing here in the rain made me remember the lyrics of a song I heard long ago; the song itself was nowhere to be found in this world and after seeing Yune I believe she had somehow spoken to me long ago. Something over whelmed me and I began singing the song.
"I waited for you today
But you didn't show
No, no, no
I needed you today
So where did you go?
You told me to call
Said you'd be there
And though I haven't seen you
Are you still there?"
As I stood there something called to me, something told me that the voice that hand sung this song to me wasn't her years ago. Something told me it was someone I long ago forgot; after I almost died four years ago I forgot stuff and something tells me I knew the person who had once sang this song to me.
"I cried out with no reply
And I can't feel you by my side
So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here and I'm never alone…"
As I sung 'I can't feel you by my side' the image of Yune popped into my head but when I sung 'you're here and I'm never alone' the image of.
"Kari!" I jumped and I looked behind me, it was then that I noticed that while I spaced out singing I had sat down on one of the drenched swing seats.
I stared at him and I finished the thought he had cut off. After singing that verse the image of him popped into my head. Was this a sign for something? I think of him and then he shows up?
Who did she think of? Who called out her name? Is it a sign? Who do you think sung the song to her? What could she have forgotten? What do you think? Also the song is 'Never Alone' by Barlow Girl. I think it kinda fit with what happened in her past, which has yet to be explained. I'll try to update and maybe some can guess the mystery of who sang the song to her. Yet I hope I'm not that predictable with my story, also I would love to hear your guesses.