Chapter Forty Five: Puzzle Pieces [Pt. 2]

(Ken's P.O.V)

I sat crossed legged on the floor as I listened to what Tai was saying. He and Izzy were explaining to Matt and I what happened. I was surprised when I found out that Kain Shuji was actually named Skylar Hallows. I did glance at Tai's 'uncle', Hiro Kanbara. He looked familiar for some reason but I couldn't explain why.

"So you're uncle, was apart the group of DigiDestineds before us?" Matt was surprised to hear that part, it took me by surprise as well.

"Yeah." Even knowing that, it didn't explain it either.

I didn't know him because of something related to the Digital World. I seriously can't think of why I would know him. Heck if it what they said was true he hasn't even been in this for over twelve years. There was no way that I would have ever met him.

"How long were you a Runner? I've known Tai since we were twelve and I don't even remember hearing about you." Hiro gave a slightly nervous laugh at Matt's question.

"Well the last time I was here was when I was fifteen, so probably about twenty some years now." Yeah, there was no way that I ever met him before.

"You talked to mom twelve years ago though." The time frame didn't add up.

"That was a brief talk we managed when I accidentally called Rani. Rani and your mom were together so me talked a little but even then she was mad at me so it wasn't a very long conversation." Hearing that name my eyes widened.

Rani, now I knew why he looked familiar. The memory flashed before my mind. It was one of the few days that I could ever recall such a reaction. My eyes dropped to the floor, the memory also reminded me of what I should be doing currently. It was probably just a coincidence. Rin's mother, her name was Rani. Yet it couldn't be could it? Rin had showed me a picture of her mother when she was younger since she had stated that she looked exactly like her mother. I hadn't believed her so she showed me a picture, the only picture she had of her mom was a picture of her mother and her group of friends.

"Ken?" I looked at Izzy; he had been the only person who noticed my change probably.

I should be trying to find Rin still. Her dad didn't care that she was missing and it really bothered me. It's bothered me for a while actually. He never cared about her and at times I wondered if he ever loved her. Then again she did look a lot like her mom and he's bound to miss her mom so maybe he doesn't know how to act.

"It's nothing." I'm surprised Matt wasn't worried about Rin, that or he's good at hiding it.

"You're not good at hiding things Ken but I know what you thought." I glanced at Matt.

He sighed as he leaned back, he looked at Hiro. I guess he knew too. He knew the name of Rin's mother; after all she was his aunt. He seemed bothered by something. Tai looked confused while Izzy just looked between Matt and me as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Is something wrong?" Hiro looked at Matt, who continued to stare at him.

"Rin, my cousin who's practically my little sister, her mother's name is Rani." Hiro blinked once before his eyes widened slightly.

"What's your last name?" Matt narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I must've been right then, since this all started I had a feeling. Ishida, my last name's Ishida." No matter how well Hiro tried to mask it his surprise still showed.

"What are you talking about Matt?" Matt looked at Tai.

"Ever since the Myotismon Battle I've always been curious, my dad knew about Digimon and he knew Gabumon. I always wanted to know but he always dodged my questions." I was surprised hearing that, his dad knew of Digimon?

"Hiroaki Ishida, that's your father isn't it?" Matt nodded.

"Wait, how do you know the name of Matt's dad?" Tai asked the question before anything else could be said.

"Strike that, earlier you said the two 'Hiros' when you brought up Apocalymon! Was the other 'Hiro' Matt's dad?!" My eyes widened, that would mean that Matt's dad was a DigiDestined.

"Yes, the other Hiro was him. I never imagined that he would settle down and have a family. He was scared from the battle and he stopped trusting, my supposed betrayal didn't help any." He sighed and closed his eyes before resting his head in his hands.

"Geez, how is he now of days?" I glanced at Matt who rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Workaholic, he's barely ever home and been that way since my parents divorced back when I was a kid." I flinched hearing that, I feel like I knew his parents were divorced but for some reason I felt like I didn't at the same time.

"Besides that wasn't my question. Aunt Rani, she was a DigiDestined to wasn't she?" We all saw him stiffen.

"Rani Ishida-Hallows, half-sister to Hiroaki Ishida and half-sister to Skylar Hallows." I wasn't the only one to be surprised by that.

"Wait, that doesn't really add up to what I know about Aunt Rani." Hiro sighed and looked at Matt.

"That's, nothing you need to know. You're grandfather on your father's side adopted Rani and to Hiro and his parents she was his full sister. All I'll say on that is her father, Skylar's father, was one twisted guy. If you want to know what happened then you'll have to ask Rani. That's her story to tell not mine." Matt narrowed his eyes and I knew why.

I had once asked a few questions about Rin's mom, I wanted to know just a little about her but Rin refused to answer my questions. What I found out was that Matt had been really close to her, she often took care of him when he was younger since his father was so busy. I guess I might've never actually heard it but just figured it out that his parents were divorced.

"Sorry, I kinda can't ask her since she's dead." Hiro's head snapped up and he stared at Matt.

"S-she's dead?" Matt nodded.

"Didn't know did you?" Wait, why does Matt sound so bitter?

"Dude, why do you sound pissed at him? How was he supposed to know?" Matt shot a glare at Tai.

"How about keep in contact. I never knew that the other Hiro she talked about was a Runner or even your uncle. But oh how she told me during those last few days how she had sent a message to her old friend. My father was out on a business trip and forgot his phone so she couldn't ask him so she went to the next person, the other Hiro." What happened?

Wait. He said 'last few days', does he mean the days before she died? I remember the one time Rin told me about those days. Rin had been depressed because it marked the day her mother had died, she told me how her mother had withdrawn from people. She told me that she didn't see her mother smile once besides the last day. She had kissed Rani's forehead before dropping her off at school, Rin said that her mother had told her 'the path into the future will always be lit'. That was the last thing that Rin had ever heard from her mother.

"What are you talking about? What happened to Rani?" Matt shifted his glare to the floor.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter. It's just a burden I carry." They've both shut down.

Rin and Matt both won't talk about it. I had asked Rin as nicely as I could, all she said was 'accident'. She refused to talk after that. Matt won't speak about it either. It wasn't long after that that Rin disappeared. I chewed on my lip. I wanted to know where Rin was. The fact that neither Matt nor her father seemed to care bugged me.

"Do you know where Rin is?" I blurted it out without meaning to.

I bit down on my lip harshly. Stupid, I shouldn't have asked that then. I was worried about her yes but right now, it wasn't right to ask that question.

"Wait, wasn't Rin staying with you?" Matt's eyes snapped to me.

I was taken aback by his question. I hadn't brought it up with Matt because I had assumed he knew that she was missing. I had brought it up to Izzy and Tai because that limited how often I could help them. The fact that he didn't know made my stomach knot. He didn't know that she was missing.

"Wait, Rin is Rani's daughter right?" Matt nodded slightly at Hiro's question.

"Rin, we had talked about her staying over to finish a project but she never showed up. I didn't get worried until she didn't show for school two days later. I thought you knew. I've been trying to find for a little while." Matt grabbed his hair.

"Shit, I knew I should've done something." His words confused me.

"I did drift from them which I regret but, who did Rani marry?" Matt looked at Hiro and something about how he spoke he sounded like he knew something.

"Earlier on when you talked about your group, didn't you say she was always with that one guy? Kaname that was the name you said wasn't it?" Tai seemed like he was trying hard to think and I only saw Hiro flinch hearing that name.

"To everything good in the worlds, I really hope she didn't marry Kaname." He was so quick to say that.

"Yeah, you said he turned evil too." Matt laughed slightly.

"So that jerk was a DigiDestined huh?" I saw Hiro pale.

"You had the misfortune to meet him I see." Matt scoffed.

"I got the misfortune of having him as an uncle, Rani married him." So Matt's uncle was evil?

"Rani, she had an 'accident' didn't she?" Hiro spoke so low, he sounded angry.

"I wouldn't even call that an accident. Everyone told that to Rin just to shelter her since she was seven and believed that her dad was the greatest person in the world. That wasn't an accident." My eyes widened slightly hearing that.

"What do you mean, it wasn't an accident? Rin said." Matt gave me a look.

"You know what happened don't you Matt?" Izzy seemed hesitant to say anything, this was quietest I have ever seen them.

"It deals with why you were so determined to keep Rin around wasn't it, why you tried to talk Rin into moving here wasn't it Matt?" Tai's words surprised me, I hadn't heard that.

"Kaname is a jerk; he doesn't care about anyone but himself. I'm not even surprised he's evil actually it explains a lot of stuff." Matt sighed and shook his head.

"Rin's missing." He looked at me and I nodded.

"Someone should've just been truthful to her back then." I was confused by Matt's words.

"I need to go, I might know where Rin is and while I care about what's going on Rin comes first." He stood up and he began to leave.

Something wasn't right. No there was something that Rin hid and that something if I had to guess is what Matt hid. Before he was fully out of the living room someone knocked, it was quick and rapid.

"It's open!" Tai, really not caring who might come I think, shouted it out.

I really would hate to see who comes in when he shouts that out and it isn't one of us. The door open and someone rushed in and the next thing I know Matt crashed to the ground. Yet everyone stared with wide eyes. Rin had crashed right into Matt but maybe she had meant to I don't know. She had her arms wrapped around Matt and the way she shook I could guess she was crying.

"Whoa, Rin what happened!?" Matt was careful as he pushed her away and when he did I could see why.

Her shirt was torn here and there while blood also stained it. Bruises littered her skin. I was surprised to see her like that. That wasn't the Rin I was used to. She rubbed at her eyes with her hands.

"Why?" Her voice sounded broken.

"Why what?" Matt was gentle to her.

"Why didn't anyone tell me that my father murdered my mother?!" My eyes went wide; everyone stared at Rin when she nearly yelled the words.

"Why did no one bother to tell me this? Who knew how abusive he was and just let me suffer all of these years!? Alone, I've been so alone." Matt's hands shook.

"H-how did you find out?" Rin covered her face.

"I met Hikari Kamiya when I was eight, she was nine. She was fighting the Demon Lords and after my parallel-self ran into me I was dragged into the fight! I'm supposed to play apart in this stupid war and because of that I was granted access to the Millennium Library where I found the prophecy of this battle." It all came rushing and when it fully registered I was surprised.

She never went to the Digital World but she knew of Digimon. Not only that she knew Kari and she had been involved in whatever the battle was that Kari fought five years. She's involved in the battle that's occurring now.

"Because of the stupid battle I was destined to be abused. I was left alone to suffer. While there I met the ghost of someone named Snow. She told me about the fact that my mom fought the Demon Lords before me." I just stared at her and things started to fall into place.

I was stunned to learn that she was abused; it took a few moments for that to actually click. It explained the random bruises and wounds she would have. It also explained why she hated going home and why she hated her dad so much. She looked so broken and I didn't know what to do.

"Where is Kaname now?" I was caught off guard by Hiro and seeing Rin flinch from just simply hearing her father's name.

"Leave it alone, she's not in any kind of place to talk about that." Matt hissed the words and he glared at him.

"It matters, if she's that much of a wreck she's bound to have told her father the prophecy. He works with the Demon Lords! My group did so much to keep that from the Demon Lords! It's the only thing we managed. They find out about that they'll change what they can and make this as bad as the other battles." Hiro had stood up and it surprised me, he sounded more concerned about the prophecy.

"Do you not even care about the fact that it could only hurt her worse?" I saw Hiro narrow his eyes at Matt.

"Do you know how many people died wishing to see the Demon Lords die? Who cares if one girl cries herself to sleep if it means killing the Demon Lords and saving many!?" I couldn't believe what he just said.

Despite how cruel it was, it was kind of true. I hated hearing it because it was Rin but even so I had to admit it was true. It pissed me off but it was true, saving a lot of people over one crying person. Yet the look that crossed Matt's face, I knew he didn't care about anything but Rin.

"I really am insignificant. It wouldn't even matter if I died would it?" Matt froze; everyone did at Rin's words.

She let her hands fall and she looked at Hiro. Her eyes were so dull; it's the first time I've ever seen them like that. There has always been a spark of light or hope in her eyes. No matter what happened she had always seemed to believe in a better tomorrow. She looked truly broken then.

"He's probably looking for me. I confronted him but I didn't say anything about the prophecy. I'm not that stupid." She gave a broken laugh.

"So don't worry, he doesn't know." This is what she must've been hiding all of these years.

"Rin, you matter. Maybe not to everyone but you matter to me." Matt spoke breaking the tense silence that had overcome us.

His hair covered his eyes and his hands that were fists shook. He was angry, I could tell that much. Izzy watched him, waiting for something while Tai stood up slowly. I looked at Rin though; she sat there staring at the ground. She would wipe away a few tears every few seconds.

"Now, how about we calm down? Hiro just found out that one of his old best friends were dead and some other things so I bet it's just that speaking Matt. Also Hiro, you really should apologize." Tai seemed a bit awkward; he wasn't used to being the person who tried to calm others down.

"You're Rani's daughter right?" Rin slowly glanced at Hiro, she moved as if she wasn't really there.

"Would it make me matter then?" Her voice was so small.

"You're the daughter of a DigiDestined, you should've known life wasn't going to be easy for you especially since your mother fought the Demon Lords and your father was a true traitor." That just seemed to crack her a bit more.

"Maybe I would've had I known that about my parents. Then again my mother tried to shelter me from that and never told me and I didn't know how cruel my father was until he started to abuse me." The smile that had crossed her face, it looked dead.

"Enough." Matt cut Hiro off.

"If you need anything Tai, I'll be at my house." He turned and after bending down he picked Rin up.

"Also, you really are a jerk Hiro. You ignored Aunt Rani's cry for help and now you helped to destroy what's remaining of her daughter. She was said you viewed her as a sister also, I feel sorry for your sons if this is how you treat them." Hiro's eyes widened.

Matt didn't even waste time leaving after that. His words even chilled me even though they weren't directed at me. That didn't seem like the Matt that I had come to know, that was a darker side of him. I looked at Tai when he made a quick movement. He had grabbed Hiro by the shirt shocking even Hiro.

"What the hell was that?! You yourself was abused and that's how you treat someone who's gone through it worse than you?!" Rin had surprisingly made quick friends with Tai; maybe it was because she was Matt's cousin, I don't know.

"Do you think anyone cared about me!? I just had to suck it up and move on. You don't know half the things that I've lived through." Hiro was gentle but he shoved Tai, it was only enough to make Tai let go and take a step back.

"You had your sister, my mom!" Hiro seemed taken aback.

"Rin has no one! No one even knew before just now that she suffered that! Before today she seemed like a perfectly cheery girl who was just a klutz." It's a trait of Tai's I think, to befriend anyone he wants and then stand up for them if something happens to them.

"Your sister is in this fight; if they find out they could and would kill her Tai." Tai stiffened but he glared at him.

"Thank you for your information but it might be best if you take your leave now. This isn't the battle you fought anymore Hiro." As I stared at them I saw a flicker of orange from Hiro's shoulder blade.

I blinked a few times, even rubbed my eyes. His shoulder blade still flickered with the orange like flames. After a few seconds I felt it. It was a familiar feeling, something that I wouldn't forget. It was burned into my mind since last year. Since Kari and I forced a certain Digimon into the Dark Ocean so we could seal him away. Why did I get the feeling from him though?

"You don't understand do you?" As he spoke something else dawned on me.

He's had a character flip. He had been nice and rather kind, he actually reminded me of Tai. What was with this? Something wasn't right but I couldn't figure out how. I didn't know as much about this stuff as I wished I did. What was with his sudden spiteful words and attitude?

"Does anyone besides me sense Daemon?" Everything stopped and they looked at me.

"What are you talking about Ken?" Why could I sense it but they couldn't?

"I would sense him if he was anywhere around." Hiro's harsh tone almost made me flinch.

"Ok, does anyone else see the orange flame like thing flickering from Hiro's shoulder blade?" That got me a weird look from Hiro.

Tai and Izzy both looked though. They looked puzzled and that confused me. It also worried me. Was I going crazy? I know I saw it and I know I sensed Daemon. Well it didn't feel exactly like Daemon but it had the same feel to it. It felt weaker and maybe a bit more unstable but it definitely had the same feel as Daemon.

"Uh no, there is nothing Ken." I rubbed my eyes, it's still there!

"I know what's going on~" The voice made me jump.

My eyes went Tai's Digivice that sat on the coffee table. It let off a glow. It was a girl but who was she and how is she talking through Tai's Digivice?

"Chrono?" Tai sounded a bit unsure.

"Yelp it's me again." Who's Chrono?

"How do you know what's going on?" Yes, that was good question since I don't even know who Chrono is!

"Well you see what happened is a little piggy squealed. Hiro was injured twenty-two years ago by Daemon while protecting Rani, cut across his back. He's currently being controlled." I froze, so he's possessed by Daemon currently.

"How would you even know about that huh?" I heard 'Chrono' laugh slightly.

"You're lucky though, Daemon himself isn't controlling him. Just someone else that Daemon turned though it was by will for the other and he has some special powers, he's not that scary." I don't even know how they would control people actually but I'm not going to question that.

"Oh shut up, like you know anything." She sighed.

"She might not but I do." My eyes widened hearing the voice.

Everyone did actually. Tai and Izzy now stared at Tai's Digivice as well. That wasn't the girl. It was a boy, a highly familiar boy voice. But how was he there? How would he know anything? Heck he didn't know anything weeks ago so how did know things now?

"Every now and then, miracles can happen." His words threw me off even more.

"Enough for now, they're bound to question you later. It's best for now you be quiet." Oh yeah we'll question.

"I wanna ask now, how does he." Izzy couldn't even finish his question, as if he couldn't find the right words to say which was a first for him I think.

"Wait! If he's being controlled then did whoever it was make sure that Matt left with Rin?!" I stood up as the idea struck me.

Why would they want them to be split from us? Ideas began to flood my mind and none of them were a good reason. If she's involved in the battle that's taking place then what if they were after her? It also brought the Belphemon attack to my mind. We never knew why he had attacked. What if he was supposed to attack Rin then? Rin had been with us but she had left only moments before Belphemon had attacked. She had looked startled and she seemed to nearly run away from us. She came back not even a few moments after Belphemon had left.

At the time it had confused me but now it made me worry. What if she knew that Belphemon had come and was after her? Yet now she was with Matt and probably in a state where she can't even make sense of her own life. What if this was a plan to isolate her from us and to attack her?

"Oh god, I thought we managed to contact you guys before they left!" It was the girl, she sounded panicked now.

"I can't do anything, I can't fight right now." Her voice seemed to shake.

The glow around Tai's Digivice faded and there was nothing. Right now too many things were running through my head to make any clear choice. The only thing that was clear was that she was probably about to be attacked by a monster. I turned and ran, Tai called after me and I faintly registered hurried footsteps after me.

I feel like I might've rushed it too much but I wanted this to happen and not have it drag on. But I might've rushed it a little too much. Also just so no one decides to criticize me about Ken's thought, how he saw what the Controlled Hiro meant. He can see both points and he understands it but he doesn't agree with it. I don't want any hate because I made Ken a bit insightful. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry if it was rushed, I was trying to find a balance of rushed but not too slow you know? It's a bit hard to manage.