Hello. Now, there's been quite a bit happening since I posted the last chapter as most of you may already know.
My deviantART account CherrygirlUK was hacked into and deactivated. Everything that was on there was wiped off. I lost my drawings, pageviews, comments etc. I managed to retrieve most of my drawings back (a BIG thanks to the people who had saved some of my work and sent me them :)). I'm most relieved that I still have my Digimon 2.5 manga. I'm currently in the process of re-uploading my drawings etc doing like two or three a week. Anyone who visited my deviantART account I'm now under a new username CherrygirlUK19 (as you can see I've also changed my username on here to match)
Also, another thing I forgot to mention when I uploaded the last chapter (and it will be added into this one). I've changed my mind on Sora being pregnant. I posted a journal up on deviantART about a month ago explaining why I've decided to change it. But for those who didn't see the journal I'll give a quick explanation here.
In the very first (and crap hehe) version of this story which was way back in like 2002/03 I had a friend who wanted to have a character based on herself and she wanted her to be Tai and Sora's daughter. So I had Sora became pregnant. But now I haven't spoken to that friend in like 5 or 6 years so the character now seems a little useless if you know what I mean. Plus I have plans to use Sora later on in the story and it would be very hard to if she's quite far along in her pregnancy.
I apologise to anyone who liked the idea of Tai and Sora having a second child. I hope you're not mad at me hehe. In this chapter will explain how I'm gonna deal with this. I wasn't going to go back and edit out every little bit in the previous chapters that mentioned her pregnancy, that would be just too hard and confusing for everyone who's read the story.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. I'll let you read the next chapter, enjoy!
Lachelle92: Thank you :)
Sithking Zero: Thank you! Yeah she can be a bit of a jerk sometimes but she does have a nice side hehe
Aldamonburst: Thanks. Yeah he will do very soon ^^
Xxalienatedxx: Thank you, glad you like it
Keyblade King 12: I didn't know there was a Digimon called Ponchomon and he does look like Togemon X lol oh and Calumon was just a random Digimon I picked for that part. He's not like the one in Tamers.
Daikari princess: hehe yeah it is pretty funny as their mothers were very good friends.
GatomonRules: Thanks :)
L-ily-13-06: Yeah Dawn can be insensitive to others. But she does have a soft side which is rarely seen lol
Dragongirl19510: Thanks. You'll have to wait and find out hehe
Nekomon-chan12: Yeah Stacey takes after Matt. She's almost the spitting image of him. And sure I'll check your story out :)
Eduardo-007: hehe thank you ^^
FFnetfanHANNAH: Thanks. What happened with Palmon will be explain ^^
Sync The Dragon Tempest: Yeah, their different personalities makes them clash quite a lot lol
RazenX: Thank you :) I called it 2.5 as it's a sequel to season 2 but it's before the tamers season if that makes any sense lol
Liliy: Thanks. Don't worry I haven't left deviantART. Above explains what happened.
Steph-Hime: Thank you ^^ above will explain what happened to my deviantART account.
No name: Thank you :) I'm glad you're enjoying it
Digimon Season 2.5 "Adventure 03"
Episode 24: "Forgive and Forget?"
.:Izzy's Research Laboratory, Minato, Tokyo:.
It was the evening after the battle with Monochromon X. The children had all returned home from the Digital World and all the adult DigiDestined had gathered in Izzy's research lab, along with Jim, Haruhiko and Jonathon. They were all together to draw up a profile of the Undead King.
Izzy was sat in his chair, his elbow propped up on his desk and holding the X antibody syringe Joe had collected. He studied the liquid inside. "Hmmm... I've never seen something like this before. Is this what the Undead King was using to capture the Digimon?"
"We assume so." Joe replied. "The streets were littered with these after the Waspmon attack. I've never seen an attack like that before. They were able to take control of so many Digimon so quickly."
Mimi stood up from her chair. "What I don't get is what happened with Palmon." She turned to Izzy. "You said if a Digimon gets infected with the X antibody then that Digimon would become evil, but Palmon never did."
Izzy turned around in his chair. "I'm still trying to work that out. My theory is it has something to do with Tricia's digivice. The power from that must have blocked the X Antibody from taking over her mind and soul and just allowed the virus to change her appearance."
"But if that's so then why was Gabumon taken over by the virus?" Matt asked, who was stood next to his brother.
Izzy turned to look at him. "I have a theory about that as well. But I'll get to that later. Let's just concentrate on what we know about the Undead King first."
"Well we know he has no physical form." Tai commented. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded next to his wife who was sat in a chair.
"Except he can create a physical form, such as arms and legs." Sora added, glancing up at her husband. "Remember when BurningGreymon was fighting him in the Native Forest? "
Flashback...
BurningGreymon thumped his fist into what was supposed to be the Undead King's chest. Instead, his fist seemed to pass right through like there was nothing but air underneath the cape.
Dawn was still gawping at what she had just witnessed. "B-b-but how?" she stuttered.
"I have the ability to create forces that act like arms, hands, legs and so on when I desire as you have just seen. But apart from that I have no physical form... as of yet. So it makes it all that more difficult for you to attack me." The Undead King explained.
...End Flashback
"So how are we supposed to defeat him if there's nothing there to destroy?" Kari asked.
"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves." Izzy replied. "But he should have a weakness. If he was created somehow there should be a way of destroying him."
"We don't have all that much on him. Apart from Tai and Sora, only the children have come against him." Ken said.
Jonathon stood up from the computer he was sat behind. "We may have come face to face with him but we don't have all that much different information than what Mr and Mrs Kamiya had." He explained. "They were only brief battles and what we saw was basically the same; no physical form, just an invisible force covered by a cloak."
Izzy nodded along as he typed the information into his computer.
"Not to mention he has the ability to disappear from thin air. Like teleportation or something. Also, strangely enough he doesn't seem to stick around long after challenging us to a battle." Jonathon added.
Flashback...
He took a step back towards the edge of Blimpmon.
"You really are a coward!" Dan exclaimed angrily. "You can't even stay and fight us!"
"Believe me, I would love to stay and eliminate you two myself but I have unfinished business to attend to."
Rosemon X smiled and placed her right hand on her hip. "Do not worry. I'll be sure to take good care of these two."
The Undead King smiled glancing at his henchwomen. "I know I can always rely on you Rosemon X." He then leaped up into the air and seemingly vanished from sight, his laughter echoing across the vast ocean...
...End Flashback
"That's strange." Davis commented. "He must be planning something big if he's captured all those Digimon from the city and keeps fleeing from battles."
Yolei glanced up at Ken before over at Izzy. "If this Undead King is as dangerous as he sounds, then is it safe for the children to be going to the Digital World?"
"Darling, we faced danger all the time when we were their age." Ken spoke. "They'll be fine."
"So if the Undead King has captured all those Digimon there must be a base somewhere in the Digital World where he's keeping them." Cody remarked.
Joe nodded. "The children had the same theory as well."
"You know, out of everyone I think Stacey is the one who can give us the most information." Haruhiko spoke up, glancing over at Matt.
Matt sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't think she wants to talk about all that just yet."
Izzy nodded. "We understand. But sooner or later she's gonna have to tell us all what she knows. It could be a big help."
"I understand that Izzy but please just give her some time. It's her first day back at school tomorrow and I think she wants to ease back into reality first before bringing all that back up again."
"Yeah c'mon Iz', the kid's been away from civilisation for over six months." Tai added. "It's gonna take a little time for her to adjust."
"Exactly. I'll know when my daughter is ready, and when she is I'll talk to her about what happened." Matt said.
.:Ishida apartment, Odaiba, Tokyo:.
It was the following morning. Stacey looked at herself in the mirror in the hallway as she got ready for her first day back at school. She was dressed in a purple top, the left side was sleeveless and the right side had a long sleeve. On her left arm was a long black glove that almost reached the top of her shoulder. The bottom half of her outfit consisted of a short black skirt and a pair of black boots that just passed her knees.
She sighed and tucked some of her blonde hair behind her right ear. A chunk of her fringe fell over her left eye. "Why am I so nervous? It's like I'm 4 years old again and it's my very first day at school..."
Matt walked over to his daughter and stood behind her. She looked up at his reflection through the mirror. "Now, I've spoken with the principle. He said you can come home whenever you feel a little uneasy over anything." He said, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.
"I'll be fine Dad. All I want to do is get back to the way things were. It'll be tough, but I'll be okay." She replied.
"Children are going to be asking questions about where you've been and what happened. Now just tell them you don't want to talk about it."
Stacey nodded. "I know Dad."
SnowAgumon peeked his head out from her bedroom door. "Hey, have a good day."
Stacey turned and smiled a little at her new partner Digimon. "I will. See ya later SnowAgumon." She turned to the sofa where her other best friend was sat. "See ya later Gabumon!" she called before grabbing her school bag. She opened the apartment door and turned back to look at her father. "See you after school Dad." She said before leaving closing the door behind her.
Matt smiled and turned around, glancing up at a photo that hung on the wall of them both when Stacey was nine. He finally had his daughter back.
.:Kamiya Apartment, Odaiba, Tokyo:.
"The top story this morning is that missing girl Suteishi "Stacey" Ishida has returned home after disappearing in autumn last year." The news reporter began. "Police failed to find a lead in her disappearance six months ago and still no one has been charged with her kidnapping. Her father, Fuji TV Station Manager Yamato Ishida released a statement saying he's glad his daughter is finally home and that they wish to put it behind them and move on..."
At this moment, Tai walked out of the bedroom whilst fixing his tie. He headed over to the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast bar with his back to the TV.
Sora walked over pouring him a glass of orange juice before placing it in front of him. "The press have gotten hold of Stacey's return. Matt's trying to cover it up by claiming they want to forget about it and move on."
Tai glanced behind him at the television before turning back and looking down at the newspaper. "I suppose it'll be all over the papers tomorrow. It's gonna be hard for Matt to keep it a secret. They're gonna be pressing him for information on what happened to her. You can't keep something like that secret without people asking where she was or if anyone kidnapped her and why there hasn't been an arrest."
"I don't know how I'd cope if we lost Dawn for that long. It just wouldn't be the same around here." Sora said with a sigh.
"Mom! Dad! I Can't Find My Soccer Ball!"
Tai looked at his wife after hearing his daughter's shout. "Although it would be a lot quieter." He said before smiling, causing Sora to laugh a little.
Just then, the telephone rang throughout the apartment. Sora walked over and picked up the cordless phone. "Hello?"
Whilst she was on the phone, Tai finished off his own breakfast and stood up grabbing his jacket. "Dawn, if you want a ride to school I'm leaving now!" he shouted.
Dawn peaked her head around the corner of her bedroom door. "But I still can't find my soccer ball."
"You didn't leave it in the car did you?" Tai asked as he put on his jacket. "I picked you up from soccer practice the other day remember?" He walked up to Sora and gave her a quick kiss goodbye. He turned to head for the door when she suddenly grabbed his arm holding him back as Dawn ran past him towards the front door.
"Uhhh... okay. Thank you. No, no don't worry about it. It was an honest mistake. Thank you, bye." Sora pressed the red button ending the call and placed it back in its holder before looking up at her husband, who was looking a little puzzled.
"What's up?"
"Umm... that was the hospital..." Sora said her voice a little solemn. "They made a mistake with the test results."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Tai asked, still looking puzzled.
Sora sighed and looked up at him. "It means I'm not pregnant Tai. They made a mistake. It was a Mrs Kamiyama who's pregnant, not me."
"What?" Tai gasped quietly. "Are they sure?"
Sora nodded. "They said the M and A at the end of her name had been smudged off and they thought it was my file. They only realised the mistake this morning. They double checked my results and it came back negative."
Tai sighed and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her gently. "You okay?"
Sora nodded smiling a little. "Yeah. Obviously I'm a little upset but I'll be okay." She then glanced behind her husband to their daughter who was sat down on the hallway mat putting her sneakers on. The bearer of Love sighed. "How do we tell Dawn?" she asked in a whisper.
Tai glanced behind him. "I don't know." He murmured turning back to his wife. "But it'll be okay." He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I'll see you later alright? Bye honey."
Sora gave a small smile again. "Yeah, see you later."
.:Odaiba Elementary, Odaiba, Tokyo:.
Tai parked his car at the side of the road opposite Odaiba Elementary. Dawn quickly took off her seatbelt and grabbed her school bag. "See ya later Dad!"
"Wait, don't forget your soccer ball." Tai reached over to the back seat and handed Dawn her black and white ball. "Well, have a good day kiddo, I'll see you later." He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.
Dawn made a face as she noticed a few students pass by the car. "Dad! That's gross! Don't kiss me in front of everyone. It's embarrassing." She said wiping the side of her face.
Tai just smiled and ruffled her hair, but in a lot more gentle manor than he usually did.
Dawn gave her father a puzzled look. "Uhhhh... Dad? You feeling okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Dawn... there's something you need to know. I didn't want to tell you now but..."
Dawn lost her puzzled look and stared at her father. She hadn't seen him looking as serious. "What is it?" she asked, slightly worried about what he was about to say.
Tai sighed and turned his head away from his daughter for a quick second. "The doctors, they made a little mistake..." he looked back at her. "You won't be getting a baby brother or sister."
Dawn looked down at her soccer ball in her lap. Tai could tell she was disappointed. She lifted her head up and smiled at him. But he knew that was just a brave smile she was putting on. "Don't worry about it Dad. I'll be alright."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Besides, at least I'll still get all the attention from you and Mom, and not have to share my toys." She joked with a giggle.
Tai smiled slightly. He knew she was just trying to hide her disappointment. "Well, have fun at school. Don't be late back for dinner."
"I won't." Dawn then noticed her best friend walking towards the school gates. "Oh there's Dan, see ya later!" she jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her before running across the road to catch up with the goggle boy.
"So did your parents tell you anything about what they were discussing last night?" Dan asked as he unlocked his locker and opened it.
Dawn shook her head as she opened her locker as well. "No." she replied as she put her soccer ball inside. "They said it was "Grown up" stuff, which is a lame excuse considering we're the ones who have battled the Undead King."
Dan gave a puzzled look as he closed his locker. "If it was only grown up stuff then why was Jonathon there last night?"
"That's what I want to know." Dawn replied before she shut her locker a little loudly. "Why is he so special he gets to sit in with our parents? He hasn't even fought the Undead King. If anything I should have been there last night."
The two best friends left their lockers and began walking down the corridor towards their classroom just as the bell rang, signalling first class was about to start.
"Well Jonathon acts like a grownup sometimes. I don't think I've ever seen him do any kid stuff like play at the park." Dan commented as the two best friends walked into their classroom.
The teacher hadn't arrived yet so a few of the students were stood leaning against their desks talking. But just as Dawn and Dan entered the room, Dawn's eyes fell upon the person sat right at the back of the classroom. It was Stacey. She had her head down and her arms were folded across her chest.
"What's she doing here?" Dawn demanded, her fists clenched tightly.
"Huh?" Dan looked from his best friend over to the other end of the classroom. "Whoa... I didn't know she was back from the Digital World."
Dawn stormed over, moving in and out of a few of the desks and pushing past a group of giggling girls. She stopped right in front of Stacey's desk. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face here after what you've done."
Stacey didn't seem to acknowledge the Kamiya girl's presence. Either that or she was ignoring her. She remained silent with her head down staring at her desk.
"Don't you ignore me!" Dawn exclaimed. "Answer me before I knock some sense into ya!"
Stacey sighed and slowly stood up from her desk, pushing her chair back slightly. "Meet me behind the main building at lunch and I'll explain everything." She muttered under her breath.
Dawn blinked and was about to protest back when their Math teacher, Mrs Sato, walked in and Stacey sat back down. "Fine. I will." She grumbled before she walked over to her desk.
.:Thunder Mountain, File Island, Digital World:.
The Undead King's footsteps echoed on the stone floor as he strolled down the wide corridor of his basement. Either side of him were rows and rows of large cages that contained his newly captured Digimon army. Each cage was occupied with a ultimate or a mega level Digimon.
At the end of the corridor was a wooden door. He opened it up and walked through to another room. This room was just as big and identical to the previous room. Although the only difference was the cages contained rookie and champion Digimon.
The Undead King wandered down the corridor before he paused in front of one of the cages. "Now, let's see if this little trick works." He grinned to himself as he pulled a small syringe from underneath his cape.
Inside the cage was Crabmon X, a rookie Digimon. He growled and slowly looked up.
The Undead King unlocked the cage and opened the door, which creaked a little. He stepped inside and knelt down. "Now this won't hurt a bit." He said with a sly smile. He pressed the syringe into Crabmon X's body and injected the special X antibody into his system.
Crabmon X snarled and cringed as the X antibody began to run through his body. The Undead King stepped back out of the cage and locked the door. He sniggered under his breath as he watched Crabmon X by-bass the champion level and digivolve straight into Scorpiomon X.
The Undead King chuckled under his breath. "It works."
.:Odaiba Elementary, Odaiba, Tokyo:.
The teacher's voice droned on and on as he explained the scientific formula he was writing on the blackboard, which didn't seem to make any sense at all. Only a few students had their heads up paying attention. The rest were doodling in their books or staring off into space.
Dawn let out a long bored sigh and slouched down in her chair, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "Man this is so boring. I wish I was back in the Digital World. It would be so cool to live there. No school, no homework, no one telling you what to do..." She looked up at the clock. Ten minutes till lunchtime. She glanced behind her to where Stacey was sat a couple of desks behind her. "What she has to say had better be good."
A few other students were glancing over at the blonde haired girl and whispering to each other. Stacey sighed as she leaned back in her chair crossing her arms. She had gotten this all morning during classes. Kids would be whispering. She knew they were talking about her. If they weren't asking her direct questions they were muttering behind her back.
After having enough, she coughed a little alerting the teacher's attention before getting to her feet. "Excuse me Mr Hamada, but could I be excused?" she spoke politely. The whole class turned to look at her. She had her head down not looking at any of them.
The science teacher, Mr Hamada turned his attention away from the blackboard. "Of course Stacey. Go right ahead." He replied kindly before continuing with his lesson.
Dawn and Dan both watched as the blonde haired girl bowed politely and walked around the back of the classroom and out of the door. "What's she up to?" Dawn thought narrowing her eyes.
Outside behind the main building, Stacey was stood in the shadows. She was leant casually against the wall with her arms crossed and her right leg crossed over her left. No one was about as classes hadn't finished yet. But if on cue, the school bell rang and children began exiting the buildings.
There was a sound behind her as a soccer ball smashed against a couple of trash cans. She jumped a little and spun round to see a boy collect it before running back off to join his friends. She took a couple of steps backwards to conceal herself.
"Okay, I'm here. So talk."
Stacey slowly turned around to see Dawn stood a few hundred yards away from her. "Look, you better be willing to listen because I have a lot to explain. I know what short attention span you have."
"Hey less of the jokes. What you have to say better be good. One minute you're working for the Undead King and the next you're back here. What's going on?" Dawn demanded.
Stacey stood up straight. "This is why I'm here to explain everything. So you better listen."
"Alright, I'm listening. Just hurry up. I'm missing my lunch for this." Dawn replied a little unenthusiastically as she casually leaned against the wall stuffing her hands in her pockets.
Stacey sighed a little irritably. "Is that all you care about? Your stomach?"
Dawn jumped up straight clenching her fists. "Listen you, if you make one more remark I'm outta here!"
The blonde haired girl crossed her arms. "Well I certainly see you haven't changed over the past six months. Still as hot headed as ever."
Dawn scowled glaring at her born rival and trying to control her temper. "Let's just start from the beginning huh? Why did you run off to the Digital World?"
"The Undead King tricked me in to going with him to the Digital World. I was really down at that point so it was easy for him to manipulate me into thinking I'd have a better life there working for him."
Dawn eyed her suspiciously. "How do we know you're not just here to spy on us and report back to him? Seems a little strange you suddenly coming home like this when you didn't want to. What's changed?"
"You're just going to have to trust me."
"Trust you? That's gonna be a little difficult after some of the stuff you've done." Dawn scoffed crossing her arms over her chest.
The Ishida girl sighed. "If I was still working for the Undead King would he be really out to hunt me down and kill me? You were the one who heard him command that. Not to mention Garurumon is rid of the X antibody and back to his normal self."
"Uhhh... well... my parents did mention something about that..." Dawn stuttered a little. "But it's gonna take more than that to win our trust back." She retorted. "This could all be an act and a trap."
"It's nothing of the sort." Stacey replied. "Whilst I was under his orders I started to realise what a big mistake I had made and regretted leaving my father. That's why I ran away and separated from Garurumon X. But I knew I couldn't come home straight away so I planned on staying in the Digital World for a while. That's until my father showed up. Something happened then and I finally realised I should return home."
Dawn remained quiet and just looked at her, still with slight suspicion.
"I know it's gonna take time for you and the others to fully trust me. But I'm willing to try and maybe one day I can join you guys in helping fight the Undead King." Stacey took a few steps towards the Kamiya girl and held out her right hand. "I can be a big help. I know where his base is, I know all the shortcuts, secret passageways and where everything is kept in there. If you let me join the team I can be your advantage and his disadvantage."
Dawn looked from Stacey, to the hand she was offering, and then back up at her. "Let's not rush things to begin with." She muttered before turning and walking off.
"So what did Stacey say?" Dan asked. It was nearing the end of lunch and the two goggle kids were sat on the bleachers by the soccer field with Dan sat up one higher than Dawn.
Dawn huffed. "She said she no longer takes orders from the Undead King and wants to join us in helping fight him." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I still think its a little odd her coming home suddenly like this. It could all be a trap in luring us to him. I don't know if I can trust her."
Dan glanced down at the soccer ball that was resting in his lap. "Do you really think Stacey would be capable of setting us up like that? She is our friend."
"After some of the stuff she's done wouldn't you think she would?" Dawn questioned, looking up at him. "If she was our friend she wouldn't have run off to the Digital World and gone against us all in the first place."
Dan thought for a moment before speaking. "So... what're you gonna do?" he asked.
"I don't know... Urgh! Stacey just thinks she can show up after six months and we'll all magically forgive her? Forget it!" Dawn exclaimed slamming her fist down on the bleacher. That's when she looked up. "Huh?" Tricia was passing by taking a short cut across the soccer field and had stopped just as Dawn punched the bleacher.
Tricia just glared at the Kamiya girl before she turned to leave in the opposite direction.
"Tricia, wait!" Dawn called jumping to her feet and running to catch up with her.
Tricia stopped walking. Her head was down and she refused to look at the brown haired girl who appeared beside her. "What do you want?"
"Tricia... I want to say sorry for what happened yesterday." Dawn spoke.
"You don't mean it." Tricia mumbled before she began to walk off again.
But Dawn darted in front of her blocking her path. "I do mean it. I truly am sorry for what I said. I know I was a jerk and a little insensitive but-"
"A little?" Tricia interrupted with a huff.
Dawn sighed. "Okay, really insensitive. But I got thinking last night and I realised I'd be pretty upset if something happened to Agumon too. He's my best friend, just like Palmon is yours."
Underneath Tricia was a little taken back. Dawn had never spoken to her this way before. Because of their different personalities they always clashed. She slowly lifted her head up and looked up at Dawn. She did truly look sorry for what had happened.
"But I did mean what I said when I said you were pretty cool in that battle. You did a good job. I know Palmon may look a little different now but she's still your best friend. You two make a good team." Dawn explained. Not getting a reply from the younger girl she sighed. "I understand if you're still mad at me."
Tricia continued to look up at her. Last night when she had returned home she had thought long about what had happened. In a weird sort of way Dawn had complimented her yesterday after the battle. She knew the Kamiya girl wasn't good in sensitive situations and very rarely showed her softer side. In fact, this was the first time she had seen Dawn's nice side of her personality. "If I forgive you... will you promise not to treat me like a spoilt little princess anymore?"
Dawn nodded. "You have my word."
Just then, the school bell rang throughout the grounds signalling the end of lunch hour. "Uhh... I better get to class." Tricia said, turning to walk away. But first she paused and looked back at Dawn. "And ummm... thanks. For the apology."
Dan jumped off the bleacher and walked over carrying the soccer ball and stood beside the goggle girl. "We better go Dawn. If we're late for Literature again Ms. Suzuki will give us detention."
"Yeah, let's go."
.:Odaiba Beach, Odaiba, Tokyo:.
It was the end of the day and Stacey had found herself lying on a bench just at the edge of the beach in front of her apartment building. She was alone and only a couple stood at the water's edge and a man jogging along the beach were the only others around.
School had been a little rough. Stacey knew it would have been on her first day back. The usual bullies were back taunting her and others would ask questions such as 'Where have you been all this time?' 'Were you kidnapped?' 'Where were you kept?' and 'Were you scared? Did they do anything to you?'.
Stacey had just done what her father had told her to do. Tell them she didn't want to talk about it. Most of the students left her alone after that but a few still pressed for answers. Luckily during those few times she was saved by the teachers intervening.
So it was back to reality now. Back to what her life was six months ago, but this time it was different. This time she had two best friends and she knew life wasn't as bad as she thought it was before the Undead King came into it.
But something was still bugging her. She wanted everything back to the way it was before her parents split up. She wanted her friends back. Stacey mind cast back to the memories when they'd all play in the playground at pre-school. Sure it usually ended with her and Dawn squabbling but she had fun with the others.
"Kamiya..." she thought scowling a little. "Why does she never listen? She's just a stubborn, hot headed, unforgiving..."
The Ishida girl sat up looking out across the water. After meeting with Dawn at lunch she hadn't gone back to classes for the rest of the day. The teachers wouldn't have been bothered. They had been told not to worry if she didn't turn up. So for the rest of the afternoon she had been hiding away in the girls bathroom and outside behind the bicycle shed.
After school had ended she didn't come out straight away until everyone had left. Once the school was empty she had wandered out of the school grounds, across the road and down onto the beach where she continued to walk along the sand until she came to where she was now.
"Stacey? Is that you?"
The blonde haired girl spun round to see Margaret stood on the pathway, her school bag hanging from her shoulders. Unsure of what to say, she just stared at the older girl.
Margaret walked over to her. "I never saw you at school today. I heard you were back. How did things go?" she asked standing beside her.
Stacey turned her head away and looked down at the sand beneath her feet. "Not good." She muttered.
Margaret walked around the bench and sat down beside her. "It'll take time." She spoke. "You've been through a lot ever since your mother left. I know what it's like to lose a parent."
Stacey scoffed and leaned back crossing her arms. "Well not everyone is as understanding as you." She grumbled.
"Dawn will come round. You know how stubborn she is."
Stacey looked up, a little surprised. "Huh? How did you know I was referring to Dawn?"
Margaret giggled a little. "She's my cousin. I know what she can be like." She replied. "But just give her time for everything to sink in and she'll forgive you. I know you two fight a lot but you're still friends, even if she is too stubborn to admit it right now."
Stacey sighed and looked back down on the sand. "I tried explaining everything to her but she wouldn't listen. I know it's gonna take time for people to trust me again but it's like she didn't want to even know at all."
"Dawn can be like that sometimes. She doesn't think about other people's feelings or what they've been through." Margaret said as she stood up. She looked down at Stacey. "Just remember, I've lost a parent too. I know it's not in the same circumstances but when you think about it it's similar. So if you ever need anyone to talk to, feel free to stop by anytime." She smiled warmly.
Stacey smiled a little and lifted her head up. "Thanks. I'll remember that."
.:Searea Gobangai Apartments, Odaiba, Tokyo:.
Thud... thud... thud... thud...
Dawn allowed the soccer ball to roll back to her and stopped it with her foot. She had been kicking it against the brick wall in the courtyard in between the two apartment buildings. She paused for a few moments before flicking the ball back so it rolled onto the top part of her foot before kicking it against the wall once more.
She had been doing it for fifteen minutes none stop, trying to lose herself from her thoughts. Whenever something was bugging her she'd always grab her soccer ball and go outside for a kick about.
The Kamiya girl flicked the ball up in the air and began bouncing it on her head, shoulders and chest doing a few little tricks. She then preformed a difficult trick that her father had taught her before kicking the ball up high in the air and spun round to kick it.
"Hi Dawn."
"Yah!" Dawn yelped in surprise and missed the soccer ball, which bounced just in front of her face. "Margaret! Don't sneak up on me like that!" she exclaimed, grabbing her ball.
"Sorry. I spotted you and just thought I'd come over to say hi. I hardly saw you at school today. How come you missed lunch?"
Dawn frowned. "I had some business to take care of." She replied before kicking her soccer ball against the wall once more.
"You know, the least you could have done was to hear Stacey out." Margaret commented.
Dawn kicked her soccer ball harder at the mention of Stacey's name, which caused Margaret to flinch a little as it pounded against the wall.
"She wants to start a fresh Dawn. She's been through a lot and needs us. We're her friends."
"Do you even remember what she did Margaret? She captured innocent Digimon and turned them into hideous X antibodies. And you want to forgive her just like that?"
"I know she's done wrong. But that's in the past. Ever heard of giving people second chances?" Margaret questioned her younger cousin. "Tricia forgave you today after the way you treated her yesterday. Maybe you should think about doing the same for Stacey. Stop being so stubborn and admit you two are friends. You even told us you were the one who overheard the Undead King ordering Garurumon X to hunt Stacey down and kill her and you wanted to help her. Doesn't that prove you care about her?"
Dawn replied by turning around and smashing her soccer ball as hard as she could against the wall. It bounced back and she didn't make an effort to stop it so it rolled past her and came to a stop next to Margaret's feet.
The Kimura girl sighed and turned to leave. "Well, whether you like it or not. She's our friend, and a DigiDestined. You can't keep her out."
Dawn remained stood still staring down at the ground in front of her. She heard her cousin's footsteps disappear as she walked away from her and into her apartment building. The Kamiya girl frowned and walked over to her soccer ball picking it up before slumping down on a nearby bench, her ball in her lap.
"Why is Margaret so quick to forgive Stacey? Has she actually forgotten what she's done?" But her cousin was always like that, no matter who it was. She always saw the good in people. Something Dawn didn't.
"You know, Margaret did have a point."
Dawn jumped a little and turned to her right to see Agumon appear from behind a tree. He was wearing his usual black jacket to hide his identity. "What're you doing out here Agumon?"
Agumon walked out from behind the tree and over to his human partner. "I just came out to see if you were okay. You've been out here a while."
Dawn sighed and brought her knees up to her chest. "Yeah, well I've had a lot to think about."
The overgrown lizard stood in front of her. "You know Margaret's right, don't you?"
Dawn didn't respond at first, she just frowned some more. "I know she's right Agumon, she's always right." She grumbled.
"Maybe it won't be as bad as you think. Stacey could help us." Agumon continued. "You were just saying yesterday we need to find the Undead King's base and destroy it. Stacey's lived in that place for six months. She'll know exactly how and where to attack it to give him the element of surprise."
Dawn sighed and folded her arms across her knees and rested her chin on them. "That's what she said" she mumbled before lifting her head up and jumping off the bench. "I just still don't get why she's suddenly back after saying she didn't want to come home in the first place. Doesn't that seem odd to you?"
Agumon shrugged. "Maybe she just realised how much she misses home. I'm not saying we have to give her our full trust right away... but at least let's give her a chance to prove herself as a DigiDestined and work from there."
Dawn looked down at her Digimon and sighed before looking up at the darkening sky.
It was almost completely dark now and Stacey had left the beach and was now wandering the streets close to her apartment. It was 8pm and her father had said he wouldn't be home until 8.30 so dinner wouldn't be made until then. She had no worries of Gabumon being alone. He now had SnowAgumon, plus her father's Digimon there to keep him company. She sighed and stuffed her hands in her skirt pockets. It was getting a little cold. Maybe now would be a good time to head home.
"Hey look Outcast Ishida has returned!"
Stacey looked up to see a group of four boys on the opposite side of the street. She recognised them though. It was Kenzo Matsuda and his small gang. The boys were twelve and thirteen years old and they were all slumped against the brick wall with their hands in their pockets. The blonde haired girl just sighed and continued to walk along the pavement.
"Hey!" Kenzo hollered. He stood up straight and casually crossed the road with his friends following. "Where've you been all this time huh? And where's that stupid looking dog of yours?" he demanded as he stood in front of Stacey.
The blonde haired girl didn't even look at him. "I don't wanna talk about it." She muttered before walking around him. But her path was blocked by one of his friends.
"Well that's too bad because you are." Kenzo threatened. "Did you run away because you have no friends and are all alone?" he bullied as his friends sniggered to each other. They were now all surrounding the younger girl.
Stacey clenched her fists as she stared down at the ground. She tried walking away but her path would be blocked by one of the boys. How she wished Gabumon and SnowAgumon were here right now.
"Hey!"
Kenzo, his three friends and Stacey all turned around to see Dawn stood at the corner of the street. "Well if it isn't Goggle Girl Kamiya." He mocked. Kenzo knew Dawn. He had once been one of the top soccer players at Odaiba Elementary. That was until Dawn arrived and showed him up and in his opinion completely humiliated him. "What're you two brats doing out this late? Isn't it past you bedtime? Babies like you should be tucked up in bed by now." he laughed.
Agumon, but unknown to the gang as he was disguised wearing his black jacket, stepped out from behind the corner and stood next to Dawn.
"You don't wanna mess with me tonight Matsuda, especially with my friend here." Dawn spoke with a little devilish smirk.
Kenzo observed Agumon up and down, believing him to be a little five or six year old child. He bit his lip trying to control his chuckles before he burst into a fit of laughter. "That little brat?" he said between laughs. He began to walk towards Dawn. "Unless you've got a little ninja underneath there I can't see what help he would be to you."
Agumon slowly lifted his head up, but his face remained covered underneath his hood. He opened his mouth and quickly spat out a mini fireball.
The fireball brushed Kenzo's shoulder, burning the fabric on his brown jacket. He yelped in fright and jumped back holding his right shoulder.
"What the hell is under there?" One of his friends exclaimed as they began to back away.
Kenzo backed away, his eyes wide with fear. He continued to clutch his shoulder. "L-let's get outta here!" he exclaimed before he spun around and scurried away quickly followed by his three friends.
Dawn grinned as Agumon removed his hood. He too was smiling. "Nice work Agumon."
Stacey watched Kenzo and his gang frantically disappear around the corner before turning back to smile at Agumon. She glanced up at Dawn. "Uhhhh... t-thanks..." she murmured.
"Don't mention it. Those guys are jerks." Dawn replied.
"You know, you're probably going to get into trouble for that." Stacey said, half smiling.
Dawn shrugged. "Ah c'mon, who's gonna believe their story that some little kid spat fireballs at them?" she said with a small smirk before turning to leave.
Stacey hesitated a little before saying; "So..." she began. "Does that mean...we're... you know..."
Dawn paused and turned back around to face Stacey. She still had a small smirk on her face. She slowly extended her right hand outwards. "It's a start." She replied, before Stacey shook her hand, also smiling.
To be continued...