Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Cross. Or Digimon. If I did then this would be an anime season called DigiCross. This fanfic would have been called DigiCross but Xross Wars was already a thing. I am happy with the title I picked in the end though. I do own a copy of the novel Divergent. It was sitting across from me one day while I sat in bed trying to think of a good name for this fanfic.
I haven't read it yet though, too busy. Hopefully I can get to it by the end of the summer.
Author's Notes: Well, less action than I imagined. Whoops, I accidentally gave myself a brand new OTP with this story.
The silver haired boy pulled his hoodie up as he dashed through the street, stopping only long enough to slip a package into the mailbox. He made sure nobody spotted him, then ran toward his partner, Lucemon.
"Why not just hand it to them yourself? Or mail it like a normal person if you're so intent on avoiding him?" Lucemon asked.
"I have my reasons," the silver haired boy said with a smirk.
"Whatever you say, Yuu."
Chapter 4
Haseo stared at Naota as his whole body shook. His chest rose and fell erratically and his arms trembled. He clenched his hands into fists and dug his nails into his palms. "You're not the real Naota?" He asked, staring directly into Naota's eyes.
She couldn't say anything, so she dropped her gaze to the ground.
"Don't be ridiculous. She's a real Naota. Just not the one you know," Loaño corrected him.
"I don't care!" Haseo's eyes bore into Naota. "You impersonated someone I cared about. You lied to me! I don't care if you're the Naota from another world, you're not her!"
"Look, go easy on her. She was obviously scared and didn't know where to turn so she came to you. Besides, how has she actually harmed you? She came all this way into the forest risking her life to make sure the real Naota was safe, right?"
Naota nodded.
"She was probably just looking for a way home. I bet we only stumbled across the real Naota by accident." Haseo stepped toward the dead Naota's body and dropped to his knees. "She was my best friend! So don't tell me this Naota is just as good as her. I'll never see Naota alive again. I'll never see her smile or laugh." Haseo trembled as tears fell down his cheeks.
"Haseo," Dorumon whimpered.
"Please, Aniki," Haseo whispered. "I just need a moment," he lifted Naota's body up and cradled her head. Despite her death, she looked like she was only sleeping. She had a peaceful look on her face. "Can you call dad for me? He'll know what to do. We need to get Naota somewhere safe and then call her aunt and uncle. They can make the funeral arrangements."
"NO!" Loaño interjected. "We can't, not yet. If anybody finds out that Naota's from another world, think about what'll happen to her. She'll be locked up by the authorities and interrogated until they can figure out a way back to her world and then who knows what happens next."
"I don't care." Haseo said. "I don't care what happens to some imposter. Naota was my friend and she'll get the burial she deserves." Haseo turned to his brother.
Dorumon looked back and forth between Haseo and Loaño, unsure of what to do.
"He's right," said Naota. "She deserved a burial. Dorumon please call your dad. I can call my aunt and uncle." She took out her cellphone, no, the other Naota's cellphone and began dialing her aunt first. She'd probably be home from school now. "Aunty Rin," Naota said with a trembling voice, "Can you call Uncle Arthur and come pick me up at the park. Something, something bad happened."
"What's wrong sweetie? Are you hurt?"
"Please, I can't tell you over the phone, I have to show you," said Naota as she hung up.
Dorumon turned to Haseo. "Dad's on his way, he'll be here in a few minutes."
Kidd patted Naota on the shoulder. "Listen, if thin's start gettin' weird at yer place, yer welcome to stay with the pup an' me. We've got plen'y o' room at our place."
Loaño crossed her arms. "Naota, I know you're probably scared, but do you have any idea how you crossed over between worlds? That might be the key to getting you back home. I'm sure your folks miss you."
Naota shook her head. "No idea. One minute I was walking through an empty forest with some friends, the next I was here in this forest, running from some Digimon. My world is pretty much the same as this one except no Digimon, and a few minor changes as well. Like, some buildings are bigger and stuff like that. I couldn't even tell I'd gone to another world at first. I thought a monster just sprang up out of nowhere."
Dorumon looked at Naota with concern. "So that still leaves us with the question of why the other Naota was in the forest at all. She knew it was dangerous to come in here alone."
"I have no idea. I was in the park on Friday too, with the Haseo from my world, and sure we went into the forest, but that forest was safe. We only went because I wanted to go for a walk. But I can't imagine ever knowingly walking into danger."
Haseo grimaced. "You were with the other me?" He asked.
Naota nodded.
"So, then, why wasn't I with her?" He whimpered as he stared the dead Naota. "Sure, I was busy, but if she wanted to come I would have canceled my plans, she knew that right? Was the other Haseo busy too? Did you call him and ask him to cancel his plans?" Haseo asked.
"No. The other Haseo was, well, without Dorumon around to cheer him up, he was a lot more depressed than you. He rarely ever made plans and so that's why I asked him to come with me. Everybody else was busy."
Haseo started to cry. "It was just kendo practice. She should have known she could have called me. I'd gladly have come," said Haseo. "If I had then Dorumon and I would have kept her safe."
"Quit beatin' yerself up, kid," said Kidd. "Look, there's no point speculatin' about this shit. Some things are outta our control. Now, listen. The Naota you know id dead an' gone. There's no use hidin' in the past. Take yer time to grieve, but don't act like there isn't a Naota in fron' of yer face who needs you as much as you need her right now."
"She is not Naota," Haseo growled.
Dorumon looked up into the trees. "Hey dad's here, and he's brought Naota's aunt and uncle." He pointed to the trees.
Naota watched her aunt and uncle approaching cautiously. Next to them stood a tall Digimon with red skin. He had a head that looked part human but part reptilian, working fingers, human clothing, and lacked any sort of reptilian tail. He actually reminded Naota of the red lizard Digimon she'd once seen.
Falcomon and Armadillomon followed close behind.
"Never seen a Gallantmon without their armor before," said Kidd.
Gallantmon got to the group first and turned between the two Naotas with shock clearly written on his face. "Haseo, what's going on?"
"Naota?" Aunty Rin started shaking when she saw the dead body. "Naota, what's going on?"
"Naota's dead," Haseo said as he stood up. "This one is an imposter." A loud smack rang out as Loaño slapped him across the cheek.
"Don't take it out on her, she's done nothing wrong. Now shut up before I kick your ass." Loaño turned to look at the woman. "I can't make you believe me, but this Naota is from another world." She said calmly. "The Naota from this world is dead. I'm sorry. But this Naota is just as lost and scared as you are, even more so, so please don't abandon her."
"Abandon her, why would we abandon her?" She turned to Naota and gave her a tight hug. "Naota, I'm not sure what's going on, but rest assured, your aunty and uncle will do everything we can to protect you."
Naota broke down crying. Haseo scoffed as he turned to his father. "Dad, what do we do? We need to give Naota a proper burial."
"Of course," said Gallantmon as he lifted the dead girl into his arms. "Her aunt and uncle will of course have the final say in everything, but I'd be glad to help in any way possible with the funeral."
Uncle Arthur grimaced as he looked up at Gallantmon. "Thank you, Gallantmon. That is very kind of you. I'm just worried though. If we tell everybody that Naota is dead, then they see her wandering around," Arthur gestured to the leaving Naota, "I, I don't know what they'd say."
Loaño folded her arms. "Of course, once we get this Naota back home, then we need to explain her disappearance. She tapped her foot. "Or we could just have a funeral for the dead Naota and create a disguise for you." She turned to Naota. "You're the one at the center of this, what do you think?"
"I like that last idea," said Haseo.
Loaño growled at him again, then turned to Naota. "Well, any ideas?"
"I know I'd normally want a small funeral anyway, just the people close to me. I can't say the same for the other Naota, but if that's the case, we can just hold a small private funeral and my, her, or, well, immediate family can show up.
"Naota stared at the ground. "I don't want to lie to Hikaru or Daichi or Ham or Dan or even Justin, I want them to know. I want to tell them the truth. But I don't know how to make them believe me. That there's another world out there where I belong."
Loaño tapped her foot. "I don't know any of them too well. But if you care about them enough that you truly believe they deserve to know, I'll help you tell them. In situations like these, it's best to just rip the band aid off and tell them. Just like with your aunt and uncle."
Armadillomon trudged forward and hung his head low, saying a silent prayer for Naota. Falcomon flew up to eye level with the dead body in Gallantmon's arms and openly wept. Haseo said nothing as he marched out of the forest. Dorumon shook his head and offered Naota an apologetic look.
Arthur quickly dialed his son's phone number. "Dan, you need to come to the park quick, and bring Hikaru and Daichi with you."
Naota quietly sent a text to Justin.
Gallantmon made sure Naota's body was covered well before they took her out of the forest. People looked toward the group but quickly turned away, offering them the privacy they deserved. Kidd led everyone to a small black truck and turned to the others with an apologetic look on his face,
"I know I's no' the mos' dignified place to put her, but I's the best we got fer now." He took Naota from Gallantmon's arms and gently placed her in the back of his truck. "Rest in peace," he said gently.
Naota's gaze wandered from the dead body to all the mourners. Her aunt clung to her uncle as she quietly sobbed, Haseo glared at Naota but then quickly looked away, returning his gaze to the dead body, Falcomon and Armadillomon hung their heads low, too short to actually look at her.
Dorumon looked at the living Naota and offered her a sad nod of encouragement. "Whatever's happening, I'm sure you'll be able to get through it. Your aunt and uncle still love you, even if you're from different worlds."
Ham pulled up in a car with Kotemon at his side. Dan, Daichi, and Hikaru were riding in the back with Gotsumon, Bearmon, and Elecmon in their laps. They looked uncomfortable stuffed into the back of the car, but they looked happy to see Naota. Then one by one the humans noticed the blanket in the back of Kidd's truck.
"What's going on?" Daichi asked.
"And who are you two?" Dan asked as he looked from Kidd to Loaño.
Gotsumon and Bearmon climbed up the back of Kidd's truck to see what everybody was staring at. "Is that a body?" Gotsumon asked.
"Everybody needs to remain calm," Loaño told them. She removed the blanket and showed them Naota's dead body. Hikaru let out a scream. Ham swore loudly and fell over. Daichi balled his fists angrily and stared at Loaño.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Daichi demanded.
Loaño shook her head. "Listen up, this Naota is the Naota from your world," she pointed to the dead body and quickly covered it up. "But there's another Naota from another world and she needs your help."
"What do you mean another world?" Hikaru asked. Her body trembled and she nearly fell over. She propped herself up against Kidd's truck. "What the Hell is going on?"
"Looks like we've got one more guest," Loaño sighed as she noticed a blond boy on a bicycle. He peddled as quickly as he could to reach Naota, then hopped down. He had a partner, a blue Digimon with a long floppy ears, a medium length tail, white belly, and a yellow V on his forehead.
"Hey Naota," said Justin as he helped his partner down from the bike. "Veemon and I came as fast as we could. What's the matter?" Sweat poured down his body, but he didn't seem to be out of breath. Loaño showed him the body and he fell backwards, just like Ham did. "What's going on?" He looked up at Naota. "Who is she and why does she look just like you?"
"Okay, no more questions until the end," Loaño sighed. "Listen, I know you're all confused and scared. But we need to keep calm. Something happened that dragged this Naota here from another world. Perhaps it's because the Naota from this world died and the world needed her to fill a void, maybe somebody called her because they needed her, maybe it was just an Yggdrasil damned accident." Loaño sat on the bumper of the car. "But we need to find out what it was and fast, so that we can get her home before something happens to her. I know you're all sad because you lost the Naota of your world, but Digimon seem to be going after this Naota for some reason."
"Not only this Naota," Dorumon piped in. "Woodmon kept referring to the other Naota as his 'treasure.' It creeped me the Hell out." He turned to Haseo. "Woodmon was infected by that virus. And you said that Lynxmon was affected too right? Look, whatever's causing the virus is responsible for Naota's death, don't you want to find out what it is?"
"Causing?" Naota asked. "Aren't viruses just sort of illnesses that go around?"
Loaño shook her head. "There's some disagreement, but many scientists believe something is responsible for the way the Digimon are acting. If Dorumon is right, and the virus is making infected Digimon go after certain people; that would explain things. But that also means you're in danger. All the more reason to protect you."
Haseo grunted. "I hate this. But if this is true then whatever caused the virus is responsible for Naota's death. I intend to get to the bottom of this, but I'll do it on my own. Don't expect any help from me," Haseo said coldly.
Naota felt her body trembling as she tried to move. "Haseo, I'm sorry. I didn't-"
"Shut up," said Haseo as he turned to Gallantmon. "Dad, I'm going home. Please watch over Naota." He walked away. Dorumon offered the group an apologetic look and reluctantly followed his brother. Gallantmon turned to them all and apologized.
"Please forgive him. This Naota was one of his only true friends. He's taking this pretty hard."
"I, I understand," Naota said as she collapsed and started to cry. Ham squatted next to her and patted her on the shoulder.
Kotemon looked up at Loaño and examined her carefully. "So, what do you intend to have us do about this virus? Surely you don't intend a ragtag bunch of misfits to accomplish what actual well trained government authorities have failed to do."
"Perhaps I should let him speak." She closed her eyes briefly. When they opened again, they'd been filled with a strange white light.
"Hello," she said in a voice that was not her own. "My name is AncientAnubismon. Please do not be alarmed. I am merely borrowing this girl's body as a host." The Digimon stared in awe. Pure power radiated from the girl's body.
Gallantmon gasped. "AncientAnubismon? Sir," he dropped to the ground and kneeled before Loaño. "It is an honor to meet you. Please, tell us how we may be of service."
"Please rise, Gallantmon. There's no need to be formal around me," he said. "And please, call me AA. AncientAnubismon is too much of a mouthful."
"I'm sorry, but who exactly is AncientAnubismon?" Daichi asked. "I've never heard of him."
Gotsumon shot him a quizzical look. "I don't know neither. But that power. I can feel it. It feels just like Yggdrasil."
"Wait, feel Yggdrasil?" Ham asked. "How do you feel Yggdrasil? What exactly does God feel like?"
Kotemon stepped away from Loaño, turning his face in the opposite direction. "Something about that light is hypnotic. It's like I'm compelled to obey."
"Forgive me," said AA as he stepped away. "I was created by Yggdrasil as his appointed guardian of peace. Digimon often feel compelled to obey me, though I try my hardest not to make anyone do anything against their will, unless it is an absolute emergency. I sealed myself away in a human host for this very reason, to protect others from my own power.
"But, such a thing is not important at this moment. As Yggdrasil's child and servant, I've been granted with great knowledge of the inner workings of the world. But even I know very little about how Naota crossed the divide between worlds. I can only guess that her presence here is important. And the fact that Digimon infected with the virus seem to want her can only mean that she is destined to be at the heart of this investigation. That means that the people around her will have a choice, either to turn away and walk on with a blind eye or to help in whatever way they can."
"She's our niece," said Rin. "Of course my husband and I will help."
Justin nodded. "I'm not abandoning a teammate."
Ham grinned. "She's one of my best friends, no way am I going to let anybody hurt her."
"Like I'd ever let anybody hurt Naota," Hikaru said with a smile.
Daichi put a protective arm around Naota's shoulder and let his actions do the talking. Dan did the same.
"Then it's settled," said AA. "You will all play your part, big or small. But that doesn't mean you are too throw your lives away. This will be a dangerous mission. I don't want all of you blazing into battle just to0 be killed. If the fates see it fit that you remain on the sidelines then I am afraid that is where you must stay."
Veemon flexed an arm. "Hah, no way am I staying out of this. Where Naota goes, Justin and I are going too, right?"
Justin nodded. "Of course. I can't just let her go wandering into trouble. She doesn't even have a partner." Then he frowned. "But what exactly are we going to do?"
"Loaño, Kidd, and I have been tracking the origins of the virus for some time now. Please, do nothing to endanger yourself. When we know more about what's going on, then we'll contact you," AA said to them. "So far we don't have many leads, but we think we're close to discovering something. So for now, all that we can do is wait. Wait, and offer our thoughts to the dead."
Arthur nodded. "We'll make arrangements to have her buried. The funeral will be small, just those of us who know the truth. It's not quite what she deserves, but it's the best we can do for now."
Rin turned to Naota and hugged her tightly. "Naota, dear, whatever happens don't think that your uncle and I will ever love you any less. And if for whatever reason, you can't ever make it home, please think of our house as your new home. And until that time comes, please let us know if there's anything we can do for you."
Naota just cried.
"Come on, let's get you home."
They rode in silence, nobody wanted to bother Naota as she sobbed into her sleeve. When they got home, she immediately dashed into her room. She threw herself on the bed and wept into the pillow. She tossed her backpack on the floor without looking. She glanced out the window in time to see her aunt driving after Kidd and Lo, presumably to deal with the funeral plans.
"Hey, Naota," Hikaru said as she knocked on the door. "Can I come in? I brought you strawberry milk. I know you're into cherry now, but, well, they don't make cherry milk as far as I know."
Naota slowly stood up to open the door. "Thanks," she said as she accepted the glass and welcomed Hikaru in. Hikaru took a sip of her own milk, chocolate instead of strawberry, and set the glass down on a shelf. "Look, I can't imagine what you're going through right now." Hikaru twiddled her fingers. "I, I honestly have no clue what's going on. All I know is that I saw you dead and, and I don't want to see you dead too."
Elecmon scampered into the room after Hikaru, and hopped onto the bed. "I almost couldn't believe my eyes. But when AA started speaking to us, I had the feeling I could trust him," Elecmon gently nudged Naota. "So even if you aren't the real Naota, we're still going to protect you and help you get back home."
Naota brought her knees to her chest. "Thanks."
"As for Haseo, just say the word and I can straighten him out," said Hikaru.
"Don't be too hard on him," said Naota. "He's just going through a lot right now." She gulped down the milk and set the glass aside. "Thanks again for the milk. I really do like strawberries. I mean, I like cherries too, but I like strawberries more. Apparently the other Naota didn't feel the same."
"Well, truth be told that was kind of recent. One day she came home from the store with cherry shampoo and conditioner and said she wanted to try something different. Then she started ordering cherry flavored desserts instead of strawberry.
"It's kind of funny isn't it? You two are so much alike but you are different people. Yet, you're just as much my family as she is, you know that, right?" Hikaru patted her cousin on the shoulder. "So, don't ever feel like you're not really a part of this family or I'm not really your cousin. I know I'm not the Hikaru you knew, but I'm still Hikaru and you're still Naota."
"Thanks," Naota said as she stood up. She grabbed her glass and left her room. "I need a snack." She passed Dan in the hallway who offered her a smile and a polite hello, and she slowly walked down the stairs.
"Hello, Naota," said Uncle Arthur as he walked up. "I was just on my way to see you. Your aunt just called. We wanted to know if you wanted to give your input on the funeral, since we figured you'd probably know her the best. At the same time, we understand if this situation is too much for you to handle. Planning your own funeral must be a frightening experience."
Naota nodded. "Yeah. I really don't want to force all the work on anyone, but I wouldn't know where to begin. I've never really thought about what I wanted my funeral to be like." Naota hated telling lies, but here she was telling them all the same. She'd spent hours debating the merits of playing If I Die Young versus How to Save a Life. "Besides, I really don't know what kind of things need planning." She sighed. "I think the things that would have made me feel happiest were looking cute. I know it seems shallow, but when you have self-esteem issues you don't want anybody thinking about how ugly you are behind your back. And don't play anything overly sad. Just something nice and simple."
In the end she'd decided that it would be cruel to make others cry just because she felt sad. Naota closed her eyes. "Maybe something from a video game. Aerith's Theme or Words Drowned by Fireworks."
"I'll tell your aunt."
Naota and Arthur both returned downstairs. Naota opened the fridge and peered inside. Her stomach growled hungrily as she realized she needed food. Grabbing some left over pizza, she dashed upstairs again, only to bump into Daichi, fresh from the shower. His hair was still wet and he wore shorts and no shirt. "Hey, Daichi," she said to her brother.
"Naota, how are you?" He smiled like a clown of sorts. It looked too forced, too strained.
"I'm okay, how about you?"
Daichi broke his smile and frowned. "Sorry, I just. A few days ago I had one sibling. Now I've got two, but one's dead. I'm sorry, I wish I could be stronger for you, but I'm still so scared. What if something happens to you? I can't lose you too. And, and, I know that in the end you're going to go back home, but what then? I'll end up losing you anyway. At least you'll be safe but I'll never see you again."
"If we can find a way to keep the portal open, then I can visit," Naota said.
"No, it's too dangerous here. Once you get home you should stay there were it's safe. Besides, the other Daichi would miss you. I can't do that to him. Stealing someone's kid sibling like, goes against the man code or something," he joked. "
Naota hugged her brother and returned to her room. Nibbling on her pizza she sent a text to Haseo. Please call me. She put her phone away and fell back into her bed. She stared at the ceiling as she ate, wondering what to do next. Kidd and Aunty Rin were out somewhere, making funeral arrangements. She hated feeling clueless. She wished she'd gotten Loaño's number so she could call.
She sent a text to her aunt, asking her to give Loaño her number. In mere seconds her phone started playing a Hazuki/Zer0 song. She answered immediately. "Loaño, is that you?"
"Hey, did you need something?" She asked.
"I'm just scared. I don't know what to do? How does the virus spread? What if a friendly Digimon at school attacks me when I'm alone? I can't have somebody with me at all times."
"You could always skip school for a bit," Loaño suggested. "I'm home schooled myself. Well, it's more like an online thing. I can't stand crowds, especially other teenagers. There's too many bullies and the teachers would rather take their side than actually do something about it."
"Something wrong?" Naota asked.
"Sorry, just lost in thought. It just makes me angry when people pick on others. I wanted to punch Haseo in the mouth," said Loaño. "And don't give me any of that 'he's having a tough time because he's emotional' BS. Being emotional doesn't give you the right to treat anybody like shit."
"I can see your point," Naota said.
"Sorry, I tend to get worked up pretty easily. I actually got kicked out of middle school for getting into fights with the nearby High Schoolers whenever they would harass people."
"You got into fights with High Schoolers? That sounds dangerous! Did you get hurt?" Naota asked.
"Nah. I had AA protecting me, remember? Not to mention most of them were cismen. They were pretty easy to take down if you knew where to aim," she said with a chuckle. "They stopped bugging people after that."
"That was brave of you," said Naota. "But anyway, no I can't skip school. I need to," she wasn't sure what she needed to do. She wasn't really keeping her own grades up. Once she got home, her grades in this world wouldn't mean a thing. "I'd feel like a failure if I wasn't keeping up with my school work."
"Yeah, I can understand that. I disagree with you, but I understand," said Loaño. "Look, just don't worry too much about it. Schools in this world have security measures in place for Digimon emergencies, so no matter what happens on campus you'll be fine."
"Really? Thanks," Naota nodded. "Hey, Lo, does AA really think I'll be able to get back home?"
"Yes, he does. AA may not be all knowing, but I tend to find that he's a pretty wise Digimon. If he says that you can find a way back home, you're probably going to get to go home. I just hope it doesn't take too long. Anyway, I need to go. Feel free to call me if you need anything." She hung up.
Naota nearly put her phone down when it beeped with a text message. Her heart raced as she checked it, hoping it was from Haseo. It turned out to be from Justin. Hey, Naota, I hope you're doing well. I just want to let you know that I'm here for you if you need anything.
She sent back a thank you message and plugged her phone onto the charger. She collapsed on the bed once more when she heard her phone ringing. She checked the caller ID to find that it was an unknown number. She answered as fear built in her heart. Her palms shook and she felt sweat rolling down her cheeks. "Hello."
"Hey, i's Kidd," said a gruff voice on the other end of the phone. "How's yer arm?"
"Doing better, I can sort of move it about. Loaño did a lot better than she realized. I didn't even need a cast like she thought, just a sling. Uhh, any particular reason you wanted to know?"
"Nah, jus' makin' sure everythin' is fine. Loaño's really worried about you. She's no' the type who makes frien's easy, so I's nice to see her bein' frien'ly with you and the others, even if the circumstances are pretty shit.
"But, I also needed to make sure ya knew what yer getting' into with this. Lynxmon and Woodmon were only Champion levels. There's still Ultimates and Megas above tha'. Even a few Ultras, though those're rarer than an hones' politician.
"Listen' I'm no' the type to force someone ou' of an adventure jus' cause I's dangerous. But ya need to know what yer up against. Now, of course there are some Digimon who completely defy the average power levels. Some Rookies can go head to head with Megas, a few Champions are able to take on Ultimates, but those are rare. Generally speaking a Champion is like dealing with a monster outta somethin' like Supernatural. They're tough but nothing too spectacular overall. Megas are like dealing with somethin' from Bleach. They'll blow up a mountain if you give them a reason too."
Naota gulped.
"Now, AA is pretty powerful, though he no longer has his true form so he can't expend his power carelessly. Worse comes to worse and he should be able to take over in an emergency. But truth be told we have no idea how dangerous this coul' get. When the Virus first star'ed, i' only affected Rookies and lower. Bu' I's affectin' Champions now. I's growin', and we don' know how much longer until i' can reach Ultimate Digimon."
"Hey, Kidd. What level can you reach?" Naota asked.
"Currently I'm a Champion, an' I haven' been able to Digivolve further than that. But I'm one of the tougher Champions aroun.' I can handle a couple o' Ultimates, so don' worry too much. Just think thin's over when you get the chance." He hung up.
Naota collapsed in her bed and removed her arm from her sling. She reached for the ceiling and made a fist, wishing she could sort through her feelings. It sounded like going back to her Home World would take a lot of effort. She didn't want to abandon her friends and family there, but she didn't want to endanger or abandon the friends and family she had here. Not to mention things were so much better in this world. She was out of the closet, Haseo was alive, even if he was being mean to her, and she had her own room. She'd very much enjoy staying if it weren't for the Digimon trying to eat her.
Somebody knocked on the door. "Hello?" Said Arthur. "Naota I wanted to let you know, the funeral has been scheduled for Saturday. It's just going to be a couple of people, nobody who doesn't already know. Anyway I'm going to get started on dinner now, are you okay with hamburger?"
"Thanks," Naota said politely. "That sounds good." She listened to her uncle's footsteps thumping down the stairs and she bit her arm as hard as she could, letting out a yelp as pain tore through it. She forgot that it had been in an accident, and now she'd hurt it pretty badly. She whimpered as she sunk her head into a pillow, feeling guilty.
'Haseo is right. You're denying Naota the funeral she deserves. You really should just find a disguise for yourself. That way everybody can attend and mourn her, just like they should,' the voice spat.It was cruel and mocking as usual, and she wished she could stop listening to her own criticisms, but they kept coming. 'And stop thinking this is your own funeral, you know that nobody would miss you if you died. They'd feel sad for a little while, sure, but they'd all move on.'
Naota bit her other arm hard and watched a dark spot appear on her sleeve. She wanted to break down and cry when her phone buzzed again. She checked and found a text from Ham. Check your mail, I just got an unmarked box addressed to me that said it was from 'a friend.' You should see if you got one too.
Naota dried her tears and hurried down the stairs, flying past Hikaru. She quickly followed. "Hey, Naota," is something wrong?"
"Ham got a box in the mail, he told me to check our mail and see if we got one too," the teen girls quickly marched to the mailbox and opened it, finding a small brown package addressed to them both.
To Naota and Hikaru
From, a friend
Naota called Ham on the phone. "I just got it," she said as she watched Hikaru take the box. "Did you open yours yet? Is it safe?"
"Yeah, well, I can't be sure, but it seems safe. It could be black market, but it looks legit as far as I can tell," said Ham.
"What does?" Naota asked. She was nervous, she didn't want to get hurt or arrested if whatever was inside turned out to be dangerous. Hikaru proved less cautious as she tore in. Naota heard the tape ripping as Hikaru forced the box open. Inside were two Digivices.
"Mine is red," said Ham. "What colors did you get?"