United
By Steph O'Dell
Based on the fanfiction "United We Stand" by Anime Master Zero Chapter 4: Friendship Burning! Daijob!(Note: I would just like to state that killing people is NOT fun. But it is sometimes necessary. If someone you care about dies in this story, DO NOT YELL AT ME. Chances are, I cared for them too.)
Takuya stared, wide-eyed at his savoir. "Who…who are you?" he stammered, stunned.
The boy lowered his guitar, and smiled.
"Yamato. But everyone calls me Matt."
Treble got up, shakily. It looked very angry. It growled viciously, and leapt at Matt, who glared at it coldly.
"BLUE BLASTER!" The cry echoed through the area, as a blast of blue flame hit Treble square on, sending it back into the wall, and causing it to burst into flames. It howled in pain.
"Sorry I'm late, Matt!" Gabumon called as he ran into view. Matt turned and smiled widely at his friend.
"No prob, Gabumon. I knew you'd show eventually. Nice save, by the way," Matt chuckled, patting his friend on the back. Gabumon blushed.
"Aww…it was nothing, Matt. What's a little save between friends?" Gabumon joked, modestly.
Takuya and Syaoran stared, shocked. Takuya pointed at Gabumon.
"You…you're a Gabumon!" he stated, dumbfounded.
Gabumon blinked. "Last time I checked," he said.
Matt scratched his head, amused. "You…know about Digimon?" he asked.
"Yeah…that's a long story," Takuya said, shaking his head.
"What's a…Digimon?" Syaoran asked.
"That's an even longer story," Takuya admitted. "What I'd like to know is why one's here. I thought Digimon couldn't exist in the real world."
Matt and Gabumon looked at each other, shrugging. "Well, Gabumon's here, so that blows that theory," Matt replied, helplessly.
"I wonder where Ryo-san is," Syaoran asked absently.
While Takuya and Syaoran had been squaring off against Bass, Ryo, Kai and Rei had made it to the apartment of Matt's friend, Tai. They'd followed Rikku's signal there, and were preparing to take him down permanently.
Ryo tensed as they cleared the last flight of stairs. He could smell the choking smell of smoke.
Oh God, please say I'm not too late… he prayed silently.
Unfortunately, his prayers were not answered. Ryo could see the door to Tai's apartment had been blown clear off its hinges, and smoke billowed out of the apartment into the cool late afternoon air. The walls of the veranda were scorched, and the railing was bent and even broken in some spots. And there, lying on the veranda floor was the broken and bloody form of Taichi Yagami.
Ryo ran to his friend's side, cradling him gently in his arms. Tai's bloody face was twisted in pain, and Ryo gently began cleaning it off with his shirt. Tai's eyes opened slightly.
"…R…yo…?" he asked weakly.
Ryo nodded, choking back tears. He could hear Rei crying into Kai's shoulder behind him.
"It's going to be okay, Tai…I'm here…" Ryo managed to say before his voice broke.
Tai tried to shake his head, but winced. "No…I…I'm done for…I know it…I…I can't find…Kari…or Matt…please, Ryo…" Tai's eyes overflowed. "…Find them…for me…"
Ryo nodded, tears edging into his eyes. "I promise…"
Tai tried to lean closer to Ryo, so Ryo bowed his head closer to Tai.
"Tell Matt…tell Yama…I…love him…" Tai's plea was a whisper.
Ryo felt the tears pour silently out of his eyes. He nodded. "I promise, Tai…I'll find Matt, and tell him…just hold on—"
But Tai's head fell back, and he drew his last breath. Ryo held his friend's lifeless body, totally stunned.
How could Rikku DO this…Kai stepped forward, and gently placed a hand on Ryo's shoulder. "C'mon, Ryo. There isn't any more we can do for him."
Ryo clutched Tai's heart crystal tightly, and sobbed loudly. "NO!!"
Rei sat down beside Ryo, and threw his arms around the older boy.
"Don't cry, Ryo-san. It'll be alright," Rei cooed softly. Rei, too, was sad, but he was still trying so hard to make Ryo feel better. Ryo smiled, and dried his eyes.
"Thank you, Rei-chan. You're right. We'll find Matt and Kari, and it'll be okay." Ryo stood up, helping Rei to his feet.
"Ritchie," Ryo said into his communicator. "Can you locate a couple of life signatures for me?"
"Yes sir," Ritchie responded. "Fire away."
"Hikari Yagami, and Yamato Ishida," Ryo said.
There was silence for a moment, and then Ritchie gave the results of the search.
"Hikari Yagami is nowhere to be found on that world, sir," Ritchie informed Ryo sadly. "I'm sorry. But I did find Yamato."
Ryo brightened a little. "Give me his location."
He's in the city centre, with Takuya and Syaoran," Ritchie explained. "You'd better hurry, sir. There's been a lot of enemy activity there the last few minutes."
"Thank you, Ritchie. Ryo out." Ryo turned to Kai. "Let's get going."
Kai nodded.
Ryo called for Cyberdramon, and the Digimon carried the three boys as fast as it could to the city centre.
Treble was giving Garurumon a lot of trouble. Matt ground his teeth, frustrated.
"Don't back down, Garurumon," he called. Garurumon growled in response.
"Don't worry, Matt. He's no match for me!" Garurumon turned to face Treble.
"HOWLING BLASTER!" he called, unleashing a fiery blast at Treble. Treble took the blow, and then charged at Garurumon, biting down hard onto its tail. Garurumon howled.
"Garurumon!" Matt cried. He ran to his friend's aid.
But a black blur shot out of nowhere, seeming to pass through Treble, and skidded to a stop some distance away.
Treble landed, and then broke apart, just as Bass had done after Syaoran's attack. Wires crackled angrily as Treble fell to the ground, now in two pieces.
The black figure put his foot down on Treble's head, and pressed down until it shattered.
"Rikku!" Takuya yelled angrily. "Why? Weren't those two your allies?"
Rikku snorted. "There are no allies in the SoulHunter's ranks. Besides, they were weak. They'll be absorbed back into the dark, and recycled." He kicked Treble's carcass. "Worthless mutt…"
"You!" Matt yelled angrily, pointing at Rikku. "You're the one who killed my brother!"
Rikku looked at Matt. His eyebrows furrowed together behind his bandana. "Oh yes, you again," he said, finally. "Yes, so what? I needed his heart crystal."
Matt went red with rage. "You bastard! I'll kill you!" He ran at Rikku, fully intent on killing him.
"Matt! Don't!" Takuya called, panicking. "He's too strong!"
Rikku smirked. "You ought to listen to him…" He grabbed Matt's arm, and threw him into Garurumon. The two landed heavily on the ground.
Rikku seemed to study the two for a moment, and then a devilish grin crossed his face. He lifted his Keyblade, pointing it at Matt's heart. A thin beam of light shot out, passing through Matt and Garurumon's hearts. Rikku chuckled, and turned the Keyblade. A loud locking sound echoed through the area, and Matt screamed in pain.
"That ought to keep you two out of my hair while I finish this," he muttered.
Takuya and Syaoran prepared to fight, when they heard Ryo calling.
"Hey! Wait! Wait for us!" Ryo called, waving wildly.
Rikku turned to look at Ryo, disgusted. "I have better things to do with my time that fight you all right now," he spat.
"Coward! You just know we'll whip you again! Just like last time!" Takuya taunted.
Rikku gave a "Hmph!" "Think what you want!" he answered, as he disappeared.
Ryo dismounted quickly, and ran over to Takuya and Syaoran. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Takuya nodded, and Ryo noticed the stone in Syaoran's hand. His eyes got very large.
"The Wood Stone!" he yelped. You're a StoneHolder, Syaoran!"
Syaoran wasn't sure how to react. He blushed furiously, and hid the Stone subconsciously. But Ryo grabbed his hands and jumped up and down ecstatically.
Kai stared at Ryo with a look of blank disgust. Even Rei looked a little embarrassed.
"Umm…shouldn't someone, uh, help Matt?" Takuya asked, sweatdropping as he pointed at Matt and Garurumon.
Ryo turned. "Oh…uh, right. Thank you. I'm so very sorry Ma—" Ryo had turned to the blond, but yelped in alarm when he saw Matt in pain. Running to his side, Ryo tried to help his friend.
"Matt! What's wrong?!" he asked, panicking. "What can I do?"
"Well…for starters…you can GET OFF MY ARM!" Matt informed Ryo, pointing to his arm that Ryo was kneeling on.
Ryo apologized, and got off Matt. He took a look at Garurumon, who was also in pain.
"Garurumon? Are you okay?" Ryo was concerned.
"I…I don't know…I can't seem to De-Digivolve…" Garurumon grunted in pain.
Ryo knitted his brows. "We've done all we can here, so let's get these two back to the bass, and get them some help." He rang up Ritchie on his communicator.
"What's new, Chief?" Ritchie greeted friendly.
"Are the repairs holding?" Ryo asked.
"For now," Chaud replied grimly.
"How about transports? Can we do it?" Ryo asked, slightly worried.
"It'll hold," Chaud assured Ryo. "Just don't push it."
"Alright then…Ritchie, get us back, two at a time. And get Matt and Garurumon while you're at it. Oh, and have Chii come down. We're going to need her," Ryo instructed.
"Would you like fries with that, sir?" Ritchie joked.
"Don't push us…" Kai growled. "Several people have died today. Don't become a casualty."
"Gulp! Yessir!" Ritchie responded.
Ritchie pulled Syaoran and Takuya back first. Then he pulled Kai and Rei back, and finally Ryo felt the tingle of the transporter as Ritchie pulled him, Matt and Garurumon back to the AMGDI.
Releasing his breath, Ryo stepped down from the transporter pad. Transporters made him nervous.
A large crowd had gathered in the hall, as many AMGDI members were gathered around Syaoran, complimenting him on a job well done, and welcoming him in. Syaoran had turned red from all the praise.
Ryo smiled. It was good to have a little good news, amidst all the carnage.
Chii picked that moment to arrive. She smiled sweetly at Ryo, and Ryo felt even better. She was awful pretty, even for a robot…no, for anyone.
"I need you to look at Matt for me," he told Chii.
Ryo suddenly remembered why he needed to talk to Matt, and he winced. He hated being a bearer of bad news.
Ryo turned to the transporter pad, and gasped.
A figure was slumped against the wall. It had Matt's medium length blond hair, and Garurumon's stripes and feathers. The symbol of Friendship was emblazoned on its bare chest. And Garurumon's slender tail twitched against its leg.
Ryo bent down, and hesitantly reached out a hand to the form. He shook the figure awake.
The figure's blue eyes fluttered open, and he moaned sleepily. Ryo sucked in his breath sharply. Even though they had an animal-like quality to them, there was no mistake; those were Matt's eyes. This…person…was, in fact, Matt.
Matt rubbed his eyes with a clawed hand, and yawned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. He looked at Ryo and blinked several times.
"Why are you staring at me?" he asked, puzzled.
Ryo tried to cover up his shock. "Uhh…no reason. Umm, Matt, this is Chii. She's going to check you over, make sure you're okay."
Chii gave a small bow, and Matt blushed slightly. Still, he let Chii look him over. Matt still didn't seem to notice anything different about himself, and Ryo was ready to implode, trying not to say anything.
Chii politely excused herself from Matt, and came over to Ryo.
"Well?" Ryo whispered.
Chii shook her head. "I…cannot be sure what has happened. My guess is that his DNA and Garurumon's data fused somehow during transport." She kept her voice low, but turned her head to look at Matt. "I'm not sure if there's a way to reverse it."
Ryo rubbed his temples, irritated. "One moment," he said, walking over to Chaud.
Chaud turned to Ryo. "What now?"
Ryo's eye twitched. "What the hell happened?" Ryo demanded. "You said the transporter was okay!"
Chaud got indignant. "There was—and is— nothing wrong with the transporter!" He shoved Ryo. "He has the problem! You didn't come back wrong! He did!"
Ryo shoved back. "Well, something went wrong, and I aim to find out WHAT!"
Chaud waved his hand at Matt. "Well then, why don't you ask MUTT-BOY over there! Maybe HE knows!"
Ryo grabbed Chaud by the shirt. "Back off!" he hissed dangerously.
Chaud smirked. "Oh, what? You don't like me takin' hits at your friends?"
Matt stared at the two boys, his eyes wide with shock. He slowly looked around, seemingly searching for Garurumon.
"Ga…bu…mon…?" he said, beginning to panic. "Where is…oh god—!"
Ryo turned sharply. Matt was staring at his arm, shocked. He didn't move; he simply stared. Ryo ran over to the blond, gathering him into his arms.
"It's alright, Matt. It's okay." Ryo hugged Matt tightly.
Matt broke down, unable to cope with what was happening. He shoved Ryo away from him, his eyes overflowing. He clenched his head, whimpers escaping from his lips. Suddenly, he threw back his head, and let loose a sound akin to a cry and a howl mixed together. The sound echoed through the small room, reverberating off the walls, growing in intensity.
It was Rei that quieted the blond. The small boy had thrown his slender arms around Matt, and cried along with him. The two had eventually calmed down, as Kai rubbed their backs comfortingly.
Matt sat, his back against the wall, in his new room. The one they'd given him here at the AMGDI. It felt so…impersonal…that, and way too sanitary. The floors were so shiny, and the bed was made perfectly.
Matt hated it.
The room smelt overpoweringly like Lysol, and the was nothing outside his window even remotely close to scenery. He'd checked; it was all a hologram.
God, he hated this room. This place, in fact.
He hugged his knees, and growled low; irritably. He hated this body. He hated the boy who did this to him. He hated everyone and everything at that moment.
The door hissed open, and a figure stepped inside. Without even looking up, Matt knew it was Ryo. He could smell it, that overpowering stench of dust and sweet potatoes. Why sweet potatoes? he thought. I hate sweet potatoes…
Ryo stumbled around in the dark. "Matt?" he asked, quietly. "Are you here? I need to talk to you…"
Matt didn't reply. He didn't want to talk.
Ryo sighed. He stepped forward, and banged his shin on the small chest of drawers at the foot of the bed. He stifled a yelp of pain, and rubbed his shin. "That's it," he barked. "I'm turning on a light!"
"Don't…" Matt said, sighing. "It hurts my eyes…" And, I want to be alone…he grumbled, mentally.
Ryo carefully made his way over to Matt and sat down. He gave Matt a sympathetic look. Matt grumbled, and turned his head away.
Ryo looked at his shoes, trying to figure out how to talk to Matt, as if his shoes would reveal some earth-shattering secret to breaking through the blonde's hard crust.
Matt dug his scarlet claws into his arm, clenching himself to keep out the world. If he held himself together…
Crimson blood began to pool around his claws, and he winced. He'd sort of forgotten about his new features. His feathery ears twitched, and Matt sighed sadly.
"Why…are you here, Ryo?" he asked finally. Maybe if Ryo said what he needed to say, he'd go away.
Ryo looked at Matt. His brown eyes were soft and sad. Matt didn't like that look. It was the look his mom had used when she told Matt that her and his father were getting a divorce…
"Matt…" Ryo hesitated. "Matt…when we came to your world…well, the first thing I did was find Tai. I had hoped…" Ryo choked on his words, and he swallowed. "Matt, Rikku…that boy that attacked T.K. …He'd gotten to Tai first. It…was awful, Matt. I…" Ryo was starting to break down. "Oh god, Matt…I tried…but…I couldn't save him…"
Matt stared at Ryo, wide-eyed. The information overloaded him. Tai…dead? No…it can't be true! Tai can't be… Matt's mind raced, trying to find rationality in Ryo's words.
He can't be…He can't be…Ryo lowered his head, the tears flowing. "I'm so sorry, Matt. He was my friend too…"
Matt buried his head in his arms, whimpering. He rocked back and forth.
Ryo rubbed Matt's back, soothingly. "There's…something else, Matt. He…wanted me to tell you…that he loved you."
Matt burst out into tears. Tai…that…that BAKA! He couldn't even tell me that to my face! He had to chicken out and DIE on me! He sobbed.
Dumb Tai…stupid, stupid, stupid…Matt clasped onto Ryo, sobbing vehemently. He needed to be held, and Ryo did just that. He held Matt, stroking his hair.
"I…I love him so much! Why did he have to die, Ryo?! It's not FAIR!" Matt wailed.
The boys sat in the dark, crying, morning the loss of someone so close to them; a friend to one…a lover to the other.
Rei sighed. Kai had gone into Hien's office some time ago, and Rei was very bored. He scratched his ear with his foot.
A sound in Susanou's office caught his attention. His ears perked up as he listened. It sounded like someone was rustling papers.
Rei snuck over to the open door, and peeked in. A figure he didn't recognize was moving papers around on the desk. It pulled a file out from under its body armour, and placed it on the desk.
Rei stared at the figure's blue hair. It seemed so familiar…where had he seen it before? Did he know this person? They seemed familiar somehow. Rei decided to ask.
The figure lifted themselves up into the air duct above the desk, and Rei hurried over to follow. He leapt up on the desk, and pulled himself in after the mysterious figure.
The figure tuned his head to see who was following him, and Rei saw the figures dark eyes flash with panic. The eyes were familiar, but the lower half of the face was covered with a mask, so Rei wasn't sure who they were.
"Shoo!" the figure said, pushing Rei back with one hand. Rei snatched the glove on the figure's hand with his teeth, yanking, trying to pull it off. Rei wanted to play; the figure needed to escape. He finally pulled his hand free, growling in disgust.
"I'll be back for that!" he told Rei, as he disappeared.
Rei stared at the empty duct, confused. Where did his playmate go? He started to cry.
"Come back!" Rei cried. "I'll give it back! I'm sorry! Let's play some more!"
Kai exited Hien's office, utterly disgusted. He'd had enough of Hien's constant complaining and arguing.
This time had been no exception. Hien had blamed the entire transporter incident on him, not Ritchie. Kai had blown up, and told him to get stuffed.
Kai leaned against the wall, sighing. He realized, suddenly, that Rei wasn't there. Panicking, Kai called Rei's name.
Rei peeked out of Susanou's office, shyly. Kai ran over to him.
"What are you doing in there?" Kai asked gruffly. He was relieved to see Rei unharmed, but he'd never admit it.
Rei sniffed back some tears. "He ran away…"
Kai's tough façade crumbled. "Who did, Rei? And why are you crying? Are you hurt?"
Rei sniffled. "That boy who was in here. He left some things on the desk. Then he went in the duct, so I followed him. He didn't want to play with me, so he went away. I said I'd give him back his glove, but he didn't come back." Rei held out the glove to Kai.
Kai stared at the glove. He knew exactly whose glove this was.
But that's impossible! he thought. He's DEAD!
A bloody jacket flashed through his memory. Takao screaming. Rikku with that smug look on his face…
Kai clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists.
Rei looked at Kai with a worried face. "Did I do something bad, Kai-san?"
Kai patted Rei on the head. "No, Rei-chan. Actually, you did a very good thing." Kai glared at the folder on Susanou's desk. "A very good thing…"
"I want to work," Fai said to Umi.
Umi beamed. "Oh Fai-san! How wonderful! Where do you want to work?"
Fai scratched his head. "To be honest, I'm really not sure."
Umi tapped her lips with her finger. "Well, what are you good at?"
Fai smiled. "Well, I can draw. Oh! And I can cook!"
Umi clapped her hands. "Why, that's it! Fai-san, we need another cook! Azuma-kun, and Watanuki-san are so overworked. Will you help them in the kitchen?"
Fai clapped his hands as well. "Of course! Yay! I get to be useful!"
Hien chose that moment to walk in. He grumbled. "Why are you two so happy?"
Umi smiled. "Fai-san is going to be helping in the kitchen from now on!"
Hien groaned. "No! The meal's are bad enough!"
Umi hit Hien over the head with her very large fan, which had been a gift from Yuko. "Fai is a WONDERFUL cook!"
Hien rubbed his bump, growling. "Oh really?"
Umi wasn't listening. She snatched Fai's hand, and dashed out of the room.
"I feel like APPLE BUNNIES!" Umi cried, happily.
"APPLE BUNNIES! Yay!" Fai agreed.
Hien stared in disgust. "Idiots…"
"And THIS is the gardens," Umi said, throwing open the door to the gardens. The air hung heavy with condensation and the perfumes of many flowers. Gaia looked over from the apple tree she had been tending and smiled.
"Oh, hello, Gaia-san!" Fai greeted, waving. Gaia smiled, and waved back.
"Hello, Fai-san. Welcome to the Gardens. This area here is the Orchard." She giggled. "I made every tree in here."
"And they're all just as lovely as you," Fai complimented, giggling.
Gaia blushed. "Remember, children, everything in here is edible, even I'm edible. Although that's called 'cannibalism', and is frowned upon by society."
Everyone laughed at Gaia's joke.
Gaia pointed over to another part of the gardens. "Over there is the nursery. Ryo spends a lot of his time in there, surprisingly. Who knew a man could show his feminine side so prominently, and not be gay." She smiled. "But he really is a green thumb. He collects plant samples from other worlds, and raises them in there. It's his way of helping out."
"Can we have some apples, Gaia-chan?" Umi asked. She gave a cute puppy-dog look.
"Have as many as you want. That's why they're here," Gaia replied, smiling.
"Yay! Now our apple bunnies will be a reality!" Umi cried happily.
"Hurray!" Fai cried, throwing his hands up.
Gaia smiled and clasped her hands, taking secret enjoyment in watching the idiots dance.
"Glad I could help," was all she said.
Matt stepped hesitantly into the hallway. His ears twitched, nervously. He knew he couldn't stay in his room forever. In fact, he was very hungry, and his angrily grumbling stomach had gotten the best of him.
Now he was searching for the cafeteria. He realized, angrily, that he should have asked Ryo when he'd had a chance. Now he was lost. Wandering aimlessly up and down the halls, Matt grew more and more irritated.
Nice going, stupid…now you're completely lost! You really ARE useless!
Matt turned a corner, and yelped in surprise. Kai was walking down the hall towards him, lost in thought. He wasn't paying attention to Matt, so Matt ducked back around the corner, and tried to make a break for it.
"Yamato-san!" a voice called out.
Matt sighed. He recognised the voice; it was Rei. He'd forgotten that Rei and Kai were almost never seen without each other. He slowed to a stop. Busted.
Laughing delightedly, Rei ran around the corner, and glomped onto Matt. He looked into Matt's face, his eyes sparkling, and his cheeks flushed.
"Why did you run away, Yamato-san?" Rei's face went sad. "Don't you like us anymore?"
Matt's eye twitched self-consciously. Why HAD he run?
Kai stared at Matt indifferently. "Well, look who graced the world with his presence…"
Matt's ears drooped, and he looked at the floor. He suddenly realized how selfish he was being. So what if he looked a little different? (…Okay, a LOT different…) No one seemed to care; Rei was practically hugging him to death! If that wasn't love, Matt didn't know what was.
"…Tell me something, Rei-chan…" Matt began.
Rei looked up at Matt, attentively.
Matt took a shaky breath. "…Am I…strange?"
Rei blinked. "No," he answered, honestly. "No, Yamato-san, you're not strange." He smiled warmly. "I like you just the way you are!"
Matt smiled back, tears edging into his eyes. Rei was naive, but he was also right. Matt needed to get over himself.
Kai laughed. Matt scowled at the tough boy.
"What's your problem?" Matt asked, angrily.
Kai stopped laughing, his face instantly serious. "You're pathetic…"
Matt twitched angrily. "What?"
Kai closed his eyes and gave a "Hmph!". He crossed his arms, and pried one eye open to look at Matt.
"Do you want to know why you're pathetic? Here's why: You're so wrapped up in feeling sorry for yourself, and thinking you're some hideous monster, that you can't even crawl out of that dark hole of yours long enough to acknowledge anyone or anything else. You're so selfish. It makes me so sick. Just buck up, and get a grip." He uncrossed his arms, and walked over to Matt. "Here's my advice: Forget the past. It's over, and you can't fix it. Move on, and try to help out here and now. And if people look at you weird because you look different, well…tell them to fuck off and die. You don't need to adhere to some idealistic image of normality to fit into society."
Matt stared at Kai, shocked. He was so profound…Matt realized he had a lot to think about. This boy knew more about him than he did!
He patted Rei on the head. "Thanks Kai…I needed that…" Matt turned to leave.
Kai gave another "Hmph!" as he, too, turned to leave. Rei caught Kai's hand, and they walked off down the hall.
"Wait!" Matt called after them. Kai paused, and turned.
"Umm…do you know…where I can find the cafeteria?" Matt asked, sweatdropping.
Kai gave Matt a look of annoyance. "…Idiot."
Matt nervously walked into the cafeteria later. He looked around, half-expecting someone to tell him to get lost. He shook his head.
Buck up, Matt! Remember what Kai said!
Matt took a deep breath, and walked over to the counter. He realized, suddenly, that the place was deserted. Not a single person was there. Matt suddenly felt stupid about getting all worked up for nothing.
"Can I help you?" a voice asked Matt pleasantly.
Matt whirled around to see Fai standing behind the serving counter, a warm smile on his face. The tall blond asked the shorter one again, "Can I help you? Is there something you need?"
Matt burned crimson with embarrassment. "Umm…well…I…uhh…"
Fai laughed. "Don't be nervous! We're all friends here!" He set up a plate for Matt. "You must be hungry…you haven't eaten since you got here." Fai paused, looking at Matt coyly. "Am I right?"
Matt blinked several times. "Uhh…right…"
Fai clapped his hands, delighted. "Ah ha! I love it when I'm right! Well, you're in luck! We made some apple bunnies earlier, and Azuma-tan and Watasaki-rin made some yummy treats!" He put a small plate of apple bunnies on Matt's tray, and added a small plate of rice dumplings, and three of Azuma's Japan #167. "And, just for you—" Fai added, placing a slice of strawberry cheesecake on the tray, "—Something I used to serve at the Cat's Eye Café!"
Matt stared in amazement at the tray of goodies in front of him. He felt hot tears in his eyes.
Why am I crying? He thought, anxiously. This…doesn't make sense!
Fai seemed to sense Matt's confusion, and came around the counter, removing his apron.
"Why…are you being so nice to me?" Matt asked, confused.
Fai smiled warmly. "I'm not treating you any differently from anyone else…" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "But I suppose I can sense how sad you are, and thought I'd cheer you up."
Matt burst into tears. Fai gathered Matt up in his arms, rubbing his back soothingly.
"There, there now…no tears…" Fai cooed, calming Yamato stream of hot tears.
"I…I miss him…so much! Hic!" Matt sobbed into Fai's shoulder.
Fai smoothed the boy's hair, his own eyes misting over. He had left someone precious behind on his own world. Now, he wondered how they were doing…
The sound of alarms alerted Fai and Yamato to an emergency. The two broke the hug, a little embarrassed, and ran down the hall to the meeting room.
The entire complex was present. Kai was beginning to feel an acute case of claustrophobia coming on. There are a lot of people in this place, he realized. He remembered back when the place was empty and almost barren.
It's changed a lot since then…he reasoned.
The Four Higher Beings stood, addressing the group.
"We've just received a signal from a world in distress," Hien explained rather tensely. "It's coming from Quadrant 014, World 385563825-252436478, in the Arakawa Universe. It's a bit of a thorny situation, as that entire world is engulfed in war right now. Going in there will be dangerous."
"What…kind of war?" Sora asked, timidly. Sora may have been the wielder of the Keyblade, and the only hop his Quadrant had of saving everything, but he still didn't like to fight.
Gaia cleared her throat, and interrupted politely. "It's a civil war, between the Military and the civilians. It seems the military had been doing many things behind the publics back that were both dangerous and selfish. Now that the public, and even some of the officers themselves, are fighting back. The world is in complete chaos…the perfect breeding ground for SoulHunters.
"But, according to this file I received, there is a boy on that world who may very well be a StoneHolder," Susanou interrupted.
"But…a Civil War?" Takuya looked worried. "Shouldn't we try to stay clear of that sort of thing?"
"Sir, if I may?" Sosuke spoke up from the back. Susanou nodded to him.
"Sir, a military action is both dangerous and unpredictable. If we charge headlong into the fray without fully knowing our enemy, we'll be overwhelmed. Wars are won based on strategy. So, I believe it is in our best interests to perform reconacence on this particular region, so as to obtain the proper information we require to fully understand our enemy, and obliterate them." Sosuke finished his speech, and stood at attention again, while Kaname shook her head and groaned behind him.
Everyone looked at Sosuke blankly. Then Hien blasted out in laughter.
"Y'know, the guy's got a point!" Hien spoke, after recovering from his laughter. "The best way to avoid being killed in the crossfire is to learn more about the people in that war."
"I believe it's time…" Umi spoke. "For those two to earn their keep." She turned to Chaud. "Have you finished with your little project?"
Chaud swallowed, then nodded stiffly. "Yes. It…she…should be operational."
"Good. Take Chii, and get her operational. Take my PS2, if need me. Don't give me that look," Umi shot at Chaud's confused look. "I got it cheap on a dying planet. I dunno, it's just she had some brand markings on her somewhere…I thought it might help…"
Chaud made a face, but left with Chii in tow. Umi pointed at Ryo and Kai. "Go down to the holding cells. In the second and third cells on the left hand side, there are two men. The first one…he's rather unpredictable. We've been unable to restrain him long enough to implant the micro-translator.
"…Micro…translator?…" Takuya asked, suspiciously.
Ryo looked nervous. "It's no big deal. They're micro machines we implant right next to the main spinal cord, right under the base of the skull. They're harmless. They tap into the bodies own language centre, and input new language signals. Everyone here speaks different languages. So every language in our database is put into our translators, so that we can all understand each other. It's done while they're unconscious, or incapacitated, so they don't struggle. A slip would kill them."
"How do we understand you until then?" Takuya asked, not liking what he was hearing.
"We have a small field in out communicators that acts like a translator. It has a small radius, but it works until the implantation."
Takuya shuttered inwardly. Eew.
The holding cells weren't like Takuya thought they'd be. They were clean, and brightly lit. The bars on each cell were thick steel, but the cells themselves were large, and even comfortable looking. Despite the bars, one might even feel at home in one.
Takuya glanced at the man in the second cell as he passed. His reddish-brown hair was matted, and clung to his wet skin. He had been bound in a straight jacket, and was sitting on the floor, glaring out at Takuya with burning eyes. Takuya shuttered, and hurried past.
The person in the third cell, as a stark contrast, was blond, with light eyes, and a slumped posture. He sat on his bead, leaning heavily against the wall. Tired and defeated. He was unbound, but showed no signs of being a threat.
"Y0U W1LL 4LL F4LL B-4 M41 M1G-T! R3L3453 M3!" the man in the second cell screamed. The voice was hoarse and choked, apparently from his constant screaming. Everyone's translators responded violently, causing waves of nauseating pain to shoot up Takuya's temple.
"OWW! What the FUCK was that?!" Kai yelled, obviously in pain.
"The translator's trying to decipher a language it doesn't know. It therefore shorts out, causing the pain we're feeling," Ryo explained, still wincing from the jolt.
"l…argo…sh…ut up…" the blond man called weakly. Takuya stared in shock. He was speaking his language!
"You…speak Japanese?" Ryo asked, disbelieving. Japanese was the only common language spoken through most of the worlds.
The man looked up and laughed hoarsely. "Never thought…being an…otaku…would come…in handy…"
Ryo sat down on the bed beside the man. "I'm Ryo…" he said. "What's your name?"
"…Piro…" the man said. "And the lunatic in the next cell is Largo."
Ryo handed Piro a flask of water, and he took it gratefully, downing half of it in one long gulp.
"That's better…" he said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "I swear, the people in charge left me down here to die."
"It probably wasn't intentional," Kai replied, scornfully. "But seeing the people in charge here, yeah. I'd say that's about right."
Piro laughed. Apparently, he thought Kai was funny. Takuya sure didn't.
Ryo cleared his throat. "Well, anyway…Piro-san, we are in need of your help."
Piro seemed startled for a second, and then recovered. "Me?" He chewed his lip. "What for?"
"Well…you see, there's a group of people we have to visit, but we know nothing about the people there, or the war they're fighting. We were told you knew something about them, and we'd appreciate it if you could tell us what you know." Ryo seemed nervous. He was choosing his words carefully.
Piro blinked several times, and then shrugged. "Sure," was all he said.
Ryo let out his breath, which he was unaware he had been holding. Kai jerked his thumb towards the other cell. "What about your friend, the lunatic?"
Piro gave a whimsical smile. "Want me to talk to him? He's been speaking nothing but L33T since we got here."
"L33T?" Takuya asked, the translator whining at the unfamiliar word. "What's that?"
"Gamer talk. You replace letters with numbers and symbols, and shorten other words and phrases to acronyms. It more annoying than anything." Piro made a sour face. He does this kind of thing a lot."
Kai waved to the open door. "Be our guest," he said.
Piro stood up, and slowly walked over to Largo's cell. He stood in front of the door, holding the bars, and pressing his forehead into the hard, cold steel. He squinted into the dark depths of the cell, and called out.
"Largo?"
"…Piro? Are you…sane? You're not…one of them, are you?"
Piro scoffed. "You've been playing way too many video games lately." He sighed, and rubbed his eyes before continuing. "These people…they only need our help. That's all. C'mon, Largo. Stop being such a spaz! Try thinking on your own for a change, instead of keeping your brain locked away in those video games!"
There was silence from Largo's cell for a moment. Then, he spoke.
"All right…But if I die, I'll be very grumpy in the morning."
Piro adjusted the new pair of glasses on his nose, until he found a comfortable place for them.
"These are very…emo…" he said finally, studying the frames up close. "I mean, the style of the frames. They're called 'Emo' where I'm from."
Ryo shrugged helplessly. "Lady Umi picked them out. She thought they were…uhh…you."
Piro laughed. "All right. I'll wear them." He put the glasses back on, and stood up.
Ping, the PS2 accessory (And friend of Piro's) beamed with pride. "I made them! Aren't they great, Piro-san?"
Piro smiled at Ping. "They're great! Thank you, Ping. I'll wear them all the time."
Ping squealed happily, jumping up and down, clasping Chii's hands so she could share in Ping's glee.
Chaud's face was made of stone, but a small tick in his left cheek betrayed him. "What have I done?" he murmured darkly.
"You have no idea…" Piro murmured back as he passed Chaud on his way out of the room.
Piro walked uneasily down the hall to the meeting room. There, he was to be briefed on the current situation, and he was to tell them exactly what they were getting into.
Piro sighed. At least he didn't have to stick around while Largo was getting his implant. They were going to have to restrain him just to sedate him.
Largo ran around the medical ward, trying to evade the people chasing him. They sure are persistent! Largo thought. And they keep talking to me in that evil language…
Largo backed into a corner next to a table that held many scary looking instruments. He glanced over them, panicking. His eyes fell on a vaguely gun-shaped tool, and he snatched it up, quickly, pointing it shakily at everyone.
"Stay back! Back, you evil denizens of darkness!" he screamed, jerking the gun threateningly.
The pursuers looked scared, and backed up slightly. One of them, a tall brunette, turned to another with two-toned blue hair, and said something. The other yelled back in an angry voice, then gave a disgusted sigh. He turned, and advanced on Largo, swiftly.
"I said back! I know how to use this thing!" Largo informed him, shakily. He really had no idea how to use what he was holding, but he felt the basic premise was simple enough—point and pull the trigger. It was a gun, after all. Or…something like one, anyway.
The boy grabbed Largo's wrist in a blur of speed, and applied pressure. Largo cried out in pain, and dropped the weapon on the floor. No! Largo thought, panicking. This…this is very bad. They are very skilled. Damn it! Where's my Ninja when I need him?!
The blue-haired boy then smirked at Largo, and Largo felt all the air rush out of him as the boy punched him in the gut.
That…hurt… thought Largo as he passed into unconsciousness.
Susanou placed the file on the desk in front of Piro, and gave him a reassuring smile.
"I'd like to thank you in advance, Piro-san."
Piro looked at the folder, and tried to stop his gut from leaping out of his throat. Something told him this wasn't going to end well.
"Sure…just doing what I can to help." Piro took a shaky breath, and opened the file. He stared down at the picture of a boy with piercing gold eyes, and a blond plait braid.
Umi noted his look of sadness. "You do know him, then?"
Piro nodded. "That's…Edward Elrick. He's a State Alchemist."
Hien's brow wrinkled. "Alchemist…?"
"He works for the Military, then?" Susanou asked.
"No," Umi stated. "He's employed by the military, but he doesn't follow them."
"You said something about a war?" Piro asked uneasily.
Umi nodded. "A huge conflict between the military and the civilians. Apparently word got out about their little 'operation'."
Piro swallowed. "Then Edward will be in Central right now, getting ready to move out. You'll have to be fast."
"We'll send a team in immediately. Organize a party," Hien barked at the others.
Piro continued to sit as the others left the room, still staring at the file in front of him.
I hope I did the right thing…
Rei, Kai, Takuya, Sora and Syaoran all suited up and prepared to go into the middle of the battle raging on the world they were about to visit. Piro looked on, a mix of emotion.
"Please, don't get hurt out there. And don't meddle with things too badly, alright?" he asked the boys anxiously.
Ryo put his hand comfortingly on Piro's shoulder. "Don't worry, sir," he said. "Kai's a stickler for regulation."
Kai shot him a glare and gave a "Hmph!" of anger.
"It's nice to have you with us, Sora-kun," Takuya told the young Keyblade wielder shyly.
Sora blushed, laughing nervously. "Please, just Sora is fine. And I'm glad to be here too."
"I thought you weren't good for very much, Sora," Kai sniped. "You've never gone on missions before."
Sora frowned. "Maybe because I don't want to deal with your unsavoury humour, Kai."
Kai's eyes snapped, but he fell silent.
Largo chose that moment to appear in the doorway beside Piro. He looked tired and angry, and was rubbing his neck in irritation.
"That…hurt. They could have been a bit gentler…" Largo grumbled.
Piro restrained a laugh. "Well, if you'd simply cooperated with them…"
Largo gave his friend a dirty look. "I hate you, you know that?"
"Look, the lunatic's here…" Kai complained loudly.
Largo growled deep in his throat. "This place lacks b33r. I need b33r."
The translator's had been updated with L33T, so they no longer complained when Largo used it. But most people grimaced anyway.
"There is no alcohol in this facility," Ryo explained firmly. "The best we can do is Synthetihol."
Largo groaned. "Fake b33r? That's like fake b00bs. No way."
Umi chuckled behind Largo, who jumped five feet in the air.
"Don't scare me!" Largo shrieked.
Umi laughed harder. "You know, if you're nice to Yuko, she may share her alcohol with you, Largo."
Largo's eyes got very wide, like a child at Christmas. "R-really? This Yuko chick0r has booze?"
Umi nodded, and Largo pushed past her, determined to find Yuko, and her booze.
Piro shook his head, amused. Largo was still the same old Largo.
Umi gave the boys a quick salute, and Ritchie started up the transporter.
"Good luck!" Ryo called out to the boys before they disappeared.
"Don't need it," Kai yelled back as he vanished.
"Is…this Central?" Takuya asked, looking around him at the barren landscape.
The boys were standing in the middle of an almost desert. Sand reached out in every direction for miles, broken by the occasional area of grass and trees, and a long stretch of railroad track that ran from one point on the horizon past them to the other.
Sora was revisiting breakfast behind them. He hadn't ridden the transporter before, and it made him extremely nauseous. Rei was gently rubbing Sora's back, hoping to sooth his sickness.
"Uhh…boats I can handle. Land vehicles? No problem. Gummi ships? Piece of cake. Transporters…" Sora made a gagging sound, and groaned.
"Baby…" Kai growled.
"This is actually 10 miles outside of Central," Syaoran informed the group, checking his communicator. "Apparently, Edward left Central some time ago, and is somewhere along this rail line."
Takuya groaned, and fell over backwards. "No way! We have to walk?!"
"Apparently, Edward's train had a bit of an accident, and he's walking," Syaoran continued. "We'd do well to try and catch up to him."
Sora stood up, shakily. "Well, then…let's get going."
Takuya stared out into the desert. "Great…deserts. Why is it always a desert?"
NEXT CHAPTER: Edward seems very much out of reach as Takuya and the others chase him down. What do the SoulHunters want in this particular world? Is Edward a StoneHolder? And a stray traveller shows up at the AMGDI. Is he friend or foe? Find out in Chapter 5: "Full Metal"