2. That Door Is Somewhat Ajar
Life without the Eaters was normal.
It was almost sickeningly normal, if Aiba Ami wanted to be honest.
Granted, she didn't miss being chased by tentacle squids or falling apart at the seams all of the time, but the adrenaline simply wasn't dying down yet and a part of her probably missed it in her own way.
Which was a sign she needs a hobby that isn't detective work, come to think of it. Wow.
Ami lay on her bed, watching the lights of the sun filter in through her blinds. It wasn't all that exciting, but it was something she could do. She was up too early for work, and no one was home. Well, she was the only one who usually came home. So why bother cooking?
Then, she paused. There were other people who would probably love to help her with breakfast, both cooking and eating it (eating it more in the case of Yuuko), and it would be a lot more interesting of a time than just making some cup noodles and going out. So she plugged in her Digivice and set up a group message.
Unfortunately, when she did that, she didn't look at the clock.
Arata's Bluebox icon popped on screen and chattered, "It's seven in the morning. I'm going to sleep."
"Arata," she scolded. He didn't answer. Then again neither did anyone else. "Lunch then?"
No answer. She was going to assume yes anyway.
Ami, with little else to do until then, rolled over and went back to bed herself.
Her Digivice, however, did not turn off. It beeped in soft, steady chimes. The center of her goggles glowed purple and blue and the colors weaved about as if under scrutiny. Then a single message popped up. The mail icon floated there, then popped away, stored safely for later.
…
In another way, perhaps it was like fate that had brought her to this point in her life.
She normally hadn't believed in it, but now… now there were simply too many coincidences piling up. There were too many things that she recognized, too many old things made new. But as it was she simply wasn't close enough to put it all to rights. That had been her… no not her, their doing. And she had to fix it, or this would be all for naught.
She sat at her computer, sipped her tea, watched her school day end without much concern. It was all trivial and would happen the same way in the end. The young woman knew it would.
She watched as a pair of black-haired twins walked gingerly to the train station, one supporting the other with a seamless ease. They soon passed out of sight, but she still watched where they had been.
The envy roiled, almost enough to puke it over the bench She restrained herself. It wouldn't be long now. She would have it back, all of it.
She was so engrossed that she almost missed her train.