I apologize for not updating quickly enough. I was struggling with school and all that. Next to the fact this WRITER'S BLOCK IS PREVENTING ME FROM PREVIEWING MY WORK DX! *stabs the cursed disease*
Disclaimer: Digimon is copyrighted to Akiyoshi Hongo and Bandai.
----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Three
"You don't need help?"
The Gatomon shook her head, smiling at the dragon's offer. "No, thank you. I'll be fine on my own."
"You sure?" he wondered, leaning on the counter.
"Yes! I was the best student in the class."
"Really? So was I."
Junjo smacked him aside the head, making Kumo jump in her seat. "Knock it off, Ryuu. She may be pretty, but that gives you no right to lie to her like that."
Rubbing his head, he sighed. "Okay, maybe I wasn't the best, but I did well."
"Bribing the teacher was one of his talents," the angel whispered to her on the way to his seat.
"I heard that!"
She looked over at Hidoi, who was busy looking over the papers. He had scooted his chair over so it was far from her as possible, and it concerned her. I hope I didn't upset him, she thought. Unless he wants me to be this Kohana character.
"Quick question," the XV-mon demanded to her. "Have you met Myou before? Oh wait, never mind... Um... have you met the boss yet?"
Kumo shook her head no. "Have you?"
"Naw, I'd never dare. If I wanted to be an idiot, then I suppose I would." His scarlet eyes shifted back and forth. Then he leaned forward and muttered, "From what I hear, he's scarier than the scariest of all witches!"
"Why would a guy be a witch?" she inquired, blinking.
"Warlock, then!"
"Five minutes!" came the shout from front of the room, interrupting the conversation.
Yelping, he hurried over to his seat, catching his foot on the edge of the counter. In front of a sly cameraman, a camera had been rolling out of testing. The mon doubled over with laughter at the sight. "Oh, man! This is SO going on tonight's news!"
"No-o-o-o! It would ruin my reputation as a weatherman!" he begged, pulling himself up.
Junjo encouraged the cameraman to turn in the film to show at the beginning of the news. He agreed and hurried out of the room before Ryuu could react. "Junjo!" he yelled. "Why are you letting him do this?!"
He shrugged. "Everyone needs to lighten up every now and then, right?"
Kumori giggled, glancing over at her papers once more. It was a miracle there haven't yet been a case of any rapes that day, but the kidnappings were still occurring, even at this very moment. She shivered at the thought of the poor children away from their parents and homes only to be harassed by a sick-minded stranger. And if they were stolen away from school, she blamed the lack of protection teachers were supposed to give students. Somehow, it seemed like children were only the past and not the future.
A hand touched her shoulder, making her jump and squeak. Nohara laughed at her expression. "It's okay, dear," she sweetly said. "Just came over to see if you were ready."
"Oh, but I am!" the feline sighed.
"You sure? You looked nervous."
A smile came onto her lips. "I was looking to see if there was a story I'd be uncomfortable in reporting."
The fairy nodded slowly. "That's normal at first," she started, "but if it continues, then people will know you are afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Whatever it is you're frightened of." She patted her arm. "It'll be okay, dear. But tell me, did you have this problem in school?"
The cat hung her head. Frankly, her school was careful in not practicing on the shocking news, though once they reported to the school about a threat that happened there. She had told her teacher about her fears, and was asked to write down a fake story or one from the news about it and, if so, use it in a report. She did so, but still felt uncomfortable writing down certain words. Looking back up at the womon, she nodded cautiously.
"I see," she murmured. "Come to me when you want to talk, all right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Please, just call me Nohara."
Kumo smiled and thanked her. The Ultimate evaporated with a wink and left her to herself. She readied herself when the cameramen announced the start of the evening news. She was a bit relieved to know they gave her name to the people first thing. But of course, like most other evening news, glimpses of some of the news, big and small, were mentioned. And as she spoke about the up-coming results of the search for a missing womon, she wondered if anyone recognized her.
Then the camera's light came on, and Hidoi greeted Server. "Good evening, folks, I'm Hidoi Honda."
"And I'm Kumo Ishida. First on Gaea, the convicted murderer of former policeman Gimon Kyoko has been found and brought to the police station early this morning—"
It was old news she thought, but not all of Server had heard about it. No, she shouldn't think about how many people tune into the news at this time. She wouldn't want to risk cracking her voice on her first night. Especially if Shizuka was watching, if she knew. But her teacher was and she'd get a phone call whenever she'd get home to hear his comment. She imagined her friends were impressed at seeing their little Kumori already broadcasting herself. It made her smile to herself when the footage was switched to a video clip of the murderer. Her spirits were lifted at knowing how good it felt to get it out.
As time went on, the two switched back and forth between reports, taking small breaks during the commercials. A few people had come over to cheer her on, saying how well she was doing. Then her eyes caught Hidoi staring almost impatiently at the cameras, waiting for them to turn back on. She grew curious about his retreating behavior, starting to understand his comments earlier that day. When the half-way mark arrived, it was Ryuu's turn. Instead of sticking with the original intro, they had indeed put in the short clip of him tripping over his feet running.
Laughter could be heard in the studio for those who had not yet seen it. The cameras turned onto a scowling Ryuu. "I thought I told them not to put that on," he grumbled.
"Well, tough," Junjo called over to him, snickering. "Get used to embarrassment."
"I thought the morning folks were the only ones allowed to do practical jokes to each other!"
"Ah, ice in the coffee," he reminisced. "That got them perked up." Most of the folks giggled.
"Ha ha ha, enough guys!" he pleaded. "Right now, I want to tell these folks what they'll be expecting tonight, tomorrow, and all week."
"Then go ahead! We're not stopping you! Much."
Ryuu threateningly raised a coaster and slowly placed it back down. "Next time, my hand flies on its own!" he warned, then turned back towards the cameras, forcing a grin on his face. "Sorry about that, folks. Just an old inside joke we have." He leered menacingly at the angel before continuing on with the weather reports, getting up and walking over to the blue screen where, the chart of Server and its weather conditions were showing. Of course, Kumo couldn't see anything but a blank screen. She guessed he had studied the map to the extreme and was able to manipulate the icons correctly with a click of a remote, something he held in a hand but that no one seemed to take notice of. Strange how the news worked that way. Made her wonder if the reports she was to give every night was also manipulated to fit national television. Maybe actually instead of a shooting in a school, it was a knife fight complete with bombs.
But really, who would be gullible enough to believe that?
It wasn't long before it was another commercial break and she was able to zone out for a little bit longer. She took a quick glance at the clock nearby, and sighed slowly. Keep holding on, Kumo, her mind said. The hour's almost up. You can do it.
And she did, starting with the story about a rare miracle when the cameras turned back on.
*~*~*
Shibou wasn't the one to watch the news, but he sometimes did whenever a new member started his or her first day. This one was different. So different, he didn't want Teki or Myou there to watch it with him. He wanted to be alone so he could listen to his niece report the news given. Somehow, he knew she'd become a reporter. Those days when she wasn't frightened of him, she'd return from school and tell him in her proudest voice nearly every detail about what she did during recess, what book they read, and every hilarious event she somehow came across, even if it was a stupid joke. In his mind, the boss could still hear her childish innocent voice burst with energy at the most exciting part of her story. He couldn't understand why she was so happy at school but never at home. Sure, he'd smack her here and there, and every night he'd abuse her if he was in the mood, but she never thanked him for anything. The day she left for college, she didn't bother to say good-bye to him nor wake him up. She had just up and left in a hurry, taking her few belongings.
She had indeed changed the four years she was gone, but Shibou was positive she still remembered him, feared him even. The evidence was present in her eyes, the sorrow from the past hadn't altered one bit, even if she smiled. This pleased him. If he could still recognize her, then maybe she'd point him out in a crowd.
He gave a sigh of anguish. "Oh, my dear Kumori-Garasu," he murmured, staring at the screen when she appeared. "If I could just hold you again and feel your fur. To hear every little detail about your day with a pure voice. If only I could just... kiss you again." He smiled wickedly. "I could steal you away now. You're just in reach of my grasp, sweetheart. We'll be together again like before. Won't you like that?"
Since he was talking to a screen, he only chuckled at his statements. "Of course, there is a consequence you must pay for living with me." He formed a crimson, almost flowing whip in his hands, holding it out and flexing it. It glowed brightly even in the well-lit room. "You must obey my every demand, need, and wish. If you refuse, you must surrender to my wrath." A smirk spread on his pale face. "Don't want anymore scars on that lovely form of yours, now do you?"
*~*~*
"You were awesome tonight, Kumo!" her friend continued to gush the tenth time that night.
The feline smiled in response, though it wouldn't be able to reach her through the receiver and wires. Shifting in her spot to turn off the water, she stared at the freshly drawn bath, hugging her towel wrapped around her body. "I've had practice, Umiko," she sighed into the phone. "I knew I could do it."
"We all had faith in you! We really did! Didn't we, girls?" Kumo could hear her old roommates exclaim out their agreements, and realized how much she missed them.
"You shouldn't have," she whispered, blushing.
"Hey, living all alone in the big city is hard. You need someone to keep you in their prayers, now don't you? And that's a rhetorical question, girl, no answering."
She giggled. "I understand."
"Please don't get offended when I say this, but that Hidoi guy..." There was a pause, though some of the girls were fighting over make-up in the background. "He may have the looks, but his attitude needs some work."
"Please don't judge him like that, he's had a hard time," Kumori told her. "Haven't you heard about that one TV reporter who stole a leather purse from the mall? That was his previous partner. He hasn't been able to get over it."
Umiko forced a laugh. "Who told you this? The bad boy himself?"
Her ears drooped. "No. He keeps to himself. The others at work told me."
She "mmm hmm"ed at this. "Say, are you still dating?"
She gave a mental groan, wishing she had better stories. "Yeah, but they're not going well."
"Guys going fresh on ya again, huh?"
"I'm afraid so..."
"Hey, I need to get going. We have an exam tomorrow, and I have to get to bed. You take care, okay?"
"Of course, Umi. I always do."
"Good girl. We love you!"
"Love you too. Bye, Umiko." She hung up and sighed, leaning up against the tile wall. Looking down, she lightly skimmed the water with her paw, keeping her eye on the scar. Although Kumo hated it, her eyes seemed to enjoy staring at the shape, and her mind tormented her with flashes of the horrible event she got it from. But she didn't regret that day when her uncle asked her, nicely at first, to come to bed with him. She reluctantly refused only to make him fly into a rage. He hurt her that night, thus delaying his sick plan, but she cried most of the night.
Growling, she forced it out of her head and threw the towel angrily onto the floor, getting into the water. She closed her eyes tightly, resting up against the back and holding herself in habit. Her thoughts immediately went to Shizuka, and she tried to think up an activity they could do tomorrow. But her mind rebelled and kept pushing out the memories she tried long and hard to forget. The day she first met her uncle, she knew there was something wrong with him, the way he smiled at her and how his eyes glinted. But she was only eight; what did she know? He did nothing to her at first, until she had grown more comfortable being around him after a good several months. She resisted the touches at one point, until his hypnotizing words got to her. Then things grew steadily worse as she grew in her teenage years. She kept on drowning into her sudden cravings and depression. Sinking deeper was all she could do at the moment...
Kumo opened her eyes quickly and sat up, gasping and coughing violently. She slid in her self-conscious state to the bottom, almost drowning herself in accidental. Feeling sick to her chest and gut after she was able to breathe again, she drained the tub and got ready for bed. But no matter how hard she tried, she kept on feeling herself submerge to even deeper waters of her past. Waking up into the darkness only made it worse, and crying helped less.
How desperate she was to want her parents as she huddled in a corner, clutching the wedding picture.
*~*~*
Wednesdays were a piece of salvation for her every time she walked to the orphanage. She knew Shizuka would be bouncing in bed at that very moment, squealing in joy and happily running around trying to get ready for her arrival. But since the child was still recovering from the slight cold she had, she made sure to get the board games out and the snacks prepared before she left. And as she walked up the steps to the third-story spacious building of brick, she hoped her fears from last night would disperse temporarily for the day. Walking into the lobby, she spotted a few couples sitting in wait patiently to interview the child they wanted to adopt. A few other orphans were running around in the other room next door, already hyped up from their breakfast.
Smiling, Kumori walked up to the front desk where the Witchmon Yuna was clacking away on a computer. Her calm gray eyes looked up at once, and the infamous smile of hers grew. "Kumori-Garasu, good morning, dear!" she greeted sweetly.
"Good morning, Yuna," she returned, bowing. "Is Shizuka ready for the day?"
"She's still running around getting ready," she announced. "I gave her the medicine a little bit ago, so you don't have to worry about a thing."
Thanking the kind old womon, the Gatomon made her way upstairs to the second floor where her adopted sister was. Her room was down the colorful hallway—courtesy of the smaller children there—where she shared it with a few other girls, both of whom ran out giggling at once, saying greetings to her as they passed. Walking into the small but tidy bedroom, she noticed the little Terriermon kneeling on her bed, staring out the window. She was still in her nightgown, her clothes laid out on her blankets and the stuffed animal she carried was sitting on the windowsill. Usually, her floppy ears were wiggling in excitement around this time, but they hung down the sides like curtains shielding her from view.
Frowning, Kumo walked over to Shizuka, sitting down next to her. "Hey, sis," she said.
She didn't look over. "Hi."
There was sorrow in her voice, if not hoarse from coughing. She felt the Terriermon's forehead, feeling slight heat. "Still not feeling well?"
Shizuka shook her head. "Not really."
The cat forced a smile, knowing a visit to her home would cheer her up. "I'll help you get dressed, is that okay?" she quired.
When the girl nodded, she slipped off the nightgown and put on the shorts and T-shirt, making sure they weren't wrinkled. All this time, the Rookie had not glanced over her way, but continued to gaze almost dreamily out the window. Kumo was worried. She hadn't heard of Shizuka doing this at any time or for any reason. Grasping her hand, she whispered, "What's wrong?"
Still without even a glance, she muttered, "It's my Papa and Mama's anniversary today, from what the nice ladies told me."
She hoped it was the day of their matrimony and not their deaths. "I'm sure they're celebrating up in heaven, little one," she told her.
"I hope so, too." The Terriermon then turned away from the window and held her cat doll close. "Can we go now, sis?"
Nodding, she took her hand and together they walked out of the orphanage, giggling and sometimes skipping they way back home.
*~*~*
Who knows what strange force kept Hidoi from going back to bed after the alarm, but he wanted to sleep, hopefully permanently. But he could only lie there, staring up at the ceiling, eyes refusing to close. He figured he could go to the studio after lunch so he could breathe a little bit more at home. Though he tried to keep his mind occupied on other things, it kept torturing him with memories of him and Kohana. Groaning, he had to force himself to take a long, steamy shower to chase it away. Like it did any good. He was finished dressing by the time it was almost eight, and he had time to kill.
Maybe this meant he needed to get out and run more often. He heard it gets rid of stress better than anything else.
He decided to test it out. The goal was for him to jog down to the park a few miles away and come back. If it worked, he may push himself further. Had there been a neighborhood nearby, he'd jog the length of it, but all he had around him was the city. More like the ghetto anyway, what with violence down in the streets and police chases. Everywhere one looked, there was a gang somewhere not too far. And everyday they chose a person to torment. Thankfully, they haven't spotted him yet.
Hidoi adjusted his watch as he quickly hurried down the stairs to the lobby, not casting his eyes about even a glance. His ears failed to hear the doors open and the giggle of a child. When he did look up, he barely dodged the small girl and with a yelp, ran into another person, collapsing to the floor. As there was no one around to witness it, he had half-a-mind to get himself up and exit the building. But he had to look over at the person he tripped over and froze.
What was the new womon doing in the building? Oh yeah, now he remembered that stupid question Ryuu had asked. She mentioned she lived in the same apartment building as he did, supposedly neighbors. The Wizardmon never gave it much thought to know she was only a couple of floors above him. When Kumori-Garasu picked herself up, her azure eyes traveled to his face where they stared in shock at one another, jaws dropped.
The small Terriermon rushed to her side, clutching a small cat doll in a hand. "Sis, are you okay?" she whispered worriedly.
Kumo broke the gaze for a few seconds, having to turn to the girl. "Yeah, I am, Shizuka."
Hidoi quickly got up, regaining balance. "Sorry, didn't see you there," he muttered, eyes dropping to the floor out of habit.
"It's our fault, right Shizuka?"
"Yeah. We were having fun." The Rookie clutched the doll close and titled her brightly lit face up at him, making him face the outside. He didn't hate kids, he loved them. It just made him jealous to know how innocent they were, though he knew out of experience they lose it quickly.
"So, she's your sister, huh?" he wondered, not entirely believing it.
"Not exactly," the womon said, smiling. "She's my adopted little sister for the Big Brother, Big Sister Club. We see each other on Wednesdays." She gently pushed her towards him. "Shizuka, this is Hidoi Honda, my partner for the evening news."
"Hey, I know you!" she suddenly exclaimed, pointing up at him. "You're the big grumpy guy!"
The two adults gaped at her, though Kumo laughed nervously. "She's only seven," she added to him.
"I get that a lot," he grumbled, slowly reaching for the door. But he was abruptly stopped when the Terriermon gave him a hug around the legs tightly. "Hey, what the...?"
"Nice to meet you, sir! I know you two will get along well like sissy and I do!"
He frowned at once, his hand clenching the handle tightly. The Gatomon saw this and quickly pulled her away. "Shizuka, you're in his personal space," she told her sweetly. "Why don't you head up to my place and make yourself comfortable, okay?"
Shizuka looked up at her with small coal-black eyes of pureness, not wanting to let go. "Okay, Kumo." With that, she released Hidoi and waddled up the stairs and out of sight.
She gave a small sigh at once, shaking her head. "I love her to bits, I really do," she murmured. "But you can't blame her for her actions. She's still a child who enjoys the world in the way we can't see it anymore. She knows her stranger danger, but she'll still go up to someone and hug them. I'm sure her parents taught her very well before they died."
It perked up his interest at once, his head snapping down to look at her. "She's an orphan?"
Kumo nodded. "Her parents died from an epidemic. She survived somehow. All orphans are survivors, after all. But they don't stay that way long unless they find a good home. I barely was one."
"One what?"
Her head was held up high this whole time, but at the question, she slightly dipped it. "Survivor. I lost my parents, but in a horrible accident. I was forced by law to live with an uncle who didn't hold to his word." The words and tone were bitter, and a slight scowl appeared on her face. Hands clenched briefly into a tight fist before unrolling.
It brought a sudden barrage of questions to his mind about this little womon. An orphan somehow not well taken care of... it brought back short flashes of memories after his sister died. His parents seemed to stop loving him after that day, and his neighbors and friends would try their hardest to keep themselves away from him. He spent his teenage years alone and haunted by the memory, until he couldn't take it anymore and left home at a young age. But he wasn't classified as an official orphan, as his parents are still alive. She was different in that genre.
Without realizing it, his voice reacted on its own, asking the question caught in his throat. "What did he do to break the rules?"
Kumo only shook her head. "I have to go," she breathed out. "I'm sorry I brought it up." She quickly hurried after the small girl, disappearing up the stairs.
Hidoi felt lonely as he headed out for his run. But even it didn't seem to calm him down like he thought it would.
