Chapter Three

It Hurts So Much More

Yuuta woke slowly. She was curled up in a ball, her Digiegg held against her chest. In her hand, the photo stared up at her. She quickly got up and shoved it in her nightstand.

"Yuuta, get up! It's time for school!" Yelled Suki, her mom, outside the door.

"I am coming." Yuuta jumped up and ran towards the bathroom.

"Did you take the Digiegg with you in the shower?" Hiro asked as Yuuta walked in the kitchen twenty minutes later, her Digiegg still in her arms. She nodded at her father.

"Well, hurry up. You'll miss your Metro." Hiro opened his newspaper again.

Yuuta gulped down her cereal and ran back to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She punched her fists through a black blazer. As she rushed to grab her backpack, she hesitated; eyes riveted on the nightstand drawer.

I'm a Chosen Child now. It's okay...She shook her head and left, adjusting the straps on her shoulders so her blazer wouldn't wrinkle under it. It was just too good to be true. She didn't want to push her luck. She grabbed her Digiegg, just before exiting the front door.

She smiled seeing Eri waiting at the station. Eri Rokunda had been her friend since kindergarten.

"Hey, finally! You got your own 'egg! Awesome!" Eri said excitedly, her own silver Digiegg in her arms.

"Yup. I am so happy! I cannot wait to see her hatch."

"You felt it, too, then?" Eri interrupted. "You felt the connection immediately, I mean. That's how you know she's a she?"

Yuuta nodded. You have no idea what I was connected to!

"Hai. It's so much more than I could ever dream." Yuuta breathed aloud.

"Hai."

They trailed off, gazing down at their Digieggs silently. Suddenly, Yuuta's knee-length black, green, and yellow tartan skirt was flung up behind her.

"EEK!" Yuuta quickly jerked back down her skirt with one hand and spun around, blushing.

"Look, Kokubunji wears Digimon underwear, still! Isn't that a baby thing?" laughed a boy with a Gazimon beside him. His hair was black and fell shaggy into his black eyes.

"You jerk!" Eri yelled.

"Stupid girl!"

He ran off laughing towards their Metro. Eri chased after him, Yuuta behind her. They finally forced themselves onto the Metro. Eri grabbed at the much taller boy's shirt collar.

"Just ignore him, Eri-chan!" Yuuta begged, clutching Eri's arm. Eri dropped him.

"I should give this jerk a black eye! Why do you always pick on Yuuta, Fujima?" Eri demanded.

"None of your beeswax, Rokunda!" Yomoki Fujima taunted.

"GRR! You're lucky my Digimon hasn't hatched yet!"

"Your Digimon would only be a Baby, baka! My partner is a Rookie. Plus, I'd like to see any other Rookie take on Gazi. Isn't that right, buddy?"

"You bet, Yomo!" Gazimon and Yomoki high-fived. Eri rolled her eyes.

"So, you finally turned eight." Yomoki grinned down at the small Yuuta. She clutched her Digiegg closer.

"Yesterday was the Festival, wasn't it?" Eri snapped. "Yuuta is the only person in the world born on the Chosen Children Festival, the Great Battle Anniversary." Eri hissed.

"Duh. I've never see an 'egg like that before. Could it be anymore girlie?"

"It's my Digimon. That's all that matters. Don't belittle her, you...dork." Yuuta said, finally getting angry. Yomoki's eyes widened, and then frowned.

"Go, Yuuta!" Eri whooped.

"Don't call my partner a DORK!" Gazimon exclaimed. Eri stuck her tongue out at him. "Grr!" She giggled.

"Gomen nasai, Gazimon." Yuuta bent down and scratched behind his floppy, left ear. His eyes closed in pleasure.

"Gazimon! She just called me a dork!"

"But she didn't call me a dork."

The girls laughed and Yomoki bit the inside of his cheek. The Metro finally stopped at their destination.

"Let's go, Gazi."

"Bye, Yuuta!" Gazimon waved. The two were soon lost in the swarm of bodies. The two eight-year-olds were pressed and shoved with the masses, their arms protecting their Digieggs. Other young children were clasping their 'eggs to their chests, a panicked look in their eyes.

"Do...you think I steal other people's Digimon, Eri-chan?" Yuuta asked quietly as they entered the school yard.

"Hm? Iie. Digimon just like you as much as you like them." Eri smiled.

"Eri, Yuuta, over here!" waved two other girls.

"Ohayo, Chidori! Ohayo, Tsumi!" Eri waved. Yuuta and Eri ran towards their friends.

"We're going to be late!" Chidori scolded, pushing her glasses up.

"You're such a nerd!" Eri teased.

"What's wrong, Tsumi-chan?" Yuuta asked. Tsumi blushed, her face still to the ground, and clasping a small Yuramon to her chest tightly.

"N-nofing." She muttered thickly. The girls' eyes met. Chidori shrugged and they looked to the baby Yuramon in Tsumi's arms. She made an unrecognizable noise.

"Chotto matte!" Chidori pulled out her calendar notebook and flipped through it quickly. "She got her braces yesterday!"

"Oo me-ee!" Tsumi grimaced in pain, her gums still sore.

"Oh, poor dear! Do either of you know what she said?" Eri asked the two lowly. Tsumi squealed and raised her raised Yuramon in the air as if to hit Eri with her. Eri laughed and ran towards the door in mock-fear. Chidori and Yuuta shook their heads and followed them.

& & &

"Wow! That was awesome!" Yuuta clapped. Tsumi clapped, too, her Gizamon lying in her lap.

"Thank you, Yuuta!" Gotsumon blushed with a hand behind his head, breathing heavily.

"It's just a workout!" Mushroomon added, just as beat up as Gotsumon.

"No way. You guys beat each other to a pulp." Eri exclaimed dropping to her knees and hugging her rock-group Digimon.

"And you're both getting so much better!" Chidori added picking up her vegetation- group Digimon.

"Aw, thanks, partner." Mushroomon blushed.

"I wonder why your 'egg hasn't hatched yet. Tomorrow makes it a year." Tsumi said suddenly.

"She will hatch when she is ready." Yuuta said quietly.

"Let's go and get some ice cream." Chidori said diplomatically seeing Yuuta's sadness.

"Your treat, ne, Chi?" Eri nudged her with an elbow.

"Why must I treat again?" Chidori sighed.

"Because you have money. We're just poor nine-year-olds."

"Hey! I'm still eight!" pouted Tsumi.

"I am, too." Yuuta got up, dusting off her long corduroy skirt. She picked up her Digiegg and smiled as it jumped in her hands.

"She kicked again!" Tsumi squealed excited.

"Your Digiegg should hatch soon, Yuuta." Gizamon said, his bluish-green eyes dancing.

"Honto? This definitely calls for a celebration. Ice cream on me." Chidori proclaimed.

"RIGHT ON! Thanks little Digiegg." Eri winked at it.

"So...which flavor you want?" Chidori asked Mushroomon. The others murmured with their partners, making Yuuta feel lonely.

A boy with black hair and eyes walked by chatting animatedly with his Digimon and stopped, seeing someone at the corner of his eye. He turned and saw Yuuta at the counter. He grinned.

"Hey, Yuu-yuu. Whatcha doin' here?" asked a voice behind her. She turned surprised.

"Oh, no, it's him." Eri rolled her eyes. Tsumi blushed. She was crushing majorly on the tall eleven-year-old.

"We are ordering ice cream." Yuuta answered. She gulped when Yomoki smiled.

"Really, now? It is an ice cream shoppe." His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled wider.

"You shouldn't have asked the stupid question the first place." Chidori said primly. The other girls giggled at her tone. She sounded like a teacher. "Hurry up and decide so I can pay, Yuuta."

"Oh, amo, gomen. Ano...I think green tea. Or... mmm, they have French vanilla." Yuuta almost drooled. "A small French vanilla, onegai."

"What a boring flavor!" Pagumon sneered bouncing up and down at Yomoki's waist. Yomoki grabbed him quickly. Yuuta's eyes narrowed. The girl's watched interested.

"You fought again." A large sweat drop traveled down Yomoki's face.

"N-no."

"Do not lie to me! He is a Pagumon again! It is not right to treat Digimon like fighting tools or, worse, Pokemon!" The girls sniggered. "It is okay to keep Digimon in shape and train them so they can become stronger, just like it is good for humans, too! You should not make them fight your battles, though!"

"But, Yuuta, I like to fight-"

"You hush!" Yuuta snapped pointing a finger at Pagumon. His black-outlined-irises crossed looking at her finger. "You should grow up! You have only had your Digimon for three years! Stop treating him like a Champion when he is only a Rookie! You will get him deleted!"

The girls had one-by-one taken their ice cream and now the man, holding back his own chuckles, bent down to scoop up hers. Yomoki met her angry brown eyes and half-smiled.

"I'm sorry, Yuu-yuu-chan. Oi, sir? Put her ice cream on a separate check." He took a step back from the perplexed Yuuta and bowed. He pulled out some yenn. "This one's on me for being a bad Digipartner. Thanks for the lecture, Yuu-yuu-chan."

She sputtered uselessly as he left quickly, leaving her with a fist full of money.

"I'll take that, miss." She quickly gave it to the man behind the counter. A Frigimon peeked around the corner.

"Sir, the strawberry is...um...well...I accidentally got angry and...um...I Subzero Ice Punched it."

"Again? You just digivolved, can't you hold back the violence a little?" He shook his head and handed her back her change. "Have a good afternoon." The girls bowed.

"Arigatu!"

He left for the back.

"You're so lucky, Yuuta!" Tsumi sighed enviously. Yuuta opened her eyes in confusion in the middle of savoring her first bite of French vanilla.

"You have a cute eleven-year-old in love with you!" Eri huffed exasperated.

"Nani? Of course not! He is three years older than me!" Yuuta exclaimed, her face red.

"Mm hm. That's why he buys you ice cream, listens to your lectures, and goes out of his way to talk to you." Chidori listed off.

"I have known him forever that is why! He likes to tease me!"

"Boys mature slower than girls. When they crush, they tease the girl they like." Eri interjected.

"And he's so cute. You can't get much better! He's older and everything!" Tsumi shrilled. Gizamon choked as she squeezed him. "And he's only two and a couple of months older, not three."

"You sound like teenagers! Stop it!" Yuuta cried out, embarrassed.

"Look at her, losing her cool." sniggered Eri.

"I am not losing my cool and Yomoki does not like me. If anything, he just likes me. Not like-likes." She jammed a spoonful of vanilla in her mouth. "Besides...boys are icky still." Yuuta whispered. The girls laughed.

/ A few weeks later

Yuuta opened her eyes and sighed happily, stretching. She didn't know why, but today seemed so bright. Okay, so it was her ninth birthday, but that wasn't it. She pulled out the small photo from the drawer and rubbed her thumb over it.

"Happy birthday to me...happy...freezing day to you?" she giggled. It was better than saying 'happy deathday'.

"Yuuta, get up! This year we're going to the Festival and you have to wear your kimono." Suki said from the other side of the door. Yuuta's eyes saddened as she got out of bed.

That's her family communication, either through the door or through a newspaper. The only real family she had was Gekomon and Numemon. She smiled softly seeing the pink and lavendar Digiegg in the crib she made out of an Easter basket.

"You will be my family now. Let us take a shower." Yuuta smiled.

"What are you doing?" Suki snapped. Yuuta turned around startled, foam on her mouth.

She spit "I'm brushing my teeth." Her hair was wrapped up in a towel away from the white rob she would wear beneath her kimono.

"Why is there a boy in the foyer?" Suki hissed.

"What? I do not know any boys besides Yomoki."

"That's the boy in my foyer!"

"Gomen nasai." Her eyes widened as the words slipped past her lips automatically.

She quickly shook out her still damp hair and brushed it. She ran to her bedroom and quickly pulled on the rest of her kimono. She slipped on her two-toed socks and went back to the bathroom to put lavendar jelly barrettes. She flicked off the light and quickly snatched her 'egg off the counter.

"Oi, Yuu-yuu." Yomoki grinned. A fully rested Gazimon stood besides him.

"Yuuta, it's your birthday, so we're taking you to the Festival!" Gazimon hopped up and down.

"He means I am. I'm the one with the yenn." Yomoki corrected.

"Oh...ano...but usually I meet with Chidori-chan, Eri-chan, and Tsumi-chan." Yuuta said edgily.

"Don't worry. We'll meet them there, Yuu-yuu. Let's go."

"She's only eight-"

"Nine." Yomoki grinned.

"She's only nine, young man-" Hiro started again.

"And I'm eleven. We're just friends. Come on, Yuu-yuu, Gazi. We'll miss the fireworks." Yomoki pulled her out the door, stopping only for her to stuff her feet in her wooden sandals.

"The fireworks don't start for hours!" Hiro shouted out the door. Yomoki laughed as they raced down the stairs. Yuuta couldn't help but giggle helplessly, clutching her 'egg tightly.

"I will fall, Fujima-san! My kimono skirt is long and tight." Yuuta gasped out as they reached the bottom.

"Sorry. My yutaka isn't as tight as that." Yomoki apologized.

"It looks really good on you." Yuuta whispered as they walked down the sidewalk towards downtown.

"Hm? What?" Yomoki turned. He blinked surprised seeing her blushing.

"Your yutaka looks good on you." He looked down at his old-fashioned yellow over robe with little gray lines dotted over it. He wore a baggy gray hakama, two-toed socks, and wooden sandals.

"It's just a stu-ugh." he stopped suddenly as Gazimon kicked him.

Yomoki looked down and Gazimon shook his head and then jerked it to Yuuta. Yomoki turned and saw a prettily blushing Yuuta holding a pink and lavendar Digiegg that matched the barrettes on her bangs. Her kimono had a creamy background with flames licked the bottom and lightning around the ends of the long sleeves. Two wings laced in pink connected to two more gold-laced wings flared from her shoulder blades

"You look good, too." He hissed in his breath as Gazimon kicked again. "You look really pretty."

Yuuta blushed redder.

Yomoki took her around the Festival, making everything seem brighter. She laughed as his koi broke the paddle and splashed him falling back into the water. She caught the same one deftly and handed him the clear bag filled with water and one confused fish. He dragged her away, blushing slightly. He bought her all her favorite foods and even cotton candy. She blushed as he held the large cloud of sugar to her mouth because her hands were full with her Digiegg and a large Floramon plushie.

"Let's go get a good sakura tree to sit under for the 'works." She nodded mutely, blue sugar filling her mouth. She eyes lit up seeing a large Mammothmon carrying a happy group of children.

"It is so beautiful. It is hard to believe people used to not know what Digimon were, or that there are people who abuse their partners. We are all so happy." She said finally swallowing.

"Yeah. It is kinda weird. And it's all because of them, sixty-four years ago today. Hey, I'll go get some sodas, okay? Oh, wait, you don't like soda." He immediately amended seeing her mouth open. He stuffed what was left of the cotton candy on the stick in her mouth. "I'll be back. Green tea, ne?" He and Gazimon ran off.

She nodded and pulled the paper-roll stick out of her mouth, letting the blue sugar melt on her tongue. A group of girls from Yomoki's class walked up.

"Look at the little nine-year-old. Thinks she's so high-and-mighty because Fujima-kun hangs with her. Probably because he feel sorry for her." laughed a blonde.

"Why would Fujima-san feel sorry for me?" Yuuta blurted out to her own horror.

"Because you're a sad little kid whose parents don't give a darn about. All the friends you have are Digimon." the blonde replied simply.

"I have friends." she murmured.

"Yeah. They probably really don't like you. They probably talk about how much a freak you are." said a brunette.

Yuuta stood and started to leave.

"Don't ignore us! You little freak! All the Digimon talk to you and do what you say, even though you're not their Digipartner." said the last girl, a brunette with her hair in a bun.

"Do you think Yomoki is like those Digimon, huh?" the blonde pushed her. She fell into the brunette.

"Don't touch me, freak!" the girl pushed her into the girl wearing her hair in a bun.

"You're 'egg hasn't even hatched yet and it's been a year." sneered the blonde.

"Probably doesn't want to meet its freak of a partner. Must be so ashamed." hissed the 'bun' girl in her ear. She was pushed to the ground and she moved as she fell to protect her 'egg.

"HEY! Leave her alone!" Yomoki shouted running towards them.

'"Run, hurry, before he gets a good look." urged the blonde. They disappeared. Yomoki dropped beside her.

"Yuuta? Are you okay?"

"Want me to go get 'im, Partner?" Gazimon snarled.

"No, dame, I am fine." Yuuta protested. She curled around her Digiegg having raised herself to a sitting position.

They do not know. I am a Chosen Child. My Digimon is going to be the strongest ever. But nobody will believe me, so I will not say a word. But I know. It hurts so much more, knowing. Knowing I will be great one day, and they will never believe me. It hurts so much more! She jumped and gasped as a loud pop and hissing noise sounded abruptly next to her.

She turned and saw Yomoki and Gazimon covered in soda fizz. She pulled out a large handkerchief. She handed it to him laughing, and suddenly tears fell from her eyes and she was sobbing into her empty hands, the 'egg balanced on her lap. Yomoki blinked and blanched, wiping away the soda.

"You can't do that! It's not fair! You can't cry!" Yomoki yelped. Yuuta just cried harder. Her eyes blinked and she looked up to see his arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her as tight as he could with the Digiegg in the way.

"Wha- What are you doing?" she hiccuped.

"I dunno. My mom hugs me when I cry. I don't like it when girls cry. It's a little scary." he admitted blushing, still holding her.

Suddenly, light lit up their faces and they looked down, Gazimon hurrying over. Her Digiegg was slowly cracking, the lines showing just barely through the light. The Digiegg shattered.

A Botamon looking Baby blinked up at her.

"Paufty!" she said in a squeaky voice like Pabumon's.

It was whiteish-pink with lavendar round eyes. Its ears were longer than Botamon's, but had pointy tips. Three whiskers grew from each side of her non-existent nose.

"She is adorable." Yuuta said wetly.

"Paufty!"

"Oh, Paufty to you too!" Yuuta exclaimed softly. She snuggled with her Baby and began to cry again "Arigatu, arigatu, arigatu..." she whispered over and over.

"Paufty?" Its lavendar eyes blinked.