Chapter Seven
Meeting Her Hero
Yuuta stepped backwards off the carving on the floor. The lights faded instantly.
"Yuuta! Did you see them?" Usamon whispered.
Yuuta nodded.
"He is there, right there. I see him." Yuuta babbled quietly.
"Yuuta?"
"M-my hero." Yuuta choked. Tears fell from her eyes. "He is just there. He cannot even smile. How am I supposed to bring him to life?"
All the Chosen Children were ranged through the room. All were hurt and bandaged, and either holding their In-Training Digimon or were close to them. He was standing by a hospital window. Her hero had a large bruise on the side of his face. His left arm was in a sling. His Digimon wearily lay against his chest, held by his other arm. Tears fell from his eyes slowly.
"It's time for you to leave this World until the Key finds you." Gennai-sama said, appearing in their mist.
All turned towards him, their eyes sad.
"We're ready." said Yagami, Taichi softly.
Her hero's eyes closed in pain.
Soon, all of them were disappearing, fuzzing out into the DigiWorld.
"Behind you are your receptacles. As soon as you step inside you're frozen. This is your last chance." Gennai-sama warned softly.
Tachikawa, Mimi was sobbing into her hands and the others were silently grieving
"If anybody wants to go back home, you can." Yagami, Taichi whispered.
"Of course, we can. We're not obligated to save the World, are we?" Izumi, Koushirouu grinned weakly. Taichi grinned back.
"Koushirouu's right. It's our duty to save the world, every world." Takashi, Takeru said fiercely.
"I-I'm r-ready." Tachikawa, Mimi stuttered.
"We're all ready, ne?" Ishiida, Yamato asked looking around the room.
The sad faces nodded grimly, the determination that made them heroes shining in their eyes.
"Then, step back into the capsules and Hope." Gennai-sama said, smiling sadly. They smiled at his shaky joke.
"Tai! I'll miss you!" Koromon cried. Yagami caught his Digimon and the others held their partners to them.
"It's time to sleep." Gennai-sama said gently.
"Please, just a little more." Tachikawa sobbed, hugging Tanemon close.
"It's okay, Mimi. We'll see each other again." Tanemon promised.
"We have to believe in the Key." Yagami, Hikari pronounced.
"I do." Izumi whispered.
"I do, too! I'll see you again, Izzy!" Motimon agreed.
"Set down your partner and step back into your tube." Gennai-sama instructed.
"What will happen to us, Gennai?" Yokomon asked.
"You will once again be Digieggs. You will hatch after your partners have awakened." Gennai-sama assured them.
"You better be right, Gennai. If Veemon doesn't wake up when I do-"
"If your Key is found, all will be awakened."
They closed their eyes.
"On the count of three everybody." Kido, Jyou said.
"One." Ishiida started.
"Two." Takenouchi murmured. Her hand reached and grasped Ishiida's before letting go.
"Three!" Yagami, Taichi shouted.
They stepped back and the glass swished closed around them. Their faces tightened in pain and their Digimon began to glow white. Their faces paled drastically and the Digimon were completely transformed into Digieggs.
The bruise on her hero's face was almost black against his death-white skin. His face had no life, no color, only the bruise.
"No...make them live, BRING HIM BACK TO LIFE!" Yuuta screamed running forward.
She stopped mid-run as she ran over the middle of the carving on the floor. The white light traveled up her legs. She raised her head as the light glowed from head-to-toe. It pulled together and condensed. Bits of different colors flew off different parts of her body and swirled into the white light. An eight-pointed star with an upside down T right through the middle formed in the light.
Usamon jumped on Yuuta's shoulder. A shadow formed around them with Yuuta's face, only rabbit-cat-like. Suddenly, Usamon evolved into a lean cat-like Digimon with long ears.
"Ultimate Technique! Life Touch!" The two cried. The bits of lights flew out of Yuuta's crest, her hair flying around her in the backlash of wind.
Orange hit Yagami, Taichi's stomach.
Blue hit Ishiida, Yamato's throat.
Purple hit Izumi, Koushirouu's temple.
Red hit the left side of Takenouchi, Sora's chest.
Grey hit Kido, Jyou's hands.
Green hit Tachikawa, Mimi's left cheek.
Yellow glowed from behind Takashi, Takeru, on his back.
Pink hit Yagami, Hikari's feet.
Gold hit the exact middle of Ichijouji, Ken's chest.
Mutli-colored light hit Motomiya's forehead.
White light flooded Hida, Iori and Inoue, Miyako's bodies.
Digieggs slowly began to appear at bottom of the tubes.
The glass swished open and twelve pairs of eyes opened.
"We're awake?" Takenouchi whispered.
"It does seem we're conscious, Sora." Izumi said.
"Oh...my..." Yuuta breathed inaudibly as the Digieggs began to shake.
The Chosen Children, the Chosen Children, leaned down and picked up their 'eggs. Their partners hatched and evolved immediately into their In-Training forms.
"Koromon!" Yagami cried, hugging his pink friend close.
"Yamato, I've missed you!" Tsunomon cuddled against Ishiida's chest.
"It's about time you guys all woke up! I was bored!" ChibiVeemon exclaimed.
"Oh...Oh...my..." Yuuta continued to stutter. Her legs were turning into rubber, her breath catching, and her face reddened. As she stared at her hero, her heart pounded so hard her toes were thrumming. Yagami, Taichi turned.
"Hi, you must be the thirteenth Chosen Child, our Key." Yagami grinned.
"Thank god Gennai found you!" Motomiya sighed relieved.
Yuuta trembled.
"Ano...girl?" Yagami asked tentatively.
Blood exploded from Yuuta's nose and she promptly fainted, her eyes in swirls. Yagami quickly caught her.
"Help! You guys, help!" Yagami pleaded panicking.
Yuuta slowly opened her eyes. Above her sat Takenouchi-Deity who was wringing out a cloth. Takenouchi-Deity turned and blinked.
"She's awake. Everybody she's awake!" Sora called out.
Suddenly, a crowd of faces surrounded her. A weight landed on her chest and her evolved partner was peering in her face. She had the same all-over lavendar eyes and white-lavendar fur. Only her face was cat-like, but her ears were just as long.
"I'm Nekomon!" her partner announced.
"You finally evolved." Yuuta said.
"Yup. Come on, get up! Everybody wants to meet you!" Nekomon licked her cheek.
"Oh...okay..."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Sora asked dabbing Yuuta's forehead with the wet cloth.
"Y-yes!" Yuuta pushed herself up, blushing vividly. "You don't have you worry so much for me, Takenouchi-Deity!" Yuuta exclaimed.
"Deity? Did you just call Sora 'deity'?" Taichi asked baffled. Yuuta blushed redder.
"In my time, all of you are called deity. You saved our World..." Yuuta trailed looking at her hands.
"Wait...we're all like gods or something back home?" Daisuke asked. Yuuta nodded mutely.
All the Chosen Children and their digimon laughed.
"This is too cool! We're gods!" Miyako choked out. She took off her glasses to wipe away the steam. Yuuta stood, her fists clenched.
"I am just like everybody else. I worshipped you like heroes…like gods, too. I am sorry." Yuuta muttered. "Please…please stop laughing!" Yuuta clapped her hands over her mouth.
"I-I'm sorry." Miyako sputtered, surprised. Yuuta closed her eyes, tears forming on her lashes.
"I totally ruined it." She turned and ran. Nekomon was at her heels.
"Oh no!" Hikari started after her.
"You jerk!" Sora yelled at Taichi.
"What did I do? Everybody laughed."
"And everyone should search." Yamato said.
"We'll divorce our group and investigate the surrounding area. Everyone use your digivices. We'll locate hers with our own. She can't be too far on this mountain." Koushirouu said taking his out of his pocket.
"Only thirty minutes awake and we're already on an adventure." Wormmon spoke up.
"We have a knack for it, it seems." Ken smiled.
They all left.
Yuuta sobbed into her arms, curled up inside a tree trunk. Nekomon purred lowly, rubbing her head against Yuuta' leg. Yuuta looked up, wiping away tears.
"You're so pretty, Nekomon. I'm glad you evolved." Yuuta sniffed.
Nekomon had a feline body, longer than a domestic cat's, her back paws really big and balanced on her toes. She had a fluffy bunny tail. She stuck her cold nose in Yuuta's ear and purred loudly. Yuuta laughed aloud in surprise.
"I'm glad you can laugh at a time like this." muttered a voice outside the tree. Koushirouu walked through the trunk, Motimon in his arms, both of them soaking wet. "Of course, your laughter is a good thing. This tree disrupts your digivice's signal."
"Why are you wet?" Nekomon asked to fill the silence.
"It's raining." Motimon answered good-naturedly. He hopped onto the ground and went over to Nekomon.
"Gomen nasai. I should not have run away." Yuuta whispered.
"That's not true. If I met my idol and he or she laughed at my adoration, I would probably become embarrassed, also." Koushirouu tried to comfort her. "We just...aren't used to being called deities." Koushirouu snorted at the thought. "Gomen nasai. It's still strange to think people call me-"
"Izumi-Deity? They do so all over the world." Yuuta interrupted. She looked up and, finally, met his black eyes. She crawled over, leaning close to his face. "What should I call you?"
"K-Koushirouu." Koushirouu stuttered. She blushed.
"Your first name?" she breathed. "I could never do that." She paused and continued, "I am so glad I am me...just so I could wake you all..." Her shoulders shook.
"Ano...miss?" Koushirouu queried, blushing lightly. She threw herself at his chest.
"You are alive. You are really alive, all of you. I-I am so happy!" she sobbed.
"You have a strange way of showing it, miss." Koushirouu muttered.
"Yuuta. My name is Yuuta Kokubunji. I am fifteen and was born in Odaiba, just like you."
"O-okay." Koushirouu stroking her dark hair absently, not noticing what he was doing.
"Domo arigatu, Izumi-sama." Yuuta pulled away and smiled up at him.
"Dou itashimashite." Koushirouu said embarrassed. Her eyes glowed wetly. Koushirouu gulped, realizing the same thing Yomoki had realized long ago. Yuuta was really pretty when she cried.
"Koushirouu? Hey, dude! Where are you?" Daisuke called from the outside.
"Hey, it's Daisuke!" Motimon announced.
"Motimon!" Koushirouu hissed...a little too late.
"Motimon?" Daisuke stuck his head in the tree and blinked.
Koushirouu was leaning against the metal bark with Yuuta holding him around his waist kneeling between his legs, tears falling from her eyes, both blushing wildly.
"OH MY KAMI!" Daisuke shrieked, falling backwards out of sight.
"Dai-chan?" Taichi's voice inquired. Taichi stepped through the tree to see the same thing. His mouth twitched and then he doubled over, laughing loudly.
"Shut up, Yagami!" Koushirouu shouted. Yuuta quickly moved away.
"I will go find everybody else." Yuuta ran out. Baka! You literally threw yourself at him! She stumbled over a foot. She caught herself quickly and spun around to meet red-brown eyes.
"H-hi, I'm-"
"Motomiya-sama. I'm Kokubunji, Yuuta. You can call me Yuuta." She smiled softly, her head tilted to the side. Her blush was still cooking her skin.
"Cool. So, how old are you? Let's go this way, someone's digivice is up ahead."
"I am fifteen, like you."
"Wait for me!" ChibiVeemon cried.
"Here, get on my back." Nekomon offered, lowered herself to the ground.
"Thanks." ChibiVeemon hopped up.
"They look like they're getting along." Daisuke grinned.
"Yes-"
"Thanks goodness! I'm so sorry! I'll never laugh at you again! I promise!" Miyako declared, appearing out of nowhere and throwing herself at Yuuta.
"Eep! It is f-fine! Izumi-sama explained it to mEE!" Yuuta squealed, almost falling backwards.
"Miyako! You're going to kill her!" Daisuke yelled at her, catching Yuuta quickly. Blood splurted out of Yuuta's nose at Daisuke's touch.
"G-Go-Gomen na-nasai!" Yuuta cried trying to stop her nosebleed, and leaning against Daisuke who had yet to let her go.
"Whoa, are you going to pass out again?" Daisuke tried to help her desperately.
"Where's Jyou-sempai when you need him?" Miyako shouted, panicking.
"She's bleeding again?" Taichi gawked, walking up with Koushirouu. Yuuta turned red with embarrassment. She tried to pull away from Daisuke.
"Stop it! Tai, it won't stop!" Daisuke whined with watery eyes.
"I got an idea." Taichi pulled off his shirt. The blood poured heavier between her fingers as her eyes widened.
"Daijoubou desu1" Yuuta squeaked thickly.
"Liar, your blood is getting all over Dai-chan." Taichi batted away her hands and pressed his shirt against her nose. "Lean your head back."
"I think it's getting worse." Poromon observed.
"Did you find her?" asked Ken pushing through the trees.
"Yes." Taichi grinned. Suddenly, it started raining again. "Damn."
"I have lots of extra clothes at a cave I left yesterday at the base of Spiral Mountain." Yuuta's voice said, muffled by blood and shirt.
"Cool. Let's go." Taichi sneezed.
"Nekomon, get the Chosen Children's attention." Yuuta ordered.
"Right. Neko Slash!" A tree crashed to the ground.
"They're all coming towards us now." Koushirouu said looking at his digivice.
"Good, let's start going down the mountain." Taichi said shivering.
"Gome-"
"Stop saying that. I gave you the shirt." Taichi sneezed punching her head.
"You're going to make it worse." Miyako teased. "She gets nosebleeds when you two are around."
"Honto? I didn't notice." Daisuke's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Does that mean if I tease you or touch you, you'll get a nosebleed?"
Yuuta looked away. Her eyes widened as a tan hand pushed away the wet hair stuck to her cheek.
"Your eyes have green in 'em." Daisuke said seriously. Yuuta blushed and blood started dripping out of her nose once more. She quickly pressed Taichi's shirt to her nose. Daisuke laughed uproariously.
"Dai-chan, stop it. She'll faint again." Taichi threw an arm around Daisuke's neck and pulled him away.
"Aw, but it's fun." Daisuke pouted. His eyes narrowed. "You're freezing, Taichi."
"Well, I don't have a shirt on." Taichi pointed out. He blushed as Daisuke wrapped his arm around his waist.
"I'll keep you warm." They walked a little awkwardly, but very happy. Yuuta looked on amazed.
"They're so cute." Miyako squealed.
"It's embarrasssing. What if the Key-" Ken looked down as he heard a thump. Yuuta had fainted, her nose bleeding profusely.
"I think Yuuta Kokubunji is just fine with it." Koushirou said.
"She's so small." Yamato noted coming up behind them. He picked her up.
"I bet even you can pick her up, Koushirou." Sora poked Koushirou. He blushed.
"She is two years my junior." Koushirou muttered.
"You can't lift me up, and I'm two years younger than you." Miyako said.
"Are you calling yourself fat?" Ken quirked quietly.
"YOU JERK!"
"What'd he do this time?" Hikari asked walking up with Takeru.
"He called me fat!" Miyako sobbed throwing herself at Hikari.
"No, I didn't!" Ken objected.
"Just let it go." Takeru suggested.
"How are we going to get to that cave standing here? Nekomon, can you lead us there?" Daisuke asked Nekomon.
"Duh. Come on!" Nekomon bounded off, white-lavendar fur gleaming through the darkness.
The Chosen Children chased after her, the rest slowly joining the group.
"How much longer? Taichi's turning blue!"
"I won't be able to hold her much longer. I'm getting tired." Yamato said.
"It's right ahead. " Nekomon called back.
"I don't like getting wet." whined Nyaromon in Hikari's arms.
"And you think I do? Tch." Nekomon shook her head, long ears flapping. "Here it is." Nekomon gripped some branches in her teeth and dragged them aside to uncover a small cave.
"Look, there's even a load of firewood." Sora breathed relieved.
"I can't evolve, so you'll have to do it the hard way." Koromon said regretfully.
"It's okay. I didn't go to summer camp for nothing." Sora smiled. "ACHOO!"
"We're all getting colds. We need dry clothes. Start on that fire quickly. Nekomon, where are the spare clothes?" Jyou asked, going into 'doctor mode'.
"Those ones."
"I'll do it. A girl would hate to have her privacy invaded by a guy. Plus, I know everyone's proportions pretty well." Mimi crawled over and searching through the duffel bags. "Hm, what's this?" Mimi pulled out the gift Yuuta had found. She opened it carefully.
"You snoop!" Miyako hissed.
"I thought she wouldn't want her privacy invaded by a boy?" Sora rose her eyebrow.
"This was from a long time ago. Look, she's so happy looking." Mimi sighed. She showed them a picture of Yuuta and her friends. "She looks about twelve or something." Mimi quickly wrapped it again and put it carefully back.
Koushirou looked down at the small girl, unexplainably saddened by what he had seen in the picture.
"OH MY GOD!" Mimi screeched.
"WHAT?" They all cried. Sora burned her finger.
"TAMPONS! YES! I'll be starting in a couple days if I'm still on my old schedule." Mimi snuggled with a box of Tampax.
"Urk." All the boys sweated.
"Thank god." The other three girls sighed.
"Oh, yeah, and she has this, Koushirou." Mimi pulled out the yellow Pineapple laptop from Yuuta's backpack. "She brought all her school boo-Geez, you nerd!" Mimi snapped as Koushirou snatched the laptop from her rudely. He ignored her, snuggling his laptop like Mimi had snuggled the Tampax.
"My Pineapple, after all this time. You're going to get a whole new make-over as soon as we get home." Koushirou cooed.
"Okay." Taichi said weirded out.
Koushirou opened his laptop eagerly and turned it on.
"A brand new battery and everything." Koushirou sighed happily, tears running down his eyes. Everybody's jaw dropped.
"I think he'd sell his soul for that piece of junk." Daisuke whispered to Taichi. Taichi snorted and quickly sneezed to cover it up.
"Hey, email! Yes! ...from Gennai. He's says he's estatic we're finally awake. Something very important is in the attachment, so download it quickly." Koushirou quickly opened the file and waited impatiently for it to download.
Suddenly, a strange bundle of light started to take shape on the cave ground. The brightness faded away to reveal clothes.
"Yay! We won't need her clothes now! They're all way too small." Mimi clapped happily.
"It seems all of them are outfits. Look, certain items share our Crests. I think we get one outfit each. Find your Crests." Koushirou ordered, quick as ever.
"I'm wearing all orange." Taichi complained.
"I have to wear purple!" Koushirou snapped.
"I like mine." Yamato said holding his shirt up. Daisuke, Ken, Iori, Taichi, and Koushirou glared at him.
"That is so gay." Daisuke laughed at Ken's gold clothes.
"At least mine are one color, rainbow boy." Daisuke shut up, raising his eyebrow at his mutli-colored clothes.
"At least I am gay, ne?" Daisuke sighed. Everyone laughed.
"Hey, at least you're not wearing white like us two. I go outside, and you all get to see my bra!" Miyako whined. Iori eyed his own white clothes dubiously.
"Must be because you don't have a Crest." Jyou offered pulling off his shirt to swap it with his gray one.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" the girls shrieked.
"It's only my shirt. I'm cold. I suggest you turn around, girls. Let's change, guys, then the girls. Taichi is the coldest one here." Jyou pointed out.
"Fine, you jerk." Mimi turned.
"At least the fire's getting warmer. Put some more wood on, please, somebody." Sora said, facing the back of the cave.
The boys quickly peeled off their wet clothes. Yuuta opened her eyes and sat up groaning.
"I feel so lightheaded, Usamon. And I had the craziest dream, Motomiya-sama and Yagami-sama were ga-g-gay?" Yuuta trailed off. All the guys stared back at her, horrified.
Blood shot out of her nose and she swooned backwards.
"Hopefully, she'll forget that." Yamato said weakly. The girls giggled loudly.
"She's not going to have any blood left soon." Jyou noted pulling up his pants and going over to check on her. "Good, this one didn't last long." He sighed. "She's got to get over this nosebleed thing. She's going to be around you two a lot."
"Must be a soccer boy fetish." Mimi snorted. Koushirou rolled his eyes at the girls' giggles, his face still red.
"Your turn girls, we're done." Iori announced.
"Thanks. I'm freezing!" Sora chattered, tearing off her shirt.
Yuuta woke up again and met the girls' gaze.
"I did not see what I thought I did, did I?" she asked abruptly.
"I dunno. What'd ya see?" Miyako asked eagerly.
"MIYAKO!" All the guys shouted, fighting to turn around.
"Uh-um...half-naked Chosen Children." Yuuta said.
"Well, you did. Who was better looking, Daisuke or Taichi?" Mimi inquired.
"Um... I can't...I mean...I think he's really cute... I mean..." Yuuta blurted, flaming red.
"Really? WHO?" All the girls crowded around her.
"N-nobody?" Yuuta questioned hopefully. "A-ah-ahCHOO!" Yuuta sneezed.
"Oh, you're wet, too! Let me get your clothes." Sora said, motherly. All the guys visibly relaxed.
"I will get them. Do not wor-wor-ACHOO!" Yuuta fell on her butt forcefully.
"Nonesense. What do you want?" Sora demanded.
"Just a…ano and…ano, some spare...um...and jeans and any shirt." Yuuta blushed profusely, darting glances at the boys.
"I understand. Let's see, I think these are cute... and these." Sora handed Yuuta some clothes.
"I have never seen these before." Yuuta said holding up a lavender blouse and shorts.
"And look at the Crest. Gennai must have sent her new clothes, too." Hikari said.
"Oh, is that where those strange clothes came from? I did not remember ever owning gold or...rainbow?" Yuuta tilted her head to the side. Ken and Daisuke blushed. The girls quickly finished changing.
"So...um...I am Yuuta Kokubunji, the new Chosen Child. I do not really know what my Crest is, though." Yuuta admitted. "I just recieved it."
"She's talk a lot like Kou-san." Daisuke whispered to Taichi.
"May I see it?" Koushirou asked. Yuuta blushed and nodded. He leaned over and lifted it to the light. "I believe it's the Crest of Life. I don't know how, but I always seem to know these things." Koushirou smiled. Yuuta blushed red at his nearness. He quickly pulled away.
"So, what's home like now? Or are you even from Odaiba?" Jyou asked.
"I am. I was raised in Heighton View Terrace. It is a little small, so you probably-"
"Honto? We are from there, too! We all lived there for a little while, besides Iori, Miyako, Ken, and Daisuke." Hikari interrupted.
"Honto? Nobody knew that. It would have been off limits otherwise. All the apartments you lived at were turned into museums or Digimon hospitals in your honor." Yuuta said surprised.
"People went crazy when we left." Daisuke whistled. "Imagine, my room as a museum exhibit."
"People like yours best, actually, Motomiya-sama. Your room was so messy it was the easiest to steal from until security was tightened. A lot of your old clothes are being sold anonymously on Ebay for outrageous sums." Yuuta told him.
"Whoa." Daisuke eyes grew wide.
"And all the Pineapples sales skyrocketed. The business had to stop selling your computer line, but a lot of antique ones are still out there. I was never able to get enough money to buy one though." Yuuta sighed sadly. Koushirou blinked.
"Really?"
"Hai, a lot of kids like you best. You are a computer nerd and smart, most heroes are really hot or really powerful. You were a genius, liked school, and were just cute. My friend Chidori-chan really respected you and Inoue-sama; Inoue-sama more so because she was a girl. People's favorites though were close between Ishiida-sama, Yagami-sama, and Motomiya-sama. I mean, that Yagami-sama." She pointed at Taichi.
"Really? I'm a favorite?" Daisuke and Taichi said concurrently.
"Um, Ebay story?" Jyou reminded Daisuke.
"Oh, yeah."
Yuuta yawned. Daisuke followed suit.
"I think it's time to get to bed." Taichi said.
"But I'm still cold." Mimi pouted.
"So am I." Daisuke agreed. Everybody nodded.
"Everybody can pair up. The human body is a great tool in recovering from hypothermia. When travelers are caught in avalanches, they can huddle up and share body warmth. It's preferably naked, but we aren't that cold." Jyou said with a warning look at Taichi and Diasuke. They blinked back innocently.
"What about us?" whined the Digimon.
"Even better. Cuddle up with your partners-"
"Aw, but I wanted an excuse to cuddle with Taichi." Daisuke huffed.
Koushirou quickly tilted Yuuta's head back before she bled again.
"You don't want to get your new clothes stained." Koushirou muttered.
"Well, we can all have one huge cuddle puddle." Miyako suggested. Everyone stared at her. "What?"
"Let's just take a vote. People and people warmth, people or Digimon warmth-"
"We Digimon have to stand watch. You humans are a lot weaker than us because you were frozen. We were just resting in our Digieggs for seventy years." Poromon said hopping.
"Okay. People and people it is." Jyou sighed. "Who's with whom?"
Takeru edged near Hikari as she shuffled near him.
"Oh no! Stay away from my sister!" Taichi yelled jumping up. Hikari looked angry and started to open her mouth when Daisuke grabbed Taichi around the waist, pulled him down, and snuggled close.
"Ni-night." Daisuke murmured. Taichi blushed vividly. He settled into a more comfortable position, grinning widely and falling asleep, just as instantly.
"How cute." Hikari cooed. "Got to remember to give Daisuke something for that." Hikari mentally noted. Everyone snickered at Taichi's simple-mindedness. Yuuta giggled, too, head still tilted back. She sighed sadly, dropping her head, a small dot of blood on her upper lip.
"Do you like one of them or something?" Miyako asked tactlessly. Yuuta mouth moved wordlessly. Ken slapped a hand over her mouth.
"I think you should go to sleep. Iori?"
"Let's go, Miyako." Iori took her hand and led her away from poor Yuuta.
"I'll snuggle with Sora." Mimi offered.
"Okay."
"Sora-" Yamato started. Sora shrugged.
"My mother would not approve."
"But-"
"Oh, silly me. I'll cuddle with Koushirou instead-"
"Mimi!" Koushirou yelped. He looked helplessly at Ken.
"I'll sleep with Koushirou. You sleep with Sora or Yuuta." Ken said.
"I want Sora." Yamato said firmly.
"Yamato..." Sora sighed, rubbing her temples.
"I missed you, Sora. Daisuke sleeping with Taichi." Yamato met her eyes pleadingly.
"All right." Sora gave in. "Eep!" Sora was jerked away as Yamato grabbed her.
"Who do I sleep with then?" Jyou asked sadly.
"Tachikawa-sama, you can sleep with Kido-sama. I am fine. I have a sleeping bag and I am used to sleeping alone." Yuuta said from behind her tissue. Koushirou looked at her reassuring smile and sad brown eyes.
"Are you sure?" Mimi queried, concerned.
"Hai. It is a very thick sleeping bag, too." She blushed seeing the design and shoved it back in the duffel before showing it to them. "I am hungry anyway. I will eat something first. Go to sleep, all of you, onegai. I am going to make up some bread for the morning. You want toast and eggs, right?"
"And bacon?"
"No…demo I have meat apples. One of them might be bacon."
"Mm, yummy." Mimi drooled.
"Kokubunji-san is right. Sleep first, Mimi." Jyou took of his glasses.
"Please, just Yuuta. Oyasumi minna." She smiled taking ingredients out of one of her three packs.
"Oyasumi." The awake Chosen Children chorused sleepily.
Yuuta stirred the glowing embers silently, a long while later. The bread was rising and her eyes were getting heavy, so heavy. A log snapped and she jumped awake. She dragged a log to the fire and tossed it on, wiping away sweat.
Koushirou watched her form by the fire, his black eyes thoughtful. Ken stirred sleepily beside him, moving closer to Koushirou's warmth. He looked over his shoulder to see Ken frowning his sleep. He looked back to the fire, smiling softly at the lack of change in his friend.
Yuuta fell with a thud, long hair fanning out beside her. Her face flushed from the heat. She slept curled in a small ball, hands fisted, muscles tightened, ready to spring even in her sleep. He moved a little to the side and flipped onto his back. I should've asked her to sleep with me...He blushed. It didn't sound so innocent in his head.