Disclaimer-I don't own Digimon.
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Putting It To The Test
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Kako smoothed her hair back as loose strands flew in her eyes. There was a gentle wind blowing in their direction, and she could practically feel the sand accumulate under her feet with each step. "So, Ryu, how's life been?" she asked. Her gaze was set before her and although Kako seemed like she was concentrating on the path in front of her, she was spacing out.
There was a slight chuckle that came from Ryuusei. He turned to Kako, a warm smile on his face. "Well, kind of boring," he admitted, "but the waves are great company."
"Isn't it cold?"
He laughed the comment away. "Yeah, it was at first. But it's great."
The girl shifted uneasily as they approached the wooden steps of the restaurant. Cautiously watching the steps below her, she ascended up to the front door, Ryu right behind her. She reached for the handle and, almost instantly, a feeling of foreboding ran through her. "No," Kako whispered under her breath, gasping as she fell back into Ryu. She didn't bother to wait. The next instant, she pushed Ryuusei aside and ran off, no word of explanation to offer.
It was startling for even Kako, but it occurred to her that the way Kouji's brain functioned was in no way similar to that of Kouichi's or any other boy's for that matter. The only reason he would want to get rid of her would be to do something he knew she was on to. Something that was important to him, something he had to keep from her. And Ryu was the perfect excuse, too, Kako thought bitterly. It annoyed her greatly that she had been deceived.
It was only the start of something much larger.
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She's on to me, Kouji thought, gently opening the front door and walking inside. He stopped almost immediately. Several things were wrong with the picture. A messy kitchen, a bubbling pot, the stove was on...laughter was coming from the living room. There had been a car out in the driveway, but Kouji hadn't been sure if it meant anything. Adult laughter, not held back chuckling but full out laughter, confirmed that it really did mean something. Kouji felt himself grow tense.
"Kouji's doing a wonderful job at school. I must say, I haven't been there for most of the school year but the feedback I received from the teachers certainly told me he's one of those brilliant minds."
Shock ran through Kouji's veins. That voice. He shook his head and was about to go straight to his room through the exit of the kitchen that wasn't as long to cross, but it seemed the visitor knew he was here.
There was a slight chuckle. "Kouji," said the cheerful voice of Mr. Aizawa, "why don't you come here?"
He did so grudgingly. Kouji slouched and looked away from all three adults.
It was this constant appraisal that sickened him. He wasn't sure if it was flowery talk or true praise, and he didn't care. He could be sure that Mr. Aizawa definitely wanted to be on good terms with his family. But what if he's batting for the other team...? A frustrated sigh escaped his lips before Kouji had a chance to stop himself.
Self-censorship. That was his rule. Even when he had gone through Takuya's bet, he had censored every word before it came out of his mouth. Before he had aimed for smiles. Now he aimed for saving the world.
Yet now he had broken it. Quickly, Kouji covered it up by wiping a hand across his forehead. "Sorry," he murmured. Now he yawned and rolled his shoulders back. "Well...I've had a tiring day...I'm going to sleep!" announced the bandana boy, making a start for his room.
"But Kouji, it's only been..." Mr. Minamoto looked at the clock and continued, "two hours since you woke up!"
"Three," the younger Minamoto corrected pointedly. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I-"
Satomi spoke up this time. "But Kouji-"
Realizing he was running out of options, Kouji ran to the kitchen and turned off the stove. From there, he yelled, "You left the stove on!" He carefully left out the word, 'Mom' out of awkwardness. After spending months with his actual mother, calling Satomi 'mother' was becoming a little unsettling.
Kouji took his time, attempting to listen in on the murmurs of the adults. He kept his motions slow, although it was dragging even for himself. First turning off the stove, then removing the pot and placing it on another part of the stove that hadn't been heated, cleaning up the spills, cleaning up the rest of the kitchen. It took up a good ten minutes altogether. Then the dragging steps back to his parents and Mr. Aizawa.
It felt all too quick.
Kousei motioned to the empty space on the armchair adjacent to the couch he sat on. "Kouji, why don't you sit?" Across from his father, Kouji found Mr. Aizawa.
If that guy wasn't Kako's gramps...and even so, he's still weird. The thought made him want to chuckle. But so is her dad. Hey, it evens out. No wonder their family is a made up of a bunch of wacko-Kouichi'll kill me if he ever figures out I thought that. But he won't. Kouji shook his head, partly to clear it, partly to refuse.
There was an uncomfortable silence in which his parents exchanged glances with emotions Kouji wasn't able to read.
"SIT. DOWN. MINAMOTO."
Wincing at the sound of the door opening, Kouji looked behind his shoulder. I thought I got rid of her, he thought with great disappointment. Scowling, Kouji said, "I thought you were off romancing with what's-his-name?" His foul mood was now evident. It didn't help that Piximon chose that moment to roll into the room, looking like an innocent stuffed animal.
From the doorway, Kako let out a yell. She ran forward and scooped Piximon off the floor and plopped down beside her grandfather. "Ichiro said you were at a meeting!" she told him in an accusing voice. Kako had a glare directed at him.
"I was!" insisted Mr. Aizawa, returning an indignant glare in the direction of his granddaughter.
Kako glared back for a while before throwing her hands up in the air and leaning back against the couch. "Boys," she muttered, "I've had to live with them all my life. I hate how true that is." There was a stifle of a giggle from Satomi.
A glance was transferred from Kouji to his father to Mr. Aizawa who snorted, "Your mother wasn't so normal herself."
It happened quickly. Furiously, Kako stood up. She looked slightly insulted. Yelling, "I never said she was! She was strangely cool, okay?" Kako stormed outside, slamming the door behind her.
Kouji found it odd that the man's face carried a serene smile, despite the fact that his granddaughter was probably plotting ways to end his old life. With a chuckle, Aizawa picked himself up. "Well, Kousei," he said at last, "from that demonstration, I have proved she isn't as angelic as you claim. Thank you for taking care of her during her visit on the island. Any trouble she gives and you can send her to me."
Adults, Kouji thought, rolling his eyes. He watched his father and principal shake hands firmly, say a few words, and then found Mr. Aizawa before him a split second later.
But it wasn't Aizawa.
Kouji's eyes widened in confusion as a transparent form of Mr. Aizawa smiled down at him. "Actually, Kouji," it told him, "despite my great dislike for Marise, I'm only batting for one team. And that team is actually obvious." And then it was gone.
Shocked into silence, Kouji stood there unmoving. When at last he could breath and move normally again, his eyes followed Mr. Aizawa out the door. He looked at his parents. Kouji found himself muttering, "That was unexpected." He slumped down in the armchair and shut his eyes.
Satomi and Kousei exchanged uneasy glances before they sat back down on the couch. Almost immediately, Satomi stood up and excused herself. "I should go check the kitchen. I left it in a mess," she murmured shortly before running into the kitchen.
There was a grave expression on Kousei's face. "Kouji, you understand why we called you here, do you not?"
In the back of his mind, Kouji thought, This sounds like some military draft. Aloud, he said nothing.
With great difficulty, Kousei continued, "You know it's hard for us to separate you and your brother now that you know the other exists. And I'm positive y-...Tomoko..." He placed a great emphasis on his ex-wife's name. "I'm positive that Tomoko would want to see you more often, too. Unfortunately my job calls for my stay in Hawaii to take a while longer, so..."
Kouji realized that his father had broken off into stuttering incoherent sentences. The boy stood up. "So basically you want me to move in with you?" he asked.
Kousei shook his head. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he managed to say, "It's the opposite. I want you to move in with...your mother." The last words were strained and sounded completely forced.
It felt as if he had been tackled by two football players from the side, shoulders grazed. Kouji fell back on the couch and began to contemplate the facts. Nothing added up. "But...you said something about Satomi being pregnant!" he suddenly found himself blurting.
There was a loud crash in the kitchen and Kouji watched his father lurch forward out of surprise. Maybe I should have kept that bit to myself...? He shook his head and asked, "What's that about then?"
"We didn't..." Kousei looked flustered. "Kouji, I've only called you twice...a...Satomi...pregnant..?" Swallowing, he stood up and shook his head, a hand feeling his forehead for a fever.
Twice? Kouji shook his head again, suddenly confused. Someone had been playing his father on the phone. It was a clever ruse, but one could easily foil. Eyes cold, he stood up and walked out of the house without a word. Whatever was happening, he was going to get to the bottom of it.
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Kako leaned against the wall beside the door, smiling to herself as it opened. "Thanks, Gramps," she murmured, smiling up at her grandfather.
Mr. Aizawa nodded and placed a hand on her head. Quietly, he ruffled her hair and stood there, gazing at the street. When he found Kako looking up at him with an expectant look in her eyes, the old man sighed, "It was a beautiful sunrise."
The straining and longing in his eyes was obvious to Kako. She removed his hand from her head and yanked on it. "Tell me," she commanded, a determined look in her eyes.
'Tell me,' she had said. Smiling, Taishi Aizawa shook his head. So like Harumi, he thought sadly, a half smile on his face. "You will learn," he told her in a soft voice, "in time. It is not my place to tell you, Kako." He inclined his head in her direction before walking to his car.
Kako nodded back out of politeness. The car sped off and she pressed her ear against the door to eavesdrop. There was a crash, then silence. Murmurs, footsteps-Footsteps! Kako yelled at herself mentally, trying to pry herself away from the door. Before she could, the door opened and she fell forward against the solid form of Kouji. With a muffled, "Oof," Kako stood up straight and waved casually to Kouji. "Hey...eh...don't look at me like that," she suddenly said, taking several steps back.
Practically slamming the door shut behind him, Kouji grabbed a hold of Kako's arm and dragged her off. "I need to talk to you," he told her in a low voice. "And if anyone starts bugging me, I can't guarantee their safety. If Surfer boy wants to talk to you, he can't, and you better be the one to warn him."
Surprised, Kako nodded silently. "You could just wear a sign," she offered, lagging behind. That resulted in her literally being dragged by Kouji.
"After this, you will call Kouichi."
She shrugged. Attempting to release her hand and now walking in pace with Kouji, Kako returned, "He's your brother." Mentally she added, Why can't you call him? She wondered exactly what had happened to the bandana boy.
"...And you will tell him to-" Kouji's voice dropped into a low murmur as he told her the next part.
Nearly screaming in frustration, Kako yanked her hand away and grabbed Kouji's wrist. "What are you thinking?" she hissed, eyes focused on him in a furious glare. "Do you think that he could actually do that?" Kako was about to continue into a lengthy rant when Kouji placed a hand over her mouth. It wasn't a sudden, annoyed action but rather the opposite; Kako saw it coming, but it was completely unlike Kouji that she couldn't stop it.
Gently, Kouji covered her mouth and murmured, "It needs to be done, believe me. You may think I'm controlling everyone's fate, but I'm not. I promise. I'm just trying to help them out. And if I do in any way screw things up..." He stopped and removed his hand.
"YES?"
He could tell she was angry. Releasing his other hand and raising it, Kouji swore, "I'll let you kick me if Kouichi gets hurt in the process." He then added, "But first I'm going to tell him you completely lack faith in his abilities. Come on, he's Kouichi. He's gone through more martial arts styles than you and I put together. Besides, it's Duskmon we're talking about. Worst case, Duskmon can take over for them and Kouichi can rest for the remainder of the week. Of course Mom wi-" Again, Kouji stopped.
Kako wasn't paying attention to him. Her eyes were focused on another. Unfortunately, Kouji saw why.
"A teacher who leaves his students to come to Hawaii," Kako murmured.
Kouji's eyes narrowed on the figure. "A principal who follows."
The two exchanged glances. Smiling, Kako whispered, "You better explain everything to me if you don't want to get kicked."
Mentally, Kouji winced. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut about the kicking part.
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Kouichi sat awake in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Training, coming home to find he would be alone in the house for the rest of the week (his mother was helping a friend), calling practically everyone and finding they were busy doing one thing or another...
Kouichi looked at the time and let out an impatient sigh. He had been losing a lot of sleep lately, worrying about his brother and Kako. It's only four thirty.
"You should get some sleep," said a gruff voice.
In response the boy let out a soft sigh, shutting his eyes. "I can't," was his reply.
Perhaps it was because he was unable to anticipate what was happening with them. His father, Kouji...Hawaii...Kako...he was worried in every single way. And it was obvious. Eating the eggs raw, skipping dinner, nearly chopping off his finger while making lunch...the signs just betrayed him. Not only that, but he had nearly been run over by five cars, set two books on fire, and almost hit himself when attempting to lunge for Marise while sparring. As a result, even his digivice was taken away, and he had neither sword nor D-Tector.
Duskmon looked at his fading form. Practically all of him was visible and there were faint traces of signs where he was beginning to fade from the physical portion of the real world. He snorted, "Don't deny it, boy. You want to go visit her." He purposely summoned a shadow to veil his face from Kouichi's view. The smirk on his face was all too obvious. So it would look like he was intentionally hiding, Duskmon moved his hands up to warp the shadow.
The boy was quiet. It didn't take a genius to realize he was contemplating his choices. Ms. Kimura was gone for the while. Due to his lack of concentration, Kouichi's training was limited to meditation to get back his focus. But the way Duskmon phrased it was starting to get to Kouichi. "Does...does it really seem like I just care about Kako?" he asked softly. It was a difficult subject for him, and Duskmon knew it.
"Yes," Duskmon lied fluently. It wasn't hard. After realizing everyone around you was probably lying to you, it wasn't long until you started lying to them. It was another language by itself almost. He decided to take it another step further. Turning around and dropping the shadow, Duskmon continued, "You don't even give a thought to anyone else." He waited for a rebuttal.
Kouichi chose to stay silent. He sat up in bed, pushing the covers off. No more words were volunteered and Duskmon faced Kouichi once more, a look of genuine annoyance on his face. "Well?" he asked, impatient for an answer.
Duskmon still received no answer from the boy. Now standing up, Kouichi made his way to the bathroom. Finally, he whispered in a barely audible voice, "Training. I'm going to train right now."
His first response was irritation, but Duskmon soon realized where Kouichi was going with his supposed, 'Training.' Grinning, Duskmon disappeared into the shadows, deciding to meet the boy at the bookshop.
His final wish would be seen to.
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Kouichi arrived in front of the bookstore at around five twenty-eight. The sky was still a dark, ominous blue, but there were breaks in the scarce clouds that revealed a lighter sky pushing through. Not much to his amazement, the bookstore was open. Surprises after realizing Mr. Saito was Marise had seemed more expected than surprising.
Sitting down behind the counter, Marise was engaged in reading a novel, one, Kouichi guessed, that he had taken from the shelves and stacked on the counter in a neat pile. "Kouichi," the man acknowledged Kouichi's presence without ever looking up. Kouichi, too tired to jump out of surprise, nodded in return.
"The room is open. But you realize this is dangerous. I can only let you go if you are completely focused," Marise told him.
The boy nodded.
Again, Marise spoke up before Kouichi could move a muscle an inch. He told the boy, "Taishi has informed me that she hasn't looked at it yet." When Kouichi said nothing, Marise looked up from his book, pushing his glasses up with a finger. "Your principal, Kouichi," Marise told him.
Blinking somewhat blankly, Kouichi nodded. He was about to make his way to the room again when something stopped him. "Sir, why-" Suddenly, Kouichi shook his head for no reason at all. "Never mind," he mumbled, feeling the strength escaping him as he took every step towards the room. Feeling weaker than the moment he woke up, Kouichi shut the door behind him.
The room spun as soon as he made a reach for the lights. Dizzily, Kouichi fell to the ground, his blank gaze focused on the ground. He shut his eyes and let out a soft sigh. I need to stand up, he realized.
"No. Keep down. Sleep, Kouichi," a soft voice instructed.
A feeling as if a thousand feathers were around him suddenly forced Kouichi to open his eyes. He was lying down in a field of grass, staring up at the sky. No, wake up! He tried to force himself up, biting back the pain and hurt it caused. Desperately fighting back tears, Kouichi lay motionless on the ground, involuntarily reaching beside him.
"Kouichi..."
This can't be, Kouichi thought, trying to control himself. Something else was moving him, taking this girl who looked so much like Kako into his arms. This can't be, he repeated to himself. Kouichi, wake up. It was a nightmare like none other.
A soft giggle startled him. They both sat up. The next instant, Kouichi saw a lake beside him. That wasn't there before. He was panicking. Forcing himself to calm down, Kouichi tried to think rationally. Nothing was working. He was sweating now, not sure what to expect.
The next second it happened. He was underwater, choking and gasping for air. Someone was pushing him under, forcing him down. He managed to push the hands away and float to the surface, trying to break free of the holds of the water. Instead of reaching the top, Kouichi was sinking down to the bottom, unable to break the cap of ice that prevented him from breaking free. The more he struggled, the faster he sank.
A bright flash of light was followed by a change in scenery. He was floating in darkness; there was no bottom or top. Kouichi took the time to catch his breath. She...she wasn't Kako, he realized. It was an illusion. What he feared the most was betrayal of those he loved. Takuya had urged him to send Kako and Kouji to Hawaii together, and yet he wasn't sure of the results.
He wanted it to go his way. He was afraid either Kako or Kouji would betray him.
Trembling, Kouichi shook his head and sank to his hands and knees. No, he told himself, wanting to shout out loud. That's not how it works. We aren't together. This is only if we both want it. He picked himself up. He had no time to inhale before he found himself dropping.
Everything seemed to be going so fast. Seeing his first encounter with Cherubimon playing before him, Kouichi began to wonder if he had died and was being judged. Enma, just take me down already, he thought miserably, shutting his eyes and rubbing his forehead.
Are you paying attention? No? Do not anger me, son of darkness, a voice pierced through his head.
Kouichi's eyes widened in fear. He recognized the voice immediately. All was black again, but he could see the hazy red. A flash of pain seared through him and Kouichi screamed.
It was just as how it had been back when Duskmon had been forced upon him. He was reliving that time again. Shakily, Kouichi forced himself to remain calm. There was another flash, and the pain returned twice as bad as it had come before. Kouichi whimpered now, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his fists to relieve the pain. A wave of pain now descended upon Kouichi, mercilessly threatening to tear him limb from limb.
An endless scream was ripped from his throat. Kouichi silently begged himself to shut his mouth, tried to move his hand to force it shut. When nothing worked, he cried out in pain and anguish. I need to fight this, he thought miserably. God, when was this pain so bad?
Through his screaming, Kouichi found a way to quiet down and open his eyes. The answer clicked into his head almost immediately--Kouji.
He had hurt Kouji.
"K-Kou...Kouji," Kouichi sputtered trying to look through Duskmon. There, in front of him, lay a battered Kouji glaring up at him defiantly. Kouichi's heart skipped a beat. This, he realized happily, trying to force himself out of Duskmon as Kouji began to digivolve. It worked, if only for a mere second. Kouichi was brought back into the dark confines of his prison and for the second time, a light shone, and he was no longer there.
My regrets, he thought, taking his time to shut his eyes and breath before anything else happened. It had been a shaking experience, almost as real as it had been the first time. Duskmon, Cherubimon...my regrets. Maybe these aren't illusions...but...real...? It was certainly a possibility.
When Kouichi opened his eyes, he found himself on the quiet Hawaiian beach, staring up at the sunset. Soft pastel colors of the sky seemed to dance in the distance. The sea brushed back and forth in a gentle rhythm, creating a calming song for him. What I want...
Kouichi lay back on the shore, smiling as the waves crept up just enough to reach his toes. The sand was warm, but not nearly as warm as the presence beside him. "I told you sunsets were better," he heard himself say in a smug voice. His eyes were shut, and his arms lay unmoving by his sides.
A soft sigh was emitted in response. There was an incoherent mumble. He turned his head towards the form beside him and opened his eyes. Kako rolled her eyes and then shut them. Her voice was quiet, but her words rang in Kouichi's ears as she asked, "You always say you're right, Kouichi. What will happen the day you're wrong...?"
Wake...UP! Kouichi forced himself to sit up and look down at the illusion of Kako. "You aren't real," he said aloud.
Kako said nothing, but remained immobile.
"You aren't real! None of this is real! Go away," Kouichi yelled.
Lights of different colors swirled around him, nauseating Kouichi. Dizzy, sick and tired, he fell on his back, meeting the gentle touch of wings instead of the fine, but grainy, sand.
"Good job, Kouichi," the melodious voice said, a giggle following her statement. "I can definitely see where this will lead."
Too tired to open his eyes, Kouichi mumbled, "Who...who are you?" The voice was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
A woman's voice, he could tell, but he wasn't sure whose voice it was. There was a soft sigh and then a distant laugh. "Kouichi, you should wake up now..." she reminded him.
Kouichi found himself floating through calm waters. "Wake up now," he repeated. "Now." It took a few more seconds before he could open his eyes and adjust them to the dark space of the empty room. All the weapons had been put away, and the racks had been removed. Realizing he was still shaking, Kouichi drew a breath and shut his eyes.
The nightmare was over.
The focusing was beginning.
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"I bet that book he won't make it," Lowemon murmured in a glum voice.
All the digimon sat around the entrance of the bookstore, discussing Kouichi. Duskmon snorted and pointed to the nearest shelf. "I bet you the shelf that he will."
Kazemon giggled but said nothing. Agunimon rested his head on the table. He looked up at Kazemon, who sat across from him and asked, "I thought you were spying for Izumi?"
"Izumi figured it was best to do it herself," Kazemon answered with a dismissive wave. "Kumamon, shouldn't you be helping Tomoki with his deciphering?"
Kumamon sat in the seat next to Agunimon, his gaze following Duskmon and Lowemon as they bickered. "Yeah...I guess, but he said he wanted to do it himself. When do you think they'll get to betting the entire store?" He sent a blank look in the direction of Blitzmon.
A hand scratching his head thoughtfully, Blitzmon shrugged. "Have any of you heard from Junpei?" he suddenly asked.
The rest of the digimon (save Lowemon and Duskmon who were too absorbed in their argument) fell silent. Blitzmon cleared his throat and looked at the ceiling, trying to hum innocently.
There was a growl. "You're stupid!" snapped Duskmon.
"I bet the entire store!" Lowemon yelled back.
"Lack of faith!"
"Cretin!"
"Imbecile!"
"Rhi-"
Agunimon burst into flames angrily and quite literally. Although the flames that surrounded him did not touch the chair, they still existed. "YOU LOST TRACK OF JUNPEI?" he practically screamed at Blitzmon. This was followed by a battle cry and Agunimon (now not flaming) lunging for the thunder warrior.
Falling silent, Duskmon and Lowemon gazed upon Agunimon and Blitzmon. Duskmon was the first to break the silence. "Two books that Blitzmon will win!" he yelled immediately, glaring at Lowemon.
With a scowl, Lowemon stated his own wager and the battle began again.
Kazemon and Kumamon let out a sigh and exchanged exasperated looks. Under her breath, Kazemon murmured, "Marise looks like he's getting annoyed." Kumamon sent a look in the man's direction.
Indeed, Marise's temper was rising into a dangerous level. There was a loud slam of the paperback book. Behind his glasses, his eyes flashed dangerously. He didn't yell, but did say in a harsh tone, "Please refrain from fighting in my presence and using my books as money. The last thing we need is a failed campaign and Lucemon marching down the street in his victory parade. Blitzmon, you will not see Junpei for a while. Kumamon, stay by Tomoki's side until he deciphers it. Kazemon and Agunimon, watch over Izumi and Takuya respectively. I'm more worried about what they will do than what Rai and Hideki will do. And Lowemon." Marise stopped and exhaled sharply, "I beg of you to have more faith in Kouichi." He stood up and motioned to the door to the back room. "The last thing he needs is to find that you of all people did not believe he could pass the test we have set up for him. Duskmon. Since Ms. Kimura can see you and only you, you will tell her that Kouichi will be departing for Hawaii for the remainder of the week. Now be gone, all of you!"
Slowly, the digimon disappeared in their own fashion. Lowemon was the only digimon left in the room after the reluctant departure of Blitzmon who had wanted to discover the whereabouts of Junpei.
Hesitant, Lowemon looked at the room. "Marise, you know-"
Marise interrupted him, "Yes, now quiet, Lowemon. He's almost finished." The man returned to his book, seeming completely unperturbed.
As he had predicted, Kouichi walked out of the room with an equally placid manner. "Lowemon," he greeted the digimon in front of him instantly before turning to Marise. "That was-"
"Yes."
The boy started again. "But she's-"
"Yes."
"And you-" Kouichi didn't bother to finish the sentence. Instead he looked away, a sad, almost broken look on his face.
In a very soft voice, Marise affirmed this, "Yes. Yes, Kouichi, Harumi is dead, and yes, it's all an illusion. I'm not sure what you saw myself, Kouichi." He admitted this in a casual manner, his eyes never leaving the book. "Don't let it get to your head during the flight. Lowemon and Duskmon will both be accompanying you. It's a one-day flight there and a one-day flight back if you remain completely focused. Kouichi," Marise said sharply, book placed on the counter. He held out a hand, and in it, Kouichi's D-Tector. Marise's voice softened as Kouichi approached tentatively and reached for his D-Tector. "Your troubles start now. Your friends and enemies have been set in place, but there will be betrayal. Volunteer no information and make an excuse to those you do not know. Ichiro is to be trusted, but the other is not," Marise cautioned him.
The D-Tector felt cold in Kouichi's hand. Numbly, he nodded and took it from Marise. "Alright," he whispered. The boy turned his head to Lowemon. "Where's Duskmon?" asked Kouichi.
"Your mother now knows you'll be gone for the rest of the week and she nearly killed me with a knife," Duskmon's voice echoed throughout the room as he appeared from a nearby shadow. "What's the time? Six nineteen?"
Lowemon nodded curtly. "We should go now," he told Kouichi.
Smiling, Kouichi nodded, taking one last look at Marise. Quickly, he bowed to the man before dashing out, not even bothering to wave.
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They sat in a hidden cave that miraculously had some sand in it. While Kako began to absentmindedly pile the sand up, Kouji gazed at the almost bright sky. It was still a pale blue, nothing like the colors he had seen the night before. He looked at Kako and asked her, "So why did you ditch Surfer boy?"
Kako replied with a question of her own, "Have you noticed we only talk to each other when we have questions?" She reminded Kouji of a child, the way she sat down and played with the sand. Her eyes were focused before her and on nothing else.
"Yes I have, now just answer the question."
Again, she asked, "Why didn't you get your spirit yet?" It was an innocent question, but it had hit home. Kouji was now glaring at Kako and she didn't seem to mind one bit.
Impatiently, he stood up and walked over to Kako. Kouji gazed down at her before stepping in her pile of sand that went down easily. Just to emphasize it, he twisted his foot to the right and lifted his other foot up so he was facing her. There was an almost emotionless face in front of Kako as Kouji squatted down to her level. "Answer the question," Kouji repeated in a soft, dangerous voice.
Instead of answering or looking at him with a deadly gaze of her own, Kako smiled down at the sand and began a smaller pile. Kouji smashed it with his left hand and leaned forward until she had to look up at him. Again he repeated, "Answer the question," but Kako had other plans. The girl smiled at Kouji and pointed a finger at him, moving it forward until it reached his forehead. Caught off guard, Kouji found himself toppling backwards. Kako stood up and hovered her foot over his stomach. He was obviously startled.
"I'm annoyed," Kako began. Again, she repeated and continued, "I'm annoyed, okay? I haven't had breakfast, I dropped Piximon off in the kitchen literally, you're bugging me, and I don't know what the hell Kouichi's doing. I'm sick of this, you're acting like you're the only person on this damn island who's had a bad day, and I'm sick of it." She placed her foot down on the other side of Kouji. "You will not annoy me, or I will kill you before Lobomon has the slightest chance to save you, got it?" she growled.
Kouji looked up at her with bored eyes. Kako, angered by his reaction, lifted her second foot and was about to bring it down on his stomach when Kouji grabbed her leg and swept her off her feet. The sand cushioned her fall, but not as much as she had hoped. It still hurt when she found Kouji hovering over her, a gleam in his eyes. Either of his hands were pinning down Kako's, and one leg was lightly positioned over both her legs, careful not to apply too much pressure. His face was slightly tilted to the side in the position he was in, making Kako more unsure of his motives.
No, she thought, trembling as he continued to gaze unblinkingly at her, it couldn't be Kouichi. It had to be Kouji. I could stand an evil Kouichi better! Kako shut her eyes and turned her head to the side.
There was a deep sigh before Kako opened her eyes. Kouji released his hold of her, rolling to the side before lying down and shutting his own eyes. "Just answer the goddamn question, please," he groaned.
Kako sat up immediately, looking down at Kouji with an increased amount of worry. "Are you okay?" she blurted, a hand falling on his forehead. She scooted beside him, unsure of what to think. Biting her lower lip, Kako told him, "Kouji, you're working up a fever..."
The bandana boy shook his head and pushed her hand aside. Sitting up, he turned his back to Kako to face the wall. "I'm not," he told her in a blunt voice, "It's just the sun." There was a brush past his side and Kouji whirled around to catch Kako's hand. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"How fast does Velgemon fly?" Kako returned, voice taking a grave tone. She made it sound as if he was going to die.
Slipping his eyes shut and falling back down, Kouji shrugged. "Fast. Hey, Kako..."
"Yes?"
His voice was dry and Kouji felt the strength being sapped out of him, but he managed to ask in a croaky voice, "Why did you run after me like that?" In truth he was curious. Kako was as spontaneous as the word itself.
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I guess..." Kako shook her head and started again, "I guess I thought you were going to do something, but you didn't...so I guess I wanted to make sure you fixed things up with your family first. Actually, neither of those things happened. Things got worse, huh?" A forced nod from Kouji answered her question. Kako smiled at his calm figure and shook her head. "Kouji, why don't you get some rest here? I'll wake you up in an hour," she suggested, dialing the number to Kouichi's house when he nodded and fell into a slumber like no other he had encountered.
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Kouichi, having digivolved into Velgemon, was not enjoying the feeling of his stomach bubbling. As wonderful as the flight was, it unsettled him. Focusing ahead instead of below, Kouichi imagined Hawaii, but not for long. As Velgemon he could cover a great amount of space in little time, but he wasn't sure how long it would take to get Hawaii especially if his mind kept going off on tangents.
Don't focus on the time, he told himself, focus on the sky ahead. He looked down and saw ocean. Not there yet. After a few more seconds he looked down and saw ocean. Not yet...
Feeling himself grow impatient, Velgemon flew faster, taking advantage of his large wings. Ahead he could see an airplane and, to avoid suspicion, gained altitude, soaring higher into the sky. He passed above the plane with increased speed, more determined than ever to reach Hawaii. Part of Kouichi wondered if he had disrupted the flight in any way, but with a quick look behind him, he discovered it remained completely untouched.
As far as he was concerned, Kouichi had traveled hours so far, and he had come nowhere. Marise did say it would take all day, he thought glumly.
A few more hours passed and Velgemon was flying amid a setting sun. It was a few minutes after that when he finally found what he was looking for. Which house...? Kouichi landed on an abandoned part of the beach and dedigivolved. Hopping over the driftwood and remains of broken boats, he looked to the sky. "Duskmon, Lowemon, can you spot out the house? Lowemon, I think you should. Duskmon's a target at this point," he murmured to both digimon.
Lowemon obliged and was off while Kouichi sat by the shore and gazed out into the ocean. The thought that Kako was watching the same sun at the moment, the thought that she was so close...the thought that Kouji was here, the thought that he was with her...it scared and reassured Kouichi at the same time. He let out a sigh and relaxed, feeling his stomach growl in protest. It made sense; after flying around all day with no stops, he had every right to be drained and hungry. Feeling weak, Kouichi stumbled forward when he stood up, barely supported by Duskmon.
"Get up," the digimon commanded in a gruff voice. "I can't support you while people are watching." He pushed Kouichi forward, forcing the boy to regain balance on his own. It was then that Lowemon returned, gazing at Kouichi's stumbling form.
The Warrior of Darkness shook his head. "He looks drunk."
Duskmon agreed with a nod. "I'll force him to digivolve into me and bring him there," he muttered. Before Lowemon could protest if he wanted to, Duskmon had seized control of Kouichi and melted into the shadows.
Lowemon let out a frustrated sigh before he made his way to the house the Minamoto's had rented.
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A/N-
Another chapter done! They seem to get longer... Ah, and I have a question. It's more of a personal thing, but should I do Japanese next year? I want to, but I'm not sure. That's the question of the day. Dragonlance books are good and pokes are bad. When seven people poke you randomly at different times in the day, pray pokes don't affect you. They find it amusing when I squeal or something. T.T Some friends. Yes we're finally moving somewhere with the story! Sorry if I take my time to update, I'm pretty busy until after April 2, and my dad hogs the computer.
Thank you for the reviews!-
Lady Hikari-Yami, GemmaniGirl, Winter's Light
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