A Digimon Frontier Fanfic

By Sakura Martinez (a.k.a Haru Glory)

[A/N:

Well, I certainly didn't mean to make every one wait so long for this chapter to be put up. I had been busy what with two baby thesis that needs to be done and all those club activities that had been going on around campus. Anyway, my schedule is a little bit free at the moment, although not totally free, but I may be able to upload another chapter just before this week ends (cross your fingers, everyone). Well, that's enough for the pre-chapter Author's Notes, just read and enjoy this chapter now….

The Rabbit on the Moon

The Trouble Brewing Along

It had been several days since Izumi confessed what had truly occurred during her journey, although she did tell him what happened, she did not however include those times that she thought she was being 'intimate' with Takuya. Her father's reaction of accidentally having along the son of the very person that he detest at the moment with his daughter was already something, she could not bear to imagine what would have happened if she added the small fact (if you can call it small) of falling in love with Takuya.

She had accepted her feelings for him, feelings that seem to grow day after day since their parting. She had not heard from him, not a single news which made her wonder if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Having such an adventure in her life made her a little unrest. She could not fully explain the feeling of wanting to wander off somewhere. She had missed the excitement, the adrenaline that had her spellbound during those weeks of hiking, running, and even during that time at the Ygdrassil.

What she had found, however, on her return to their mansion was the same activities that had been occurring in her life for the past years – things that she was asked and expected to do – she was once again back to being the Eastern Commander's Daughter.

She also found loneliness. The kind where, even if you have company with you in the form of her bodyguard, she cannot act how she wanted to nor say what is on her mind, after all, she was known as the mild-mannered young lady of the Orimoto house.

At the moment, much like the many moments that had gone by over the course of several days, she was at the study reading books concerning what had really gotten her interested – the Ancients.

She had learned a lot about these so-called Ancients and the legends that go along with them, but had found nothing that could give out more of what the King and Takuya's father might truly be after. ..nothing that she did not know of already.

Besides wanting to know the reason behind the actions of these people, she was also curious if she was in fact part of all of this in some way. Her father had already told him that she was – but it was only an assumption, a wild guess. Even Commander Kanbara was unsure of who these others are, although she could remember the letter saying that they were certain Takuya and Tomoki were one of the ten.

The sudden thought of Tomoki suddenly made her realize something. She looked at the great grandfather's clock that was sitting by the lone shelf and her eyes widened to see what time it was already.

She quickly stood up, surprising Junpei who was drowsing off out of bordom.

Junpei, as if on reflex, bolted up and drew out his iron-forged sword and said, "Lady Izumi, don't worry, I'll protect you."

This of course made Izumi turn towards him with a questioning look.

"What are you talking about, Sir Shibayama?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "We had better hurry, Tomoki would be arriving any moment now."

"Tomoki?" he asked.

"Yes. Tomoki." Izumi answered. "The boy that father had asked to be protected."

"Oh, yeah…Tomoki."

The young man and the young lady then went on their way to the lounge where Izumi decided would be a better place to wait for Tomoki's arrival. No one could guess how glad she was when she heard her father ordering some of his men to fetch Tomoki from his village after receiving a reply to his telegram concerning his protection and the protection of his village.

She thought of how great it would be to have him around for company, after all, she learned how great a listener he was and how amazing some of his stories were as well.

Minutes elapsed before the sound of a carriage being put to a halt came. Without delay, Izumi rose up. She waited for the knock to sound, and when she did hear it, she hurriedly opened the door to be greeted by the bewildered knight who was accompanying the awe-struck Tomoki.

"L-lady Izumi, why are you the one opening the door?" The knight asked in a stutter.

"That's right, Lady Izumi," Junpei said. "You should not be the one doing such things, we have maids to answer the door."

"Oh, hush, both of you." Izumi said looking from one knight to another. "I can do things as simple as opening doors, you know. I don't need help with everything."

"Y-yes, of course, my Lady. My apologies." The knight who was accompanying Tomoki said before he bowed, turned around and began to attend to reporting to the Commander.

Seeing as the knight was gone, Tomoki finally spoke up. "It's been a while, Lady Izumi."

"Yes, it has been and I'm glad to see you again." Izumi replied to his greeting.

"So, you're that Tomoki." Junpei suddenly blurted out.

Tomoki looked over at the older man beside Izumi and began to scan him, thus, it took seconds before he nodded.

"Lady Izumi," Tomoki suddenly said. "Although I am glad to see you again, and that I have a lot of things to tell you, I cannot help but wonder if we can talk privately."

By the tone and the way that Tomoki spoke, Izumi could not help but feel surprised, and also, confused at such an odd request.

"Why is that, Tomoki?" was all that she could ask.

Tomoki, without hesitation, pointed towards Junpei and said, "My intuition is telling me not to trust anyone but you at the moment, which means that your Butler cannot hear our conversation."

"BUTLER?" Exclaimed Junpei, "I am not her Butler, you little twerp. I am her Bodyguard!"

Izumi looked over at Junpei, sighed and addressed Tomoki. "Very well, let us talk at the Council Room, I'm sure my father would not mind. However, I have to fully introduce you to my father first."

"I don't believe this, Lady Izumi." Junpei whispered as they began to head to the Commander's Study. "How could he think that I am just a Butler?"

"Let it go Junpei." Was all Izumi could say for she did not feel so much as insult her Bodyguard and side with Tomoki.

Tomoki, this having to be the first time he stepped foot inside a mansion, could not help but awe and marvel the exquisite interior of the said building and its surroundings. He asked a couple of questions concerning where some of the doors lead to and what function certain object have as well as the reasons why they were bought. It made Izumi realize that there really are some things that she had taken for granted, things that not everybody has or even aware of – her house was one simple example.

A knock erupted that caused the Commander Orimoto to look past the books scattered on his desk, the notes crumpled on the floor and the pen and parchment in hand. Although he did not feel like he should be attending to anyone, he just can't make himself ignore the continuous knocking.

"Come in." the Commander finally said as he took off his eyeglasses.

"Father, I am terribly sorry for the interruption, but Tomoki has finally arrived." Izumi said as she, with her entourage, entered the room.

Tomoki moved forward, bowed in the Northern Village kind of way and said, "It's an honor to finally meet the renowned Eastern Commander, sir."

The Commander rose from his seat, smiled and said. "Ah, so you are the Tomoki that my daughter has told me about. I am as honored to meet you as you are to meet me, young chosen one."

"Please, sir, don't address me as that." Tomoki said feeling uncomfortable of the title given to him. "I really don't like being called that."

"I apologize, I did not know that it affects you so." Commander Orimoto said, then he faced Junpei and said. "I am sorry, Junpei, but can you leave the three of us to talk, this is very confidential a matter."

Junpei although hating the fact of being asked to leave and being left out, could not help but obey the orders of the commander. With a sigh he closed the doors and stood guard outside.

"Tomoki Himi, I have heard from my daughter that you were caught by the other Commander, Commander Kanbara, is that true?"

Tomoki nodded. "Yes sir."

"Do you know why they did so?"

"I only know as much as what I have told Lady Izumi and from the letter that another companion of ours manage to find. Other than that sir, I can say that I am without a clue whatsoever."

Izumi, who heard how Tomoki addressed Takuya as, then told Tomoki that it was alright to mention Takuya's name for her father already know of who their other companions were.

"Really?" Tomoki asked. Then looked at the Eastern Commander. "Sir, it may sound out of place of me to ask, but I can't help but wonder what you think about Sir Takuya being a part of a mission that you yourself started."

Izumi was as surprised as her father was with such a question from such a young boy. The Commander, which Tomoki expected to be mad of his question, burst into laughter.

"I am quite surprise by your query, young Tomoki, and I respect you for such boldness. For that, I will answer you." The commander said when he finally stopped laughing. "I was surprised."

"That's it, sir? Just surprised?"

"Tomoki!" Izumi tried to make him hush.

"It's alright, Izumi." Her father said. "I was surprised at first, as well as annoyed. But, with how Izumi told me he had helped her and this mission, I ended up being in debt to the son of my rival."

"Sir," Tomoki said after a while, "I may really sound more out of place in saying this but, I think you should think of Sir Takuya as a separate person from his father."

The Commander of the Eastern Corps looked at the young man intently, sighed and said, "That, I am afraid, will require much more thought. I cannot fully trust him to be someone entirely different from his father, he is after all his son."

"Then that is enough of an answer for me, Sir." Tomoki said smiling. "You see, Takuya Kanbara is my friend, and he is also someone like me…someone…special."

The meeting with the Eastern Commander lasted for more than an hour before Tomoki and Izumi were finally alone in the Council Room.

Tomoki stretched his arms and waved them around. He then exhaled and exhaled before saying, "Finally, I can relax."

Izumi laughed. "You really did not have to act all formal with my father, you know."

"I know, Lady Izumi." Tomoki said. "I just felt like it."

With that, the two laughed. It was the first time in a while that either of them laughed as they did at that time. When their laughter had finally subsided, they began on talking once again.

"So, how was your village?" Izumi asked as she too began to relax a little.

"We're managing, Lady Izumi." Tomoki replied. "Of course there are some of us who still feel traumatized by the incident. But are we glad that your father and his knights are willing to protect us."

"Well, my father did say that he had to make sure that something like that would not happen again." Izumi stated, then added, "By the way, Tomoki, would you mind dropping the formalities?"

"But why, Lady Izumi?" Tomoki asked. "Isn't it rude not to be formal in front of the heir to the name 'Orimoto'?"

"It's not rude at all Tomoki if I am asking you. I haven't really been fond of titles and formalities."

"If you insist then…but maybe I should just be formal whenever we're with somebody else." Tomoki finally gave in.

"That's better, so from now on just call me Izumi, okay?"

"Right." Tomoki agreed, then asked, "By the way, Izumi, did you also let Lord Takuya call you 'Izumi'?"

It was an unexpected question for Izumi, that all she could say was a "What?" at first before stuttering, "Why did you ask me that all of a sudden?"

"Well, I just wondered if you let him drop the formalities as well." Tomoki replied. "Any way, I haven't heard anything about him at all, not a single news."

"Same here." Izumi said. "Although I didn't exactly hope that he would write to us or even give us a word of what happened. Kouji did make it harsh for both Takuya and Kouichi."

Before they could continue on discussing such things, the Vice Commander suddenly burst into the room. His face was pale and in shock and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. There was also a hint of anxiety in his voice as he said. "Lady Izumi, we've received bad news from the Northern General's grandson, Kouichi. It seems Takuya was taken captive by his father and labeled as a traitor to the Kingdom!"

"What did you just say?" Izumi exclaimed.

"Takuya was what?" Tomoki said at the same time.

"It seems, based on Kouichi's narrative, that on their way back to the Academy, the train they were on was suddenly put to a halt by a group of Knights commanded by some masked man working under the Western Commander. Kouichi could not do anything against these group and instead of making a riot on a public transportation, Takuya decided to give himself up." Kouji summarized. "It seems, that this was a couple of days ago. We don't know how Takuya is doing and neither does Kouichi or his grandfather. What's more, I think you may already know this Lady Izumi, but the consequence of being labeled as a traitor is death."

"This is bad." Tomoki said. "Why would his own father put him in such a predicament."

"We don't know. But Kouichi and the Northern Corps General are hoping that Commander Orimoto would help in trying to persuade King Seraphim to let Takuya go as he is innocent and the one at fault is his father, Commander Kanbara." Kouji said.

"And did father agree to lend aide?" Izumi asked, part of her fearing the answer that was to be given.

"I do not know, my lady." Kouji replied. "He only said that he was going to think about it. What's more, General Kimura and Kouichi are on their way here and are expected to arrive sometime tomorrow."

Izumi was silent. She did not know what to say. She, as well as those who had read the letter that Takuya found knew that the King would, of course, do nothing to help Takuya. They would not kill him as well for he was needed since he was a chosen one, so, Izumi could only conclude that they were going to keep him captive and make him suffer so long as he does not agree to do as they wish…And as she remembered how Takuya thinks – his moral standing and his beliefs, it isn't hard to figure out that he would more likely choose not to follow his own father.

"Lady Izumi…?"

"This shouldn't be. Takuya should not be the one facing this problem alone. I was the reason why you, Kouichi and Takuya had to assault Ygdrassil." Izumi blurted out. She felt guilty.

"Lady Izumi, you should not blame yourself. If we were more careful, then you wouldn't have been held captive there and we wouldn't have needed to attack the fortress." Kouji said. "What's more, I think there isn't any use for pointing fingers as to who to blame or feel guilty of the matter. We can no longer change the past, but, we can work on making the Commander agree in lending his hand on this mission."

"Lord Kouji is right, Lady Izumi." Tomoki agreed. "But the real problem is not on making the Commander agree to it, but rescuing Takuya. I doubt the King would let him go since he is in line with Commander Kanabara's plan…better yet, he is the one behind it all."

"Well, it's no use thinking it over by ourselves."Kouji said as that realization also occurred to him. "We will have to wait for the Kimura's to arrive tomorrow."

"Then we wait…" Izumi whispered to herself.

Unknown to them, someone was listening in on their conversation…

To Be Continued….

[A/N:

Whew…that certainly was longer than usual…or not….Hope you guys like it, I just had to put a little mystery just before this chapter ends…lol…

Well, I do hope you guys liked it. I'm expecting you all to take a moment to review this chapter and tell me what your thoughts are about the fanfic so far. I had to cut it short for my author's notes, so I'll be signing out now.

This is Sakura Martinez, saying "Peace" and signing out! See you guys on the next chapter and don't forget to REVIEW!!!