The young boy was running on a green field. Heavy and dark clouds covered the sky.
"You know that you're not supposed to be outside when there's a storm coming!" He yelled. "Come on! Let's go back home!"
There was no sign of her. He was getting frustrated.
"I'm over here, Haru-nii!" Her voice called him from the top of a close hill.
"Call me 'Onii-san' or 'Haruhiko-onii-san'!" The boy scolded, going up the hill. "Can't you ever be a cute little sister?"
Up there, he did not find a little girl. An adult woman wearing a pure white bridal kimono was waiting for him. He looked to his own body and saw that he too was now an adult, wearing a formal kimono.
The one that his wife had picked for him to attend to his sister's wedding.
"Toshiko-san would get mad if she heard you suggesting that I'm not cute." The woman chuckled. "She was the one who chose my attire and took care of my hair, nails and make-up. Going so far for her sister-in-law… imagine what she would do if it was Sora's wedding instead."
Haruhiko could not bear to look at her. Instead, he paid attention to the grass under his feet.
"Toshiko-san had to do that." He murmured. "If it was up to you, you would've married wearing your lab coat."
"I wore that in the honey-moon." She joked. The man looked up to tell her that joke was not funny, like he always did when she said things like that. He found her calmly gazing at him.
"You're a dream." He said, feeling his eyes getting wet. "You're not really here… you haven't been here for a long time."
"It's true that you're sleeping now. I guess that makes this a dream." She pondered. "But tell me, Anthropology Professor, how many cultures exist that believe to be possible for the deceased to communicate with the living through dreams?"
"Do you want me to believe it's really you?" He inquired, beginning to cry. "My sister wouldn't talk to me with kindness w-when I…" He sobbed, "… I couldn't… I didn't…"
"The only people hurt by your absence are Toshiko-san and Sora." The woman told him. "I don't hold any of that against you, Haru-nii."
"I was a c-coward…" He cried. "I ran away… it hurt so much… everything just h-hurt so much…"
"Enough with your self-deprecation." She spoke in a severe tone. "You can't afford to stay inert anymore. They need you."
"They…?" Haruhiko asked in a weak voice.
"Your family." She clarified. "A great danger is approaching them. Beware the snow."
"Since when do you have a problem with snow?" He inquired. "You married a man called-"
"Your family needs you, Haru-nii!" The woman insisted. The sound of thunder came from above them. "Go to them!"
Lightning bolts began to strike the ground around her. Strings of her hair were starting to get up.
"Go to them!" She ordered one last time. "Now!"
Haruhiko woke up, finding himself on his old arm-chair. He looked around to locate himself. The man had spent the night in his private office in the University of Kyoto.
The cold sensation caught his attention first, making him wonder if the air-conditioner was on. The Professor stood up and went to the large glass window at his right, being careful to avoid the piles of books spread on the floor. When he was able to take a better look outside, Haruhiko felt as if the ground was about to open itself and devour him.
"Professor Takenouchi!" Someone called while knocking on the door. "It's me, Kido Shuu! Excuse me, I'm entering!"
The student made his way into the Professor's office. He found the older man with his back turned to the door, standing in front of the window, staring at the snowflakes falling outside.
"Strange how it began to snow out of nowhere." Shuu commented, approaching the other. "Professor, I've had ideas about the new research trip we have been discussing!" He added, enthusiastically. "I think you're going to like it!"
"I'm sorry, Kido-kun." Haruhiko spoke, darkly. "That summer project will have to wait."
"Huh?" Shuu was confused. "Did something happen?"
The Professor did not look away from the falling snow.
"I need to go to Tokyo." He said.
Chapter 26: Takenouchi reunion
During the trip, most of the children picked warm blouses and jackets to better protect themselves from the cold out of their baggage. Jyou was already wearing a vest over his shirt and felt no need to add another piece of cloth. Sora had an orange sweater that her mother had insisted she bring along, in case the camp nights were chilly. Takeru put on a yellow jacket. Mimi had a light green coat with leaf drawings. Koushiro had brought a white jacket, which made Mimi joke that he was going to blend with the snow. Taichi put on a jeans jacket and Yamato decided not to wear anything extra. The digimon were wrapped in shirts (with the excuse that the snow would damage the toys), although Palmon, due to her bigger size, had to wear a thick pink blouse Mimi had brought.
Once they arrived in Odaiba, Sora, Taichi, Koushiro and Jyou stood up; they were getting off at the first stop. Before stepping out of the bus, Sora, Koushiro and Jyou had exchanged phone numbers among themselves and with Mimi and Takeru, by Mimi' suggestion. The younger girl had not made it clear if her motivation was to enable them to contact each other in case of emergency or if Mimi just did not want to lose contact with them. Takeru, still sitting next to his brother, gave Sora and the others both the numbers of his mother's house and of his father's and said that, because of the snow, he would probably stay in Odaiba longer than expected. Yamato did not take his eyes from the redhead girl and Takeru during their conversation.
"It seems that you'll have more time to spend with your little brother, Yamato-kun. I'm happy for both of you." She said, with her backpack on the shoulders and Pyokomon (wrapped in a red shirt) in her arms.
"Yeah…" Yamato muttered, looking to the window at his side.
"Don't say just that to Sora-san, Onii-chan." Takeru reprehended him.
Yamato had an uncomfortable look on his face.
"It's alright, Takeru-kun." She assured the little boy. "Your brother and I don't know each other very well-"
"Thank you for taking care of him." Yamato said suddenly, turning to her and gazing into her eyes. "I appreciate what you did for Takeru…" He added, in lower voice, "… Sora."
He turned to the window again, scratching his head. Sora had the impression that his cheeks were slightly pink. Yamato-kun really is awkward around people, she thought, a little amused.
Taichi, Jyou and Koushiro left the bus together with Sora. Their buildings were close to each other. The two chosen boys were also carrying their partners as if they were stuffed animals. Motimon was enveloped by a purple shirt and Pukamon by a gray one.
"Would you like it if I went with you to your home?" Taichi asked the girl.
"No, it's okay." Sora replied. "I need to think about what I'm going to tell my mother."
"About Pyokomon?" Taichi inquired.
"Ehrm… Taichi-san." Koushiro called before the girl could reply. "I noticed that your sister didn't come to the camp. Did something happen?"
"She wasn't feeling well…" Taichi paled when he answered the question. "It's probably just a light cold but I should go check on her."
"I'm sure that Hikari-chan is okay." Sora tried to cheer her friend up. "And I bet she's going to be super happy to see that her brother arrived earlier."
"You're right!" Taichi grinned. "I'm going now, then. We'll talk later, okay?"
"Okay!" Both Sora and Koushiro replied. The redheads exchanged a quick glance, smiling at each other.
"With this sudden snow, there are likely many people getting hurt or ill." Jyou commented after Taichi had left. "My mother is probably going to stay all day in the ambulance."
"She's a paramedic, right?" Koushiro asked.
"Yes." Jyou confirmed in a proud tone of voice. "She told us that she had met our father during work. She brought a patient to the hospital and he, an inexperienced doctor, was the only one available. My mother had to give him an encouraging scolding to make him get on with the action. Father said that he fell for her immediately."
"That's cute." Sora giggled. "My parents met in Kyoto, when my father was doing a research about Ikebana. She moved to Tokyo not long after that and they started seeing each other." The girl told them, with an almost unnoticeable smile. "Then he had to move to Kyoto for a new job."
"I've never been to Kyoto." Jyou said. "Is it beautiful there?"
"I've never been there myself." Sora replied. "Whenever my Mom made plans for us to go there, Dad said that he was too busy or that he had to make a research trip to another place." The girl frowned. "He doesn't come to Tokyo regularly… last time was almost two years ago. The times he came, he only spent a few days and left earlier than expected. He's really busy…"
"I'm sorry, Sora." Pyokomon sounded upset.
"It must be difficult for you." Jyou spoke with sorrow.
"Is it too lonely?" Pukamon asked.
Koushiro and Motimon remained silent. The younger boy was looking at her with a heartbroken expression.
"It's been like that my whole life." Sora sighed. "Their marriage works despite them seeing each other so little. It's not like they're divorced, like Takeru-kun's parents. It's not so bad…"
The girl could tell that she had made her friends sad for her and did not like that.
"What about your parents, Koushiro-kun?" She turned to the fourth-grader boy, with a smile. "They seem like a lovely couple."
"My parents…?" Koushiro asked, frowning.
Is he thinking about his biological ones? Motimon wondered, remembering how Fate had used their images to torment his friend.
"The parents you have now. We understand that you don't know a lot about the other ones." Pukamon said.
"You don't have to answer that if you don't want to." Jyou tried to make the other boy feel at ease.
"It's okay." Koushiro assured the sixth-grader. "My parents grew up in a small town in the North. They've known each other since they were kids."
"Childhood sweethearts?" Jyou grinned. "It must be so nice to know your soul mate while you're still young."
"You're a romantic, Jyou?" Pukamon was surprised.
"Of course I am!" The sixth-grader affirmed. "Anyway," Jyou continued, "I need to go to the market and buy something to cook. Nobody was expecting me, so I don't know if there's food in my home."
"Do you want me to take your backpack-?" Koushiro began.
"Don't worry, it's not as heavy as the emergency supplies bag I was carrying in-" Jyou suddenly paled. "I didn't take Tamaki-san's snacks out before returning that bag, did I?"
"It's too late to worry about that." Pyokomon pointed out.
The children had sorrowful expressions. What had happened to those adults was still too fresh in their memories.
Motimon looked up to the boy who was holding him, with preoccupation. Koushiro was looking in the direction of the snow below them. In the fourth-grader's face there was only a blank expression.
"We should get going." Sora suggested. The others agreed and they said good-bye to one another.
She walked in silence for some minutes, until her partner talked again.
"Hey, Sora…" Pyokomon called her friend, in low voice. "Do you think your mother is going to like me?"
"You look like a flower; that should help." Sora smirked. "But you have to keep on pretending to be a toy until I explain everything to her, okay?"
"Alright!" Pyokomon agreed.
When they arrived at Sora's front door, the girl hesitated before touching the knob. She had to close her eyes and take a deep breath before doing it.
"Mom, I'm home!" She announced, entering her house.
"Was the camp canceled?" Toshiko asked, from the living room. "You must be cold. Hurry up and take a warm bath."
Sora put Pyokomon on the floor and then did the same with her backpack. Next, she slipped out of her snickers and put on the home sandals at the entrance. After that, the girl picked her partner up, took the red shirt from the digimon (placing it over the backpack), and walked slowly to the living room, with Pyokomon in the arms. There, she found her mother kneeling on the floor. The woman was wearing a magenta kimono and was tending to a flower arrangement. Toshiko's movements were few and precise; her serious eyes looked solely at the art piece in front of her.
The image of the flower dolls from the dark orb flashed before Sora's eyes. Goosebumps ran through her body.
"Sora?" Pyokomon called her in a whisper. The little digimon looked up to the girl with concerned eyes.
"It's okay." Sora told herself, closing her eyes and reopening them a little after. That nightmare was already over.
"Mom…" The girl's voice was weaker than intended. "I want to talk to you."
"I'm busy right now." Toshiko replied, without taking her eye off of her work.
"It's important." Sora insisted. "It's something we should've talked about already."
"Sora, please, don't break my concentration." Toshiko's tone became more severe.
Unconsciously, the girl held her partner with more force. She doesn't even want to look at me! Sora thought. I just said it was important and she's still shutting me off! Why did I think it was going to be different? She doesn't care! She never… I was just fooling myself!
"HEY, SORA'S MOM!" Pyokomon shouted, suddenly. "LISTEN TO WHAT SORA HAS TO SAY!"
Pyokomon's angry outburst was not an outcome Sora had considered as a possibility for her first exchange with her mother after coming back from the Digital World. Neither was it to see Toshiko's perplexed expression and trembling hands at each side of the flower arrangement.
"I had asked you one thing, Pyokomon!" Sora scolded in low voice, glancing down at her partner.
"I couldn't keep quiet while she was hurting your feelings!" Pyokomon protested in loud voice.
"S-She wasn't-" Sora tried to deny.
"You began to squeeze me!" Pyokomon interrupted. "Your arms are trembling! And you look like you could start crying at any moment!"
"I-I'm…" Sora could not think on a comeback. Was she really that obvious? She did not think she was. Pyokomon had come to know her well enough to be able to tell when she was distressed. What am I doing trying to lie to her? The girl asked herself. I had decided not to lie to the people I cared about again!
"Sora…" Toshiko had approached her daughter without the girl noticing; the woman was looking at the digimon with wide open eyes.
"She's my friend!" Sora informed. "Pyokomon protected me and took care of me! And what she said to you… she said that because she likes me a lot!"
"I love you, Sora!" Pyokomon corrected. "I said that because I love you!"
"Yeah…" The girl blushed as a little smile appeared in her lips and she glanced down at her partner. "She loves me! And I…" Sora gulped, looking up at her mother, who was still fixated on the digimon. "I love Pyokomon too!"
Pyokomon stared at her partner with tear-brimmed eyes. That had been the first time she had heard Sora saying that.
As those words left her mouth, Sora felt stronger and braver than ever. Her previous concerns, so overwhelming before, felt as if they were melting down.
Toshiko put her hands over Sora's and looked into her daughter's eyes. The girl sustained the look, despite being worried about what the woman was going to say. Will she reject Pyokomon? Does she think she's dangerous? Does she want Pyokomon to go away? I'm not going to allow that! I'm going to protect my partner, no matter what!
"What happened to your hands, Sora?" Toshiko asked, alarmed. "Why are they bandaged? How did you get hurt? Why didn't you tell me immediately that you were hurt?"
Sora watched in astonishment as Toshiko ran to the corridor and later returned with a first aid kit.
"Now, Sora, sit down and let me take a look at your hands." Toshiko commanded. "You can put your…" The woman pointed at the digimon, showing an unsure expression.
"I'm Pyokomon." Sora's partner introduced herself, seemingly as taken aback as the human girl.
"You can put Pyokomon-san on a pillow." Toshiko added. "You can explain her and everything else while I take care of your hands."
"You're worried about me." Sora said, feeling a grin making its way to her face and hot tears accumulating in her eyes. "You really… love me…?"
"What are you asking?" Toshiko paled intensely. "Of course I love you!" She stated. "You're my daughter, Sora! I love you above everyone and everything! There's nothing in the world I treasure more than you!"
The tears burst out of Sora's eyes. The girl felt her knees getting weak. Luckily, Toshiko embraced her just in time.
"What is this about, Sora?" The woman asked, caressing her daughter's head. "You already knew that, didn't you? How could you not know that?"
"I had c-convinced m-myself that you didn't…" The girl sobbed. "I had convinced myself t-that you were ashamed of me… b-because I didn't like the I-Ikebana…"
"I would never be ashamed of you! Don't be silly!" Toshiko put more force into the embrace. "I had no idea you felt like that… I thought you were just being rebellious because you didn't like me… because I'm too s-strict…" The woman's voice broke. "I never thought that I was hurting you… all this time, Sora… how could I…? H-How could I not notice…?"
"Neither of us reads minds." The girl managed to say, slowly relaxing her grip on Pyokomon, who was now between the two humans. "We should've communicated better. We should've been more honest with our f-feelings."
"I wanted you to think I was strong…" Toshiko let the girl know. "I thought I would make you feel safe if I acted that way… I'd make you feel protected… I'm so sorry, Sora. I-I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, Mom." Sora told her. The girl's tears soaked her large smile. "I forgive you."
Pyokomon's body began to get hot, which made Toshiko break the embrace and Sora let go of her partner while taking a step back. The digivice stuck to her belt felt like it was about to catch fire.
"Pyokomon evolves to… PIYOMON!"
The bird digimon landed gracefully on the floor. Her blue eyes were filled with tears.
"I'm so happy for you, Sora!" The digimon said, cheerfully, as she jumped on her partner and hugged her. "I could feel love bursting out of you!"
"I felt it too." Sora admitted, hugging her back.
"The flower… became a bird…" Toshiko was clearly disturbed.
"We have a lot to talk, Mom." Sora smirked.
Toshiko undid her bandages while Sora told her everything that had happened ever since she had gone to the camp. The woman froze when the girl mentioned Koushiro, explaining then that Sora had never mentioned another soccer club kid that was not Taichi. For Sora, it was strange to remember the time when the redhead boy was not one of her closest friends.
When it got to the part about the orb, Sora had new bandages on and Toshiko was looking at her face. The girl hesitated in many moments but found the courage to tell every detail about the nightmare, commenting on how talking to Koushiro had helped her. After she ended the story, Toshiko pulled her to a new hug and assured that everything would be okay now. Piyomon hugged them both and promised that she would keep taking care of Sora forever, which made Toshiko formally thank 'Piyomon-san,' by bowing in front of her. The digimon blushed and awkwardly asked Sora to tell her mother that she did not have to do that, but all the human girl could do was laugh at the situation.
Everything felt so good, so right, that Sora believed that she could not be happier.
Not long after that, the apartment's door was opened and that man entered. He had never announced himself before coming in during all the time Sora could remember; that was still the case.
"Haruhiko-san?!" Toshiko stood up quickly, staring in surprise at her husband, who had just entered the living room, carrying only a suitcase and wearing a black coat covered with some snowflakes. "W-What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you!"
"I tried to call but the telephones were crazy. Sorry for appearing like this, Toshiko-san." He said, putting the suitcase on the floor and opening his arms to hug his wife. "I decided to use some of my built up vacation time."
"You're going to spend the summer with us, Dad?" Sora asked, jumping to her feet. "You never spent the summer with us… you always had something else to do…"
"Sora-chan!" Haruhiko smiled at his daughter, letting go of his wife to hug the child. "I thought you were in a summer camp. It's fortunate that you're home!" His embrace became stronger and Sora felt the man burying his face on her shoulder. "You're okay, aren't you? You seem to be…"
"Is that your father, Sora?" Piyomon asked, beside the girl. That was the moment when Haruhiko noticed the presence of the creature.
"Yokai!?" He questioned in a marveled tone of voice, letting go of Sora and getting a closer look at Piyomon. "A real yokai!? In my home!?"
"She's a digimon, not a yokai." Sora corrected. "Her name is Piyomon, she's my friend."
"Digimon?" Haruhiko was intrigued. "Are you like a house spirit? Maybe a Zashiki-Warashi? Wait, they're supposed to resemble children… not that I had ever seen one before!" He laughed to himself. "Are you perhaps a Basan? Do you breathe fire?"
"I have fire attacks." Piyomon replied. "I used them to protect Sora in the Digital World."
"Protect Sora in the Digital World…?" Haruhiko paled, looking at his daughter. "What does that mean?"
"It's hard to believe, Dad." Sora began. "But I was sucked by a portal with four other children and taken to another world, where the digimon – creatures like Piyomon – lived. I can give Piyomon the power to evolve with this small machine." She showed him the digivice. "She has fought for me and protected me. I also tried to protect her but…" Sora glanced down at her hands. "What matters is that I'm safe and back home thanks to Piyomon and my other friends."
"Another world filled with spirits… another realm…" Haruhiko muttered with a grave expression.
"She's not a spirit, Haruhiko-san!" Toshiko sounded strangely alarmed.
"I didn't die and return as a spirit, Dad." Sora laughed. "Sorry I can't tell you about the Spirit Realm."
"Don't joke like that!" Haruhiko reprehended his daughter. "Never joke about that! It's not funny!"
Not used to seeing her father get angry, Sora took a step back, startled.
Noticing the scared and hurt expression his daughter had, Haruhiko was overtaken by shame. What have I done? I shouldn't have talked to her like that!
"I'm sorry…" He murmured, looking down. "I didn't want to… I'm really sorry…"
"Dad?" Sora called him, worried at how his face was getting paler and his eyes wetter. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I thought it was an innocent joke, I…" Her sight was getting blurred. "I never meant to…"
"Sora, how about you show your bedroom to Piyomon-san?" Toshiko suggested.
Sora nodded, silently, and conducted Piyomon to her room. There, the bird saw a soccer ball in a corner. Sora's futon was kept inside the wardrobe, so the only other mobile objects in there were a desk and a chair. Above the desk there were books from school and folklore books her father had presented her. He only brought them when he came to Tokyo, which meant that Sora received three or four books in a single visit, corresponded to the birthdays and Christmas he had missed. Haruhiko had always been enthusiastic to explain why he had picked those books and how interesting they were. The smile he showed her in those moments was his most beautiful one.
Sora looked around, admiring how her bedroom was warm and full of light. She pondered about opening her wardrobe to make sure there was no mirror there but shrugged the thought off. The girl remembered about the hairclip she had thrown away long ago. Was it still in that room or did Toshiko keep it? Was the woman, perhaps, waiting for the day when her daughter learned to see beauty in fire? She knows about that now. The girl remarked to herself. Fire really is incredible. Sora thought, glancing at Piyomon.
"Your parents are a little strange, Sora." Piyomon commented, getting close to the desk and looking at the books with curiosity.
"Because they live in different towns?" Sora inquired.
"They are very surprising people." Piyomon said, turning back to Sora. "Their moods can change suddenly, without you expecting."
Sora knew that her mother was most of the time well-composed. She would not say that Toshiko had mood swings. Unless, of course, specific things happened. For instance, in the first days following Haruhiko' return to Kyoto, after a visit, the woman would become quieter and have a constant sad expression; those were the times when she would get irritated more easily. Right before and during his visits, Toshiko smiled constantly. Haruhiko, on the other hand, was more inconstant with his emotions. Most of the time, he was patient, gentle and enthusiastic about his interests. However, there were occasions when he got sad with no explanation; a couple of times, Sora believed she had heard him crying in the couple's bedroom, while Toshiko told him everything was okay.
Despite being her father, Haruhiko was a mystery to Sora. He had never mentioned other relatives, which made the girl think that her mother and she were his only family. She also did not understand why he had to move to Kyoto. All the explanation she had ever received was that he needed to get that job and that he could not pass on it. While the man was away, it was easy for Sora to include him in the anger she felt towards her mother. She was sure that things would have been better for them if her father lived with his family. However, although she was able to have arguments with Toshiko, with Haruhiko things were more complicated.
He was not a person who would respond with anger when someone shouted at him and demanded things from him. Haruhiko's reaction was usually to stay quiet and sustain a mortified expression, as if he was about to be devoured by his guilt. While Toshiko was almost always unshakeable and fierce, as if she was a stronghold, Haruhiko gave off an air of fragility. As Sora grew up, she noticed that more and more.
"They're both hard to understand." Sora murmured. "Dad is even worse than Mom in that regard. I don't understand him very well."
"You can ask him what you want to know." Piyomon pointed out.
"He's going to be sad if I do that." Sora replied. "Sometimes he gets sad over random things and never explains why he's like that. When he comes to Tokyo, he doesn't even like to leave the apartment. It's almost like he hates being here…" The girl added, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Then, why don't you and your mother live with him in Kyoto?" Piyomon asked. "Didn't she live there before?"
"Mom had already established herself in Tokyo." Sora explained. "She has her Ikebana students here. She's the Iemoto, the Grand Master of her school. It wouldn't be fair for her to rearrange her whole life because Dad decided to move to a different city."
Piyomon had now a lighter expression on her face.
"What?" Sora asked. "Did I say something funny?"
"It's nice to see you taking your mother's side." Piyomon said.
Sora felt blood rush to her face.
"It's not a matter of taking sides." She explained. "As far as I know, those two never had disagreements about the matter… I don't think I ever heard them arguing over anything…"
"Is that a good thing, Sora?" Piyomon had a serious tone.
"I don't know…" Sora replied. During her first night in the Digital World, she had told Takeru that arguments forced people to open their hearts and to understand each other better. People could get closer after an honest fight. She knew that her ties with Jyou, Takeru, Mimi, Koushiro and Piyomon would never have become strong and developed into beautiful friendships if they had not have disagreements. Sora had been proved by her own experience how harmful it was to hide her true emotions from others.
Did her father understand how his absence affected Toshiko and Sora? Did her mother know why Haruhiko did not want to stay with them? What did they talk about when they were alone? In front of Sora, the two adults either talked about their jobs, about the girl or unimportant things. Were they different when their daughter was not around?
Toshiko and Haruhiko were talking alone in that exact moment. The answer for one of Sora's greatest inquires was right at her reach.
"Piyomon, wait for me here for a moment, okay?" Sora told her partner, heading to the door.
"Where are you going?" Piyomon asked.
"I want to know." Sora said, staring at the knob. "I feel like they don't tell me anything important… like they're hiding things from me."
"Then go ask them." The digimon urged.
"It's not like I haven't tried that before!" Sora slightly raised her voice. "But they never told me what I wanted to know… one of us would get angry or sad at the other… even now Mom sent me to my bedroom to talk to him alone. As if I don't deserve to understand my own family!"
"So you were going to eavesdrop on them?" Piyomon was surprised.
"Would that be wrong?" Sora asked, looking at her partner. "They're hiding things from me! They keep me in the dark!"
"Weren't you upset when Koushiro saw your memory?" The bird inquired.
"I was upset…" Sora admitted. "I was terrified of people seeing my true self. But trying to keep secrets just made everything worse for everybody, including myself."
Sora remembered how burdened and guilty she felt while trying to conceal her problems. Her fear of revealing herself made her friends worried, made them feel inadequate, hurt them in so many ways. Where would they all be now if it was not for that accidental privacy violation?
"I'm at a better place now." The girl affirmed. "I'm more open, more willing to trust and to forgive." She smiled. "I was upset when that happened but in the end that was a good thing. In the end, things got better!"
"Then, you think things will get better if you spy on your parents now?" The digimon asked.
"Even if they find me out and get upset, at least they'll have to talk to me. They will have to tell me something!" Sora concluded, smiling.
"If that's your decision, go ahead, Sora." Piyomon supported the girl.
Without uttering another word, Sora crossed the bedroom's door and slowly walked to the edge of the corridor, keeping herself hidden from the people in the living room. There, she was able to listen to their talk.
Unaware of the girl, Toshiko and Haruhiko continued their conversation.
"I've read reports about people said to have prophetic dreams." Haruhiko informed.
"You talk as if you're trying to justify something to me, Haruhiko-san." Toshiko commented.
"I know that what I told you is hard to believe." The man acknowledged. "Any reasonable person would think it was just a dream and don't do anything about it. But she warned me about incoming danger and snow! And, suddenly, it began to snow! In summer! That can't be a coincidence!"
"It's strange to have snow during summer." Toshiko agreed. "But it's not strange to relate Ame-san to snow. You said it yourself that she was wearing the bridal kimono."
Ame-san? Sora repeated that name in her mind. Who's that person? And what is this about snow and danger?
"It was her, Toshiko-san." Haruhiko insisted. "It was not like the other dreams! She was there! She talked to me!"
"Other dreams?" Toshiko sounded concerned. "Have you been dreaming about her in Kyoto as well? You said it only happened when you came to Tokyo!"
"I…" He hesitated. "It wasn't a big deal… it was not worth-"
"All this time you've been telling me that you're in peace in Kyoto." The woman's tone of voice became lower. "You always said that it was hard for you to come here because you were constantly reminded of Ame-san. But in Kyoto as well-"
"It gets worse in Tokyo." Haruhiko stated. "In Kyoto… it's less bad. I can function better there. I can work there and everything is fine."
"You're lying to me…"
"I'm not lying, Toshiko-san, I swear!"
"You're not getting better… you're not recovering, are you? I thought you were going to get better away from here… are you just suffering by yourself there?"
Recovering? Suffering? Sora was confused. Is Dad sick?
"I'm not suffering in the slightest!" Haruhiko forced a laugh. "Everything is great there! I'm doing great! The way things are now is excellent! I can tell that you've been doing great by yourself too, right? You and Sora seem to be so well by yourselves."
"We weren't…" Toshiko muttered. "We had misunderstandings… I… I m-made Sora feel…"
Is Mom sad? Sora felt her heart become heavier.
"M-Misunderstandings happen, Toshiko-san!" Haruhiko sounded like he was trying to comfort his wife. "I saw you two getting along. You worked things out in the end, isn't that great? You're fantastic, Toshiko-san!"
"Stop it…"
"You're so strong… the strongest person I know. You can overcome anything!"
"That's not true!" Toshiko cried. "I'm not as strong as you think!"
Don't talk like that, Mom. Sora pleaded in thought, feeling the tears coming to her eyes.
"Toshiko-san…"
"I don't know what to do most of the time…" The woman confessed. "I'm scared constantly… but I have to keep it together. I've been trying to present myself as stronger than I actually am because I wanted Sora to feel safe, believing there was a trustworthy adult looking after her. The only way I knew how to build that image was to bury my fears and anxieties as deeply as I could… but it was all pointless. I didn't make Sora feel protected! I made her feel misunderstood and unloved! I'm awful… I'm awful at this… I can't do this alone, Haruhiko-san…"
"P-Please, don't cry, my love!" The man sounded as if he was crying as well. "You're not awful! You're not guilty of anything! It's my fault! It has always been my fault! I ran away from you! I left my family behind because I couldn't deal with my own heartbreak! I'm the worst! The worst husband… the worst father… the worst brother… the worst… the worst…"
"Our way to deal with things didn't work, Haruhiko-san." Toshiko said. "If things stay like this, we'll just continue to hurt one another… and Sora is the one to suffer the most. I think it's time, my dear."
Time for what? Sora was fearful of the answer. Are they talking about getting a divorce? But… but they love each other, don't they? They can't… they can't do that…
"I'm fine, Toshiko-san."Haruhiko stated.
"You talked to your dead sister in a dream!"
Dead sister…? That information shocked Sora. Dad had a sister? Why have I never heard about her?
"I'm not losing my mind!" He raised his voice.
"You were so scared by a dream that you ran all the way to Tokyo with nothing but a suitcase." Toshiko reminded him. "And you said that Ame-san told you to come home because your family needed you."
"Ame appeared to me in a dream!" Haruhiko stated. "I'm not… that wasn't my mind…! It was really her!"
"Even if she did talk to you, what if the danger she alerted you about is not what you think it is?" The woman inquired. "What if that was her way to tell you to look for help?"
"I don't need help!" He interjected. "I'm fine! Why don't you believe me?"
"It's been almost ten years and you still can't find peace. How can that be considered 'being fine'?" Toshiko spoke in a heartbroken tone of voice. Haruhiko did not say anything else.
Trembling from head to toes and having her face washed by tears, Sora was trying to make sense of the conversation. Suddenly, Piyomon called her.
"SORA!" The digimon shouted. "COME HERE QUICKLY!"
The first step was the hardest. She did it, supporting her weight against the wall. Sora wiped the tears with the back of her left hand before entering her bedroom. Her partner was looking outside the open window.
"Sora! He's here! I just saw him!" Piyomon told her. When the digimon turned her face to her partner, her eyes got wide.
"What happened to you, Sora?" The bird asked, approaching her.
"I still need to organize my thoughts…" Sora murmured. "Who did you see?"
Piyomon did not react immediately to the question, still looking at her friend with deep concern.
"Who did you see, Piyomon?" Sora asked again.
"Ah!" The digimon interjected. "Picodevimon! I just saw him entering an alley!"
"Picodevimon?" Sora found that hard to believe. "Are you sure you weren't just seeing things? How would a Picodevimon-?"
"It's not any Picodevimon!" Piyomon interrupted. "It's the one we met! The one who tried to kill you! I would recognize him any-"
The digimon suddenly stopped talking, staring at something behind the girl. Sora turned around and found her father standing at the other side of the open door. His skin was pale and sweaty, his eyebrows were raised and his pupils contracted.
"Dad?" Sora called him, gently. The disturbed look on his face worried her.
"Another creature…?" He asked, almost inaudibly.
"Yes!" Piyomon confirmed. "In the alley across the street!"
"Piyomon probably got confused. It's hard to see things clearly in the snow." Sora dismissed.
"Sora!" Piyomon sounded hurt.
"I didn't mean to upset you, sorry." The girl apologized. "We can go check the alley, if it'll make you feel better."
"There's no need for that." Haruhiko said. "You shouldn't go out in the cold because of something you're not even sure is there."
"It has stopped snowing." Sora commented, glancing at the window. "It wouldn't hurt to check."
"Daughter, please." Haruhiko approached her and landed a hand on her right shoulder. "You've had quite an adventure today. You should rest."
It wasn't just one day for me, Sora thought, wondering how she would tell her father what had happened to her. Did he have to know the details? Wouldn't he be more troubled if he knew through how much danger she had been?
"Dad…" Sora opened her mouth without thinking. She examined the man's face with attention; he had a tiny smile on the closed lips and half open eyes. Despite his serene expression, something felt off in him. Maybe there was nothing different. Perhaps Sora had just begun seeing him with different eyes. Now that she knew about the great sadness he carried, she could not stop seeing traces of it, like the minuscule spasms on his cheeks and around his eyes.
Her father had lost his sister and he was still suffering from that. He was in so much pain that he could not stand to be in Tokyo for too long. Sora remembered being told about how Otae had been so devastated after her brother's death that she had to distance herself from her friends. What if that was what her father had been doing? What if it was as painful to him to interact with her and Toshiko as it was to return to Tokyo? Nevertheless, he still visited them. Haruhiko hid his agony behind warm smiles just so he could make his family happy. But he could not accomplish even that. Toshiko was left miserable, trying to be strong for her loved ones while crumbling inside. Their daughter did not know anything about it and passed judgment on them. Sora got angry at them so many times, without knowing… without understanding a single thing about them!
"Sora-chan, what's wrong?" He asked, alarmed.
"Sora, why are you crying?" Piyomon questioned, nervously.
"I'm sorry… I'm so s-sorry…" Sora whispered as many tears left her eyes at once. She did not know what else to say. Everything was too complicated. How could she think that she would understand things better by eavesdropping? How could she think things would get better if she knew? The truth was overwhelming and changed everything she thought to know about her family. Things could not get better, no matter what she did. Her father had lost someone that would never come back. There was nothing to do about it. She was powerless to change anything.
"Sora-chan, it's okay." Haruhiko told her, pulling the girl to a hug. "It's going to be alright! You're home now! You're safe! I promise nothing bad will ever happen to you!"
Sora cried quietly, unable to say anything else. After a couple of minutes, Haruhiko let go of her and kissed her forehead, before leaving the room.
The girl sat on the floor and Piyomon wrapped her in a warm hug.
Sora tried to speak but it was too hard.
"You don't need to force yourself to talk right now." The digimon said. "It's okay to just cry."
"It h-hurts so much…" The child sobbed, hiding her face in her friend's plumage. "It hurts… it hurts…"
They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, until Piyomon reminded the girl of who she had seen in the alley.
Toshiko had been waiting in the living room ever since her husband went to check why Piyomon was shouting. When he returned, she walked straight to him.
"Is everything okay with Sora?" She asked. "Did something happen? I'm going there!"
"She's going to be fine; she just needs space to recover." The man explained.
Toshiko paled.
"Did Sora tell you about the Digital World?" The woman asked, apprehensively.
"She didn't have to." Haruhiko replied. "But it's obvious that she had rough times. Sora-chan needs to cry them out."
"She's crying?!" Toshiko was about to run to her daughter's room but was stopped by her husband, who gently held her right hand.
"Leave her alone, Toshiko-san." He told her.
"I can't leave her alone when she's suffering!" The woman protested.
"People need to be left by themselves sometimes!" Haruhiko stated. "They need space! They need solitude!"
"She needs my help!" Toshiko roared. "She needs to know that I'm here for her! That I'll do anything for her!"
"Sora-chan wouldn't like to know that you're worried!" The man affirmed. "She's going to feel bad about it! Guilty!"
"What do you think you know about her?!" Toshiko shouted. "Where have you been when she needed you? When I needed you?"
Haruhiko let go of her hand and took a step back.
They stared at each other in silence for a couple of minutes. Both their faces were filled with pain.
"Sorry…" Toshiko murmured. "I shouldn't have said… I was insensitive…"
"You didn't say any lie…" Haruhiko whispered. "You should never apologize to me for anything."
"I know that you're trying to comfort me when you say things like that but it doesn't make me feel better." She let him know.
"What can I do to make you feel better, then?"
"You already know the answer for that, Haruhiko-san."
"I'm fine, my love. You have no reason to worry about me."
"Your lies are not protecting us." Toshiko informed. "They're just causing harm to us all."
Without saying anything in reply to that, Haruhiko left the living room, taking the corridor and heading to the apartment's door.
"Where are you going?" She questioned.
"I'm going to protect my family." He promised, opening the door and leaving the apartment.
Toshiko turned around and glanced at the flower arrangement she had been working on earlier, now abandoned in the middle of the living room. She wished she could take care of her loved ones with the same level of skill she had for the Ikebana. Instead, she was forced to watch her family withering, powerless to do anything.
"Mom?"
Sora's timid voice came from the corridor. The woman looked at the girl and noticed that she was wearing a red jacket and a pair of pink gloves. Did she hear us arguing? The mother wondered, looking at the shakiness in her daughter's body. By her side, Piyomon was hidden under a long yellow coat and a huge pink scarf that concealed almost her entire head.
"Your father told me that you were crying." Toshiko said.
"I'm a little better now." Sora told her in low voice. "I'm going to check something with Piyomon, it won't take long."
"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" The woman asked, suddenly.
Sora blinked, without answering.
"I mean…" Her mother murmured. "If you were troubled, you'd tell me, right? You would let me help you, wouldn't you?"
"Don't burden yourself too much." Sora pleaded.
"It's not a burden to care for you." Toshiko assured. "I'm more relieved when you're honest than when I have to wonder what's going through your mind. When I don't know what's going on, I become frightened… I'm taken over by a feeling of powerlessness…"
"It's not just with me that you feel that, is it?" Sora asked, glancing down. "It's with Dad too… he makes you worry a lot, doesn't he?" The girl gulped. "Because of his sister…"
"You've heard our conversation." Toshiko muttered, looking down as well.
"Sora didn't have any bad intention." Piyomon defended her friend.
"I'm not mad at her." The woman explained. "I've wanted to tell her about Ame-san for years but it's too painful for him… I wanted to protect Haruhiko-san..."
"I know." Sora said. "You've done more than enough for this family. Sorry for not appreciating that before."
"I haven't done enough!" Toshiko protested, looking at her daughter. "If I had, we wouldn't be like this now!"
"Mom!" Sora raised her voice, looking up at her mother. "Please, don't blame yourself! There are things that are out of our control. Besides… just by doing your best you're already a good person! You should take pride in your effort instead of being ashamed!"
The woman stared at her daughter, in a mix of surprise and admiration.
"Did I say something wrong?" Sora questioned, nervous at her mother's silence.
"Not at all." The woman smiled at her. "You've grown a lot, Sora."
The girl blushed.
"There are still many things I don't understand…" Sora had an unhappy tone.
"There will always be things you won't understand." Toshiko told her. "To grow up is not a thing that happens once. You'll keep on growing up for as long as you live."
That statement made Sora feel warm on the inside. She would continue to grow up and change, like all other humans. Then, even if she did not have answers in that moment, it did not mean she would never have them. Things felt less hopeless than before.
"Sora, we need to go." Piyomon urged.
"Right!" Sora had forgotten about Picodevimon. "We'll be back soon, Mom!"
I'll be waiting, Toshiko thought, watching her daughter and Piyomon leave the apartment.
Sora crossed the deserted street with Piyomon by her side and got to the alley. Even considering the possibility that they would run into Picodevimon, nothing in the world would have prepared the girl for that vision.
Haruhiko was pressing Picodevimon's body against the wall of a building, using his right hand. The man's enraged face was almost unrecognizable.
"Confess what you did!" The father ordered the bat monster. "Confess what you did to her!"
"Dad?!" Sora felt that her knees would give up under her weight at any second. "What are you doing?! Stop!"
"Your father doesn't seem hurt…" Piyomon was astonished. "It's like Picodevimon didn't even try to put up a fight. I don't understand…"
Dad heard us talking… he heard that Picodevimon tried to kill me… but to think that he would… Sora's whole body was shaking. Dad wouldn't… he would never hurt a fly! He's the least aggressive person I know! Why is he doing that?
"Dad, it wasn't his fault!" Sora shouted, slowly approaching the man. "He was scared and confused! He didn't mean to harm me!"
"You're… alive?" Picodevimon said, in shock, rolling one of his eyes to look at Sora. "I thought that the chosen children had died with our army… is that girl alive as well?"
"You're mistaken, Sora." Haruhiko turned his head to his daughter; his lips were trembling, his eyebrows were furrowed and sweat covered his entire face. "I found this guy lurking in the snow, holding some sort of amulet and mumbling about finding something for his master!"
With his left hand, Haruhiko threw a small quadrangular piece of wood attached to a string collar to the girl, who caught it in mid-air. On the wood, there was a drawing of a circle with an arrow inside. The painted arrow moved, pointing at something ahead.
"Master…?" Piyomon felt as if her heart had skipped a beat. "You were working for someone! YOU DID WANT TO KILL SORA!"
The bird monster stripped from her clothes and set flight.
"Sora's father, get out of the way! I'm going to punish him!" Piyomon ordered.
"Confess it!" Haruhiko ignored his daughter's partner, focusing solely on the bat monster. "You wanted to do that! You wanted her to die!"
"I… I d-didn't…" Picodevimon stuttered.
"CONFESS IT!"Haruhiko roared.
"I NEVER WANTED TO HURT ANYONE!" Picodevimon confessed. "I don't like to hurt others! I never did! But Master had ordered me to do so! I had to obey!"
"Why?" Sora inquired. "Why do you have to obey him?"
"Sora, don't believe him!" Piyomon scolded the girl. "He's lying!"
"You were the one who pointed out that he hadn't hurt my father, despite Dad doing all this to him." Sora told Piyomon. "Doesn't that corroborate his statement that he doesn't like to hurt people?"
"But he still hurt you!" Haruhiko affirmed.
"That's right!" Piyomon supported the man. "You're only alive now because of the water from the underground temple! Picodevimon shot to kill you!"
"Following orders!" Sora insisted. "It seems that his master, whoever that is, doesn't know that we're still alive! Then, Picodevimon doesn't have orders to kill us now, right?"
"Do you want to let him escape?" Piyomon inquired. "If you let him go, he'll tell his master and get orders to attack us!"
"Picodevimon wouldn't do that. He'd be in debt with me." Sora explained. "Besides, he would have to explain why he didn't attack us, which could make his master have doubts regarding his loyalty."
"Master can't know that I let you escape…" Picodevimon's voice was filled with panic. "He'll punish me again! I don't want to be punished again!"
"Quiet!" Haruhiko ordered the bat creature. "You are the danger!" The man had a dark tone. "I came here to stop you! To protect my family from you! I understand now!" He looked up, to the sky. "You were talking about this guy, weren't you? You let me know so I could protect Sora, right?"
He's talking to Aunt Ame? Sora asked herself. She got closer to the man and put herself between him and Picodevimon, holding with both hands his stretched right arm, in which hand the monster was being pinned against the wall.
"Dad, let him go now." Sora commanded, facing her father with determination. "I won't let you hurt him anymore."
"Sora, don't turn your back to Picodevimon!" Piyomon was desperate, not finding an angle from where she could hit the bat without harming the girl or her father.
"I'm doing this to protect you!" Haruhiko protested. "Why don't you understand that I'm doing this for your own good?"
"You're not protecting anyone!" Sora raised her voice. "You're just trying to find meaning in a dream you had!"
Those words pierced Haruhiko and made him numb. Without realizing it, he let go of Picodevimon and stared at his daughter.
In that moment, the bat digimon had the perfect opportunity to shoot Sora in the back. However, the girl was right. He did not have orders to hurt the chosen children and, for as long as Vamdemon did not know about them, he would not have such orders. Maybe in a near future he would have to face them in battle, but for that day he would accept that small victory.
"I won't forget this." Picodevimon mumbled, before setting flight. Piyomon pondered about following him but decided to stay by Sora's side.
Haruhiko kneeled on the snow covered ground. Sora put her hands on each of his shoulders.
"You heard me talking about her…" Haruhiko murmured.
"I'm sorry." Sora whispered. "I don't know a lot and I don't understand it very well… you left us because you missed her, isn't that right?"
"I thought I was going to get better in a place where there wasn't anything that reminded me of her." Haruhiko explained. "I abandoned the University of Tokyo and went to Kyoto. I thought I was going to get better there…"
"Did you get better?" Sora asked.
"No." Haruhiko confessed, looking away. "But if I had told Toshiko-san that, she could want to move to Kyoto and leave her students behind. I couldn't do that to her. I would never forgive myself."
"You could've come back." The girl observed.
"I can't work in Tokyu U anymore… I saw her everywhere I looked…" He began to tremble. "Not only in the University… in the streets, in the shops… she was everywhere… I thought I was going to lose my mind."
"You don't see her in Kyoto?" Sora was curious.
"Only in my dreams… sometimes I think I hear her voice when it rains…" Haruhiko was now staring at the ground. "Even there I can't get close to the Physics Department or any place that has people wearing lab coats. Sometimes the radio plays a song she liked… or someone tells an unfunny joke like the ones she told me… before I noticed it, I was taking every opportunity to travel around the country… not staying too long in the same place and throwing myself into my work."
"Dad…"
"I abandoned you all." Haruhiko stated. "I tried to fix things on my own and failed. I thought the least I could do was to avoid worrying you and make you think that everything was fine with me... but I couldn't even do that." A couple of tears came down from his eyes. "I'm nothing but a disappointment to everybody I ever loved… what must you think of me now?"
"You're my Dad." Sora said, hugging him. "I love you and that's not going to change because I learned about this... I just got to know you better. You don't need to hide yourself from me and from Mom. You don't have to deal with your problems alone!" She felt her eyes getting warm.
"I couldn't get over that sadness by myself." Haruhiko spoke with shame. "I need help, don't I?" His voice nearly broke. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough…"
"Needing help is not a sign of weakness!" Sora stated. "Everybody needs help! There's nothing noble about burdening yourself and suffering alone! That just hurts you and the people who love you!"
"I've been hurting Toshiko-san for years…" The man muttered. "And you too… the last thing I wanted was to make you suffer."
"We want to help you." Sora told him. "And if the two of us aren't enough to do that, you can seek help from other people too. People who understand better what you're going through and can help you in a different way that we can. It's good to have people you can count on… people you know will accept you and help you anytime. The more people like that you have, the better it'll be." The girl smiled, thinking about the people she had. "Just, please..." Sora had now a pleading tone, letting the tears flow. "Don't push us away anymore. Just let us in, okay? Please… trust us with your whole self."
Haruhiko did not hug his daughter back. Instead, he gently held her by the arms and made her take a step back. Then, he looked into her eyes and showed her a genuine smile as the tears still streamed down his face.
"I apologize for the way I've been acting." Haruhiko said. "I…" He inhaled. "I won't run anymore."
"Even if you were to run, you can always come back." Sora assured him. "You have nothing to fear."
Piyomon watched Sora helping her father to stand up and was glad to see the serene smile on her face. The digimon was still concerned about Picodevimon but decided not to bring him up again that day. Sora was holding the amulet her father had taken and Picodevimon did not attack her when he had the chance. Maybe the consequences of Sora's actions would surprise Piyomon in a good way.
When they returned to the apartment, Sora and Piyomon were the first ones to enter. The girl greeted her mother and said that everything had gone well but she had to make a phone call. The man was still outside, looking through the open door. The woman approached him.
Toshiko and Haruhiko looked at each other for more than one minute, without uttering any word. Something changed, she thought. He seemed more relaxed and was not forcing his smile.
"I'm home." Haruhiko announced.
Those words were unfamiliar to her, coming from him. Their meaning was immeasurable.
In his eyes, the woman saw a glimpse of a glow the man she loved used to have almost ten years before; a glow determined to fight its way back. She was determined to give all the assistance needed for it.
Toshiko smiled and welcomed her husband back.