U/N: Aika is maybe my least favourite of the children that I wrote as. We each only had seven, so it's not a big pool to pick from but there was just something entirely ridiculous about her that was so hard to write for me. In terms of the kids personalities though, all of their parents are wildly successful and the world they live in is endlessly peaceful and happiness oozes from everywhere around them. I'm exaggerating, but basically a lot of them are kind of spoiled. Especially the middle group of children who are all crazy, which includes Aika. I don't know, I don't dislike her, and I think she's wildly different than other characters. Much more aggressive—a lot like Cody, only whinier and... well I dunno. Here's the chapter.

Title: Here Comes Santa Claus

By: UrazamayKing

Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.

Chapter 05: Tough Love

Aika Ishida:

My phone buzzed and when I looked to see who my new message was from, I saw Makoto's name flash across the screen. I pursed my lips and clicked the message, expecting it to be another video of an animal doing a hilarious stunt, but instead found a genuine message.

Meet me in the auditorium. Come alone.

I furrowed my brow, trying to understand what that could mean, and then my phone buzzed again.

That sounded menacing. I just mean, don't bring Chika.

Ah, well that made more sense. I wasn't sure that I was going to listen anyway. I could have just entirely ignored him and made my way to a different part of the school and pretended that I hadn't seen his message at all, but that seemed unlikely to work. I wasn't a great liar, and Makoto always knew exactly what I meant. I thought it had something to do with the crest I'd been given. Desire. I thought it was the stupidest of all the crests personally. All I had to do was be open about what I wanted and needed and find the difference between them or something, but it didn't make much sense. If I had Pride then I could understand maybe. I had a big pride, and finding a way to get over it to mend issues with people or to even apologize was hard. But that wasn't my crest. I had stupid Desire.

I didn't know how to make the crest shine, and Yokomon had no ideas either. Well, no good ideas.

"What if you just go through this catalogue?" Yokomon suggested. "Circle everything you want with a marker and then I'll probably digivolve big enough to break Nikko's heart right back."

"Doesn't work like that," I told her with a sigh, talking mostly about breaking a person's heart physically.

"Well you never know!" Yokomon exclaimed, rolling a big red marker my way.

I closed my locker, trying to think of a way out of meeting up with Makoto when I caught sight of Nikko and Hiro making their way down the halls. Hiro flashed a smile my way but Nikko didn't even look toward me. I could see him fighting the urge to though. I knew he was avoiding me, and I knew why too. He was a stubborn idiot, that's why. What kind of jerk got to bear hope as a crest? Uncle Takeru had talked to me about it and how it had nothing to do with being kind, just optimistic, but I thought that was pretty dumb.

As Nikko settled in at his own locker I noticed a flock of girls whisking by with several girly Floramon in their midst. The Floramon in this school always seemed to find a way to be the most popular of everyone and it was just annoying. They were all obnoxious. At least the ones I had met. Each of the girls tilted their head toward Nikko and smiled. He smiled right back, playing along with their flirting like always, but he had no intention of advancing any further with any of them. He was such a boy.

Why did he and his friends have to be such jerks?

"Stupid Nikko," I snapped, slamming my locker shut. I was pretty sure Nikko had heard me but I didn't even care. He was stupid. He had promised me that he would treat me like a girl but he tossed me aside when he had formed real feelings for someone. That meant he never liked me at all. That meant he had been lying to me and that he was just an idiot. And when I told him that, somehow I became the bad guy?

"You've been lying about having feelings for me," I yelled, balling up my fist around my phone before throwing it directly toward him. The phone smashed against the wall behind him, just barely missing his head and he gasped out in shock. "Why wouldn't I be angry?"

"It's not that I didn't like you," Nikko reasoned, "I'm just a kid, I don't know what love is—"

"I didn't ask you to love me!" I screamed, "I wanted to be your friend! Remember? You asked me out and I said 'no' because I wanted to be friends above all else! You assured me we would always be friends and yet here we are! I was right! And you're a jerk!" I remember looking to Makoto, Osamu and Hiro for support but each of them looked to me with wide, unblinking eyes, unsure how to react. When I turned to Elliot he at least slid off of the back of the couch and made his way to Nikko to try to reason with him, but Nikko was angry now too.

"You're such a drama queen, Aika!" Nikko shouted, his own fists balling up now too. "You're right though, and I see it now. You are just like other girls. You're annoying and you're—"

"If you finish that, I'll wipe your face in the mud!" I shouted, and Nikko froze, staring toward me. He didn't know how to respond either. I furiously ran my hands through my hair and then spun on the spot, reaching out for Yokomon. She leapt into my arms and I stormed toward the door. I threw it open before stopping and turning back to the others. "Thanks for the support," I said sarcastically, "nice to know who your real friends are."

To be fair to them, they hadn't supported Nikko either, I had just been angry, and was unable to find it in me to apologize to them. I would never apologize to Nikko though. He was a jerk and that was simply factual.

Being friends with pubescent boys was a difficult ordeal, unfortunately. I was actually rather fond of them, but because of the world we lived in, they didn't understand that they were being sexist, or that they were narrow minded, or that 'no' meant 'no'. I was sure I had flaws too, but since I spent so much time around Nikko and his array of imperfections I didn't have time to find my own!

By the time I registered where I was in the school I had found myself on my way to the auditorium. I hesitated of course, unsure what to do next. On one hand, I missed Makoto very much and I wanted to spend more time with him. On the other hand, I was friends with Chika now and was too caught up in my own head to actually work things out with Makoto. I wondered if Chika would be upset if I went to Makoto. Would she think I was abandoning her by spending time with her brother instead of her?

I didn't know where she was right then anyway, probably hunting unicorns or something.

I sighed and made my way into the auditorium, marching down the dimly lit aisle until I stopped at the balcony's edge. I stared down to the stage where Makoto was standing, talking to a crowd of people in the audience. His hands were thrown out in the most dramatic way possible as he projected his voice far enough that I could hear him clearly. "Welcome all!" he called out, "The auditions will start as soon as my co-director shows up. She's amazing, you'll see. She's so interesting too, so I know she'll have really good ideas. See, she and my friend used to date, but I want her to not be sad anymore so I asked her to help me out. But until she gets here, I want you all to line up by the stage so we can audition one at a time."

Oh. So this was his attempt to reach his hand out and mend the problems in our friendship. That would have been kind if it wasn't simply for pity. He felt guilty now and was making it up to himself so he didn't have to feel upset, but had somehow caught himself in the delusion that what he was doing was kind. He was convinced he was doing this for me, when really it was for himself.

As I turned to leave, I groaned, because Makoto's voice floated up to me once more. "There she is!" I stopped and turned back to him, waving goodbye, but he was quick to protest, "Wait Aika!" he shouted, moving down the stage until he was at the very edge. "Come here! At least hear me out." I debated for a moment before finally relenting and making my way to the stairs. "Yeah!" Makoto pumped his fists into the air, "Okay everyone, get ready to be part of the best play this school has ever seen! The wonderful directing team of Aikoto is on the case!"

I laughed, but made it sound as bitter as I could, "Well I haven't decided yet, Makoto."

"You'll have to speak up, Aika," Makoto said, adjusting his posture and pressing on his diaphragm. "If you speak from down here you'll be able to project your voice far enough." He looked to the students surrounding him, nodding as if they were learning a valuable life lesson from him. "See, I actually did hear Aika, but you all thought I did not. I am a brilliant actor, so in case any of you were wondering why I was chosen to be in charge, that would be why."

"You weren't chosen," a nearby student pointed out, "You're the one who started the play up." Makoto flushed a bright pink and chose not to reply, making his way off the stage to greet me.

His face was still a bright pink when he had caught up to me, and he looked over his shoulder to the student that had embarrassed him, probably thinking of the worst part to give her. Makoto was wearing orange as usual, and I hated that I noticed. My mother's work always caught my eye and I knew more about fashion than I'd care to admit. When Makoto turned my way he took in my posture, trying to judge whether or not he could get away with his usual obnoxious personality. I had my hands in the pockets of my jacket and I was standing rather rigidly on the stairs. I had every intention to walk out on him. I didn't want to be part of the school play. "Aika, you have to help me," Makoto pleaded, apparently seeing my intent clearly. "I need your ability to be mean. These kids are ruthless."

I looked around to them and saw that most of them were younger than he was. I rolled my eyes, thinking Makoto was just being a baby but my eyes became still when I spotted Izumi Fujimoto. We knew her pretty well, since she was a crest bearer now too—the crest of Kindness somehow—and I shuddered. She was maybe the meanest little girl I'd ever met. As I looked down the line up of students I found Iris and Madlyn—Izumi's loyal followers, the twins of Willis and Mari—and then—

"Is that Shouta?" I asked, leaning forward to make sure I wasn't simply delusional. I wasn't. My brother was waiting in line to be a part of the school play. His arms were crossed and his sleeves were pulled down as his dark red hair covered his eyes. "Definitely Shouta."

"Yeah I don't even know what he's doing here," Makoto admitted, "But I'll give him the lead if you'll stay to help!" Makoto stopped, rolling his eyes back to think and then adjusted his promise, "Or an important role anyway, I want to be the lead."

"I thought you were directing," I said, still watching my brother, trying to decide what to do about seeing him there.

"No," Makoto explained, "You're the director because you're so tough and can yell at people."

I rounded on him and he immediately flinched, "Hey," I snapped, not being particularly happy about the way that he viewed me, but as I looked to his worried expression I realized he was right. I was mean. I didn't really like that... I didn't want to be a bad person. I decided to ignore Makoto while I made up my mind and I slipped past him, making my way toward Shouta who was now starring to his feet. He looked up, surprised to see me, and then blushed. "What's going on?" I asked him quietly. Luckily there was enough space between each person in line that no one could hear the two of us speaking. Even if they could, Madlyn was talking loud enough to drown us out nearby. "Since when are you interested in the theater?"

"I—I'm not," Shouta admitted, diverting his eyes. I followed his gaze toward Iris Goutokuji. And suddenly I understood. I didn't make a big show of anything, but it was still pretty cute. "I just thought since she was ... and then I would..."

"I get it," I assured him, patting him on the back, "You'll do amazing." I turned back to the three girls and saw Izumi mocking someone and Madlyn pretending to be a monkey. Iris was smiling, but was barely paying attention. She seemed lost in thought. "You should talk to her," I suggested, but Shouta looked to me like I was insane.

"No!" he insisted, "Izumi is so intimidating and Madlyn's a crazy person."

"Now that's not entirely true," I tried to reason, but as I looked toward them again I found that he was right. If ever he was going to pack up the courage to talk to Iris it would have to be while she was alone. It was too bad they were the next generation Alias III and walked around like some Unholy Trinity of evil. Their digimon walked in the same formation anywhere they went, only it was less dramatic because they were Gummymon, Budmon and DemiMeramon and together they were just a collection of colourful balls. "Okay, I see your point." I turned back to Shouta who was nodding, but still looking toward Iris. In this one case I wanted the boy to get the girl. I'd never met a boy that was as kind as Shouta was. All of my friends—or old friends as I could refer to them as now—were just morons. Shouta was different. "Weren't you friends with them before?"

Shouta nodded, "Yeah," he sighed, "but they just kind of dispersed. They're different now because they're older and I'm older too. I don't really have any friends, Aika. I'm not a popular guy. Izumi's the most popular girl in school and she's only nine." That was true actually. She knew how to bend things into her favour. "I don't know exactly what happened, but once they stopped thinking it was fun to play make believe, they stopped thinking I was fun."

I patted his back again, feeling rather bad for him. The poor kid had been handed the crest of courage by Taichi, because apparently there was some kind of connection there, but Shouta had yet to even bother trying to make the crest activate. He was far too shy to think it through.

Shouta's eyes rolled back as he caught sight of something over my shoulder and when I turned back to see what it was I found myself making the same face. Elliot was coming over. He threw his hands up defensively. "Hey now," he said, "I was just coming to say hello." What was he even doing here? He went to school in America.

"Somehow that seems unlikely," I said, rolling my eyes back. Elliot seemed offended, and I felt bad for hurting him, but when he grabbed my arm gently and began leading me somewhere Shouta wouldn't be able to hear us I had a feeling he wasn't too wounded.

"I had a dream that you had me for the Secret Santa," Elliot said as if it were the weirdest thing in the world. "You do, don't you?" I didn't. I had Nikko. As if the world hadn't punished me enough, I now had to find a way to please Nikko and get him a good present while still being infuriated with him. It was like everything that ever existed in terms of being a deity hated me and wanted to watch me suffer.

"You know I can't tell you that," I told him simply, shrugging my shoulders.

He sighed, "Fine, that's fair." I thought so too. "So, Aika, I wanted to apologize," Elliot said, catching me completely off guard. "I... I know I've been completely in your face lately, but I guess I kind of like you." I gave him a look that said I wasn't very surprised to find this out. He nodded, "Right, you knew that. I dunno, man. I guess seeing you not as a part of the group made me realize how much I missed you."

"You're trying to fix the issue," I told him, "Your brain is telling you that me dating one of you will do that. You don't actually like me."

"But I do," he told me honestly. He then glanced over his shoulder, feeling embarrassed. I looked to my feet, unsure what to say and let Elliot do the talking. "I just want to know that I'm not insane. You like me too, don't you? You keep saying 'no' but I keep hearing 'yes' and I think I'm going insane."

Okay, so he wasn't insane. The signs he was picking up were understandable because of course I did like him. Every girl in school liked him and he didn't even go to our school. It was exhausting having feelings like that because it always felt like it was a competition for his attention. But I didn't want his attention anymore, even if I did like him. "You hurt me," I told him in a soft voice. "When you picked Nikko over me." Elliot was at a loss of what to say next. He couldn't counter that because there was nothing more to say. He had picked Nikko over me and it had hurt me. "And you're also a stupid boy."

"But I'm a charming boy," Elliot said, "Who just so happens to be an idiot." I smiled, but didn't let him see that. When I looked up it seemed that Elliot was smiling—and not just any smile, it was a genuine smile. That half smirk he did when he was actually enjoying himself. And as I noticed it, several chatting girls made their way down the stairs, pushing past us. Elliot's smile faded to a smoulder and he puffed out his chest. I rolled my eyes and turned away from him. "Wait—where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here," I told him flatly.

"What did I do?"

I rounded on him and said in a quiet voice so no one else would hear, "You're so conceited. You sleep at night because you know that people love you in the most superficial of ways. You care only about your own ego. That's why I don't like you, Elliot. You're not a good friend because I can guarantee that you would throw your friends under the bus just to feel good about yourself."

"That's a little harsh—"

"She's not wrong though," Elliot and I both turned to see Makoto who was leaning back in a chair in the audience, his feet resting on the seat directly in front of him. Elliot glared to his friend, but I smiled, feeling happy that someone finally agreed with me.

"She is," Elliot assured Makoto, turning to the lineup of students. "I'll show you how much I care for other people." Elliot marched forward, and my stomach dropped as I saw him walking toward Shouta and the new Alias III.

"Oh no," Makoto gasped, leaning forward. I groaned, hurrying after Elliot to stop him, but I was too late.

"Hey Izumi," Elliot called out, catching her attention.

"Elliot stop!" I insisted, but he waved me off.

"Hold on, watch this," Elliot insisted, but Shouta had grabbed Elliot's arm and was pleading with him to shut up with only his eyes. "Don't worry, I've seen you staring. I've got you, Shouta." Elliot turned back to Izumi, "Izumi, Shouta is in love with you."

All eyes in the auditorium turned on Shoua who turned as red as a tomato and released Elliot's arm, looking over to Izumi who seemed flattered, but confused. Shouta looked like he wanted to scream at Elliot but he couldn't find the words and kept tripping over his tongue until he finally pushed past him and rushed off, fleeing the scene entirely.

I punched Elliot as hard as I could in the arm and he cried out in pain. "You idiot," I snarled when everyone returned to their own business.

Elliot had the audacity to look to me like I was the insane one and he looked rather put out, adjusting the stupid sunglasses on his stupid face. "I was so sure she'd love him back..." he sighed, "Pity it wasn't Iris that he liked because she's a lot nicer. She's my cousin see, and –" I could do nothing but to ignore him and roll my eyes back as far as they could go because honestly he was the most idiotic person I had ever had the misfortune of meeting.

I turned on the spot and stormed off after Shouta, ignoring Makoto's pleas for me to stay and help him. I felt bad for abandoning him, sure, but Shouta came first. Besides, if Makoto's plans involved me hanging out with him again, then I wasn't on board. Not if that involved Nikko and Elliot anyway.

Featured Evolution Line: Aika: Nyokimon—Yokomon—Floramon—Ninjamon—Mamemon—BanchoMamemon