The Digital Edda
Book One: The Dark World
Chapter One
The first night of Obon was a special time for Shinjuku Central Park. Silvery moonlight from a full, harvest moon shone through the steel and glass skyscrapers. It hovered behind the sweeping twin-steeples of the Metropolitan building like a single, round gem adorning some great edifice to a pagan god, tingling the superstitious people in the throng below. Great, bronze lanterns hung below dim streetlamps, chained together with streamers of autumn gold and red, swaying in their fastenings against an unseen wind, or the presence of the dead. Local priests mingled among the people heading inside the park. They gave out small talismans on rice paper, beckoning the receivers to throw them in copper braziers and told to wish good fortune for another year.
Kari Kamiya banked away from the main entrance and followed the sidewalk around. Shielded by a tall hedgerow that grew alongside the wall, she and Gatomon sighed as the August cool breezed against them. The noise from the festival dimmed. Fewer people strode the length of walk between the Metropolitan building and the train station.
The other Chosen were waiting for them at the secluded entrance; the one with the winding staircase that lead down into the maintenance barn of the park. They wore colored Kimono's, save for Takeru, who chose the same off-white as her, sans the golden accents on his cuffs and sash. She doted on that for a moment, thinking anyone could mistake them for being a couple, and the potential scenario made her heart skip a beat. If Takeru came to the same conclusion, his smile hid it well.
"You two look adorable," Yolei gushed. She stood beside Ken, arm hooked around his. Her choice of lavender and purple accents seemed most conspicuous, for Ken's Kimono was almost an abyssal purple with a lavender sash. "We should double date—it'll be fun!"
Heat crept into Kari's cheeks. She looked away, hiding her bashful flush behind her Kimono sleeve. "Well, we're not—" Kari began. She cursed her friend's talent for putting people on the spot, intentional or otherwise.
Davis groaned. He ran a hand through his unkempt, burgundy hair. "Way to make it awkward, Yolei."
Yolei puffed her cheeks at him. "What? They look nice together." she said.
"So? Keep your big nose out of other peoples' business," he retorted. "Besides, Ken looks more like a hostage the way your talons are digging into his arms." Ken coughed out a snicker. "Blink twice if you need rescuing, buddy," Davis added, earning a clear giggle from his stoic friend.
Cody sighed. Despite being the youngest in the group, he resembled more and more of an elderly man. His Kimono, common brown, was hemmed by his mother's hand. He stood square, shoulders straight, and his right hand rest on the pommel of his wooden training sword resting in a glossy-black sheathe his grandfather gifted him. His unreadable expression held an air of wisdom to it.
"And there they go," Cody mused, watching Davis and Yolei devolve into another argument.
Armadillomon plopped beside his partner. "Guess the fireworks are starting earlier than we thought, ya?"
Cody frowned at him. "That's not very nice, Armadillomon."
"Sorry Cody, but smelling all that barbecue has made me a little stir crazy." the rodent digimon replied.
Hawkmon agreed. "I'm of a like mind with Armadillomon. Cleaning up the mini-mart all day sure works up the appetite."
"Well, if you keep eating too much you won't have to curl up to roll around." Cody chided, "But, I guess you're right. We should get something before the actual fireworks start."
Kari leaped at the chance. "The food booths are in the same place as last year," she said, pointing down and across the park. "Maybe we'll get lucky with the lines."
The group agreed and began shuffling down the spiral staircase into the park. Takeru walked beside Kari. Gatomon, out of deliberate, mischievous intent, perched on Kari's left shoulder—the shoulder facing out towards the park. Patamon mirrored her, but settled on Takeru's right shoulder, so the human's attention stayed intimately between each other. The heat in Kari's cheeks intensified. From the corner of her eye, she spied Takeru taking the occasional glance in her direction.
Past the dormant tractor and utility sheds, the walkway emptied into the rear of what Kari labeled the 'food village'. Small wooden shanties lined the main walking path that served as the artery of the park. Vendors in damp clothes ferried carts teeming with empty cardboard boxes, discarded meat bags, egg cartons, cheese cloths, and soiled terry cloths towards a series of dumpsters hiding in an aclove. Others carried fresh leeks, ginger, and burlap sacks of potatoes. Beer flowed from chilled kegs into wide rimmed, plastic cups. The bump and sway of the crowds grew rough in places.
One particular stall stood out from the others. It was a homely, little thing. 'Matsuki Bakery' the poster overhead read, written in marker using a child's scrawl. A woman, man, and a child toiled behind the scratch built counter top. The father (or what Kari assumed) greeted her. "What can I get for you?"
Kari picked out her order from a plastic display. When the father asked for the payment, Takeru stepped up and pulled his wallet. "Oh," the father said. He noticed their near-matching Kimono's and smiled a sly, knowing smile. "I see. Here you go," he said, pressing the money in Takeru's waiting palm. "Enjoy."
"Thanks," Takeru replied, pocketing the wallet.
Kari hid behind her kimono sleeves. Takeru offered her apple-turnover. His face had flushed a particular shade of bright red as she took it. She mumbled her thanks and nibbled dumbly on a corner, processing what transpired and what the rest of the night could hold. Excitement, dread, and a fluttering anxiety flooded through her all at once. Their digimon giggled.
Takeru lead them to a nearby bench lining one of the many park ponds, waiting for the others to finish ordering. Here, the bedlam once again abated and Kari embraced the quiet. The moon shone on the pond's mirror surface, disturbed by the lightning bugs' dance with the dragonflies. Autumnal lily flowers glowed an ethereal blue, almost white. She watched Takeru eat his pie through his reflection, thinking, chewing slow.
"How's your turnover?" he said, looking out across the pond.
Kari swallowed. "It's great. You didn't have to pay for it."
"It's okay. I wanted to."
She felt that troublesome heat creep into her cheeks. From the corner of her eye, Kari noticed Gatomon studying her expression through the hole of her large doughnut. "Thanks," she replied.
Through the pond reflection, Takeru finished his pie and swept the crumbs off his lap. He rested his palms on his knees, rubbing them through his Kimono, and stared into his lap. A few moments passed. "We've been friends for a good while." he said.
"Six years this month," Kari added.
"Has it been that long?" Takeru asked, sounding incredulous. "It's been so crazy, I completely lost track of time."
They went quiet again. Kari finished eating her turnover and placed her hands in her lap. She spied Takeru fidgeting in place—scratching his head, adjusting his Kimono's sash, probably wondering where their friends went, Kari thought. But when she glanced over at Gatomon, who had barely eaten her doughnut and seemed more vested in her partner's conversation, an epiphany struck her.
Kari tried putting on an annoyed face. "Gatomon," the cat perked up, "The others aren't coming by, are they?"
"Why, whatever do you mean, Kari? Maybe they're still waiting in line." Gatomon replied sweetly, shoving the doughnut into her mouth.
Patamon sighed. "Ah, she knows, Gatomon." he admitted from beside Takeru. "We almost had it."
"Yolei would make a terrible cat." Gatomon agreed, wolfing down the last of her doughnut.
"Was this your idea?" Kari accused her.
"It was mine," Takeru admitted. He smiled apologetic as Kari looked up at him. "I thought having everyone help would make this easier."
"Make what—" Kari began.
Takeru took both her hands in his. Unable to escape, she gazed into his eyes. They were a deeper, sapphire blue than she remembered, wondering if the moonlight also conspired to make such a color. Takeru smiled. He had grown out his flaxen gold hair like his brother and a few bangs dripped down, framing his face, and, in a brief instant, he matured a handful of years. Heat radiated from Kari's cheeks. She had never considered Takeru's looks during their adventures, but the year of normalcy allowed her a certain clarity most girl's her age possessed.
"What I mean to say," Takeru explained, "is that, I love you, Kari." He stammered the last words extra hard, turning a shade of cartoon red Kari had only seen from steamed lobsters. "We've been friends since Myotismon. But ever since our time in the Dark Ocean, when we rescued you from Airdramon and the Scubamon, I knew my feelings were more than that. Do, do you feel the same way?"
Patamon covered his shock with his paws. "He actually said it," he whispered to Gatomon. "He actually said it, Gatomon."
Judging from Gatomon's mirthful expression, Kari guessed her face shone just as red. The heat was unbearable. Her heart performed somersaults. Knowing Takeru had orchestrated an entire night just to admit his feelings so intimately, getting her friends in on the plot, made her face burn hotter. She sat, stunned, unable to speak. Kari took in a deep breath and answered him.
"I," she began, praying she sounded more human than mouse, "I love you too."
The moment the words left her mouth, so did the heat rush from her face. The world rushed back into the foreground and Kari recognized the voices of her friends rising above the pounding of her heart. They emerged from behind bushes and copses of trees nearby. Gatomon and Patamon cheered. Soon Kari's friends circled around their bench, smiling.
"This is so embarrassing." Kari mumbled. She shielded her face with both hands. Her heart slowed, adrenaline thinning, and the moment settled into her being.
The boy she knew for six years looked exhausted, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His hand slid into hers. "I've got the perfect place to watch the fireworks. Let's make this an Obon we'll never forget," he said, sounding more confident and less shakily.
They rose. From the benches, Takeru lead the group around the pond onto a side path. It lead deeper into the wooded section of the park until emptying into a small playground surrounded by the trees. Takeru stated they arrived at their destination. He sat inside the hollowed out dinosaur, the one with the clock in its forehead, beckoning for Kari to sit beside him. From her spot, Kari had a clear view of the night sky and its large, harvest moon high above the Metropolitan building.
Takeru pointed in the direction of the building, leftwards, at open sky. "That's where the fireworks will go off."
Yolei and Ken sat on an elevated bridge. "This is cozy. When did you scout this out?" Yolei asked.
Takeru smiled. "Last year. I came across it after getting lost coming from the bathrooms, remember?"
"It's the perfect spot." Davis agreed. "I can actually hear myself think." He climbed to the top of another dinosaur, looking through the trees.
Cody remained quiet. He remained standing, hand resting on pommel in thought, scanning the area. Armadillomon mimicked him. "What's wrong Cody?"
The boy pointed behind the playground. "The fog," He began. Turning around, Kari indeed noticed white streaks lilting between the tree trunks, creeping steadily towards the playground. "It's too warm for it to be that thick."
Davis brushed it off. "Probably smoke from the barbecues, or something. You're not afraid clouds, are you?"
"No," Cody snapped, frowning. "But it's kind of weird seeing it."
"Then quit your bellyaching and enjoy the fireworks."
The Hida boy sniffed, settling down on the stairs near Yolei. The group quieted after that. Kari looked up at the glittering sky, lost in the stars and how the Metropolitan building loomed down, shrouded in shadow, like a distant, foreboding castle. She felt Takeru's arm drape across her shoulders. Kari glanced aside and saw Takeru an inch from her face, his expression hesitant. She smiled, resting her head against his as his free hand webbed around hers.
Minutes passed and in the fog came. White tendrils reached out, spreading, thickening, growing. Soon scudding ground cloud washed over the surprised teenagers. Vapor stung at the eyes. Throats burned. Teeth itched. Tongues became sensitive, feeling a current running through the body. The sky evaporated, replaced by a dome of mutton-white thick enough to blot out the trees. Davis clambered down from his seat. Takeru coughed. He waved the intruding fog away and, still holding Kari's hand, stood up.
"What's with this stuff?" Davis complained. He rubbed his eyes. "Let's go somewhere else."
Ken and Yolei huddled beside them. "Yea, maybe we'll come back next time." Ken added, peering into the dense wall.
The digimon stopped them. They stood in front of their partners arrayed in a defensive line, facing in the direction where the fog blew in from. Gatomon glared into the mist. Her blue eyes hardened against it, holy ring slapping aspen and cedar chunks airborne behind her. Even Wormmon, the most docile of the bunch, hunched in a ready position, mandibles open, waiting. Armadillomon nudged Cody to get behind him.
"Woah, what's gotten into you guys?" Yolei muttered. She wiped her glasses, staring at Hawkmon, whose plumage stood straight out, and his wings beckoned his partner to stand beside Cody.
"Something's out there," Veemon stated. "Something, wrong. Can't you feel it Davish?"
"Here, now? What is it?" Kari followed up. She and Takeru huddled behind their partners.
Gatomon's tail dug gouges into the playground bedding. "Big," she answered, "Big, angry, and it knows we're here." She tensed. She hissed, pointing in a direction. "There, between the swings."
A dark form stumbled through the fog wall. Another Gatomon. Its fur was ink black and it cradled a deep, weeping gash across its belly. Its gold eyes were wide in terror, flitting around the playground before settling square on Kari. Upon seeing her, its pupils dilated into black slits. It heaved ragged out a ragged breath. "Run!" he shouted. He cupped both paws together, shouting another hoarse warning. "Run, it's a Changeling!"
The black Gatomon collapsed forward. Behind him, obscured in the mist, an outline, a form. It was long and slender, coiling around itself in the guise of a serpent twice Kari's size. Its head looked ponderous and massive, giving little illusion to its fangs, and a pair of leathery wings unfurled out from its back, extending twice the length of its body.
"What is that?" Davis blubbered.
The figure jerked at his voice. Bellowing a bestial screech, it charged at them.
OOC: I do not own Digimon, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Frontier, or Digimon Tamers. I do own the original characters created within.
This took longer than I expected. Life certainly makes its presence known when it wants to. Its not much, but I thought of changing the more a-typical introduction of most fanfictions by getting straight into the action. I'm trying to get better at pacing and transitioning scenes, so any criticisms or comments would be well appreciated. It helps a lot as a recreational writer.