Chapter Three: The Silence Between the Rain Drops

Her Mom that morning walked with Hikari to school dropping her off at the front door. She waved goodbye, Hikari following her mom's shadow until she was no longer in sight. She fidgeted shuffling her feet and took a couple breaths mentally preparing herself for class.

Inside, the class was quiet, Hikari ignoring everyone either goofing off or chatting with their desk neighbor until the teacher came in. She obeyed her instruction, the lesson ending rather suddenly and class was over before she knew it.

"I guess I really had nothing to worry about, huh?" she said, not even aware of anything around her.

Upon those words, a loud shriek screamed in her ear as Tsumegachi walked up to her, her face burning with rage.

"I've had it," she said slamming her desk with both hands. "I'll give you one chance to explain yourself," she said. "Let's go behind the school and we can talk about it in private."

"But, there's no one here," Hikari said looking around. "Surely it's better-"

"-It's too risky", Komawari to the left said.

"What if someone over hears us?" Minasa to the right agreed.

Hikari nodded her head staring down. She couldn't help but agree with them.

"That settles it. We're heading out," she said, all four girls getting up together.

Hikari followed behind Tsumegachi, and the other two girls followed her at the end.

"It kind of feels like I'm being escorted to the gallows," Hikari said aloud trying to joke, but failing miserably.

Eventually they arrived behind the school, specifically in a dark shadowy corner just behind a storage shed. The skies were cloudy, nary a sound could be heard even with some other kids still hanging around the school. The whole situation to Hikari felt even more ominous.

She stood there, her back to the side of the storage shed while Tsumegachi and her friends stared over at her expectantly, Tsumegachi crossing her arms.

"Well?" Tsumegachi challenged tapping her index finger to her opposite elbow. "Let's hear it."

Hikari looked at them, looking this way and that and took a slight breath.

"I won't lie to you," she said, "But I don't know how much you will believe me."

"That depends on your answer," Minasa challenged.

"Just spill it already!" Komawari scolded her.

Hikari shuffled her feet a bit trying her best to think of a way to answer them, but not to give them too much information that would lead them to realize she was a Digidestined. Taichi did tell her she shouldn't try to draw attention to herself, but then again, no matter how much she wanted to be unnoticed for some reason she always seemed to be pulled into the spotlight.

"Ok," she said nodding her head. "The truth is I'm talking to a being, a spirit if you'd like to call it that. She takes over me sometimes and when that happens, or sometimes for no reason at all I don't have any memory of it," she said looking down. "That's why I was so confused when you asked me why I was talking to myself. I actually had no idea why I was doing that," she said taking another small breath. "I..I hope that explains it for you," she said putting her feet together and bowing her head. "And again, please forgive me if I've offended you."

With her head down and her eyes closed she could hear the girls chatting amongst each other. She could hear the whispers, some of them biting and snapping in each other's ears. They at last came to a stop.

Tsumegachi took one step towards her. "It does make sense you were possessed since you weren't acting like yourself at all. But," she said stomping her foot down, Hikari opening her eyes looking up at her.,"It doesn't make any sense that you can talk to yourself and have no memory of it. You'd have to know you were doing it."

"Yeah," Komawari agreed. "It just makes it look like you want attention."

"No matter how lonely you feel, which is your fault itself," Minasa continued, "For you to freak everyone out like that and make class uncomfortable is not something we'll just look away from," she said angrily.

"So they say Yagami," Tsumegachi said displeased.

Hikari stood up straight a bit fearful, but knowing that if she said anything even more it would only make things even worse.

"So, you don't believe me," she sighed. "I kind of thought you wouldn't."

"Then you should have known the penalty you would have to pay after we warned you," she said tilting her head, Minasa and Komawari coming over and pinning her arms to the back of the shed, Hikari hitting her head lightly, a dull pain fading away.

"Just...what are you going to do to me?" she asked.

"We're going to make sure you never pull a stunt like this again," she grinned. "It's your fault for all of it!" she said laying her hand and slapping it across Hikari's face, the pain stinging.

Hikari glanced back at her as if frustrated, but furious, yet powerless to do anything.

"You still insist to look at me that way?" she said dangerously. "I was going to let you go again to give you one more chance, but now? Now I've changed my mind," she snarled a crack rumbling overhead.

Hikari looked up, as if trying to avoid everything. "It's going to rain," she said opening up her hand.

"That should be the last of your concern!" Tsumegachi lashed out grabbing her by her shirt collar, tugging on it and slamming her to the ground Hikari rolling over..

She felt the packed soil clinging to her skin and hair, Hikari vaguely realizing the danger she was in.

"It's true, isn't it?" she said looking up at them. "All this? You never planned to hear me out from the beginning. Why?" she asked. "What have I done to you exactly?" she asked, Tsumegachi and the others railing on her with verbal onslaughts she couldn't make out.

All of a sudden she felt a sharp pain in her side, followed by another one to the left side. And then another to her arm, her foot, and then she didn't know as a flurry of kicks slammed into her. She stared around at them after, her vision blur, only able to see out of one eye. She could barely swallow, her mouth dry, her tongue clinging to the roof of her mouth.

The three girls appeared sweaty, their anger having been dulled after they vented against her. She stared up, looking at Tsumegachi, one of her hands reaching up towards her desperately.

"What? You want us to help you?" she groaned. "It's what you deserve!"

Rain started coming down, Hikari's voice nearly drowned out in the downpour.

"...Enough?"

"What?!" Tsumegachi twitched growling.

"...Is this...enough?"

"She's not asking for help," Komawari said. "Maybe we took this too far."

"No," The blue haired one countered. "She got what she deserved. She'll never forget about this."

"I agree," Tsumegachi said stepping on Hikari's lower leg pressing down. "Let this pain be a reminder we are watching you. If you do anything else like this again, next time we'll pound you so bad no one will be able to recognize you," she said glaring at her in victory.

Komawari folded her arms against her chest shivering.

"We should get out of here," she said. "We're getting soaked at this rate."

"I agree," Minasa said indifferently even as rain drops fell through her bangs. "Let her just sit here thinking about what she did. It should really help get the message through her thick skull."

"I guess that will do it," Tsumegachi admitted letting off the pressure on her lower leg- her ankle to be exact. "Let this be a reminder Hikari Yagami," she warned, "You better stop it. And if you tell anyone what happened here today you'll wish you were never born," she snapped.

She turned around about ready to leave.

"W-wait," Hikari winced barely lifting her head. "Tsu-sumegachisan!"

She paused turning back.

"What do you want now? Haven't you had enough?"

Hikari paused, barely able to swallow.

"Your eyes...are even sadder...than mine," she said barely able to get the words out. "Are you….ok?"

Tsumegachi paused, her eyes wavering before in a fit of rage she flung herself on top of Hikari on the ground, her hands riniging her neck.

"Am I ok? What is the matter with you?!" she roared squeezing. "Why do you look at me with those eyes?! Why do you stare at me with pity?! I'm the most popular girl in class!" she said clenching her teeth. "Do you know why you show no concern for yourself? It's because your value is nothing! No one cares about you! Everyone avoids you!" she said picking her up by her neck and repeatedly slamming her head on the ground.

Hikari closed her eye, forcing it open, Tsumegachi taken aback by her resilience.

"But still..." she said not even breathing, not even sure if she herself had the strength to open her mouth but somehow was able to, "...You're still sad...right?"

Tsumegachi removed her hands, her teeth still clenched.

"Come on Tsumegachi," Komawarie suggested. "We have to get going."

"Yeah," Minasa added as if they were in a hurry. "This girl's senile. She's just not worth it for right now," she said, both of them forcing her off of Hikari.

They both started running away, Tsumegachi glancing back at Hikari shunning her with her back as their shadows vanished into the rain, their presence erased by the intensity.

Hikari lay motionless for quite some time. Eventually she stopped feeling the drops, unsure if the rain had let up or if she was numb to the pain. Somewhere in the silence, where the rain could not fall, faint images of her loved ones appeared.

She remembered her mom and Taichi, wondering just how they would be reacting to her not being there. Her Mom would be distraught, calling the police, no- she would probably be out herself running through the neighborhood if she was not home soon. Taichi would be contacting his soccer buddies and riding like crazy around looking for her. She knew even Tailmon if she was able to would be frantic calling out for her, even getting wet and muddy-two of the things she absolutely hated. They would both end up in a bubble bath, Hikari rubbing her fur calming her feline Digimon down as they both relaxed in the steam.

For a moment, Hikari flinched having thought she had dosed off. She winced trying to get up again, the pain in her ankle preventing her from getting up from where Tsumegachi had stepped on her.

"Come on Hikari," she said to herself, clenching her teeth and trying to stand with all of her power. She managed to get her arms out underneath her in the wet dirt and forced her lower body up, forcing herself to stand, her back drenched with mud and water, a solid layer stuck firmly.

Her legs wobbled as she tried to keep herself together. She lifted her left foot up out of the muck, barely able to pull it out. Then trying to hold herself up she moved her right leg, and then didn't remember even moving it, her face slamming face forward in the dirt, Hikari moving her head to the side a moment to avoid her eyes and nose from being covered in mud.

She managed to take a breath, her eyes clouding having given up the struggle.

"Taichi," she said thinking about him again. She hoped he would find her hopefully before she sunk into the mud. It was a weekend. Hardly any students would show up tomorrow. No one would check behind the school shed where hardly anyone looked; Maybe if a janitor showed up, but, if it was about watering flowers or anything, there would be no point.

Hikari breathed out into the cold air, her heart slowly calming down. If she had any 'friends' she could call friends then maybe they would help her. Taichi had everyone's number though. Her mind drifted back to when she was a lot younger remembering the last time she had been invited to a birthday party-the youngest time in her life when she had friends. The birthday girl seemed so giddy and happy, but, after that Hikari was shunned by both her and the other girls. She didn't have any friends after that until she met the other Digidestined, and especially Tailmon.

She smiled recalling them all vaguely. Tailmon would always warm her whenever she felt cold. She would smile brightly, her blue eyes sensing danger, but melting into calmness as Hikari would stroke her fur, sometimes humming a song.

Then there was Sora, Jou, Koushirou, Mimi, Yamato, and of course, Takeru and her brother Taichi. She didn't want to bother anyone, especially her worrying brother and mom about it. And she didn't want to draw any attention to herself. She never really needed it if she was honest. She always had Homeostasis who would talk with her from time to time. She would ask her about her current condition and tell her things. With her she was never lonely. But it was strange looking back at it. Hikari felt like Homeostasis answered her, but it seemed more like a dream than anything now.

Little did she know of the consequences of all those times they were in their own place. But, now that she thought about it it made sense why everyone avoided her now. Yet still, even knowing all of that, she remembered Takeru and all he was going through. He still did his best fighting through the tears and the loneliness. Even now having moved to the countryside she was sure he was going to be fine. Still, just remembering his cheerful smile, and eyes that lit up whenever he was concerned for her or happy, it brought a smile to her face.

"You'll never...shun me," she said, barely able to speak with her throat so dry, "...will you, Takeru?"

Hikari closed her eyes having little strength, the rain pummeling even harder, Hikari feeling as if she was falling through the ground being swallowed by a deep darkness…

...A deep darkness that wouldn't go away...even if she opened her eyes...