Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Ethereal ❯ Beginnings ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter IV

The reunion was brief.

In fact it only lasted for about half an hour before Hikari had to head home. Something about having chores to do, Ken recalled. And since that time Takeru had been sitting on the bench outside her apartment building in deep thought. His eyes were closed and Ken wasn't sure whether he was even awake anymore. Glancing at his watch he frowned. Time was never something he liked to deal with especially since it was ticking towards ten. He called his mother, giving her the excuse he would be sleeping over at a friend's house. That itself nearly gave her heart attack but she was pleased to know that Ken actually did have a social life. It made the boy sick to his stomach to lie to her, though.

What if she found out?? But then again he never told her where he was going. His parents trusted him too much. They believed he could do no wrong. If only they knew where he was at that moment. They would die of shock. Ken snickered. That thought had managed to calm down his nerves slightly.

"I think we should go back."

The boy nearly jumped at the sudden remark. He turned around and saw Takeru staring at him with steel eyes. Ken nodded numbly and watched as the blond stood up. Then he brushed past him and began his walk. Ken followed meekly. Takeru was sometimes too much for him. He was happy and talkative one moment and the next he was dark and silent. Most of the times he was the latter. Ken shook his head in exasperation. There were just some things that were beyond explanation. Humans were one of the many enigmas in the universe.

"Ah, I told my mother I would be sleeping over at friend's house… So I really can't go back home and I really don't have any other friends I can sleep over at…" Ken suddenly remembered. He stuttered the sentence bashfully. Some genius he was. Put him in a real life situation and he panicked. He stared at Takeru's back for a moment expecting something. But all he got was silence. Ken cocked his head to the side and sighed. It seemed like Takeru was in one of his dark moods again.

"So just sleep over at my house."

The reply surprised Ken so much that he froze in his place. Takeru, noticing the lack of response, turned around and arched an eyebrow. "Besides, it also gives me a good reason at why I was all the way down here," he added with a bit of a smirk. Ken blinked at him in surprise before he finally let out a laugh. It was more out of relief if anything, though.

"Wow! Um…thanks," he replied, a look of amusement and surprise on his face. Takeru agreed to the entire thing so quickly and fluidly that it almost felt as if he expected it to happen. Ken shook his head. He wouldn't have been surprised if the blond said he was psychic at that point. Takeru had an incredibly peculiar ability to surprise people when they least knew it.

It made him wonder what he and that Hikari girl was talking about. They seemed very intense when they were speaking though Ken didn't really understand anything they were saying. Something about a Pathogen and the boy named Daisuke again. He dared not interrupt, though. Takeru looked like a nice and sweet kid and sometimes he even pretended to act like it, but he was anything but. The boy was a walking contradiction.

"You're probably wondering what Hikari and me were talking about weren't you?" Takeru suddenly inquired, glancing to his right slightly. He caught the look of surprise on Ken's face and smiled to himself. Even if Ken didn't remember everything about the Digital World, he was still the same best friend he had before. Ken was easy to read once he let down his guards. Takeru didn't even have to ask to already know what Ken's answer would be.

"Well…yeah…"

The blond almost laughed before he turned around to look at Ken. The boy blinked up at him with some alarm. Takeru arched an eyebrow. Did he really look that intimidating?? Smiling slightly, he waved Ken over to him. The boy sped up his pace until he was right beside Takeru.

"It's okay to ask questions you know. When we first entered the Digital World, you definitely didn't care whether any of the questions you asked were…a little farfetched. You just asked," Takeru murmured softly, looking at Ken amusedly. The boy had a look of wonder in his eyes before he stared at Takeru in the eye. He smirked and a bit of his old self shone through his expression.

"So what were you talking about??" he asked boldly, arching an eyebrow. To Ken it was weird to ask a question. Takeru was right on one thing, though. He was used to being the one giving out answers. But asking them felt comfortable, too. In fact it almost felt familiar. Like a side he hadn't known existed until that moment.

The blond grinned and shrugged. "We were just sort of reminiscing on the past. We're going to meet up with her again, though. She gave me her number and she'll be in Tokyo during the weekend. Hopefully she'll be able to get Taichi and then we can do some real hunting," he replied, a look of vigor in his eyes. Ken merely nodded along with his words. He was really too surprised to say anything. This was the second time he had seen Takeru so ardent about something besides the first time when he was trying to convince Ken to believe in the whole Digital World mess. Now he was slowly being more and more convinced by the whole situation even though it still sounded so unreal to him.

"You can meet my brother. He's a cool guy. He was also partaking in the Digital World thing but he doesn't remember either. I haven't gotten around to explaining it to him so don't mention anything about it, okay?" Takeru said, eying Ken darkly. The boy nodded, smiling slightly. Yes, people always left their siblings the last ones to deal with. If he were in Takeru's place he would tell Osamu last, too.

"What's Digital World?? Is that a new game??" he replied, arching an eyebrow. Takeru grinned back.

"In a way it is," he replied, looking ahead again. Ken suddenly frowned and a puzzled expression crossed over his features.

"Um…how are we going to get back anyway???" he asked, looking at the tall blond questionably. Suddenly another question posed over his mind. How did Takeru come all the way from Tokyo to Nagasaki in the first place?? Takeru abruptly froze in his path and Ken was slightly startled as he stared at him in confusion.

The blond slowly turned to face Ken, a mixture of a smirk and grin on his face. "You ready for this?" he asked strangely. The dark-haired boy didn't know how to respond as he opened his mouth, no words falling from it. Takeru suddenly grabbed Ken's arm and the boy soon felt his world fading away into dust.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you were to look at the land, you wouldn't say much about it. In fact one might not even care to take another glance of it. It was a deep muddy brown color that held no life whatsoever. The air was hot and thick with humidity and even the sky was a mustard color where the clouds never seemed to move. The sun shone down like beams that made the entire scene even more unbearable. The ground was enriched with nothing but dirt and soil and it was soft, making it hard to tread through. It was like a desert, but the weather stayed the same in that region all the time, never changing.

They called it the Wilderness and hardly anyone dared walk on its arid soil. Those who did often found themselves facing more than just rough weather. In the Wilderness lived strange and horrible creatures like the ones from a child's nightmares. There were huge snakelike reptilians that emerged from the ground whenever they pleased, feeding on those poor souls who crossed the land. Even worse there were trees on the land. But they were stripped bare and weren't really trees at all. They took on that form to fool those passing by but they were just as bad as the other creatures. Using their branches, they swept unsuspecting travelers by the feet and engulfed them into their large trunks-never to be found again.

Then there was the one who never feared going through the Wilderness.

He alone had traveled in and out of the Wilderness so many times that people marveled at his strength and courage. For he was the only one who did what no other creature dare do:

He spoke to the creatures.

Yes, as strange as it was he was polite to the large and fearful creatures and they took him in as friend of the Wilderness. Whenever he walked into their land, they welcomed him warmly. There was a certain charm about him that even they liked and took in. Then again he was the only one of his kind to even be wandering around in the Digital World.

And his name was Motomiya Daisuke.

He was the second keeper of Friendship and Courage. Both he kept well in his heart and that was what kept him alive those four years by himself. At the moment he was making his way through the brighter regions of the Digital World. In comparison to the Wilderness, the land was beautiful and fruitful. The hills were rich with green and the sky shone a clear blue with small puffy white clouds moving with the cool wind. Daisuke walked along the region, taking in the essence around him before arriving to a small village near a clear pond.

The village was filled with small old fashion huts about the height of his waist except for the one main palace, which stretched far beyond his reach. The roofs were made of straw and the houses themselves were almost in the shape of a coconut. The people living there, however, were even more curious.

Out came a small army of what looked like bobbing white heads. But in fact they were the digimon living in that village called Koromon. They greeted Daisuke excitedly and the boy laughed at their excitement.

"It's good to see that you're all well! Does anyone know where Agumon is??" he asked. They all jumped even more excitedly. They were still in training so that was all they do before they evolved to a higher level.

One Koromon with a ragged looking ear shouted out the answer. "He's at the water well!!" he exclaimed, looking very pleased with himself. Daisuke smiled at him and thanked him before turning to face the crowd again.

"Well, I have to go now you guys! See you all later!" he called out as he began walking in a different direction.

"Bye, bye, Daisuke!" the Koromon shouted unanimously.

The boy shook his head in amusement before sighing and running a hand through his spiky hair. The Koromon were kind enough, but they were a little too hyper and naïve for Daisuke's tastes. As he walked through the sparkling woods, Daisuke took in the sight. The area was more shaded and cooler than the Koromon village and he was thankful. Even if his element was fire, he couldn't stand for it very long. Finally the well came into view and Daisuke spotted the lone yellow digimon standing beside it.

Approaching him quietly so as not to disrupt him, Daisuke watched the small digimon. He was staring into the waters and whispering something to himself. Finally he closed his eyes and turned around, jumping slightly at the sight of the boy.

"Eh, Daisuke! You really shouldn't sneak up on me like that!" he exclaimed humouredly. The boy smiled and walked up to him, looking down at the well for a moment.

"So what brings you to this place, hm? I thought you didn't like water," he mocked, arching an eyebrow. Memories stun clear through his mind, memories he had tried to forget. They were the ones with the other kids his age, the people he thought were his friends. Now they were gone-abandoning him. One memory of a blond made him sneer. Trust was a good attribute to have but he really should have been more careful.

He should have left Takeru to die.

Daisuke glared darkly at his reflection. Now he and the others were probably relishing in life without him. And he was stuck in the Digital World for who knew how long. Pathogen was getting rowdier than usual, too. Finally he shook his head to clear away his negative thoughts and put on a smile.

"Well, the Koromon are missing you I think. And I did pick you to protect that village for a reason you know," Daisuke remarked, wagging a finger playfully in front of Agumon's eyes. The yellow digimon closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Hey, you would be nothing without me!" he exclaimed.

The burgundy-haired boy laughed aloud and snapped his fingers. "What are you talking about?? I still have Leomon or Andromon to back me up!" he retorted, smirking at the crestfallen expression on Agumon's face. The boy laughed and patted the digimon's back. "Come on! I'm only kidding. Let's go," he said soothingly. Agumon stuck his tongue out at Daisuke and ran away before Daisuke could respond.

But the boy did respond eventually by producing a fireball from his hand and aiming it straight at Agumon's path. A faint cry of pain was heard soon after causing Daisuke to smirk.

He always got the last laugh.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Holy fuck!!"

"I think that's the first time I ever heard you curse."

"Shut up."

Ken looked around his surroundings with a mixed expression of confusion, shock, and adrenaline. The ride was, to put it simply, incredible. It was is if being trapped inside a tornado, everything rushed past his eyes yet he remained amazingly still, held by Takeru's strong grip. Then as quickly as it came, it stopped. According to Takeru, it had been less than five seconds. Ken couldn't fathom the idea as he looked at the buildings and streetlights of an unfamiliar territory. He glanced at Takeru, who was staring at him amusedly, before gesturing to the scene before them extravagantly.

"Welcome to Tokyo," he announced with a half smile. Ken stared at him blankly before breaking out into laughter. Takeru arched an eyebrow in confusion as he lowered his arm.

"You…act so calmly! We just got here by some kind of tornado thing and you just act as if it was an ordinary walk in a park!!! If only Osamu saw this…" Ken sputtered in between breaths. Takeru remained still, but there was a glint in his eyes. It seemed like Ken was beginning to adjust. That was good.

He sighed and motioned for Ken to start walking. The streets were practically empty and fortunately no one was at the site when they landed. Takeru had made sure of that.

"Come on, my brother will kill me if I get home any later," he murmured. Ken nodded slightly and followed Takeru's path, hiding his smile. It seemed as if Takeru was human after all. He had an older brother who seemed very overprotective of him and the blond seemed to care whether or not he pleased him, too.

They started walking silently. Ken couldn't help but look around at the tall buildings in awe and at the people they passed. Tokyo was so much different compared to his own neighborhood. He wondered how much farther they would have to walk.

"How did you bring us here?" he suddenly asked. The question was never properly answered, though he had never properly asked it either-unless Takeru read minds, which Ken somehow wouldn't have been surprised if he did.

The blond glanced at Ken and for a moment remained still until he smiled. Ken blinked in surprise. It was an actual genuine smile. The dark-haired boy thought to himself quickly.

He has a nice smile. I wonder why he doesn't do it more often. He doesn't look as sad…

"I'll explain another time. But it's a gift that I haven't completely mastered yet."

Ken shot Takeru a dubious look, but decided not to question him on it. The blond was too much of an enigma for him. He usually liked solving puzzles, but Takeru was different. He was moody and dangerous at the same time. Somehow, he felt that the blond wasn't always this way, though.

Watching the pavement as they walked, Ken thought to himself. The entire day seemed so unreal. Ever since he had encountered Takeru, his whole life was switched upside down. He was some kind of savior in an entirely different world with a group of other people?? The thought seemed so preposterous that it became almost believable at the same time. Ken sighed again and looked at Takeru in the corner of his eye. The blond always seemed so cold and unmoving. Why did he hide himself under that mask? Ken was positive that there was more to Takeru's side of the story than he was shedding. For instance why was Takeru the only one who remembered?? Ken pondered on that last thought for a while. Yes, he had never even bothered thinking of that before. How was it that the blond was the only one who remembered their past?? It didn't make any sense at all.

"We're here."

The dark-haired boy blinked up in surprise and looked at the building in which Takeru was standing in front of. Ken tilted his head back and let his eyes widen in awe. Since when were apartment buildings that huge and glamorous?? He looked at the blond for a moment. His parents must have made good money.

"Come on," Takeru remarked as he held the door open for Ken.

The boy nodded and quickly jogged over, looking around on the inside of the apartment in shock. He had always thought that his own apartment building was large, but Takeru's home completely proved him wrong. The lobby was white and there were huge glass windows by the side and two staircases leading off in the opposite direction and the main elevator decorated in silver exterior in the middle of the room. There was even an old fashioned chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling that seemed to make the entire place more surreal. As Takeru walked ahead of him and pressed the up button on the control panel, Ken walked slowly towards him, still gawking at their surroundings.

"Is this an apartment building or hotel??"

The blond turned around and grinned at Ken as the elevator arrived with a light ding. He waved Ken over as he walked in, a look of amusement plastered on his face. Simple things always easily impressed Ken.

"I'm still trying to get used to it myself."

Ken cocked an eyebrow up and inquired Takeru silently as he pushed the thirteenth button. Then a look of surprise replaced his question as he opened his mouth in an "o" shape. "You live on the thirteenth floor??" he remarked dubiously. His apartment building only went up to six floors.

Takeru chuckled quietly at his Ken's reaction. "It's the highest floor, but trust me, nothing's ever happened on it worth worry," he replied as the doors closed with a barely noticeable slide. Ken somehow remained concerned, however, even though he never believed in superstitions. But if there was such thing as a Digital World, then why couldn't there be such thing as bad luck??

"Well, there was that one incident…"

The blood suddenly rushed down from Ken's face as he remained frigid.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC