Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Diminished Light: Void's Assault ❯ Between Worlds ( Chapter 10 )

Diminished Light: Void's Assault

Chapter 10

Between Worlds

By

Sailor Janus

 

 

The multi-colored swirls of light faded as the Chosen Children found themselves plummeting to the solid earth below.

 

Taichi lifted his head and groaned in pain. He opened his brown eyes and frowned, realizing that something wasn't quite right. He turned his head and found a gray pants leg in front of his face. To his other side was someone's arm. “Hey, why are we in a pile? That only happens when we leave the Digital World, not when we enter it.”

 

“Excuse me, but can someone get off me! I'm being squashed,” a foreign female voice cried out from below.

 

The brunette young man tried to move his legs but found them pinned. “Uh, I would if someone would get off me first. I kind of feel like a sandwich.”

 

“Speak for yourself,” a quiet male voice said from underneath the Chosen leader.

 

Taichi cocked his head to the side with a scowl. “Iori? Is that you?”

 

“No, it's your sister, of course it's me.” The Kendo expert shifted slightly but wasn't able to relieve the pressure on his back.

 

“Um, still squished down here and can't really breathe either,” the female voice said with an annoyed tone.

 

“Hey, where's Augmon? Augmon, where are you?”

 

“Get off me, Taichi,” Iori hissed.

 

“Ow, my arm is asleep,” another feminine voice complained. “Piyomon, can you give us a hand? Piyomon? Where is she?”

 

“Sora? Just who else is here? I would expect to hear Mimi whining or Miyako yelling at Daisuke… or HIKARI!” He paused a moment and looked down at Kendo Expert. “Iori! I need your D-terminal! We need to find the others.”

 

“For once, that sounds like a good plan, Taichi,” Yamato mumbled from underneath the leader's stomach where he was nearly smothered.

 

Quickly, the small group got themselves unraveled and discovered some rather odd things.

 

“Uh, where are the digimon?” Taichi inquired as he helped Yamato to his feet. “I don't see a trace of them anywhere.”

 

Iori frowned as he dug through his bag and located his D-terminal. “I hope it's not crushed.” He handed it over to Taichi who aggressively snatched it up.

 

“Let's see, most of the younger group are missing so I'll try Daisuke first.” Taichi quickly typed something into the small computer but received an error message instead. “Maybe the battery is dead or something.” He shrugged then tried Takeru's.

 

“That's not the only strange thing. Look at our clothes. They're different and gray,” Sora said, gesturing towards her v-neck zip up vest over a long sleeved shirt with gloves. She also wore a pair of pants with a sweatshirt tied around her waist and sneakers all, oddly enough, in shades of gray. Her red hair was now chin length and framed her face. Only her bangs were flipped in the opposite direction. “We also have some weird new form of tag,” she added, lifting the tag around her neck, which resembled the one she had during her first adventures in the Digital World only this one was clear.

 

Yamato glanced down at his own clothing consisting of a high-necked long sleeve shirt under a long open vest and pants with a pair of boots. On his hands were fingerless gloves, which were also all in shades of gray. He fingered his own tag and frowned as he looked at the others. “We look younger too.”

 

Taichi made a face at the blonde's shorter hair which barely brushed the collar of his shirt then turned his focus to his own short sleeved v neck shirt over a long sleeved turtleneck shirt, and cargo pants with sneakers. He picked up the tag around his neck then ran a gloved hand through his longer, spiky hair. “Hey, my hair's back! Just how old are we?”

 

“You are precisely three years younger than you were previously to be exact,” a new voice replied. The group spun around and found a hologram of an elderly man before them.

 

“Gennai! You're old again!” Taichi cried out in shock.

 

“And all of you have changed…. just not in the way I had hoped,” the old man chuckled. He snapped his fingers and translucent images of the other Chosen Children appeared just as confused as Taichi and his group.

 

“What's going on and where is Hikari? I don't see her anywhere and neither has anyone else,” the brunette leader shouted regarding his sister.

 

“Daisuke seems to be missing as well,” Iori remarked, dusting off his pants and striped v-neck sweatshirt.

 

The dark haired foreign girl blinked and tilted her head. Her brown ponytail fell in the same direction as she looked at Gennai. “I suppose we're here for a reason. It'd be nice if someone could enlighten us.” She fingered the bow on her short-sleeved peasant top and pulled absentmindedly at her capri pants.

 

“And what happened to our clothing and ages?” Mimi inquired looking rather disgruntled.

 

“Our digimon are missing too. Where are they?” Sora inquired with a look of concern on her face.

 

“What is the reason for these new tags?” Koushiro inquired. “And why did I have to get dragged into this? I was going to monitor on the outside!”

 

Gennai put his hands up. “Calm down. I will explain what I can.” The Chosen Children quieted down, eager to hear what he had to say. “There has been a time disruption in the Digital World, which is why you are all three years younger. In order to correct everything, you must find the Power Stones.”

 

“Power Stones? How many are there?” Ken furrowed his brow in thought as he questioned aloud.

 

“Only you will know.”

 

“What about our clothes? Why are they different and gray?” Miyako brought up, narrowing her eyes at the old man.

 

“Our digivices were gray too,” Yamato added.

 

“That mystery will be solved once you acquire the Power Stones properly,” the elderly digital man replied.

 

“Properly?” Takeru raised an eyebrow.

 

Jyou blinked. “And these clear tags?”

 

Gennai chuckled. “You will find out. Just be cautious. The Digital World is not how you remember it as.” Suddenly he faded away as did the images of the other Chosen Children.

 

“But what about my sister?” Taichi yelled as he ran towards the vanishing image and punched the air, “Damn you!”

 

“Easy, Taichi. More than likely Daisuke is with her, and you know he'd never let anything bad happen to her,” Yamato said calmly, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder.

 

The brunette nodded solemnly. “He better be with her or I'll have to hurt him.”

 

“He hasn't deserted Hikari since he found her,” Sora said softly.

 

“I wonder what Gennai meant by the Power Stones,” Iori pondered. He turned around and blinked realizing that they had completely forgotten about the brunette foreign girl once Gennai had appeared. “And who are you?”

 

Yamato spun around too and frowned as he took in her familiar appearance. “That-that's Chichos-” he began.

 

“Don't call me that!” The teenaged girl snapped at the blonde.

 

The musician however raised an eyebrow at her. “But isn't that your name?”

 

Taichi scratched his head. “I'm really confused. You two know each other? No, offense, Yamato, but she doesn't look like your type.”

 

The blonde glared at his best friend. “She's an International Chosen Child from Mexico, and no, I didn't date her. She was like nine when I met her and if you dare suggest anything further, Taichi, I will hit you.”

 

“Chichos Rosa Luciana Fernandez Sanchez to be exact,” the girl stated with a bow. “Or Rosa Sanchez for short, but I believe the way you would say it is Sanchez Rosa. Just drop the Chichos please. I hate that name.”

 

Taichi gaped at how many names the newcomer had then stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked her over. “Okay, Rosa. So, why are you here?”

 

“I have no idea. I received an emergency alert on my digivice. Then it glowed really bright and suddenly, poof, I'm here.”

 

Sora smiled at Rosa. “Don't mind them and their rudeness. We originally came to find answers as to why Taichi's little sister's memories of being a Chosen Child are missing.”

 

Taichi narrowed his gaze at the trees and bushes surrounding them as if seeing them for the first time since they got there. It seemed that they had landed in a forest of some sort, but it seemed oddly different than he remembered any of the forests in the Digital World to appear. The sky was slightly gray, but not nearly as gray of the digivices. He couldn't even feel a tiny breeze, as if everything had been frozen in place. Something was missing. “I guess we should start looking. With us being in the forest it might be tricky.”

 

The sixteen-year-old girl raised an eyebrow as she picked up her now gray backpack from the ground. How it got there, she didn't know. “Hey, why is he calling the shots?”

 

“Because he's a former goggle head,” Yamato said dryly. “You already know I'm Ishida Yamato. He's Yagami Taichi, Takenouchi Sora is my girlfriend, and the other guy is Hida Iori.”

 

“You all know each other? Are you all from the same place?”

 

“Odaiba, Japan, yes.” Sora smiled at the Mexican girl.

 

Rosa shuffled her feet for a moment. “Do you know a guy named Ichijouchi Ken?”

 

“He's taken, but yes,” Taichi nodded as the others gathered their bags.

 

The girl pouted for a bit then glanced at Iori and grinned. “Oh well. I'm sure there's plenty of other hot fish in the sea.”

 

Iori blinked and shrank back. “I think we should start looking for the Power Stones.”

 

Yamato raised an eyebrow at the two sixteen year olds and dug in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. He paused then swore, drawing out a package of gum. “What the hell? Sora, did you take my cigarettes?”

 

“No, and how dare you even accuse me!” The redhead glared coldly at her boyfriend. “Maybe it was your best friend or maybe you forgot them because you were too busy stocking up on hair gel!”

 

“I didn't take them!” Taichi shouted looking rather insulted.

 

“Well, someone did!” The blonde yelled. Then he glanced down at the pack. “Gennai's Chewing Gum?” He stared at the label and threw the gum angrily. “I don't believe it! That-that- ARGH!”

 

Taichi picked up the gum and read the packaging. “Gennai's Anti-Smoking Chewing Gum. I guess you can't smoke in the Digital World.”

 

“At least I still have my lighter.”

 

“Of course. It can actually be necessary. Cigarettes are not,” Iori said softly.

 

Yamato scowled at him then sighed. “I guess now is as good a time as any to start looking.”

 

The other members of the group agreed and began walking through what seemed like a completely calm and normal forest.

 

*~*~*~*

 

An icy breeze blew through Mimi's thick wavy brown hair as she stomped her foot on the rocky soil of the mountain side they were standing on. She balled her hands clad in elbow length gloves into fists and pressed them against her legs. She was now dressed in a sheer three quarter sleeved top that came up to her belly over a long sleeved top that came short of reaching her navel. A short mini skirt over a tight pair of leggings followed as well as fur trimmed boots and of course a clear tag completed the look. Her hair was also pulled back into two low ponytails. Her brown eyes glittered lividly as she paced. “This is just perfect. First we have a crash landing and are dressed in horrible shades of gray and now we have to set off on yet another scavenger hunt! Can this get any better?”

 

She paused next to Takeru who was searching through his backpack for something and narrowed her gaze at the blonde clothed in a high necked ribbed shirt under a zip up jacket with a pair of pants and sneakers, and a customary clear tag. His hair was shorter, and spiky in the back.

 

A sudden screeching noise caused the rest of the group, who were off in their own world trying to ignore Mimi's ranting, to freeze in wonder. A few seconds later a large object fell from the sky and landed on the two Chosen Children as a second smaller object fell on Michael, knocking all three of them to the ground.

 

“I think we stand corrected,” Takeru groaned as he sat up only to find himself staring into another pair of crystal blue eyes. He frowned and tried to get up. “Um, hello?”

 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to fall on anyone,” the soft feminine voice laced with a thick accent apologized as she climbed off the two Chosen Children then gathered her backpack from Michael. “One minute I was in front of my computer checking my email and the next minute I'm falling.”

 

Takeru stared in shock as the girl fluffed her blonde curls. She was dressed in a sleeveless turtleneck top with long gloves that went past her elbows. She also wore a short skirt with a belt, leggings and calf length boots in shades of gray like everyone else as well as a clear tag. “Catherine?”

 

The seventeen-year-old girl gasped as she looked at the boy. “Takeru? Is that you?” She squinted at him then jumped back. “Oh my, it is you! I cannot believe my eyes. What are you doing here?”

 

“We were trying to find some answers concerning Hikari's missing memories.” He fidgeted nervously.

 

“Hikari?”

 

“Um, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but some introductions would be nice about now,” Michael said running a hand through his shoulder length curly hair. He was dressed in a jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows over a long sleeved shirt with a pair of pants and hiking boots as well as a tag around his neck.

 

“Oh! I'm sorry. I am Catherine Beaumont, Chosen Child of France,” she introduced herself with a bow.

 

The American Chosen Child frowned. “France? Wait, you're the girl that had that big fancy party for her fifteenth birthday several years back.”

 

Catharine blushed. “That's right. Um, it was the least I could do for saving my life. I'm sorry if it was boring, but my parents always like to have everything rather lavish and extraordinaire.”

 

“It was fun. I'm Tachikawa Mimi if you have forgotten. You already know Takaishi Takeru, then there is my boyfriend Michael Nicholson as you and he would say it, and the anti-social red head who is obsessed with his computer is Izumi Koushiro, in case you don't recognize them either.”

 

The twenty year old clad in a large short-sleeved button down shirt over a longer one with a short pair of gloves and pants with sneakers and a tag around his neck lifted his spiky haired head and narrowed his dark eyes at Mimi. “I didn't exactly plan on coming here. I was supposed to monitor from the outside as I said earlier, not run around with you guys. Now we have no idea what to expect or even a way to get out of here and my damn laptop won't boot up!”

 

“I'd offer you a cigarette to cool you down, man if we were actually allowed to have them here so um, gum?” Michael offered the red head the package who turned his nose up and continued wrestling with making his computer work.

 

“I wish I knew where Tentomon was. He could probably give me some answers,” Koushiro continued to grumble.

 

The French girl blinked. “No digimon?”

 

“We haven't seen any. Either ours or any others for that matter,” Takeru sigh and shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.

 

Mimi growled and whipped around to the computer expert. “Will you just shut the damn thing off? It's evident that it's not going to work. Stupid Gennai decided to make our lives a living hell and take away anything that is convenient, evil sadistic jerk. I wouldn't be surprised if he was behind everything including Hikari's missing memories just so we'd do whatever he wanted us to do. Find the Power Stones…. They're probably up his-”

 

“Mimi! That's enough. Just cool it before you sound even more stupid,” her boyfriend said sharply as he picked up his bag.

 

She spun on her heel and hissed at him. “Are you calling me stupid? You son of a-”

 

“MIMI, SHUT UP!” Michael glared at her and tossed her bag at her lightly. She caught it and ground her fingernails into the fabric. “I agreed to come along to help a friend in need. One of yours. And yeah, the circumstances have changed but we just have to deal because guess what? Bitching about it is not going to do any good, and that goes for all of you. Now grab your stuff and lets start moving. If we're lucky maybe we'll find one of the Power Stones before night fall.” He swung his backpack on and started marching off as the others stared after him. Quickly they too grabbed their bags and headed off after the American.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Power Stones. I've been here so many times so why have I not ever heard of such things? Ken stared out into the overcast sky, a light breeze brushing through his longer bangs as he stood on the firm sand. He could hear the ocean in the distance, the waves breaking rhythmically and soothingly. He tucked a lock of indigo hair that had escaped his low ponytail behind one ear. He was now clad in a short sleeved button down shirt over a t-shirt with pants and sneakers, all of which were in shades of gray just like the other Chosen Children. He eyed the clear tag around his neck curiously then turned to his group.

 

“Ken, will you tell your girlfriend that this was a really bad idea and that we shouldn't have come in the first place?” Jyou grumbled irritably. His dark blue hair presently brushed against the collar of his turtleneck shirt with a few strands falling at the sides of his face. Over the shirt he wore a vest. Long corduroy style pants and dress shoes along with a clear tag finished off the look.

 

“Will you stop whining?” Miyako snapped, throwing her hands in the hair. Her long lavender hair hung loose with two slim braids framing her face. She was now dressed in a tank top and shorts that showed a slight amount of her navel with long gloves that nearly reached her shoulders and knee length boots. A simple choker was around her neck, but regardless, Ken found it hard not to stare at her after seeing the rather vocal girl hiding in overly large clothing for so long.

 

“I DO NOT WHINE!”

 

“YES, YOU DO!”

 

The former Digimon Kaiser shook his head and sighed. Why did I get stuck with these two? Granted the three of them were highly intelligent and normally were good puzzle solvers. They would probably be very good as a team…if they could work together. Right now that seemed unlikely.

 

The teenaged girl swore as the med student stood his ground with his arms crossed, refusing to budge. She paced around him like a caged animal preparing to strike. “You know, I used to really respect you, but right now, I think you are a selfish idiot.”

 

“And you've just become a major bitch!” Jyou spun around, positioning himself so he was glaring coldly into her brown eyes. “I didn't want to come here to begin with. Yeah, it would be nice to see Gomamon, but he's not here! We're stuck in this damn place with who knows what! I don't know about you, but it screams `trap' to me.”

 

“We came here in the first place to help Hikari, remember?”

 

“We were also supposed to have the digimon with us if things were dangerous! What are we supposed to do if we're attacked? Thumb wrestle?”

 

Miyako paused and wrung her hands. “I-I don't know! But we'll figure something out.”

 

Jyou snorted as he began marching off in anger. “Yeah right. We're going to die out here so kiss your butts good-” He stopped mid-sentence however as the sand gave way under his feet and he found himself falling. The others looked on in horror and rushed to aid their friend only to meet the same fate as they too slid down the high slope of sand, rushing closer and closer to the crashing waves.

 

Oddly enough their tumble was broken by another solid object. Sputtering up sand the Chosen Children wiped their faces and found a pair of blue eyes staring at them in both puzzlement and irritation.

 

“I've heard of body bowling, but that was ridiculous! Were you guys trying to kill me or something?” The teenaged boy sat up and dusted off his gray jeans. He also wore a hooded jacket over a t-shirt and sneakers as well as a customary clear tag. He shook out his chin length blonde mane and gave them an odd look. “Who the hell are you?”

 

“Sorry, about that. The ground kind of came out from under us and we ended up crashing into you. Are you okay?” Ken climbed to his feet and bowed in embarrassment at the stranger.

 

“Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm Wallace Bailey; Chosen Child of Fate from America. New York to be exact.” The teen offered his hand in friendly gesture as the others rose to their feet. “Or Bailey Wallace as you would probably say it in Japanese.”

 

“Ichijouchi Ken,” Ken said, accepting the handshake with a smile.

 

Miyako however gaped in shock at the blonde haired American. “You're Wallace? Did you ever go to Colorado several years ago about a digimon? A Chocomon I think it was...you met a Japanese boy named Daisuke along the way.”

 

Wallace's eyes widen with recognition. “Yeah! I remember that. There were some other kids too. That's when I got to use the Digimental of Fate. I wonder whatever happened to it….why?”

 

“I was there too! I'm Inoue Miyako.” The lavender haired teen turned to her boyfriend with a slight blush. “It was before you were on our side.”

 

“So, this is the Wallace I've heard so much about. Wish I could have been there, but I'm glad to have finally met you,” Ken nodded.

 

The eldest of the group took a step forward and offered his hand as well. “I'm Kido Jyou. We haven't met, but your digimon did kidnap me and some of my other friends.”

 

The blonde's face flushed as he shook Jyou's hand. “Sorry about that. I'm still unsure as to what had happened to Chocomon. It was so weird. As it is, it seems that neither Terriermon or Lopmon are here. I wonder why.”

 

“Our digimon are gone too.” Miyako said then she explained to Wallace why they were there in the first place and everything Gennai told them.

 

“Power Stones, huh? Well, I'm not fully sure why I'm here either to be honest. I got an urgent email saying that I should go to the Digital World immediately and that it was concerning my digimon. I get here and I'm completely alone...then you three came along.” Wallace kicked a shell and looked out into the ocean. “There is some really screwy stuff going on here. I can't even find my smokes and I know I packed them. Then my backpack ends up dropping from the sky as well. I tried to get out of here, but my digivice doesn't work either. Then of course are these clothes...it's just weird.”

 

“If you ask me, it's a trap,” Jyou muttered with his arms crossed over his chest.

 

Wallace snorted. “Yeah, well, even if that's the case, we're stuck here so I guess we'll just have to do what Gennai said and find the Power Stones then hopefully find the answers to Hikari's memory problem…. Wherever she is.” He shook his head and pulled on his backpack. “Well, maybe helping you guys is the reason why I was called here. Either way, I'm with you now and since I don't really have anything I have to do, I'm helping.”

 

“Four of us working together would be better,” the indigo haired teen nodded in agreement.

 

“Plus we can still contact each other on the D-Terminals, which means if anyone finds a Power Stone we can report it to anyone with a D-Terminal,” Miyako said excitedly.

 

Jyou sighed and pulled a small notebook from his pocket. “How many groups do we have and who is in what group?”

 

The lone female whipped out her D-Terminal and began typing frantically. A few minutes later she squealed cheerfully reminding Ken of the old Miyako he had fallen in love with. “Well, there's our little group, of course. Iori says he's with Taichi, Yamato, Sora and a Chosen from Mexico named Rosa-”

 

“Mexico?” Ken interrupted. “Her name isn't Chichos by any chance is it?”

 

Miyako lifted an eyebrow at him then nodded. “Actually, yeah. He says she goes by her middle name because she hates her real name.”

 

“That's two groups so far including us,” the eldest Chosen said as he scribbled on the paper.

 

“Takeru is with Mimi, Michael, Koushiro and wow! Catherine!” The lavender haired girl giggled. “So, that makes three different groups.”

 

“Wait. We're missing people. Where are Daisuke and Hikari?” Ken's face was etched with worry as he focused his blue eyes upon his girlfriend.

 

“I…don't know. No one does.” Her smile faded and she flipped the small computer closed.

 

“Maybe we'll run into them, but in the meantime, we should start looking,” Wallace said with a small smile.

 

The others nodded in agreement and together they headed out in search of the answered they sought, and in hopes of finding their missing friends, wherever they may be.

 

*~*~*~*

 

A soft murmur escaped Daisuke's throat as he winced in discomfort. “Ow, what the hell happened?” He touched his head gingerly and opened his eyes. He gasped as a pair of brown eyes also opened and stared at him in alarm. He blinked and realized that somehow he ended up on top of Hikari. A sudden wave of electricity awoke his dormant muscles, giving Daisuke the ability to spring off his companion before she could fully panic.

 

“What are you doing?” Hikari cried out, frozen in fear.

 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to….” His face reddened then he reached out a hand to help her up. That was when he realized something rather odd. “Whoa, uh Hikari…. You look different….kinda like you did before you moved….aside from the clothes,” he remarked on her new state of dress. Rather than the jeans and shirt she was previously wearing, Hikari was now clothed in a buttonless, sleeveless top that was tied at her waist over a mid-length sleeved shirt with a double layered skirt that reached mid-thigh. She also wore gloves that went a little past her wrists, calf length boots, the odd diamond shaped necklace and a clear tag. All were in shades of gray aside from the tag. Her brown locks were now shoulder length and parted at the side with a few strands framing her face.

 

She glanced up and pursed her lips. “You look different too.” Daisuke's hair was a lot longer than it once was; sticking up in wild waves here and there with two strands framing his face the way it always did in his pictures. He was currently wearing a jacket with a zig-zag design on the sleeves over a t-shirt. He also wore a pair of cargo pants, hiking boots, and a clear tag; and just like Hikari, all were gray except the tag.

 

They stared at each other for a moment then turned towards their surroundings. Daisuke gave a low whistle and scratched his head in confusion. “Damn, this doesn't look like the Digital World. Where the hell are we?”

 

“And where is everyone else?”

 

Daisuke looked at the girl and once again around the dim, dank forest they were standing in. A chill ran down his spine at the strange cool yet hot temperature. Oddly, the atmosphere seemed to have an almost slimy feel to it. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

 

“Big Brother? Taichi, Where are you?” She dropped her head, her soft eyes starting to tear up. “He's not here. I don't think anyone else is either.”

 

“It'll be okay. I'll think of something, but don't worry, we'll get out of here.” Deep down he didn't trust his own words. If only V-mon or Tailmon were with them, then perhaps he'd have a little more faith. Instead he seriously doubted their ability to handle whatever was thrown at them. He ran a hand through his hair and blinked at finding it longer than it used to be. One glance at his clothing reminded him that he may not be the same twenty-one year old that he once was. More than anything it greatly confused him. He wished he had some clue as to what was going on. Now it seemed Hikari's missing memories were the least of their problems.

 

So, now what?” Hikari tugged at the straps on her backpack and bit her lip. “Why is everything gray? It's just like that computer thing we used to get here. Do you suppose that has something to do with it?”

 

“I don't know. We should start walking and maybe we'll find a way out of here.”

 

“So we are really stuck here?”

 

Daisuke flinched at the horrified expression on the girl's face. He shook his head sadly and pulled on his backpack. “I don't think this is the Digital World. I don't know how to explain it, but we must have somehow gotten separated from the others while trying to enter the Digital World.”

 

“But why?”

 

“I don't know, but I doubt we can get out of here with a simple flick of a D3.” He took off one of the straps and rummaged in the small pocket of his bag until he found his D-Terminal. He pulled it out with a solemn expression and after a few quick keystrokes, shoved it back in the bag. “I knew it.”

 

Hikari blinked, twisting her hands in her skirt. “What?”

 

“It doesn't work. I can't contact the others.”

 

“Maybe the batteries died.”

 

“Doubtful. I put in a fresh package before we left.”

 

“Maybe they're defective. Maybe you put them in wrong. Maybe…maybe…I DON'T KNOW!” She burst into a fitful of tears and began to heavily sob as panic took over the little courage she had, practically smothering it to death. The teenaged girl collapsed to her knees, gripping her hair as she cried. “I don't want to be here!”

 

Daisuke dove to her side and placed his hands firmly but gently on her shaking shoulders. “It's going to be okay, Hikari. Please stop crying.” It broke his heart to see her in such distress. “I'm sure the others are fine and we both know your brother can take care of himself...”

 

“I-I-” She stuttered then sadly shook her head, finding talking was useless. Instead Hikari continued to cry.

 

“I'm not going to leave you alone. I've stuck with you this far haven't I? And there is absolutely no way I'm going to let anyone hurt you. They'll have to kill me first.”

 

She gasped and looked up to find a gravely serious face gazing down at her. Hikari wiped her eyes and threw her arms around Daisuke. “Why do these bad things keep happening to me? It just keeps getting worse and now I've dragged you into my mess.”

 

He closed his eyes as he rubbed the back of her head soothingly. “I don't know, but we'll figure things out.”

 

“But we're alone here. What are we going to do?”

 

“We'll do what we can. The best thing to do is probably to wander around. Maybe we'll get lucky and find someone who can help us.”

 

“But how do we know?”

 

“I don't know, but it can't hurt to try?”

 

She hugged him thankfully then pulled away. “Thank you. I-I'm sorry for falling apart. I just-”

 

Daisuke shook his head and smiled. “It's okay. We all lose our heads sometimes. We just have to remember to pull ourselves back together afterwards otherwise we'd be scattered God knows where. Then it would have to take a really big vacuum and a lot of super glue to put the pieces back together.”

 

Hikari laughed. “Thanks, I needed that.” She looked up at the dim sky and drew a breath. “I guess now is as good a time as any to start looking.”

 

The soccer player nodded as he rose to his feet and helped the teenaged girl up as well. “Yeah. Ready to start another journey?”

 

“Ready as I'll ever be,” she shrugged. “I just wonder where this one might lead us.”

 

“Who knows, but in either case, I promise that I'll protect you if you need protecting….and even if you don't. I'll be right by your side, no matter what.”

 

Hikari smiled up at Daisuke and together they started weaving their way through the strange dark forest, unaware of what might be thrown in their path as a few white flurries began to fall.

 

*~*~*~*

Author's Notes: Well, they are finally right where I want them. Now the real adventure begins. Of course, not everything is going to be as it seems, or even as simple. This will certainly not be a hike in the woods. But at least it'll give them some time to grow and perhaps find some answers to their building questions.

 

First, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed for reviewing. I enjoy reading everyone's comments and knowing that people do enjoy this story which helps push me to continue writing and doing the best I can and believe me, I expect this thing to be very long and involved so once again, thank you. Oh, and to clear up any confusion or whatever, I have not read any of Arpulver's stories. Whatever I write tends to just jump in my head and nag at me until I finally write it down. Most ideas are derived from dreams or just thoughts that pop in my head with a few anime elements for added measure. Other parts may have come from real life experiences from me or people I know or from my own twisted imagination. All of above includes added twists.

 

Now that that's cleared up, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as my birthday gift to all of you. I should have better copies of the sketches of what each group looks in a week or so. I'm hoping to be able to buy better art stuff since all of my stuff is not very good.