Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Fated ❯ Why? ( Chapter 8 )

Fated: Part Eight

Why?

Dreams.... Everybody has them, although most forget their meaning by morning. Many often wonder... why do we dream...? What is so important about them? Well....

Forget what the scientists tell you.... Sure-- your brain IS getting rest, perhaps remembering something and even allowing you to see things while your eyes are closed, but.... It is your imagination that truly takes the cake when it comes to dreams. Without an imagination, you don't really dream... you just... sleep. The bigger the imagination, the better the dream, usually....

And when your imagination is believing, and your dreams are something that are more like wishes... you may be a true dreamer. But even then... it depends on how big your dreams really are....

In order to be the biggest dreamer, you must....

~*~

RAT TAT TAT!

Takato, still half dead, sat straight up; his eyes merely drooped again, and he groaned. What was it...? He... was tired. Very, very tired. Sleep.... Griping to himself, he started to fall backwards and--

"Takato Matsuki! Get out of bed this instant!"

This time... the poor kid rolled off his bed, tangled in his bed sheets. Darnit.... "Why?" he whined, glancing at the clock. He still had an hour before school! It wasn't like it took him that long to get ready!

His mother opened the door, gave him a you'd-better-listen-to-me glare and stated: "Because... you're late any other day." She was getting sick of his laziness.... No wonder he was tired-- he spent the afternoons with his friends! He could at least come home once and a while to let them know he was alive!

Laughing uneasily, Takato nodded and apologized. Okay... he wasn't about to get on his mother's bad side, so... he'd just agree with her. Usually that worked the best.

Mrs. Matsuki smiled, happy with her son's acceptance. That was much better than having to fight with him to put on his school clothes.... "Good. Come eat some breakfast."

Breakfast...? How long had it been since the last time he'd ever been able to do that? Well, if he couldn't remember... then it had been a while. Rubbing his tired eyes gingerly, Takato stood; he looked down at the mess of sheets and let out another groan. Bad day already....

Still-- it couldn't get much worse... could it?

~*~

It was morning already...? But... she had been dreaming such a nice dream.... No-- not a nicedream-- a good dream. They never really happened, so why should she ever enjoy them? Especially when they left her mind by the time school started. So, if something forgotten so quickly was important, then... why did they forget them? Weren't they just something your mind made up? Yes... they were....

Still... they were rather thrilling at times. Almost like a little movie in your head.

Sighing softly, Rika folded her blankets and set them in the corner of her room; she then pulled out her uniform and set it out carefully on her desk. School was such a pain at times.... Goggle-head was lucky-- his school didn't enforce some stupid uniform rule.... And, mentioning the goggle-boy....

Yesterday had... been fun. It was something that she actually looked forward to again-- very soon, even! He had been so kind to her....

A small item caught her eye; it sat on her desk. Oh... the Sakuyamon card.... The one that Goggle-head had given her... and then they almost....

Rika shook her head, red locks falling over her violet eyes. She had to forget about it-- it wouldn't have happened. They were just friends! Friends didn't do those kind of things! Did they...?

Agh... she had to get ready for school... and force on that stupid uniform. She hated it so.... Walking out of her room, the girl groaned and noticed the bathroom was in use. "Hey--" she knocked gently on the door "--you almost done?" That's when she heard it....

Vomiting sounds.

She ignored the twinge of uneasiness bursting form within her. It was probably nothing... just her mother or grandmother getting sick.... Yes-- nothing more than that. But... why did she have such a queasy, sinking feeling...?

The door opened... and out stumbled her mother. Oh... God. She looked so pale and.... It suddenly hit her. But... it couldn't be-- it just couldn't! Nothing like that ever happened to her! Without letting her mother leave, she shoved her way into the bathroom. Whatever she was looking for, it had to be there! Was it in the cabinet? No-- nothing. Was it in the trash bin...? Was...?

No... no-- it couldn't be! Rika fought back the tears and picked up her findings with care. She... she wouldn't believe it. NO! Turning to her mother... she mouthed the only thing that came to mind: "Why...?"

What...? Mrs. Nonaka stared at the object in her daughter's hands, dumbfounded. "Rika, honey... I can explain--"

Why...? Why would she do that to her? To their family?! "I can't believe you!" she cried, tossing her evidence toward her mother; blind behind tears of anger and rage, she stormed out of the house. No one... she couldn't trust anyone! Her mother... her mother had gone and done something so stupid-- so selfish! Right then, Rika hated her life....

And so she ran... leaving her mother to ride the pity party express....

~*~

Rika didn't know where she was running or when she would stop. She just felt so... so betrayed. Why?! Why would her mother not even tell her about it? Did she not trust her? Did she think that she could get away with it? Why... why would she want to face it all by herself...? She was so selfish! No one needed to be alone-- but she was just being stupid! Why had she done what she'd done?!

An image of a smiling face with shining brown eyes came to her mind. Stopping, Rika glanced around; she... she was close to where....

Oh, God! She needed to talk to someone! It was just too much to handle on her own! She... she wanted comfort. She needed comfort.... There! The bakery! Without even checking to see if it was open, she flung open the door and ran up the stairs. Yeah... she knew that he had school, too... but he was probably still there....

Before anything else... the redhead fell to her knees; sobs of pain escaped her lips as she curled up into a small ball in front of her friend's door. "Please...," she rasped, trying to tap on the door... but too weak to do it loud enough. "Please... answer, Goggle-head.... I... I need you...."

~*~

He... he had heard something. Tilting his head to the door, Takato strained his ears and listened. Was that... crying? Was someone crying? But... it sounded like it was coming from outside of his room.... Who could it be...?

Walking toward the noise (and snatching something to defend himself-- just in case), he gulped. What if it was his mom...? Then again... why would she be bawling right outside his door? She'd just served him breakfast with joy! I mean-- how often did she wake him up early? There wasn't anything... wrong, was there? He hoped not....

With a quick movement, he swung open his door... to see a figure tumble in. Red hair...? It... it couldn't be. Takato bent down and snatched the falling person. It was! Her sobs were all too familiar to him. "Rika...?"

Rika, realizing what had happened, wrapped her arms tightly around her friend's waist. "Oh," she cried, burring her head in his chest. She... felt comforted already.... "M... my m-mom! Sh... she's... she's...." It was so hard to say! Especially now!

Takato ignored the glowing blush on his face; he hugged Rika gently. Whatever it was... it had to have been bad. Why else would she have come all the way to his house...? And in her pajamas! "Here.... Come sit on my bed-- then you can tell me all about it...."

After a few moment, the girl calmed down. Takato carefully led her around his room and let her sit on his... not-neatly-made bed. God... he could almost feel her pain.... It hurt him so much to see her cry like that.... Tears... were not something that made her face look pretty.... It was when she smiled-- that's what her beauty was. With shaky hands, he reached up and brushed away some strewn tears. He just wanted to see her smile again. Whispered he:

"Now... what's wrong, Rika...?"

She looked into his eyes... the ones that had, only the night before, held something that made her feel different. He wasn't just asking... he wanted to know. Did he care that much? There he was... her goggle-head, attempting to dry her eyes. More salty droplets formed. "I think my mother...," she rasped, "is pregnant."

~*~

The minuets passed slowly as Rika told her story. Takato merely felt tears of sadness roll down his own face as she described the way she felt. It... had hurt her that much...? Well, of course.... It would've punched him pretty hard in the face if it were him, so.... Once she ended, the goggle-boy carefully enveloped her in a reassuring embrace. She... she wasn't alone-- not at all. He was just glad that she had told him instead of hiding it within her....

"It'll be okay, Rika.... I won't let you face this alone...," he muttered. Never... he'd never let her feel pain by herself anymore.... Pain was hard on a person... it changed them....

A sigh escaped the redhead's lips as she let him hug her. She was right... she DID need him.... Right then, she needed him more than anything else.... "Thank you...."

"Takato! I don't know why I bothered waking you up early if you're not even--" Mrs. Matsuki stopped. There was that girl again.... That one that had been hurt.... She watched as the girl pulled away from Takato and glanced over. Why... was she crying...? What...?

"Mom...," Takato murmured with a hint of annoyance, "I know. It's just that Rika... is having family problems...." Why didn't he get privacy? And furthermore-- how come she didn't hear Rika enter the shop?!

"I... I'm sorry." She smiled at her son weakly and turned to go. "You'll be late if you don't hurry," she added. He was growing up so fast.... She just couldn't believe that her baby was already helping friends with family problems and having girls down....

Takato stifled a tiny chuckle. "Parents," he explained. Not that he had to go into much detail.... Rika knew exactly what he meant. "She has a point, though.... I have to get going. Are... are you going to be able to go home and talk to you mom?"

Talk... to her mom? Would she...? "I... I can't face her yet.... Not with all of these emotions raging within me still...." It hurt... it just hurt. Was life always like this? Did it always have to be so... so cruel?

"Well... maybe you can stay here," the brown haired boy offered. Sure-- why not? His mother would LOVE to have someone over on one of the most busiest days of the week.... Not only that, but she'd probably ask her a zillion questions! She might even show her old baby pictures! No!

Smiling meekly, Rika shook her head. No... she didn't really know his parents; she didn't really want to be a bother, either. "That's alright...." Feeling an idea come to mind, she studied his face. Would he... agree and let her...? "May I... may I stay with you?"

What?! What did she mean 'stay with you?' Did she want to go to school with him? But... he didn't know if she'd be allowed! "Rika...."

"Please...," she begged. Her face twisted with sorrow, and tears began to flow once more. She didn't want to be alone.... "Don't leave me...."

She... she wanted to be near...? But he had to go to school! Still... her face was all it took to melt his heart.... After all, he cared about her. He cared a LOT.... "I promise," he assured her with a false grin. 'Because I love you...,' he finished in his thoughts. Yes-- he was sure of his feelings. Why didn't he tell her? It... it was too soon, and he also doubted that she felt the same way.... It didn't matter, though... as long as he could stay by her side....

Now... now they each made a promise to the other.... She promised to stop fighting; he promised to stay near.... At least she knew he cared.... "Goggle-head...? Are... are we good friends?" she asked.

Why wouldn't they be?! "Of course!" he exclaimed.

"Are we... best friends...?" She never had a best friend before... and she hoped that he would be her first.... He meant so much to her-- so much that she didn't even know... if it was merely friendship that she wanted....

What... did she mean...? 'Best friends?' Takato then realized what she meant.... So much pain... she had told him that she felt betrayed by her mother.... She needed to know that someone thought she was special-- that someone was there that she could trust. "Yes... yes, we are."

Rika felt a tingle in the pit of her stomach. It was... reassuring. Comforting, even. "That's...," she stated quietly, "nice...."

Again, she pulled him into a hug... not noticing the blush that formed when she placed her head on his shoulder.

~*~

"-- and so I went out and bought twelve brand-spankin' new packs!"

"What?!" cried Kenta, eyes wide in disbelief. Why on Earth would Kazu go and blow so much money?! Really-- it wasn't like he needed them! "You already have the most-- and best-- cards out of the whole school!"

Hah... yeah, right! It felt as though his spark for the card game had burst into a hungry flame after being beaten by the 'Digimon Queen!' He just had to buy more! More cards! Just so that he could one day beat her! "I have... my reasons, Kenta...."

"But--"

"I SAID... I have my reasons."

"Okay...."

Henry shook his head and sighed at their sudden outbursts. Even as they walked to school... they argued and roughhoused. How could that be possible? I mean-- they stay up late, wake up early (thanks to their parents), and yet... and yet they never seem exhausted! Didn't they ever get tired? He guessed not.... Perhaps they ran on all that junk they shoved down their throats at lunch....

There! The blue-haired boy groaned as the school loomed overhead. Sure... he was smart... but it was just that, well-- school was a pain! You had to cram stuff into your brain at quick paces and never disobey the rules.... Argh! It was always so demanding! Who used all of that information in everyday life? Who? Unless you became a--

"Oof!" Henry glared at 'Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum' with daggers as eyes. He was already having a bad day! Why did they have to go and make it worse! Opening his mouth to send a curse their way... the boy followed his friends' bewildered gaze. No... no way!

Takato, brown eyes focused on something other than the entrance to the school, walked toward them; he seemed down... you know-- depressed. What was most confusing was... Rika Nonaka was walking along side him! Besides the tears in her eyes and the clothes that appeared to be Takato's, she looked like she had when they saw her the other day.... Well... that was the second most confusing thing.... The MOST confusing thing out of that WHOLE scene... was the two together. They weren't just walking side by side-- oh, no! The redhead was leaning into her friend slightly for support, and he wasn't even blushing!

"Seems as though Chumly," Kazu acknowledged carefully, "has been busy." Hoo-boy! They were close! Real close!

Something wasn't right... at least, not completely.... Pushing his glasses up, Kenta retorted with: "It looks more like they're sad...." Yeah... as in NOT happy? They really had no right to go and judge a book by its cover, anyway.... Besides, wasn't Rika the kind of girl who kicked people's butts? The boy shuddered at the thought.

Nodding, Henry smiled softly. Whatever it was, the two looked like they were getting through it just fine.... Takato was a great listener and a true friend. He'd take care of whatever was wrong. Spotting Jeri, he waved goodbye to his friends and ran over.... Heh-- yeah, he was pitiful.

Takato wrapped his arm around the upset girl and muttered a small something to calm her. As he expected, Kazu and Kenta were staring at him; he merely moved on, 'overlooking' them. Right now, Rika needed him.... It made him feel kinda special, ya know? Being her only friend.... But still, that was greedy. She could be friends with anyone else, not just him!

Oh, well.... It still made him feel special.

"Goggle-head?" She waited until his head tilted down to look at her before she went on. "Do... do you think they will let me in?" God... she didn't want to go home yet.... Facing her mother would take more than just a little bit of confidence....

"Of course...," he whispered. Why wouldn't they? If they understood what she was going through, then she'd be just fine! "Don't worry, Rika...."

Her eyes closed; she leaned into his chest slightly. She couldn't help but worry.... After so many things going wrong in her life, why would something positive happen? It... it was like God hated her.... "I'll try...."

~*~

School flew by on the wings of a peregrine falcon. Yes-- that was pretty fast. Rika, who's story had touched Ms. Isaji, sat in a chair next to Takato's desk all day. She remained mute as well. One thing that made a few girls coo to (yes... that class had girls who loved romance [Ms. Isaji being one of them]) was the fact that... whenever a tear appeared on the redhead's face, Takato would promptly reach over and wipe it away; right afterwards, he would squeeze her hand gently and whisper something.

Let's just say... that quite a few girls were becoming envious of this 'mysterious girl.'

"Are you sure you don't need me in there with you?" questioned a worried Takato as he and Rika walked down the street. They weren't very far from her house now.... In fact, he could see it from where he was standing!

How sweet of him... offering to be her support. But... no. "This... this is my problem." Her life was her problem; she didn't want to use the strength of another to live! She wasn't brought up that way....

He lulled his brown eyes over to look into her purple ones. Yeah... she was scared. Only, she was also... quite brave. She'd be able to get through this... but he wasn't sure. "Once you told me about it...," he muttered as they stopped right outside her house, "it became my problem, too."

"I... I'll be fine." What was it...? In his eyes-- the same thing from the other night! This time, though, she wouldn't let anything happen.... "Thanks for walking me home," mumbled she, making her way to the door. Looking back, she saw his eyes flash with sadness and worry. Smiling, she stated:

"Don't do that! Don't pity me! I'm a big girl, and I have to learn how to take care of myself...." She opened the door with a shkk and walked in. He could have sworn he heard her say, "Thanks again, Goggle-head," but wasn't sure.

All that he was sure of was... when he got home, he was going straight to bed! Who cared if it was only five or six? He was beat.... The extra sleep would do him good, anyway! Then again... once sleep came, he would dream of Rika... and digimon.... Those were two things he couldn't truly have....

Why... did life hate him so much?!

~*~

"It's eight-- turn on the Dream Wave reader, Daisy."

The blond gave a quick, annoyed glare toward the man... then did as she was told. She wasn't about to fight back-- he'd have something awful done to her.... Groaning, she snapped the headphones over her ears and listened. They all sounded the same!

Another night, another wait.... At least they had been able to fix the glitches in the DM program. That was one less problem he had to worry about. Now... if only Ms. Joinu would locate the dreamer....

"Sir! I think I've found something!"

What?! He quickly dashed over to the DW control board and snatched the headphones from the woman. A high-pitched schreeee filled his ears. A smile blossomed; a vile, wicked smile that appeared only when something was done right. "Where is the signal coming from...?"

"It's really rather close by-- somewhere in Shinjuku...." It wasn't telling her much at all! Stupid machine....

"Make a map!" Really-- was it so hard to type in the command for 'map?' He was working with a bunch of... of slow, annoying children! "Now!" he hissed impatiently, smashing his cigarette butt on the back of Daisy's chair.

Finally, the last piece to everything! And what luck-- it was so close by! He would go to any cost... just to be able to get his dreamer.... Now... now they could prepare for a new era.... For the beginning of his plan was much more than mere child's play.... You could say that he was playing 'God.'

Ah-hah! The biggest dreamer was located at--

~*~

A/N: Mwahaha! I love cliffhangers! Of course, some of you may already know what's gonna happen.... I mean-- I left enough clues for you to at least have some type of IDEA.... Oh, well.... As for my lateness.... I'm sorry. I am just having some life problems (nothing like Rika's, though). Mine's more about friends, family, and people in general. That's one reason why I haven't been on the internet for a few days.... (Man! I have quite a few stories to read!) I am still trying my best to get my stories out to you loving readers, so don't give up on me! 'School Day Blues' should have a new chapter up soon, and I am writing a *a-hem!* rather depressing one-shot called 'Against All Odds.' Anyone know that song? If you do, then you may get the idea.... Anyway, I am really sorry about the tardiness, and I'll try to make it up to you.... Oh, and DC! I have your other pics sketched, but I haven't found the time to scan them.... Sorry! Well... here's a preview for the next chapter! Ja!- Angel-Chan

Fated: Part Nine

Missing...?

What... was going on around here nowadays...? So many strange things were happening. The disappearance of his father (which his mother still never told him about) being one of them. Just... what was going on?!

"H-Henwy?"

Henry turned to see his little sister Susie standing in the doorway; she gripped her Lopmon doll by the ears. She... what was wrong with her...? "Yeah, Susie?"

Something... was scaring her.... Something bad-- very bad-- was gonna happen.... It was scary.... "I miss Daddy...," she muttered, walking over to her older brother. Out of all her siblings... Henry reminded the poor girl of her father the most. Maybe that was why she always looked to him when she needed someone to fight away the bogie-things.

The boy smiled weakly and scooped the child into his arms. He wasn't about to tell her that he wasn't sure where 'Daddy' was, so.... "Don't worry.... Dad will be home soon...." Lying wasn't the best thing to do... but it sure made him feel better-- an awful lot better... even though he knew that it was only that.

A lie.

Riiinnng!

Sighing heavily, Henry put his sister on his bed, told her not to touch ANYTHING (including his Terriermon stuffed animal), then zoomed out to answer the phone. Who would be calling on a Saturday? He'd already told Kazu and Kenta that he had to babysit Susie, and his mother would be back soon! "Hello?"

The first thing he heard made his breath catch in his throat and his blood run cold....

"Oh, God! He's gone, Henry! He's GONE!"