Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Hearts of the Star ❯ Cherrubymon's Treachery 11 ( Chapter 13 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Hearts of the Star 11 Within the Darkness

"Koji!" I join in on the screams at the sight before me.

BurningGreymon is standing right in front of me and in front of him, Kendogarurumon has taken the attack from Duskmon and now his data is falling away. Koji winds up in BurningGreymon's arms, struggling.

"Koji!" BurningGreymon shouts.

They protected me, I think.

"Koji?" Duskmon asks in a painful voice as he eyes Koji's body.

Wait a minute, he's remembering! I wasn't wrong! It is Kouichi! I think. "Yes, Kouichi, it's Koji. You remember, don't you? You remember Koji, and you just hurt him."

Duskmon grabs his head in pain as a strange Darkness emits from his form.

"Kouichi!" I call out to him through the darkness as it consumes me.

When I wake up once again, I'm all alone.

"Where am I?" I ask to no one.

Of course, there is no response, but I stand up and look around. I still seem to be surrounded by that darkness, only, the tension is more relaxed. There is no way that this is the same shadow created when Duskmon, or Kouichi, found out that he had hurt Koji, his own flesh and blood.

What am I gonna do now? I think to myself as I stare down at where my feet should be. All that was left of our friendship was uniting him with his brother. And now, they've seen each other. I squeeze my eyes shut and ball my hands into fists at my sides. Does this mean that we're not friends anymore? That I can never see him again? I guess it does, unless . . . Kouichi isn't fully back with us yet. We first have to free him from the darkness that is controlling him.

I nod to myself as I slam my fist into my hand as if I were a judge making their final ruling.

I will help free him. Then, he and Koji can be together. Sure, I'll be out of the picture, but I knew that from the beginning.

Suddenly, the darkness lifts and I find myself in the hospital back on Earth.

"What am I doing here?" I ask, looking around.

"Sakiko, is that you?"

My heart skips a beat at the sound of my father's voice.

"Dad?" I ask, stepping towards the figure in the bed.

"Sakiko, where are you?" my dad calls out as he reaches his hand out.

"I'm right here, Daddy, I'm right by your side," I respond as I take his hand and hold it close.

"Who are you?" he questions after looking at me.

"Daddy, it's me, Sakiko," I respond, completely confused.

"You are not my daughter!" he shouts.

"Daddy, what's wrong with you?" my voice breaks as tears fill my eyes.

"You are not my Sakiko. Where is Sakiko?"

"I'm right here, Daddy, please calm down."

"What have you done with Sakiko?"

"Daddy . . . " my voice breaks as I collapse to my knees by his bed. He doesn't remember me. He can't recognize me. But, why?

"Young lady, I think you should be going now," a doctor states from behind me.

"What's wrong with my father?" I ask.

"I'll explain in the hall. Please," the doctor directs me towards the door.

I follow and he shuts the door behind us.

"Tell me what's going on," I demand.

"I'm afraid that this is one of the nasty side effects of the operation," the doctor explains.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid that his memory has been damaged. He doesn't know exactly who you are, Sakiko. The people of his life have all been mixed up in his head."

"What?"

"For example, when he's calling for Sakiko, he may actually be thinking about your mother, or even some random person who passed him on the street one day. He remembers that Sakiko is the name of his daughter, but he does not remember that you are Sakiko."