Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ State of Mind ❯ Faces of the Past ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Part 2: Faces of the Past

There was the slam of a door, the clouded glass window on it almost shattering from the impact, as a tall blonde stormed out of the office and down the hall, visibly shaking with a mixture of raging emotions. Visitors and employees alike sensed the dangerous temper and dodged out of the path of the seething boy without hesitation. Teeth grinding with frustration, Yamato spotted a washroom and made a sudden turn into the safe haven, locking the door shut behind him. For a moment he stood in one spot, hardly breathing as he worked to calm his rapidly beating heart while making an effort to clear his head. Finally he was able to gain back some sense, taking a deep breath before slowly making his way over to the sink. Once there he stopped without touching it but let his eyes lock onto those in the reflection produced by the mirror above it.

All the noise from the outside world was muffled in this tiny room, only his harsh breaths could be heard clearly. The distraught teenager stared hard at his reflection, but instead of seeing those haunted icy eyes staring back at him the images from his mind were brought forth. The past that had for so long laid buried deep within him finally broke free.

He could remember the young boy as if he had just been with him yesterday. Those large, innocent eyes that had always looked up at him so adoringly, and the wide happy smile that had always accompanied the toddler wherever he went. Golden blonde hair swept across his forehead, just like his older brother's. There was that air of pure joy and adorableness always around him that just made everyone want to pick up and cuddle him. Takeru, Yamato's sweet younger brother. He had only known the little boy for three years, but in that time Takeru had become the most important thing in Yamato's young life. In that time Yamato liked to think himself his brother's protector and advisor, fitting into the role easily as the younger one encouraged him by always trying to stay as near him as possible.

Then something had to destroy all of that. It had all happened so fast, all in the three minutes that it took Yamato to turn his attention on the large rack of magazines in the mall. Three minutes and when he turned back his brother was nowhere to be found. In that moment his life became a living hell as guilt, panic, fear and a great sadness followed him everywhere he went. Takeru was gone because of him, because he hadn't been able to do his job properly. Even his parents had seemed to blame him.

And now... Just when he was finally starting to put the past behind him, this had to happen. "Oh Kami... TK..." Suddenly it all became too much for Yamato as he groaned and slid to the floor, cradling his head between his shaking hands. Images of the past and present assaulted him, causing a small whimper to escape at the thought of all the torture that his brother had since endured. In his mind it would have been better if Takeru had just died. What the doctor had told them about what had gone on in the eleven years since the boy's disappearance made death seem so much more inviting. He couldn't believe that anyone would make children so young do... those... perverted... "Ugh!" With a painful spasm, Yamato leaned his pale face over the toilet bowl and emptied his stomach's contents into it. Too much... he couldn't face this, not right now.

"Yamato? Are you okay in there?" Masaharu's voice came through the door, sounding hollow and tired.

Reluctantly standing up, Yamato rinsed his mouth with a bit of water before opening the door to face his father. "What do you think?" Was all he said, pushing past the older man. He knew his father worried about him all the time, but he just didn't have the energy to put those worries to rest.

"We... we can go see him now." His father's statement made him freeze in his tracks, but he didn't turn around. No, he really didn't want to see the estranged Ishida now, it would just make all those descriptions become reality.

Yamato was about to keep walking before another thought occurred to him. If he just left now, he would once again be abandoning his brother who desperately needed help. Maybe this was a chance to set things right. All he needed was patience to gain back his brother's confidence. Maybe... "Alright."

Father and son walked back to the office, both silent and quietly trying to gather up the courage to face this new challenge. When they finally made it back to the doctor, she was standing outside her door with a large, victorious smile on her face. As if she was completely responsible for this miraculous reunion. "He's in here now, Ishida-san. Just remember what I said, he has grown and changed a lot since you last saw him."

Both Ishida's took a deep, calming breath before following her into the office. Yamato was totally unprepared for the sight before him as he spotted the boy standing in the middle of the room. He stopped short, feeling the breath catch in his throat. This couldn't be Takeru, he didn't look a bit like him. The youngster stood there calmly, not even moving a muscle at their entrance, standing as still as a statue, eyes downcast and hands at his side. The tall, incredibly skinny body looked nothing like the cute, chibi boy that Yamato remembered so vividly. Dirty, blonde hair hung limply almost to his shoulders, contrasting sharply with the unusually pale skin. And even worse, there seemed to be no sign of life in this boy's form. "No..." He breathed denial at this unexpected vision. It wasn't Takeru, not his little TK who used to run around the apartment with such energy and spirit. This... this doll couldn't be his brother!

The room filled with silence, the doctor looking between the others with a confused expression as if she was expecting some kind of celebration. Masaharu had collapsed in a nearby chair, but neither boy moved. One because of shock and denial, and the other in training. Finally his father spoke, his voice trembling, "T-Takeru?"

The thin, frail-seeming body straightened a little more as a short nod answered the question. Yamato could almost feel the air of confusion emanating from the boy. He didn't know them either... Feeling himself finally snap out of the shock, Yamato stalked over to the other boy, needing to find something that he could match up with his image of the little boy from the past. He needed his Takeru to exist again. Takeru never moved, even with the older one standing only inches away. With anger once again welling up inside of him at this passivity, Yamato's hand shot out and grabbed Takeru's chin, pulling it up as eyes widened with disbelief and fright.

"Yamato!" His father exclaimed suddenly at this abrupt behavior. Yamato ignored both him and the gaping doctor.

Searchingly he stared at the large eyes inches from his own, looking for something. Though the boy didn't move, Yamato could feel the throat pulsating with fast breaths beneath his fingers. The color of these eyes, that was the first familiar thing for him, bright cerulean that hadn't faded even through the years of depression. Though they lacked the former life, innocence and glimmer of self-confidence, they were still his eyes. It was something for Yamato to use, to make this all seem so much more real. "Takeru?" He whispered, seeing for the first time what he had lost all those years ago. The stricken boy didn't move, didn't utter a sound. A jolt of frustration, "Well?! Say something!"

The large eyes blinked, brow furrowing a little. "L-like what, Master?"

Feeling as if he had just been shot through the heart, Yamato jerked back with horror running through him. 'Master'? No... this boy couldn't think... no, not this. "Wh-what? What?!"

Suddenly Takeru seemed frightened, flinching a little as he bowed slightly, "I'm sorry, Master, I don't know what you're asking of me. Please tell me!"

Yamato couldn't speak, his mouth hanging open as he stood frozen on the floor. His father was beside him in an instant, also staring at the still bowed youth. The doctor, seeing that things were suddenly going to be difficult for all three of them, decided to get this last part over with. "Ishida-san, I will give you a folder of information sheets on how to deal with this sort of thing. It isn't all that new, you see. And you won't have to handle it all yourself; Takeru will have to see a psychiatrist every week to help him fall back into normalcy. But I'm afraid that we are very overcrowded right now due to getting so many children at once, so you will have to take him home with you when you leave. This is going to take a lot of patience and cooperation to help Takeru here, but I'm sure you can manage if you just take the time to make sure he fits into the normal routine at home." She paused when she noticed the gaping mouth of the father.

"Take him home? Like this? Are you sure?" Yamato was thinking exactly those thoughts himself.

The doctor nodded reassuringly, "Oh yes. It's the best way to get him back into his life, you see. He needs to be reintroduced to everything as soon as possible for the quickest results. Just don't push him too hard and it should work out fine. And make sure to come back once or twice a week with him so that we can check up on everything."

Through this entire report on what was about to happen with him, Takeru hardly moved a muscle, looking almost defeated. It was as if he wasn't even there. It hurt Yamato all the way through to see his once lively brother brought down to this. Anger, frustration and fear built up inside of him. What if Takeru never did come back to them? What then? What if he thought they were his masters for the rest of his life? No. He couldn't let that happen. Maybe he had brought this on, but that didn't mean he couldn't fix it as well. Yamato wasn't going to let his brother live like this. Even if it took up all his energy and willpower, he was going to try to restore the life in those eyes. He was going to do this, as a brother and friend. Now was his chance to mend what he had broken. "Come on Takeru, we're going home."

=-=-=-=

Eavesdropping was a very bad habit to get into. It's rude and could get one in a lot of trouble if caught. Ken knew very well the inappropriateness of this action, but for the past five and a half minutes he had seated himself in a chair that was strategically close to the receptionist's desk. Usually he would never have even considered intruding on someone else's privacy but a certain name had caught his attention. Plus, he figured that he had the right after they had banned him from going with the Ishida's, saying it was a family only thing. Not being the type to lift grudges very quickly, the bored teenager stubbornly tried to catch the words to the conversation going on behind and to the left of him. He could only make out so much, as the lady was talking on a phone, but from that it was easy to deduct what was going on.

"... hai Genou-san... many have... Iie..."

Well, maybe it wasn't so easy.

"... Well, it's been over ten years, you can't expect... Iie Genou-san, I know..."
"..."
"Well there are a few yet without... Aa... letsee here... Namu Sai, Harati Toku, Motomiya Daisuke..."

Ah, there it was. That was the name that had been tugging at the edges of his mind. Motomiya Daisuke. It sounded so familiar, yet he couldn't quite place where he had heard it before.

"Iie, we are unable to contact their parents ... Well, how do we know if they are even alive anymore, Genou-san?"

The mention of the parents pulled at Ken's memories, something he had just heard about a few years ago. The Motomiyas... and a car accident... a semi had been involved... no survivors. Confused, Ken shook his head, trying to clear it and think logically about this unusual information. And that's when it hit him. He had known a Motomiya once, a long time ago. But after a few years his young friend had mysteriously vanished, leaving Ken thinking that the entire family had just upped and moved away without saying good bye. He had been hurt, to say the least. And then the story on the news only three years ago about the family... Not really paying much attention at the time, he had not connected this with the little boy he had once known.

Daisuke... he was here? But that would mean... Ken abruptly stood up, making up his mind quickly as he gracefully slid out of the waiting room. He had to see this 'Motomiya Daisuke' for himself, to be sure. This was one mystery he felt that he just had to solve. There was only a slight memory left of his old friend, including reddish hair and most adorable puppy eyes that nobody could match, but it had been so long ago. By now the boy could be completely different, if it even was who he thought it was.

Now, to figure out how to get to where all the newly found kids were staying. Thinking logically, once again, Ken finally managed to find a map of the Children's Home and looked at it carefully. They would have to be in one of the large hospital-like wards on the second floor, being the only place large enough to hold so many children. The hard part would be sneaking up there. But when Ken set his mind to something, he always found a way to pull through. Raising an air of confidence and sureness around himself, the lithe teen quietly made his way to the elevators. He hoped that no one would notice him as it would be difficult to answer all the questions, but he didn't hesitate to step into the first open lift.

When the doors opened again on the second floor, narrowed violet eyes peered around the side and Ken breathed a sigh of relief when he found the hallway empty. Well, it wasn't like they would have guards around here anyway, but he still kept his ears open for any sounds of approaching footsteps as he walked down the hall to where he knew the doors would be for the first room. Taking a deep breath, and another glance around, he inconspicuously opened the door and slid inside.

The scene in the large room filled with beds caught him by surprise. Every bed had one or more kids sitting on it, but for so many of them it was uncharacteristically quiet. A few whispers, whimpers or sniffles could be heard, but in Ken's experience he knew that there usually was supposed to be a lot more yelling and talking in a room full of children of so many different ages. Nervously, Ken looked for the nearest kid before cautiously making his way to him. It was a small child, around six years old, sitting at the edge of a bed by himself. Bright green eyes glanced up as Ken approached, staring at him with uncertain interest.

"Um... Hi. My name is Ichijouji Ken, " He smiled slightly, trying to look nonthreatening to this obviously abused child. "I was wondering if you could help me locate someone I once knew."

The child blinked slowly, hugging his knees a little closer to his chest. The young eyes darted around the room for a second before coming back to Ken, "I... I don't know. Who?"

Ken was startled at the suspicion in the soft voice, but shook it off quickly. He wished they had told him what had happened to these kids, at least then he'd know where he stood with them. "His name is Daisuke. Do you know him?"

"Iie. But... but maybe you should ask Yuki. He's the oldest here, you know."

"Uh... okay. Which one is Yuki?" Ken asked as he took a step back to get a better view of the room.

With a tired sounding sigh, the child pointed over to one of the other beds, "Over there. The blonde one."

Ken hesitated a moment before giving his informer a grateful smile. Then he turned and headed to the other kid. He tried to ignore the others around him as he did so, but still he caught glimpses of dirty, sorrowful faces. Once again he wondered what had happened to them.

It was obvious that this Yuki guy was one of the oldest; tall and more at ease as he spoke quietly with another teenager on their bed. Ken felt a little better as he noticed this. "Hello. Are you Yuki?"

The teen cut off his conversation to look look up at Ken, curious green-blue eyes staring searchingly at his face. The boy didn't say a word until his careful examination was done. "Yes... who are you?" There was obvious caution in his voice, as if he wasn't sure how to address the newcomer.

"Ichijouji Ken." Ken replied, bowing a little. When he looked up again he noticed shock in both the boys' eyes. "Umm... I was trying to find someone... Motomiya Daisuke?"

"Daisuke, eh?" This time it was the other boy who spoke, long spikey black hair hanging to his shoulders. He narrowed his dark eyes. "If you're just looking for a good fuck, we-"

"What?!" Ken gasped, hardly believing his ears. The other two jerked back as well, surprised at this sudden outburst. "What do you mean by that?"

The blonde regained his wits first, looking very suspicious now. "Rio's just saying that we could probably do a better job than him. More experience. Of course, if the Masters told you to go to him..."

Feeling a bit faint, Ken slowly shook his head, marveling at how calmly these two could talk about things like that. "M-Masters?" Finally he just took a deep breath and decided to ignore the confusing implications. "Look, do you know where Daisuke is or not. I used to know him a long time ago, I think, and I just want to see if I'm correct in assuming he's here."

With a sudden sarcastic smile, Rio nodded and spoke up before the other could, "Ah, so you're a free 'un, huh? Lucky rich bastard."

Yuki rolled his eyes a little, shrugging apologetically at Ken, "Don't mind him. Well, I suppose it's alright, seeing as you're only a kid yourself. He's on the other side of the room, over there by the windows," He turned a bit to point to the opposite wall and the beds lining it, "He'll be sitting with another boy, an older one with the biggest hair that you'll ever see. You can't miss them."

=-=-=-=

In the space of one day, the lives of hundreds of children had been drastically changed, causing confusion, uncertainty and no small amount of fear. Nobody had been expecting this, to move to somewhere so far away from what they had come to call home. Nothing was familiar and none of them knew quite how to take this or how to act.

Sitting quietly on one bed placed against a large window was Daisuke, who was trying hard not to worry about the future. He was as confused as any of the others, but managed to stay calm in the company of his big brother. If Taichi hadn't been there to reassure him, he didn't know what he would have done. As it was, he was having a terrible time of remembering not to stare around too much in case one of the adults spotted him. The last thing he wanted at this point was to be punished.

"How're you holding up, Dais-chan?" With a startled blink, the young boy looked up at his companion, noticing the worried look in those large brown eyes. He had drifted off for a moment there, staring so intently at his hands as he had been.

With a small shrug, Daisuke shifted a little closer to Taichi, "Okay, I guess." He answered softly, knowing without reason that they all had to keep quiet. The Masters had always hated them speaking out of turn. "Do you think Takeru's alright?"

"I'm sure he is," Taichi reassured with a small smile. The tired concern never left his eyes, and Daisuke could see the uncertainty that lay behind that mask of bravery. "I bet he's going off with his new Master at this very moment, ready to make up all this stupid wasted time." Some time ago, most of the kids had come to the conclusion that that was why they were here - they were being sold off. Independent businesses would probably be checking them all out, taking them to new places to keep going on what they had been doing for so many long years.

Daisuke nodded slowly, huddling a little further into the bed. "Do you think we're ever going to see him again? I'll really miss him."

"Of course we'll see him again," but the older boy's voice did not hold as much conviction as it should have. He sighed, "Well, I'll miss him too."

"Will they take you away from me too?" The thought frightened the red-head even more than anything else. He hated to be alone, hated being without his brother.

Taichi didn't answer. Instead he reluctantly stood up, slightly motioning to Daisuke to do the same. Without question, he did so, knowing that one of the strangers must be on the way over here. Feeling a wrenching pain in his gut, Daisuke unhappily kept his eyes on the floor, blinking back threatening tears. His brother, the only other friend he had in this world, was going to leave him. He just knew it.

"Taichi, is it?" The teenager nodded once in affirmation, knowing as well what was about to happen. "I need you to come with me. There's some people who would like to meet you."

Gulping back a protest that would surely only end up causing him pain, Daisuke only squeezed his eyes shut as he felt Taichi shift away from him. "Be brave, Dais-chan." He heard the whisper just before he opened his eyes again. When he did, the space beside him was empty. Completely alone for the first time in a long while. The only time he could remember being without Taichi for more than a few hours was the one occasion where he had failed to obey a Master. They had sent him to a small room, all by himself. Dark, cold and silent. He had never been so scared in his life. When they had finally let him out, he had been so shaken up that it had taken Taichi a whole day to convince him that he was alright, that his brother was there for him again. Never had he disobeyed again. But now...

"Excuse me..." With a gasp, Daisuke's head jerked up and he took a step back, tripping onto the bed. Seated rather abruptly, he could only look up at the person standing in front of him. It was another boy, one around his age, but he seemed so different from anyone he had ever known. Piercing violet eyes stared down at him, filled with an untainted strength and curiosity. There was no hint of the ever present weariness in him that hung around everybody from where Daisuke came from. Shoulder length blue-black hair framed the pale face, so soft and silky looking that Daisuke had to repress a sudden urge to reach up and run his fingers through it. Who ever this strange boy was, he couldn't have ever belonged to this family. "Are you Daisuke, by any chance?"

With a shiver, Daisuke nodded slightly, quickly reverting his gaze down towards his hands. Surely he couldn't be allowed to look upon someone so obviously from the world of Masters. "Oh... I... I'm Ken. Ichijouji Ken." Not knowing if he was supposed to respond to this or not, Daisuke just kept silent, waiting for some sort of command. Was this person going to be his new Master? But... he was so young. "Can't you speak?" Daisuke nodded again, still not sure if this was enough permission to actually say something. "Oh."

There was a few moments of silence. Daisuke could feel those sharp eyes examining him, taking in his every detail. He wondered a bit whether he should do something other than sit there, but decided against provoking this stranger. Taichi's departure still hung fresh in his mind, and mixed with the sudden appearance of this boy, Daisuke honestly felt like either crying or screaming. But he knew better than to do those things in front of a superior.

Ken, as the boy had so called himself, finally broke the silence with an impatient sounding sigh, startling Daisuke from his panicking thoughts. "Um... I'm not going to hurt you, you know. It's okay to look at me. Or to talk for that matter." Apparently the bluenette had figured out the need for these permissible comments to get any sort of response from the cowering teen.

Feeling uneasy over this anomaly, on top of everything that had already occurred within the last twelve or so hours, Daisuke just wasn't sure what to make of it all. Finally he decided to do what the boy had told him to do, considering that he might be disobeying orders. He still wasn't sure how Ken fit into everything, whether he was a Master, the practicing child of one, or just some rich freelance. When he did hesitantly look up he found the disturbingly bright eyes still upon him, staring thoughtfully into his own eyes. Daisuke blinked, then quickly shifted his gaze so so that he was looking just over the boy's left shoulder. There was just something very unnerving about direct eye contact, it wasn't often practiced and it frightened Daisuke as it had always meant some form of punishment before.

"Could it really be... He does look..." Ken was muttered quietly, before speaking a little louder, "Who are you?"
Confused, Daisuke wondered what the catch was to the question. What if he gave the wrong answer? Was there a right answer? "I... I... uh... I'm Daisuke, Master." Was all he could come up with. Who else could he be?

"What did you call me? Master?" The shaky tone caught Daisuke's attention, and a quick glance caught the horror in the other's eyes. He must have been wrong, this wasn't a Master. Shit.

"Gomen nasai, Ichijouji-san. I didn't know that you weren't a Master. Please forgive me." He stood up, his weak knees hardly able to hold him up as he bowed a little. Hadn't Taichi always told him never to assume anything until told the facts?

Standing there, staring wide eyed at the carpet, Daisuke couldn't tell what the other boy was thinking. Was he going to hit him? Hurt him some other way? Was this even worthy of punishment? He had no way of knowing the new rules. "I... um, that's okay... Daisuke. Please, call me Ken. And... stand up, I'm not going to hurt you or anything." With a dazed feeling, Daisuke did as he was told, standing straight once again. What he wouldn't give to have his reassuring brother with him right now. Taichi always knew what to do. "I just meant that... I wanted to know a little more about you. I know you're Daisuke, but you must have a last name. And I would like to know where're you are from, who your parents are. I'm trying to figure out if I know you, you see?"

He didn't see, but there wasn't much he could do about that right now. "I... don't think I have a last name. 'Just Daisuke." He mumbled, wondering why this was all so important. Surely he would have remembered Ken if they had ever met before. Anyone this extraordinary never escaped his memory. "And... and this... this is my family." He gestured slightly towards the rest of the room and the children in it. "The Masters are my parents, I suppose. I don't exactly know what parents do, but..." Daisuke shrugged helplessly, hoping this would satisfy the other enough.

More silence. And when Daisuke finally gained the nerve to take a peek at the boy, he found Ken staring at him with a pained and amazed expression. Violet-blue eyes blinked once, then again before his mouth managed to form words, "You mean you don't remember anything else but this? How old were you when they kidnapped you?"

"Kidnapped?" Daisuke shook his head with the now familiar feeling of confusion. He had only ever heard that word from some of the recent strangers, but it had no meaning for him. "When they took me in, you mean, Ichi...Ken-san?" An impatient nod answered him. "Well... We, I mean me and Taichi, figure that I must have been maybe three years old. I'm not completely sure though... it was a long time ago, Ken-san."

"Oh." Ken suddenly took a step forward, startling Daisuke slightly. "Then that would be around the time that... It is you!"

Daisuke almost cried aloud with surprise and shock as Ken grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to make eye contact once again. Stubbornly he made himself stay silent, no matter how out of order this seemed. "Daisuke! Kami... so this is what happened to you! I had thought you had just left, but all this time... Oh, Daisuke, I'm so sorry."

Scared out of his wits by this time, Daisuke felt his stomach clench with fear. He didn't know what was going on, but he honestly thought that this boy had gone crazy. The helpless feeling started to take over him as he thought that maybe he really should know what was happening. Maybe this Ken person really was someone he knew and should still know. What if this wasn't a mistake! He felt sick, knowing that this teen was going to find out that he couldn't remember. What would happen then? "I... I'm sorry, Master. I c-can't remember... Please... Master..." The words slipped out before he had thought about it, but he couldn't stop apologizing. He was in the wrong here, he always was when compared to his superiors.

Ken pulled back, a heart-broken expression on his face, "Oh Daisuke... I forgot for a moment there." Shaking uncontrollably, the frightened boy only nodded a little in response, awaiting his punishment for this disrespect. "I'm not sure what exactly happened to you but... but I'm getting the idea of it." He sighed, and the red-head could feel those sorrowful eyes on him once again. The soft, apologetic tone of Ken's voice baffled him terribly. "Oh Kami... You're parents, I forgot about that too. What are they going to do with you?"

Daisuke, of course, had no answer to that. It was the one thing that had been worrying him this entire time. He stood where he was silently, eyes downcast as he was even more terrified now of upsetting this unpredictable teenager. "But... but maybe... No, we couldn't take you in. My parents can barely take care of me as it is." Ken mused quietly, still watching the other boy thoughtfully, "And Yamato has enough problems now, working things out with Takeru and all..."

"Takeru?" The name slipped out without warning as Daisuke desperately sought to hold onto something that he could understand. Ken looked at him with surprise, causing him to flinch a little.

"Oh! You know him?" The question caught Daisuke off guard as he could only stare blankly at the other. Ken just smiled a little and shook his head, "Well, of course you would. Stupid question." The bluenette sighed as Daisuke averted his eyes to the floor once again, "You have no idea, do you?"

Trying not to let the overwhelming feeling of bewilderment get to him, Daisuke blinked away the threatening tears. For a second there he had thought there was a chance of being sent to where ever his blonde friend had gone. "No idea of what, Mas... Ken-san?" He mumbled, wishing that this stranger could just go away already. All he wanted right now was to run over to Yuki and Rio for some comfort; they always knew how to deal with these situations, just like Taichi.

"... of how much you've missed." Daisuke detected a note of sadness in the other's voice. Then determination, "But don't you worry, I'm going to do something about this. I'll think of something, I always do 'though it may take a little while. I know a few people who might be persuaded to take you in."

Like he cared. All this would do for Daisuke is send him even further from the people he knew. But there was nothing he could do, his only lot in life was to follow orders. "Yes, Master." He intoned numbly through force of habit, knowing that he would probably be among another handful of strangers by the next day.

"Stop all of this 'Master' nonsense. I told you to call me Ken." His sharp tone caused Daisuke to wince. He'd have to keep a better check on himself than this. It was dangerous to forget what a superior had already told him once. They hated to repeat themselves, and he knew it all too well.

"G-gomen nasai, Ken-san."

Ken just sighed and shook his head, "Well, I guess Rome wasn't built in a day. We'll work on that though." A sudden hush filled the already almost silent room, alerting Daisuke to the presence of yet another of the adults entering. Probably come to take away some more kids. He noticed the strange way that Ken suddenly appeared to be trying to make himself blend into the carpet, "Um... I think I should get out of here before I'm caught. I'll be back though, soon, and with a way for you to go to somewhere that I know will be okay. You can count on that." With a smile, Ken gave a little wave and slipped away, avoiding the nurse as he exited through the opposite doorway.

Not knowing what else to do, Daisuke just stood there for a few moments, staring after the strange boy. For some reason he almost wanted the other to come back, at least then he wouldn't be so alone. Ken didn't seem to be like the other Masters, he was too considerate, too nice. Maybe he would see him again later, if the boy kept his promise, although from Daisuke's experience that was not a big possibility. Oh well, at least it had helped to keep his mind off of his brother and Takeru.

"Daisuke?" He looked over at the two older boys who had come over to him once the adults had finally left. Concern was evident in their eyes as they walked closer, "You okay?"

Daisuke nodded a little, feeling somewhat better at seeing the familiar faces, "Yeah." He sat down on the bed with Yuki and Rio, sitting between the two of them for comfort.

"'Sorry for leaving you alone with that guy, we didn't know that Taichi would have to leave so soon. But it looked like you handled it pretty well from our view," Rio said, ruffling the younger boy's hair a little. Daisuke just shrugged, intent on forgetting his problems amid two of the few people he actually trusted.

"Who was that boy, anyway?" Yuki asked finally as the tired youngster snuggled into his dirty, torn shirt.

Daisuke peeked a large, cinnamon eye up at him and, for the first time in a long time, he smiled a little, "Ken-san."

=-=-=-=

(A/N) Whew, so far so good? Thank you for the reviews! They just make my day! I've noticed that in general, not just for my fic of course, not as many people review fics at mediaminer as at fanfiction.net, strange. Anyway, I'll think about posting the next part asap...