Paranoia: Chapter 1
Authors note- Okay, so I don’t own digimon, although I dream of it. *smile* you don’t know how retarded it would be if I were in charge!!! Anyway, I just abuse the plot. In this here fic to follow, Paranoia, Yamato undergoes a session of visions and premonitions. He is now a receiver, and a messenger has come for him. It takes place two years after 02, and involves only the old digidestined (it seems the new ones have disappeared off the face of the earth….)
This means TK and Kari are 13, Matt, Tai, and Sora are 16, Mimi and Izzy are 15, and good old Joe is 17.
*crosses her fingers* Here goes nothing. And so, our slightly messed up story begins…
~Paranoia~
The Prologue:
~Throughout the history of mankind, there has been good and evil. When it all began, the force driving the creation had been evil. And for this evil there has been sacrifices: Jesus Christ, for example. He died to save the world from sin. Where did that get him? Absolutely nowhere. Here in this plane, we have a different view: that sin is caused by the evil force, and to save us from its grasp, we must exterminate the evil. No easy feat, mind you. We have died and been reborn five times, and every time they win. And every time they do, I have to kill us, and send us into the realm of reincarnation. But as we are reborn, so is the evil. I am the essence of death…the destruction. And every five years we are created, and in sixteen short years, we die. But now there is a new hope for us. For born in the world sixteen years ago was the receiver: the one who will hear my cries.
And now I must call out to him. We have six months left. I cannot bear to live again. The princess must be protected, for she is the only one who can stop them, and I am the only one who can seal the door.
And there are eight powers needed to crush the evil ones. Those powers are: Courage, hope, light, sincerity, knowledge, reliability, love, and friendship.
And so I cross the barrier to speak to him.
I can only hope he’ll understand, and be wary of the devil’s cross….~
Chapter One:
Yamato Ishida glanced out the window of the quickly moving subway train and sighed. He still couldn’t believe it was all over. Even now, two years later, he still felt that every time he came home, Gabumon would be there by the door, waiting for his beloved human counterpart to return.
Everyone felt like that.
Maybe it was for those reasons he cut his hair in the same pattern it had been when the whole thing started? Those feelings of nostalgia that still lingered like a wet blanket in the back of his mind. He swallowed hard as his stop got closer. The bars of light moved quickly across his broken face. He held no emotions. He was one of the “cool kids” as everyone painted him to be. A “prep”; a snob. He was one of the richer kids, he had all the latest stuff, and he was boyfriend to the most popular girl in all of Odaiba Secondary’s history:
Cassidy Burnette.
An American girl with Hollywood style and New York attitude. She had spotted Yamato’s good looks the first day she had came and devoted herself to fabricating the ultimate king of cool. He had only gone along for the ride because she was gorgeous, but now he regretted it. She used him, she saw other guys behind his back, and when they were together she treated him like shit. He was really getting sick of being toyed with. With a nervous hand he pushed his messy blonde locks out of his eyes.
How would they treat him?
This was the first time the digidestined were meeting again. He remembered how he had gotten an ICQ message from some guy with the screen name “Soccer *star*” Upon reading it he learned that it was indeed Taichi Kamiya, his friend from the digiworld. He felt so guilty. Here he was, the guardian of friendship, who had fallen away from his REAL friends. In a world of popularity you never really knew who your friends were, and he was letting his true self go. He had never felt so shallow.
The train came to a messy stop. Matt turned to leave the train. Pushing his way through the crowd, he accidentally bumped into a figure in a black hooded sweatshirt. The figure glanced up. Matt wouldn’t have paid it any heed, but it was a girl’s face: A surprisingly beautiful girl’s face. Green eyes flickered behind copper bangs with youthful energy and exuberance. Matt stood in a second of shock, then turned back. The figure had taken a place against the far wall, and looked up. It was a black man, with a well groomed goatee. Matt blinked.
Were his eyes playing tricks on him? He shook his head and exited the train. He was barely on the platform when the doors slid shut behind him, pushing a cold gust of air against the back of his neck. He shivered and pulled his coat tighter around the nape of his neck. He straightened his scarf, and as the train whistled past to its next destination, it unravelled itself. He caught it just in time and pulled it back on.
That bitter January wind pounded in his ears as he walked down the street to Tai’s apartment building, where the note had instructed them to meet. If Matt looked anything ridiculous in his almost knee-length black pea coat and khakis, he didn’t notice. He just plodded dutifully against the winds until arriving at the Kamiya doorstep. He looked nervously at the little nameplate with the ice cream cone. He remembered how he once dared Tai to lick it. Of course, Tai did. He recalled visiting Tai to play video games, and usually winning. Tai was never any good at them, especially RPG’s! Why, Matt could remember like it was only yesterday he had to beat Zelda for Tai, then explain in detail how he did it! He caught himself as he felt a cold tear slide down his cheek. How could he have neglected them? And he called himself a friend? He wiped the tears brimming in his parched face and knocked on the door, forcing a youthful smile onto his face. Life was never easy. He had to open up to them.
The door opened. Tai had a huge grin on his face, but when he saw his old friend standing there with an open smile, his face fell.
“Well,” he said, trying to hide his contempt, “if it isn’t the cool guy…”
Yamato’s face sank, as well as his heart.
“Hi, Tai,” he said softly, “long time no see, huh?”
Tai grunted his reply. There was a moment of uneasy silence.
“I really missed you guys…” Matt whispered, trying to choke back his tears.
Tai scoffed.
“Oh?” he said in a mocking tone, “You’re little fan club not good enough for ya?”
Matt was having trouble keeping his emotions in check.
“They’re not my friends,” he said, bitterly, “they don’t like me for who I am. They just like me because I’m Cassidy’s little tool…”
Tai’s brow furrowed.
“You mean,” he started, “you’re not happier?”
Matt shook his head.
“I want back.” He said, tears now slipping past his soft, long blonde eyelashes. Tai’s brown eyes filled with concern.
“Hey man,” he said, pulling the blonde in for a hug, “it’s okay.”
They shared a brief hug, before Yamato pulled away, laughing.
“Thank you!” he laughed. Tai just smiled.
“Come on in,” he said warmly to his newly rediscovered friend, “before you start looking like Fridgimon!”
Matt just laughed and walked inside the house. He took off his scarf and coat, letting them hang off a nearby coat tree. Tai glanced at Matt’s head.
“Love the hair, man…” he laughed.
Tai’s head was graced with his trademark goggles. It was so long since Matt had seen him wear them.
Tai led the boy down the hall until they reached his room. He slowly opened the door.
“Hey guys,” he said softly, “look who’s here!”
The kids looked up. Sora smiled lightly.
“Oh,” she said with a weakened voice, “hi, Matt. How are you?”
Matt smiled sadly. She didn’t look too good. He guessed after having a lot of blood work done, he’d look crappy too.
“MATT!” a bright, feminine voice piped up, “YOU LOOK GREAT!!!!”
Mimi. She tackled the boy in a big hug.
“Mimi!” Matt laughed, “back from Hawaii?? I thought you moved for good!”
Mimi shook her head.
“Can’t get rid of me that easily!” she laughed, “I’m living with Jodie for a year! I’m going to school at St. Catherine’s!!!”
Her face fell.
“If you talked to me anymore,” she said sadly, “you’d have known…”
Matt felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He had neglected everyone. That was a sad thing to do. He had forgotten who his real friends were during his power trip. He just wished he could tell them how sorry he really was. But sorrow like that couldn’t be spoken; only screamed.
He scanned the room. Joe was in a corner, reading one of Kari’s books. Tai probably didn’t own any. TK and Kari were sitting in a corner of the room, playing poker. Matt brightened some.
“Hey TK!” he chirped. His brother looked up with a nonchalant smile.
“Oh, hey Matt.” He said, then directed his attention back down. Matt felt a little more then hurt, but he didn’t show it.
“Heya Matt!” Izzy waved. Matt smiled and waved back.
“Anyway,” Tai said, “before we were interrupted, what were you gonna tell us, Izzy?”
"Sit.” The boy with the laptop pointed to the floor.
“Woof.” Matt replied. He wasn’t surprised that Tai sat immediately. Mimi reached for the radio. Nine days came on. Matt strolled leisurely to the bed. He flopped down, near the window, now streaked with rain.
“Now,” Izzy started, “there’s a new evil afoot. I received an email from Gennai just recently, but it’s entirely in verse…”
Matt tuned him out. There was something else interesting him.
The streaks on the window were forming a new pattern.
A human form…
The feet started to form first. They stood atop a railing, with perfect balance. They rain moved up, and the figure appeared in full glory. A girl, in a short black tanktop and baggy bellbottom jeans, with short copper hair. The eyes were closed. She spread her arms wide and opened her eyes.
They were green.
BRIGHT green….
She was about to fall!!!! He pounded on the glass, yelling at her to be careful. Slowly she began to fall back. In a fit he threw open the window.
But she was gone…
In a daze, he sat in total shock.
“Matt?” Sora asked warily, “Matt, what’s wrong?”
Matt shook his head.
“There was a girl….” He stammered, “on the railing…she was going to fall…”
“There’s nobody there…” Joe said, reassuringly, “now close the window, you’re letting the rain in!”
Matt nodded shakily and closed the window. But there she was, leaning back. It was like she was falling in slow-mo…
Matt found his voice and yelled again.
“NO!” he screamed, “YOU’RE GOING TO FALL!!! YOU CAN’T DIE!!! I WONT LET YOU!!!!”
But she fell back. Just as her feet left the hold of the railing, she disappeared, and everyone was left staring at Matt. He nervously licked his lips and looked at everyone else.
“But…” he stammered, “where…where did she go?”
“Nowhere, Matt,” Mimi said, her voice rising to a panicky tone, “there was nobody there!!”
Matt shook his head vehemently.
“No,” he said sternly, “she was balancing on the railing…and she fell back, and…”
Izzy put his hand on Matt’s shoulder.
“Come on, Yamato,” he said, “pull yourself together!”
Matt shook his head in a panic.
“No,” he mumbled, “I can’t. She’ll die if I forget her…”
“Look, Matt,” Izzy said, staring into the blonde’s panicky blue eyes, “I think you should go home and get some rest! I’ll tell you what. I’ll take a record of the whole conversation and I’ll email it to you, okay? You really need some sleep!”
Matt pushed his hair back with a trembling hand and nodded his head.
“Yeah,” he murmured, “sleep. Sleep is good…”
He chuckled a little bit. And stood up, wobbling his way to the door. Mrs. Kamiya was there, looking at the boy with deep concern. He just smiled nervously, allowing himself to be herded gently to the door. Tai helped him with his coat and scarf, opened the door for him, and flashed a supportive smile.
“Feel better, okay?” he said kindly. Matt smiled and nodded.
“Thanks, Tai,” he mumbled, “sorry I went AWOL. Maybe next time I’ll be in my mind, eh?”
Tai laughed.
“We hope to see you again?” he queried. Matt searched his soul for words to assure his friend that he really was important to him.
“You can count on it.” He said. They exchanged a handshake, and Matt left. Watching him stumble down the stairs, Tai closed the door slowly. He leaned his back against it, heaved a deep sigh, and was approached by his mother.
“Is he on drugs?” she asked, fretting, as usual. Tai looked at the clock.
“I don’t even know anymore…” he sighed.
Yamato shrugged the drops of rain beating down on his shoulders. He couldn’t believe what was happening to him. Was he losing his mind? Was this what insanity felt like? He couldn’t understand. The thoughts racing through his head were so familiar, like someone were plugging them into his mind after he had read the script. He gazed up the sides of tall skyscrapers, feeling very small compared to their enormous size and structure.
‘What are you doing?’ he thought to himself, ‘Do you really think that you can be as impenetrable as one of those massive monsters? Face it, you’re just some kid who got lucky and found popularity. People adore you, and you don’t deserve it!’
He shook those thoughts from his mind. He had more important matters to focus on, like the biology test tomorrow!!
He groaned and looked into the mirrored surface of the building he walked alongside. To his surprise, her shining face was there. He stopped, but all he heard was a youthful giggle, and her apparition was gone! It was like a game. Yamato shook his head, frowned, and kept walking. He was going crazy!
The subway tracks buzzed with electricity as he stood on the platform. The train whistled past, tousling his hair and making his scarf flutter wildly. He closed his eyes until the train halted, and the door flew open. People swarmed out of the train like freed birds, glad to be out of that wretched box. Yamato’s stomach gave a little turn, settled, and he proceeded onto the subway train. Finding a nice spot by a window, he settled down and buried his face in his scarf, letting only his nose, eyes, and hair peek out. He watched the subway passengers with minimal interest, finally subsiding to staring out the window. The landscape zipped by, and pretty soon, before he knew it, he was standing on the platform of his stop, treading home. Several people who knew and idolized him waved, and he would oblige by waving back, occasionally giving a little smile, depending on if the person was male or female. Girls got his “I am such a sweetheart” look, guys got his “yo, ‘sup?” glance.
He shook his head. Since when had it ever mattered who a person was? They were a person, no less than him, nor anyone else in the world!
He walked past the old church.
It had been so long. He almost thought his faith had died years ago. He glanced up, and felt a sudden hole in his heart. Maybe that’s what he needed. He trudged up to his apartment, buzzed himself in, and slid into the apartment he shared with his father like a ghost. He pulled off his coat, unravelled his scarf, and kicked off his shoes. In need of a nurturing snack, he pulled out a can of root beer from the fridge, and pulled out a few things to make a nice snack of rice and beef.
Okay, so it was more like a meal. He was a growing boy!
He fixed his meal, and ate it in perfect silence, alone at his kitchen table. He flicked on the TV to watch a movie. Damn, the reception was shot, AGAIN! He walked up to it, whacked it once, and the picture flickered back into focus. He sat down at the table and reclined, putting his feet up on the table, munching contentedly.
Once more, there was stillness.
He wished TK lived with them. Yamato got so bored, just sitting there, wondering if anything good was on TV.
He turned it off, after close inspection of the channels, and trudged into his room. He wet a comb, and gave his hair a rest, letting it fall smoothly on his head and kick out at the very bottom. He didn’t really even mind that his bangs flowed awkwardly in his eyes. Just as long as he was comfortable! He removed his guitar from its case and fiddled with it, tuning it to a somewhat perfect state. He let his fingers find the right strings, then began to strum a slow pattern, letting the rhythm be absorbed by the thick walls of the room. He began to sing, unsure of it at first, then impassioned by it:
“I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend, you could cut ties with all the lies you’ve been living in, and, if you do not want to see me again, I would understand, I would understand….”
In his mind images of the girl and her balancing act flooded his mind. Did she die? Was it his fault?
Should he even care?
Of course he should! It was another human being, in trouble, with problems! He HAD to care!
‘Funny,’ the voice in his head mocked him, ‘you don’t seem to care about a lot of people now a days, never mind a total stranger…’
“Shut up!” he snarled to himself. He knew it must look ridiculous, talking to himself, but hey: he had travelled to an alternate world, shared his deepest, darkest secrets with a St. Bernard with a horn in the middle of its forehead, and was brainwashed by a tree. What was normal anymore?
Yamato began to develop a headache. He shook his head and put his guitar away. As he walked past the mirror, he noted how he looked. Hair all nice and perfect looking, sweater void of fuzzies, white dress shirt underneath clean and pressed. Even the crease in his pants was tidy.
“My God,” he laughed, “I’ve become a prep.”
He shook his head and lay down in bed. Days like this he couldn’t help but feel like he was missing something.
If only he knew what it was.
It was like it was dancing on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t say it, it was so far beyond his reach. He rested his head on the arms he had folded behind his head, closed his eyes, and fell into sleep…and a very strange dream, too!
He was in a garden, with fragrant flowers on every side of him. Looking around, he saw castle spires in the distance. It was so beautiful. The sky was a soft shade of blue, and everything looked as though it had been muted down a few tones, just to keep a peaceful air about it. Even his own olive green sweater was a little softer. The sound of laughter made him turn around, searching frantically for the source. There, skipping along a path, was a little girl in a lacy dress, with billowing golden curls, being followed closely by a girl with brown locks held up in a messy up-do, who wore a violet tank top and khaki pants. A girl with short brown hair, with two little pigtails on either side, sat by the riverbank, playing the violin. Her baby blue skirt created a massive cushion for her. Her blue-violet tube top made her look almost like a princess. Yamato didn’t know what to do. There sure were a lot of girls there. He wondered why.
He walked all along the paths, finding everywhere a girl doing one thing or the other. He wandered so much, that he was exhausted by the time he reached a nice little place with a stone bench.
This was a strange dream, indeed. He was almost falling asleep, which would no doubt take him back into the realm of the living, when he heard a soft tapping on the stone steps behind him. He spun around to see what was making the sound. Slowly, running up the steps, he saw a bounding tousle of copper-coloured hair.
Intrigued, he watched to see who would come up the steps.
The head was bowed down. Shoulders became visible. It was a girl. Yamato blushed. It looked like she was wearing nothing at all! But no, she wore a strapless gown that was blood red in colour, so that when she turned, it would glow dark red, like a rose petal. Her skirt was the same dark colour, with a layer of thin black gauze overtop. When she reached the top of the stairs, she tilted her head up. Her long, dark lashes rested peacefully against her powder-pink cheeks. She opened her eyes to reveal two sparkling emerald eyes, radiant with the promise of day.
Yamato felt his breath catch. It was the same girl he had been seeing everywhere! She was messing with his head. He decided to follow her, to get some answers. But as soon as he stood up, she ran away! Down another corridor in the maze of flowers and stone. He followed her all the way along the pathway, keeping her in his sight always. But just when he rounded another corner, she was gone again! Matt heaved a heavy sigh. Now he would ever know why she was after him. He peered into another little crevice in the maze, and, lo and behold, there she was, perched on a swing fabricated of a wooden board and two ropes, around which Ivy and flowers were coiled. She sat peacefully, as if waiting for him. With doubt on his mind, he crept forward, until he was finally standing in front of her.
“Hi.” he said softly. She merely looked up, then back down at her shoes. He cleared his throat and began again.
“Um,” he said, unsure of what exactly to say, deciding that this dream would go down recorded as the strangest ever, “not to pry or anything, but…what exactly do you want from me?”
She just looked up again, and opened her mouth to speak. He was thrilled. FINALLY an explanation to why he saw things that he did, that weren’t there, and what he was to do about it.
“Swing.” She replied. Yamato just about gave up hope. Along with his sense of cool.
“WHAT?” he squawked, then regretted what he had said. What if he had scared her away? Then where would he be? No more closer to finding out what his revelations meant than he was in the first place. But she was unmoved.
“Swing.” She repeated. Yamato blinked. Usually when he executed his temper people would get scared, because a little vein in his forehead would throb. He didn’t like getting angry; he looked mean, like his father did when he was angry. Now this girl who was no older than him, if not a year younger, was sitting there, boldly saying something that made no sense to him. He pondered her methods.
“Hi,” he tried, “my name’s Yamato. Who are you?”
She tilted her head to one side, looking like a questioning puppy dog.
“Swing.” She said, urging him to do something. Yamato wasn’t getting it. Finally, he had an idea.
“You want me to push you on the swing?” he asked, “Is that it?”
She smiled.
“Swing!” she said, peering up hopefully at his youthful, sixteen year-old face.
Yamato smiled in return. She looked almost like TK when she did that, except, well, feminine, and beautiful.
“Okay,” he said, moving behind her, “I can do that! I used to push TK on the swings all the time when he was little!”
She looked back at him.
“TK?” she queried. Matt smiled and nodded.
“Yeah,” he said, “TK’s my little brother!”
She smiled back at him, and turned her face back around to look forward.
“Swing.” She said again. Yamato grabbed the ropes, and pulled them back. It was shocking that even though she was tall, and she wore so much dress, she was so very, very light. He let go, and the swing moved back and forth, it’s passenger giggling softly. Yamato felt good to hear her laugh. Cassidy rarely ever laughed. And she never liked swings.
She only liked dances, dinner, movies, and shopping.
But this was youthful, and fun! Yamato began to laugh too, pulling the swing so high, telling her to lean back, and giving her an under-duck. It was like he was young again. Finally, he began to tire, and so did the girl. The sun was setting in the distance. Yamato found himself standing behind the swing, watching it. The girl on the swing sighed.
“TK.” She murmured. Matt smiled.
“TK’s my little brother,” he said, “the one who lives with my mom.”
She nodded.
“Swing.” She said again. Yamato was about to swing her again, when she leaned her face against his hand on the rope.
“Yamato…” she whispered. Matt was blushing profusely.
The sky darkened quickly, and she began to cry, her tears spilling onto his hand.
“What?” he asked, worried, “what’s wrong?”
She shook her head.
“Leave,” she whispered, “leave this place.”
Yamato shook his head fiercely.
“No,” he said, “not without you.”
“LEAVE this place, Yamato,” she said, louder this time, “please.”
Matt shook his head wildly, like a young colt in a thunderstorm.
“WHY?” he asked.
There was a long silence. Yamato could hear an unholy buzzing in the background. They were under attack.
“You are in danger.” She said. She got up, and walked away, melting into the shadows. Yamato looked frantically for her, but she was gone. He huddled on the ground as the buzzing got louder, covered his ears, and shut his eyes tight.
The next thing he knew, his dad was shaking him awake.
“Yamato,” he coaxed, “hey, Matt, wake up!”
Matt blinked sleepily a few times, and looked up at his father.
“Oh, hey dad,” he mumbled sleepily, “what’s wrong?”
His dad smiled at him.
“Heya kiddo,” he said, “I was just wondering if you wanted something to eat from the pizza place!”
Yamato leaned over and looked at his alarm clock.
“Jesus, dad,” he mumbled, “it’s twelve o’clock!”
“Yeah, well,” his dad sighed, “I was working late!”
‘Big surprise there.’ Yamato thought. His dad smiled at him.
“So,” he said, “how about it, one poutine for the sleepy schoolboy?”
Matt shook his head.
“No, thanks,” he grumbled, “I’ll just sleep.”
His dad shrugged and left the room, leaving Yamato to ponder about his dream.
Okay! That's it for chapter one! Please, no mockery about my talentless writing. Quastions? Comments? *gulp*...flames? Email me at destruction@magicgirl.com and tell me what you think! And my ICQ number is: 69974577 so drop me a line if you wanna talk! Alright, later!
