Fanfiction A Twin's Promise

“Onii-chan… Taiga-kun… what are you guys doing? Papa and Fujimoto-san told us not to play in here!” The younger Kamishiro gazed at the other two six-year-olds with a frown. The Kamishiro twins had been in the dining room with Professor Fujimoto’s son, Taiga (a boy with bluish-black hair and gray eyes), snacking on some cookies and milk while the adults were in the lab. They only left the dining room when they heard them coming down the hall. The other two boys had been more than a little curious about what their fathers were up to. Hence, why they had snuck into the lab and were now gazing at the strange machines and computer that resided within.

“Don’t worry so much, Yuuko,” the older Kamishiro twin said as he and Taiga gazed at the computer that was attached to a strange looking machine. “We will leave before Papa, Oji-san and Yushima-san return.”

Taiga nodded as he smiled at her. “Aren’t you curious what they’re working on, Yuuko-chan?”

Yuuko narrowed her eyes and puffed out her cheeks as her brother answered for her. “Of course she is,” Yuugo said as he typed on the computer. “Papa wouldn’t stop working on the EDEN Project for no reason.”

“What’s that?”

Yuugo smiled as he began explaining their father’s project. Yuuko frowned, opting to ignore them for now, but she couldn’t deny what her brother was saying. Ever since they were born, their father talked about creating a virtual reality space where people could physically meet despite being in different districts or countries. Their father had been working long hours on this project (with several of his scientists, assistants and techs) for several months now.

By the looks of it, he seemed to be getting close to a breakthrough when he suddenly stopped. Yuuko’s frown deepened. That was the day when a strange man from the National Confidentiality Ministry asked for his help on a case and the next thing they knew their uncle, Detective Satsuma Rentarou, Detective Yushima Hiroshi, Taiga’s father and Kurata Akihiro were at the house several times, discussing several disappearances throughout Japan.

Their father had been so focused on this for several weeks now, sometimes forgetting his promise — to spend as much time with them after their mother’s passing. They all had been affected by their mother’s death. She just hoped it didn’t drive them apart. Yuugo had been so excited about the EDEN Project. Papa had always allowed them to help him with his designs on the EDEN Project. But now they were no longer allowed in the lab. Yuuko knew Yuugo was hurt and disappointed because of this.

Yuuko gazed at Yuugo in concern as he sifted through different files while Taiga sat in a chair next to him. Yuuko shifted her eyes away from the two boys as her brother opened a file that read: DIGITAL SPACE EXPERIMENT.

Yuuko gazed at the door; her thoughts shifting towards her uncle and father. Rentarou had seemed really tense when he arrived this morning. Normally, he would bring them those sweet chocolate buns from that bakery that was near his job whenever he visited them. But today he didn’t. He just gave them a small greeting when he arrived with Taiga’s father and the other adults before following their father to his lab.

“What’s going on?!” Yuuko was started out of her thoughts by the sound of Taiga’s voice. She looked at them to see Yuugo and Taiga stare at the computer screen in shock. “It's not supposed to do that, is it?!”

“No!” Strange coding was forming on the screen without Yuugo touching it. Yuuko took a step back (Taiga following her example) as a bright started engulfing the screen, followed by the machines making a strange cracking and whirling sound. It wasn’t until the machines started sparking with electricity did they finally realize that they were in big trouble.
...
Satoru gazed at his brother in law as they sipped on some tea. He hadn’t seen much of Rentarou after Akemi’s disappearance. Rentarou worked long hours at Kanagawa Prefectural Police Special Investigations Unit and would visit the twin a couple times a month.

The twins looked so much like their mother with their black hair and eyes. Yuuko had her mother’s soft spoken, shy personality and, of course, her love of food. His little girl had such a sweet tooth! Yuugo, on the other hand, was a chip off the old block. Yuugo was more outspoken than his sister and didn’t care for sweets very much, but he did love inventing and being on the computer. Satoru was thrilled when the twins were just as enthusiastic as he was to complete the EDEN Project — a dream Akemi supported him on since the day they first met.

Satoru placed down his tea as a wave of loneliness and guilt filled him. Satoru loved his little angels. He could see their disappointment when they stopped working on the project, but this was more important. Certainly, they would understand. But would they? Satoru wasn’t entirely sure. He couldn’t bear to tell them the truth— that their mother just disappeared one day, never to be seen again. Instead, he lied to them and told them that their mother died after giving birth to them.

Satoru gazed at Rentarou, who was drinking his own tea as he looked through the research Professor Fujimoto and Kurata had found. Satoru knew his brother in law never believed that his sister would just abandon her family after the twins were born. She loved her family and told him every day how much she wanted to be the mother she never had and would talk about all the things they would do as a family.

It had been hard on both of them.

It was tough being a single parent and just as tough when the chance of Akemi being alive was becoming more and more less likely. Not even the best detective could find her.

“So you think the victims were transported to another world.” Satoru gazed at Rentarou’s partner, hope rising in his chest. He knew it was a long shot, but by some chance that Akemi was one of the first to be transported to another world… it would explain her disappearance.

“I know it sounds irrational, but the evidence lines up.” Rentarou nodded, but he looked unsure as well.

“It does seem to fit the anomaly and disturbance,” Professor Fujimoto said as he sipped his tea.

“That could just be a… technology malfunction,” Kurata retorted, unsure of how he felt where this conversation was going.

Professor Fujimoto placed his tea down with a frown. “Really, Kurata? All technology — lights, phone booth, traffic lights, soda machines, railways, buses, subways— just stop working within a mile radius of the disappearance and only a mile radius. That’s too much of a coincidence if you ask me.” Kurata didn’t respond, allowing Fujimoto to continue. “Gentlemen, what we have here is something quite fascinating!” There was a spark of excitement swirling in the Professor’s eyes. “Whoever is taking these people is able to affect any technology…” Fujimoto tapped the document on the table. “I believe that this person might be digital itself.”

Kurata groaned, mouthing: Not again.

“Can you imagine it? Another world. A digital world.”

Before anyone could comment, a piercing scream echoed off the walls, bringing dread and fear to all of them.

“ONII-CHAN!”

“Satoru!” Satoru couldn’t remember when warm liquid spilled across the floor, nor when he bolted out of the room at the sound of his daughter’s voice; his brother-in-law’s voice all but ignored in his concern. All Satoru could remember was the fear that filled him as he watched his son being pulled into a Digital Gate.

Unable to do anything, he broke down.
...
Yuugo wasn’t sure why the machine had reacted the way it did; none of them had touched it, after all.

A moment too slow, he made to move away. But then, some kind of force field activated and the suction began pulling him towards a portal which had opened up. His feet scrambled for grip on the smooth lino floor of the lab and failing. Desperately, he tried securing himself by grabbing the edge of the brick wall. That, too, had little effect as his tiny fingers weren’t able to hold on for very long.

His gasp was cut short. Yuugo felt the suction become stronger and his body became airborne for a moment. Yuuko screamed for her brother, prompting their father to bolt from the kitchen, Rentarou close behind.

Everyone watched in horror, unable to stop the machine in time as Yuugo was sucked into the Digital Gate forever.
...
Yuuko cried as she saw the last of her brother. Taiga hesitantly wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to comfort his long-time friend.

She couldn’t believe Yuugo was gone. The younger twin sobbed as she accepted Taiga’s comforting gesture, burying her head into his chest. His cheeks flushed a little from embarrassment, but he was glad she didn’t see it. Yuuko didn’t need to know he was embarrassed just from helping her out.
...
Rentarou approached his brother-in-law, Satoru of whom had collapsed to his knees upon witnessing Yuugo be taken from him. The blue-haired DATS Director placed a hand on his relative’s shoulder and Satoru turned to look him in the eye.

“Don’t worry, Satoru. We’ll get him back. We’ve almost completely stabilized our own Digital Gate.”

Satoru knew he should have felt something, but there was only grief. “Are you sure we’ll be able to find him?”
...
Three weeks later, DATS had managed to properly stabilize their own Digital Gate. Rentarou called Satoru in, alongside Professor Fujimoto and Kurata. The three men waited as Rentarou activated the Gate, after the Director glanced at the special device on his wrist.

The device was actually their way home if they ran into any trouble. Rentarou hoped they wouldn’t, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. He spared another look at Satoru, reflecting on Yuuko staying with his own wife.

Neither of them knew how long this would take, so his wife caring for Yuuko meant everything.

A soft beep from the machine let Rentarou know the Gate was ready to be used, so he focused his attention on those gathered. “This is a search and rescue mission only. Do you understand that, Kurata?”

The man with an odd hairstyle grumbled but gave his confirmation.

“Good.” Rentarou’s lips thinned at Kurata’s reaction, but he said nothing. “If we encounter any hostile creatures, do not engage. Finding Yuugo is our number one priority. Killing is outlawed.”

Rentarou knew of Kurata’s production of the Gizmon and had promptly informed Satoru of the artificial beings. As expected, Satoru was disgusted.

One by one, the rescue party entered the Digital Gate to find themselves in a whole other world. Satoru, Professor Fujimoto and Rentarou were amazed by their surroundings, while Kurata’s face was unreadable.

The former fanned out in a line, looking at everything they could see to try and discern if Yuugo was in this area. It was a few minutes before the first creature was sighted, causing Satoru to stop mid-step.

Rentarou and Fujimoto hurried over to where he was and stilled by Satoru’s side. Whatever kind of digital creature it was, it didn’t seem to want to attack.

“Hello,” Rentarou spoke in a calm manner. He didn’t want to spook the creature. “We’re looking for a young boy with black hair. He would have been transported here three weeks ago.”

The Digimon, for that was what they believed it was, still studied them. “I am Dobermon. Follow me.”

Though Kurata lagged, the other men kept as close to Dobermon as they dared. The Digimon soon arrived at a small village where an Ankylomon was tending to what appeared to be a small child.

“!” Satoru started and made to run forward, but Rentarou grabbed his shoulder.

“Not now.” At Satoru’s questioning, yet desperate stare, Rentarou continued. “They don’t trust us at present. The canine Digimon only brought us here because we described Yuugo as a small child. If we attempt to rescue Yuugo now, the Digimon will become hostile.”

Satoru made a strangled noise of despair. His son was so close, yet so far.

However, he realized his brother-in-law was right in his assumption. The Digimon clearly had their own troubles. In the distance, there was billowing smoke from what had to be a fire. And as they had entered, there were sections of forest torn apart.

Why?

Professor Fujimoto finally spoke. “Is there something happening here, perhaps a civil war?”

None of the Digimon answered him, but their nervous glances at each other pretty much proved it. And yet they still sheltered a human child… unbelievable, Fujimoto marvelled. Truly the bravest of the brave. He was amazed.

Rentarou shook his head. “Kiba, there’s a time and a place...”

“Oh yes. Apologies, my good man.” Taiga’s father, now named Kiba, regretted his previous words. Mentally, however, he was still theorizing on how they could help the Digimon against their foes.

His voice strained from stress, Satoru added. “Don’t.” He suspected he knew what Kiba was planning, but he had no intention of getting involved any further than rescuing Yuugo. Satoru wanted no part in whatever hair-brained scheme Kiba was concocting.

“But-” Fujimoto attempted to explain, but Rentaoru cut him off.

“We’re here to rescue Yuugo and that’s it.”
...
Of the Olympus Twelve, Apollomon of the Sun was in the village currently. He had been in the village as its Guardian since the boy was found. The powerful Ultimate level Digimon had taken a liking to the child, caring not for his age, but his innocence.

Apollomon had stopped by the Village of Beginnings prior to arriving in the village, bringing with him a fiery red Digitama. Though the boy was young, Apollomon believed his bond would be strong with the Mokumon inside the Digitama, once the Mokumon hatched.

His blue eyes pinpricks in the darkness, Apollomon watched silently. The Olympus Twelve member had to laugh mentally. These humans were something else to make him chuckle. He admired them for wanting to save the boy – Yuugo, was it?

Apollomon raised his head and his eyes narrowed, however. “The child is not leaving the village. He’s under my protection now.”

He stood and walked forward slowly, observing the humans react to his voice. Apollomon respected that the first three seemed to understand they were in the presence of a very powerful Digimon, but he found himself disgusted by the fourth’s reaction.

The fiery Ultimate actually admitted to feeling slight fear at how the man he believed they’d said was Kurata reacted to his commanding tone. It was like this vile human had been to the Digital World before, several times judging by his emotions, and wanted nothing more than to destroy all Digimon.

But why? What had his brethren done?