Digimon Frontier: Beyond the Digital Gate

Chapter One - The Brother Who Vanished

Takuya's narration

For the first time in a long time, things were normal.

No evil Digimon.

No armies invading the Digital World.

No Legendary Warriors.

No Lucemon trying to destroy everything.

Just school, homework, my family, and occasionally hanging out with the friends who had somehow become my partners in saving two worlds.

Honestly?

I wasn't complaining.

After everything we'd been through, normal felt pretty great.

I was sitting at a table with Zoe, Koji, J.P., Tommy, and Izumi while we ate lunch together.

J.P. was halfway through telling us a story that had already become way too complicated.

"And then," he said dramatically, "I told the guy, 'You can't charge me for that!'"

Zoe raised an eyebrow.

"J.P., you were buying ice cream."

"Exactly!"

Koji sighed.

"How did you turn buying ice cream into an argument?"

"It's a talent."

Tommy laughed.

Izumi shook her head.

I couldn't help laughing too.

It was nice.

Really nice.

Sometimes I wondered if we were ever going to stop thinking about the Digital World.

Maybe we never would.

But at least now we could laugh about it.

"So, Takuya," Zoe said, looking at me, "what are you doing after this?"

"Probably heading home."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You've been saying you're going home early a lot lately."

I shrugged.

"My mom asked me to help with some stuff."

Koji smirked.

"Look at you. Becoming responsible."

"Hey!"

Everyone laughed.

I pointed at Koji.

"You're one to talk!"

"I am responsible."

"You're the guy who almost fell asleep during our last movie."

"That movie was boring."

"It was an action movie!"

"Exactly."

We continued laughing.

Then Zoe casually asked,

"How's your little brother doing?"

I smiled.

"Shinya? He's good."

"Still bothering you?"

"Constantly."

I leaned back in my chair.

"But that's what little brothers do."

Tommy smiled.