[center][img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjcyLjQ1OWYzYy5UbUYwYUdGdWFXVnNJRk4wWldsdVpYSSwuMAAA/nickainley.regular.png[/img][/center]

[center]A Collab between myself and AngelofOctober[/center]

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” that’s about the tenth time he had heard it today. Not that it particularly bothered him, he recognized it’s what others to say to comfort themselves usually. That seems like a cynical way of putting it, but that’s the way it felt. People giving him strange looks as he remained stone face. Heard a few folks tell his mother it’s denial. Though his mother just played sad widower better than he was able to cry for face. 

Walking up to his mother, she looked towards him, dabbing her eyes, purposely smearing her eyeliner. They shared the same black hair, and her Hungarian features came from her. 

“May I take a break?” he ask her.

“You take as many breaks as you like dear,” she said with a crack in her voice and a wink from her left eye.

She said it herself this funeral was for show, after the family had an uproar when she had originally said she didn’t want a funeral. Neither did his father. The family, however, had a different idea. After his mother had an argument with his grandmother, they chose this place, a small church in their smaller village. Wrapping his scarf, which was draped over his seat, around his neck he walked outside for a bit of air.

Sitting outside in the lobby he’s getting looks from the family and their friends. He didn’t necessarily what they were saying. More he prefered they said nothing. His aunt Bethany had given him a particularly scolding look as he took out his laptop. She places her pointer finger up to one of her friends and walks up to him.

“Are you doing okay Sugar Flakes?” she ask him in a sweet voice.

He wished they weren’t so concerned about him. Though he supposed he understood why they were. They were afraid for him, it’s why he accepted it.

“I am fine,” he replies with a nervous calm. She frowns.

“If you say so, you’ve been through a lot,” she says.

He knows she cares for him so all he does is nod a wordless thank you before lifting the top of his laptop up. He just wanted a moment to himself to zone out. While he may seem like a natural extrovert, these kind of exchanges did begin to tire his thoughts. Avoiding his blog for now he went to check his emails instead. Probably another set of condolences. 

Meanwhile,

Dorumon initializing the device first. 

“It will search for the next best candidate,” Dorumon says handing Kei back the device, “You might not come out completely clear.”

Kei could feel a sense of nervousness. He knew he had agreed to do this. More like forcefully volunteer. Now he was becoming worried that was a poor idea. Managing to take a few breaths, a portal opened in the device, glitching digital swirling binary code. Here went nothing. 
As Nathan began to delete a handful of emails, mainly junk mail, his computer screen began to act up. It’s probably on the fritz again. He had been meaning to get it fixed, just hadn’t had the time. Till a small Asian boy was becoming blurry, but clear on his screen.

“Hello,” the boys voice was unstable, glitching a few times.

“He-llo?” Nathaniel questions whether or not he should be talking to some stranger on his computer. Is this hacking? He was certain the movies version of hacking wasn’t exactly truthful, yet he had no other way of describing this moment.

“O-h good you can hear me,” the young boy laughs nervous, “I’m Himura Kei. And we need your help.” 

“Who’s we in this case?” Nathaniel not sure if the concern of his family is warranted at this point since he seems to be losing his mind.

“You’re one of many Digidestined and right now their world is in trouble,” Kei says, “They say the badguy of this world once he takes over the Digital one will come and take over the human world. I don’t know how much that is true or not. But-we need to collect Crest in order to take down this evil.”

What was the normal reaction to a scenario like this, Nathaniel wondered. Puzzlement is a good one. Worried for the sake of one’s sanity is another one. A childish side of him wanted to believe in fact that all this boy on the other side of the computer said is true. His own excitement or desire for an adventure kind of tingling, but since he was eight he knew adventures to a magical land were not reality.

“Okay,” Nathan says, “Do you have any proof?”

It takes the boy second. At first he thinks he’s lost the boy before he sees a weird creature, whose body looks that of a blanket and three horns. 

“Hi I am Kokomon,” it speaks.

Well that’s some proof. 

“This is all an odd strange little request,” Nathan says, “And if I deny this request?”

“It’s fine we’ll find the next person, truth be told there’s a lot of danger here,” Kei tells him, he sounds earnest and a little scared, “One of the kids we just met...died. I want to be transparent about that and clear...that….so far this journey has been dangerous and has lead to the death of..someone. You don’t have to come...I’ll tell the next person and the next person...I..”

Wait, someone has died? 

“How old are you?” Nathan replies.

“Ten,” Kei remarks.

Somewhere in the universe or perhaps somewhere else, several young kids were off on their own witnessing the death in a new world. Ordinarily something like this he’d laugh off as the lack of sleep. But the young man in the screen sounded scared. Albeit a bit nervous as well.

“Don’t hang up, I’ll help you,” Nathan says.

“You...should…” Kei pauses for a second, again Nathan’s afraid the connection has been lost, “say goodbye to your family.”

Nathan gives his own nervous laugh while looking back at the church. If he were to die in a strange little universe his mother might not want to hear about it. And if he met a fate as worst as death he’d have nothing to regret.

“I’m all right, go ahead send me through,” Nathan said.

“Just take my hand,” Kei said.

Well moment of truth whether or not this was some kind of elaborate dream or if it were reality. He stuck his hand through his computer. It felt like being squeezed through a tube of toothpaste, as he was squeezed through a small space. Till he came out the other side. To see a purple dinosaur. The boy from the message. A young girl with red hair. A brown hair boy stunned in silence and a lot of trees. Nathan dust himself off, though he was uncertain was exactly he was dusting off.

“Well, this,” Nathan looked around, “Different.”

“Um, can I get your name?” Kei asked.

“Yes, sorry, I am scattered at the moment,” Nathan smiles, “Nathaniel. Nathaniel Steiner. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I wish it were on better circumstances.”

He really is ten. He’s shorter for a ten year old. 

He’s older than him. Though Kei wonders how many people he were expecting to be his age. He nervously looks at Nasaneiru-san. 

“It’s...nice to meet you too Nasaneiru-san,” Kei replies.

Kei nervously hands him the device. That’s the device Toristusan wore. He wished Nasaneiru didn’t have to wear it. He could understand how it could be weird to others. 

“When you put it on your Digimon should come out,” Kei nods.

“Well let’s hope I have the code to breakthrough,” Nathan laughs. Kei stares at him. Nathan smiles.

“Nevermind if I tried to explain it wouldn’t even make sense,” Nathan tells him, “You don’t have to call me Nathaniel. Nate. Nathan. Neil are all acceptable as well. I have a versatile name.”

He’s honestly trying to make this kid a little less nervous.
Kei not sure he understands. He smiles though. 

Nathan puts on the device, which turns from it’s multi colored patterning, to a nice dark fuschia. There a blinding lighting comes from the device.

A small bird shape creature comes out. It immediately starts running around like a dog when it gets the zoomies.

“Who are we fighting? Where did they go?” the creature ask looking both ways and zooming past Rachel, to run back to circle around Nathan and Kei.

“Well aren’t you active,” Nathan laughs.

The creature stops. It’s eyes begin to get big and seemed to spark with excitement, “NATHAN IS HERE! NATHAN IS HERE!” It begins to shout and run around some more.

“Well at least that’s half the introduction to spare,” Nathan says nervously, “And your name?”

“It’s Pinamon,” who has finally decided to relax near him.

What a strange circumstance this is turning out to be. Though he supposed he didn’t have much of a complaint. Who knew this all might be the fun he needed.