estoria | [OPEN] These dreams go on when I close my eyes

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[OPEN] These dreams go on when I close my eyes

Who: Hikari Yagami & OPEN
When: IC: (late July) /OOC: (early June)
Where: Gardens
What: As a Child of ~~Light~~ Water, Hikari's been having some...interesting Dreams the last few days. The kind that are keeping her up at night, leaving her exhausted during the day.
Rating/Warning: Some potentially Dark themes involving children. Mentioning of Death. ~~Basically, if you've ever seen the season 02 episode, His Master's Voice, it's a little like that.~~

"Hikari? ...Hikari?"

The eight year old girl in question's eyelashes fluttered softly, face scrunching up as she was lightly shaken, before slowly opening. It took a few seconds for her vision to readjust before she sat up. Glancing around at her surroundings and...trying to remember where she was.

"Tailmon?" Voice heavy with sleep, she glanced down at her digimon companion, who was looking up at her in concern. "What...?"

"You fell asleep. Again."

There was little surprise at the news. Because she knew it was true. And why.

Straightening, Hikari glanced around at the park they were currently in. The ground was soft, a pleasant breeze blowing across her cheeks from beneath the shade of a large tree. Any other time, and it would have been no wonder she'd fallen asleep. The little sketchbook she'd purchased some time back was still in her lap. The camera she'd been using to take pictures for inspiration, at her side.

Except...the dark shadows beneath her eyes told of a slightly more troubling story.

"I'm sorry," she offered in the middle of stiffening a deep yawn. Rubbing at one eye that stung a little in the morning light.

Tailmon's ears dropped at the apology. Worried not only for Hikari's health, but saddened that she felt she needed to apologize at all. "...you had that dream again last night, didn't you?"

Not knowing what else to say, Hikari nodded. Her gaze drifted over to where there was a small pond. The waters still, save for the occasional little ripple. An increasingly familiar sight to her these days, though not for the reasons one might think.

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She watched him. His expression. Listened to the tone of his voice. And she understood, reaching out--tentative, at first, before firming her resolve--and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I miss my mom too. And my dad." Though she knew it would be of little comfort to him at this time. "...you can feel sad if you want to. It's okay, Takeru-kun."

He simply continued to keep that pout on his face. While he didn't have a problem expressing how he felt, he couldn't deny he was embarassed by the whole thing.

"...I know. I miss my dad too and I wonder if they're okay." He mumbled to himself. "But I really wish they were here."

He really just wanted his mom and dad to be here together.

"So do I."

Whether she meant her parents, or his (or both), she didn't clarify. Leaving him to speculate at will.

"But..." And here, the corners of her lips twitched upward into a sad, but hopeful smile. "I still have Oniichan with me. And you have Yamato-san. And...we have each other, too. And Patamon and Tailmon. So we're not--"

She paused just long enough to let out another yawn. Wiping at her eyes with notable lethargic movement.

"...sorry."

"No it's okay but...maybe we should go back home. If you're tired, I don't want your brother to worry about you."

He wasn't sure exactly how much sleep Hikari got but there was no way he was going to let her keep yawning. Instead, he gave his hand out to her in hopes of walking back home together.

However, there was something else that's been bothering him. Although, he was going to let that slide for now. Hikari was more important.

Maybe it was because she was so tired at the moment, but she completely missed out on that other thing in favor of...shaking her head, and looking away.

"N-no, I'm fine, Takeru-kun." It wasn't technically a lie. She was 'fine' as long as she was awake. Sleepy, but fine. "I can...wait until after dinner."

"Are you sure? You really look sleepy and I think it would be better if you taken a nap back home!"

At this point, he was ready to drag her back home if he has to! Despite her saying she was 'fine', he didn't think so. Not when she looked so tired.

She shook her head again, and this time, in a voice (small and weary) that might have given her away...

"Please don't make me."

Hear that? That is the sound of a 7 year old boy feeling guilty for being an 'adult' now.

"But we got to. I don't want you to fall asleep in the garden."

"I don't want to fall asleep at all."

At this point, there was no going back. He had to know. And...he was her best friend, so she had to trust him.

"Whenever I do, the...nightmares come back."

Now that alerted Takeru! As he stared at his best friend, all he could do was give a frown in return.

"...Is that why you haven't getting a lot of sleep? Because you see a lot of scary things in your dreams?"

She tried not to look at his face, but when she caught the frown out of the corner of her eye, she visibly winced. This was exactly what she'd hoped to avoid. Poor Takeru already had enough going on with missing his mom, and now he was going to end up worrying over her too.

"Not a lot. Just...the same things. Over and over again. I don't even remember most of it when I wake up, but I know it's something I never want to see happen again."

To be honest, Takeru would much rather worry about Hikari than worry about his mom. Now that he knew she wasn't here, he could focus all his attention on his best friend. It seemed better than just moping around and doing nothing.

"...It's not an evil Digimon is it? Because if it is, I promise that I won't let them scare you ever again! Especially not Vamdemon! I'll protect you from them!"

For a fleeting moment, she almost smiled. Almost. The corners of her lips notably twitched, but it was soon overshadowed by the shake of her head. Only it was a shake of...uncertainty.

"I don't know. I've never...I couldn't see his face. It was more like a shadow. And eyes. And..." Her gaze returned to the small body of water nearby. "...and water. I remember hearing water."

Now that made Takeru worried. If she was dreaming about water, does that mean there was something in there? Or if there was an enemy that was going to hurt Hikari?

"T-Then, that just means I'll need to keep my eyes open at all times around the water!" He suddenly shouted. "Especially if it's going to make you feel safer!"

She jumped a little when he shouted. Surprised by his volume.

"Takeru-kun..."

It was...sweet of him. To come to her defense so strongly. And not for the first time, either.

"...thank you."

She did feel a little better. Not completely--that wouldn't happen until the nightmares stopped--but enough that she was able to smile again.

"It's not a problem! We're friends so it's the least I can do!" After all, he had a promise to keep! While Taichi was here, he always needed to make sure to keep her safe whenever he wasn't around! Although, now that he thought about it?

"But does Taichi-san know..?"

"Not yet."

But he would. Soon.

"If he does, he hasn't said anything. And I didn't want to bother him. He has so much going on already."

"But I think you should! Especially when he's your brother and I think he'll be really worried!"

Not to mention if Hikari doesn't tell him? It'll make him even more worried! That he learned best from his big brother.

He...wasn't wrong, and Hikari knew it.

"...alright. I'll tell him. The next chance I get. I promise."

"You promise...?"

Because if she didn't tell him, Takeru couldn't help but wonder if things would get worse.

"I promise."

And to prove just how much she meant it, she held out her pinkie. The ultimate oath for an eight-year-old.

He wasn't going to argue with that! The moment he saw the pinkie out, he wasted no time in giving out his pinkie too! As he wrapped around hers, he couldn't stop giggling.

"Then good! Because the last thing I want is for you to keep on being scared from your nightmares!"

She giggled too, if only because his own laughter was infectious. His presence, really; she had a hard time feeling scared or worried when it was the two of them like this. Together. Safe.

"Me too. I miss being able to sleep. It's hard to concentrate when I'm tired. And then everyone starts worrying about me, and I don't want that, either."

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[OPEN] These dreams go on when I close my eyes

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