A/N: I will be telling the story of the second arc of Xros Wars in fragments. I am using 20 Prompts, Easy List 2. The first prompt used is 'Getting'.
Chapter One: Decisions
Her fingers trembled as she reached for the door-handle. Since their first day away from the real world, she had always wanted to return. It was the one place she felt safe, where they didn't have to worry about being killed every moment of the day.
But then, why didn't she feel satisfied? Why did it feel like there was a huge weight on her chest? Part of her simply argued it was shock—after all, they'd been thrown out of the Digital World without warning, victory snatched from their hands—but deep in her heart, she knew that wasn't it.
For a long time after they arrived in the Digital World, she'd wanted nothing more than to go back home. But after a while, that changed. She'd gotten used to her new surroundings and made some amazing friends, coming to care so much that she stood steadfastly by her best friend in his efforts to save the data-made world with the Code Crowns.
And…and though the Crowns had been taken from them, they'd been in bad situations before, right? They could make it through this one, too! Besides, she just couldn't find it in her heart to abandon the Digimon. (Had the situation been any different, she might have thought it funny that she was acting just like Taiki...)
"Akari?" The redhead snapped up as her mother's voice sounded from down the hall. "Where are you going? Do you have something you need to do?"
Akari almost winced at her mother's unfortunate wording. Something she needed to do? It made her think a bit clearer. This wasn't about what she wanted—it wasn't about what anyone wanted. Being stuck in the Digital World hadn't been a choice, but staying in the real world now was. By now, the Bugra Army would be under the impression that it had gotten the competition out of the way, but Akari knew she and the rest of Xros Heart weren't about to let victory fall into the its evil hand!
"Okaa-san, I'll be back soon! Taiki and I were meant to meet up at the park, and I'm running a little late!" she called, her warm hand firmly wrapping around the cold door-handle. Pulling the door open, she ran out of the apartment, increasing speed as her mind and heart's thoughts connected as one.
It's not about what I want, it's about what I need to do. Cutemon needs me, and I won't let him down!
From what her heart was telling her, Taiki had reached the same conclusion way before her, and Zenjirou would soon: they needed to find a way back to the Digital World as soon as possible.
She was so deep in thought and in such a rush that she tripped over nothing and brought her hands out in front of her as she fell. Her right arm twisted when she hit the ground, and she closed her eyes tightly to try to lessen the pain. The throbbing in her arm waning after a few seconds, she opened one eye.
But both instantly shot open when she realized a Garurumon Digimemory was lying on the ground in front of her. What was that doing here? She wasn't a General!
She reached out to touch it with her good hand, but just before she could, a bright blue light flowed out of it. A vision of Garurumon appeared.
"You have a heart of gold, future General of Xros Heart," the Digimon said. Akari blinked, wondering if the Digimemory had come to her by mistake, seeing as Taiki was the only Xros Heart General in the real world right now. She was about to say so when she realized what he'd just said: future General…!
"What do you mean?" she questioned. The hazy Garurumon seemed to chuckle.
"You and your fellow Xros Heart member have been chosen to become Generals," he explained, and before the girl could ask anything more, he went on. "The Digital World is in great peril. You and your friends are our only hope. Please come soon. We will be waiting."
Another light flashed, and a baby pink X-Loader appeared in Akari's hand while the vision of the Digimon returned to the Digimemory.
For a moment, the girl simply stared, then rubbed her eyes with her free hand to make sure this was not some bizarre dream. No, it was real…she had just become a General…! She was so happy that she had the power to help out her friends now, but she was also worried because it meant the Digital World must really be in trouble.
The image of Cutemon filled her mind once more, and with this, she grabbed her new X-Loader, picked herself up, and started running to meet her friends.