Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Digimon 02, aka. Digimon Adventure Zero 2, it belongs to Toei Animation. Other than that, only the few new characters that appear, like Setsuna and Tsubaki, were the only ones I own. This is mainly on the Japanese version.

Digimon Adventure Zero 2: White Reflection

Chapter 1: Premonition

All around him… the air felt stagnant.

The fog, the smell of salt, and the lapping of the ocean.

All around him, a chill came up his spine uncontrollably. Strange visions were already filling up his mind. As he walked around the barren landscape, he looked around in both intrigue and worry, his feet crushing the grains of sand as he went. It made no sense where he was, or how he got there. His eyes, scanning around, could only make out a few shapes of some sort as he went. It was bad enough as he was left standing inside thick, obscuring weather, but somewhat, he was able to trace whatever sound he heard towards the source.

No way that he was going to turn back now, as he trudged on. Most of the time, he was wondering how anybody would live in such a barren place like this. Still, if he was going to find anybody who could help him escape from this landscape, he should have no trouble. Or so the kid thought, as he finally cleared himself out of the mist. He had been feeling nothing but dread when he arrived, slightly shivering as he went.

What is this place? He thought to himself, as he looked around. The ocean… something about this doesn't feel right. Nobody would want to go there even in a million years. For a moment, his eyes were having a lot of trouble adjusting to the scenery. There was no sign of life, and yet, there was only one other person than himself.

Who is it? He asked in wonder, as he stepped closer.

There was no wind to stop him, and he had no difficulty getting closer. When he did, he was able to make out the form of a girl, who he thought was about his height. For a moment, he thought it was his childhood sweetheart. However, he saw that this girl was different; she has shoulder-length hair of chocolate brown, eyes of red, and was wearing a tank top, long gloves, and shorts. Her red eyes stared out forlornly in the distance, something that made the boy's reaction change. With that, he sat down on the sand next to her, the black water lapping at his feet.

Never this one saw eyes this lonely… what is it that makes her soul so sad? No sooner he thought those words, the girl finally spoke. "The beach… can't you hear it's call?"

The boy turned around. Exactly what does this one know? This one does not know what you mean by that, but this place… is full of darkness. A place I do not want to be in… But this girl… she looks familiar at times too…

"I think you know who I am," she murmured, as she continued to stare out at sea. "If not, I cannot be even saved by others closest to me…"

But that's impossible. How do I know who you are? We only just met, de gozaru. With that, he tried speaking out his words.

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

Setsuna-chan, wake up. Setsu, are you awake?

The boy's eyelids suddenly snapped open. He was in a moving station wagon, which was heading towards a new destination. At that time, he was in the front seat, as the rays of light woke him up at the same time. "Uh… gomen nasai, Katsuragi-dono. I was just having a dream, though I don't know it's meaning."

The twenty-two-year-old woman giggled as she drove the transport over the Rainbow Bridge, in front of a beautiful sunset. "You know you don't have to be so formal, Setsuna-kun. You only have to be this formal when it comes to politicians, movie stars and all. Just call me Tsubaki-san for the time being. Here, tomorrow, you'll be attending Odaiba Elementary. So hopefully, you can make a lot of new friends here. So why do you have to be so formal?"

"I guess my oton believed that being polite to others would be able to help get you far, even though he wasn't originally from Osaka. I guess it kind of spread into my genes a bit."

She smiled, her blue eyes turning towards the road again. "Well, this may not be Osaka anymore, but hopefully, you can get used to Tokyo life. It's almost six anyway, and it's getting late. By the time we get there, you stuff should have arrived."

Sitting himself back up, Takagi Setsuna was a thinly built boy of ten. His polar-white mop of hair shone in the setting sun, and ended in a small pigtail hanging on his right side. His usual attire involved a white T-shirt with the kanji character for 'Aki' on it, along with navy jeans. He also wore a crimson Ying-Yang headband and a pair of sweatbands on his wrists. Around his neck, there was a beautifully decorated, silver pocket watch. For his footwear, his white socks and black, orange and white shoes completed the look. His amber, catlike eyes showed a sleepy demeanour at the moment, as the pupils were even narrowed like one. If there were anybody else in the car, they would have wondered what was his grim look on his face, as he watched the sunset.

It has only been about three to four hours since he left Osaka at 2pm by the Shinkansen. A few days ago, Setsuna's relatives were able to send most of his supplies over by courier, leaving the most important possessions to the boy himself. After his arrival at Tokyo Station, his new guardian, Katsuragi Tsubaki was waiting for him. A friendly and energetic young woman, many people would have mistaken her for Setsuna's sister at first because her hair was nearly a colour similar to her arrival, and it was a creamy colour. Dressed in a khaki T-shirt, she also wore a pair of navy jeans, and a black vest over her shirt. In fact, Tsubaki was an assistant master of a karate dojo in Odaiba, not far from where she was staying. Her bluish-green eyes have shown a loving but strong demeanour, making her both calm and harsh at the same time. But overall, she does show signs of hospitality towards many of her guests, probably including Setsuna.

By the time they arrived, the sun has completely set, and the night sky has displayed the stars and the moon all around. With that, the boy and his guardian arrived at the apartment. Along the way, they had to go shopping for supplies, and it was now currently 6:08pm. Most of the residents were in their own units, and after Tsubaki received her household keys from the receptionist, the two made it to their floor.

"Don't be surprised if you find this flat a bit of a mess at times, I've only just moved there myself a couple of months ago," Then she sighted a stack of boxes. "Hey, I was right! Your stuff has arrived!"

"Hopefully, I've got everything here," Setsuna replied, as he checked the load. Then his eyes noticed something. "Hmm? Don't we have about four bags of shopping, Tsubaki-dono?"

"It was actually five, I could have sworn… shoot. The fifth one has the perishables in it!"

Placing his load down, Setsuna politely said, "There's probably no need for you to go to all this trouble to retrieve the bag. If I could borrow your car keys, I could try to make it quickly by elevator."

Tsubaki quickly tossed Setsuna her car keys. "Thanks, Setsuna-chan, I appreciate it. You know what model my car is, right? A silver Daihatsu, got it?"

"Hai!" and no sooner had the boy said it, he rushed off to the parking level. But he failed to hear something as Tsubaki yelled out, "Hey, wait up! Don't got to…"

If Setsuna were to obtain the stuff as possible, then he would have found the quickest route possible. But he would have required a Plan B, and that was what he should have had when he arrived at the lifts.

Note to self – listen to what your peers have to say before you rush off aimlessly, he growled, as he found an 'Out of Order' sign hanging on the lift. The only other option he had were the stairs, and so, regardless of his safety, he rushed down.

But because he only woke up prior to arrival at the apartment, his foresight didn't kick in fully. And since he was in a hurry, he suddenly tripped as he turned into a corner on one of the flight of stairs. Losing his balance, he clumsily rolled down. And a scream later, he realised that he crashed into someone, but he couldn't make out whom. Finally, at one of the corners, they stopped, with Setsuna's head still spinning. It was only until a second later, he realised that his face landed on something.

My head… good thing this pillow was there… what pillow? He realised he actually landed on someone's chest. And it was a girl's chest…

Now an embarrassed look overwhelmed him along with the girl. Next thing that happened, to the girl's shock, the boy quickly got up, quickly bowing multiple times, his speech gone blurry. "G-G-GOMEN NASAI!" he cried, still blushing, and sweatdrops covering his face. "DAIJOUBU KA?"

The girl sat herself up. She was about half a head taller than he was, wearing a hairclip in her chocolate-brown hair. Somehow, there was a sort of caring aura surrounding her, as seen in her red eyes. She was wearing a pink and white tank top, with a digital camera around her neck. Along with her long, pink gloves, she also wore a pair of yellow shorts, white socks, and pink shoes. Unlike Setsuna however, she instantly made herself calm. "I'm okay… you don't have to be so dramatic. But I apologise as well, since I didn't notice you until now."

He held out his hand, and helped the girl up. "Gomen, gomen, I should have watched where I was going when going down those stairs. With the lift broken, there was no other choice but to take the stairs down. I've only just moved from Osaka."

"So you're from Osaka huh? Omoshiroi, you're certainly new here. Why you're in a hurry for?"

A split second later, he remembered. "That's right. There was one bag of perishables left in Katsuragi-dono's car, which included the tofu, milk, orange juice, and the miso. That's why I was in a hurry before."

Dusting herself, the girl decided to ask Setsuna something. "You don't mind if I could help you, would I?" she asked sweetly.

"Really, you shouldn't go this trouble but…" but the girl interrupted him before he could formulate the excuse. "But nothing! You shouldn't be overly humble either, and you could at least try to accept people's kindness more. Besides… if you bump into the next boy or girl you see, I don't think they would be as forgiving as me now, right?"

A nervous look appeared on Setsuna's face as an image of him getting his butt kicked came into his mind. "Eh heh heh… good point," he replied nervously, still blushing as he and the girl went downstairs to the parking lot. Instantly, thoughts came into his mind. Kami. Makes me wonder how I should have been a bit more careful at times. Talk about an accidental meeting… somehow, this girl kind of looks familiar too. Instantly, one thought hit his mind, forcing him to hold back the words. This couldn't be the same girl that I dreamt about along the way to Odaiba, was it? Hmmm…

Breathing slowly, Setsuna chose some different words. "So, what's the reason you were doing here before I intervened?"

"I kind of had to retrieve some history notes from school that I forgot to take home. If I arrived a few minutes later, the school would have had its lockdown."

"That would have been annoying. That school would be Odaiba Elementary, right?"

The girl's eyebrow perked, as they arrived at the parking lot. "How did you know?"

Setsuna's hand rubbed the back of his head. "Well, before I moved, my relatives happened to fill in the application for the school, since it's one of the few in the area. I didn't know it took a wild guess to figure it out, de gozaru. That's probably how the name came into mind," When they came to the Tsubaki's Daihatsu, the boy unlocked it. "Looks like I not only left the perishables in the car…" he trailed, because in the front seat, there was a small creature on four tiny legs, mostly purple, save for the spot of white in its face. The small, hamster-like creature was currently snoozing away.

"So is this all?" asked the girl, who was holding the bag, while Setsuna retrieved his 'plush toy'. Earlier on, when he found his 'toy', he automatically opened up the boot and the car doors. Nodding, Setsuna locked all of the doors. As they headed back up the stairs, taking turns to carry the bag, the girl made her comment. "This toy you have… it's so cute."

A look of shock came to him, but he suppressed it just in time. "Hm? You mean this? I kind of obtained it from a friend before I left Osaka. I kind of… wasn't sure what to name him, so his name's Dorimon," Then he remembered something. "By the way, which floor do you live in, eeto…"

The girl stopped along the way, as they were nearly there. "Oh yes, I never said. My name's Hikari. Yagami Hikari, pleased to meet you. I'm on the seventh floor."

"Two floors below mine, eh? Thank you for your help, Hikari-dono. I guess this one might see you at school or something tomorrow, okay?"

"Maybe you could meet some of my friends too, like Takeru-kun. You don't have to call me '-dono', okay, eeto…"

"Takagi Setsuna," came his reply, as he obtained the bag.

"You don't have to call me 'Hikari-dono', Setsuna-kun. Watashitachi wa nenrei to onaji da. I'm eleven years old,"

But the white-haired boy shook his head. "That must mean I'm a year younger, so scratch the 'same age' bit. Still… Oyasumi Nasai, and Arigatou," with that, he bowed in respect, making his way home, unaware that he left something near the stairs.

Of course, Hikari didn't notice either, as she also returned home. His politeness… I thought people like him would have spoke in a Kansai dialect. So what is it with him? And if he has Dorimon, then could he be a Chosen Child too? She thought, as she went inside her own condo, still musing over the events.

…

TV Dinners tonight huh? Fair enough, it's better than nothing, Setsuna thought, disappointed as he reminisced about the events as he ate his meal quietly. Not long after he met up with Hikari, he helped Tsubaki placing the grocery away, along with setting up his room. When he first arrived, he was surprised to see that her condo slightly messy, so he also helped with that too. Already, he quite disappointed on how his guardian was living in a slightly lazy lifestyle, but because of her lessons, there were times she didn't have the time clean up. When he thought he was done with his meal, he washed it down with a mug of water, placing his chopsticks away.

"Gochisousamadeshita," he politely said, his head bowing once again. When Tsubaki looked up, she noticed that Setsuna hasn't actually finished eating his meal.

"You didn't finish your dinner yet, and you looked worried. Could it be because of your Digimon?"

Whatever she said just now wasn't what he was expecting. His cat pupils even widened at the comment, with a mix of curiosity and surprise. "What? Just how do you know about Dorimon? I thought you didn't know about him at first!"

His guardian giggled. "It's not just intuition I've got. The fact with the events with the monster sightings that happened three years ago make this nothing new to me. It's just that if you were worried about your friend here, then there's no need to go half-hungry. It's better to have a full meal, so I guess you can give your friend, I mean, Dorimon something to eat."

"So that means you don't mind Dorimon hanging around do you?"

"As long as he doesn't make a mess, it'll be fine," Tsubaki was smiling now that she figured out about Dorimon. Her look somehow changed into that of mischief. "By the way… I kinda smell something on you that's more than either the groceries and Dorimon. Did you meet a girl or something along the way, hmm?"

This time, sweatdrops were forming on his forehead. "DAME! It wasn't a date or anything, and this one's not blushing!"

"Oh yes you are!" she smirked, toying with his mind and giggling at the same time. Setsuna-chan, you naughty little devil…

"It was only an accident, alright?" he yelled, still embarrassed over the events. "What's with you and teasing me anyway?"

"It not only gives me amusement watching your face, but it sort of gives life to this apartment. I never had this much fun since I moved there."

Even though Tsubaki liked to annoy Setsuna at times, he knew that she wasn't all that mean. "But isn't it lonely to live here by yourself? You have your university fees, right?"

She slowly placed her chopsticks down, slightly frowning. "Yeah… when it comes to living by yourself in the city, you have to find ways of supporting yourself. It's hard enough to live on your own, but when it comes to obtaining money for your classes, it wouldn't be enough for taxes."

"Talk about terrible… at least you have your karate lessons to take care off, right?"

"Then there's the fact I also have to work at the convenience store too. At least Inoue-san was kind enough to offer me that job." She said it as Setsuna place a TV dinner in the microwave for his friend to eat. After taking another bite, he swallowed before he was able to speak again.

"The responsibilities of three occupations seem harsh, plus maybe with looking after myself. You don't have to go to all this trouble, with you and Asato-sensei teaching me and all. If there's anything I could do, maybe Dorimon and I can help. Still… though I don't want to admit it at first… you look better when you're not trying too hard, and not being overly stressed."

Tsubaki's frown automatically flipped into a smile. "You sure know some deep stuff, for a ten-year-old. Arigatou,"

"You should be thanking Yuzuriha-dono. After all, she's the one who usually has the positive thinking – I have wisdom thanks to karate training. But I do envy her at times… wish I could be like that since okan-chan and oton-chan…"

"You miss them, right? That could probably mean you miss your childhood sweetheart as well since she's back in Osaka," Setsuna nodded in response. When he was finally done eating, he wiped his mouth with a tissue and stood up.

"I better not keep Dorimon hungry for long, and I have school to prepare for. Once again, gochisousamashita, and good night, Tsubaki-dono," With that, the boy carried the tray of food over to his new bedroom.

…

"So, let me get this straight. Tsubaki-san knows about me?" asked the green-eyed, Baby II Digimon as he quickly ate up his meal in his partner's bedroom. It was only some time after Setsuna finished eating, and he only just woken up.

Setsuna was only brushing his teeth as he replied, "That's right. There's probably no use hiding from her anyway, except for some other humans. It would have been easy for you to stay still as a stuffed animal for now, but still…"

"Speaking of humans, when I was sleeping I kind of noticed another scent,"

"Another scent?" asked the white-haired boy, as he washed his face.

"Right," Dorimon already finished his meal by the time he said that. "I have to admit, you know the girl you bumped into, right? Somehow, I smelt a scent, something that may be familiar… I couldn't work it out. But it could possibly a Digimon without a doubt."

Yawning, Setsuna stretched himself. "Maybe I'm not the only one who has a Digimon partner after all. On top of that, if Hikari-dono is another…"

"Chosen Child or something, then we might have a purpose. Maybe something in the Digital World would help us know," finished the purple Digimon. "Since about a few years ago…"

"When we first made our contract. But I still have qualms on what the future holds… whether I like it or not…" A slight look of seriousness crossed over his face. "Still, school's on tomorrow after all."

"Don't be so downcast, Setsuna-kun, you'll make a lot of friends soon. Lots of kids are nervous when it comes to entering a school at a different environment," Dorimon hopped onto his partner's bed as Setsuna slid in. "There's only two chances on what tomorrow brings, alright?"

The amber-eyed boy removed his headband and his sweatbands. It depends on how some people see tomorrow differently, he thought, still frowning. Over the years, he has been through a lot of events, and there were some he did not want to talk about. It wasn't a share of bad luck he has, but somehow inside, his heart has been full of pain lately. There were times the karate lessons helped him forget the pain… but he couldn't drown in that same pain for eternity, forcing him to run away. There will be a day Setsuna would have to face that pain head-on, someday.

He felt edgy. Caution seemed to be his style when it comes to fighting, having to analyse any situations that pose a problem. But he hardly began to think more when weariness took over his state of mind. Considering the fact after the times he was shifted to different relatives before, he was able to settle himself down at a home he was used too.

"It's been a long day, Dorimon… but tomorrow should be good…" he murmured, as his head lay down to rest, snoozing away peacefully. In fact, he would be looking forward to more than just a school day, as his partner also dosed next to him.

Clenched in his hand however, his white Digivice began to glow…

To be continued…

Final Genesis: If you think Dorimon is one of my creations, wrong answer. He's an actual Digimon, having appearing in the manga Digimon Chronicle. I may not have seen much of his attacks or evolutions in action, so it would be nice to gain some more information about him.

And if you're thinking about the romance, don't worry; this isn't a Setsukari or something. Maybe there is some, maybe there isn't. Besides, you'll find out how our newest member sees Hikari. And another thing: Since there was some Japanese mentioned, I'll make a little glossary.

De gozaru – A polite verb, at times meaning 'that I do', or something like that. But I'm probably not intending on using it all the time… well maybe.

-Chan – A honourable term either with small children or with those who have grown, as a way of showing affection.

Gomen Nasai – Method of saying 'I'm sorry'.

-Dono – You know how people were called '-san'? Well this is even more honorific than '-san', it indicates both respect and humility.

-San – Honorific, it carries the meaning of 'Mr', 'Mrs', 'Miss', etc. Interestingly enough, even an enemy would be addressed as '-san'.

Oton – A Kansai way of saying 'father'.

Aki – This particular kanji, for 'autumn'.

Hai – Yes.

Daijoubu ka – Are you all right?

Omoshiroi – Interesting.

Kami – God.

Eeto – A way of saying 'umm'.

-Kun – Used in modern times around male students, or those who grew up together, but also in a 'superior-to-inferior' rank, difference in status or rank, plus familiarity or affection.

'Watashitachi wa nenrei to onaji da' – 'We're the same age'.

Oyasumi Nasai & Arigatou – The former, 'Good Night', the latter 'Thanks'.

'Gochisousamadeshita' – A polite way of saying 'Thank you for the meal'.

Dame – No!

Sensei – Teacher.

Okan – Kansai for mother.

That's about all for now, though hopefully, when I sent this, it'll be better than my first attempt at a Digimon fic. Somewhat, I had a habit of making my characters godly before, which was why I scrapped it after a few chapters and all. And another thing – since you see the Dark Ocean in the beginning of this chapter, would it be best to set it to 'Call of the Dagomon' (aka. His Master's Voice), or after Season Two? Personally, I prefer the first choice.

On Sunday, it's off to China for me too for a fortnight! Though it wasn't for a holiday, I was originally going to see my grandmother who was ill, but sadly, she passed away. But hopefully, it'll be okay.

Anyways, now that school's over… enjoy the holidays! Hopefully, I get a lot more reviews on this fic compared to the past… still shuddering on receiving only three reviews before. Well, have fun!

Final Genesis, signing out!

P.S. Read and Review!

Author's Additional Note: (22/05/11) Thought I'd properly modify the chapters as such so it'll flow consistently as best as it could just in case.