This is the first fanfic I've posted here, so I'm looking forward to reviews/critiques/criticisms/flames/etc. I'm not really sure this is Angst, but that seemed like the most appropriate genre.

This fanfic is set at the beginning of season two (or Adventure 02, if you prefer). Season one (Adventure 01) is considered canon to this fanfic, but the CD dramas aren't.

Given the discrepancies in the chosen children's ages between the original Japanese (which I don't have subbed episodes of) and the dub, I primarily followed the dub (using their American grade levels, and an Americanized school system due to my unfamiliarity with the Japanese), but I'm using the three years between seasons that the original Japanese stated. I'm assuming a high school of 9th through 12th graders (Freshmen through Seniors) with the main group being sophomore age (Joe probably being a senior, though I'm not sure whether this is a misinterpretation on my part or not). Hikari and Takeru are seventh graders in a middle school that assumes 6th through 8th grade.

It should also be clear by this point that I'm using the Japanese names or slight variations (I understand that Jyou has a different pronunciation than Jo would, but I'm going with the English Joe in his case). Wikipedia, or the first episode of season one, can help anyone who's confused.

There's also one new character in this chapter.

Enjoy.

Chapter 1: Friendship

The school bell chimed three times. It served as a catalyst to incite a surge of movement and noise. Students rushed out of classrooms and descended on the cafeteria in a stampede. Some lunged to claim tables while others lagged behind to search for friends. A few stood on tiptoe in an attempt to see over the crowd and see what was on the menu. In moments the tables were filled, and underclassmen looked around in uncertainty for a place to sit.

In less than a minute the cafeteria as it had been was forgotten, and no one remembered that one table had been full the entire time.

"Coach is just asking to throw the season by letting a sophomore on varsity," one of the older students at that table complained. Stubble on his chin had formed after only a couple of days' neglect, but for younger students it would have taken a week to match. Across the table, the brown eyes of one such younger student lifted in a glare.

"Coach is asking to throw the season," the owner of those brown eyes echoed, "by letting seniors on the team by default." Defiance filled this student's voice, and he set a half-eaten roll back on his lunch tray. For now it was forgotten.

"Watch it, Yagami," the older student's eyes met Yagami's glare. "Whether you've got any talent or not, you don't deserve to be on the team." Three fries went into his mouth slowly while his eyes remained locked on Yagami's. Except for the noise of eating and the surrounding din of the cafeteria, the table was silent. Beside the older student, another lifted a hand to intervene.

"Taichi earned his place on the team," the intermediary spoke. He gave a stern gaze to the student he had interrupted before shifting it to Taichi Yagami. "And the seniors earned their place on the team, too." A brief pause was followed by a strong emphasis on his next words. "All of them."

The older student let his glare drop to his French-fries. Taichi's dropped as well, and his hand remembered the roll. He took a bite, and a few crumbs dropped down his dress shirt to land on his gray dress slacks. His green jacket, unbuttoned, completed his uniform. Every student at the table wore that same uniform, and all of them were male.

"Just as long as he doesn't throw our season the same way he threw JV's last year," the older student broke the silence. The edge was still fresh in his voice. A few nods of agreement followed his words, and this time the intermediary made no comment. Taichi's eyes lifted again, but there was no glare in them. Instead they settled into a blank stare aimed at his lunch tray. His head tilted forward slightly and his gelled hair sagged. That his hair had managed to stay out and upright at all, even with the gel, was a wonder. Every brunette spike was a mess aimed in a different direction: up or down or out.

Seconds passed by in silence, and after nearly a minute the student who had interjected before opened his mouth again, but other voices started conversation before he spoke. Meaningless conversation replaced silence, ultimately returning to the subject of their team, but this time they focused on the upcoming soccer season. Taichi was oblivious to the conversation, and his trance was not broken by it, but by a tapping on his shoulder.

"Taichi, could I have a minute?" His brown eyes turned and lifted to meet the hazel eyes of the girl that had asked the question. Her face was soft and outlined by brown hair that ended in a flip just above her shoulders. Others at the table had noticed her, but their attention remained on their discussion.

"Sure, Sora," Taichi answered, pushing back his chair to stand. Green uniforms surrounded the two on every side, and following Sora through the crowd required watching her head rather than her body. She wore the same uniform as every other female student. Both blouse and pleated skirt were the same green as Taichi's jacket, and the only other marks of color were at the collar and sleeves. Her collar was white, covering part of the blue neckerchief beneath it, and each sleeve had a white ring at the cuff. The two finished weaving through the crowd, and Sora stopped a few steps away from the doors at the end of the cafeteria.

"What is it, Sora?" Taichi asked when Sora didn't say anything. Her eyes were looking past him to a blonde male at a table halfway across the cafeteria. Several students were grouped around him. Some were seated, but several were standing even though there was still room at the table for at least one more. Only one of the standing students was male, and he had dark black hair. Sora's attention returned to Taichi, and her eyes narrowed to meet his.

"Mimi's moving back to Odaiba," she said simply. "As in Mimi from summer camp three years ago." Her second statement was quieter than the first, and her eyes made a quick sweep around the two as she said it. There was no emotion in her voice except a slight wavering to give away that her tone was guarded.

"Mimi?" Taichi breathed, struggling for words. "Mimi," he repeated. "She moved just a few weeks after summer camp ended." Almost beneath his breath he added, "and everything else." An intense look filled his eyes as he asked, "How much does she remember?"

Sora shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "I didn't have the chance to ask until just now when lunch started and I was able to get to a computer. I'm not even sure my reply got through: the Internet's still acting up." Her gaze dropped from Taichi and settled somewhere more distant than spot on the floor where her eyes focused. "I knew Hikari would want to hear the news as soon as possible, and you'll see her before I would have a chance to call." Her eyes lifted again as she smiled reassuringly. Taichi smiled as Sora did.

"I just wish there was a way to get the group back together," he replied, his smile fading as he spoke. Taichi turned, and his eyes scanned the cafeteria in the same direction Sora had been looking before she gave him the news. His eyes settled on that same boy hers had.

"That was part of the reason I pulled you aside now instead of before practice," Sora told him, and Taichi's gaze shifted back to her. She bit her lip. "I was hoping for a favor."

"You know you just have to ask, Sora," Taichi's voice was soft but hesitant, and reluctance tugged at his expression. Even though he was slouching his back was stiff. "What is it?"

"Tennis practice is after school, and I have plans tonight, so I don't think I'll be able to call Yamato and tell him," she explained, each word coming more quickly than the last. "The only time that leaves is now, but if he decides he doesn't want to talk to me then there's no way his fangirls will let me stick around long enough to tell him." She shot a weak glare in the direction of the blonde's table, and then her eyes returned to Taichi's. "But even if he won't talk to you, he at least has to hear what you say."

"You couldn't have just asked me out to a movie?" Taichi grated, but nodded, eyes turning to Yamato's table. The black haired student still stood next to him, and the crowd had added one more girl, if not two. "Who's the dark haired kid he's talking to?"

Sora's eyes narrowed towards the table. "I think that's Ishimura," she answered after a moment. "Koushiro became friends with him the school year after that summer camp, but I don't know whether they're still friends or not. I don't have any idea why he's talking to Yamato, though." Taichi nodded again, only partly hearing her answer, and started across the cafeteria.

Older students ignored Taichi as just as another underclassman, but fellow sophomores nodded or waved. Smaller freshmen darted as he passed by, intimidated at the sight of any student taller than them. One freshman girl stared as he walked by her. All of them went unnoticed by Taichi, however, and his gaze remained intent on Yamato.

Ishimura began walking away while Taichi was still a couple of tables' distance, apparently having finished his conversation with Yamato. Three other male students were seated at the table as well as two girls. The boys were given more room than they needed, and the two girls seemed excited to have gotten seats at all. Several others were forced to stand to be included in the group. One of the boys was talking, but his words dwindled down as Taichi approached Yamato.

"Yagami," Yamato nodded, but quickly added, "I'm a bit busy right now." He spoke dismissively, making no effort to hide his annoyance. Unlike Taichi, his jacket was buttoned, and his overall appearance was cleaner to the point that it had an almost professional look to it. His blonde hair ended in downward spikes that somehow passed as inconspicuous. Cold blue eyes met Taichi's brown.

"Mimi's moving back from America, Ishida," Taichi cut to the point, hands settling in his jacket pockets. "Remember her from summer camp three years ago?" The question had no apparent affect on Yamato Ishida, and his blue eyes simply stared.

"Is she hot?" asked one of the boys from the table. Beside him, one of the girls gave a soft glare that the boy was oblivious to. The question hung in the air for a moment before Yamato answered.

"She was back then." He shrugged before responding to Taichi. "If she's not anymore, then you're wasting my time." Annoyance had left his voice and been replaced by forcefulness. Neither blinked. Silence filled the table, but the rest of the cafeteria was as noisy as it had been the entire time.

"You can see for yourself when the old group gets together," Taichi replied, voice becoming harder to match Yamato's. "As soon as everyone's free-"

"I'll see her before that, or I won't waste my time," Yamato cut Taichi off, and turned back towards the others at his table. "You're doing enough of that right now, Yagami. My band has practice every night this week, and now is the only time we have to relax." He gestured to the other boys at the table.

"You're not some rock star, Yamato!" Taichi nearly shouted, pulling Yamato around by the shoulder to face him again, "You're not all that." The hand moved from its grip on Yamato's shoulder to his collar. "You know how much it means to Hikari that the whole group could get back together again."

Yamato tilted his head in consideration. For a moment he seemed to think about it. Then he snorted and smirked. "Maybe in two years when she's a freshman, if I see her at a party and she's worth looking at, I'll-"

His next words were lost as his head twisted sideways. Taichi's fist hung in the air where Yamato's chin had been a second before. "Be a jerk all you want, but don't insult my sister!" This time Taichi was shouting. Yamato worked his jaw before turning a glare on Taichi. Wide-eyes filled the rest of the table, and the closer two of the three boys were on their feet. Both stood ready to intervene, but for the moment neither moved.

"My point was that I don't care how much it means to your middle school age sister," Yamato spoke deliberately, eyes intent on Taichi. He pushed Taichi's hand off of his collar, and Taichi took a step back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd rather hang out with my friends than waste time reminiscing on old memories."

"Fine," Taichi's voice was calm, but only barely. His eyes left Yamato to sweep over the rest of the table. All of the girls gave him the same glare, and both of the boys that had stood up were watching him. He took another step back and turned to leave. Once he did, Yamato's attention returned to his table, to those he called his friends, and he started up a fresh conversation as though there had been no interruption.

Watching from across the cafeteria, Sora sighed.