The Path of Corruption {Matt Ishida} Couldn't Say Them

Matt sat quickly on the kitchen table, his head resting on his hand as he thought about what had happened the day before. He blushed and quickly stood up to splash some water to his face to cool it down, but it didn't help any. He didn't even what to go out of his apartment if fear that he might run into her again, and her apartment being next door.

“How could I say something so stupid,” he slapped his hand to forehead.

He could still see her turning red as she chuckled at the thought of being Taiga 'Kana' Kanashii. She just thought it was that funny that he had confused her for the all star idol that no one had heard about. He blushed even more, the scene of her holding her sides as she silently laugh was just to much to remember. He had lost some of his 'cool' factor and in front of someone that he would see everyday, that was punishment.

Matt got his things ready for school, throwing his school bag in one shoulder as he threw his guitar over the other. He'd never run into Ishinaka in the morning, so he wasn't worried of having to meet her in the elevator, but luck had a way with forcing itself to be bad when he begged it to be good. As soon as he turned towards the front of the elevator, door closing, he saw her run out of her apartment and towards the elevator.

He could have ignored her and said he didn't see her, but there was something in his gut that didn't allow him to ignore her. Matt was about to place his hand in the opening to stop the doors from closing, but as he did, Ishinaka had jumped forward and forced herself to go into the crack of the opening seconds before the door actually closed.

“Are you insane,” he yelled at her, “You could've gotten hurt!”

She stuck her tongue out at him, apparently her notebook not in hand. He didn't know how he could ever mistake this girl for Kana; she had a bit of resemblance, but Ishinaka looked sweeter, nicer, and didn't seem that much into the music industry even though she enjoyed Kana's music very much. She didn't go anywhere without her small radio that played her music.

“Are you a dancer,” he asked, which was pretty stupid as he could see her dancing shoes flung over her shoulder and a bag with her clothes. She nodded a 'yes' and took the hand he had offered for her to stand, “Then you should be doing stupid stuff like that or you'll hurt you legs.”

She shrugged her shoulders and stood with a straight pose, it was amazing how still she could be and not be a statue. It was an elegant pose, but he was sure it had something to do with her danging than her actually knowing how to pose. She would take great picture, if she wanted, but something about her told him that they would have lots of trouble to get her to stay still in front of the camera.

The ride was going to be short, but it still felt weird not to start off a conversation. “So,” she turned to him causing his breath to catch in his throat, “Umm, which is your favorite song of Kana's?”

She looked at him for a few second before her lips started to trembled and he wished he had stayed off the topic. Muffling a laugh, she turned to reach into her bag were she got out her notebook. Matt was still blushing at the thought of Kana and Ishinaka, and kept calling himself stupid every time he remembered.

'I don't have a favorite song,' she wrote on her notebook and showed it to him, 'They're all nice to listen to.'

“You don't day,” he let out a small laugh, he should've know she wasn't the type of girl that favored anything, not even songs, “One of my few favorites is Waltz of the Moon, the one she was singing yesterday.”

'You want my autograph?' she wrote and broke out into fits of giggles.

“Very funny,” his eye twitched as his cheeks colored, “I was just. . .to into Kana to see the difference in the two of you. Bet you tried to look like Kana at least once,” she turned away from him, he laughed, “See.”

It was their first time actually. . .well, he couldn't actually say talking to each other, but it was close enough. She was a sweet girl that didn't let other take advantage of her, which was why she said she took advantage of the fact that she had Kana's glare, sort of. There was something missing to give the exact same chilling factor as Kana's, and that was when the girl had been twelve. They should fear her at this time of age, if they were ever to run into her.

He had wondered once why he never saw her at his school before and thought that maybe it was because she was younger than him, but it hadn't been either of those. She was a doubt out, and had never actually gone to high school to begin with. She wrote that it was a waste of her time and that the teacher would just get fed up for her inability to speak. Somehow, he thought that had been the reason she took up dance.

Of course, now that he knew about it, he actually wanted to see her dance. She was small and well build, the muscles in her body were clearly visible when she wasn't wearing that heavy sweater of hers. Her leg muscled were beyond believe, if someone where to get kicked, they might actually get a broken bone. The thought of her actually hurting one, though, was a zero to none chance of happening, unless she had to defend herself.

It was amazing how he was able to miss her walking to her classes, if they took the same route? She said she'd seen him before, but never payed much attention to some musician. He acted offended, but knew she was just poking fun at him. Heck, it was better than being poked fun at by last nights topic of Kana.

She waved as she entered the small studio that had several girls practicing on their dancing. They were dancing on their toes, pretty amazing stuff, and Ishinaka seemed to be one of their most valued students in the class, as all the girl stopped what they were doing to actually greet her before she went to change.

He couldn't help but wait for her to come back from changing and start on her training. He made sure not to be seen from the window where he was looking into the studio, but the walkers by gave him weird glances. He blushed lightly at the thoughts that might be going on through their heads, but he wanted to see what she was able to do.

She came out in a couple of minutes, throwing her bag on the floor beside the rest and walking towards the rest of the girl. They laughed, pointing at her as if mocking her, but it was hard to believe they were as they had been over joyed to see her in class. Ishinaka took her stance behind on of the girls and began her exercises while ignoring the comments that were being thrown her way. Matt could only guess that she didn't much enjoyed their comment, which meant they might not be good comments at all.

“Ishi's doing it again,” he had cracked the door open a bit to get a bit of acquaintance on hearing, “How're you going to communicate while dancing and not have your notebook to right in, Ishi?”

It was indeed a mocking comment.

“Ishi will communicate with her body,” another said, but body communication wasn't exactly meant for dancing.

They laughed as 'Ishi' took her leg in her hand and stretched it straight up into the air. Matt gaped at how easy she made lifting her leg over her head look. She brought it down and placed the other one straight behind her on the metal bar she had been holding on to. The other girls did the same, while still wearing mocking smiles.

He went through his day thinking back on the Ishi and her dance classes with those girl that look docile enough, but who had teeth sharper than any beast. She had ignored them with such grace, but he knew that she would also fight back when worst back to pass. Maybe that's why they were so glad to see her, she was the only one they could have an entertaining day with. The only one that would give them a run for their money.

“What's up with you,” Tai asked him, they had stop in the nearby park on something that had to do with Kari.

“Nothing much,” he answered, brushing off the topic about Ishi, “So, what's the trouble starting down. It doesn't have to do with someone trying to destroy the world, does it?”

“It a bit. . .different,” Kari said, unsure on how she should but thing. She had always been the one to feel what was going to happen, and so the digidestine relied on what she thought about the situations at hand. “It doesn't feel like the time with Willis in America. He need our help, but this. . .person, well, it's confusing. It feels like a dark cloud has taken over this whole city.”

T.K looked at her, “How can you tell when it night already.”

“This is serious,” she glared at him, “Someone either needs our help or is going to need it. Or I could be wrong and that person's here to cause trouble, which ever the reason, we need to be careful.”

They were silent for what seemed the longest of times. There was no doubt in their minds that Kari was right and that something was fast approaching, but what exactly, was the main question that was in everybody's head. With Willis it had been clear, he had needed help, but with this new person. . .they could be wither the cause of the trouble or be where the trouble is headed.

It was still an undecided point on the situation of this coming threat, if it were indeed a threat, when a small sound came from the road of the park. Someone had stepped on a twig causing it to make a starling sound for the rest of the teens, who were on edge because of what Kari had said, and who took a sharp look at whoever had caused the sound.

“Ishinaka,” Matt said, causing the other to let out their breath in relief that someone actually knew the person that had interrupted them, “Isn't it late for you to be wondering the streets?”

He felt everyone's eyes on him, and the silent mocking smile that they were giving were a bit unsettling. Ishinaka moved silently towards them, digging into her bag for what he was sure was her notebook to make it easier for them to understand. She knew sign language, but when she tried it on Matt, he couldn't understand one bit of what she was signaling.

'I just came out of class,' she wrote on her notebook.

All the attention was on her, even though Matt was trying his best to keep her out of the view of the other. There was no chance they were going to let this go, and no chance they weren't going to introduce themselves to her if he didn't do so. They were already moving towards them, so he turned and pushed her lightly forward for them to see her under the light of the street laps.

“Guys, this is Agita Ishinaka,” he said, Ishinaka bowing light with only her head, “She doesn't talk, so you guy will have to have your kanji reading down before you try and talk to her.”

“Are you calling us stupid,” Tai asked, acting as he were offended, but the grin on his face gave away that he was only playing.

At the same time Ishinaka had written the same thing on her notebook, 'Are you calling them stupid?'

For a moment, they forgot about the situation at hand about Kari's premonition and focused on Matt's new acquaintance, Ishinaka. She stood there listening while they introduced themselves and told her embarrassing storied of the past dealing with Matt. When she laughed her silent laugh, she made every single one of them blush.

The wind picked up around them and they closed their eyes while covering their faces. When they looked up, a chill ran down everyone's spine as Ishinaka raised her golden eyes to them. Kari was the one to feel it the most. The dark that she had been talking about became even more noticeable to her than before. The world started to feel darker, colder, and she knew that the person she had been talking about wasn't in need of their help.

“Tai,” she shuddered, and her brother knew right away that he had to get her out of there before she scared Ishinaka, who was already looking at them strangely.

“We have to go,” he told them, and said his good byes to them. T.K following after them, so he could be aware of the situation and be able to tell the other digidestine who hadn't made it to the meeting.

“I guess,” Matt turned to Ishinaka as the other started leaving, “We'll walk home together.”

She nodded.

It wasn't like their time in the morning, it felt a bit off and a bit dark. She was the same, he noted, but the feeling that hung around them was the complete opposite. The wind had picked up, and some of the laps had started to blink. He thought she would have been scared, but she looked like she was having the time of her life. She rarely smiled, and when she did it was a small smile, but she looked the happiest when she wasn't smiling. Strange, but true.

“So,” he caught her attention, “You dance ballet?”

She didn't show any sign of glee, but she did nodded and did a few twirls, ending up a few feet in front of him. It was excellent and it made him think that she wasn't taking beginning classes, or even advance, she had probably been dancing since she was a young girl and was just continuing the classes so she would get rusty.

The light she was under started to flicker like some of the old ones they had passed, but that wasn't what had caused him to stop and stare. Ishinaka was spinning around as she waited for him, but each time she turned the light turned off, and when they turned on again, Matt could swear he wasn't looking at the same girl.

Her hair would look messy and maybe ever shorter, her eyes a deeper gold color and by far sharper than she had them. Her face had a painful expression as she danced, like if she weren't meant to do that but something else. He blinked, and there was Ishinaka looking at him as if he had lost his mind. He blushed, and ignored the imaged he had been seeing.

'You're not thinking of me as Kana,' she shoved the notebook in front of him as he had walked off before her, 'I'm Ishi, not Kana,' she had a sly grin on her face.

“You're never gonna let that go, are you,” he asked with a bit of a chuckled, she shook her head 'no' and pulled back her notebook, “Figures.”

He had been watching news of Kana way too much and it was apparently messing with his mind. Ishinaka's resemblance wasn't helping any, but, when looking at her closely, he couldn't understand why he thought she looked like Kana. His knowledge on how Kana looked was based off a twelve year old girl that had a fit and cut her hair short, not to mention that they once said Kana hated dancing. No one had ever seen her dance because of that.

“Do you want to have dinner with us,” he asked, blushing as they walked toward their apartment doors. She stood in front of her door and dug into her bag and then her jacket pockets, “You misplaced your keys again?”

Her eyes had a small glint in them, a smile, perhaps, but he didn't ask about it. They made there way into his apartment, she sat on the table as he looked in the fridge for something that was eatable. He settled for ordering pizza and just offered her a glass of water while they waited for it to arrive. The sound of his dad footsteps came from the halls, as well as another set of footsteps that seemed to be accompanying him.

“You don't say,” came his father's voice from the door, “Maybe she isn't here yet, but maybe my son has seen her. She had dinner with us yesterday.”

He was talking about Ishinaka, Matt figured as she had been the only one to have dinner with them last night.

“Ishinaka's here, dad,” he called out to him. He heard another set of footsteps come into the apartment and watched his dad come from the corner. Ishinaka's eyes seem to have widen a bit, but he hadn't known her enough to state this as a fact. She hardly showed any facial expressions when faced with something, but her eyes usually gave away something.

“Ishi,” a young man called behind his dad, “You should be in your apartment and not bothering your neighbors.”

His dad laughed, “She's no bother at all. It sure gives Matt a reason to clean up the house for once.”

“Dad,” Matt groaned, Ishi's mouth twitched trying to hide a smile.

“Sorry for intruding,” he bowed lightly to Matt, “My name's Homura, I'm Ishi's guardian, so to speak.”

She didn't look all that happy to actually see the man, she looked more annoyed than anything. Her eyes had lost the glint he had seen moment before and were now clouded over with something he couldn't point out. Homura laughed as he conversed with his father, ignoring completely the person he was supposed to be guarding.

Ishinaka looked completely out of place, he wasn't even sure if she was even paying attention anymore. She had her arms crossed on the table, head on her arms as she looked at the black screen of the television. There was nothing on, it wasn't it even on for that matter, but she was still looking at it as if she were watching Kana on the screen.

“Maybe we should try and get into your apartment,” he offered, watching as she quickly agreed and walked towards the door. Homura didn't say a word or turned to watch as Ishi walked out the apartment door with Matt.

The truth was, even though she did lose her keys, Ishinaka knew how to get into her apartment quite well. He didn't even how she did it, but as he stood there beside her he watched as she slipped something in the hole were the key went and with a few clicks managed to unlock in. She turned the nob and walked inside, her hand waving for him to go in behind her.

He hadn't expected much because she lived alone, but this was ridiculous. She didn't have anything there, a mini fridge, a tiny table in the middle of the room. She didn't have television and the only radio she had was the one she carried with her. He had been expecting Kana posters or pictures, maybe disks, but the walls were bare with no decoration.

“Don't you have Kana posters,” she looked at him, and he blushed, “I wasn't asking for one, I was just curious!”

She said she didn't have any and placed her radio on the small table before sitting crossed legged on the floor. It was another song of Kana's, not the one she always lip sync too, but one just as well known an popular like it. Like always, there was no emotion on her face or eyes when she listen to Kana's music, or when she lip sync them.

We couldn't say them,
So now we just pray them,
Words that we couldn't say.

He'd heard this song. It was one of Kana's last song she sang before she disappeared. It wasn't a shock that it was sung in english as Kana pretty much enjoyed to sing in foreign languages even if she couldn't understand it herself. Alto Yamaguchi, the drummer, was the one to write the lyrics on her orders, that's what they would say. Every song he wrote was inspired by Kana, or Kana would give him ideas on song and he would translate them to what ever language he felt fitted.

Funny, ain't it?
Games people play,
Scratch it, paint it,
One in the same,

She was lip syncing them again, but it fitted her very well, like if she were actually the one singing the song. She laid back on the floor, Matt did the same beside her, and they both listen to the song playing, but he couldn't keep his eyes off her and her pretend singing.

We couldn't find them,
So we tried to hide them,
Words that we couldn't say.

Homura's laugh came from the other side of the wall, but it didn't seem to bring back Ishi from her thoughts as she pretended to sing along to the song. He still couldn't keep his eyes off her.

It hurts, don't it?
Fools on parade,
Taint it, own it,
Chase it away,
We couldn't make them,
So we had to break them,
Words that we couldn't say.

The last verse made a muscle in her jaw tighten and he figure it had something to do with her reason of dropping out of school and taking dance lessons. Maybe that's why she was living alone, her parents wouldn't allow her to follow her dream of being a dancer, or something like that.
Sometimes baby,
We make mistakes,
Dark and hazy,
Prizes we pay,
I seat here in my shelf,
Just talking to myself,
Words that we couldn't say.

The music played on, but she wasn't syncing it anymore and was just listening to it with her eyes closed. Matt watched her stretch and turned her body towards him, but her eyes didn't open. He was glad for that, because he had just started to blush.

Someday, maybe,
We'll make it right,
Until that day,
Long endless night,
We couldn't say them,
So now we just pray them,
Words that we couldn't say.

They didn't move, only the slight breathes they took making their bodies move up and down. Matt was still watching her and for a moment thought she had fallen asleep because her eyes didn't open since she had closed them about a minute ago.

We couldn't say them,
So now we just pray them,
Words that we couldn't say.

Her eyes flickered open almost causing him to curse in surprise. His heart was beating at a fast pace because of the fright she had just given him, but it had been his fault for watching her so attentively without reason.
Someday, maybe,
We'll make it right,
Until that day,
Long endless night,
We couldn't say them,
So now we just pray them,
Words that we couldn't say.

This was her favorite song, somehow he could tell without her actually having to tell him or write it to him. There was something in her eyes that gave away that the song had a deeper meaning to her than it had for him. He couldn't help but wonder why, and couldn't help but actually ask her that question and expect an answer from her.

“Why do you like that song,” he asked, “Do you even know what the words mean?”

She nodded.

“I don't mean to be rude, but I'm just curious why you like that song of hers when there's a lot more to choose from, and most girl go for the romantic ones.”

She sat up and took her notebook from the table and started to write something on without letting him see. Ripping out the page, she turned to him and handed the paper to him as Homura entered the room with a few slices of Pizza. Matt took that as his cue to leave, and so did so saying good night to Ishi and her guardian, Homura.

Once inside his apartment, he unfolded the paper Ishinaka had given him, and he stared at it with curiousity and a bit of understanding.

'I like that song because I still have words I can't say, and all I have left is silent prayers,' it read, but there was still a bit more that didn't relate to that song, 'It's a way to remember that Kana existed; by listening to her music.'

Song: Words that We Couldn't Say

Anime: Cowboy Bebop

Composer: Yoko Kanno

TPtC © KooriAkuma

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekpTzlqQiBE