Takato groaned, not wanting to get out of bed. He glanced at the digital alarm clock he had gotten for his birthday last year.
August 19th 7:02
Only six more days. Six more days of summer fun, then it's off to school. Back to the life of a normal kid. The normal life Takato didn't want. Sure after two years of living a peaceful life, many people would think Takato and his friends would enjoy it.
They in fact, missed all the action from their previous life. No Digimon to battle, no Digital World to explore, no D-Reaper to defeat. A normal life seemed bland compared to that. The thrill of adventure still lingered beneath the sadness that enveloped his world.
He rolled back onto his pillow and stared at the ceiling. Guilmon. I miss you boy.
The bread snarfing goofball that was his friend was still trapped in the Digital World. No one to play tag with. No one to eat truckloads of bread with. Just stranded in a chaotic world that seemed lifetimes away.
Lucky for Takato though, Hypnos was hard at work. After saving the world, Yamaki had realized he was wrong about most Digimon. To right the wrongs he had made, the team at Hypnos were busy trying to recreate Grani. With Grani, the Tamers would be able to enter the Digital World and rescue their isolated partners.
However, Grani, aka The Ark, had been a multi-million dollar project. After Grani had sacrificed himself, his blueprints had disappeared. Not only was Hypnos trying to scrounge around for the money for the project, they also had to recreate the blueprints from scratch. Despite starting the project two years ago, not much had been completed.
Takato still held onto what little hope he had though. He had made a promise, and he was not going to go back on his word. A promise had made the situation slightly more, optimistic. With a promise between best friends, it just had to be true. With the promise, it seemed more likely they would see each other again.
He swung his legs to the side of his bed and began to get ready for the day. He had promised to meet everybody at the park to practice with their cards. Takato, Henry, Ryo, and Rika were all pros, however they were slowly coaching the others with to increase their skill. Everyone was improving immensely, however Jeri was progressing the most. With Rika as her mentor, Jeri was swiftly rising to their level.
Despite the conversation being two years ago, Takato still could not reveal his true feelings for Jeri again. On the train, he had wanted to cheer Jeri up after she had lost her partner. As he continued his speech, his feelings for her poured out of his heart and became words that paled in comparison to her beauty. Of course at the time, Jeri had been brainwashed by the D-Reaper. Even after saving her life from the gigantic red blob that had tried to delete mankind, Takato could not summon the words to confess how he felt about her. Feeling troubled, he confided these feelings to Henry.
Henry neither judged, nor interrupted Takato as he explained all the churning emotions that boiled inside him. After Takato finished, Henry would give various types advice. Henry had taught Takato how to meditate, clearing his mind of these painful emotions.
"Bye mom, I'm going to the park," cried Takato as he put his green tennis shoes on. Regardless of the fact his mother had wanted to buy new clothing for the school year, Takato and the rest of his friends, kept their original attire of clothes. If- not if, when their Digital partners were reunited with them, they wanted their partners to recognize them. Besides, the clothes still reminded them about their adventures with their Digimon, that it wasn't all a dream.
"Okay, honey. Here, take some bread to your friends as well," said Takato's mother as she handed him a heavy paper bag. Takato opened it, and gave a faint chuckle. Guilmon bread. After the D-Reaper incident, the bread had become a huge hit. It became so big in fact that, Guilmon became the official mascot of the bakery. Another new request, made by Kazu, was that each Digimon had their own bread. In honor of saving the world, each Digimon from the gang was now an edible creation that was permanently part of the menu.
Takato gave his mother a quick hug before running out the door. His parents had mellowed out quite a bit after the battle with the D-Reaper. His mother no longer kept him on as short as a leash as she used to. His father was as cheery as ever, happily whistling as he baked batch after batch of bread. However, despite the happiness, Takato could feel some sort of tension between his parents. Nevertheless , he didn't know what was wrong with them. He figured they were still a little traumatized after seeing their "baby boy" save the world.
Takato shrugged these thoughts off as he mounted his bike. He began to pedal towards the park, desperate not to be late to the meeting, again
Vixiemon struggled to open her eyes. Her Digital companions lay scattered on the long grass, still unconscious. After the bright light that had hit them, she wasn't surprised.
Hearing the footsteps of something bigger than herself, Vixiemon swerved to her left, leaping into battle stance. A little human, about Suzy's age, crawled through some prickly brambles. Vixiemon let out a strangled choking sound."Doggy!" exclaimed the child delightedly.
Before she could stop it, the child rushed over to her and began to pet her head. Vixiemon sat there unable to think or speak. Paralyzed with an endless wave of emotion, Vixiemon began to weep silently. This human, it seems insignificant, but its appearance has convinced Vixiemon of the trush. She was back, she was home! Vixiemon allowed herself a small smile, the first one in what seemed like forever.
The small child, satisfied, crawled back through the brambles, back to where ever it had come was grateful to the small human. Now that it was gone, she would lead her friends home, back to their partners and loving families. However, she also wanted to prolong the contact with the child. Now that she had returned, Vixiemon was certain that Rika would be ecstatic to be reunited with her, no matter how hard she tried to hide her emotions. But Rika was not a very intimate person, so there was limited physical contact.
There was a certain stillness in the air, one she recognized. She was being watched. Vixiemon didn't move, in fact, she rolled her eyes, "You enjoyed that didn't you?"
Yaamon crawled out from behind his tree, a huge smirk on his face. "Didn't know you gave out free pets toots. Maybe I should get in line." A nonstop bout of laughter exited his small mouth.
Vixiemon's face blushed bright red in embarrassment. She twitched her tail in frustration, eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" she questioned through gritted teeth. An idea began to take shape in her mind. Vixiemon mirrored his smirk, an evil look in her eye. "Tell anyone, and I'll coax Suie into giving you her Princess Pretty Pants treatment. I'm sure Terriermon will take plenty of pictures."
Now it was Yaamon's turn to turn a deep red. "You wouldn't dare!" he sputtered. "I'm too dignified to be wearing that much pink! Give her Pineapple Head instead, I'd bet he'd actually enjoy it!"
"Well then, somebody better keep their mouth closed." Vixiemon glanced at him, her gaze cool. "Is everyone conscious?"
Yaamon hesitated, being somewhat quiet for once. It was a moment before he spoke again. "Everyone is conscious except for Kokomon and that Doggymon. Nobody's injured…" he trailed off.
"Then what's wrong" Vixiemon asked harshly. "If it is nothing, then we must be on our way home. I am eager to see my Tamer again, as you are to see yours."
Yaamon could only give Vixiemon a sad glance. His next words were difficult for Vixiemon to process. The positive mood she had earlier disappeared in a split second.
Noooo. It just couldn't be true. She hadn't had a chance to repay her debt. She hadn't had a chance to introduce him to her friends.
Yaamon held his head low. "We should return to the others. I'm sure they'll want to see everyone again." He began to hop away.
Vixiemon made no attempt to move. Slowly sinking to the ground, she buried her head in the ground and began to weep,bitterly. Her friend, her savior, Sora, had sacrificed himself, she was sure of it. Despite being held against her will by the Megas, Vixiemon had heard the din of combat, quite faintly, over the storm. Somehow, somewhere, Sora had sacrificed himself to send her and her friends home. Most likely dead, because of her.
Takato lay on a carpet of long soft grass, gazing at clouds, chuckling to himself. That cloud looks like Guilmon after he had eaten through the entire pantry. And that one looks like Guilmon hiding from Terriermon. Come to think about it, the more Takato looked at all the clouds, the more they all began to look like a certain red Digimon. Takato suppressed another sigh. He tried to hide it, but he longed to be with Guilmon again. Who knew that in the end, it was him, Takato, that would succumb to loneliness. The boy who brought the Tamers together and helped save the world.
Despite everything that had happened; losing Leomon, Beelzemon nearly succumbing to darkness, Jeri being corrupted by the D-Reaper, losing Guilmon is what made Takato to mentally start cracking. Every day, week, month, and year that passed, made the situation seem even more hopeless. Even if Hypnos built Grani, their best shot at reuniting with everyone, the Tamers would still have to navigate the Digital World and rescue everyone. As far as Takato knew, all of the Digimon they once knew were scattered across it, hopeless, alone, and lost.
"Wow! So this is what it feels like to be analyzing everything!" His time with Henry must be rubbing off on him. Takato glanced at the other Tamers. Now that the training session was done, everyone seemed to be doing their own thing. Kazu and Kenta were gawking at Ryo as he and Henry were battling with their cards. Jeri seemed to be making a daisy chain with the small flowers that grew in the park. Rika was sitting under a tree, closing her eyes and listening to her music. The Junior Tamers, as Kazu liked to call them, which consisted of Suzie, Ai, and Mako, were all enjoying a friendly game of tag.
The point of these training sessions were so that everyone would be able to protect themselves once they were reunited with their Digimon. Not only did it help keep everyone in contact with each other, but it also reminded everyone of their goal. To grow strong, and brave the Digital World. At first, it was Rika teaching Jeri the basics of the card game. However, after seeing this, Suzie also wanted to learn how to play. And soon, everyone was teaching everyone, creating the training unit that bound them together, as Tamers.
Takato could feel his eyes beginning to close. The stress between worrying about his friends and family, and thinking about Guilmon were beginning to take their toll on him. Slumber was beginning to grip, when he heard a rustling of leaves. Cracking his eyes open, he saw a boy, about the age of four, crawling out of some bushes. The child gave Takato a wide smile. " I help hurt doggy by petting it." It gave a gleeful squeal before tottering off, back to its mother probably.
Takato gave a small smile. It was hard to be depressed when there was a little kid around. The joyful feelings they always had seemed contagious, especially when helping out a hurt dog. He dragged himself to his feet, deciding to check on the dog. His parents had mellowed out dramatically, perhaps he could convince them to adopt it.
Sometimes, Takato was envious of Henry. Henry had a very large family, there was always someone he could play with, or relate to. After Guilmon had been ripped away from his life, Takato had begun to wish for someone his age he could be close to. This dog, it may help quench the loneliness that enveloped his heart. It would be no Guilmon, but he would definitely appreciate the company.
Crawling under the spiky brambles, Takato found himself in a small clearing. Despite his wishes, there was no dog, only an abandoned, dirty green doll. It looked somewhat like a unicorn. Stooping over to pick it up and inspect it, Takato was surprised when the doll wearily opened its eyes. "You like what you see?" it asked in a tired, but all too familiar voice.
Takato let out a gasp, nearly dropping the doll before his reflexes kicked in. "Terriermon?" Tears began to blur his vision, the Digimon were back!
Terriermon gave a weak smile. "Who else would be this good looking?" The small green Digimon closed his eyes for a moment, looking quite pathetic. " If you don't mind, I would love to see Henry."
Takato snapped out of his emotional state. "Of course!" It was only then that Takato realized how weak the Digimon sounded. He knew it wasn't his place to ask, but before he could rethink the situation, he blurted out his thoughts. "Terriermon? What happened? Is everyone okay?"
Terriermon looked away. "I- I can't explain it right now. It's just-" Before Terriermon could continue speaking, he collapsed into Takato's shaking hands.
Takato began to panic. "Terriermon!? Please! Hold on!" He stuffed the frail Digimon into the backpack he had luckily brought with him. After securing the flap, he raced through the brambles, desperate to get to Henry. As he neared Guilmon's hut, he ran inside, disrupting the card game in the process.
Kazu whined. "Dude! Ryo was about to defeat Henry with his BlackWargreymon!" He crossed his arms and began to pout.
"Henry! I need help!" cried Takato desperately. He dove into the backpack and grabbed Terriermon.
Henry's eyes widened in shock and recognition. "Terriermon!" For a split second, he was at lost, panicking as much as Takato was. Then his eyes hardened into determination. "Kazu! You're fast at running, go get some water. Kenta, I need you to tell everyone the news. Ryo, if you could pick up the cards, that would be great.
Everyone rushed to do their respective jobs, even if Kazu was muttering about how he got the lamest of jobs. Henry began examining Terriermon. "He doesn't seem to be harmed that badly, just a couple scrapes here and there. Why isn't he waking up? Come on Terriermon! Please stay with me! You only just came back. I can't lose you again." Tears were in his eyes as he begged for the little Digimon to awaken.
It was after a tense moment that a sound could be heard. A low rumble. It was then that Ryo began to laugh. "It looks like he fainted from hunger." he chuckled as he wiped his eyes.
Henry gave a smile and shook his head. "Terriermon…" he mumbled affectionately.
Takato gave a sigh of relief. "I guess it's a good thing my mom gave us so much Guilmon bread. I'll go get him some." As Takato exited the hut, he was swarmed by the rest of the anxious Tamers.
An excited Suzie began to jump around. "Are the Digimon really back?!"
Jeri on the other hand looked quite anxious. "Where are the others? she asked nervously. She clasped her hands together as she waited for an answer.
Takato quickened his pace as he headed towards the bag of bread. "Terriermon is the only one here right now. He fainted from hunger, so he needs to eat and heal up. I hope that after that, he can tell us where Guilmon and the others are." Takato re entered the hut, bread in tow, followed by all eyes. "Everyone's pretty anxious out there. How is he?" asked Takato, as he sweeped around the room with his gaze.
"He should be fine after he eats some of your bread." replied Ryo. "Kazu came in earlier and gave him a drink. It seemed to renew some of his energy." Ryo continued picking up cards. "I'll be outside, they seem to need a moment." After that, he stacked the cards neatly, stood up, and left the hut.
"Got it" Takato saw that Henry had moved to a corner of Guilmon's hut, Terriermon in his lap. Henry was currently talking to him, tears streaming down his face. Takato didn't want to intrude, but once Henry saw him, he beckoned Takato to come towards him. He held out the Guilmon bread. "Here Terriermon, eat up,"
Terriermon looked at the bread. "Is that….. Guilmon's head?" He took a tentative bite, before ravenously devouring the entire thing. "Peanut Butter filling! Guilmon's going to be so jealous. And so will-" He cut himself off, his brightened face becoming gloomy once more.
Takato's heart skipped a beat. "Terriermon?" he asked slowly. "Do you think you can tell us what happened? Did…." he paused, not wanting to say the next part.
Henry shook his head."I don't want to pressure him right now. His injuries are minor, but he seems shaken up about something."
The little Digimon shook his head. "Momentai," he said weakly. "I need to take you to the others. Vixiemon sent me to scout around for you guys, considering I had the most strength left."
Takato was confused. "Who is Vixiemon?"
Henry clarified that. "Renamon's In-Training form. But wait, if you were the strongest, does that mean everyone else has even worse injuries?" Takato prayed not. He didn't need any more heroes. All he wanted was to get his little buddy back.
Terriermon shook his head. "No one is injured too badly. Physically, anyway." Terriermon attempted to change the subject. " We need to find everyone. I'm sure everyone will be relieved to know we're home. Especially Vixiemon." he attempted to stand, only to fall into Henry's arms. "Thanks pal."
Henry caressed the Digimon. "Don't try to do too much, you'll wear yourself out even further. If you direct us to the other Digimon, I'll carry you."
Terriermon nodded. "You're the boss. I'm just gonna close my eyes for a minute…." he dozed off in an instant.
Henry gave a small smile. "Same old Terriermon." He switched his gaze to Takato. "I wanted to thank you, for reuniting us. I don't know what to feel right now though," he muttered uncertainly. "On one hand, I'm beyond happy to see him again. On the other, it tears me apart to just even think of everything he had to go through. You saw how he was acting, he wasn't joking around, he was being serious for once."
Takato gave a nod. "I'm worried about everyone else. Something happened to them in the Digital World. Something that even made Terriermon go silent."
Takato and Henry both stood up slowly, before walking out of the hut, careful not to wake the sleeping Digimon. As they neared their fellow Tamers, Henry put a finger to his lips. "Stay quiet please. I don't want to wake him." Everyone nodded, fully aware of the situation.
Rika was the first to speak, silencing everyone with a glare. "Where's Renamon?" she asked silently, eyes blazing at those who should challenge her.
Takato shrugged, 'Terriermon knows where they are, but right now he needs to rest. He's been through a lot and needs to rest." Rika nodded understandingly, but clearly not satisfied with the answer.
Kenta meekly spoke up. "Are they okay? Their not injured are they?"
"Physically, they're all fine, if not a little banged up" Henry stated. "It's their mental state I'm worried about. Terriermon tried to hide it, but he seemed pretty shaken up about something."
"I'm fine" piped up a little voice. Henry looked down to see Terriermon awake. "I know how badly you guys want to see everyone, and I also know how badly they want to see you guys. So lets stop all the waterworks and go see them already."
"Terriermon" Henry replied affectionately. He began to follow the Digimon's instructions, being swiftly followed by everyone else.
Besides for an occasional direction from Terriermon, the silence that followed the Tamers seemed unnatural. Everyone was in his, or her, own thoughts, trying to think of what to say. Out of instinct, Takato stole a look at Jeri. She didn't look as excited, nor as anxious, as everyone else was. "Jeri," he whispered. She glanced up. "Are you feeling okay?"
Jeri opened her mouth as if to say she were fine, only to shake her head. "I don't know how to feel. I want to see all the Digimon again, but not seeing Leomon among them, I can't help but feel lonely." She gazed at the ground, as her feet seemed very interesting at the moment.
Takato desperately tried to think of something to say, however, nothing came to mind. "Jeri, you are ne- oof" Without word, Ryo, the person in front of Takato, had stopped. "What's going on?" asked Takato. Without a word, Ryo politely stepped aside, not taking his eyes off the scene before him, his expression looking sad.
Tears. Not a single Digimon was without them. These were not tears of happiness however, as Takato soon came to realize. They were quite the opposite. Some were shed silently, others were trickling off of faces as they splattered to the ground. Every single Digimon, still in their In-Training form, except for Guilmon, strange enough as he was in his Rookie form, were trying to console one pitiful, dejected,creature. Renamon. The poor In-Training Digimon was weeping uncontrollably. She occasionally let out a forlorn wail to release some of the sorrow within her.
Rika's horrified expression quickly morphed into a sympathetic one. She entered the ring of Digimon and crouched right in front of her partner. "Renamon," she called soothingly.
The mess of a Digimon looked up. "Rika!" she wailed. She ran into her Tamer's arms, releasing another wave of tears. Her sobs were now muffled, but they seemed to intensify.
Takato felt grim. If Renamon was this shaken up, and all the other Digimon were crying this hard, something terrible had happened in the Digital World. He did a head count, everyone he knew was there. He sighed in relief, at least no one else had been lost. He was extremely happy to see Guilmon, somehow still in his Rookie form. However, the normally happy dinosaur let loose a mournful moan. "What's wrong boy? What happened?"
Guilmon simply shook his head. "I don't wanna talk right now. Renamon is sad. And now I'm sad." He glanced at the ground, and shut his eyes, almost as if he were trying to shut the world out. Takato glanced at the other Tamers, seeing if they were having any better luck with their Digimon.
Ryo sat on the ground next to his partner. He seemed unsure of what to do or say, as his partner, Cyberdramon, was normally a fighting machine, devoid of all emotion. Now, here it was, a frightened, crying, tiny purple ball, wailing its little heart out.
Suzie hugged Lopmon into her chest, murmuring the occasional "It's okay Lopmon." Lopmon appeared to be paralyzed, as if her mind were in a completely different world. She stood stone still as Suzie attempted to console her.
Impmon stood in the grass, crying, but looking very angry as well. Ai and Mako were hugging him, which seemed to help, but that still didn't stop the imp from crying his tears of rage. "It shouldn't have been him." Then he began to mumble unintelligibly.
MarineAngemon seemed to be singing a song. It sound quite beautiful, but it also sound sad. Guardromon translated it. "It, it is a song." The next words were hard for him to speak. "For the fallen."
Takato could hear the rest of the Tamers gasp. Someone… had…. had died? Who? He tried to rack his brain. Babamon and Jijimon? The Geckomon? None of the Digimon clearly wanted to talk about it, so he kept his mouth shut. Takato walked over to Guilmon and gripped him into an embrace, the one he had been waiting for, for two long years. Guilmon happily hugged him back, crying into his shoulder. All Takato could do was hold onto Guilmon, and try to comfort him, as the sad dinosaur cried. MarineAngemon continued to sing, as the sunlight began to fade into the darkness.
It was then that Takato saw two Digimon he had never seen looked like a kind of cartoonish dog. It was yellow with blue ears. A blue D was emblazoned on its chest like that of a second Digimon looked like a beautiful swan. With a graceful long neck, the white and purple feathers looked like a petticoat. An elegant choker with two golden wings was worn on the slender neck. A dainty head and a narrow beak made the Digimon look like a fashion model.
Takato stepped protectively in front of Guilmon, none of the Digimon were in any sort of condition to fight. It was then that Guilmon spoke up. "No Takato. They are friends." Takato nodded, stepping down. As he looked at them, he realized that they had been asleep.
"What are we going to do with those two then?" he asked, gesturing to the two mysterious Digimon. The other Tamers saw what he was gesturing at.
"Do they belong to anyone?" asked Henry. He gazed thoughtfully at them as he continued to stroke Terriermon.
Lopmon, finally rejoining the land of the living, decided to speak. "They do not belong to anyone, however, it was them who helped us get home. Without them, we would have perished long ago." she paused, before continuing unexpectedly. "They were his friends. They had awoken earlier, heartbroken to know that." It took a moment before Lopmon was ready to say the the next part. " to know that he was gone."
"Who is he?" asked Jeri gently.
Jeri was the most experienced with loss, she should be able to help console everyone. thought Takato. He didn't say it, but he was also curious what sort of Digimon "He" was.
At the mention of "He", this bought a fresh wave of sobs to Renamon, who had just begun to calm down. Rika scowled at everyone. " We best not talk about it. As for now, I need to take Renamon home. She needs time alone." And with that, Rika walked off, attempting to console her partner.
Following her cue, many of the other Tamers went home, leaving just Henry, Suzie, Takato, and Ryo. "What are we going to do with the Digimon?" Ryo asked, gesturing his head to the two slumbering Digimon. "It just doesn't seem right to leave them here."
Henry nodded. "Of course we're not going to leave them. Considering my family, I'll be able to take one of them with me. I would take both, but it would be a bit too chaotic and crowded."
Before he could speak another word, Suzie raced over to the bird Digimon. "I wanna take this one home Henry! She looks soo cute! Can we please?" she asked as she gushed over it.
Henry shook his head defeatedly. "I guess I know which one I'm picking then." He handed Suzie Terriermon whom was fast asleep. "Don't wake him." he said quietly. "I'll carry the bird. I only wish we are our D-Powers, so we can analyze them. Not knowing who they are is frustrating." Hefting the bird Digimon onto his shoulders, Henry began to walk home with Suzie. "I'll see you guys tomorrow then,"
Ryo glanced at Takato apologetically. "Sorry Takato, but my dad will already be mad for bringing Cyberdramon home." He stooped over and picked up his slumbering partner who had fallen asleep as well. "Gotta go, bye" he said, as he also began to walk home.
Takato sighed, "Well boy, I guess you have a friend now." He looked over to find Guilmon only half awake. Seeing his partner, an idea formed in his mind. Opening his backpack, he pulled a slightly squashed paper bag out. "Here, it's a little squished, but it should help motivate you to come home."
Guilmon sleepily put his head in the bag, and sniffed. Mere seconds later pulled his head out, chewing frantically. His eyes widened as he stared at Takato. "Guilmon bread?!" he asked excitedly.
Takato nodded, pleased his Digimon was happy. "There'll be more at the shop, but I need your help to get him home," he asked, gesturing to the sleeping dog.
"Okie Dokie!" Guilmon grabbed the Digimon and put it on his back, still looking for more bread in the bag. Takato had forgotten how strong his Digimon was, astounding him with his strength.
Takato and Guilmon happily walked home, talking about different types of bread the Guilmon wanted to eat. As they approached the shop entrance, Takato's mom stormed out, once her son was in view. "Takato! How many times have I told you to come back before it gets dark?" she scolded.
Takato was too happy to care about being yelled at. "But mom! He's back" It was then that saw what her son was talking about.
"Guilmon?" she asked, dumbfounded. A smile spread across her face. "Your home! That's all that matters. To both of you." As she said this, she heard a peculiar noise.
Guilmon looked at Mrs. Matsuki with pleading eyes. "Can I have a Guilmon bread? I want to eat a loaf shaped like my head!"
Mrs. Matsuki gave a laugh. "Of course. I'll have my husband make you plenty." She turned to her son, a sly smile on her face. "Is there anything you wanted, honey?"
Takato glanced at Guilmon, his own smile plastered onto his face, "I already have everything I wanted." It was then he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "Actually, you see that Digimon on Guilmon's back? Well, he's a nice Digimon, but he has no where to go. I was hoping we could keep him here for a bit."
She looked the Digimon over. "He doesn't look so good. Do you know what's wrong with him?"
Takato glanced at Guilmon who was stuffing his face with bread. " He recently lost someone close to him. I don't know who, or how it happened, all I know is that it affected everyone."
For a split second, Mrs. Matsuki's face became an expression that Takato had never seen before. He blinked, and she was back to normal, he must have imagined it. She smiled and agreed to allow the strange Digimon to stay.
It was only then, that Takato realized how tired he was. It had been a very exciting day, what with getting their partners back. Entering the shop, he waved to his dad, and trudged upstairs to his room. Despite two years, his room had stayed the way it was, a few new drawings here and there. Stripping down, Takato threw on a pair of blue pajamas, got into bed, and happily began to drift into his dreams. His last conscious thought was that he only hoped Guilmon would be here in the morning, that it hadn't been a dream. And thus, darkness consumed him.