Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the song "Footprints in the Snow." They belong to Toei and Vertical Horizon.
Dedication: This is for my brother, who's going into the air force soon. I am so very proud of him.
Footprints In The Snow
by Melissa
Seems like only yesterday
But it started long ago
Trials tribulations
And notes in the autumn nights
It was just the beginning of the fall season, but the snow had come early this year. I clutched my coat closer to my body as I trudged through the snow in the dark of the night. There was only an occasional lamp and the moon to light my way. I didn't even need those though, I knew the way by heart. It was a journey that I had been making on this day for the past three years. My mind drifted to thoughts of my brother as I walked.
'It was odd, really. That we were both chosen to be digidestined. It all started 10 years ago, when I was 11 and TK was 8. I won't lie, at first I wished that he wasn't. We all had to watch out for each other, but I especially had to look after TK. I suppose I thought it was more out of responsibility than anything else. I was his big brother, so I had to take of him.'
We didn't know way back then
What brothers we really were
Letting the time pass quickly
And watching it go
'Time changed that opinion though. Being brothers meant something more than just an obligation. I wasn't just looking after him because I had to, it was because I loved him and would do anything to keep him from being hurt. Family, and the people you care about, are the most important things in the world. Throughout all our adventures, I found myself not only watching over him, but just watching him. That would mostly happen when he had fallen asleep by my side, all those nights in the digital world. I would gaze at his sleeping form and smile.'
But we stood together
And we made each other strong
We tried to comfort ourselves when the nights were long
And we held back tears
When they needed to flow
But where we once stood lie only footprints in the snow
'That seemed like such a long time ago. The years passed by and I watched him grow into a young man, and to continue to fight along side the new digidestined. I don't think I have ever been so proud of someone in my life, as I was of TK.'
Even when it was hard
To find a smiling face
And when others would leave us
Without a trace
'We could always count on each other. I would see him in the crowd at my concerts, smiling at me, knowing that he supported me 100 percent even when most other people didn't. Just his presence had the power to keep me going. And I would be at all his basketball games, screaming and cheering him on. We were all we had really, since our parents were divorced. He would have this look in his eye, and I would know exactly what he was thinking. And the same would go for him of me.'
We never thought about tomorrow
Or what she might bring
We never stopped to realize
That we might not always sing
I slowed my pace as I neared my destination. I raised a gloved hand to my face to remove the flakes of snow that had started falling. The moisture I wiped away could have been snow, or tears. I wasn't sure anymore. After only a moment, I continued my journey, as I thought back to the last time Takeru and I were together.
*Flashback*
3 years ago
"C'mon Matt, or we're going to be late!!" TK yelled down the hallway.
"Geez, you act like the digital world isn't going to be there," Matt replied, as he walked into the living room of the apartment he shared with his father.
TK's eyes were wide with excitement as he pulled on his gloves. "It better be there. I want to go ice skating."
Matt smirked at his little brother's enthusiasm. "You're just excited because Kari's going to be there," he replied.
"So what if I am?" TK asked, slightly defensively.
Matt reached out and ruffled TK's hair. He stepped out of Matt's reach and put on his hat. His eyes were full of pleading as he shouldered his ice skates.
Sighing, the child of friendship put on his scarf, hat and gloves and grabbed his own skates. Placing an arm around TK's shoulders, they went outside to Matt's car.
Fifteen minutes later, they were in the digital world. The drive to school was short and they were sucked into the digital world through the port in the computer lab. It was odd to see everything covered in a blanket of snow, but nothing really surprised them about the digital world anymore. They made our way to a frozen pond, were everyone had all decided to meet.
As they got closer, they could see everyone else had all ready arrived and were having a good time. Mimi and Izzy were holding hands and skating around in circles. The digimon were having a spirited snowball fight near the edge of the pond. Davis was chasing after Kari, while Cody, Yolei, Joe, Sora and Tai were playing a modified game of ice hockey.
TK quickly strapped on his skates and took off to rescue Kari. All Matt could do was chuckle, because he could remember what it was like to first be in love.
Speaking of love, his eyes strayed to the one who had his heart. Sora smiled at him playfully as she stole the puck from Tai.
After putting on his skates and picking up an extra stick, Matt went to join them.
Little did any of the digidestined or digimon realize, that there was something watching them from under the ice. It's red eyes glowed briefly, and then disappeared into the blackness of the water.
Their fun lasted for hours, until the sun had started to set. No one wanted to stop, but they all would have to go home sometime. Almost everyone, save TK, Kari, Matt and Sora, was sitting on the bank of the pond, getting ready to leave.
"They look so cute together," Sora whispered to Matt.
He placed his arm around her waist as they skated. "Yeah, but the thought of me maybe one day being related to Tai puts me a bit on edge," he said playfully.
"Be nice," Sora chided.
As they watched, TK and Kari looked as if they were about to kiss. Their lips were mere centimeters from each other when something loud and akin to a gunshot was heard that interrupted them.
Everyone looked around. "What was that??" Joe asked, frantically.
Cody, who looked very pale, pointed a finger in Matt's direction. "That," he said quietly.
Matt looked down and saw what had scared the young boy. A very large crack had appeared in the ice and was running between his skates.
He looked at Sora. "Very carefully, head for the bank," Matt whispered.
Sora complied. When she was safe he motioned for Kari to head in that direction. She had made it to Matt's side when the ice broke further and a large hole was created between TK, Matt and Kari. The force had knocked them all off of their skates. A huge column of water shot out it, as well as a digimon.
"Divermon!" Kari gasped.
"Hold on!" Tai called out. "We're coming!"
"No!" TK yelled. "Stay there! The ice will break further and then we'll all be in big trouble."
TK was right. Everyone else could do nothing but watch helplessly from the bank.
"That's right," the Divermon replied to Kari. "Since you refused to be our queen, I have been charged with destroying you. If we can't have you, then no one will," it said as it made a grab for her.
Luckily, Matt was able to push her out of the way and the Divermon grabbed him instead. Kari slowly crawled towards the bank and into Tai's waiting arms.
The digimon was a lot stronger than Matt had expected. "Why are you delaying the inevitable?" it asked, as it dragged Matt towards the hole in the ice. "I'll get rid of you one by one until there's no one left to protect her."
Matt tried to get free but the digimon had a death grip on him. And the edge of the hole was getting closer and closer.
TK, who was way on the other side of the hole, got to his skates. He had a look of pure rage in his eyes. Gathering momentum, he skated towards the gaping hole in the ice. At the last possible second he jumped over it and landed on the Divermon. It let out a cry of pain and released Matt as they both crashed to the ice. Matt rolled away from the both of them.
It was now TK's turn to have a death grip on the Divermon. "No one threatens my family, or the girl I love," TK hissed at the digimon.
Suddenly, more cracks appeared around the two. The Divermon grinned evilly at Matt's little brother.
TK's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. He stretched out is hand to Matt. Matt extended his hand to grab TK's, but it came a second too late as the digimon and TK both plunged through the ice and into the freezing water.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Matt screamed as though his lungs would burst.
Cody nodded at Armadillomon. "Digiarmor Energize!"
"Armadillo armor digivolve to..........Submarimon!"
Submarimon jumped high in the air and plunged through the hole and into the water.
Each second Matt laid by that hole felt like an eternity. He had to be careful to not fall in himself, but that was the furthest thing from his mind right now. All he could do was stare at the jet black water, and the occasional air bubbles that surfaced.
Very soon though, the bubbles stopped surfacing all together.
Another few minutes passed and Matt was just about to jump in there after them when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. Sora had made her way out onto the ice.
"Go back," Matt said, his voice cracking slightly. "I have to go in there after him."
Sora had tears in her eyes, but she did not loosen her grip. "We can't lose you, too."
He was just about to physically remove her when there was a splash of water. Submarinemon had emerged from under the surface of the pond. In his arms, he was carrying TK's limp body.
They quickly made their way to the bank of the pond. Submarimon laid TK's body on the ground and reverse digivolved back to Armadillomon. He looked at everyone and shook his head sadly.
There was no way that Matt's knees would have been able to support his body, so he crawled over to where TK was placed. His skin was a pale blue. He was just so very still.
Armadillomon spoke through his tears. "I'm sorry. He drowned before I could reach him in time."
"And Divermon?" Kari asked, between sobs.
"Destroyed," the digimon replied.
It was of little comfort though. Their victory was hollow, at best. The child of hope was no longer with them.
Matt took off his glove and brushed TK's cheek. Part of him wished that his little brother would open his eyes and smile at him, just like always. That didn't happen though. TK was truly gone.
Tears streamed down Matt's face as he picked up TK's body and held it close while he cried.
*End Flaskback*
But we stood together
And we made each other strong
We tried to comfort ourselves when the nights were long
And we held back tears
When they needed to flow
But where we once stood lie only footprints in the snow
That was the first time in my life I have ever really cried. I tried being mad at him, mad for leaving me. I tried, but I just couldn't do it. I could never be mad at TK, I could only be angry with myself. And I've never been able to forgive myself, either. I was supposed look out for him. I wasn't able to do that, and he ended up giving his life to save mine. And it is on this day, every year, that I come here to beg forgiveness for not keeping him safe.
The headstone glinted in the moonlight. It was snowing harder now. I reached out and brushed the snow from off of the top of the cold, grey stone.
I knelt down in front of the marker. The tears I spend every other day of the year controlling, threaten to break through the barriers I have spent a life time building.
"I'm sorry, little brother," I say through a choked sob. "I love you."
The wind blew through the cemetery, and for the briefest moment I thought I could hear Takeru's voice say, "I love you too."
Smiling sadly, I lean my head against the grave stone. My tears fall, and make tiny indentations in the freshly fallen snow.
Seems like only yesterday
God where'd the time go
Where we once laughed lie only tears in the snow
The End
More Author's Notes: That was my first Matt and TK fic and was also my first attempt at writing something in the first person. I'm not sure how well it turned out, because I wrote it in only a couple of hours. Anyway. I would love to hear what you guys thought of it. Until next time:)