Disclaimer: Once upon a time, there was someone who owned this. They grew to be rich and famous. It wasn't me. THE END.

Quote of the day: If I knew I was going to die today, I wouldn't of done all my homework!

A/N-

Halos peoples! ^^ I had the idea for this story floating around in my head for quite some time now, but whenever I tried to put the parts together they wouldn't work..-_-; So I decided to screw planning it all out and just sit down and write the thing! (lol) Bear with me. ^^;

Takato: 14

Henry: 14

Rika: 14

Suzi: 6

Jeri: 14

Ryo: 15

Kazu: 14

Kenta: 14

It starts on the tamers summer holidays. Just so you are aware. ^^

*****

Chapter One

*****

Takato sighed, kicking a rock, as he walked along a deserted path in the park. It was a lonely path, hardly anyone used it. Guilmon looked at his tamer with concern. Takato hadn't been acting the way he usually was for quite some time now. Only Guilmon, with his bond to him, noticed though.

Takato had been with his 'friends' before, but they never seemed to really notice him anymore. It was like he was just 'there'. There to help delete wild ones, or there to give a 'we can do anything as long as were together' speech. He couldn't help but feel he was just part of the scenery. They hadn't even noticed when he left....

"Don't think too hard goggle head, you might hurt yourself." A voice said from the tree to his right.

Takato and Guilmon turned in the direction of the voice, by doings so revealed it to be Impmon.

"Hi Impmon!" Guilmon said in greeting to the mischievous digimon.

"Don't call me that." Takato said softly, absent mindedly pulling off his trademark goggles and toying with them.

The goggles were supposedly a sign of leadership of the tamers. Takato let out a short humorless laugh. Yeah, right.

Impmon and Guilmon exchanged looks at that odd outburst.

"What's wrong with you?" Impmon asked jumping down from the tree he was in, he never was one to pussy foot around.

Takato gave no indication he even heard him as he was still lost in his own thoughts.

Impmon looked at Guilmon who shrugged with an 'I don't know' noise. Yes, they say ignorance is bliss.

So many 'adventures' they all had been on together, so many times he had come to their rescue like the 'good valiant knight' he was.

Did they ever once thank him? No. They always depended on him to defeat the 'evil' things that seemed to always arise within the tamers vicinity. The D Reaper, the Parasite digimon that tried to take over the world, hell even way back with the devas.

They never thought about what a battering his conscience was taking every time he was forced to delete a creature digital or 'real'.

But the real question was 'Did they even care'?

Takato's hand clenched around the goggles and the two digimon who were watching him carefully blinked rapidly as they heard a cracking noise.

Crimson eyes narrowed as he thought, turning to a glare as he realized the answer.

It was such a simple word, Only two letters. 'No.'

He couldn't believe that he never realized it until now. They just wanted what was best for themselves. They were taking him for granted and he was through being their 'knight in shining armor', it over and done with. They needed to learn to 'fend for themselves', just like he doesn't need them.

"No." Takato muttered to himself, as he turned and stalked down the path.

Impmon and Guilmon were forced to blink a few more times before running after him.

'He losing it!' was Impmon's thought as he ran side by side with the one mentioned partner.

'Takato, what's wrong'? Guilmon asked silently, catching unsettling emotions from his human counterpart.

*****

They caught up to him as he left the part, still glaring in front of himself as he walked, muttering to himself.

Impmon and Guilmon shared a look, he had never acted this way before, what in the world was going on?

Nodding to each other Guilmon and Impmon tackled him in the alleyway next to Takato's parents bakery.

"What the...? What is with you two?!" Takato demanded trying to get out from underneath the dragon and demon digimon.

"That's what we want to ask you!" Impmon retorted getting off him, but staying close enough so there would be no 'look and then walk away'.

Takato glared at the little demon who looked slightly startled at the intensity of the glare. "..."

"You can tell us Takato, we're your friends" Guilmon said placing a clawed 'hand' on his shoulder.

Out of everything that could've happened, they did NOT expect this. Takato started laughing, hard. Holding his sides he was forced to lean against the alley wall in order to support himself.

After a few moments he stopped laughing, and looked the at the two uneasy digimon. "Friends? Define 'friends' for me please."

"Did you get hit on the head gogg...Takato?" Impmon asked, stopping before he said 'goggle head'.

"No." Came the short answer.

"Takato, what's wrong?" Guilmon tried again.

"'Friends'" Takato said sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" Guilmon asked, as both he and Impmon were confused.

"'Friends' is what the problem is. What friends seem to translate to are people who only have you around to do things for them, to save them or what not. Friends seem to be a waste of time."

"But..." Guilmon said sadly, "We're friends."

Takato blinked at that, some of his old self coming back to him. Takato picked up Guilmon's hands in his own, "You see your more then a friend Guilmon, you're my partner, accomplice, my family."

Guilmon smiled, the smile fading as he looked at Impmon.

Impmon looked away trying to hide his sadness.

"Then what does that make Impmon?" Guilmon questioned.

Impmon froze as he heard his name and waited for the answer.

Takato looked at the little demon and took one of his hands, while Guilmon took the other. "Family."

Impmon looked up at them startled.

"What? Hey, we viruses need to stick together!" Takato said with a smile.

Impmon visibly fought with himself as he tried to decide how to answer, as he also tried to hide the fact that he was tearing up. No one had ever accepted him as part of a 'family' before.

"Impmon?" Guilmon asked looking at him.

Impmon looked up. It seemed they were waiting for an answer.

Impmon decided right then and there. He gave them a peace sign, and was rewarded with Guilmon tackling him, and Takato chuckling slightly.

"Come on Guilmon, get off of him, he needs to breath sometime." Takato said, amusement evident in his voice as he pulled his digimon off of Impmon.

After Impmon regained his breath, they all stood up.

"Time to go in. What to stay with us Impmon?" Takato asked dusting himself off.

"Sure." Impmon replied trying to sound uninterested. It didn't work.

"Come on in then." Takato said leading the two digimon in the side door of the bakery.

"Takato? Is that you?" His mother asked from the kitchen.

"Yeah." Takato called back, kicking off his shoes.

"There's a letter for you on the table." She called back. Takato walked by, grabbing the letter and going up to his room, motioning for Guilmon and Impmon to follow.

The two did, but only after receiving some bread from Takato's father.

"So? What does your, what was it called again, letter! say?" Guilmon asked as they entered Takato's room.

Guilmon and Impmon then jumped on the bed, as they awaited Takato's answer.

Impmon poked him after a few minutes of silence.

"Huh what? Oh, well...a few months ago our school announced a exchange student program to England and I decided to sign up. The letter I just got says I was accepted." Takato explained, "And I leave...."he trailed off and made a odd noise, "I leave tomorrow..and I never got this before hand?! What the hell..?" Takato said, ranting slightly.

"Whoa!" Impmon suddenly said.

Guilmon and Takato looked at him.

"Your going to this 'England' place and you leave tomorrow right...?" Impmon said

"Yeah...?" Takato prodded.

"So what about us?" Impmon demanded.

"Yeah!" Guilmon said looking at his tamer for some answers.

Takato had to think about that. There was no way he was going to leave either of them behind.

Takato gave them a smile. "Are you two up for a trip to England?"

*****

Takato mother and father looked up as they heard cheering coming from Takato's room.

Mia just shook her head. "Boys..."

*****

"I have to go tell my parents that I was accepted, and I have to,..." Takato pulled a sour face " ...pack, whoa boy, that's going to take awhile,.."

"Remember you two, when we go you have to hide." Takato cautioned them, again.

"We know." The two digimon said again as they started digging into the bread they had been given.

Takato sighed, 'I hope this works', with one last look at the two viral digimon, he walked out of his room and down into the kitchen.

*****

"Hey Mom, Hey Dad." He said walking into the kitchen.

"So?" His dad asked, "What was in the letter?"

"Uh yeah, about that."

Takato's mother turned from the mixer. "What is it Takato?"

"Remember the exchange student program that I signed up for a few months ago?"

"Yeah?"

"I was accepted to go to England."

"Really? That's great son!" His father said enthusiastically.

"That's nice. How long is the program?" Takato's mother asked.

"Uh...." Takato looked over the letter he was holding, "..two years."

"WHAT?"

"I know that's a while, but think about it, it's ENGLAND, plus the school is one of the best ones!"

"But." his mother started, but was cut off by his father, "We should let him go."

Takato and his mother looked at him.

"What?" They both asked shocked.

"We know he can handle himself Mia, he's done it many times before."

Takato's mother looked torn. "I guess. Just remember to be careful!"

"I will. Guilmon and Impmon are coming with me." Takato said, easing some of their worries.

"So, when does this exchange program start?"

Takato suddenly look very nervous, "Eh heh.."

"Takato?" his mother asked again.

"..Tomorrow." Takato said looking anywhere but his mother.

*Thump*

Takato and his father sweat dropped as his mother fainted.

"Good luck son. You'd better go pack if you leave tomorrow." his father said as he went to try to revive his mother.

With a "Thanks dad." He went up to his room to pack.

*****

Takato walked into his room and sighed as he looked at the clock. 3pm.

With the help of Guilmon and Impmon, he managed to find everything he needed, wash what he had to, and pack it all in 3 hours.

*****

"Whoah." Takato said looking around at his now pretty much empty room. "It's so..."

"Empty?" Impmon supplied, as he and Guilmon flopped down on Takato's bed again.

"There's one more thing to do today. One that I do not want to do." Takato said falling back onto the bed.

"Huh?" Guilmon asked opening one eye.

"Tell the other tamers."

"Ah." Impmon replied.

"I don't really want to phone them..." Takato said, half to himself.

"So why don't you do what a lot of other humans do." Impmon asked.

Takato gave him a confused look.

"E-mail them!" with his part done, Impmon decided to mimic Guilmon and sleep.

"Oh, actually that's a good idea. Thanks." Takato got up and left for the computer room.

*****

Takato really didn't feel like informing them of anything but the non spiteful part said he should.

Damn conscience.

So his email all the tamers was the same.

~Email~

Hey,

Just wanted to inform all of you that I was accepted on the exchange student program, I leave tomorrow.

Bye.

Takato Matsuki.

~End Email~

Short, maybe not sweet, but straight to the point. He sent it to Henry, Rika, Kazu, Kenta, Ryo, and Jeri.

Screw writing separate ones. He was tired.

*****

Takato went down stairs again after he had sent the email and checked in on the two sleeping digimon.

"All packed?" his father asked as he started to help his parents close up.

"Yep, it took a really looooonnnngggg" Takato said winking slightly as he did a whining tone.

His father laughed.

"Yeah, I'd bet."

*****

After dinner and a lot of promising he would be really careful and that he would remember to write. He went to up to his room and got ready for bed.

He looked around the room once more as he moved Impmon and Guilmon to one side of the bed.

He set his alarm for 5am, what an ungodly hour, and let his mind wander until he drifted off to sleep.

*****

(6:30 am)

Takato yawned, again, as he waited with a few other kids, that were from different schools around the district, for their plane.

He worried every now and again for Guilmon and Impmon, who had talented enough not to get caught when they had managed to get into the luggage part of the plane. They were currently making themselves comfortable.

That morning at five he had bid farewell to his parents for two whole years. Because his mother wanted to make sure he'd remember to keep in touch she and his father had loaded him down with a bank card, for his own account, some new school books, and, much to his surprise a lap top computer. When he asked about it, they said e-mails were faster to receive.

When he had gotten to the airport, the people in charge of the exchange student program had did double checks, and informed each student where they would be going.

He had been handed a uniform for the school he was going to.

Takato snapped out of his thoughts as his plane was called to board. Come to think of it, he still hadn't seen the uniform, but then again he didn't have to wear it for another two weeks.

As he boarded, he wondered who the other person was that was going to England. There was only two.

As he went to find his seat he saw someone he never expected to see, sure it had been two years since he had seen her but, he knew it was her!

"*Minami?.....Minami Uehara?" Takato asked shocked.

"Hmmm?" Minami looked up and was just as shocked to see him. "Takato Matsuki? Is that really you?"

"It *is* you! How have you been?" Takato asked.

"Fine, are you the other England exchange student?" Minami asked curiously.

"Yep." Takato replied as he look at the seat number on his ticket. "And it looks like I'm sitting next to you."

"This is so cool! I haven't seen you in so long!" Minami went on.

"True." Takato agreed thinking back to when they first met.

"Is Guilmon here too?" Minami asked looking at him.

"Yep," Takato answered.

At her confused look, he continued, "he's with Impmon in storage"

"Aah." She said smiling." I'm so glad I actually know someone, I thought I was going to be alone in a whole new country!"

Takato laughed, "I know. I thought the same thing."

"Two years neh?" Minami said leaning back into her seat.

"Yep, two years." Takato grinned, his crimson eyes flashing in amusement, "Onward to a new life."

Minami looked at him and smiled, "Onward." She agreed.
*****

A/N-

*falls over* that was a lot of typing (for me at least)

*- Minami Uehara was the person Takato saved in the 5th digimon movie. (Just for those who didn't know) ^^

So now their on their way to England. What awaits them there?

Before you ask this will not be a Minami/Takato. I don't know what it will be, but it wont be that. (did that make sense? Oh well it did in my world ^^;)

Stay tuned for the next installment of 'Twilight of Eden!"

(lol- that sounded so funny if you say it in the shows voice in your head)

Please REVIEW!!!!! ^_______^