Digimon: The New Path
Episode One: Letting Go
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Author's Note: This begins several days
after episode 21 of Digimon 02, after the downfall of Ken/The Digimon Emperor
and the discovery of the crest of Kindness. By then, Ken has changed and
Wormmon has been reformatted. However, Veemon has not reached his Champion
level yet. Also, the defeat of Ken was slightly different. You shall see.
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"I love him," Kari told
Gatomon in her room late that night. "I really do love him."
The cat Digimon was worried.
"Are you sure about this? He may not really be in love with you, and I
don't want to see you get hurt, Kari."
"I'll be okay, Gatomon. I
thought you'd support me here."
"I do, Kari, but… him?!"
"Yes, I know. He may just have
a crush and nothing more. But, when I'm with him, I feel… so alive. I just feel
so good. My mind's made up, Gatomon. Tomorrow, I'm going to tell him. And you
can't say a word about this to anyone!"
Gatomon nodded. "You have my
word." She then curled up in the desk chair and tried to sleep, but her
worries were too much for her. Kari, I think you're making a big mistake.
* * *
"What took you so long, TC?"
Davis said as TK came in last to the computer room at school that afternoon.
Though Davis, Yolei, Cody, and Kari, as well as their Digimon had just arrived
themselves, he didn't appreciate waiting for his rival.
TK frowned as Davis had once again
said his name wrong. "What is it with you and mispronouncing my name,
Davis? It's TK."
Kari intercepted the coming fight
by placing her hand on Davis' shoulder and spoke. "Relax, Davis. He's here
and that's all that matters. Let's just go now. We have a lot of cleaning up to
do in the Digital World now that Ken's been defeated."
Davis looked at her and smiled.
"Whatever you say, Kari."
No more words were said, except for Yolei saying "Digi-port open," and the ten of them were back in the Digital World. Cody pulled out a map of the area they were in.
"We'll work on five areas
today," he said. "Yolei will take the lake area, TK the mountain,
Davis the beach, and the large plain will be divided up by myself and Kari. If
we start now, we'll be done in just a few hours."
The team nodded, and then went off
to their areas to help restore the Digital World. As he walked, TK thought
about Ken. He remembered how lost he was after being defeated by Davis and
Magnamon, thinking that the Digital World was all a game to him. That illusion
ended with Wormmon's death, and Ken had to face reality. TK also remembered
finding the Crest of Kindness, and, figuring it was Ken's, gave it to him. The
others were shocked about this, because they probably couldn't forgive Ken for
all he had done with the Dark Rings and Control Spires.
However, TK had forgiven him. In
his eyes, Ken was a lost child who needed help, and they were the ones to guide
him. Only he saw this, though, and he wondered how the others could be so
cruel, even Kari still didn't trust him that much. I'd better talk to her
about it, he thought. But before I tell her how I really feel towards
her. Well, better get to work.
* * *
Kari and Gatomon finished their share
of work quickly with the help of some Gazimon, and Kari decided it was time to
find her guy. "You stay here, Gatomon," she said. "And look
after the Gazimon. I'm going to see him."
Gatomon nodded, but didn't look at Kari. "Just be careful," was all she said. There was more she wanted to say, but knew nothing would stop her friend.
Kari smiled, then headed off.
* * *
TK had also finished his work
early, and he and Patamon then headed off to find Kari. When they came to the
field, they only found Gatomon, who seemed a little nervous around them,
especially TK.
Patamon looked around.
"Where'd Kari go, Gatomon?"
The cat sighed heavily.
"You'll find her by the beach. We finished early, so she went
there."
TK nodded, then faced his Digimon.
"Why don't you keep Gatomon company, Patamon? I'll be back." With
that, he headed for the beach.
Gatomon tried to stop him, but she
knew she couldn't. He has a right to know, even if it's the hard way.
Patamon flew down to her, worried.
"What's wrong, Gato?"
"Patamon… I can't tell you
just yet. I made promise."
"Oh, okay. Then you keep your
promise, Gato. I know how important they can be."
He turned to move away, but Gatomon
hugged him tight, her eyes filled with tears. "Please don't leave,"
she begged.
Patamon slowly hugged her back.
"I won't."
* * *
TK was almost to the beach when he
saw Veemon gathering sticks. The blue Digimon looked up and smiled. "Hiya,
TK! You got done early, too?"
TK walked up to Veemon. "Yes.
Have you seen Kari? She was done as well and Gatomon said she came in this
direction."
"I did. She stopped by as I
was gathering sticks for firewood. We're cooking some grub for the Numemon who
helped Davis and I at the beach."
"Cool. Need some help?"
TK took some of Veemon's load and
they began to walk towards the beach. They were almost at the clearing when TK
stopped dead in his tracks. Before them were Kari and Davis, in each other's
arms, and kissing. He watched as they slowly broke the kiss and Kari said,
"I love you."
Veemon saw this, then looked back
at TK, who gripped the sticks in his arms tightly. Oh no! Davis finally got
the girl of his dreams, but TK loves her, too.
They listened as the two new lovers
began to talk: "Kari… I love you, too. But, I thought you liked TK more
than me."
"Never! TK's my best friend, and I haven't seen him in so long. Maybe it was wrong to flirt with him, but I couldn't help it because I wanted you to be jealous. I owe you and him an apology for that. I just hope it doesn't ruin our friendship with each other."
TK felt his heart sink. I'm just
her best friend, and a tool to make Davis jealous! She loves him…and he her
back. …So be it. I love her, too, and I want her to be happy.
Veemon looked back at TK. "You
okay?" he whispered.
TK just nodded. They listened as
the talk continued.
"I have an idea, Davis. We
could pretend that things are still the way they are; I could still be flirting
with TK to make you jealous."
Dvais liked this idea very
much. It was a great scheme to toy with
TK's heart until the right moment and then shatter him completely. "That's cool, Kari."
TK had heard enough. He walked up
to them. "That wouldn't be fair to the others, let alone to me."
Kari and Davis turned and gasped as
TK and Veemon appeared. He continued. "They're your friends, and you
should be honest with them or else they'll begin to doubt their faith in you.
Friendship is based on trust, and so it love."
Kari paled. "TK, how long have
you been listening?"
"Ever since you two stopped
kissing."
Davis got a little angry. His plan
was now ruined. "So, you cut out from your work to spy on us?"
TK put the sticks in his hands
down, then pulled up his arm and extended his hand, confusing Davis.
"Congratulations, Davis. I hope you and Kari will be very happy."
The other boy was surprised, but
took the hand and shook it. "Thanks. But… aren't you angry?"
"Only that you planned to keep
this from your friends. But other than that, no I'm not. And for the record,
Patamon and I are finished working. Speaking of Patamon, I left him with
Gatomon, Kari. Is it okay if I leave him here with you guys? I have some things
to take care of back home."
Kari smiled. "Sure, TK. Thank
you for understanding."
TK just turned around and waved as
he walked back into the woods. He didn't look back, or else they would see the
pain on his face.
"TK, wait up! I got to ask you something!"
The boy looked to see Veemon run up
to him. "TK, I want you to know I'm very sorry about what just happened. I
can see how much you're really hurting from this."
"Please don't tell anyone
this, Veemon. I don't want to come between Kari and Davis."
"You have my word."
* * *
TK came home to an empty apartment
that late afternoon, which didn't surprise him the least. His mother was off at
work and wouldn't be home for another few hours. He was alone, and he wanted to
be that way right now.
After returning, TK thought about
going to see Matt. Then he decided not to. He was too old to be running to his
big brother for help, and there was nothing anyone could do to help him.
Kari loved Davis. He had accepted
it, and also hated it.
TK made his way into his room,
tossing his hat onto his desk before falling onto his bed. Once his face met
his pillow, he released all his tears that had been building up inside of him,
and wept bitterly. He was only her friend, even after the times he saved her
from Piedmon and the Dark World. He was a friend to her and nothing more. Those words stung his heart terribly. "I love you, Kari," he said
to the silence as he cried. The day he told her he cared about her replayed in
his mind. Had he the courage to tell her what he meant then, or that he loved
her sooner, maybe she would be with him now, and not Davis. But wishful
thinking only made his pain worse.
"Goodbye, my angel of light… time to let you go."
There would be another love
someday, somewhere. TK just had to hold
on to whatever was left of his dying hope until then.
* * *
Patamon didn't know what was worse:
that Kari loved Davis, or that they planned to keep it secret from everyone
until TK found out and told them to come clean. In hot anger, he flew away from
the group because he didn't want to hear the two of them talking anymore. How could Kari think about tricking TK
like that! She's supposed to be his best friend, and he even said that he cared
too much about her.
The winged Digimon finally sat down
to clear his head. He was scared that Gatomon would probably do the same thing
to him with Veemon. Knock it off, Patamon! You've known her for some time
now, and she would never do something like that… would she?
"Patamon?"
Patamon looked to see Veemon
standing beside him. The blue dragon-like Digimon looked sad. "This is
hurting me just as much as it is to you, pal. I saw the look on TK's face
before he left. It's killing him that the girl he loves doesn't share the same
feelings."
Patamon looked away. "Veemon,
I thought you'd be happy for Davis. He is your partner after all."
Veemon shook his head. "As strange as it sounds, I'm not. And
don't get any ideas about Gatomon and I hooking up behind your back, because
that will never happen. I admit I'm jealous of you because you have her, but I
just want to be friends with her, nothing more. Besides, you're all she talks
about when I hang around her."
Veemon watched as Patamon gave him
a "are you serious" look. "Hey, if I'm lying, I hope I get hit
by a street car and die! I just wanted you to know how I feel about all of
this." He looked to see someone rushing up to them. "Here comes
Gatomon now. I say you talk to her."
Patamon watched as Veemon left and
Gatomon came up to him. "I'm so sorry about all this, Pata," she
said. "I wanted to tell you and TK about it…"
"What's done is done, Gatomon.
I just hope TK will be okay. He loves
Kari, you know."
Gatomon looked at him. "I know
this isn't the time for what I'm about to do, but…" she then pulled him
into a kiss, wrapping her paws around him.
Patamon liked the kiss, but gently
pulled away. "I'm sorry, Gato, but I can't. Not with TK dealing with his
heartache. But, I love you, too."
This made Gatomon smile at least.
"We'd better get back and have someone give you a ride home."
* * *
TK didn't know how long he had been
lying in bed, nor did he care. After what seemed like an eternity of crying, he
got up and dragged himself to the kitchen for dinner. He didn't feel like a TV
dinner, and he didn't want to go out to eat, so he had trouble deciding what he
wanted. His appetite was mostly gone, but it still tugged at his stomach a
little. Finally, he fixed himself a small sandwich and some chips.
However, after the first bite, TK
felt he couldn't eat anything else. So… this is what is feels like to be in
love… He sighed heavily.
Just then, someone knocked on his
door. TK slowly got up and opened it to see Tai standing there with Patamon in
his hands. Both of them looked at his face, and frowned. "I was afraid of this," Tai
muttered. He gave Patamon back to TK as he said, "Mind if we have a
chat?"
TK nodded and let his old friend
inside. He then told Patamon "Go to my room. Mom won't be back for a while
yet." The winged Digimon obeyed and flew off silently, leaving the two
boys alone to talk. "Want a drink?"
"Sure, thanks."
Tai sat down while TK got out two
glasses and some water. "So, what brings you here?"
Tai ate one chip from TK's plate.
"I stopped by the school to pick Kari up on my way home. She told me that
she was dating Davis now, and when they said you came home early and left
Patamon behind, well let's say my suspicions were confirmed when I got
here." He took the glass from TK and took a sip before going on. "TK, I know you're in love with my sister.
You've saved her more times than Davis has, and you've always looked out for
her when I wasn't there. How come you let this happen?"
TK starred at his glass. "I do
love her, Tai. That's why I'm not going to get in the way of their relationship
anymore. I want her to be happy."
"At your own expense? Takeru
Takaishi, you just as stupid as your brother! I got nothing against Davis, or
against the feelings of my sister, but… damn it, TK, you should at least tell
her how you feel! It's no good for you to just sit on your ass and cry your
eyes out when you could-!"
The sound of shattering glass cut
Tai off as he looked at TK's now bleeding hand. Tai's words had made him so
angry that he tightened the grip on his glass of water and it broke. Shards and
water now covered parts of the table, and fresh blood was dripping onto it from
TK's palm.
It was then Tai realized that he
had said too much. "TK… I-."
"Just finish your drink, and
get out!"
Tai winced a little at the coldness
in TK's words. He quickly got up and went to the bathroom to look for the
medical kit. He returned and bandaged the hand before apologizing. "I'm
sorry about this, TK! I didn't-!"
"Just. Get. Out!"
Tai bowed, then walked out quickly.
Patamon flew in and asked what happened when he saw the bandaged hand.
"It's nothing," TK said. "Mind finishing my sandwich for me? I'm
not hungry."
* * *
Davis laid in his bed, smiling
widely. "I won!" he exclaimed to Demi-Veemon, who sat on the floor.
"I finally got Kari as my girl, and TJ got left out. He even chose not to
fight. The fool. I guess TB finally-."
"TK."
Davis sat up and looked down at his
Digimon. "What was that?"
"His name is TK, Davis. And
you don't need to rub it in. You're his friend."
"Friend? The guy's a jerk. He
kept getting in my way, and now he can't anymore. It feels sooooo good to
finally have Kari's love!"
Demi-Veemon frowned. He sounds more like he's obsessed with Kari rather than in love with her, and the way he's dissing on TK… I wonder if he actually deserves the Digi-Egg of Friendship…
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Next: TK and Patamon walk into
Ken and Wormmon, who are destroying some of the remaining Control Spires. A new
friendship is made, but can TK convince the others that Ken is no longer the
enemy while trying not to go insane from Kari and Davis' budding romance? This
series has already begun, and a turning point is right around the corner.