Author's Note: If I owned Digimon, in any way what so ever, there would be no such thing as Tamers, Frontier or whatever else followed after that. We would never have seen the end of the Adventure kids and Takari would have been a proper canon couple. As it stands I have no rights to the franchise and therefore I do not have any rights to all characters mentioned within this story.
The title also comes from a line in a Digimon song that I assume no ownership of.
This story is purely fictional; any resemblance to real people, living or dead is purely coincidental. (I always wanted to say that :P)
Finally, please read and review. Thank you!
It was a conversation she'd never thought she'd be having, least of all with Taichi. Of all the people in the world why him? Hikari had always been an avid believer of all things celestial, heck her own Digimon was living proof of that, but at times like this Hikari couldn't help but bitterly resent the almighty being in the sky. She couldn't help but think that God had a particularly sick sense of humour because someone like Taichi should never have deserved something like this.
In retrospect, Hikari had known something was seriously wrong from the moment he had come through the door that night. Taichi had always made a point, no matter how upset, angry or whatever he was, to great his family as soon as he walked in. The turning of the key would usually follow, though he had many variations, an upbeat "I'm home!" Tonight though, he had barely even managed a curt nod before heading straight for his room locking the door behind him. Yes, his parents had been worried but they merely put Taichi's sudden abruptness down to over exertion. For the last month Taichi had been working tirelessly with hardly any breaks, what he was working for no one, not even Hikari had known, but Taichi had taken on every shift humanly possible whether it meant waking up at four in the morning or coming home way past twelve in the night. That night Taichi had just covered a nine hour shift starting at 5am and instead of catching up on the sleep his body and mind so desperately needed he had simply come home and taken a shower before heading out again.
Whilst exhaustion was a very plausible reason and whilst Taichi had all but confirmed it using a megaphone during the light hearted small talk that had happened during dinner where he had even cracked a few jokes – albeit bad ones, Hikari wasn't so easily fooled. Hikari would never think to accuse her parents of not understanding or knowing their children but she did believe that she knew Taichi on a much deeper level than her parents did and the same held true the other way around. Of course, it wasn't their parent's fault, Taichi and Hikari's was a bond that went from strength to strength ever since their first encounter with the Digital World. The connection between the siblings was such that it was almost impossible to find anyone who understood the other better than they did and it was this bond that had shown Hikari that Taichi was lying through his teeth. For she had seen it, she had heard it, the affliction behind those eyes, the misery within that voice; it was a pain Hikari would have gladly killed to have to never experience again.
Her chest felt tight in pain every time she looked at him and it took everything she had within her just to play along with his happy façade. It was obvious he didn't want his parents or even her to know anything but how stupid did he think she was? How stupid was he to think that she wouldn't realise? Something like this, he definitely wouldn't be able to keep from her, oh he would try but how long could he actually hide away his emotions from her? Whatever was bothering him she needed to know and she would know, if the pain was too raw tonight, she would ask tomorrow or the day after or even the day after that, but she would get to the bottom of it. There was no way she would let him go through any sort of heartache alone, she'd have to be dead and buried before she let that happen!
After dinner Hikari had taken to washing away all the dishes, Taichi's job was to dry them. It was an awkward washing and drying, they merely got on with their jobs in silence. Hikari had tried to make conversation but every time she opened her mouth to speak she had to shut it again for fear of asking him what was wrong, with her parents still sitting at the table she thought it not wise. Taichi hadn't even attempted to converse and when the last plate was washed and dried he had announced he was going to bed with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and a small "goodnight".
Hikari too had done the same but had headed for the shower first. It was supposed to be relaxing, a shower, but all throughout it Hikari had been troubled with the same questions. What was happening with her brother? She had put all sorts of theories and ideas into play in her mind but she would have never have prepared herself for the real reason for the torment that Taichi was experiencing.
After her shower Hikari had gone to the living room to say goodnight to her parents she then did the same with Taichi. Knocking ever so slightly on his door, Hikari had long since moved out of the room she had shared with her brother during her childhood, she opened the door just a crack.
"Taichi, are you asleep?" She received no reply, "Well, goodnight, have the sweetest dreams." She sighed and started to close the door ever so quietly so as not to wake him.
"Hikari…" If Hikari wasn't there to hear it with her own ears, she wouldn't have believed that the sad, desperate and muffled voice was that of her strong willed brother. It was as if he was begging her not to leave and it was obvious he had been crying into his pillow. Taichi didn't have to worry; there was no way Hikari was going to leave, definitely not now.
She made her way into his room, shutting the door behind her. She didn't bother to turn on the lights, truth be told Hikari was petrified at what she would find. She didn't know if she was ready to face the defeated Taichi that would have looked back at her and selfish though it may have been, she was almost certain he wouldn't have wanted her to see him in that state either. She sat down on the lower bunk where he was lying face down next to her; she had a million things she had wanted to say but the pain of hearing such a feeble Taichi had washed them all away and she felt sure she wouldn't have been able to speak without the fear of the tears that had formed in her eyes spilling.
"Get a hold of yourself Hikari!" She chided with herself, "This is not the time!" It wouldn't have been the first time that Hikari had felt weak and helpless but this time she didn't have her courageous, steadfast brother to bring her round, this time she had to be brave for the both of them. It was her turn.
Or so she had told herself, she still couldn't bring herself to say anything, so she did the next best thing; she grabbed a limp arm falling off the edge of the bed and gave Taichi's hand a small but reassuring squeeze. It was a gesture that may have offered little support but she was certain that she felt his hand return it, even just a little, and when he shifted his body to face her, she knew that it had helped him. Though she couldn't see his face properly due to the shadow that was covering it she knew she couldn't have imagined the sad eyes that were staring at her, those eyes were all that it took. Hikari suddenly felt a hot surge of anger fill up within her, who or what had even thought it acceptable to ever make this person, this amazing, strong, loyal, wonderful person feel the way he did? Who had the audacity? She felt suddenly empowered.
Swallowing the knot that had formed in the back of her throat, "Taichi," She started with determination, "what's wrong with you, what's happened?"
He didn't say anything; he just stared blankly at her and pointed to the drawer in his bedside table. Hikari opened it and there staring her in the face was a small velvet box, the type you get from one of those very expensive jewellers, not something a university student working part-time would be able to afford in any shape or form. Hikari came to a stark realisation.
"Oh Taichi…" It was a small pitiful voice but it was all that Hikari could muster.
"Sh...She…said…" And, Hikari realised all at once that all throughout Taichi had been silently crying.
"Shhh, Taichi, shhh." Stroking his head, what else could she have said? She thought. Truth was he had been rejected. Plain and simply the person he had been working night and day for, the person he had loved the most and whom he had thought loved him back, and the person he would have given the world for had denied him. What could Hikari have possibly said to make the agony, the torture the grief any less painful? Any less intense?
She was under no pretence, there would be little anyone could do, she, herself included to make the hurt go away. The next few months would be hell for Taichi, there would be things that would remind him of her, things that would kill him, torture him but Hikari would be there. If he needed to talk, she would talk the night away, if he needed a hug, she would smother him to nothing or if he just needed someone to be with, she would drop everything and just sit there with him. She was ready to do all these things for him, he needed her support and she was not going to deny him of that, not ever.
"You know Taichi," She began, jumping under the covers with him, "when I was small and I couldn't quite get to sleep because I was scared of what would await me in my dreams, there was a certain someone who used to hop in my bed just like this." She put her head to his.
"He used to hold me and tell me not to worry, that everything would be o.k. He told me loads and loads of stories, but my favourite was one about a red string of fate, the akai ito.
You know that when we're all still in heaven waiting to be born God ties a red string of fate on our ankles? This red string is super, super strong; it's made of the most durable, the most unbreakable material. It's so strong that it's only available to God, it's infused with his power so only he can tear it, but God wouldn't do that, because he loves us, he wants us all to be happy.
God, he ties this red string of fate around our ankles for a reason because on the other end of that string, do you know what's waiting for us Taichi?" Hikari didn't wait for his answer she just gave his hand a tighter squeeze.
"On the other end of that string, our destiny waits. We're all tied to the one person who we're destined to be with, they could be anywhere Taichi, they could be anyone, but they're ours. The person waiting on the other side of the string, they love us, they need us, they're our soul mates. We all have one.
That red string it may get tangled, it may stretch, but it will never break so you see we've all got someone." Hikari smiled a small smile as she wiped away the tears from her brother's face.
"And I can see it Taichi, somewhere, there's a person made just for you. She's there waiting, hoping that you notice her, she's being really patient, but she's waiting, she's definitely there. She wants you to see her, Taichi, she wants you to look and realise that she's been there the whole time, all along silently watching you, waiting. You just have to open your eyes Taichi and see, really see, see that akai ito because it's connecting you and she's desperate to meet you, somewhere in your heart you're desperate to meet her too. It's not going to be easy and the red string of fate may stretch and tangle many, many more times over, but you'll find each other one day and when you do, big brother, you'll be the absolute happiest person alive and you'll make her even more happy." Taichi let out a sharp sniff and Hikari felt more tears fall onto her arm.
"And, do you know why I know that big brother? Do you know why I'm certain that will happen?" Taichi looked at her through a tear streamed face, "Because the person who told me that story, he's never once lied to me before. There's no way it can't be true." And with that she let him cry out all his feelings, while she continued to stroke his hair, shushing him every so often.
Tomorrow, she would tell her parents exactly what had happened; tomorrow she would explain it all to Yamato and Sora, Taichi needed all the support he could get. Tomorrow she would phone that bitch up and tear her limb from limb, she would interrogate her until she was satisfied with the reason, though Hikari knew there would be never be a reason good enough, for why she felt she was too good for her amazing brother. Why she shattered his heart.
Tomorrow was still a long way away; tonight she would be with Taichi. Tonight she would hold him and comfort him and for once, tonight she would be the one to tell him stories until he fell asleep.
He may have been feeling alone but tonight, and for as long as it took after that, she would make sure he knew he wasn't.
That's it! How did you like it? Please review, all comments be they rave reviews, constructive criticism or flames (hey, everyone has a right to voice or in this case type their opinion) welcome, so tell me what you thought! Thanks again!