A Reminder of Our Triumph

Note: This doesn't follow the episodes: as in the Digital World is at peace and everyone knows about Digimon! Maybe that will happen in the future, but not now. Right now the original Digidestined are going off to college, and are uncertain about the future.

"Remember the days when it was easy?" Tai asked, staring lazily up at the sky. He, along with the seven other original digidestined, were sitting in the park. It was another anniversary for the group, the day Myotismon was defeated. They spent it in the same place every year, under the same tree where they first held their meeting of how to find the eighth child, and Joe was piled with phonebooks.

"When was it ever easy, Tai?" Sora asked, laughing. Her hand was laced with Matt's, as they'd finally become a couple over the past year.

Tai glared at her, "When we weren't all leaving for college. When Izzy was just some annoying kid with a laptop. When Joe was afraid of everything and when Mimi had the brain capacity of a Malibu Barbie."

"As much as I appreciate your comment," Izzy said sarcastically, "I think you're over exaggerating. It's not like we'll never see each other again."

"How do you know that? How do we know if we'll even be able to go the Digital World again? Maybe adults can't go… we are going to be adults, right? And Gennai said-"

"What Gennai said was just a theory, nothing more," Izzy stated.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Tai was worried about something other than his hair," Joe laughed.

"I know. Try living with him," Kari sighed, and leaned on TK. They were also a couple.

"Would you quit it! Those goggles always made it flat…"

"Which explains the bottle of hairspray you emptied each morning."

"I'm not the only one with hair issues! Matt dyes his!"

"And just when I thought I could stay out of this…" Matt sighed, "And you weren't suppose to tell anyone!"

"I didn't, really… just… them."

"So that's where all your allowance used to go, huh Matt?" TK asked.

"My band manager thought it'd help if my hair made more of a statement."

"Which is why the color gradually changed."

"I thought if I was subtle enough, no one would notice…"

"Do you think we're all stupid, Matt?"

"No. Just Tai," Matt laughed.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm passing all my classes this year."

"A seventy is not considered passing, Tai."

"What do you know, Kari? And I don't have any seventies!"

"Um, guys? Not that I'm not enjoying this, but shouldn't we talk about what we were… suppose to talk about, I guess?" Joe asked

"Thank you, Joe! You're absolutely correct!" Tai said, "Izzy, take it away!"

"Thanks Tai…" Izzy sighed, "Anyway. This issue, our main problem was everyone going off to college, except Kari and TK, of course. Once that happens, we'll be adults, and possibly never allowed into the Digital World again."

"Gennai said it was only if we stopped believing," Mimi commented. She was visiting from New York, and possibly even going to school in Japan next year, "I don't care how cliché is sounds, but it's true. Most adults just can't accept the fact that Digimon are real…"

"But just because we're getting older doesn't mean we'll stop believing, does it?" Sora asked.

"Maybe not right away," Izzy said, "But really, who knows? As long as Kari and TK are still young enough, I bet we'll remember. But then we get older and get jobs, married, become busy. Then everything's a distant memory, and it's hard to know if it was real or not."

"I don't know how we could ever forget what happened to us," TK said, "Remember the first time we went to the Digital World?"

"Things sure were different then," Tai said, and stared up at the sky again, laying down on his back.

"We all grew up a lot," Kari added, "Remember when we had to shoot Tai and Matt with arrows?"

"Yeah, that was a blast," Matt said sarcastically, "I liked when I got to punch Tai in the face."

"That'd have to be on the top of my list, too," Tai smiled to the sky, "Especially when I punched you back."

"I remember all of you were such dorks," Sora said, "I couldn't believe I got stuck with any of you. But it turned out alright."

"I used to be so fashion impaired," Mimi said, "Now look at me!"

Everyone groaned, and Tai sat up.

"I remember when I gave my goggles to Davis. Sometimes, I still wish I could have them back. Even though I know I can't."

"We all wish we could go back."

"I think the biggest thing that scares me…" Tai said, "Is that I'll never be able to see Agumon again. And then I'll forget all about him, and live my life like this never happened to me. We had to live four years without seeing them, and that's the longest I ever want to be apart again."

"This reminds me of four years ago, when we had to leave the Digital World," Matt said, "We had no idea if we'd ever see our Digimon ever again."

"I gave Gatomon my whistle," Kari laughed, "She still has it."

"That day… the only thing we wanted was to be able to see them again. Maybe that's all it takes."

"So? We could still forget. There isn't really any way to avoid it."

Everyone sat in silence. Mimi twirled her fading pink hair around her finger. She'd decided to dye it again, only to discover that natural hair was the new thing. Joe sat next to her, twiddling his thumbs. Tai continued to stare at the sky, and Izzy punched keys on his laptop. Sora laid her head on Matt's shoulder as she picked at her nail polish, and Kari held TK's hand.

Tai sat up suddenly, and smiled evilly.

"I have an idea."

"Great," said Joe, "I hate your ideas. They always seem to get me injured."

"No, this ones different! I know how we can never forget!"

"How exactly, wonder boy?" Sora asked.

"You know, I never appreciated the name calling."

"What's your idea already?"

"I think we should all get tattoos of our crests. That way we'll never forget."

Everyone stared at him blankly.

"Are you crazy Tai?! My mother will kill me!" Sora shouted.

"We're old enough to not need parental consent."

"What about TK and Kari?"

"They can get them when they're old enough."

"Getting a tattoo can be highly dangerous! What if the needle isn't sterilized?" Joe asked.

"We'll go to a professional."

"Can I get mine in pink?"

"No, Mimi. Your crest is green so your tattoo should be green."

"But I like pink!"

"It should be accurate!"

"I think it's dumb," Izzy said, "And painful."

"Come on, you guys! Matt?"

"I think…. We should do it," Matt said.

"What?!"

"Hey, it's not like I can abandon my best friend. There are rules about that, you know."

"Heh. Thanks, Matt," Tai said.

"Anytime. Except, you know, at three in the morning like last time."

"That was different."

"Sure it was…"

"Huh," Tai huffed, "So guys? What do you think?"

"I guess so…"

"You're sure it can't be pink?"

"I want to see their legal forms!"

"I still say it's stupid," Izzy sighed, "But… I guess it's worth it."

"I think you guys are crazy," Kari said, "Glad I won't be getting one."

"Not yet, maybe. As your big brother, it's my job to protect you from toxic influences and to force you to do the right thing."

"And this is the right thing?"

"Duh," Tai said, and stood up, "Okay guys! It's off to the tattoo parlor!"

"You know, that'll never sound as heroic as 'it's off to Myotismon's castle' or 'it's off to Spiral Mountain'."

"Shut up, Sora. Or I'll make you go first."