"Don't get involved, Kudou Taiki-san."
The words echoed through Taiki's head as he waited for Wisemon's diagnosis. The digimon analyzed the data he'd collected via a metallic orb capable of producing any tool Wisemon desired. Tired of shivering from the cold, the boy pulled his shirt back on, and wrapped himself up in the blankets of his bed... His heart was acting up again. For a while now he'd been having these pains in his chest, and feeling fatigued from things that were hardly strenuous. He'd ignored the symptoms until his mother noticed and had taken him to see a doctor.
"I'm afraid the condition has worsened quicker than your human doctor anticipated. You have perhaps three months. Or less." the robed Digimon declared.
"Oi, Taiki." Shoutmon called out from the boy's Xros Loader, "How are you going to tell the others?"
Only his mom and the digimon in his Xros Loader knew, he didn't know how to tell anyone even though he'd meant to ever since he found out. Unfortunately whenever he tried, something else got in the way. If it wasn't helping out a school club that needed him, or the fact that all his friends were scattered across the world, then it was helping Tagiru hunt digimon in the parallel world of DigiQuartz. Everyone that fought alongside him in the digital world against Bagramon was gone, except for Nene's younger brother Yuu. Taiki's hands balled into fists, Yuu would take the news harder than most. Ever since Taiki rescued Yuu from Bagramon's fortress, the boys were almost inseparable. Yuu looked up to Taiki and in turn, he respected Yuu and considered him his equal, despite being younger than him. Taiki saw a lot of himself in Yuu, and it intrigued him. When he'd heard of Nene's dream to be an idol in Hong Kong, he'd helped Yuu convince Nene to follow her dream by promising his friend that he'd look after Yuu for her. The two of them spent a lot of time together, going to the same school and starting a basketball team named after the army of digimon they'd led together to save both the digital and real world. He spent so much time with him, even if it was just walking him home or joining him for dinner when his parents were out of town, Yuu had begun to look at Taiki like a brother.
Taiki shrugged, calling Wisemon back into his Xros Loader, "I'm going to have to tell them soon. Nene's coming home next week to visit and Akari and Zenjirou were going to come over. I think Kiriha will probably show up just to see Nene. I didn't want to spoil the mood but I should tell them then."
Taiki rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, grabbing his heart medication off the counter of his desk. Taking the prescribed amount, he set the pill container back on the table along with his Xros Loader, curling up in bed. He had a long day ahead of him tomorrow. Tagiru wanted Taiki to help him hunt more digimon tomorrow, and of course he had to practice basketball with him and see if the baseball team needed another player. That and Yuu wanted Taiki to help him prepare for Nene's arrival. He and his digimon partner Damemon had kept the house clean, but apparently they needed to decorate. He couldn't let them down tomorrow, and he hoped he didn't let them down when they found out about his condition.
Ryouma Mogami was walking home, his hands in his pockets when an old man called out to him. Ryouma immediately recognized him as the old clock man who had given him his own Xros Loader to hunt digimon with. The old man hobbled over to him, looking through his violet sunglasses stroking his beard. "Taiki Kudou's condition is worsening. If he keeps hunting, he'll die faster. You were supposed to keep him out of the game."
Ryouma brushed a stray silver strand of hair out of his face, smirking to himself, hiding something behind his vivid emerald eyes, "I was only told to warn him against joining the hunt. He knew the risk involved in the game. Besides, how could I pass up the opportunity to meet the legendary general who saved both worlds? I wanted to see how he fought, and to watch his amazing digixros Shoutmon X4." Ryouma still remembered the battle with DarknessBagramon. Everyone around him had turned to stone when the massive skeletal hand reached down from the sky. Everyone except for him. He was the only person who saw the deciding final battle between the Bagra Army and the Xros Heart United Army. From a distance he'd seen the whole thing. All the chaos and destruction, watching the head general Taiki Kudou launching himself into the heart of DarknessBagramon to recover his friend Shoutmon, and witnessed the birth of the glorious Shoutmon X7 Superior Mode, a digixros facilitated by the code crown which had been stolen from DarknessBagramon. They defeated the Bagra Army, everyone returned to normal, and Ryouma had been obsessed with Xros Heart, and digimon as a result.
"I'll do what I can." Ryouma decided, walking away from the old man, already planning how to approach the legendary general.