I'm really sorry about the delay to this update! Personal issues got in the way – not bad things, but things that took precedence over writing. Although the chapter was already written, I wanted to take the time to revise it before posting. However, short of natural disasters, the next (and final) installment will be posted next week.
By the way, I really appreciated everyone's support! I love reading your reviews – you inspire me to become a better writer.
Monsters from Dark Oceans
You almost expect the knock on the door when it comes at two in the morning. Tentative at first, it grows more insistent until Takeru says, very groggily, "What's going on?"
"I'm so sorry to disturb you."
Your eyes spring open, realizing that this is not a dream and the other person on the other side of the door is not Hikari. Takeru sits up on the bed, rubbing his eyes.
"Sora?" he says, turning on the lamp on the nightstand.
"Yes, it's me," she replies. "May I come in?"
The request is awkward, and you and your husband exchange a look before you say, "You can come in."
The doorknob turns. Sora steps inside, fully-dressed and very apologetic. "I'm really sorry," she says, giving you a quick bow. "It's just that…"
She holds out her hand and uncurls her fingers. Lying in her palm is a Digivice that is flashing red. Takeru studies it, his eyes widening. Then he flings himself out of the bed and almost crashes into his desk in his haste to find his own Digivice.
"It's hers," he breathes.
Sora nods hesitantly. "We're alerting everyone else right now –"
"I did it again," Takeru says, as if he hasn't heard her. "What the hell is wrong with me?"
You look at Sora nervously, hoping that she could tell you what your husband is talking about. She is standing by the door, arms wrapped over her abdomen, looking just as puzzled. Without another word, Takeru disappears into the bathroom and returns fully if haphazardly dressed less than a minute later.
"I'm going," he announces, though he isn't looking at either you or Sora.
"Takeru, where are you going?" you ask, getting out of bed yourself as he grabs his keys and cell phone.
"To the ocean," he replies.
His answer means nothing to you, aside from the fact that he has possibly gone crazy. Why on earth is he going to the ocean in the middle of the night? However, it obviously means something because one of Sora's hands rises to her mouth.
"But I thought it's been sealed –"
"Well, now we know it's not."
He brushes past her to leave, but she grabs Takeru's shoulder.
"Wait. How do you know –"
"There's no time."
"There will be even less time if you're just going to impulsively head into this."
He turns to stare at her, but she does not yield. You recall Takeru mentioning that Sora is one of a select few whom he respects unconditionally. Sure enough, he gives her a small nod before he allows her to lead him outside.
After the two of them leave the room, you quickly get dressed yourself and join them. Sora and Takeru are standing by the front door, talking in hushed voices. Yamato is there as well, tapping furiously on his cell phone. All three of them look up in surprise when they notice you.
"What's going on?" you ask.
Before either Sora or Yamato could answer, Takeru says, "I've talked and listened, Sora, and I'm not going to stand around here and waste any more time. I'm heading over."
"Let me come with," Sora says. "I have a spare key to her apartment." She turns to Yamato. "We will count on you to contact everyone else."
He nods.
The tension in the room is too much to bear. You could tell that something horrible has happened to Hikari, something that your husband is going to get involved with, and you are desperate to know what happened.
"Let me come –"
"No," Takeru says, without sparing you a glance. This time, unlike the funeral, he leaves you no room whatsoever to argue. "It's much too dangerous. Stay here with Yoshiro."
With that, he heads out of the front door. Sora squeezes your arm and offers you an apologetic smile before she follows him. Moments later, you hear the car engines roar to life.
"You should go back to bed," Yamato tells you. He gives you a look that's halfway between kindness and pity. "We will hopefully have more answers in the morning."
You wait for him to tell that everything will be all right, but he doesn't. Instead, he is frowning at his cell phone.
For lack of anything better to do, you return to your room, where Yoshiro has miraculously slept through all the commotion. With a shuddering sigh, you crawl back under the covers and shut your eyes tightly. Maybe this is just a bad dream. Tomorrow morning, your husband will be back. Once he explains, everything will make sense.
You would not see your husband until a week later.
When you next see Takeru, he is on a hospital bed. You arrive shortly after he wakes up, looking as if he'd been through hell and back. Which, it turns out, is the general gist of what happened.
You cannot make completely sense of the story he is telling. There is someone named Dagomon, who is evil and wants to have children with Hikari. He kidnapped her, so Takeru went through Hikari's painting of the ocean to rescue her. Somehow he didn't quite succeed, and almost died except Hikari bargained to save him with her life. Then two angels came and destroyed Dagomon, except it was too late, or almost too late, to save her. Somehow Hikari's late husband and son are also involved in this convoluted story, and by the end you are almost left panting, trying to catch your breath.
His friends, however, seem to take in the information with no trouble. They exchange meaningful looks throughout the story and you can tell that some of them, especially Sora and Miyako, are struggling to hold back questions. When he finally manages to finish and buries his face in his hands, it is Hikari's older brother who puts a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"You did everything you could," he says.
"Where is she – is she –"
You look around the somber faces in the room. Miyako, Ken, and Daisuke look pointedly at the wall. Iori and Koushiro are looking down at their phones. Sora closes her hand about Yamato's wrist before he can display his usual tact. Finally, it is Taichi who says, all too gently, "We don't know yet."
"But will she –"
"She will be all right," Taichi says, in the same eerie gentle tone, and you can tell that nobody in the room, least of all Takeru, believes his words.
"You need your rest," Yamato says, when he moves to get out of bed. He shoves his younger brother back down. Then he says, "Guys, I think we need to clear the room and let him rest for a bit."
Even though you are his wife, you know that you will not be among those few who are allowed to remain.
You glean more details from Miyako outside. The two of you are alone, because Sora, Yamato, and Taichi remain inside with Takeru, and the men have offered to get everyone lunch, even though nobody is hungry. Miyako, looking very unlike her usual brash self, is restless, and seems all too happy to talk when you ask her to explain what happened.
"Well, you know the beginning," she says. "Sora was the first one who noticed Hikari's signal behaving strangely and alerted everyone. Then she and Takeru went to Hikari's apartment, and found that both Hikari and her son were missing. But Kazuki is fine and staying with Taichi," she adds for your benefit, even though you haven't asked.
You nod.
"Anyway, then everyone came as soon as possible, but it didn't matter when we showed up though. Takeru was the only one who could figure out how to go after her, and by the time we arrived he was already at the Dark Ocean."
"The Dark Ocean," you repeat. "Hikari's painting!"
"Yeah," Miyako says, looking surprised. "You've seen it then? That was apparently the gateway that Takeru and Hikari went through, but we couldn't go through. My husband used to be able to get there, but even he couldn't get his Digivice to work. So we tried to go to the digital world instead. It was a complete mess and for a while none of us knew what to do."
You are remembering the endless ringing of the Ishidas' phone, the brief visits from Takeru's old friends, the hushed conversations behind locked doors. By the third day you learned to stop asking questions, learned to stop expecting answers, and now you realize that you weren't purposely kept in the dark. None of the others had any answers either.
You start to ask her about the Dark Ocean, and what exactly it is, until you find a more pressing question to ask. "How'd you find them then?"
"It will sound completely crazy, but we were flying around looking for Gennai – that's someone who guided us when we were the Chosen Children – when we saw light bursting out of nowhere. Pink and yellow light. Hikari and Takeru's crest colors. That opened up a portal into the Dark Ocean and allowed us through."
It does sound completely crazy to you, except you know it to be the truth.
Miyako isn't done yet. "When we got there, we could tell there was a really big battle," she continues. "There is this crazy scary Digimon in the ocean, but we could tell that he's dead because he's disintegrating into data. There were also lots of other dead Digimon disappearing around him. And then," she says, her voice becoming quiet, "we saw Seraphimon and Ophanimon. You know, Takeru and Hikari's partners. And below them…"
She presses her hand to her forehead and gives a deep sigh. You wait with your heart pounding, biting your bottom lip so hard you taste blood.
"It was awful," she says, her voice breaking. "He was holding her really, really tightly and she just wasn't moving at all. She was so limp. We thought she was…well…"
You swallow painfully. "That sounds absolutely horrible," you say, when you find your voice again. Tears are stinging your eyes. "I'm so sorry this happened."
Miyako looks at you and you think, for the first time that day, or perhaps for the first time ever, she is finally seeing you, really seeing you, as someone more than the woman who married Takeru.
"Don't worry though," she says, her voice kinder. She touches your shoulder lightly. "Takeru will be fine."
"And…and Hikari?" you say hesitantly.
Miyako looks away. "I don't know," she says quietly. "How fine can she be after all of that?"
You have no answer. You only hope, for your husband's sake, that Hikari will somehow live. They are so closely intertwined, heart and soul, that if she dies, a part of him will die along with her.
Takeru is released from the hospital a day later. Initially he insists on staying in the hospital until he sees Hikari, but a combination of you, Sora, Yamato, and Taichi convinces him that he will be of more help if he is well-rested when she wakes up. If she wakes up.
"Hikari gave her life to save yours," Yamato reminds him, straightforward as always. "Let's not let that go to complete waste."
When he gets back to Yamato and Sora's house, he falls into bed and does not move for twelve hours. You are frightened, but you tell your son that everything is fine and that Daddy just had too much fun in the Digital World. You've been telling him the same thing for an entire week and your words are wearing out their welcome. He looks at you with disbelieving eyes, though he does not call you out on your poorly thought-out lie.
A few days later, he is taking his morning shower and you are brewing coffee in the kitchen when the phone rings. You pick it up. "Takeru, it's Sora."
"It's me, actually," you say apologetically. "Takeru is in the shower."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," says Sora. "How've you been? It's been a very tough week for you, hasn't it?"
You smile grimly into the receiver. "I'm fine. Comes with being a Chosen Child's wife, right?"
She laughs awkwardly. "Right."
You immediately feel sorry for your cutting words. Sora has really been a godsend the past few days when Takeru is in the hospital, and the week before when Takeru was gone and you had no answers for Yoshiro. She had done her best to take care of you and ease your concern, whenever she wasn't in the Digital World herself.
"Is there a message I can take for Takeru?" you ask, already guessing what it is.
"Yes," says Sora. "Hikari just woke up."
"I'm glad," you say, very sincerely. "How is she doing?"
"Well…mostly out of danger," Sora says, evidently choosing her words carefully. "Complete recovery will obviously take some time, but the doctors are optimistic."
You nod, remembering Hikari's delicate health. You think it is miraculous enough that she is alive.
"I'll relay this to Takeru," you say. "I'm sure he will want to head over right away."
Somehow you manage to avoid sounding completely bitter. Sora stays tactfully quiet.
"By the way," you continue, "I actually have to head back to Tokyo tomorrow. There's a meeting I can't delay any longer and Yoshi needs to start school. Is it all right if Takeru stays with you a bit longer? I'll sort out the plane tickets and everything else."
"Of course," she says. She actually sounds grateful. "Takeru is free to stay as long as he likes, and the same invitation extends to you and Yoshi. This holiday hasn't exactly been relaxing for any of us so I'd like to make it up."
"Thank you, but I really must get back to work, and Yoshi has school," you say. "I really appreciate it. For this and for everything else. We couldn't have gotten through this vacation without you."
"No, thank you," Sora says firmly. "Thank you, for understanding their story."
She hangs up, leaving you to stare at the receiver in thought.
Takeru emerges from the bathroom, wet hair plastered to his forehead and clean-shaven. "Who was that?" he asks, rubbing his head with a towel.
"Sora," you say. You take a deep breath before you turn around to face him. "Hikari's awake."
There is such utter relief on his face that you find it difficult to meet his eyes. "I'll head right over then," he says. Then he adds, as an afterthought, "Would you like to come with?"
"Well, I'm going to need to pack for tomorrow's flight," you say, subtly reminding him that life hasn't been put on pause.
He freezes. "Shoot, I completely forgot," he says. "I will need to call –"
"I will take care of everything for you," you reassure him. "Yoshi and I need to head back to Tokyo, but you can stay with Sora and Yamato for as long as you want."
His face relaxes. "Thank you," he says, coming over to hug you. It's the first time he's initiated a hug in a very long time, or so it seems. You let your body relax against his, breathing in his familiar scent and pretending that you are in college again, that nothing else in the world matters aside from the two of you.
Unfortunately, the moment does not last. He steps away all too soon.
"You sure you don't want to come along? Hikari will be happy to see you."
You dig your nails into your palms. Considering how often you used Hikari to get your way, it's the least you could do to offer some support after everything she's been through.
"All right," you say. "I will come."
Taichi and Sora are already there when you and Takeru arrive. Through the window you see Hikari, who looks tiny and lost in the middle of her giant hospital bed, hooked up to all sorts of tubes and machines you've seen only on television. Takeru knocks gently on the door.
"You're here," Sora says, when she opens the door. "Come on in, Taichi and I are just about to leave."
Without another word, Takeru heads straight over to Hikari's bed and sits down beside her, taking the seat that Taichi has been occupying. You linger by the door while Taichi and Sora prepare to leave, not sure whether your presence would be welcome.
"Go ahead," Sora says, noticing your awkwardness. "Hikari will be happy to see you."
Those words again, as if the world has set out to compound your guilt. You glance uncertainly at Taichi, who gives you a slight nod. So, with their blessings, you gather your courage, toss aside your pride, and join your husband.
Neither of them is talking. Hikari seems disoriented and tired, while Takeru is completely focused on her face, which is marred by bruises and cuts. You glance down and notice that one of her hands is tightly grasped in both of your husband's. Careful not to disturb the moment, you sit down quietly beside Takeru.
Hikari notices you first and greets you with a soft, "Hello."
Your husband's head snaps up and he turns to look at you, appearing puzzled to discover that you have not been in the room all along.
"How are you doing?" you ask Hikari.
"Good," she says, and you have to smile because she is so blatantly lying. Her voice is so gruff that Takeru looks pained listening to her. "How are you?"
"Great!" It is your turn to blatantly lie. "Really good to visit Nagoya and see everyone."
Hikari looks unconvinced. "I'm sorry to have derailed your vacation…"
"No, it really was fun. Yoshiro especially enjoyed meeting your son. I'm truly glad that you're doing better. I'm here to say goodbye because I have to return to Tokyo tomorrow, but I hope that we can stay in touch. I'd love to know how you and Kazuki are doing."
Hikari smiles at you. "Yes, I would love that," she says.
You get up and bend to kiss your husband on the cheek. "I'll see you then," you tell him.
"You're leaving?"
"Yeah, I can probably get a ride back with Sora," you say. "I need to pack, remember?"
"Right," he says, clearly not remembering.
"You should head back too, Takeru." Hikari casts a confused look at him when he doesn't respond. "Go home and pack. I will be fine."
"I'm not leaving."
She looks uncomfortable and tries to withdraw her hand from his grasp. "Takeru –"
There is a hint of warning in her tone, probably something to the effect of, what are you trying to pull when your wife is in the same room, but he cuts her off.
"Do you really think I'm going to leave you, after almost losing you so many times?" he says. "I'm never going to let you go again, Hikari."
His voice breaks, and you realize that, for the first time in your entire acquaintance, he is crying. Hikari looks just as shocked as you feel. She looks to you for guidance, except it is becoming increasingly obvious that you are incapable of doing anything. There's nothing you could do, in any case.
With visible difficulty, Hikari pulls herself to a half-seated position. In a soft voice, she says his name, just once. "Takeru."
He moves closer and she reaches out to pat him on the back, murmuring soothing words as if he were a child who just had a bad dream. The moment is so tender that you could not even feel jealous. All that's left for you is humiliation.
You know that that is your cue to slip away. So you do, almost fleeing from the room.
"I used to be in love with her, you know."
You sharply turn to find Daisuke. He is holding a large bouquet of pink flowers and has evidently been watching the scene through the window.
"I'm sorry?"
"We were best friends in elementary school and I had the biggest crush on her because I thought she was perfect, so beautiful and so kind," he says. "So I did everything I could to get her to notice me and like me back. I didn't realize until later that I never had a chance, because Takeru was already in her life."
"When the sun is around," you say, quoting a line from one of your college plays, "its light obscures that of the moon and the stars."
He shrugs, never one to appreciate literary eloquence. "Sure. Exactly." He turns toward the window. "They were always meant to be together, you know."
You hear the accusation latent in his words. "I never meant to take him away from her," you say. "I didn't know."
"No," says Daisuke. "I suppose not."
"I didn't know," you repeat in a whisper, as if they would offer you absolution. But you are not sure that you are telling the truth. In a way, you did know. The moment you first witnessed their hug. The moment you first found a picture of them together. The moment you first heard her name. But you chose to hang onto your illusion, chose to ignore the combination of love and destiny that binds them together.
As you head down to the lobby of the hospital to hail a cab, you are blinking back tears, determined to preserve some shred of dignity. The fairy tale that you constructed so carefully has been unraveling for years, and finally there is nothing left but the truth. Hikari is his princess and you are nothing but a pretender.
I was really pleasantly surprised that most of you expressed interest in my version of the Dark Ocean plot. The full plot doesn't fit within the scope of this story, but at some point I will probably recycle the unused drafts into one-shots or short stories.
