6. Deja Vu Isn't Great
Sometimes, Taichi thought their parents went a little overboard with Hikari.
They should worry about her, after all he worried. She did some stuff that was about as bad as what he did, only worse because she was smaller and more frail. Or something. That was what he was supposed to do. He was the big brother. He was the reckless, over-fun one.
Still. She could walk after her fall, had proved it. She could speak, had proved that. His panic was not the reason to carry her to the car. But they had done it anyway and now she was curled up in bed, staring at the wall. She'd been doing that more and more these days, since the dreams started, since the Digital World even. He could see it in her face, this exasperation of why are they doing this?
"They're just worried," he voiced aloud, sitting next to her.
She nodded, though it was half-hearted. "They're always going to be worried."
"They're less worried you'll crack your brain than they are with me." He laughed at the image of Taichi Brain Scrambled Eggs. It was a luxury meal!
She smiled a little. "That's because they trust you with a soccer ball."
"True." Taichi touched her hair and she didn't pull away, which was pretty good. "What if Digimon stuff happens?" Her question was solemn, tired even.
Taichi frowned. "Then I'll protect you and we'll get to the others and save the world again." Simple to him. Then again, he wasn't Koushiro and the many contingency plans of Jyou. He needed to work on that.
Hikari shook her head. "But they don't want that. mom and dad I mean. And..." She bites her lip. "What if it's not 'us'?" What if it's me? What if it was her selfish wish after failing to be around when she needed to be?
Taichi heard the question and wished he hadn't, because he didn't want to think about it. It was still, to him, bad that Takeru, who was with everyone, had been given the wonderful burden of watching someone, his partner, die to save all of them, and Hikari had already lost a friend once, saving them. The fact that she may have to go through it again, could even have to do the same thing again, by herself, was like sticking a fork in him and expecting him to be fine with ripping it out and mopping up the mess.
"I dunno," he admitted and, years later, he'd probably come to regret that. "But I won't not get involved, and the others won't not try to get in the way. We're Chosen too, all of us, we chose this." Hikari relaxed a little, and he continued. "And if we can't, I'm not worried about the world. You've been here before, and you and Tailmon are a good team. You'll do what you've gotta do."
"Cause I'm your little sister," she finished. Taichi laughed.
"It's them Yagami genes, Hikari."
It wasn't part of the investigation.
Tailmon had to remind herself of this every single second she walked through Odaiba. It wasn't a part of the investigation to find Hikari's apartment and it was a very good thing that Taiki didn't mind. Then again, Taiki minded very little as long as it wasn't about him personally. Tailmon had probably noticed that before his friends had.
"You really think she can help us?" Akari was the skeptic, had to be. Her friend spent too much time getting concussions for her not to be.
"She's little, but she's strong," Tailmon replied, avoiding looking at Wizarmon. She'd been down that hopefest too many times to expect recognition. "And her friends are like her. They'll have more luck with helping us than just us looking this up." Not that they even knew where to start.
Akari seemed unconvinced but as they neared the mansion, Tailmon couldn't bring herself to care. Her paws tingled and she could barely wait for the elevator.
Hikari! She was going to see her! It was dangerous, but that was fine! She would be able to protect her again!