Everyone stared a Koushiro in amazement. No one could believe what he had just said. He must be kidding, but he sounded so sincere.
Mimi stepped forward. "So is it true?"
Koushiro nodded slowly and replied, "Yes."
The chosen children stood, stunned and silent.
"Is it really that hard to believe?" Koushiro asked.
"Of course it's believable, I just can't believe you would say that," Hikari said.
"Do I need to say it again?" asked Koushiro, a taunting smile growing on his face.
"If you really mean it you would," Yamato challenged.
"Fine," said Koushiro rashly. "I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry for being a jerk, and knocking you down Taichi."
"What's bringing about this sudden change of heart?" Jou asked skeptically.
"Ah Jou, always the cynic," Koushiro replied. "Well if you must know, Sora said some things to me this morning that really got under my skin. You have her caring and kindness to thank for this change."
"When am I ever cynical?" Jou asked in disbelief. He turned to Taichi. "Do you think I'm a cynic? Do I seem paranoid? You know I trust you guys right?"
Taichi laughed and shook his head. "Now that's the true Jou. Jou the worrier."
Everyone laughed, and Jou smiled sheepishly.
"Looks like our group is back in order," said Taichi. "It's cool to have the old Koushiro back.
Koushiro stepped forward and said, "Thank you for the compliment Taichi, but I don't think we are totally in order just yet."
"I think were fine now, everyone is on the same page," Taichi said.
"We may all be friends again, but friendship can only get us so far, no offense Yamato." Koushiro replied.
"None taken," replied Yamato.
"In fact," Koushiro began "Friendship, Courage, Curiosity, Sincerity, Love, Hope, Light, as well as Reliability are important traits for us to utilize in the form of our crests, but we need something else."
"What if we don't have our crests?" asked Hikari.
Koushiro sighed and replied, "I'll try to see if I can do something about that. But, even if we manage to digivolve, I think we need something else."
Koushiro was silent for a moment, and Taichi chimed in, "What?"
"Teamwork, and not just believing in each other. We need a game plan, team attacks." Koushiro answered.
"Like tag team wrestling moves?" asked Yamato tentatively.
"Yes, exactly like that. If us and our digimon can learn to work as a unit, as a machine, we will become so much more powerful." Koushiro said, with growing excitement. "I think we should divide up with one or two other digimon and put together some nice combos. After we do that with them in rookie stage, we should move onto champion stage."
The mention of champion stage made everyone look away from each other, their shoes and a funny shaped cloud becoming much more interesting.
"You don't have your digivices?" Koushiro asked slowly.
"Not really," said Taichi. "I left mine at home."
"So did we," the rest of the group said.
"That's a setback," Koushiro said. "But I think I can find a way past that. I'll look when I try to figure out a way to get our crests. But nevertheless we should try some team attacks with just the rookies."
"If the digimon are up for it," said Taichi.
"Of course we are," was the general response from the digimon.
"Alright then," Koushiro said enthusiastically. "I think we should divide up by fighting styles so to speak. I think Agumon, and Gabumon should be together they are both ranged attackers. Gomamon and Palmon should be together, because uh, they have… alternative attacks. I mean Palmon attacks by stretching her fingers and Gomamon summons fish. While not necessarily bad, it is different. I think Tentamon and Biomon should team up, they both attack from the air. Now I know Patamon also attacks from the air, but he should be with Gatomon, because well, they are the ready made tag team. Hope and Light, and all that good stuff. This cool with everyone?"
"Let's do this guys," Takeru said earnestly.
…
Sora began walking toward the forest, but Koushiro stopped her.
"We're going to practice here, in the field."
Sora turned to Koushiro angrily. "Does it matter where we practice?"
Koushiro stared up at the sky and replied. "Our digimon would have more room to maneuver in the field rather than in the forest."
"Whatever," Sora said sullenly.
Koushiro began twiddling his thumbs nervously. Sora's new brooding attitude had made the situation incredibly uncomfortable. "Let's get started-"
Sora abruptly cut him off. "Why'd you team us up? After that little stunt you pulled with my memory I'm surprised you would come anywhere near me you sick little pervert."
Koushiro looked down at his feet. "In truth, I wanted to apologize to you personally. After you left this morning, I just sat there thinking. I realized that you were right, what I was doing was the worst thing a person could do. This new quest came at a really bad time for me. I was really trying to get my life back in order when I was just whisked away, and I was angry. Unfortunately I took my anger out on you guys, and I'm sorry. I beg you, can you please not tell the others about the memories, I deleted them, I just want to leave that phase in the past. All I want now is to feel like I'm somewhere I belong again. I know what I did was deplorable, but I implore you, please forgive me." A tear slowly dripped down Koushiro's cheek.
Half of Sora was screaming, kill this little bugger he hacked your mind and watched all your private moments. Rip his head off right here, break him in two. The other part of Sora was consumed by a massive maternal feeling that had suddenly swelled up inside of her. Sora stared at Koushiro, an internal battle raging inside of her.
Sora stepped forward towards Koushiro. She opened her arms and embraced Koushiro.
"Apology accepted."
…
Taichi peered through the trees. "Are they kissing?" he asked Yamato in disbelief.
Yamato threw an uninterested glance over his shoulder. "Nope. They're hugging. Now come on, let's practice."
"Are you sure?" asked Taichi as he walked forward. "Looks a little too passionate for a hug."
Yamato groaned. "Will you give it up already? It's nothing."
"If it's nothing than why is she hugging him?" Taichi asked.
"She is probably just happy he apologized," Yamato nonchalantly.
"Why didn't she hug him in front of the rest of us then?" Taichi asked, a paranoid twitch taking over his face.
"Because he did something worse to her than to us," Yamato replied.
"How do you know that? Did she tell you? Why wouldn't she tell me?" Taichi asked, sounding extremely paranoid.
"Now I know why Sora doesn't have a boyfriend," muttered Yamato under his breathe.
Unfortunately, Taichi heard. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're probably the most paranoid person I know. You probably think every guy that talks to her is a serial killer or rapist." Yamato replied.
"Not every guy…" Taichi said slowly. "But that still doesn't explain why Koushiro and Sora are having a private get together."
"Here's how it went down Sherlock," Yamato began sarcastically, "When we all woke up, Sora had food cooking already. That means she was up before the rest of us. Also, when we woke up Koushiro was gone. He also woke up before up. Put two and two together, and it is safe to assume they crossed paths and something happened, they most likely argued."
"I guess that makes some sense, but I don't trust Koushiro," Yamato rolled his eyes.
"Taichi, just a minute ago you said how cool it was to have the old Koushiro back," Yamato said.
"Maybe, but I was wrong. That," Taichi pointed at Koushiro, who now seemed to be explaining some sort of team attack to Sora, "is not the old Koushiro. He was always so detached."
Yamato glanced at Koushiro now, a little more attentive. "Even with all your paranoia you have a slight point." Sora was laughing tremendously at joke Koushiro had told. "Maybe he learned to flirt in college."
"He's flirting with her?" Taichi stared daggers at Koushiro through the trees. "I'm going to go and kick his puny little-"
Yamato cut him off. "I'm sure that would look great. You go over there in a rage about some nonexistent relationship and get beat down by Koushiro again. Just let it be."
"But what if Sora falls in love with him?" Taichi asked pitifully.
"You're a real sissy. 'What if Sora falls in love with him.' What a joke," Yamato mocked.
"Shut up," Taichi said angrily.
Yamato shrugged and said, "It doesn't even matter. Sora is oblivious to any romantic advances."
"How do you know that? Have you been flirting with Sora?" Taichi asked angrily.
Yamato sighed and shook his head. "It's pretty obvious. I mean look at you. You're always following her and looking at her like a love struck little puppy. And yet, she still says your just friends. She doesn't even know you like her. To get her to notice you'd have to get an airplane to write it in the sky."
"That's not a bad idea," Taichi muttered.
Yamato just shook his head. He looked at a tree for a moment then said, "Let's go somewhere else to train, you aren't going to be able to concentrate with Sora in view."
Taichi reluctantly agreed, and the two friends walked off deeper into the woods.
…
"Come on slowpoke let's go," Hikari laughed as she raced ahead of Takeru.
Takeru sighed and raced to keep up with Hikari.
"It's easier for you, you aren't carrying your digimon on your back," Takeru panted.
"Am I being a burden Takeru?" asked Patamon nervously.
Takeru laughed and replied, "Of course you're not being a burden, you aren't Jou."
Hikari abruptly stopped and turned around. "That's not funny Takeru. Jou helps us as much as anyone. Remember when Miotismon came to Japan? It was Jou who helped you reach the rest of us."
"It was just a joke…" Takeru said meekly.
"Joke shmoke," said Hikari. "We need mutual respect if we are going to be productive as a team."
"Yes sir!" Takeru said as he threw up a mock salute.
Hikari looked at Takeru indignantly and whacked him on the shoulder.
"You didn't have to hit me," Takeru said.
"Of course I did. If I didn't, you wouldn't have learned anything," Hiker said happily. "Now let's start working."
"Alright. Do you have any ideas?" asked Takeru.
"Me?" Hikari slapped a hand to her chest and sat down. "I'm just a cute little girl. I'm not going to spend my time thinking of fighting moves."
Takeru rolled his eyes. "Okay. Just sit there and paint your nails or something, and let the men do all the work."
Hikari stood up indignantly. "I'd do a much better job at thinking up moves than you."
"Whatever makes you happy," said Takeru skeptically.
"I'm serious," said Hikari as she stomped her foot.
"I know you're serious," said Takeru, a mockingly solemn look on his face.
"You don't think I can do you? Well for your information I know plenty of fighting moves," Hikari said indignantly.
"Then describe to me the super mega double counter helix punch," Takeru said smugly.
"It's…uh…. Where you punch them…. really hard while…. kicking them while rotating in a clockwise direction," Hikari stammered.
"Wrong," said Takeru, a smile playing at his lips. "It doesn't exist."
"Takeru Takaishi, you are very mean." Hikari said.
"I was just trying to prove a point," Takeru said defensively.
"Well you proved your point. Happy?" Hikari said huffily.
"I'm only happy when we are on the same page," Takeru said. "But let's be reasonable, you're a girl, you don't know fighting."
Hikari smiled. "You know I've already decided to help out with the training, so you don't have to push it."
Takeru returned the smile. "Mind tricks always works on you."
"You're not a very good friend if you take advantage of that," said Hikari.
Takeru stiffened at the word friend. "I'd hardly call us friends anymore," he replied, suddenly cold.
"Takeru just because we drifted a little since high school doesn't mean we aren't friends. It's just hard to find time to hang out, I mean I have school work, a boyfriend and…" Hikari dropped off.
"Your real friends?" Takeru finished for her.
"You're my real friend too it's just that…" Hikari said slowly.
"That I'm a doormat so it's okay to blow me off so you can go hang out at the mall. Oh don't worry about ole Takeru the doormat, he won't mind you missing the movie that you planned a week in advance so you could go on an impromptu shopping trip with your real friends," Takeru spat.
"In my defense there were some killer sales," Hikari said, attempting to inject some humor into the tense situation.
"So sales are more important friends?" Takeru asked angrily, failing to see the funny side.
"No, that's not what I meant, it was just a-" Hikari began.
"Joke," Takeru spat the last word as he began to storm off into the woods.
"Takeru wait," said Hikari as she rushed to keep up with him. "I know that you're mad, it's just that-"
Takeru cut her off. "There is nothing you could say to justify the way you've just thrown our friendship to the back burner so you can go hang out with other people."
Hikari stopped walking and looked at Takeru's departing figure
"Takeru please…"
…
"So Jou, what have you been up to?" asked Mimi as the two and their digimon walked through the woods.
"Weren't you there when I told everyone?" asked Jou.
"No, I was with Koushiro silly, don't you remember?" Mimi asked.
"Apparently not," said Jou. "And to answer your original question, not much. I'm doing med school, so I have to make that a priority. I haven't been able to do much else."
"So you're going to be a doctor?" Mimi asked.
Jou smiled. "It's sort of obvious isn't it…"
"So sue me for making conversation," Mimi said.
Jou laughed. "So what have you been up to?" he asked, trying to carry on the conversation.
"Oh not much," Mimi said. "Like I said before I'm hopefully getting married when I get back."
"Congratulations on that. I'm not sure if I said it last time you told us," said Jou.
"It's always nice to hear it again," Mimi said happily. "He's a really nice guy."
"You only date the nice ones," Jou said jokingly, thinking back to high school.
"How was I supposed to know he stole that car? He seemed nice at least. Anyways, me and Damon have been dating for about a year," said Mimi.
"You definitely don't want to rush into anything," said Jou sagely.
"Too true, too true," agreed Mimi.
"So how are we going to do this?" asked Jou as he studied Palmon and Gomamon. "How would these two team up?"
Mimi laughed. "I don't think they sync that well. I just think Koushiro put us together so he could be alone with Sora."
"Really? You think so?" asked Jou in disbelief. "Koushiro isn't really like that."
"The old Koushiro maybe," said Mimi. "Even though he is suddenly bright and cheery, he isn't the same. Before, he would have never taken charge like he just did."
"You know, you're right," said Jou thoughtfully. "And speaking of which, where did he learn to fight like that. He totally beat down Taichi, who is a lot bigger and more athletic."
"Even though he apologized I still have to wonder, why was he such a pessimist downer? He never gave us a real reason, he just apologized," Mimi said skeptically.
"It's weird that we all suddenly decided to trust him too," said Jou. "Now that I think about it, he never gave us a real reason to trust us. He's probably just tricking us so he can do something… but what?"
Mimi laughed. "Now Jou, that is being paranoid. We trust Koushiro because he is our friend. Friends trust friends."
"I suppose," Jou said. "But that doesn't explain why he was so cynical and pessimistic. I mean think about it, he is the only one who hasn't told us about his past."
"You're right Jou. When we get back after training we'll ask him. I'm sure it's nothing though, he probably just got cheated by some used car salesman and he's being over dramatic," said Mimi.
Jou laughed. "Your probably right."