Don't own so don't sue. By the way this chapter will contain drunk people.
Spirits of destiny
Chapter 10
Kari showed her ticket and got a stamp on her hand. She then went inside the concert hall.
It had been a while since she had been here. The last time was with Tai. Some small band was playing here and since everyone wanted to party they went. Well everyone except Joe. He was to busy studying to come.
Kari liked coming here. It reminded her of better times.
As she moved to the stage she saw Matt standing there. He was still trying to figure out where to place his amplifiers.
Next to the stage she saw Davis and Yolei. She quickly walked over to them. She didn't like being alone at gigs.
"Hey guys. Did I miss anything?" She said as she stood next to them.
"Not really. Matt yelled at his guitar a few times when his strings broke and everybody is saluting Davis for burning down the school." Yolei said, trying not to laugh.
"For the last time, I didn't burn down the school!!" Davis yelled.
"Oh my God! It's Davis!" Some stranger yelled.
"You're our hero!!" Some girl screamed at him.
"We love you Davis!!" Her friend yelled
"Maybe this whole arson-incident has some upsides." Davis said as he waved at the two girls.
Meanwhile Matt had finished placing his equipment and started a sound check along with the rest of his band.
Kari made a quick scan of the place. She recognized a few faces. Mimi and Sora stood a bit away from her.
Joe and Gomamon were here to. Joe was standing in a corner, talking to some girl, while Gomamon did his best to get some attention.
Joe changed the most of everyone. He started his first year at med school and according to some rumours he's quite the 'party animal'.
"Hey do you know where TK is?" Kari asked Yolei.
"He said he wasn't coming. He didn't say why." She looked down a bit.
"Ken couldn't make it and Cody has his kendo practice." She continued. "And we all know that Izzy wouldn't show up."
Kari was worried about Izzy. He hardly talked to any of them lately.
But she would have to worry about him and TK later. The show was starting.
"We're Crest of Courage and tonight we're gonna rock this place!" Matt yelled as he played a short rift on his guitar. He's the lead singer and plays the guitar in some songs.
They started their first song.
In Kari's opinion they were too loud but not to much. Even though she didn't look like it, she enjoyed this kind of music. The lyrics of some songs just showed what is going on in the heart of the singer.
She knew that Matt showed his feelings by music. He did that with his last band and he's doing it with this one.
Kari easily spotted the pattern in his songs: the first song expressed anger. It was louder then the rest. The ones after that showed his sorrow as they played some calmer songs.
Then they stopped.
"People, as you all probably know, the world lost a hero a few months ago." Matt started.
"He was one of the best friends I ever had and we've written a song about him."
This really caught Kari's attention.
Destiny took you from us
Way before your time
Lost without your courage
Oh friend of mine
But we must carry on
We can't mourn forever
But know this friend
You're never truly gone
Only if we allow you to leave our hearts
You'll be dead
It seemed a bit short but the message was clear. Matt was coping with his loss in the only way he knew. Being the tough, lone wolf he'd never admit it but he suffered from Tai's death just like all the others.
"But we have also gained a new hero." Matt said and pointed at Davis.
"Davis we love you!" Random people started yelling at Davis, who turned as red as his hair.
After a few more songs they took a break.
Matt jumped down from the stage and made his way towards Sora. She kissed him and then he said something and pointed to Davis.
"Not another one." Davis moaned.
"Hey Davis." Matt said as he and Sora came to the small group. "You're the best. You've made the dreams of many students come true." He said, trying his best not to laugh at Davis's face which, by now, was even redder.
"Hey Matt." Kari started. "I loved the song about Tai."
"Thanks." Was all he said with a grim smile on his face.
Meanwhile the owner of the place came to Matt. "The break's over. Get back on that stage."
"Wow what a twit." A voice said.
"Joe!" Joe and Gomamon had joined the group
Matt and Sora quickly ran off. Matt went back on stage while Sora went back to Mimi.
"So Joe how's med school?" Yolei asked.
"It's great. I've learned so much about diseases and wounds and bones and how to tinker with someone's heart…" Joe went on for a while.
"Joe, are you drunk?"(1) Kari asked as Joe continued his endless list.
"Maybe just a little bit." Joe said as he stopped reciting his list of medical terms.
"A little bit? A little bit?!? Joe you've drank enough to take out an elephant!" Gomamon yelled.
"You don't even know what an elephant is." Joe responded.
"Yes I do. I watch TV." The two would have continued arguing if it weren't for Crest of Courage starting to play again.
Kari watched how Gomamon jumped onto Joe's head to see the band better.
She was a bit afraid about Joe. At first it seemed that he became a better person after Tai's death. He became much more social, he wasn't afraid of anything anymore and didn't complain as much as he used to.
But it seems he had also developed an alcohol problem. Nothing bad had happened so far but how long would that last? How long would it take before he poisoned himself with the stuff?
She hoped he would realise what he was doing.
She turned her attention back to the music and didn't notice how Joe and Gomamon wandered off again.
Crest of Courage played a few own creations. They didn't have anything to do with Tai's death or something. They were more of the kind you'd expect from a heavy metal band: about evil boulevards, evil plagues and cursed valleys.(2 )
Eventually they ended their show and had to clear the stage for an other band.
Apparently there were a few bands coming to perform tonight.
But she had enough of it. She was tired for some reason.
"Hey Davis." She said to the red-head. "I'm going home."
"What? The party's just getting started!" Davis responded.
"I know but I'm so tired."
"Okay. It's no fun to party when you're dead tired. Want me to walk you home?" Davis said with a big smile.
"No thanks." Kari just said and walked out of the hall. "See you later!"
'He'll probably never give up.' Kari thought as she made her way home.
Her dad was still up. He was watching TV.
"Hey dad" Kari said as she closed the door.
"Back already? I thought you'd stay longer." Dad said without looking up from the screen.
"I got tired so I came home earlier." Kari said before she entered her room. "Good night dad."
"Good night Kari." he said without any emotion in his voice.
Her dad was depressed since Tai's dead. It was as if he couldn't care about anything or anyone anymore.
Salamon was already asleep. She was lying on Tai's bed, next to a familiar pink ball.
Apparently Botamon had digivolved into Koromon while she was out. Normally she would have wondered how he did that without Tai but she was too tired.
She quickly prepared for bed. As always before she went to bed, she asked the same question as always to Tai's picture.
Meanwhile in the Digital world
"How long are we gonna keep on walking?" Patamon complained again.
Tai sighed. "You aren't walking, you're flying so stop complaining.
"That's the same thing, I'm just dead tired."
"Okay, we'll stop for the night." Tai finally gave in. The constant wailing was very annoying.
They would have entered a nearby cave if it weren't for.
"You just had to do that didn't you?" An annoyed but familiar voice said.
"Yup." An other familiar voice said before starting to sing some unknown song.
"But we must carry on. Hiccup We can't mourn forever."
'Oh crap.' Tai thought. 'What the hell is going on? First Kari and TK. Then Mimi and now Joe.'
He stared at the would-be doctor, who was hardly able to stand on his legs. He was walking rather crooked with a very angry Gomamon next to him.
Patamon noticed Tai's uneasiness. "Let me guess, another of your friends?" He said with a smug grin. Tai just nodded.
"Which one is it this time?"
"Joe." Tai said as he saw how Joe fell over, tried to stand up but fell over again. He appeared to be quite smashed. Even from a considerable distance Tai could smell the stench of beer.
"Hey Tai, a question. Do all humans have trouble standing on their legs?"
"Only when they drink to much alcohol." Tai said, containing his anger a bit. He always hated what the stuff could do to people. It could change the most decent person into a monster. Just like AncientSphinxmon…
"I said it once and I'll say it again: humans are weird creatures."
Tai stared at Joe. He couldn't understand why he would do this to himself.
"Should we help him?" Patamon asked as Joe did another attempt at standing up.
"Sure, else they'll be here all night."
Tai sighed and moved towards the drunk and the seal.
"By the way, don't tell him my name." Tai warned the rookie.
"You're no fun." Patamon said with a pout.
"Just don't tell them. Joe probably won't remember by tomorrow but Gomamon would tell everyone."
"You've made your point, I won't tell them." Patamon responded, a bit annoyed.
Gomamon noticed them. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked as he took on a battle position.
"I'm Loewemon and this is Patamon." Tai said, pointing to the rookie.
"Yo" Patamon said in turn.
Gomamon, just like others before him, noticed something familiar about Loewemon but could put his paw on it.
He lowered his front flippers a bit but was still weary of the strangers.
"So what do you want?" He asked again.
"We just want to help you with your friend there." He pointed to Joe, who was lying on the ground again.
"What happened to him?" Patamon asked as he floated over to Joe.
"Ever since one of his best friends died, he's been drinking himself to dead. He's trying to drown his sorrow." Gomamon didn't know why he told this to a complete stranger. It just felt good to tell someone.
"I'm trying nothing…" Joe suddenly said.
Tai never knew that Joe saw him as his best friend. They were good friends but best friends?
Not really. But then again Joe didn't have much friends.
"How did he end up here?"
Gomamon tried to avoid Tai's eyes. "Nearly every time he gets drunk he enters the digital world, babbling something about how he should have saved his friend…"
Gomamon shrugged
"Look, I don't really feel like discussing this here, so could you help me drag him to that thing there." He pointed one of his huge paws towards a TV set, a hundred meters away from them.
"Sure." Tai said as he pulled Joe to his feet and helped him towards the gate.
"Wow a huge cat!" Joe said as they arrived at the gate. Tai placed Joe's digivice in his hand and sent him through the gate, stepping back so he wouldn't get sucked in as well.
"Thanks." Was all Gomamon could say as he was pulled in.
"I didn't know Joe would take it that hard. It wasn't his fault that I got killed. He couldn't do anything." Tai said to himself.
"That's probably why he's acting like that. Because he couldn't save you" Patamon answered.
Tai still couldn't understand as they entered a cave to rest for the night.
Author notes:
(1) I don't know anything about law in Japan and I don't know from what age you're allowed to drink. So Joe's the only one drinking in this chapter since he's eighteen. By the way, I do not approve of drinking to much. I'm just trying to make it seem as if Joe is trying to drown his sorrow. As they say in Belgium: geniet maar drink met mate (Dutch for: enjoy but drink responsibly)
(2) those three are my favourite songs: Green Day with Boulevard of broken dreams, Finntroll with Vindfärd-Människopesten and Dragonforce with Valley of the Damned
also I am not good at writing lyrics and i'll probably won't update for a while because my tests are starting next week, so i'll have to study.
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