The Ryuzaki residence was alive with music and activity, guests filling all the luxurious rooms as they enjoyed the massive party hosted by Jin and Mina. From entertainment to food, the two spared no expense, ensuring that their guests would have much to do - and much to talk about afterward.
It was something that Keiko still wasn't used to. While there had certainly been parties at the Makura residence, she was never allowed to really attend. She'd make an appearance, perhaps put on a performance for that woman to receive praise over, and then rushed out of sight, like a bird put back in her cage. She certainly wasn't allowed to enjoy any of the food, even if the party was supposedly for her own birthday; it would've ruined her strictly regimented diet.
The feeling of watching on as the other children devoured her birthday cake as she was ushered away immediately after snuffing out the candles was one that she would always remember. And that memory was the reason why her plate was currently covered in nothing but cake - all of the cake.
Nyamon watched her partner with an amused smile. Her own plate wasn't too much more balanced, with a hearty helping of confectionaries for herself, but she at least snagged a few pieces of choice meat to go with her sugary morsels. "Take your time, the food's not going anywhere."
"The best slices are always taken first," Keiko said sagely despite the giddy smile on her face. "I just made sure I was the one to take them."
"From every cake here," Nyamon replied wryly.
"Exactly," Keiko giggled before scooping up a buttercream rose with her fork and popping it into her mouth.
Nyamon chuckled before she turned her attention to her own plate. "Well, no one has a right to complain, so…"
"If someone does complain about my baby sister, they're going to find themselves missing a few teeth afterwards."
Keiko immediately turned to see Akane approaching from behind her. She began to say her sister's name through a mouthful of buttercream, only to stop and cover her mouth on instinct before swallowing.
Akane had her arms full, not of food, but with a toddler in each arm. Keiko already knew Sera to the right, prompting her to unconsciously tucked her hair back over her shoulders, but the child in Akane's left arm was one less familiar - a little boy Keiko only remembered being mentioned before.
The little boy was small, shockingly pale, with short, fluffy black hair and light gray eyes. He wheezed as he breathed, a little plastic tube attached to his nose that trailed off to somewhere behind him. Colorful bandages with smiling cartoon characters peeked out of his sleeves and pants, and some sort of pack bulged underneath the back of his shirt.
Keiko lost the sweetness of the buttercream on her tongue as she stared at the sickly little boy. "That's… Tsuyosa, right? The boy you're… nannying?" She faltered on the term, not sure if that was the correct way to put it.
Akane smiled in spite of Keiko's reaction. "That's right. This is Kigaru's pride and joy."
Keiko paused for a moment to remember the name, brow furrowing. "Kigaru is your husband… Mamoru's friend, right? The guy who owns that big company?"
Akane nodded with an affirmative hum, enthused by the guess. "Right, right! He's my friend too. The five of us have gotten very close since Tsu and Sera were born."
Tsuyosa stared at Keiko intently, tilting his head slightly. His eyes were bright with fascination, as if he were scrutinizing her with great interest.
Keiko noticed Tsuyosa staring, that both babies were watching her. She also noticed how their clothes, well dressed but rumpled, matched in shades of purple and light blue, and that Sera held a stuffed doll with a crazy looking smile. The scrutiny made her feel more than a little self-conscious, as she had no idea how to interact with children so young that they could barely talk.
Nyamon turned to smile at her partner. "I guess children can't help but like you."
A gruff snort came from beside Keiko and Nyamon as Narakumon crossed his arms. "Who knows what these undeveloped humans think at this age? Do they even have thoughts-"
Tsuyosa turned his head to look at Narakumon, causing the Digital God to stop mid-sentence, stiffening beside Keiko in shock. Tsuyosa gave a small blink as he tilted his head in the opposite direction, then returned his gaze to Keiko.
Akane noticed Keiko's awkward stance and let out a quiet chuckle. "Would you like to spend some time with these two?" She giggled again at the startled look on her little sister's face. "Babies aren't scarier than Digimon, are they? Don't worry, they'll be less intimidating once you get to know them."
Mortification flushed Keiko's cheeks with heat. "I-I'm not scared of them!"
"Excellent," Akane said before nodding her head to the side. "Then let's go to the playroom. They've been excited to play with their cousin Sakura all day."
"I guess s…" Keiko paused, brow furrowing. "Wait, their cousin?"
Now it was Akane's turn to look sheepish. "Ah, that's…" She faltered for a moment before rambling out an explanation. "Well, Kigaru has always been like a brother to my Mamo-chan, and I've been helping take care of Tsu so long that he's started calling me 'Mama' and treats Sera like his twin more than a friend." She let out an embarrassed laugh. "Sera's actually started calling Kigaru 'Papa' too like Tsu, and both of them call Mamo-chan 'Dada'. It's so cute that none of us have the heart to tell them otherwise, and we kind of enjoy being co-parents for each other's kids."
Keiko was silent for a long moment as she let Akane's explanation sink in. "Oh."
Nyamon blinked at that before she tilted her head. "Well, if it makes everyone happy, who cares? Blood isn't the most important thing when it comes to bonds. Sometimes, it means nothing at all."
Keiko nodded, her confusion fading into something much more solemn and certain. "Right. I'm not even the same species as Papa and Mama, but I won't trade them for any other mom or dad in either world."
Narakumon glanced at Keiko, his expression softening even as a light flush of embarrassment appeared on his face.
Akane relaxed and let out a breathy laugh. "Exactly. So go ahead and think of Tsu as your nephew too, okay? I'm sure that'd make him very happy." She looked down at the children, her smile widening. "Hey, hey, can you two say 'Auntie Keiko'?"
"'Ntie Keike!" Sera chirped as she reached out towards Keiko with the doll, who grasped onto it with some reluctance. "'Ntie! 'Ntie!"
"Auntie Keiko," Tsuyosa said after a pronounced pause. His voice was somewhat raspy, much like his breathing, but was still clear enough to hear.
Keiko swung the doll a little, eliciting a giggle from Sera who tugged on it and tried to swing it even further. However, her attention was more focused on Tsuyosa, as she stared at him in bafflement. She was used to babytalk from Sera and Sakura, and Tsuyosa appeared to be around their age, yet he spoke with surprising confidence in the shape of his words. "Wh… how old is Tsu?"
"He's going to be two in a couple weeks," Akane said before pausing to readjust her hold on the children. "And Sera is going on 18 months now."
"He's pretty smart," Nyamon said, with a blink.
Akane winked. "Indeed he is. That's what you get when your daddy's a genius."
"He's wise beyond his years," Narakumon said softly. He stiffened again when Tsuyosa glanced in his direction, though he softened a moment later. "He's been through many things."
Nyamon turned to stare at Narakumon, but he refused to meet her quizzical gaze.
Keiko considered what to say, but noticed Akane's attention drift. She followed her sister's gaze to some people staring at them. Although this party had been thrown by her family, there were others invited as well for one reason or another, and the certain looks those people were giving them told her that even her siblings had social obligations with judgemental people. It left her skin crawling, reminding her of the parties that woman threw.
"Come on," Akane said cheerfully, snapping Keiko back to the present. She smiled as her little sister turned back to face her. "Let's get to the playroom before these two start getting restless."
Keiko looked back down at the tiny children and nodded in spite of her reluctance.
The playroom at the Ryuzaki mansion was very large and filled to the brim with toys of all sorts. With so many guests, there were already children running around, laughing and chattering as nannies and au pairs tried to keep up with their charges.
Keiko felt distinctly out of place in such a setting. She had never really been allowed to play with other children at any age, so it left her awkwardly trailing behind her sister as Akane set Sera and Tsuyosa down onto a plush couch.
"There we go," Akane said in a singsong tone. "Now, you two wait here with Auntie Keiko while I look for Sakura, okay?"
Sera instantly climbed to her feet, bouncing up and down on the couch. "Sakura!" she shouted above the din, waving her doll around. "Sa - ku - ra! Sakura! Sakura! Sakura!"
The answer came quickly, as Sakura's voice chimed out like a bell across the room. "Seeeeeeraaaaa!"
Akane blinked then laughed as she watched her little niece race past the other children towards them. "Well, I suppose that works too."
When Keiko saw Sera leap off the sofa, she instinctively cried out, startled, but was surprised to see her little niece tumble into the fall and recover quickly, racing off on surprisingly steady legs to tackle Sakura into a hug. "Wow…"
Akane chuckled wryly and gestured Keiko to sit in the seat Sera just vacated. "That's Sera. She's very active." She straightened up and dusted off her pants. "Well, I better keep an eye on those two before they try sneaking off to get into some mischief. How about you and Tsu sit and talk? You can read him a story if you like."
Keiko glanced at the bookcase Akane gestured to and placed her plate of cake on one of the higher shelves, out of reach of little grabby hands, before finally sitting down. "Okay, sure, but doesn't Tsu want to play too?"
Akane smiled, though there was sadness in her eyes. "Yes, he might, but if not, I'm sure he'll be happy to spend some time with his long-lost auntie, right Tsu?"
Tsuyosa silently nodded, a timid smile on his face.
Keiko wasn't sure how to respond to that, and watched as Akane hurried off to the other side of the playroom where Sera and Sakura were already trying to scale a rather sizable slide the wrong way.
Rather than race off after Sera, Tsuyosa instead moved closer to sit beside Keiko. He was silent and mostly still, save for a small movement to reach over and grip her hand. His own hand wasn't big enough to take it in his own, so he ultimately grasped her pointer and middle finger with his tiny hands.
The action startled Keiko and left her feeling even more at a loss for what to do. She faltered, hesitating for a long, uncomfortable moment, before clearing her throat. "So, uh… What do you like to do, Tsu?"
"Sit," Tsuyosa replied after a moment. "Read."
Keiko's eyebrows shot up. "You already know how to read?"
Tsuyosa nodded.
"Wow," Keiko muttered before her expression softened to something fond. "You should meet my friend Ken-chan sometime. He's a genius too, like you."
Tsuyosa tilted his head before he gave Keiko a soft smile.
Narakumon watched Tsuyosa intently, his expression troubled. However, he opted not to voice his thoughts, instead mulling in silence.
Unfortunately for him, Nyamon was paying attention this time, catching the expression on his face. "What is it?"
Narakumon paused at that and shot Nyamon a quizzical glance, which was met by Nyamon's cool stare.
"You've been acting weird," Nyamon replied, flicking her ear.
Narakumon's expression grew annoyed, though it softened again when Keiko turned to look at him. Even still, he hesitated with his response. "The boy. He can… sense me. Somewhat."
"Eh?" Keiko blinked before she looked at Tsuyosa and followed the little boy's gaze as it lingered on Narakumon again. "What does that mean, Papa? Not even the other Chosen Children can see you like this."
"It means he has a high affinity for Darkness… and by extension, death," Narakumon replied. "Though not nearly on the same level as you."
Keiko stared at her adoptive father in disbelief before she looked back at Tsuyosa. "So then… Tsu could become a Chosen Child of Darkness… like me?"
"It's… possible," Narakumon said, reluctantly. "Though unnecessary."
Keiko nodded slightly, furrowing her brow. "I guess so. Chosen Children aren't natural after all…"
Narakumon gave a small nod, though his frown increased. "Still, for his affinity to be so well-developed this early in life…"
Keiko felt a quiet sense of unease settle in from the tone of her papa's voice and she turned back to Narakumon. "Do you think bad humans did something to him too? Like when they made me and the others Chosen Children?"
Narakumon's gaze shifted to the tube attached to the boy's nose, and the little device it in turn was attached to by his back. "No. I believe… that life in general has been cruel to him."
"What do you mean?" Keiko asked quietly, though a part of her felt that she would regret asking.
Narakumon looked like he was about to respond before he stopped. He gave a small shake of his head before he looked away. "It's nothing. Nothing for you to be worried about… for either of us to be worried about."
Keiko frowned and straightened up, leaning closer to Narakumon as she slapped her hand down on the armrest of the sofa. "Papa, I'm not going to stop worrying just because you told me to. Tell me what's going on with Tsu."
Narakumon was silent for a moment before he lowered his head. "He's simply… a rather ill child. I'm sure his early years have been rough. But his parents are doing what they can, so there's no point in getting involved."
Despite the reassurance, Keiko felt herself being wound up all the more by Narakumon dancing around the subject as the gears in her head spun towards an increasingly sinister suspicion. "Tsu's my nephew, so I'm already involved."
"You just met him," Narakumon replied.
"That doesn't matter," Keiko said firmly as she slapped her hand down on the armrest again to emphasize her point. "Blood doesn't matter. Tsu is family too, Papa."
Narakumon was about to retort when he paused, noting several women suddenly glancing at them both rather intently. "Keiko, we're being watched."
Though annoyed by the change in topic, Keiko looked to where Narakumon gestured. Three well dressed women, socialites by the look of them, were leaning close to each other just outside the playroom. Even over the sound of squealing children running around and playing, their "whispering" was far too loud not to be intentional.
"Look at that one," said the woman with pearls around her throat.
"Oh, I know," her replied companion with extra big lips. "Talking to imaginary friends at her age? Her mother must be so embarrassed."
Keiko's cheek twitched.
"Oh, my god," a third women with too many rings on her fingers gasped, cutting the others' gossiping off harshly. "Is that who I think it is? The little diseased boy?"
At her words, the other two stopped and turned to gawk again, focusing past Keiko to Tsuyosa. They immediately recoiled at the sight of him, and again when he stared back, clustering closer together like a herd of animals forming a line of defense against a predator.
"They actually let him in here!?" the puffy-lipped woman asked, with no small amount of indignation. "With all the other children!? What if he infects them?"
"And that's their little sister too, isn't it?" added the woman with pearls. "How completely irresponsible! She already looks so pale… could he have gotten her already?"
"Well," the woman with too many rings huffed. "I'm getting my au pair to get my sweet little Hirono and Ichigo out of there right now." She then strode off into the room, giving the sofa with Tsuyosa and Keiko a wide berth.
Keiko growled, curling the hand Tsuyosa wasn't holding into a fist so tight it quaked. She had heard such talk far too often in the darkest period in her life, and she did not have any patience to listen to it now. The only things holding her back was her unwillingness to ruin her brother's party and her promise to Akane to keep a close watch over Tsuyosa. She had to bite her tongue not to at least snarl out scathing insults to the gossipping biddies and cause a scene.
Tsuyosa interrupted Keiko's thoughts as he squeezed her hand tightly, though clearly with little strength. He didn't look up at her, instead staring at the ground. "Papa says I can't get other people sick too. I'm not bad."
Those words, spoken with such tired sadness, were a knife that pierced Keiko's heart. "Tsu…" She glanced over at the women, seeing that two were still watching them. With a disdainful sniff, she turned away from the socialites and pulled Tsuyosa gently into her lap. "Hey, Tsu," she said with a little more volume than necessary. "How about I read you a story? A nice long story."
Tsuyosa paused at that before he looked up at Keiko. He was silent for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. "Okay."
Narakumon watched the exchange, and found himself ironically thankful for the obnoxious interruption. It had drawn not only Keiko's attention away from him, but Nyamon's as well, and saved him from a conversation he did not want to have with his daughter.
As a god of death, he knew the signs - he knew what to look for. And he also knew when there were just some things better left unsaid. Besides, as he kept telling himself, it wasn't as if it was any of their business.
Death came to everyone equally.
The moon filtered in through the drapes in Keiko's room of the Ryuzaki estate, casting its gentle light on the floorboards. Everything was still as darkness settled in, like a comforting blanket to ease everyone to sleep. In such comforting surroundings, it was only too easy for Keiko to fall asleep in spite of the fact that she wasn't back home in Crystal Tower. After the party, with Akane and the children staying over, she was reluctant to leave just yet. Fortunately, Nyamon curled up beside her on her bed, she was able to sleep easy.
At least, until the peacefulness of the night was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps and loud voices just outside her door.
Keiko was up and out of bed in an instant. In her adrenaline-fueled, half-asleep state, she at first thought she was back in Crystal Tower in the middle of some sort of crisis in the Digital World. It was only when she charged out into the hall dressed in pajamas with Nyamon close on her heels that she woke up enough to remember where she was, which added a new kind of fear.
Although the Ryuzaki estate was vast, Keiko's bedroom was right next to the guestroom where Akane stayed with the children after the party. The door to that room hung open now, and the sound of a child crying and adults talking rapidly drew her close.
Inside was chaos.
Pacing on one side of the room was man with wild, long blonde hair streaked in purple, who Keiko belatedly recognized as her sister's husband. Mamoru fretted about, carrying Sera in his arms and patting her on the back as he murmured what were supposed to be soothing words to his daughter, but the little girl continually wailed, inconsolable.
On the opposite end of the room, Mina was seated on the bed, cradling Tsuyosa in her arms as Akane knelt beside him, injecting needles one after another into various places on the poor young boy's body. To Keiko's horror, she saw Tsuyosa's skin had turned blue in places, his raspy breathing more like ragged gurgling as he struggled for air even with a large oxygen tank on a cart nearby now hooked up to the tubes in his nose.
Nyamon stared at the scene in horror, her ears canted back. "What the hell's going on!?"
"I've already called Kigaru, he'll meet us there," Jin's voice came in loud as he was marching down the hallway to the room, distress clear in his voice even as he tried to keep it even and authoritative, as if he were in charge of the situation. "Everyone just stay calm!"
Mina was unruffled by the chaos happening around her as she kept Tsuyosa propped upright against her to prevent him from suffocating. She turned her gaze away to Keiko and Nyamon and spoke like the crack of a whip. "Keep the doorway clear! The paramedics are coming."
Keiko jerked at the order, but did as she was told, darting into the room with Nyamon right behind her to stand out of the way next to Mamoru, despite how Sera's mournful wailing hurt her ears. "What's happening?" she asked, raising her voice to be heard over Sera's crying as she plugged her ears with her fingers. "What happened to Tsu?"
It was Akane who answered, though she never looked Keiko's way and constantly kept pulling items out of an unusually large open medical kit on the nightstand. "It's fine, Keiko. Everything is fine. Tsu is going to be fine. This happens all the time. We only called an ambulance to get to the hospital faster, but this is nothing new for us. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."
It was obvious to Keiko that Akane wasn't just trying to convince her everything was "fine." Unfortunately, it was also clear that there was nothing she could do to help; there was no foe to defeat, no castle to destroy and rescue the helpless child before her. All she could do was stay out of the way and listen to her niece cry as the paramedics arrived and spirited Tsuyosa away.
In the end, only Keiko, Nyamon, Mamoru, and Sera remained once the chaos disappeared - or rather, moved on without them.
By that point, Sera had finally tired herself out from crying, only occasionally letting out a sniffle and a tiny wail of "Tsuuuu…"
Mamoru sighed wearily as he rubbed his daughter's back, bouncing her in his arms. "It's okay, Sera, it's okay. Tsu will be home soon enough." His blue eyes turned apologetically to Keiko who looked skeptically back at him. "Really, it's going to be okay. This has happened more times than you think. Tsu's a fighter - he'll be back home again in a few days."
"No," Narakumon's voice cut in, not that Mamoru or Sera could hear, with the finality of a tolling bell at a funeral. It caused Keiko and Nyamon both to turn and stare at him. He stood beside them, staring out the window with his back to them. "He will not."
"Papa?" Keiko asked quietly, her heart filled with dread. She completely ignored the confused look Mamoru gave her as she took a step towards her father.
"The boy will not be coming back," Narakumon said, not looking at Keiko. "This man needs to not fill his daughter with false hopes that will only be crushed when her brother never returns."
Keiko froze mid-step, her entire body going cold.
Nyamon's eyes widened as her ears canted back.
Mamoru looked towards the window, but saw nothing. He cocked his head to one side then the other. "I… suppose you must be talking to your father right now? Narakumon, sir, er, that's your name, right?" He paused, but the empty space offered him nothing. "Well, anyway, my apologies for not being able to have a proper conversation with you, but I was thinking that since you're the digital manifestation of a god, perhaps, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind lending Tsu a little of your strength?"
Mamoru turned to Sera and used a tissue to clean her face. "I know it's asking for a lot and it's probably outside your particular skill set - you being a god of data and computers and all - but from one father to another, I hope you understand why I thought I'd ask anyway."
Narakumon stiffened but said nothing, staring out the window at the moon.
The tense silence settled over Keiko like a lead weight, threatening to suffocate her. The earlier conversation with Narakumon came back to her with an all new, terrible clarity. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you, Papa? That's why Tsu could see you."
Narakumon didn't respond at first, mulling over his words, before he finally spoke. "I am a god of death, Keiko."
The implication hit Keiko hard, rendering her speechless.
Narakumon could feel his daughter's stare piercing through his back, which was all the more reason that he refused to turn to face her. "The spark of life in Digimon is not much different than the one found in humans. And even though this is not my world, I am still able to sense said spark… and see it grow dim. That boy's spark… is all but extinguished."
Keiko slowly started to shake her head, denial welling up within her. "There's got to be something we can do for Tsu! How do we revive the spark? Tell me what to do, Papa!"
Narakumon paused at that. It was a struggle to find the words to continue, but somehow he did, keeping his voice even. "This is the natural order of this world. Death is a part of it."
"Screw that!" Keiko snapped, clutching her fists. "The Digital World makes its own natural order, and Mama overturns death all the time!" She threw her arm out to her side. "I'll go find Mama's Chosen Child and drag her to the hospital to help Tsu if I have to!"
Nyamon gave a sharp nod as she crossed her arms. "It wouldn't be that hard to find her."
The sound of crying began anew, as Sera reacted to Keiko's shouting. Mamoru rubbed his daughter's back again, but kept casting a troubled gaze towards Keiko and the empty space.
"I'll… take Sera to another room to calm her down," he muttered before hastily leaving. It was clear to him that he was in over his head in this sort of situation and his priority needed to be to his daughter right now. "Please excuse us."
Narakumon felt a spark of irritation at Mamoru's interjection, as the conversation was stressful enough as it was, but allowed himself to be mollified by the man's departure. He let out a deep sigh through his teeth as he tried to get his thoughts in order. It was hard enough trying to talk reason to his daughter when his own feelings refused to match with what he knew was logical. "The girl has no experience with using Tenraimon's power. As it is, she's using it to heal her own body's sickly nature. You know that."
Keiko flinched, her eyes sliding askance as a twist of guilt hit her, but she refused to look away for long. "Then Mama can lend Tsu her energy dire…"
An abrupt idea silenced Keiko before she could finish her thought, the gears turning in her head as she stared intently at Narakumon. "Papa, you said Tsu could be Darkness like me, right? Is that only because he's about to die?"
Narakumon grimaced at that before he finally turned to face his daughter, his expression stern. "Keiko."
"What if you made Tsu like me?" Keiko pressed, stepping closer to Narakumon, placing a hand on her chest. "What if you share your power with Tsu, would that save him?"
Narakumon's expression grew exasperated as he let out another sigh. "Keiko, he's a random human child that-"
"He's my nephew!" Keiko snapped. "He's family, and I'm going to save him, blood or no blood!"
Narakumon went silent as he stared at Keiko for a moment before he lowered his eyes, his expression twisting unpleasantly.
"She's not thinking anything that you weren't already thinking," Nyamon said with a snap of her tail. "If you really didn't care, you wouldn't have that sour look on your face."
"I have a responsibility to the Digital World," Narakumon said softly. "And involving more humans would be…!"
Keiko closed the distance between her and Narakumon, taking her father's hand in hers and squeezing tight. "He's already involved, Papa. He's not just some random human. He's your family too. You're his great-uncle."
Narakumon paused before he looked at Keiko's hands in his own, which seemed so small. It was hard to imagine that such delicate, small hands could wield so much destruction if he hadn't been the very reason they could. And yet, despite carrying such capacity for destruction, they were still capable of so much kindness.
"It was… surprising," Narakumon murmured. "The way he looked at me… tried to look at me. Even though he couldn't see me clearly, he still at least sensed me and… wasn't afraid."
Keiko's eyes softened as she smiled a little at Narakumon. "I haven't spent much time with Tsu, but he's really sweet. I'm sure he'll love you too, just like I do, once he gets to meet you."
Narakumon didn't respond immediately as he stared down at Keiko's hands, then let out a weary sigh. "You are an extremely ill-behaved Chosen Child, do you realize that? And so infuriating."
Keiko's smile turned wry as she let out a mischievous giggle. "I learned from the best, Papa."
Narakumon chuckled softly before he finally lifted his head. "I believe it would work, yes. He has an affinity for my power, so-"
Keiko's eyes lit up and she tugged Narakumon towards the door before sprinting off ahead. "What're we waiting for? Let's go!"
It didn't take long to make it to the hospital using a couple Digital Gates. In fact, Keiko and Nyamon arrived not long after the ambulance arrived. Even finding the room in the emergency ward where Tsuyosa had been placed had been a simple matter after Narakumon checked the computer system. The only difficulty was getting past orderlies and nurses that tried in vain to stop a girl and her cat from tearing through the hospital's ER.
The chaotic sound of doctors barking orders and beeping machines were drowned out by the door to the room slamming open with a well placed kick from Nyamon. She and Keiko ignored the shock of the medical staff inside, focused entirely on Tsuyosa lying in a bed with various tubes hastily inserted into his small body.
"You can't be in here!" one of the doctors shouted.
Keiko brushed past the man and batted away the hands of two nurses trying to see her out. There was no time to hesitate. Tsuyosa looked even worse than before, only breathing now with the assistance of a machine, as the erratic chirps of the heart monitor grew only more spaced out.
"This is the only warning you're getting," Nyamon said as she followed her partner, her tail snapping out to smack one of the nurses that got too close. "Stay out of the way!"
Keiko called upon the Darkness and allowed it to consume her. The staff backed away from her as the light faded around her, alarmed by this child for more than the intrusion. The darkness crackled at the edges and grew beyond her body into the shape of the god of death with black wings unfurled.
The machines went completely haywire. The heart monitor pulsed so rapidly it turned into a high shriek. The lights flickered sparratically until one blew up, then another. The breathing machine lost its rhythm, and Nyamon hastily removed it before doing the same with the wires from the monitoring equipment.
Keiko placed her hands - and the shadow of Narakumon's - on Tsuyosa's pale chest and let the Darkness consume the dying boy completely.
One of the nurses fled into the hall, screaming as the lights went out completely and the equipment died. The only illumination in the room came from the flickering fluorescent bulbs in the hallway and the moonlight that shone in Keiko's eyes.
Narakumon paid the panicking humans no mind, focusing instead on the small heartbeat in his hands. It was so faint, and the boy so fragile. He could feel the boy's life trying to flicker away through his fingers and it reminded him that what they were about to do could very well finish him off - it begged the question of what right he had to make such a decision. But he was the god of death, and who else but he had the right to make such a call? The boy was doomed regardless. His choices were to die in a few hours with the assistance of various cruel machines or possibly live on his own, for as long as the Darkness within him would allow.
Besides, as much as Keiko was protesting Tsuyosa's fate, Narakumon couldn't deny… that he had wanted to save the boy, too.
With that in mind, Narakumon guided his power through Keiko, using his daughter as a medium to safely transfer it into the small boy, filling him with the Darkness he possessed. As the aura that had engulfed Keiko spread to the tiny child, the crest of Darkness slowly began to appear upon the boy's forehead. The inverting silver moons glistened like the moonlight in Keiko's eyes, before they illuminated Tsuyosa's gray eyes with an ephemeral glow.
The faint heartbeat within Keiko's grasp began to pulse a little quicker with each passing second, growing stronger. What had once felt so fragile was gaining strength right under her fingertips as the color returned to Tsuyosa's face, the blue giving way to pale peach as he breathed easily on his own.
Detached though she was from herself, Keiko could feel her strength fade. The act of transforming Tsuyosa, of purging what was toxic and wrong within him far exceeded any act of violence she committed, and drained her of far more than what it took to grant Nyamon evolution to Ultimate level.
It was only when Keiko had given all that she could that she stopped, collapsing as the world around her disappeared into darkness.
From a dreamless sleep of darkness Keiko slowly awakened to a body heavy and sluggish with fatigue. A single thought was the spark that ignited her determination to resist the siren song of sleep coaxing her back into the realm of unconsciousness. She wanted - needed - to know what happened to Tsuyosa.
The first person Keiko saw upon forcing her eyes open was the comforting sight of Nyamon. Her partner instantly relaxed as their eyes met before giving her a wry smile.
"Good morning," Nyamon said. "Or afternoon. Whichever you prefer."
Keiko barely spared a thought to wonder how long she had been unconscious before she returned her focus to what was most important. "Tsu…?" To her annoyance, her voice came out faint, thick with fatigue, and she struggled all the more to shake the sleep from her body.
"Not here," Nyamon said as she flicked her ear before she turned to stare off to the side. Keiko followed her partner's gaze to find herself staring at the door to her bedroom, which was slightly ajar. "Your sister and brother'll be busting in any moment now, once they notice the sound of your voice."
As if on cue, Akane peered through the crack in the door. Upon seeing Keiko's face, she threw her door and rushed inside. "You're finally awake! Oh, thank goodness. We were worried. You've been asleep for a long time."
"You really gave everyone a scare," Jin said as he appeared behind Akane, hurrying inside. "Especially the doctors." He paused before his expression grew wry. "Especially the doctors."
"Is Tsu alive?" Keiko asked, unable to focus on her siblings' relief when her thoughts were still filled with worry for Tsuyosa. She tried to push herself upward, cursing her body as it rebelled against her and demanded more rest.
Akane's expression softened before she sat down on the bed and reached out to brush the hair away from her sister's annoyed eyes. "Tsu is fine, Keiko. Don't worry." She let out a breath that could've been a laugh or some other more enigmatic emotion. "I don't know what you did, but the doctors are saying his health is the best it's ever been."
"Which, you can imagine, just freaked the doctors out even more," Jin said, with a chuckle. "They don't understand what happened. And while I'm not entirely certain myself, I can imagine… it's Digimon business, isn't it?"
"I made Tsu like me," Keiko said. With a sigh, she relaxed on the bed, relieved by the knowledge that her gambit had worked.
"She connected Tsu to Narakumon," Nyamon elaborated. "It's complicated, but it means Tsu will get better now."
"The Digital World is sustaining him now," Narakumon said as he appeared beside Keiko, looking down at her. "He'll always have a weak constitution, but with the Digital World nourishing his flesh, he no longer has to fear his body's impending collapse. He will live."
"Good," Keiko sighed, a smile gracing her face as she closed her eyes. "That's good."
Narakumon paused at that as he mulled over his next words before his expression grew serious. "You expended a great deal of energy to achieve this miracle. And while it does mean that the boy will survive thanks to your efforts, you… will not be able to fight until you recover."
Keiko's eyes snapped open as she fixed her adoptive father with a sharp look.
Narakumon was quick to lift his hand, cutting off Keiko's protest. "Your body is taxed to nearly it's limits - you've been asleep for days. You've only just now regained enough energy to wake. For that reason, you must be cautious and reserved in what you do until you fully recover. Is that understood?"
Although Keiko felt a surge of stubborn pride flare up inside her, it just as quickly fizzled out, drained by the fatigue still demanding more time for rest. "I understand, Papa." She fought back the need to yawn, but ultimately could only minimize it. "I'm just glad I could save Tsu."
Akane and Jin shared an uncertain look. Although they believed their little sister when she spoke of her "Papa," it was always unnerving to watch her have a conversation with empty air. Still, that didn't stop them from being ungrateful for what this unseen entity had done for Keiko, and now for Tsuyosa.
"Well," Akane said after a moment's thought, "thank you, Keiko, for saving Tsu." She looked in the general area that Keiko had been looking, searching for some sign of Narakumon that continued to elude her eyes. "And thank you Lord Narakumon." She clapsed her hands together and bowed her head. "We owe you for everything you've done for our family."
Narakumon paused at that before his face turned red and he quickly looked away. "I-I didn't do it for the praise of some human!"
Nyamon smirked. "He's blushing." Her smirk widened when the digital god of Darkness turned to glare death at her.
Akane couldn't help but laugh at the thought.
A gentle knock drew everyone's attention to the open door. Keiko was immediately greeted by a man she didn't know. He was tall with chocolate brown hair and gray eyes, which were tinged with exhaustion if the heavy purple bags beneath his eyes were anything to go by. He looked fairly disheveled, as if he had thrown on the first set of clothes he could find - in this case, black sweats and a white silk shirt - before rushing out the door.
While the sight of the man was disorienting, Keiko quickly forgot him in favor of what the man held in his arms - Tsuyosa. The little boy looked far better than he had on the hospital bed, though he still sported the hospital band and blue pajamas with purple bunny print. He looked even better than the moment he and Keiko first met, as he no longer had a breathing tube, bandages, or even bruising left behind.
"Sorry to interrupt," the man said with a weak smile. "But Tsu kept demanding to see his Auntie Keiko."
Keiko immediately felt a jolt of energy at the sight of Tsuyosa and she tried once again to sit up, smiling wide at the sight of the little boy. "Hi, Tsu. You have no idea how happy I am to see you."
Tsuyosa turned to stare at Keiko before he reached out his tiny hands towards her, making grabbing motions. In response, the man holding the little boy walked in to the room and placed the young boy on the bed beside Keiko.
"You look like shit, man," Jin said, as he shot Kigaru a crooked smile.
"Thanks," the man said, cheerfully. "I call it my 'I've been at the hospital for three days' look."
"They actually let you take Tsu home, Kigaru?" Akane asked, shifting her gaze between Kigaru and Tsuyosa while the little boy grasped onto Keiko's outstretched fingers.
"Oh, not at all~!" Kigaru said, still brightly. "They wanted to keep him longer for observation, but I told them that three days was enough. If they couldn't give me a good reason why to keep him there beyond their own ignorance, I'd be taking him home. If they couldn't figure out why he was healthy after three days and no other health complications came up, then they were wasting my time - and his. My son has spent enough time being hooked up to machines while sick, he doesn't need to experience it when he's not."
Akane sighed with no small amount of relief, placing her hand on her chest. "I'm glad to hear it. It drove me crazy that they refused to tell me anything about how poor Tsu was doing." She paused to look at Keiko. "They almost wouldn't let Jin and me take you home after what you did at the hospital. They really wanted to study you." She smile turned wry. "Good thing we got that paperwork pushed through to get Jin to be your legal guardian, huh?"
Keiko nodded uncomfortably, though her attention was still mostly captivated by Tsuyosa. She didn't care much for doctors or their interest in the Digital World after the stories she heard from Narakumon and Tenraimon.
Nyamon smirked as she puffed up her chest. "I would've told them no anyway. With my claws."
"I would have destroyed them all, if they had tried," Narakumon said with a huff. "I would never-" He froze when Tsuyosa suddenly looked up to stare at him. However, unlike before, the boy focused directly on him, their eyes meeting. It rendered Narakumon speechless as Tsuyosa gave a small blink before reaching up to point at him.
"I see you," Tsuyosa said.
Nyamon's ears shot up as she stared at Tsuyosa, then Narakumon.
Instead of being surprised, Keiko smirked and tapped Tsuyosa's hand to draw his attention back to her. "That's my papa, Narakumon. Since I'm your auntie now, that makes him your great-uncle. It's because of him and his power that I was able to make you better."
Tsuyosa tilted his head, as if considering Keiko's words. "Great-Uncle." He glanced between Keiko and Narakumon before he turned his full attention back to Narakumon, a bright smile on his face.
Narakumon felt his heart skip a beat before his face turned bright red. "Y-you don't need to look so happy."
Keiko couldn't help but laugh. "Of course he does! He finally gets to meet his great-uncle who saved him and his auntie. You're a real hero, Papa."
Narakumon made an incoherent noise in his throat as his blush deepened before he quickly disappeared, fading out of view.
Tsuyosa blinked. "Ah, Great-Uncle left."
Keiko continued giggling even as she squeezed Tsuyosa's hand gently. "Your Great-Uncle Narakumon does that a lot." She winked. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it, Tsu."
"I suppose we all will eventually," Akane added with a tentative smile. It was unnerving that some sort of spectre they couldn't see could just pop in and out at will around Keiko, but she wasn't about to let something as silly as that get in the way of her appreciating everything Narakumon did for their family.
"I admit I don't fully understand everything that's happening," Kigaru said as he stood in the doorway, watching the exchange. He then gave Keiko a weary smile. "But I do know this… you saved my son's life - both of you. I… can't deny that he would have died if not for you. I owe you more than I can ever repay… but I definitely intend to try."
"I didn't save Tsu to get anything out of it for myself," Keiko said, almost offended by the idea. "I saved Tsu because he needed saving. I'm the Chosen Child of Darkness, and that means I have a duty to save the weak and innocent from anything that wants to destroy them."
Kigaru stared at Keiko before his expression softened. "Thank you..."
"Why don't you take a rest?" Jin asked as he reached over to grasp Kigaru's shoulder. "Go take a nap. We'll watch Tsu while you sleep in an actual bed."
"And before you argue, you won't be the only one napping," Akane said with a crooked smirk. "If Sera can be convinced to nap instead of waiting up for Tsu, so can you."
"And there's plenty of guestrooms for you to choose from," Jin said wryly. "Now take your pick and go to sleep."
Kigaru glanced about the room before he gave a wry chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "Alright, alright… I can't argue with you all at once. And a nap does sound really good right now..."
"Night-night, Papa," Tsuyosa said as he reached up his right hand to wave at Kigaru. "Nap time."
Kigaru smiled gently as he returned the gesture. "Night-night, Tsu…" Slowly, and reluctantly, the man lingered a moment more before he finally left the room, slipping off to find some much needed rest.
Tsuyosa watched his father leave, then turned to Keiko. He gazed at her with wide gray eyes that sparkled with life and curiosity.
Keiko smiled at the little boy and reached out to ruffle his hair. "I know what you're thinking. You feel something big inside you now. Something bigger than anything. That's because you're Darkness now, like me. That means you're going to grow up strong and protect anyone who needs help."
Tsuyosa smiled at that. "Okay, Auntie Keiko!"
The relief Keiko felt at seeing Tsuyosa wore away at her energy and reminded her of just how badly her body cried out for more rest. Frustrated though she was at still feeling tired even after sleeping for three days, and for the restrictions now placed on her for the foreseeable future, she didn't regret her actions for a moment. Taxing herself to such a degree was a small price to pay to save an innocent baby's life.
It was what Chosen Children should do, after all.