Digimon Adventure 08: Vaccine

by YukiraKing

Moments after the finale of 'Digimon Adventure 07: Virus' the core group of characters are faced with internal struggles of coping with the horrors they have finally escaped from. For some, the nightmare continues, and for others it is impossible to forget, but they will have to work together to move forward and face their newest and final foe.

37. It's Time

Y/N: Everyone gets a part. And by everyone, I mean all of the digidestined, we didn't leave anyone out this time-even Ryou's included! Thanks for reading it all up to this point!

U/N: This is the final chapter of this arc, and while is says "part 2" we personally sorted 08 into 3 parts. The next part is only seven chapters or so, but then there is part three which a bit longer than that. I hope you're still reading and enjoying because I mean, we did spend a lot of time writing this xD I hope you like it all and I hope to upload the next few chapters with less of a hiatus than there was this time around! Sorry for the wait and thanks for reading :)

Title: Digimon Adventure 08: Vaccine

By: YukiraKing and UrazamayKing

Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.

Part 2: Conclusion

Chapter 37: It's Time

Ryou Akiyama:

"I'm having a really hard time finding the positive in this situation," I said, embarrassed that the statement was true. I'd spent my entire life finding the silver lining. But this time, I just didn't know if one existed. "I lose. I lose my friends, I lose you, and I lose my family. I'm going to lose everything."

"You will be able to mystify everyone with your predictions of the future," Cyberdramon offered. I sighed.

"That'd be great, I guess, but on the flipside, nothing new will happen for twelve years," I sighed. "There won't be anything I remember. I could have Uncle Tadao, I suppose, but he's not my uncle. He's little Ryou's uncle. Tadao doesn't know me from a hole in the ground. He doesn't remember all the times I scraped my knee when he taught me to ride a bike. He doesn't remember all the whispered stories he'd tell me after Dad had told me to go to bed. He won't remember me. He doesn't know me yet."

"He could learn," Cyberdramon said, trying to seem optimistic.

"No," I said sadly. "I don't remember having an older brother growing up. I know I don't stay at home with my family. That's okay. I'd probably be pretty surprised if a future version of me showed up and wanted to share my parents and my house. Dad wouldn't want that version of me anywhere near him either."

"I'm sorry about that," Cyberdramon said. "He doesn't know what he's missing."

"No," I said without humour. "He doesn't. He won't know for twelve more years, and by then, it'll be too late. I won't be a kid anymore, and he'll have missed a good chunk of my life. I miss him, Cyberdramon, and he's never going to want me again. He won't want me until 2027, and by then I'll be twenty-six, and he won't want me then. He'll want the kid that fell through time. I just can't win."

"It's not fair," Cyberdramon decided passionately. "You gave up so much to help these people, and that Gennai guy couldn't even get you back home."

"D'Arcmon told me to stay in Neverland, and that eventually destiny would put me back on course," I said. "You remember that, don't you? She said Gennai couldn't defeat destiny, no matter what he thought. I wasn't supposed to be trapped on Earth. I wasn't supposed to lose my childhood. I was supposed to go home. I want to go home."

"Sometimes I forget how young you are," Cyberdramon told me, pulling me into his arms. My face landed against his chest, and it wasn't very comfortable—but it was still comforting. He was the one person that could understand me. He was part Monodramon and part Millenniummon. He didn't belong anywhere either, and he understood the flow of time in a way that no one else could. He was ancient and young all at once, because he was the sum of his two parts. "You're just a child. You should get a chance to be a child."

"I want to," I said, trying to show him a smile. "But I don't want to be alone. Mimi said I could stay with her, and she's super nice. But she's not my mom. She's too happy, too rash, and too impulsive. Her mood swings are so drastic. She's nothing like my mom at all. And Koushiro isn't really like Dad either. I don't want to replace my parents. I want my actual parents."

"Maybe Mimi will let you get a dog?" Cyberdramon suggested, summoning up a rather pitiful amount of excitement.

"I don't need man's best friend," I said. "You're my best friend. I don't need anyone else."

"Ryou," he said. Whatever else he was going to say got cut off when the phone in my hand beeped. It belonged to someone, but I didn't know who. It might've been Rei's, but I didn't know for sure. All I knew, was that there was a message from Taichi saying "It's time." I wasn't ready. But Millenniummon gave up his ability to manipulate time when he fused with Monodramon, and so I wasn't going to get any longer for this goodbye. "Time has run out," Cyberdramon said solemnly. "We must bid our farewells."

"Stop trying to be so dramatic," I said, trying to tease him. It didn't work so well, because my voice cracked in the middle, and I was so nervous and terrified. "Let's just get it over with. My life is ruined anyway. Literally ruined."

"Now who's being dramatic?" he asked me, laughing only once. The sound was thick with emotions that he dared not share. We walked quietly together towards the front gates of the Temple. I could see that several others were gathered there. Three fairy women were standing with glittering wings by the door, and I saw Taichi waiting on the opposite side of the gate to them. There was a small crowd gathered in front of him, but I could see others were dawdling, trying to get as much time as absolutely possible with their partners. I wished I'd done the same, but I hadn't realized it was an option.

Taichi wasn't waiting for them though, and he placed the key to Earth in the oversized keyhole of the Temple gates. The doors lit up, and soon there was nothing more than a swirling portal to Earth in the place of the gates. It was enormous, and daunting. My throat ran dry at the sight of it, and I stepped back, crashing into Cyberdramon.

"I don't want to go," I whispered shakily to Cyberdramon. "I'm scared."

"It is your home world," he said, sounding confused.

"It's not though," I told him, shaking my head. "It's a world where I'll be alone, and no one will understand me, and no one will know me. I'm two years old in that world. I already exist. I can't be me if I go there. I'll have to give up my identity on top of everything else. I don't want to go. Don't make me go."

"I'm not going to make you," Cyberdramon said. "But you'll be giving up any chance of seeing your family again."

"You okay kid?" Taichi asked me. He glanced over my shoulder and held up a finger, telling whoever was behind me to wait a minute. He came over to me, and didn't kneel down to me, the way Mimi did. He was treating me like a grown up, even though I was fourteen. I'd been fourteen for years, but I was still a kid. No one grew up when they stayed in Neverland. That was the point of it. It was so weird to be treated like an equal, instead of a toddler.

"I don't want to go," I whispered.

"Don't you want to go home?" he wondered. I shook my head.

"It's not home," I said, feeling my fear and dread manifesting in tears on my cheeks. Water slowly dripped down to the end of my nose, and I wiped it off. "I don't have a home. Not anymore. It won't ever exist again. I gave everything up to save this world. I don't have anything left for me back there."

"Then you should stay here with us."

I turned to see Taichi's new wife—who I could identify as Rei because they'd invited me, a total stranger, to their wedding—smiling at me. She offered me her hand and I took it, because that was the polite thing to do.

"Stay with us," she said again. "You don't need to go. We're not leaving."

"You mean it?" I asked. Life would be much more bearable if I got to keep living in the Digital World with Cyberdramon. Maybe I'd get a chance to catch up with Veemon and Hawkmon and Armadillomon. I could help Hawkmon teach little Poromon about their people, since he'd told me all of their history when we'd been friends. I could explore the new Veemon population with Veemon, and learn why he was separated from the others so long ago. I could watch as Armadillomon awaited the hatching of his baby. I could learn to be good friends with the other digimon too.

"Of course I do," Rei said. "It's not fair of us to send you out into Earth on your own. Mimi would take good care of you, but if you're sure you won't regret your decision, then you can stay. We'll watch over you, and you can stay with Cyberdramon."

"I want to stay," I said firmly, eagerly. "Don't send me away."

"We won't," Taichi said, reaching out to clasp my shoulder, rather than mess with my hair. I offered him a watery smile, and he smiled back at me, before his eyes were drawn away again to whoever was behind me. "I'll talk to you later, okay? We can all have dinner together, since we'll all be stuck here forever."

"What wonderful phrasing," Rei said sarcastically. Her eyes automatically sought out her brother, and she squeezed my hand once before going off to find him. Taichi left too and it was just Cyberdramon and me again.

"We've got forever now," I told him. I felt better about being with him, despite the absolute shambles my life had become. Forever was a really long time—but with Cyberdramon, I was sure I could make it just fine.

Michael Washington:

"It just isn't fair," I said in a small voice.

"I know," Betamon told me weakly, snuggling closer to me. He pushed me back into the wall I had rested against and I became even more aware of the heated tears streaming down my face. My breathing was shallow and shaky but I was trying to push through. No one was paying me any attention so I didn't care what I looked like or what I sounded like, as long as Betamon knew how much I hated this. "But sometimes we have to go through things that are not fair, to help others."

I tried to speak. I tried to respond, but I couldn't. There was nothing to say. No, there was too much to say, but no words to express it.

"That's the strength Gennai saw in you, Michael," Betamon said, finally shedding some tears of his own. "He saw what you would do for the greater good. You're selfless. I've seen you doing so much for others, and this is no different. I'll do whatever it takes to make peace, and I know you'll do the same."

I opened my mouth and no sound came out. I probably looked pretty dumb. But then why did Betamon have such adoration in his eyes? "I will," I finally promised him. He nodded and looked up to me with a smile. "Betamon I'm so sorry for everything that I did."

"Michael—" he tried to stop me. I knew he didn't want to hear me apologize anymore, but I wasn't done.

"I failed you for so long," I told him, holding him in my hands and staring right into his eyes. "I broke you. Sigma—or Arkadimon or whoever was in charge—they may have done the deed, but it was my fault."

"It was Sigma," Betamon said with such seriousness. "Sigma hurt me. It was never you. And I got back at him by helping in his demise. He was a bad man, Michael. But he's gone forever now. The Coliseum even feels less dark. His presence is gone. He is gone. We did our best to make it right, and we helped. It was Gomamon in the end, sure, but we helped."

"He's gone?" I asked stupidly. I knew it was true of course. We had seen it happen. I didn't know who had destroyed the heart and in a way I didn't believe it had happened, but I had seen Gennai disappear. I knew Sigma was gone. "You're okay?"

"I am," Betamon assured me. "Forever. And I mean forever. Through torture designed to make me forget you, I never did. I know I'll be okay because I'll never forget."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked away for a moment, trying to bat my eyes clean, but I wasn't particularly successful. "Well then I'm sorry for not trusting you."

"Way back then?" Betamon asked, actually managing a laugh, "Michael, those years we spent apart when we should have been together made us stronger. We learned so much about ourselves after knowing what it meant to be together. Don't lie. After meeting me you felt something."

"Of course I did," I told him, feeling a smile creep on my face. "I felt a connection because you're everything to me."

"That connection never went away," Betamon told me softly. "It's still there. And that's why you don't need to fear me leaving you, Michael. I'll never leave you, not really. I'll always be in your heart."

"How much more corny could that be?" I asked with a dry laugh. Betamon giggled and pressed forward, "But you're not wrong. You'll always be right here, with me. No matter where you are."

Koushiro Izumi:

"I love you Mimi," Palmon cried, wrapping her long arms around Mimi. Mimi was just the same, sobbing and clinging to her partner.

"I love you too, Palmon," Mimi cried back. Palmon's long fingers expanded into her infamous Poison Ivy, and she coiled the vines around Tentomon and myself, pulling us into her embrace. I was crammed right up against Mimi. I wouldn't have minded, had it been even just a month ago. But it was now, and we were still in a rocky place. I was earning Mimi's trust back, and she was trying to help me through the long process of kicking my nasty habit. I didn't want to need her help, but I did. And she was ready to give it the second I'd caved and asked for it.

Tentomon and Palmon had been there right alongside her. I couldn't do it alone, and now, thanks to Rida, and Gaia, and Maugrim and everything else that was going on around us, I would have to manage to get through this without them. Mimi was enough, but it was nice when I had more of a safety net to catch me before I fell too far back down into the deep waters I'd been drowning myself in before. I couldn't afford to fall into the habit again. I didn't want to lose Mimi. I didn't want to risk brain cells.

I didn't want to fail Gennai either.

Six years had passed since his first death, and I thought I was finally in a place where I could accept it. My grieving wasn't quite finished, but having had a chance to talk to him again, to have him explain some things—not enough though, never enough—helped me a great deal in that journey. It was hard to know we'd lost him once more so soon after getting him back. It was like destiny was teasing us to get back at us for our past mistakes.

I'd made so many recently—and now Tentomon couldn't keep me in line. I'd have to manage without him. He wouldn't be by my side as we sorted through any and all knowledge, and while I embarked on my quest to find true wisdom, rather than simple facts and statistics. I'd have to do that on my own—no, not on my own. Mimi had made it clear to me that I would never be alone, and that I'd always have someone that could help me, no matter what it was that I needed help with.

But would I?

I knew Mimi would be there, but Taichi was leaving. He was my boss, and therefore I was now officially unemployed—in addition to receiving no pay. I wouldn't have Tatum, or Centarumon, or Benjamin, or Andromon only a short trip to the Temple away. Haruhiko and Shuu would be in Japan at least, but it would seem strange to only have them at hand. It didn't help that my potential projects would be limited, and I wouldn't be able to continue towards my life's ambition of studying the Digital World. I would never see this world again. I would never get to understand its wonders, and know its history.

I'd never get to understand Tentomon's history.

That was something I'd hoped for years to discover something about, and now I'd lost my chance. I was out of time.

"Tentomon," I said, pressed up against Mimi's side in Palmon's tight hold. "Promise me something?"

"I can try," he offered. His voice sounded strained, and I could understand why. Palmon's hold seemed to be tightening by the second. She really didn't want to let us go. Mimi sobbed into my ear, and Palmon's wails could be heard miles away.

"Keep learning," I pleaded. "Find out whatever you can and store it in your memory banks. Find out where you guys came from, and discover the ancient histories. Do that for me, will you? I can't do it anymore, but you can."

"What good will it do you?" he asked, confused.

"Maybe nothing," I said, shaking my head. "But I want to know that you're out there discovering all the things I've always wanted to know. I need to know that someone is uncovering all the mysteries of this world in my absence."

"I'll promise, if you promise something in return," he bargained. "You need to uncover all of my mysteries in your world."

"I promise," I said quickly. I'd do anything for him. He only needed to ask.

"I promise too, then," he agreed.

"Promise me that you'll never forget me," I whispered.

"Impossible," he said firmly. "You're too deeply embedded in my memory. Promise me that you won't forget our adventures, and all the fun we had?"

"Takeru's recorded everything," I assured him. "I'll have a source to refresh myself even if I somehow manage to forget anything. Promise me that you'll keep an eye on Palmon?"

"I was already planning on it," Tentomon said. "Promise to watch over Mimi?"

"She'll be watching me more closely," I told him, laughing once without much humour. "Promise me that you won't let Taichi get in over his head?"

"I promise," he said with a sense of finality. "Promise me to go to rehab for your addiction."

"I don't need that," I protested instantly.

"For me?" he pleaded.

"For you," I said with a sigh, knowing that I'd have to do it. I couldn't fail to follow one of his final requests. "Palmon?" I asked softly. She tightened her grip even further, and I pried my arm out of her strangle hold and patted her head. "I will miss you too, just as much as I'll miss Tentomon."

"And I will miss you, Mimi," Tentomon assured Mimi. "Forever. You are my family."

"Our family is being ripped in half!" Palmon cried, harder than ever before. "It's just so sad."

"Forever is too long," Mimi sobbed.

"It might not be forever," I said. Takeru's teachings flashed into my mind. In the Land of Dreams he taught me that facts weren't always the only option. Sometimes you had to follow your gut instincts. And my gut was telling me that this was the time to have hope.

"Don't you think so? Taichi seems convinced," Tentomon said, sounding thoroughly confused. I shook my head.

"We might never get to come back to the Digital World, and you might never make it to Earth, but we'll see each other again—even if we're dead by the time it happens. We'll see each other again, and we'll have learned twice as much when we get the chance to share it all," I said, feeling overly optimistic, despite how little chance that plan had of succeeding. Digimon were recycled upon death—it was in their very code. We wouldn't be. But that didn't matter. For the first time, my gut and my mind were telling me different things, and I figured Takeru's lesson might be a bit of wisdom, rather than simple knowledge after all. "Now, I have a council to say goodbye to. I can't very well leave without wishing them farewell. Palmon, I will miss you," I told her again, leaning down and pressing my lips quickly to the top of her head. It felt almost awkward, since I wasn't a very physical person, but she released me from her hold, and hugged me around the middle, burying her head against my stomach. I watched as Mimi and Tentomon melted together too, and I tried to remind myself of the wisdom that I'd spoken of not even five minutes ago. It was hard. Palmon was right. We were splitting our family in half.

"I'll watch the nature channel every night," Mimi promised Tentomon. He seemed pleased, and then he was backing away from her, not wanting to take his eyes off of her and miss a second of her presence. I threw an arm around him, catching him midair, and held him close to me as we made our way—still walking backwards—to Andromon and Centarumon. Dad was there too, and I knew it was hard for him, just as it was for me.

Goodbyes were always hard—even for me.

Yamato Ishida:

"Gabumon you should know that I'm not happy that I was right," I told him thickly. He kicked a stone and it bounced down the street toward where my dad was sitting with Wizardmon. He looked up to me and smiled in Gabumon's direction. Gabumon of course waved to him, but chose to spend our last moments together. "I hate that I'm right."

"Well you're not," Gabumon said bluntly. "It was Gennai who was right, not you. You were just wise enough to see that he had a point."

"Not wise," I corrected. "I was stupid."

"Not at all," Gabumon gasped, shaking his head enthusiastically. He grabbed my hand and stopped me, leaping into my path. "You were so brave. You chose to give me up for the world."

I bit my lip hard and looked away from him. "That sounds awful." Gabumon shook his head again, trying to disagree, but he wouldn't convince me otherwise. "I would not trade you for anything. You mean more to me than the fate of the worlds."

"Which is why, you can't stay," Gabumon said flatly. My stomach twisted and I shook my head, "Don't object. I know your big plan was to come here with me. I'm not going to let you."

"You don't actually—" I interjected.

"I do," Gabumon decided flatly. "I think that's wonderful and admirable that you thought of me like that, but if you think I'm going to let you give up your dream, your family—Takeru! If you think I'm going to allow you to come here and be alone forever—"

"But I wouldn't be alone," I snapped, "I would have you."

"And I would have you," Gabumon agreed, "But I think we can agree it would be better if you were surrounded with your own kind. I won't let you. I won't let you." There was silence following his words where tears actually began to well up in my eyes. He was right. I knew he was right. I wasn't Taichi. I wasn't him. I couldn't push people away because I was stressed, I couldn't act rashly and spend my savings on random purchases. I couldn't live here in the Digital World. I wasn't Taichi. I was Yamato.

"I have to leave you," I said, finally letting it sink in. My chest felt tight, like someone was ripping away at it and my heart was clenched tightly. I fell to my knees and pulled him closer. "I don't want to leave you."

"Y-Yamato!" Gabumon said through his inevitable tears. "I love you. You're my best friend. I'm so happy that we're friends, Yamato! I'm so happy that you have enough trust in me to leave me behind. And I'm so happy that we'll have so many stories to share when we meet again."

"M-meet again?" I stammered. "You think the worlds will—"

"I didn't say that," Gabumon said, pushing me back gently, "But that doesn't mean this is goodbye. I believe."

"In what?" I asked, blindly wiping at my tears.

"In you, Yamato."

Daisuke Motomiya:

"Look on the bright side buddy," I said, patting Veemon on the head. He looked up from Haruki, who he was holding for dear life. "You'll get to live with Patamon now. That's what you wanted, right?"

"Yeah," Veemon admitted begrudgingly. "It's not how I wanted it to happen though."

"Picky, picky," I teased him. I wished I'd thought to bring a camera with me. This would be the last chance I'd have of getting a picture of Haruki with Veemon or Labramon. Those were important pictures. And I was going to miss them. I was an idiot. I'd woken up that day, desperate to spend every available second with Veemon, and hadn't thought of anything else. Veemon and Labramon both seemed to have a similar idea, though they seemed to want to spend all of their time with Haruki, rather than me. I knew Veemon loved me. I knew I was his best friend, just as he was mine. But Haruki kind of had this super power, where everyone's attention was always drawn to him, because he was just so freaking adorable.

I wasn't sure how we were supposed to get him through this.

Haruki was a creature of habit. He'd gotten used to having Veemon and Labramon around. He'd pitched a fit when Patamon stopped being at his beck and call, and now we were taking his favourite watchers out of the picture too. He was going to hate us.

"Are you gonna stay with us mister?" DemiVeemon asked, looking up to Veemon with worship in his eyes. I didn't know what stories Rei had been telling about us, but I hoped they didn't get to Veemon's head. We were representatives of humility after all, and all this praise probably wasn't a good thing in the long run. "Are ya?"

"Sure am," Veemon said trying to smile pleasantly at the little guy.

"Is he stayin' too?" he asked, gesturing to Haruki.

"Naw," I said, shaking my head. "He's gotta come home with Kurayami and me. We can't leave him behind."

"That's not fair," DemiVeemon said, pouting. "I'm never gonna get to see 'im again. I got a present for 'im and everythin'."

"What do ya got?" I asked, curious.

"A digivice," DemiVeemon said sadly. "But now we're never gonna get ta use it. What's the point?"

"You're his partner?" Kurayami asked, surprising me. She'd been sitting with the other Veemon, who were all trying to get her to share some last minute stories about my buddy. Labramon was spinning wild tales that couldn't possibly be true, and Kurayami was trying to rein him in, but the damage was done. Those guys believed that Veemon had somehow managed to lasso the moon, in order to save the man that used to live on it.

"Uh-huh," DemiVeemon said. "I never got a chance to know 'im."

"I'm so sorry," Kurayami apologized. "We can't keep him here. We've got to take him home. But I'm so sorry that we didn't introduce you sooner. We didn't know, or we would have. I swear."

"I'll give him his digivice when he's older," I promised. "I'll tell him all about you, and what it's meant for. He's going to know. We're not going to hide our pasts. We're going to tell him everything. You'll be at the top of the list."

"You mean it?" DemiVeemon said, sounding hopeful. It wasn't much, to tell Haruki about this little guy that was his partner. It really wasn't anything at all. It wouldn't make a difference, but I was going to tell him. Haruki deserved to know, and this little digimon deserved to be talked about.

"You betcha," I told him. "Come and meet him."

Veemon knelt down to the ground so DemiVeemon could take a look at my son. He reached out and held his hand, and talked with him, and burst into tears when Haruki reached out to grab him. He was so emotional, and so sad. Kurayami started tearing up too, and Veemon was practically bawling.

"Kurayami," Labramon said shyly. "I'm really happy that we don't have any secrets anymore. I'm glad that we get to move on with a clean slate. I don't want to be wondering about anything once you're gone. It'll make it easier. It won't be easy, but it will be easier at least. I know that Gaia has your darkness, and I know that you're sad about the loss of it, and that you were fooled by her. I know everything. Thank you for being open with me, and accepting me as your partner, even though you had pretty bad experiences with Apocolymon and Fanglongmon before you met me."

"I'm so glad I met you," Kurayami said.

"Hang on," I said, feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping—but I was too emotional to watch as that poor In-Training tried to get to know my son in the span of twenty minutes. Haruki wasn't even big enough yet to really know. It was hard to watch, so I focussed on something else, and I might've happened to end up eavesdropping in the process. Oops. "There's still one mystery. Why were there muddy boots under the floor boards in the closet?"

"Yeah!" Labramon exclaimed, remembering them, just as I had.

"I was embarrassed," Kurayami admitted, flushing bright red. "I told you I was out trying to get a job, and I thought I could maybe be a fisherman. I was supposed to be catching red herring, but I just fell in the mud instead."

"Huh," I said.

"No more mysteries?" Labramon asked.

"Nope," Kurayami assured him. "Now, it's time to get my baby. We're going to be leaving soon."

"I've got to talk to Veemon," I realized suddenly. Time was ticking, and I was going to run out soon. I needed to say so much to Veemon. DemiVeemon was crying in the arms of a different Veemon when I met up with my partner. Veemon followed me to the noodle cart and I leaned against it. "Hey, buddy."

"Don't you mean goodbye?" he asked, dully.

"I guess so," I agreed. "It doesn't seem real, you know? We've done this before, and it didn't feel real then either. But it always is. I might never see you again. There's so much I know I want to tell you, and I can't think of a single thing."

"I know what you mean," Veemon said. "My mind's all blank."

"I love you," I said. "I know I want to say that. You're my best friend, no matter what, and no one will ever take your place."

"I'll miss you until the end of forever—which can't happen, because it's forever, duh," he told me.

"I'm sorry I have to leave you," I whispered.

"You have to do what's best for Haruki," he said, shrugging. "I get it. I don't have to like it though. I don't want to say goodbye to you, or Kurayami, or Takeru, or Haruki. I don't want to miss his first steps or his first words. Do you think you can keep teaching him Veemon? I was teaching him in secret, so Kurayami wouldn't find out."

"I'll give it my best shot buddy," I told him. I patted the cart and tried to control my emotions. I could be a crying mess later, when I was back in Sora's basement, and we were all miserable together. "You gotta keep this cart running. It's something we can always have in common. We're still business partners, even if we're in different worlds. We could compare our results if we ever meet again."

"Mine will be better," Veemon assured me. "I've literally got forever in front of me."

"We'll see," I told him slyly. "I'll get my carts all around the world, and then who'll be laughing?"

"Still me," Veemon assured me. "I've got a plan already in place. I'm going to build more carts and have the other Veemon work at them, with one in each town—once Taichi figures out how Kiyoko's program works. I'll have a lot of employees that only want lunch out of the deal. I've got a leg up."

"I'll find a way to win," I protested. He just laughed at me. He was probably right. But I didn't find that I was disappointed. If I had to lose to anyone, Veemon would've been my first choice.

Takeru Takaishi:

"I don't want to be crying," I said in the biggest voice I could find inside me. I was trying to memorize the feeling of Patamon in my arms and trying to force the thought of my book out of my mind. This was the worst ending I could have imagined.

"I don't want to be crying either," Patamon admitted, but somehow neither of us was able to stop. "It's funny though, isn't it?"

I looked down to him, where he sat in my lap and cocked my head. "F-funny?" I asked.

He nodded, "Funny!" he shook his head and a single tear shook from his face and landed on my shirt. "Two lifetimes I've known you. This is my third. And even now, I just don't think it's the last time."

"How can you be so optimistic?" I asked with much less humour than he had managed to find.

He looked shocked for a moment, "How can you not be?" I looked away from him and saw Yamato wandering down a street with Wizardmon and Dad. Mom and Lunamon weren't far off and I knew that they would join them soon too. They would all come to join Patamon and I. That meant this was our last moment together alone. "We've saved the world simply by being optimistic, Takeru! I don't need proof to know we'll see each other again."

"Share with me some of your hope," I told him weakly, "I need some more."

"You sure do," Patamon assured me. "If you don't have any, who will keep the balance for Earth?"

"You're right," I nodded, internally forcing my sadness away. I needed to find the power to be happy again. If Patamon was so sure we'd meet again, then I could feel the same, right? We knew each other well. We had to be in sync. He was hopeful, and so I was too. I had to be. "I've always asked myself if I believe in science or in faith, and I think you just answered that for me."

"And what's the answer then?" Patamon asked.

"I believe in something in the middle," I decided, "I believe there is an answer to everything, but that there are forces beyond all of us that can string us along and show us the way. I believe that because I think you are one of those forces. If we're led to those who help us most to grow, I don't think I'll ever meet anyone as important as you. You've changed me so much—for the better."

"You've changed me too, Takeru," Patamon cried, hugging me to the best of his ability. "But I think the next person for you is Hikari."

"You think so?" I asked, looking her direction. I could see her too. She looked beautiful, and kind and sad. "I think she's the right girl for me, anyway. But she'll never replace you, Patamon."

"I wouldn't want her to," Patamon said honestly, "but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a bunch to teach you." He was right of course. There was a long way to go with Hikari, and I was excited for the journey. But I didn't want to leave Patamon out of that quest. Everyone was searching for their happiness but I'd never had to, because he was my happiness. He was everything.

I heard Mom's voice now and when I looked up I saw that she was close. "Patamon," I said quickly, looking down into his enormous eyes, "You're perfect."

"No, you're perfect," Patamon falsely corrected. I tried to object but he spoke over me, "We'll be perfect together," he decided and I laughed. I heard his laugh too and I was afraid it might have been the very last time I would get that opportunity. "And as long as you keep hoping on your end, and I do the same on mine, we'll keep the light glowing just fine."

"Hope is what it means to not lose the light," I recited, nodding my head.

"Even in the darkest of times," Patamon finished for me. "If this isn't dark, I don't know what is."

"Well it won't be dark," I objected, "Like you said. We'll keep hoping. Because we'll meet again, won't we?"

"Absolutely," Patamon nodded as his eyes flicked up to my family. My stomach twisted, but we would have to say goodbye eventually. Why was now any worse? I held him close and Patamon seemed to understand. "I'll miss you so much?" he said weakly.

"I'll miss you too."

Mari Goutokuji:

"Aneko needs you," Lalamon reminded me. We hadn't said a word other than her constantly telling me that I would need to stay for Aneko. I already knew that, but that didn't mean it wasn't impossible to keep thinking that might be able to come with her. But I couldn't. Lalamon was leaving me. It was Gennai's fault. If he hadn't forced Lalamon to take the crest from me mere days ago then she wouldn't have had to go.

I couldn't keep my mind from wandering and imagining a life where I lived here in the Digital World with Willis and with Lalamon. I could bring Hideto and Kiyoko—together we could be happy. But I couldn't leave Aneko. I didn't regret saving her from my parents, and I didn't blame her, but in a way I wished I did. Because then I could have someone to blame.

I could blame Taichi, but that wouldn't be fair. It wasn't his fault. There was no one to blame. It was safest for the worlds for her to be in one place, and it was safest for Aneko for me to be in another. It didn't feel fair, to have to say goodbye to her after having been so close to living a happy life, but I knew it was. We loved each other, and could have lived happily with one another, if there was no hatred in the world. Peace was unable to be kept if we stayed together.

It felt like crap.

But it followed whatever prophecy had been made. Ryou had been granted his crest, and now the worlds would find peace. It just wasn't in the way we had expected.

"Mari, I want you to know that I'm happy," Lalamon said blankly, "So happy."

"I'm happy too," I agreed, feeling strange about having to say it, "I'm happy to know that you're alive. I don't like saying goodbye, but it will be better this time, because you're okay. I know you're okay and you'll always be okay because no one will let anything happen to you. You have friends to help you, just like I do."

"Damn right," Hideto grinned from nearby. I shot him a glare, but he wasn't done. "I don't mean to interrupt, but if I were to ask you a question, would you give me an answer?"

"Is that your question?" Lalamon asked.

Hideto shook his head, "Nope."

"If you ask quickly, then sure," I said, feeling a high level of impatience rise up in my chest.

Hideto nodded, and looked over toward Warg and Melga who were saying their farewell to Kiyoko now and he patted his knees and said, "Would now be a bad time to say something serious to someone?"

I let my eyes follow his and found Warg and Melga. I didn't know what he wanted to say to them, but whatever secret he had been keeping for them or whatever he wanted to say to them, he had to tell them now or he might never get to. "Of course it's a bad time, but you have to anyway."

Hideto nodded and didn't wait for any further discussion, making his way to his partners giving me my time with Lalamon.

"You should know that I'll never stop trying to get back here," I told her with the most genuine expression I could bear. "No, I won't be obsessive and have my windows boarded up. I'll live a normal life, but I'll keep trying."

Lalamon hummed her deliberation for a moment and then sighed, "Okay, that's fair." I smiled and reached toward her to embrace her, catching sight of Aneko behind her. "There's one more person you'll need to say goodbye to."

"I've already been planning it in my head," Lalamon giggled, turning to Aneko, never letting go of my hand.

Miyako Ichijouji:

This was happening. It wasn't supposed to be happening. Was this the reward we got for fighting so hard to find peace? We got to be ripped away from the other half of our souls. That was the worst reward I'd ever even heard of. I was watching Ken out of the corner of my eye. He was holding Mai while he sat on the ground so that Wormmon had a chance to really see her. I could imagine him giving her movie recommendations already.

When he wasn't looking, I slipped the movies he'd insisted I keep for Mai into the box he'd decided he was allowed to take. I also put a receipt in there that assured him I bought a second copy of each of them. I also left a really long letter about how he and Mai could watch the same movies, and how they might be watching them at the same time, and how heartbreakingly cute I thought it would be. It was something they could have in common. It was a connection they'd be able to carry with them, even if Mai was unable to remember these early days of her life. Wormmon would remember, though. And most of the movies he'd wanted to leave with us were his absolute favourites, so I just couldn't let him leave them behind. What if he wanted to watch them? He couldn't just go out and buy a copy like I could.

I wished I was over there with my family, but I wasn't. I was standing with Daisuke and Iori, and we were standing face to face with the fairies that chose us for this quest in the first place. If they hadn't chosen us, we wouldn't have gotten a Crest, and we could have kept our partners with us.

But they had chosen us, and there was no point in dwelling on it. The past wasn't going to change, and there was nothing that could change our future either. The path we'd taken had just come to a fork in the road and we were all being forced to take different paths.

"Summer," Iori said. His voice was firm, but it wasn't steady. Summer's hesitant smile melted away and she rushed to him, folding her arms around him and quickly as she could. Iori held her tightly, and I felt my stomach twisting at the thought of Iori leaving his aunt behind. He already had to say goodbye to Armadillomon and Kotemon, and now Summer was added to the list. Goblimon had yet to make up his mind. He didn't want to send Armadillomon off alone, but he also didn't trust Natsuni's health to the baby. He was at an impasse. He'd have to make his decision soon though.

"My Forgiving Knight," Summer cried. "I will miss you dearly, my sweet Knight. You have made me proud time and time again. I will miss our chats, and our picnics. You have accepted me as your family and I feel as though I am abandoning you."

"It's not your fault," Iori assured her, still managing to keep himself together.

"It's no one's fault," Winter said, rolling her eyes. "It's destiny."

"Destiny works in mysterious ways don't'cha know," Spring said, holding a finger in the air as though she was giving a lecture.

"I'll miss you, Spring," Daisuke told her. "You really know what you're talking about, even if no one else can understand."

"You do though," she said with a soft smile. "I will miss that, I think the most."

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to find you," Daisuke added. "I should've looked harder. I just didn't understand yet."

"I know," she said. "You've done far more splendidly than ever I could have imagined when I picked you. I knew I picked the right kid."

I waited for Winter to say something—anything—but she didn't. Summer and Spring both looked to her, and she just focused on her fingernails. I was growing impatient and also self-conscious. I tended to babble when I felt that way. I could feel the words spilling out of my mouth as though I was vomiting them.

"I don't know why you don't like me," I said. I was picking up speed with each word. "I haven't done anything wrong, or at least I don't think so, but I also don't know if I've done anything right either. You've never really told me what you wanted out of me, and you never said why you wanted to pick me. You don't seem to like me, which makes me think you didn't really want to pick me, you just felt obligated for some reason. I don't know why. You shouldn't have picked me if you didn't think I was worth it. I don't like feeling like I've messed everything up—unless I really have messed everything up….I did, didn't I? I keep trying to be your friend, but you don't want my friendship, and I'm sorry for whatever it is that I've done to offend you."

"I don't hate you," Winter said, interrupting my continuous flow of consciousness. I was spiraling around and around in my haste to spit out as many words as possible, trying to talk my way out of self-consciousness—which never worked at all, because babbling just made me feel more self-conscious.

"But you don't like me," I summarized. She was going to say something—though I didn't know whether it was to confirm or deny my statement—but Mai started crying, and I instinctively went towards her. I looked over my shoulder. "I don't hate you. I don't like you sometimes, and I think you're mean, but I wanted to thank you for picking me. I might not like that I was chosen at this particular moment, but you've brought me so many things, just by believing in me when I was a child. You brought me to Ken, and to Iori and to Daisuke. You brought me Hawkmon and all of our friends. You brought me adventure, and I'm closer to my siblings now than I've ever been and it's all because you thought I was worth it once. My adventures helped shape me into the person I am today, and I just wanted to say thank you, even if I am a disappointment to you."

I turned away after that and hurried to my daughter. I trusted Ken with her, but I couldn't ignore Mai's summoning. She wanted something, and it was ingrained in my very bones to answer when she called.

I was afraid of Winter's response anyhow.

Jou Kido:

I kicked the wall harder than I should have, and winced at the pain that shot through my foot.

"Jou, this is silly," Gomamon insisted, rushing along behind me. I couldn't stop moving long enough to say a simple goodbye to him, instead I found myself running down the streets and fuming with frustration. "Jou, please stop!"

I couldn't. Why didn't he understand that?

"Jou!" Gomamon snapped. I forced my feet to stop moving and felt queasy immediately. I stood in place, staring down to him and he looked up with watery eyes. "Talk to me?"

"I-I-I c-can't!" I stuttered before spinning on the spot and finding the nearby wall, slamming my fists into it. Anger coursed through me again. No. Not anger. Pain. It was frustration and it was pain, so why was it coming out as anger? "It just sucks."

"I know," Gomamon agreed, "I don't want to go either."

"I shouldn't have to go!" I said loudly, rounding on him and instantly regretting the volume of my voice. His worry was enough to calm me. I fell to my knees and pulled him toward me. He struggled at first but fell into the hug in the end. "My job is here. My house is here. You are here. But I can't be here. I can't stay. Emiko can't grow up here. She needs people. She needs a life."

"Jou," Gomamon said, slapping me across the face. I was in such a shock that I didn't even manage to reply. "I know that already. I know what you're thinking—don't you get it? I know why you can't, I also understand why you might want to. But you can't. I get it and you get it, so get over it and talk to me!" I felt pretty stupid for having assumed he wouldn't understand. But of course he would have. He did and that meant it was alright if we said goodbye. It meant that we would both understand and while we were on a very sad page of our relationship at least we were on the same page. "You made a promise when Emiko was born that you'd never stop caring about me. You've kept it so far, so I'm not afraid Jou."

"You remember that?" I asked, thinking back to the time when I was driving a bus in order to stop Fanglongmon and Dragomon.

"Of course I do," He nodded flatly, "And I believe that you'll keep it because you got me to evolve to another level. You must be serious. And I'm serious when I say that we don't have to be together to care about one another." I crinkled my nose, trying to push the tears back but it was inevitable. I groaned and tried to pull Gomamon into another hug but he pushed me back. "You should tell Puraido that I say goodbye. I never got the chance."

"Of course," I assured him, "I'll tell him."

"And tell Emiko that she's beautiful at least once a week," Gomamon decided, beginning his rambling. "Make sure Momoe gets her act in gear because if she doesn't start organizing the cupboards more clearly, Emiko is going to have a field day with pranks because you'll never know what's missing and what isn't. Also, Momoe wants to have a baby, and since there isn't any war anymore, can you go ahead and have one? I know you want one, Jou. It's time you start doing what you want. Sure I'm always on you about helping others, and forcing you to get back to work but it's because I know you'd be upset if you didn't. You're out of a job for now, so have a baby, and then get yourself a good job. Make sure you're happy and healthy and helping others—but never stop helping yourself or your family. You need to remember that Jou, okay? It's im—"

"I'll do it all," I agreed, pulling him into a hug, "But just because you asked me to."

"Sure," Gomamon said sarcastically, "now get off of me." I laughed at him and he managed a laugh too.

Kiyoko Izumi:

I hadn't been having a very good time. Neo talked me into killing my first love—which the real Sigma was actually pretty happy about, but it still bothered me—and now I had to say goodbye to my best friend. Tapirmon was hugging my side, and I was wrapped around both him and Gravimon's long leg. I couldn't believe that I was going to lose both of them already.

Warg and Melga had raced over to say goodbye to Spring, abandoning me before I was ready to let go of them. I was never really going to be ready though. I couldn't be. I needed them. I wasn't ready to move on from that stage in my life. Without Gravimon, I didn't believe I could be brave. Without Tapirmon, I wasn't sure I could really be happy. Without Warg and Melga, life didn't seem quite as spontaneous. Without Dracomon, things wouldn't be so fun. Without Lalamon, I would be lost once more in my memories. She'd been helping me sort them out, because she listened without judgement. Tapirmon couldn't help but insert his opinion here and there, but I just needed someone to listen. And she did that for me.

I couldn't put the burden on Hideto or Mari—or Aneko. I couldn't imagine opening up to Neo about some of the stuff, not after he'd made me kill the man that provided a bunch of those confusing memories.

And on top of losing all of my digimon friends, I was losing Rei too.

It was a really bad day for me. It was a bad day for everyone else too. I knew that. But it seemed like everything bad was coming all at once. I thought I was done with bad things for awhile when we'd finally gotten home from Witchenly.

"I'm sorry I dragged you away from your home," I told Gravimon. "I promised I would visit and now I can't."

"It is alright," Gravimon said, though I knew he missed his forest. "There are forests here. I shall have to claim one as my own. I will take the Wizards and Fallen Angels with me, and we can rule over it, finding a place to call home once again."

"I'm sorry I never got the towns built," I cried, realizing that I had failed at that, when Taichi had put so much faith in me. "I left Taichi the programs, but I don't know if he knows how to do it."

"I need nothing more than trees," Gravimon assured me.

"Look out for Tapirmon, won't you?" I asked him. I looked to Tapirmon, and smiled as best I could. "And you'll look after Gravimon too, right? Gravimon's scary, so lots of digimon are going to have nightmares, so you'll be well fed. I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I won't be sleeping though, that's for sure."

"It's Sigma isn't it," Tapirmon told me. He wasn't asking. He already knew.

"I killed him," I said. "I'm still having nightmares. And now I'll have nightmares of losing you. I won't know what's happening in this world when I'm trapped in another one. I could lose you and I won't even know it. And that is terrifying."

"I will watch him," Gravimon assured me.

"I can take care of myself," Tapirmon grumbled, grumpy about seemingly being treated like a child. But he had to understand how much I depended on knowing that he was around. If I couldn't see him, I couldn't know that he was alive, and that meant I would be completely lost. I didn't know what to do without him. I needed Rei and Willis and Gravimon to keep me sane the last time around. I was losing them too—Willis was travelling the world, as far as I knew, and even if he wasn't, he lived in America. That was too far for me to visit as often as I'd need to.

"Be safe," I pleaded to him. He nodded.

"You be happy," Tapirmon ordered. "Find a way to be happy. Go back to school and get your high school diploma. Go through school to become an architect, or an interior designer. Find something you like to do, and share it with people you love. The nightmares won't come so often if you're happy. That's why I think you never truly loved Sigma. You never trusted him, and love is nothing without trust. You weren't happy, and the nightmares were always there. It's how I know you love Hideto. You don't have as many bad nightmares."

"I can try to be happy," I said. "But almost everyone I love is leaving me today."

"I know," Tapirmon said. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," I cried. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you too."

"I'll stay with you," Lalamon assured Tapirmon. She patted Gravimon on the leg, and smiled up at him. "I know we won't be able to fuse, since we won't have our partners, but we can stick together anyway. Alias III are loyal to one another. We'll just stick together as much as possible, yes?"

"I'm sorry I'm such failure," I said, feeling the words deeply, even if Lalamon hadn't meant it as an insult. "I didn't learn tenacity fast enough."

"That's okay," Lalamon said. "I'm happy enough being with my friends again, instead of that stinky old dump. I'm going to miss Mari, but I won't be able to help that."

"I'm going to miss you too, Lalamon," Mari said, walking hand in hand with Aneko, having been strolling along behind Lalamon. I fell to the ground and hugged Lalamon tightly. I didn't want to waste a second. Alias III was losing a lot of members today, and it was killing me. I didn't know how to handle all of this loss. "And Kiyoko? We're leaving our digimon today, but that doesn't mean you have to stop learning tenacity. You can still figure it out. You're meant to, after all."

"I know," I said with a long, sad sigh. "But I wanted to see them in all their glory. Too bad time ran out."

Iori Hida:

Goblimon decided to go. He was going to stay in the Digital World so that Armadillomon didn't have to leave our family on his own. I didn't like that. But I also did. I didn't want to say goodbye to any other member of our family, but I was happy that the two of them would be together. Natsuni was crying, because Goblimon had—up until this point exactly—been planning on staying with us. Now he was leaving too.

Our new house seemed obnoxiously large now that we were losing two members of the family. Four members really, since Gatomon and Armadillomon's egg were going to. None of us would get a chance to meet the baby digimon. I wanted to. I wanted to see the digimon that had managed to survive fossilization in the Dark Ocean. But Armadillomon wasn't about the leave it behind, and I didn't want to take it from him.

Hikari was hugging Goblimon tightly, and then moved to Natsuni. She was making the rounds, hugging everyone. She was miserable, losing so many friends all at the same time. She was suddenly hanging around my neck, and then she was hugging Armadillomon. And then, just as quickly as she'd come, she left again, not able to hold her emotions in check, and had to start another hunt for some tissue. Gatomon lingered for a few seconds, hugging both Natsuni and I tightly, and purring gently at us.

"I'm going to miss you," I told her.

"I'm gonna miss Natsuni's cooking," she joked, I laughed because she was hoping for it, and Natsuni just blubbered, trying to do the same. Gatomon gave her another hug, and then followed off after Hikari.

"Gob-blimon," Natsuni cried. "Why do you have to stay?"

"I must watch over Armadillomon. He has informed me that the egg is ours. I have a child to look after," Goblimon told her, holding the egg out. "I mustn't abandon this baby."

"I understand," Natsuni said. But it didn't sound to me like she really did. She was having trouble breathing properly, and I wished there was something I could do to help calm her. There wasn't though. The only remedy would be time. She was losing her partner, just as I was. I knew that it would take ages for me to be able to face a day without feeling the pain of losing him—and Kotemon and Summer and Goblimon all at the same time.

"I'm going to be a dad, Iori," Armadillomon said. "And you're going to be a dad. But we won't get to be dads together. I wanted to though."

"I wanted to too," I assured him. "I was hoping we'd be able to learn from each other. I wanted that chance to share this next step of our lives together. But that's not an option. The cards have been laid upon the table. There's no escaping this. We have to say goodbye."

"You'll be the best dad, Iori," he told me, looking to Natsuni's stomach.

"Not as good as you," I countered. "You did such a good job with me. I know I sometimes act like you're a child, instead of my partner and mentor, but I do appreciate everything you've had to do for me over the years. I've remembered every lesson you've ever taught me. I want to always live up to your expectations of me. I don't remember my dad much, but if I'm half as good with my baby as you were with me, then I'd be doing a damn good job."

Armadillomon blushed, but I didn't make any more fuss about it. There was nothing he could deny either. It was all perfectly true.

I glanced at the large portal that Taichi had created from the Temple gates, and sighed. The time was running short, and there was so much left to say. I moved from Armadillomon for the moment, to say my goodbyes to Goblimon, knowing full well I'd find time to say goodbye to Armadillomon again. I just couldn't get used to the idea of saying goodbye.

Kurayami Motomiya:

"Kura?" I turned from Labramon who was kissing Haruki on the forehead and found Norn standing near a wall with Porcupamon, who was distracted with Aneko, who was dancing around with Mari and Lalamon, who both managed to find enough happiness to do exactly that. Norn looked rather bitter though, and of course I knew why. She didn't want to leave, but she knew it had to be done. As the only remaining piece of Yggdrasil (and as such being my million-times-great aunt, which was weird) she was required to serve the worlds and that meant solving the one problem that both Theta and Yggdrasil died before following through with. They wanted peace, and Norn was going to be the ruler while that happened. She was going to see to it that her father's true wishes were seen by the worlds. "I have something to show you."

I nodded and turned to Daisuke, "Can you?" I asked, holding Haruki out. He nodded and took the baby. I patted Veemon's head, realizing that our time was running short, and then motioned for Labramon to follow me. He did not hesitate to follow and then together we were hurrying toward Norn and Porcupamon who were already making their way to the exit to the square. "Wait!" I called out and Norn's steps faltered. She froze and looked back to me, not bothering to attempt a smile. "Where are we going?" I asked when we had caught up.

"It's a surprise," Porcupamon exclaimed, his hands flying up with excitement.

"I..." Norn's voice faded for a moment as her eyes fell to the ground. "I wanted you to know."

"Know?" I asked.

She nodded, but then pointed down the street. I repositioned so I could see over her head to where a twisted gothic looking red wolf sat next to an adorable green and golden bug. My heart leapt at the sight of them. "I wanted you to know that they found their happy endings. I found them, Kurayami. I found them for you. I thought it would be happier, but it wasn't. Today isn't happy at all. They're all together now though. Your first adventure to the Digital World wasn't a complete disaster. Fanglongmon didn't really win because you helped three digimon find inner peace. You'll be a great therapist you know."

Her words slammed into me like a wave crushing me against the side of a cliff. It was so hard to hear her talking like she was saying goodbye. Sure, she was saying goodbye, but that didn't make it easier. "I haven't thought about being a therapist since Haruki was born."

"Then you need to start again," Norn sounded rather determined. "It's your dream. Don't give it up for Haruki. You have to fight for the light. Your darkness is gone, and that means Zeta's sorrow may overtake you. I don't want that to happen. You have to find your own light and your own balance. You have to be strong for Haruki." My eyes skipped the part where they warned me about the tears and I immediately began crying hard. I moved forward and embraced Norn with Labramon rubbing his head against my leg to keep me sane. "I did this for you because you deserve at least that much before we all have to go."

"Norn, thank you," I told her, hugging her tight for one last second before letting her go. She finally broke a smile and motioned for me to go see the others. Porcupamon happily led the way.

"So these were your partners before you met me?" Labramon asked on our way. "Kind of?"

"Kind of," I agreed, "And I liked them a lot. But then I had Apocalymon and Fanglongmon—and then I got you. You'll always be the best. At least to me."

"You're the best to me too," Labramon smiled, "Now let's repeat that so these three goons can hear you." I choked on my laughter, but Labramon's face was deadpanned. He was serious.

Mimi Tachikawa:

Koushiro had left us, but we were still a sobbing mess on the ground. I was clinging to Palmon like my life depended on it. My life could have depended on it. How many times in the past had Palmon had to bail me out of a dangerous situation? Far too many for my liking. But she was always there, ready to lend a hand.

"I won't leave you," I cried to her.

"You will," she insisted.

"No, I won't," I corrected. We'd been fighting like that pretty much since the moment Koushiro left to go talk with the council members. I could see him with Babamon now. I knew there were plenty of other digimon I should have been saying goodbye to. I knew there were several that I would painfully regret not talking to, but I couldn't seem to pull myself away from Palmon.

"Mimi you are not allowed to stay here," she snapped. "I'll never even speak to you if you come. Won't that be a long forever, with me not speaking to you at all? You'd be better off to stay on Earth. Besides, Mimi, Koushiro is right."

"He used to always be," I sighed. "He still is—with one glaring exception."

"There's one world that can't ever be sealed off," Palmon reminded me. "We'll be together again, even if I have to steal the key to heaven myself. I'll get there and I'll see you."

"That's so far away!" I cried. "I'm so young and beautiful still. I won't die for years and years and years and years."

"Good," Palmon said. "Then you can tell me all of your stories."

"I don't want to tell you my stories, I want to live them alongside you," I protested.

"Mimi," Palmon said gently. "You were going to propose to Koushiro. You can't do that if you're not with him. You need to stay on Earth. You can get married and have children and live happily ever after, and once you've done that, you can do a bunch more things, have a lot of adventures, and then you can come and meet me in heaven, and we can talk about every last second of it."

"Palmon," I sighed. "Why do you have to be so mature about this? If you were less mature, you would've let me stay here already."

"You want to marry him," Palmon said. "He's hurt you, and himself with his addiction, but you've already looked past all of that. You want to help him heal. You practiced your proposal with me for days on end. What you need to do is ask him when you get home tonight. Do it for me. Do it for yourself. He'll say yes. You know he will."

"Well, yeah," I said. "But what's the point of a wedding when you can't be my flower girl? That's only been the main focus of my wedding fantasies since I was thirteen years old. And now you're leaving before it can happen. Palmon, I don't want to say goodbye."

"We can't run and hide," Palmon said sagely, as if she hadn't done that very thing when Gennai ejected us from the Digital World the first time around. "We need to face this head on, and then you're going to put a ring on his finger."

"I bought the ring for me actually," I protested quickly, flushing when I realized how ridiculous that sounded.

"Live a full life for me, Mimi," Palmon made me promise. "And then, when the time comes, just tell me everything. Don't leave anything out."

"Oh Palmon!" I cried, before collapsing on her again. That long stretch of time seemed endless to me.

Sora Takenouchi:

"...anyway, what was I saying?" Biyomon asked, falling silent for only a second. "Oh right, just that you're the prettiest and best person and you're so smart and perfect and I love you because you're everything the world needs but you should never try to imprison yourself for your friends again because I won't know and I'll always think you're free, but you won't be you'll be like a caged bird and I'll be sad but won't know why but I guess I will because I'll be like, 'Woah, why am I sad? Oh, Sora must be in prison' and I still think that's silly that you couldn't just let a digmion break you out, but I guess if there are no digimon around, that wouldn't work anyway, right?"

"Right," I nodded, following her fast pace to the best of my ability through my fogged mind.

"Sorry I'm talking so much, I won't say anything past just this," Biyomon decided, "the point I'm making is that I love you." She hugged me gently and I hugged her back but she jolted back for a moment, "Also that you need to stay out of prison!" I laughed and nodded my head. "Okay, I'm going to feel like you think I didn't care if I don't say this and it'll just bug me, so I'll just really quickly add that you're the best thing that ever happened to me and that I hope I'm the best thing that ever happened to you. Or can I at least be in the top ten? Like say, your fashion career, your parents and then me? Or maybe even a couple more in between, but I think I deserve a place in the top ten, Sora. I've loved you so much for so long and I've saved your life asking for nothing in return other than your returned love, and—"

"Biyomon!" I cut into her words and she looked up startled to me, like a wounded child who thought I was going to crush her. "You're the top of the list." She sighed with relief and hugged me again. "And I want you to know that I've learned from you."

"You said that last time," Biyomon reminded me, "And the time before that."

"Because it's true," I told her gently, kissing her head, "I've never been very skilled with expressing myself. You were always the one to give me the push."

"And I'm going to do it again," Biyomon told me kindly. "Tell Yamato that you love him, or you'll never forgive yourself." I stared to her with wide eyes and she looked back to me with a fierce expression. "I understand that you need to come to terms with yourself, but you need to know that it'll work out. The fall will be worth it if it happens, but you have to take the jump. Take the leap, Sora. In everything. Always take the leap. Don't wait around for the world to give your happiness to you. Fight, love and exist. That's all I'm asking for you. Promise me you'll try."

"Biyomon," I said with a thick voice, bringing her closer once more. "I love you."

"I love you too," she agreed, "Now promise me."

"I promise."

Ken Ichijouji:

"I can't believe you won't hear her first word," Miyako said sadly to Hawkmon, while she was curled up with Poromon. Hawkmon was holding Mai, and the two were playing a game where they tried to make each other sad. It was a game with no winner, but neither seemed able to stop.

"You won't see his first digivolution," Hawkmon said, shaking his head.

"You won't get to see her walk."

"You won't get to see him walk."

"She'll crawl first, and you won't see that."

"Stop fighting, please?" Wormmon asked. "I just want to enjoy the very little time we have left." I held my hand out for Wormmon to come to me. He scuttled my way, and I rubbed his head, trying to remember the exact texture of his exoskeleton. I didn't want to forget any of the minor details. I wanted to remember the cadence of his voice, and the way his antennae wiggled when he breathed. I needed to remember it all. I was so glad I was a wannabe private eye, because I was able to notice so much more now.

"I'm sorry Wormmon," Miyako cried. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just really upset, you know?"

"I know," Wormmon said. "I think we all are."

"I am," Poromon sighed. "I don't get my partner neither."

"What do you mean?" Hawkmon asked.

"I'm going ta be stuck in the Digital World, and my partner isn't big enough to stay here with me. She's so tiny. Look at her," Poromon said, looking directly at Mai. Mai wiggled, as though she noticed the attention she was receiving.

"What about her digivice?" Hawkmon asked, rather confused.

"I left it on the table this morning," Poromon said. "Ken thought it was his so he put it in his pocket." Instantly, I reached into my pocket to see what he was talking about, and I pulled out two digivices. Poromon cheered at the sight of one. He looked to Mai and back again, as if I was meant to get Mai to hold it. "I wanna digivolve," Poromon said quickly. "That's how you guys do it."

"Mai's not old enough, sweetheart," Miyako pointed out.

"That's not fair," Poromon grumbled.

"I know," I sighed. "Not much about all of this seems fair."

"At least you got to meet her," Wormmon couldn't help but point out. "She wasn't supposed to be born yet, you know. She came early. Maybe destiny wanted her to meet you. Destiny didn't let you miss out on your chance."

"I guess it's okay, if you put it that way," Poromon said with a sigh.

"Hey, Ken? Can you tell me about how you saved Sora from Veronica?" Wormmon asked.

"Again?" I wondered aloud.

"I like that one," Wormmon said shyly. "It makes you seem like a real super sleuth, and I know how much you want to be one. I just want to hear it one last time."

"Okay," I said. And I launched into the twelfth retelling of the tale, trying to make it seem more heroic and exciting this time around, since it needed to be memorable.

Hideto Fujimoto:

"Alias III is broken," I murmured into Megla's fur. She hugged me back tightly, and then let go, letting Warg have his turn. I pulled my second partner up against me and squeezed him as tight as I could. This was hard. I didn't like this at all. I'd spent so long depending on Warg and Melga to show me what worth I had. I was still struggling some days with my crest—not that anyone was able to see it, thankfully. It was difficult, and had been difficult since my family came back in the picture. With Puraido hanging around, trying to rebuild our relationship, I'd been depending on Warg and Melga to help me through it. Puraido didn't seem to realize just how much damage he'd done.

And now I was going to face it alone.

I wouldn't even have Mari, Kiyoko or Neo to help me, probably. Everyone would be gone. And it was going to be my own fault. That was the real kicker. I could've clung to Mari, Kiyoko and Neo, but I'd made the decision to grow as a person and become the person they all deserved to have in their lives, instead of the guy that constantly questioned his worth and needed daily reminders that I was loved in order to know that I was. That wasn't healthy for me. I needed to get to a good place in my mind. I was holding everyone back continuing on the way I had been.

"I love you," Warg said. "More than Melga does."

"No," Melga protested loudly. "I love you the most. More than Warg for sure."

"That's not fair," Warg said. "You don't know how much I love him."

"You don't know how much I love him either," Melga argued.

"I love you both," I said, putting my hand on their head—and ruffling Melga's bow. I'd thrown together little backpacks for each of them with some of their favourite things. Megla's had a whole bunch of new bows for her horn, that she didn't know I'd gotten, and I'd given Warg a collection of bow ties, knowing Rei could help him tie them—just so he wouldn't feel left out. They needed something that could separate them from all the others of their kind. Agumon and Gabumon had nothing on Warg and Melga—even if I'd miss them too. I'd miss everyone. But Warg and Melga were at the very top of the list, followed very closely by Tapirmon, Lalamon, Rei and Dracomon.

I swallowed thickly and tried not to think about it. We'd done this before. I had survived being separated from each and every one of them in the past. I could do it again. I just didn't want to do it again. I wanted us to keep our family together. We'd just gotten Rei, Kiyoko and Lalamon back. We weren't supposed to say goodbye so soon after finding them again. It wasn't fair.

But life wasn't fair, and Alias III knew that. I knew that.

"Don't forget me," Lalamon sang from behind me as she hugged my legs. "I know sometimes I seem like a dream, but I'm real, honest."

"I know, Lalamon," I said, patting the top of her head. She didn't think that was enough though, and hugged me tighter until I got the picture and picked her up, hugging her close to myself. Neo was standing not too far from me. It was Alias III's final goodbye. He wasn't allowed to miss this. Dracomon was hugging Mari, and crying. Warg and Melga decided to tackle Kiyoko. I passed Lalamon to Neo, tossing her through the air, much to her delight. Neo's eyes widened when a giant flower came flying at him, but of course he couldn't let her fall.

Tapirmon came over to me, leaving Rei behind, who was crying her eyes out at the thought of leaving everyone. I could've pointed out that she didn't need to go. I could've said that Taichi wasn't worth leaving everything she knew and loved behind. But I knew it was more than just a boy—her new husband no less. It was about the choice between walking freely and being confined to a chair. She never minded the chair much when she didn't realize there was a choice for her. But now that she'd had that chance to walk and run and be free of her confines, she couldn't imagine voluntarily choosing to trap herself again—not after having no method of transportation in Witchenly. She wanted that freedom, that independence. Taichi was just an added bonus that she loved unconditionally. The fact that Pal, Pul, Dracomon, Agumon, Warg, Melga, Tapirmon and Lalamon would all be going with her probably helped with her decision too. She wouldn't be leaving us all behind. She was actually getting the better deal. There would just be the four of us left on Earth. The four members that decided once upon a time that we were going to be an elite force of evil—but we'd changed so much since then.

Neo wasn't endlessly trying to find a way to destroy Yamato, blaming him for Rei's paralysis when it really wasn't his fault—it was mine and that truck driver's, and no one else's. Mari was happy, or as happy as was possible now that Lalamon had to leave her. But Lalamon was alive, and Aneko was free, and Mari's parents were behind bars. Marshall was still kicking around somewhere, but she could handle him. Kiyoko was probably the most different, in that he was no longer possessed by a homicidal spirit determined to return to and rule Sidhendor. That spirit, Sigma, was no longer even around. He was gone for good. And Kiyoko was even growing and learning how to deal with the repercussions that he'd had from years of being possess. He was getting braver and more independent…but only when Mari and I weren't around. Neo had always made him be independent, and Kiyoko had sometimes resented him for it—which prompted Mari and I to support his preferred codependent ways—but I could see now that Neo had been right. We'd been holding him back by giving in.

I wasn't sure how much I'd changed really. I was still unsure of myself most days, but I knew that someone loved me, and that Warg and Melga would always be there to support me. Neo had stuck with me and continued to be my best friend. That friendship had lasted through us destroying the Digital World, and that little misunderstanding where I thought he'd chosen my family over me—so I knew it was real. I wasn't about to go and destroy any worlds any time soon—and that was only partially because Taichi was going to be sealing them all off, honest.

"You're going to take care of him, aren't you?" Tapirmon asked me. I hugged him too, because that's what we were doing. We were hugging everyone, afraid that we would miss our chance. "I can't watch over him anymore. But you can."

"I can't, really," I admitted, confusing him. "But Mari and Neo will for sure. He's never going to be alone, not really."

"Okay," Tapirmon decided, though I could tell it wasn't what he wanted to hear. But I couldn't lie to him, not when I was going to be without him for the rest of our lives. Lying at this point just seemed unfair. He made his way to Mari, while Dracomon swapped with him, and tackled me to the ground.

"I'm gonna miss you lots!" Dracomon informed me.

"I'll miss you too buddy," I said, groaning under the weight of the oversized lizard that had landed on my stomach. He seemed to realize I was in pain, and tried to move, but I just held him close, and hugged him. I could handle a little discomfort. I couldn't handle not having a proper goodbye. He cried softly, leaving tears dripping down my neck, but I couldn't be bothered by them. The only thing I could manage was to shove my emotions to the back of my mind. I could deal with them when I was alone, and not a minute earlier.

Dracomon rolled off of me after a minute, racing over to Kiyoko, and Rei offered me her hand. I took it and she pulled me back to my feet. She wrapped herself around my middle and I kissed the top of her head. I was trying really hard not to remember all of the time we'd spent together over the course of our lives. She had been in my class at school, and was the reason I'd ever met Neo. She was sweet and caring and I was going to miss her. So much. I took a deep breath, and held her while she cried. Eventually though, she pulled away, and looked up to me.

"Be yourself, Hideto," she ordered. "There's no one better than you out there, and you've got to remember that. You're one of my best friends—and certainly one of my oldest. You've got the Rei stamp of approval and let's face it, not too many people have that nowadays. You're special, and you don't always seem to know that. But you are. Remember that, and remember me."

"I won't ever forget you, Rei," I said, rolling my eyes. It was never even a thought that passed my mind. She smiled, and patted my cheek with her hand.

"I'm sorry I can't spend more time with you," she said. "But I need to see Neo. I…I'm just going to miss him so much. I almost decided not to go because of him, because I love him so much and I don't want to leave him. But I have to do this for me, right? I'm doing the right thing. I just wish it didn't hurt so badly."

"Go to him," I ordered, kissing her forehead one last time. Her eyes lingered on me for a moment while she backed away, but then her attention was on Neo, and only on Neo. Lalamon left Neo's side quietly, while Rei flung herself into his arms. He held her tightly and looked like he was never going to let her go. I looked away, wanting to give them a small bit of privacy.

"Hideto?" Kiyoko called, I looked to him, and saw that Tapirmon was at his side again, and Warg and Melga too. I figured this was my chance. Mari had said that this was the only day to say what I needed to say. I wasn't quite sure why she'd said that, but that didn't matter. I needed to talk to Kiyoko.

"We need to talk, Kiyoko," I told him.

"Now?" he asked. "They're leaving us Hideto. They're all leaving."

Maybe he was right. Maybe now wasn't the right time. I felt the clench in my stomach tighten and my throat went dry. I nodded my head and Kiyoko thanked me for giving him another moment to be with Tapirmon.

Warg popped up at my feet and I pulled both him and Melga into a giant hug, feeling Lalamon's arm on my back as she hugged Mari and I together. Mari had Kiyoko, but Tapirmon wasn't going to be left out. Pal and Pul fluttered over to join us, and Dracomon did too. Rei fell all over us, when she saw a group hug, needing to be a part of it—and she dragged a less-than-reluctant Neo with her.

This was it.

Alias III was practically gone.

Neo Saiba:

"Neo, why aren't you sad?" Dracomon asked, following me up the stairs to the council room. He had to take them two at a time to keep up with my speed and more than once he had tripped.

"Of course I'm sad, Dracomon," I responded with ease, "But I'm not the type to cry."

"So you'll miss me?" He asked, begging for assurance with his eyes.

I nodded, "Yes," he seemed relieved now, "yes of course I will. I can't believe you had to ask me if I would miss you."

"Can't you though?" Dracomon asked.

I froze on the steps and realized he had a point, "I'm sorry for not being more expressive," I told him softly, "I care about you and I am glad we are partners."

"That's good enough for me," Dracmon seemed pleased now, "So where exactly are we going?"

"To see someone," I told him and excitement seemed to build up inside of him now as we hurried along. I wasn't sure how much more time Taichi was going to give to us all, but it didn't matter because I would force him to wait for me. The others would back me up, being granted more time with their partners of course, but that wasn't what I needed the time for.

When we had finally made it to the top of the steps I marched straight to the end of the hallway where there usually would have been a door to Earth. Taichi had moved it though. I turned sharply and hurried down the steps with Dracomon following as swiftly as he could. I passed by the open Digimental room and looked into the laboratory before realizing what I had just seen.

I turned back and found who I was looking for. What she was doing in with the Digimentals, I didn't know. "Evelen," I said sharply. She didn't seem surprised to hear my voice. "What are you doing?"

She was standing with her back to me, just inside the doorway. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was wearing dark jeans, which I had never seen before. Judging by the practicality of her new looking boots it seemed that she was to embark on a journey. That didn't surprise me. There was a heavy made backpack hanging off of her shoulders, and when she looked back to me she looked rather sad. "These should be protected better. Anyone could take them."

My eyes flicked to her backpack, but I was sure she wouldn't take them. She was not foolish enough to bother destroying any chance she had of ever being freed of her guilt. I ignored her suggestion because it was no longer my duty. I did not work here any longer. I had been forced to leave behind my Knights, and forced to show them that I cared, when I had done so well in doing the opposite for so long. "Evelen, I forgive you."

She paused, then said, "for what? Destroying your friend's one place of happiness?"

"More or less," I shrugged, raising my eyebrows.

"That's sad, Neo." She said bitterly.

"Sure," I agreed, and truly it was. I should have taken more time in finding a place of forgiveness, but with Lalamon's return it seemed that it was not quite as damaging as it might have once been. Even if Lalamon was now leaving, Mari and Lalamon had replanted some of the flowers. It was going to be thrive again and whether or not I should have, I had found a forgiving place. "But I'm here to tell you something else."

She finally turned to look at me, her arms crossed. She was trying to look bothered, but she simply looked broken. She had tried to enter her home world and found that the curse Gaia had placed on her was unbreakable. She would never find the answers she sought no matter how many people's happiness she destroyed in the process. "And what's that?"

"I have romantic feelings for you," I told her as honestly as I could. I had come out rather stiff, but that did not surprise me. Her eyes widened and she stared toward me confused, and Dracomon let out a high pitched 'Oooohh!' I kicked at him playfully and he jumped back, laughing. "I think we should be together, and I believe that the two of us keeping secrets from one another has only made us both upset."

"Neo," Evelen said, pain on her face. She dropped her arms and took a shaky step toward me, "I-I—" her voice cut off and she shook her head, "I can't. I have to find my father."

"Oh, I am well aware of your intentions," I told her seriously, and she looked surprised. I cocked my head, "Evelen you have come equipped with camping gear and combat boots. It was not a mystery." She looked ashamed of herself. "Even if you plan to keep your life hidden amongst riddles and secrets, someone will always find the truth behind your mask. You plan to remain here and find your father."

"I just don't know what happened to him," Evelen said, tears in her eyes, I was sure for that moment that she was worried for his safety, but she cleared that up quickly enough. "He's awful, and we have no idea where he is or what he's up to. Do you really think that Sigma killed him? I don't. He's out there, and I'm going to find him and I'm going to stop him in whatever way is necessary."

"I know," I nodded, "But you should be aware that not everything will be given up. You will still have me."

"Neo—" Evelen said, then she froze, "You're staying?"

"I am not," I told her shaking my head. Dracomon let out a disappointed sigh. I turned to him and smiled fondly, which shocked him more than anything else. "But that does not mean this is a final farewell. I will be returning to the Digital World someday soon with peace following closely behind. I only ask that you keep Dracomon company until I return. And please watch that Taichi does not harm my sister."

"He would never," Dracomon said, shaking his head, but I ignored him.

"Neo," Evelen said, looking worried, but a smile somehow found its way through and she nodded, "of course. H-how will you do it though?"

I flashed her a devilish grin, "I once found and utilized one of the Great Evil's for my own purposes and followed that by deleting the entire Digital World in order to help my sister. If I have enough force behind me I can accomplish anything. I was attempting to take over the world, and only stopped when I myself realized it was unjust. This time it will not be unjust. This time I will not stop. I will not fail."

Dracomon looked up with big eyes and looked rather excited, but Evelen simply looked suspicious. Then she nodded once more. "I'll watch Dracomon," she promised, "and when we meet again, we can revisit the topic of romantic feelings." Her own eyebrows rose that time and she motioned for Dracomon to follow her as she set off, down the hallway.

"Romantic feelings that are, of course, reciprocated," I called after her.

"If you say so," she shouted back.

I grinned and then turned back to Dracomon who was crying again. "Hey," I told him in the softest voice I could find, "Evelen will take good care of you. Stay far away from Maugrim, but make sure he doesn't hurt Evelen."

"Oh I get it!" Dracomon called out, "You told Evelen to protect me, but really you want me to protect her!"

"Shhh!" I hissed, holding a finger to my lips. Dracomon gasped, nodding and then looked out the door to see if Evelen had heard, "You can do that for me?"

He nodded, "I would do anything for you, Neo."

Hikari Yagami:

I wondered if I had ever felt as sad as I did just then. Pain was relative, and I knew had never experienced pain like this, but had I ever thought I had? When the virus had struck and I had been whisked away to a new world, perhaps. That was as close as I had ever come in any case.

But now I had lost my light, failed the worlds as a guardian, my brother was leaving me and with him he was taking Gatomon, and Armadillomon, Lopmon, and all my friends. Not all my friends—but a lot of them.

The pain felt like someone—Taichi—had reached inside my stomach and grabbed everything before swishing it around a lot, like it didn't matter what the outcome was, as long as I felt nauseous and sad the whole time.

I wished Taichi hadn't come up with such a solid plan to keep me on Earth. But he was right. I needed my career, and my parents and my friends and Takeru—but it felt like my life was being cut in half and now I was being forced to weigh the two sides and judge which was more valuable. Neither was more valuable, but Gatomon and Taichi would both be furious if I had chosen to stay with them. They would never forgive me for breaking their trust and 'ruining my life' but who even knew what that would mean? Would my life be better on Earth? Who was to say?

Whenever I had no access to the Digital World, I got sick. Would I get sick again, or without my light would I be safe? And if so, did that mean Kurayami would find herself in my usual position? It wasn't fair. I didn't want this to be happening. I didn't want someone to take a chainsaw to my life and create a poorly constructed art project out of the pieces, like cutting and pasting different pieces in different places. I didn't want my brother to go. I didn't want Gatomon to go. I didn't want anyone to go! So why was it happening?

I had already resigned myself to the idea that it would have to happen, but when Taichi had told me he had to go, it opened the wound and suddenly it felt worse than it had before. Losing Gatomon wasn't simply losing part of me—it was losing all of me. Never going back to the Digital World wasn't losing my memories—it was losing my mind. It was all broken.

Everything was broken.

And I was sad.

And I was sobbing.

"Hikari," Gatomon said softly, holding me close. "You need to stop crying, if only for a moment. You need to let me tell you that I love you."

"I-I-I-I—" I had failed at even speaking.

"Because I do," Gatomon assured me, "I love you so much. And you're going to be okay because your life isn't going to end. Your life is only just beginning. We're leaving, but your life with Takeru is just as important. His hope will always keep your light shining, even if Gaia thinks she has it all. She'll never take you away from you. You're beautiful and strong and together, you and Takeru will be okay. I know you will."

"I-it's h-h-hard," I sobbed, holding her closer.

"It is, I know," she said, joining in my tears now, "It's so hard. But you've always known what was right, and this the same. We're doing what's right. You know that, right?" I nodded, but chose not to try to speak again. "And Taichi knows that too. You'll always know what's right, and that's how I know you won't let this hinder you."

"W-what?" I asked, pulling back.

"You won't ever stop living your life because we're gone," Gatomon said flatly, never breaking eye contact. "Keep going. Pursue your dreams, follow the path you're on. Do whatever it takes, because you deserve happiness as much as anyone else, and I'm not your happiness. You are. I'll miss you as much as you miss me, Hikari, but if you let that stop you from living, then what's the point at all?"

"I won't," I promised, my voice sounding stronger than I felt, "I promise I won't stop living. I'll do everything I would have done with you there, but I'll never stop wishing you knew."

"I will know," Gatomon told me, "I always know." She looked up to me with a serious expression and then I started crying again, pulling her close.

Taichi Yagami:

Time was almost up. I checked my watch. We'd already passed the time I'd scheduled to close the gates. I couldn't bring myself to cut the goodbyes sort. Sora was holding Biyomon tightly, and I saw that her father was talking with Centarumon still. Koushiro was talking with Tentomon, Andromon and his father, trying not to get too emotional. Wizardmon was saying his goodbyes to his partner and to Hikari all at once. Gatomon was caught in Hikari's arms, and Hikari didn't look like she was going let go any time soon. Mimi and her mother seemed to be competing to see who could make the biggest show of tears as they clung to Palmon and Minervamon respectively. They could tell that time was growing shorter, and they increased in volume the longer I waited.

Jou was with his family. Emiko was trying to convince Gomamon to stay with them, but Gomamon couldn't do that. Bearmon and Monmon were both going with her though, and that probably made it harder for her to understand why just Gomamon wasn't allowed. I felt really bad for the children. Poromon and DemiVeemon had just found their partners, and the kids were losing their favourite babysitters. Veemon and Labramon were crowded around Daisuke and Kurayami and Haruki, who had all formed a sort of pile, trying to hug as long as they possibly could. Mai was being passed between Hawkmon and Ken, as their family tried to remain as close as physically possible. Miyako was cuddling with Poromon, and they were talking as fast as they could, trying to get as many words out as possible before they couldn't speak anymore. Goblimon held Natsuni, as she was inconsolable, losing her partner now. Armadillomon and Iori talked with Kotemon and Summer and Iori was holding Armadillomon's egg, because Armadillomon wanted his baby to know Iori, even if it wouldn't remember it.

Yamato sitting alone with Gabumon, playing on an old harmonica, just because that's all Gabumon wanted—something simple to remember Yamato by. They'd done that before, I remembered, the first time they'd had to say goodbye. Not far from him, his mother and Kae were with Lunamon and Coronamon. Kazuya Ichijouji was with them, trying to convince his wife that she needed to stop crying long enough to say goodbye. He was checking his watch too, and I knew that he understood time was already up. I just couldn't bring myself to rush anyone.

I hadn't said goodbye to everyone yet. Not the way I needed to. But I didn't know if I'd ever be able to do that, so I had to make do with what I could.

Willis and Kiyoko were surrounded by the digimon they'd met in Witchenly. Kiyoko was hugging everyone, and hugged Willis twice as much. I wondered if Ryou wouldn't be the only one staying behind, based on what I was seeing. Terriermon and Lopmon were running around with him, and Gravimon floated Kiyoko into the air to give him a proper goodbye. Tapirmon was watching, crying to himself, while Willis tried to comfort him. Mari wasn't too far away, sitting with Lalamon and her little sister. She wasn't crying, like I'd feared. She just looked resigned. Hideto was leaning against a wall watching the rest of Alias III with Warg and Melga each holding one of his hands. Neo walked over to him, having come down from the Council rooms. Dracomon wasn't with him anymore, and I actually didn't see him anywhere. I hoped they'd gotten the goodbye they needed. Rei ran over to them the second she spotted Neo again, and clung to him, crying her eyes out.

That was one of the main reasons I hadn't called for everyone to just walk through the gate already. Rei needed that time with her brother, before I separated them forever. I wouldn't have faulted Rei if she'd chosen to stay on Earth, but she wanted to be here with me and the digimon, and I was too excited to not be alone that I didn't really try to convince her otherwise.

I hadn't seen Michael in awhile and I was looking for him, when Takeru walked up to me with Patamon sitting on the top of his head—his favourite spot to be. "Hey, Taichi," he said. "I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

"Yeah," I said, realizing that I wasn't ever going to be ready to actually say those words, but I needed to do it anyway. "Take care of my sister, yeah? I won't be there to keep an eye on you anymore. I know you're a good guy though, and she can look out for herself. Just…love her, okay? She deserves that."

"I know," he said. "I'll always love her."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," I said. "She means the world to me. You keep her safe, when she can't be bothered to, okay? That's all I want. I want to know she's safe."

"She'll be safe with me," he said firmly. "I'm going to miss you, Taichi. You've been leading me around since I was eight years old. What am I supposed to do without you?"

"Technically, Daisuke's the leader," I offered. "You could ask him."

"I might have to," he said. "I have to say buy to Gabumon. And Wizardmon. And Lunamon. And Gatomon, Veemon, Labramon. There are so many left. I just needed to say bye to you first."

"Goodbye," I told him. It felt final, and real. Takeru nodded and hugged me, when I offered a hand to shake, and as I watched him go, I wondered if he would become my brother-in-law, and if I would somehow know when he did. I wondered if his book would ever get published, and if Earth would ever know our story.

"Taichi," Mari's voice called. I turned to see Lalamon, Aneko and her standing there. "I'm sorry I told you not to tell Rei. You were right, and I tried to tell her, but you already did."

"I know," I said, smiling sheepishly. "She told me."

"I'm happy that you and Rei are married. I'm happy I got to see that. I'm not happy that I'm not going to see your marriage play out," she said.

"I'm sorry I have to do this. I'm sorry you have to lose Lalamon," I said.

"It's not your fault," she said. I tried to take it to heart, but it was my fault. I was the one that made that choice. But I needed to. Rida said he wouldn't stop until all the digimon were dead. There was very little I could do to stop him while he was still in office. I couldn't just kidnap him, and keep him prisoner. EVOLVE was too involved on Earth still. They held too much power and they would always be after the digimon. I'd done what I could to save as many as possible. We'd sent messages to the partners of the world using Kiyoko's blog. A lot of those digimon made the transition back to their home world, and some decided to stay on Earth. It was their decision. I'd given them as much time as I could.

"Keep your head up, Taichi," Mari told me. "You're the boss now. Keep them all safe. We're trusting our partners to you. Keep them safe."

"That's why I'm doing this," I said. She nodded, and then reached out and squeezed my hand, before heading off towards Willis and Kiyoko, taking her sister and Lalamon with her. I watched her go, and wondered if she'd keep the same happiness after I'd taken Willis and her partner from her. She'd finally found happiness, and I was taking some of it from her. I wondered what sort of guardian she'd be, and whether she'd actually go through with becoming a social worker—knowing that there were an unfortunate number of kids that would need saving, and knowing that she would succeed at saving them.

Hikari and Gatomon left Wizardmon and Hiroaki's side, and pretty much ran at Agumon. Hikari threw her arms around both of the digimon, and squeezed the life out of them. She was crying so hard, and I couldn't make out what she was saying to Agumon, but he started crying too. It was a little too much to handle, so I looked away, only to find myself looking directly at Jou's face.

"I never imagined I'd be saying goodbye to you," he told me. "I should've seen it coming. We knew Gennai always wanted this to happen, and I knew that you'd stopped thinking of Earth as your home. But I still didn't expect it, you know? I don't like it, but I do understand."

"Thanks," I said. "I don't like saying goodbye, but I have to do this."

"I know," he said, nodding slowly. He held a hand out, and I shook it, but it didn't feel like enough, so I pulled him in for a hug. "You're going to miss everything. We're always going to miss you being there too. It's going to be hard to get used to. I don't think I ever really will."

"I knew I was the life of the party," I joked. "But don't forget to live. I'm not that important."

"We won't," Jou said. "But you are important. You're one of my oldest friends. You and Sora and I were always together when we were kids. I don't even remember a time without you in my life anymore."

"I don't remember you not being there either," I admitted. "It's going to be hard."

"But you're doing it for the right reasons," Jou decided, making the tightening in my heart loosen just a bit. "I'll miss you and Gomamon and Rei and everyone else. But I know that we can't be selfish. The fate of all the worlds rests in your hands, and it's not fair to put ourselves before all of that."

"I'm going to miss you," I said. It wasn't enough to convey my emotions, but Jou could understand. He nodded, and hugged me a second time.

"Me too, right?" Yamato asked, coming over with Gabumon at his side. Gabumon was holding the old harmonica, and looking like it was worth a million dollars. "I'm pretty sure we're best friends or something, so I mean, you'd better miss me."

"Naw," I said, rolling my eyes. "I think I'll miss everyone except for you."

"Well then," Yamato said dramatically. "I know when I'm not wanted." Jou squeezed my shoulder one last time, before backing away, to give Yamato and I some privacy. I waved at him, and tried very hard not to think about how I was going to miss everything in Emiko's life. I wasn't going to know if he and Momoe ever got around to having that second kid that Momoe wanted. I wasn't going to know what Emiko wanted to be when she grew up, or how she handled school, or if anyone could talk her into joining the soccer team.

"You know that's not true, don't you?" I asked Yamato, seriously. I needed to be sure. He rolled his eyes and nodded. I sighed with relief. "Good," I said. "Because I'll miss you a hell of a lot. We lived together, Yamato. I missed you even before the worlds were being separated. You were an easy roommate. I mean, I like Rei better, but other than her, you'd be the only one I'd want."

"Thanks," he said slowly. "I think."

"It was a compliment," I informed him with a laugh. "I'm sorry I fought you so hard on this. I know now that you were talking sense, but I didn't at first. I shouldn't have just argued for the sake of arguing. I always did that. You were often right, and I just didn't pay attention. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said. "I was right in the end. I wish I wasn't though. This kind of sucks."

"No 'kind of' about it," I said, shaking my head. "It just plain sucks."

"But we've got to do what we've got to do," Yamato sighed. "That's what being the hero means. We've got to make the sacrifices so that everyone else can be happy and safe."

"The heroes really get the short end of the stick," Gabumon said, still looking at his harmonica, realizing that while it was a nice reminder of Yamato, it was a poor substitute for the real thing.

"Come on buddy," Yamato said. "Looks like Koushiro and Mimi want a turn with Taichi. Just remember Taichi, we'll always be friends. We don't need to see each other. We're still friends."

"You got it," I told him. He left, and I wondered what was next for the rock star. Would he win all the awards, or would he fall into obscurity? I didn't know, and I was saddened by that knowledge. I tried to keep positive, though, and wished him the best. His music was good—and the song he'd written for Rei and I was amazing—so he wasn't going to fizzle out. I was going to believe that.

Koushiro come forward, when Yamato left. Mimi was clinging to his side, still a sobbing mess. Palmon was holding her with her Poison Ivy, and was crying just as hard. Tentomon was flying beside Koushiro, opposite to Mimi, and looking like he was plenty happy not being drawn into the group hug Palmon and Mimi had thrown together. Well, he wasn't happy, but no one really was anymore.

"Hey," I said, not knowing what else to say.

"I suppose I'm no longer your employee," Koushiro said. "I'll have to find something else that can offer me everything I've ever wanted in a job. I'll have to settle. Nowhere on Earth offers a nearly endless budget with which I can research and study the Digital World. But there'll be something interesting, I guess."

"Yeah," I said awkwardly. "I'm really sorry about that. I didn't really think about that part while I made my decision."

"I realize," Koushiro said, nodding. "It was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. We don't really matter. The digimon do. This is their world, and it's their lives that are hanging in the balance. Our happiness is of no consequence."

"Don't say that," Mimi cried. "That's so sad. We do everything for this world. How can we say goodbye?"

"By ripping off the bandage and saying it," Koushiro said. "We won't have long, and they must be said. We will regret it the rest of our lives if we let this last opportunity slip by. It doesn't matter that we will eventually see each other again. There will be a long time in between, and regrets fester."

"Taichi," Mimi said, looking away from Koushiro. I assumed she took his words to heart, because she untwined herself from him, and flung herself onto me. She buried her face in my chest and cried hard. I reached around behind her to shake Koushiro's hand. He didn't want more than that, and I wasn't saddened by it. It was very natural. He never liked hugs to begin with—unless it was Mimi that was giving them. "I don't want you to go."

"I need to," I said, for what felt like the hundredth time.

"I know," she sobbed. "But it's so sad. Everything's so sad. I don't like it."

"Be strong Mimi," Palmon told her, even though she was crying too. "You can get through this. Just keep your head held high." We didn't talk for much longer, and then they left. I watched them go, wondering whether Mimi's restaurant was going to make it this time, or if someone else was going to destroy it. I wondered whether Koushiro would be able to put his addiction behind him, and move forward with his life. I'd never know for sure. I wouldn't know if they could survive all of this, and come out on the other side still together. They were stubborn enough….they probably could.

"Taichi," Neo said, surprising me. I figured Rei would be attached at his hip. She wasn't though. I was confused. I looked for her and saw that she was clinging to Hikari. My heart squeezed unpleasantly as I realized just what goodbye was going to come up fast. I wasn't ready. I would never be ready. "You're no longer my employer, and I am no longer forced to like you."

"I know," I said with a sigh. I hadn't gotten to a really good place with my brother-in-law yet, and now I wouldn't ever get the time to really work at it. He only liked me because I was his boss, and he felt he had to. Now, he had no such obligations.

"You will treat my sister with respect, and worship her," he ordered. "You're taking her from me, so that's the least you can do."

"I promise," I told him. "I love her."

"So do I," Neo told me. "And because I expect you to watch over my sister and keep her safe, I'm going to offer to do the same in return. You'll be more likely to actually do it, if you know that I'll be watching over Hikari in your stead."

"You'd do that?" I asked, feeling hope brimming in me. Maybe he didn't hate me after all.

"I would," he said. "And I would do anything to keep her safe. I have only one moral limitation. I do not lie. Everything else is an option."

"I'll keep Rei safe," I promised him. "Don't let Hikari fall back into her shell. She doesn't think of herself, and doesn't think she's worth it. It scares me sometimes how little she seems to care. She's getting better, but I don't know what'll happen when I'm gone, and I'm taking Gatomon and all the others with me. Don't let her feel like she's alone?"

"You take care of my sister, and I will take care of yours," he said firmly, and simply. I reached out my hand to him and he shook it. I could see his eyes watching Rei and Hikari, and I knew he was headed over to Rei next. He wasn't going to waste any more time with other goodbyes—not when that one was the most important to him, now that Dracomon had disappeared anyway.

He left, and I knew he would keep his promise. He told me he'd keep her safe, and lying was the only thing he wouldn't do. Hikari would be safe. It was one thing to know that Takeru would always love her, or that Mom and Dad would be around, but it was another to know that Neo was watching over her. He could be outright ruthless if he needed to. She would be safe.

"It's going to be so weird not having you around."

It was Daisuke. I turned to see him. He was fiddling with the goggles on his forehead, while holding Haruki with his other arm. He went to take them off, but I stopped him. They were his now. He was going to be with the rest of the digidestined, not me. He needed to step up and be the leader if they ever had need for one again.

"You were my brother at one time or other," I told him, by way of explanation. The goggles had belonged to my grandfather, and since Daisuke was once our sort-of brother—after his parents kicked him out and Mom unofficially adopted him—he could inherit them. It wasn't that big of deal. They'd still be in the family. "Give them to Haruki when he gets big enough. Let him remember his uncle Taichi."

"I was hoping you'd be able to play soccer with him when he was older," Daisuke said, sounding miserable. "I thought you could teach him like you taught me. There was a lot that I guess I took for granted. I thought you'd always be there."

"I thought so too," I said, thinking of all the things I wanted to do with Haruki when he was big enough to do anything with. I wouldn't get the chance now. "But now I'm not."

"I know," Daisuke said. "It's just hard to wrap my head around. It'll really hit me later today, when the worlds are closed off. It'll hit me again in a few weeks, when I've had time to really let it sink in and I'll know it's forever."

"Do your best, for your son," I told him. "Your noodles are amazing, and you're going places. Never let your dad or anyone else tell you otherwise. Keep your head held high, and never give up, even when it seems really hard. You can do it. You can do anything."

"You should be a motivational speaker," Daisuke joked. I reached forward and took Haruki, hugging him closely. He squirmed a little, but I didn't let go. This would be the only chance I had to hold a nephew. He wasn't technically related, but it was close enough. I wouldn't get anymore nephews—or nieces—while I was around to enjoy them. Haruki was it. When I went to hand Haruki back, I surprised Daisuke by hugging him too. I hadn't always liked the idea of having him as a brother, but now I was used to having a pseudo-brother, and it was hard to let him go.

But I did, because I had to. I watched him head back to Kurayami, Labramon and Veemon, and knew that Daisuke was really going places. They might've been having hard times now, but they would get on their feet in no time and they'd rise to the stars.

"Merry Christmas," Sora said. Biyomon was off saying goodbye to Haruki, Daisuke and Kurayami, who's she'd just gotten used to living with. Sora was holding an orange Agumon sweater out towards me. "It's not wrapped, but you didn't wait until Christmas anyway."

"Thanks," I said, taking the sweater. She'd remembered that I'd wanted it, back before her fashion show had turned into a riot. This wasn't the same one, of course, since that was destroyed, but it was just as nice. I looked back to her.

"I'm going to miss you," she said. "You've always just been around, even when we were fighting. You never stayed away for long. I haven't seen enough of you lately to be ready to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry I didn't visit," I said, looking to the ground. "I was busy, and I let work take precedence over our friendship. I didn't mean to."

"I forgive you," she assured me. "But I'm not ready to forgive you just yet for leaving me."

"I haven't even left," I pointed out.

"You will though," she said sadly. "I'll forgive you eventually. But it still hurts right now. It'll hurt for a long, long time."

"I'm going to miss you too," I told her. She smiled sadly and hugged me once. Biyomon was flying towards her parents, and I knew Sora wanted to join her partner again. So I let her go. No amount of time would be enough to sever our friendship. It didn't matter how long we took for our goodbye, it would never be enough.

I pulled out my phone, and wrote a short message to her. Sora. I'm sorry, really I am, but what's a few worlds between friends? Love Taichi. I watched as her phone beeped and she read the message. Her shoulders shook with her laughter, and she looked back at me.

"Stupid Taichi," she said, with a smile, and then she left me. I wondered if she and Yamato would ever get over themselves and get together. I hoped they would, because I knew that neither could really be happy until they did. They didn't want to settle for anything less than each other. They'd both tried, and it had never worked.

"My baby," I heard, and then I was engulfed in a family hug. Mom was clinging to me from behind, and Dad was hugging me around her. Hikari was filling my arms, and I the walls I'd been trying to keep up shattered. Tears started falling down my face, and I didn't know how to stop them. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my family. I had to. But I didn't want to.

"I knew this world wasn't my cup of tea," Dad told me. "It's taking my son from me."

"I'm sorry," I told him. Mom blubbered, and Hikari was doing the same. "I don't want to leave you."

"Then don't," Mom suggested, but her voice assured me that she already knew that I couldn't change my mind, no matter how much she might've wanted me to.

"I love you," I said. "I love all of you. I'll never stop loving any of you. Just know that, Okay? Just always know that I love you."

"I'll always love you too, Taichi," Hikari cried. I fell to pieces at that, and I hugged her tighter than ever before. She didn't make any sound of protest. She didn't want to let go anymore than I did. It was my responsibility to watch over her, and I was failing. But Takeru and Neo were both going to do their best to take my place in that duty. It wasn't the same, but I hoped it would be enough to help her through this. I needed to know she'd be okay.

"I'm going to miss you," I cried, and then we got lost in our goodbye. Time was already up, but I wasn't going to tell Hikari that. I needed her to be here just a little bit longer—always just a little bit longer.

Willis Kennedy:

The lump in my throat was painful now as I watched them all head toward the door. It seemed like the goodbye was going to be their undoing. Each of them looked worse than I'd ever seen them, with tears down their faces and their eyes puffy. Mimi's hair was a mess, while Natsuni's face had paled enough to make her resemble someone who had lost quite a lot of blood. Everyone was being torn in half and it was an awful feeling.

I could relate. I could do so because Jenna was standing nearest the door. Her hand was wrapped tightly with Chi's and Kudamon was wrapped around her neck. Michael had finally been convinced to leave me behind by Tatum who kissed my cheek before tearfully making her way back to the doorway with Michael. There were others—like Emiko, that caught my attention as she cried in her mother's arms, waving to Gomamon, barely able to see through her tears, and even Kiyoko who looked broken as his eyes flicked between all that he was leaving behind. I felt proud that I was part of that list. I was proud that I had made a new friend and that he had opened up to me. Proud of him for showing me all I truly needed in life was nothing more than inner peace and sanity. I needed Terriermon and Lopmon.

My eyes however were mostly keeping watch of Michael, Tatum, Jenna and Mari. It was hardest to leave them behind. Mari was still holding tight to Lalamon, and other than Mimi who was holding Palmon's extended fingers, she was the last to leave her partner. Taichi stood nearby with Rei under his arm and Agumon at his side. Hikari was standing with her parents, crying but trying to seem hopeful, and as Takeru made his way toward her I knew she would be alright. When Mari looked up to me with wide eyes they lingered for only a moment, and she blinked once and then she was gone, turning her head and saying her final farewell to Lalamon and making her way to the door where she stood next to Hideto and Kiyoko. Neo was nearby, but was focusing on Rei and when he caught her attention he waved one last time. She let out a small sob and waved back.

"Willis!" I looked toward the sound and found that Lopmon was near Michael and the others. She was waving to me and motioning for me to come closer.

As I took my first step my heart plunged to the deepest corners of my chest as Taichi finally said, "It's time now." I froze mid step and watched as—although unwilling—the first of the group made their way through the doorway. Satoe, Natsuko and Sora's parents and Mushroomon were gone. Soon Shuu and Jun's Otamamon followed behind, but it seemed that Jun wasn't quite ready to go.

I realized it was now or never, and I needed to get to my partners.

Hiroako and the Izumis were next, walking out together after a final goodbye wave to their partners, all of whom were staying behind. Isao Kido nodded curtly to his Unimon friend and followed behind them, patting Jou's shoulder comfortingly on the way by.

I was halfway to Michael now, and I heard Kae Ichijouji blubbering as her husband led the way through the door. Ken winced at the sight of her and turned his head, looking to Coronamon who was crying just as hard as Kae, with Lunamon hugging him tight.

"Willis," Terriermon said, relieved that I'd finally made it back. "Monodramon is giving us something."

"Oh right," I realized, looking down to Monodramon. "The recordings." Monodramon grinned and nodded his head, handing the camera off to me. I smiled down to him and patted his head. "Here," I said to Terriermon, handing it off, "you hold onto it." Terriermon seemed proud to be holding it as Lopmon gave Monodramon a final hug. Betamon was nearby too. I hadn't noticed, but he was looking up to Monodramon sadly, and when that was realized, Monodramon pulled him into the hug.

"I still think you're a fool," Jenna said rather bluntly, "staying behind."

"It's my choice," I told her simply. "It is what has to be done." Michael scoffed but said nothing. It was awful to leave on such a sour note, but it was time, as Taichi had said. I turned to Monodramon. "Thanks for your tapes," he smiled once more, nodding his head.

I noticed Neo, leading Alias III through the door, each of them expressing their sadness in a different way. They were going now. It was time. I felt a panic rise in my chest as I looked to Mari. She didn't look back once as she made her way through, but I knew why. She didn't want to risk taking another look, scared she would stay behind. But she had to go to Earth, because Aneko was walking hand in hand with her and needed her guidance.

Kurayami blew a kiss to Labramon and then waved to Norn before taking Haruki, walking backwards through the portal to make the most of every second.

"I guess it's our turn," Tatum said, looking right at me. She nodded her head feeling rather upset, but turned with Monodramon and made her way to the door. Momoe, Natsuni and Katsue all stood with her with Bearmon and Monimon joining them. Jou seemed willing to let the struggling Emiko go so he set her down and she ran off to join her mother with Monmon running along behind. Emiko flung herself at Bearmon while Rei waved to her friends, tears covering her entire face.

And then Tatum was gone—along with all the others.

Jenna, looking like she was afraid to cry, looked me in the eyes once more before turning with Chi and making their way out the door. I watched her go and my heart seemed to panic as she vanished halfway through the gate.

Daisuke didn't seem able to hold out much longer and scrunched up his face before finally turning and walking along with Iori and Miyako out the door. They, just like all the others, vanished on their way through.

Ken however, holding Mai, stayed for one last goodbye. "Ryou," he said softly. "Are you sure you want to stay?" Ryou, who was standing with his partner still nodded. "Well... take care of Wormmon for me," he said, looking down to his partner. Wormmon was crying while Veemon patted his head softly. And then Ken was leaving.

"Willis, I hate you for staying," Michael said, catching my attention. "B-but... If you have to, I just w-want you to make sure nothing bad happens to Betamon."

My heart took a final plunge and I nodded, wiping the already forming tears from my eyes. "Of course, Michael. I won't let anything happen to him."

"I said that before," Michael admitted. "I want you to be super careful."

"I promise." I nodded once more and then Michael closed the distance between us and threw his arms around me. "I'll miss you, Michael."

"You're an idiot," Michael said finally, pulling away from me and turning to the doorway. He marched straight through and I kept my eyes wide, afraid I would miss the last moment of my brother. It didn't matter though, it still hurt just as much.

Lopmon pulled on my pant leg and I turned to her. She was looking up with wide, worried eyes. "I'm fine," I said, wiping my nose with my sleeve. "It's just sad. But it's not too late," I said, realizing suddenly. "You stayed on Earth before, right? The worlds didn't fall apart!"

"Are you having second thoughts?" Terriermon asked, his voice very clear as he looked to Lopmon, matching her worried expression.

"N-no!" I insisted, turning from them to see Taichi looking to his original team.

Mimi finally released Palmon's ivy and Koushiro's hand finally fell as his waving stopped. Sora was crying into Jou's shoulder as he held her close to him, keeping his eye on his partner. Biyomon was waving animatedly still, as if she thought that if she waved enough, Sora might never have to go. Tentomon was working on comforting Palmon but it didn't seem to be working. Gomamon had Patamon sitting on his head, and the two were both crying now, one more obviously than the other. Yamato and Gabumon were near enough each other that their conversation had strung along until now, but Gabumon had finally ended it with a quick, "You're my best friend," and Yamato had to turn away to stop himself from falling to pieces. Takeru was holding Hikari who had finally put herself together long enough to stop weeping and Taichi's parents were taking Kamemon toward the exit, realizing that no matter how long they stayed behind, the goodbye would not be made easier.

And then one by one they all began to fall apart.

Yamato and Koushiro were first, making their way to the exit, followed closely by Jou and Sora who had to support Mimi as her legs were too shaky to move well on her own. That left Takeru and Hikari, the latter of which pushed Takeru off gently and said, "Go," she kissed his cheek and he nodded taking one last look to Patamon, then to Taichi, and he was gone, following the others. As Hikari made her way to Taichi he turned from her and she grabbed his hand.

"I have to stay," Taichi said in a harsh voice. "You can't stay with me."

"I'm sorry," Hikari cried softly, and she leaned forward, pressing her head into his back. "You're right. I know you have to leave me."

"Please be careful," Taichi said, turning back to Hikari as she stepped back from him. She nodded, looking pained. "Goodbye, Hikari."

"Bye, Taichi," Hikari whimpered, "don't forget about me!" Taichi seemed choked off, but Hikari had finally turned from him and was making her way to the doorway.

And as I watched her go, I realized she was the final one to leave. I swallowed the hole in my throat that had been scraping away at my sanity and I nodded, looking back to Taichi. "Should I close the doo—"

I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and I saw that Terriermon had hit me hard, causing me to stumble backwards. "I'm so sorry!" he cried, tears escaping him now.

"Willis, I love you!" Lopmon cried, and I spotted her behind me where she slammed her fist into the back of my knee.

I fell straight backward and slipped through the doorway, slamming on the ground on the other side.

The panic that rose up in my chest then was immeasurable and I clambered to my feet, tears streaming down my cheeks. I reached for the door and grabbed at it but found that it had been slammed shut. "NO!" I screamed, my voice choked. Terriermon and Lopmon were on the other side. It was closed. It was done. The worlds were separated.

And nothing else mattered.

Next on Digimon Adventure 08: The end. Forever. And even after that. Just kidding. The next arc comes up, but it's maybe not what you would be expecting. Perhaps we wanted to do a really season 1 vibe here, and maybe we liked how similar it was to the end of 03 which was our first completed story, so we liked that. We also needed a bit of a time jump, so I hope you're still on board because we have one more stretch to go from here!