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Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Thanks for all the reviews, Odd. You're the best. You'll find out what happens as we keep going .
Ackbarfan5556: TK has not gone that far off the wagon, so it really would not have worked. That's why I didn't do it.
Music Chick: Yes it did :-) Thanks.
Lord Jaric: You'll see ;-)
Zero and Megaman: Hello! Thank you so much for the review. Oh, just you wait and see. You're gonna like what's coming.
GuardianAngel1234567: Updated now ;-)
Ratchet McCloud: Yes. Thank you for catching that mistake, Ratchet. I appreciate it.
Luffy L Deathwalker: Welcome. Thank you for the review. You'll see.
Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: I did not make that connection until you mentioned it. As always, thanks for all the kind words, Greymon. Much appreciated.
StarterSquad01: Thank you, and thank you for the favorite and follow. Much appreciated. You'll have to see what happens.
Wow! Check out all these reviews I had to answer from last chapter. I guess you guys really liked it. I'm glad to hear that. So, as I said last time, this chapter is kind of a continuation of the last chapter. TK is dealing with some deep emotional stuff, gets Davis hurt during a mission, and now has lost his leadership position to Davis, in case you needed a refresher. This is a long one for you today at almost 9,300 words! Hope you guys enjoy it.
Mummymon squeezed his eyelids tightly as the pain shot through him. He moaned at a constant interval, filling the air with the depressing sound. His whole leg felt like it was on fire after taking a vicious stab to it. His breath hitched in pain as Arukenimon tightened the bandage around his thigh.
"Ow! Not so hard, please," he hissed.
"If you hadn't been such a fool, I wouldn't have to do this," Arukenimon growled, roughly pulling on the bandage. She sighed with tired exasperation. "Honestly, I don't know why I continue to put up with you, Mummymon. You could have gotten yourself killed. How many times do I have to tell you not to play games with our targets?"
Mummymon flashed a nervous, toothy grin. "I guess I was having too much fun," he chuckled. "I always like playing with my unstable prey. You should try it sometime. It's so much fun."
His companion groaned and rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. "Ugh! Why do I bother?" Arukenimon pulled on the last bit of bandage to settle it firmly in place.
"There. You're all set," she said. "We need a plan. Master is not going to be happy if we return with nothing again."
"What do you suggest?" asked Mummymon. "We could always just wait for the Jedi to come back." He grinned again. "That blonde Jedi might be a much easier target than before if he's all alone."
Arukenimon raised a finger to her chin. "Let me think."
When Davis walked through the halls at school the next day, he may as well have been a celebrity's kid or teen idol arriving at a regular public school. Kids stopped what they were doing to look at the goggles now resting on top of his head.
"Whoa! Where'd you get those, Davis?" one girl asked.
"Hey, aren't those the ones TK's been wearing the whole year? They look totally awesome on you, dude," another boy said.
Davis smiled and accepted the praise with a gracious nod, but refused to let it go to his head. He may have gotten the goggles because TK screwed up, but that didn't mean he had earned the right to be called a leader yet.
He still had to pass a math test today.
The aforementioned blonde was noticeably absent from school that day. Kari didn't know where he was when Davis asked about it. The rumor in the class went that one of their classmates had seen TK walking inside of Fuji TV station the day looking seemingly okay, but then he walked out of it in tears. Something had to have happened between the time he arrived and when he stormed out of the building.
"What do you think it was?" Davis whispered to Kari. His eyes sparkled in realization. "Hey, wait. Doesn't his dad work at the TV station?"
"Yes," Kari whispered back. A thought sprung into her mind. "You don't think it has to do with his dad's girlfriend, do you? Remember when we met her after we came back from defeating Ken?"
"Oh yeah. That's right. She seemed nice. Didn't get much of a chance to know her because I went straight to sleep in the car when we drove off. What about it?" Davis' eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "You don't think –"
"I think so," Kari nodded. Her eyes fell with sadness, unable to imagine the pain TK must be going through right now. "No wonder he was acting that way in the Digital World."
"He's upset over something like that? It happens all the time. It's a fact of life. His dad is free to do whatever makes him happy."
"But to TK, he's always held on to the hope that his parents would reunite and he and Matt could be a family again," Kari explained. "And now that will never happen."
Her heart ached as she reached out to sense TK's emotions through their connection. Sadness, hurt, bitterness, betrayal; she felt all of it radiating from his Force energy. Instead of being angry with him, Kari wanted desperately to go talk to him and give comfort. That probably was not a good idea though. He might not be willing to talk about something like that with her.
Davis felt whatever feelings of anger and annoyance he felt towards the blonde wipe away as their teacher walked into the room. Maybe he should try to talk to him later. That was not going to be easy. Would he even be willing to listen to what Davis had to say? Would TK even want to talk to him? Those answers were unclear for now. He'd just have to try. As the new leader, he wanted everyone to be on the same page with each other.
That included TK.
The rest of the school day passed by without incident. The math test turned out to not be as hard as Davis thought. Kari helping him study may have been a contributing factor, but he liked to think it was his newfound swagger with the goggles that gave him the confidence he needed.
He and Kari met their friends near Venus Fort. It was a bright and pleasantly warm September day. While the month was drawing to a close, the weather had not changed. It was still nice and warm with not a trace of fall on the air. The plan was to enjoy it as much as they could while it lasted.
"Hey, guys!" Yolei waved from under the "Palette Town" sign.
Davis and Kari waved back and joined their friend. Cody stood silently at Yolei's side and greeted them with a polite nod. The first thing both of them noticed was the goggles on Davis' head, sparkling in the sunlight. They both smiled, glad he had accepted the position when Tai offered it to him.
"They look good on you," Yolei said.
Davis nodded with a proud smile. "Thanks. I'm amazed you guys trusted me enough to make me your leader. I promise. I will not let my ego get the better of me. If I do, strike me down without hesitation."
Kari couldn't believe it. Who knew Davis had this side to him? "Who are you, and what have you done with my goofy friend, Davis Motomiya?" she joked.
The Jedi all laughed, even Davis.
"You took it," a new voice said. "I'm glad."
The group looked behind them to see Ken joining them, wearing a different set of clothes from his school uniform. A black polo, jeans, and black suede shoes. Everyone gaped in awe at the sight of him. Yolei felt her face turn a darker red than before, this time from something else.
"Yo! Ken!" Davis slapped him five. "How's it going, dude?"
"Hi, Davis," Ken returned with a smile. "Thanks for inviting me here."
"You what?" Cody hissed, glaring knives into the new leader.
"Cody!" Yolei snapped with a warning tone. She grabbed his hand. "Be right back, guys."
Once they were a little ways down the walkway so that the others were not in hearing range, Yolei kneeled down and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Can you please try to get along with Ken just this once?" she asked in a firm voice. "He's a part of the team for now."
The young boy folded his arms across his chest. He still was having a difficult time accepting that Ken was a limited member of the group. His trial period was already two weeks over. At the rate he seemed to be going, he could officially become one of them. That scared him.
"He's still not a full-fledged member," Cody grumbled. "Don't tell me he's made you think you can trust him, Yolei. Do you trust him?"
"I don't yet," she sighed. That was the truth. "But sometimes, there are things that are beyond our control. He's here now, and he's honestly done a lot for us already. I think I might be starting to come around to him."
"Yolei, do you remember when he was the Emperor? He was ruthless! He kidnapped you!" Cody bit, refusing to budge an inch. "He would have killed Sora too if you hadn't unlocked your power. He also murdered his brother."
Yolei sighed. She should have expected this from Cody. "Look. Whatever your personal feelings are, I don't care. Behave yourself around him. Do it for me?"
Cody's scowl stayed fixed on his face. Then it lightened a little bit. He couldn't believe that he was doing this.
"Fine," he grumbled. "I'll do it for you. No one else."
Yolei patted his left shoulder twice. "Thank you," she said.
They rejoined their friends, who seemed to be getting on with a conversation about manga.
"I'm tellin' ya, dude, I was flippin' out that whole chapter," Davis said with buoyant excitement. "It was non-stop action the whole time."
Ken laughed. "Yeah, it was pretty cool," he said, matching Davis' excitement. "Hey, have you read volume 4 yet?"
"No, I haven't!" Davis shrieked. "I feel so inadequate!"
"Not to worry, Davis. I'll loan it to you so you can read it."
"Ken, you are a lifesaver, dude!"
"Ahem." Yolei cleared her throat to get their attention. The three Jedi ended their conversation to look at their two friends.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go have some fun!" the girl pumped her fist in the air and led the group on their way.
Venus Fort was a two-level mall with shops on the top floor and eateries at the bottom of the escalator. From where they stood, there was a car museum to their left, affectionately called the "Toyota Museum" because of the large amount of Toyota cars on display. To their right was the entrance to the indoor shops. The group moved to their right and walked through the mall.
The European decor fascinated the children upon entering. They felt like they were in Rome with a large Roman fountain in the middle of the square. Looking up, the atrium was lighted and colored to look like the daytime sky outside. It was like the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, but without the high-priced brand shops.
Yolei and Kari went into a shop near the fountain, while the boys hung around waiting to wait for them. Two minutes, they told them.
Davis looked down at his watch. Ten minutes had gone by. He rolled his eyes. 'Girls and their shopping habits.'
Cody looked to his right and saw an ice cream shop. Excitement rose as he dug through his pocket. He felt nothing. His face fell. Guess no ice cream today. If only he had the foresight to ask his mother for some money before he left the house.
Ken noticed the boy's face as he eyed the ice cream shop with a depressed, gloomy expression. Something inside told him that Cody really wanted an ice cream. Badly wanted it. An idea came to him. Maybe there was something he could do about that. He reached into his pocket and found a ¥500 coin in it.
"Here, go buy yourself an ice cream," he said, offering the coin to Cody. "It's on me, Cody."
The boy eyed the coin with suspicion, then looked up at its owner. What was Ken getting at? If he thought he could win him over with money to buy an ice cream, Ken had another thing coming.
"Go on," Ken urged, inching his hand forward. "Take it. You don't have to worry about paying me back. This ice cream is on me, Cody."
Cody looked from Ken's hand to the ice cream shop. His stomach rumbled with hunger, begging to be filled with the delicious soft-serve treat. For once, he decided to ignore his head.
"Okay," he said, taking the coin from Ken's palm. "Thank you, Ken."
"You're welcome, Cody," Ken replied with a warm smile as the boy got up and walked over to the shop.
Davis watched the exchange with a hopeful smile. The best way for Ken to show Cody that he was trustworthy was to prove it in his actions. He patted the raven-haired boy on the shoulder.
"That was awful nice of you," he said.
Ken shrugged. "Eh, I couldn't stand seeing him all sad. It really would have ruined my day if I didn't do anything about it."
"Stuff like that will go a long way in showing Cody he can trust you. Believe me." Davis adjusted the band of his goggles.
"How's being the leader now?" Ken asked.
"Dude, I have to be honest with you. It still has not even remotely sunk in yet. Honestly, I don't know why you guys picked me to be your leader," Davis twiddled his thumbs as he sat on the ledge of the fountain. "Tai told me it was a unanimous decision, but I want to understand why. Why me, Ken? Why did you want me to be leader?"
Ken gave a shy smile. "Your heart," he said. "You took a chance on me by wanting to be my friend, despite everything I had done to you before. You earned my respect a that day on the soccer field. I also owe you my life. You were the one who suggested that everyone spare me rather than leave me to die in the desert.
"When everyone else was hesitant to trust me, you were the only one who tried to get to know me, besides Matt. If there's anyone I'd go through hellfire with, it'd be you, Davis. That's why I nominated you to be leader.
"Kari chose you because she was proud of the progress you've made during your training sessions; Yolei noticed how mature and responsible you've become; and Cody felt no one was better than you after what happened the other day. You were the unanimous choice, Davis."
Davis' heart grew three sizes like the Grinch. His chest swelled with pride. This was the kind of confirmation he needed to know what they really thought of him. For almost the entire length of his term as a Destined Jedi, he was content to just be one of the team and didn't try to stand out too much after settling down.
"Thanks," he choked, patting Ken on the shoulder. "I'm lucky to have a friend like you, Ken."
Ken chuckled. "No, it's me that's lucky to have you. Everyone else feels the same way too."
Davis' face fell. "Not everyone," he muttered, thinking of TK. What was he going to do about the blonde?
Ken must have read his mind because he quickly said, "Just go talk to him."
"I'm worried he won't listen."
"Then make him listen," the Jedi of Kindness urged. "Arukenimon and Mummymon will not rest until they have me and him. Going off on his own puts him at a higher risk of being captured."
Davis sighed sadly and looked behind him at the fountain. This was his first real test as leader, and it was one he wasn't sure he was ready for. How did Tai learn to do all this in the time he did during the older kids' first adventures?
"What if I mess up?" he asked, the self-doubt threatening to swallow him. "What if I only make things worse with him?"
"We have your back the whole way, Davis," Ken patted his shoulder. "We'll back you on whatever you do."
"That's right," said Cody as he came back, carrying a strawberry and matcha ice cream cone in his hand. "You've proven yourself, Davis. Don't think we haven't noticed."
The newly-minted leader nodded with shaky confidence. Ken's encouraging words made him feel a little better.
"Thanks."
A pair of binoculars scanned the desert with deep concentration. On the right side, there was nothing but sand and miles of horizon; the left side was more of the same except it went off into the mountains. Still no trace of the targets.
The binoculars were lowered to reveal narrow, concentrated blue eyes. Blonde hair spilled out from under the tan bucket hat, which used to have goggles resting right on the brim. TK grunted to himself. Nothing.
"Damn it," he cursed. "Where are they?"
Even though he was suspended from Destined Jedi activities, that did not technically mean he was banned from going to the Digital World. The day before, he sensed the group was there too so he just stayed far enough away from them that they couldn't sense him. He'd find Arukenimon and Mummymon, destroy them, and then the Jedi would be begging for him to come back and be their leader again.
"They might be in the mountains," TK murmured to himself. "Let's try there. I will not rest until I find them."
The blonde trekked on, ignoring the sand collecting in his sandals and how tired he was in pursuit of his goal. He'd show Tai. He'd show them all. They were all fools to question his authority. Just wait until he returned with Arukenimon and Mummymon's heads. He'd be given a hero's welcome.
Up ahead, a familiar shape emerged on the horizon. TK picked up his pace, wondering if maybe that was a possible clue to the two Digimons' whereabouts. What a lucky break!
When he got closer, TK's face fell. It was a large ship slowly decaying from the elements. Ken's former base. Metal, pieces of machinery, and large openings in the structure allowed one a chance to get a look at the interior. The Jedi blew up the engines to stop Ken from escaping to capture him, but ran into Kimeramon.
'Good riddance,' he thought. 'May it stay here to rot away forever.'
He continued his journey, reaching the mountains in half an hour. TK used the Force to look for any trace of his adversaries. He caught a whiff of their scent but after inspecting it in detail, he realized they had been here not long ago. The blonde kicked himself. He had just missed them.
Looking up in the sky, TK noticed the sun was starting to set. He had to get home soon or else his mom would think something happened. As much as he wanted to stay and pursue the two Digimon, he was no fool. It was time to go home. Hopefully tomorrow's search would go better.
TK opened a portal near a cave wall, focusing on returning to his bedroom. He quickly walked into it.
Not far away, Arukenimon and Mummymon peeked their heads up from their hiding spot behind a ridge. They smiled to each other.
"One is definitely the loneliest number, wouldn't you agree, Mummymon?" Arukenimon smirked, licking her lips with delight.
"Couldn't agree more, Arukenimon," her partner agreed. "Without his friends, the Jedi of Hope will be easy to catch on his own. Let's follow him through that portal."
The woman chuckled. "Impatient, I see. Don't you know good things come to those who wait? We will get our chance to catch him and Little Boy Emperor soon." After tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she said, "For now, we must make our plan. He's bound to come back in search of us, so we have to be ready when he does."
Mummymon snickered with a bright evil smile. The hunt was only just beginning.
"TK, I'm home!"
"Hi, Mom," TK called from his bedroom.
Ms. Takaishi stepped out of her black heels and into the slippers at the edge of the floor before walking into the house. She put her keys on the table nearby and then methodically stepped into the kitchen.
"I just came by to pick up something really quick and then I'll be back out again, TK," she said, grabbing a bottle of tea out of the fridge. "I probably won't be back for a few more hours. Looks like you're on your own for dinner tonight."
"That's okay," her son replied. "I'll just eat the leftover rice in the fridge. Not a big deal."
"Alright."
Ms. Takaishi went into the living room and found what she was looking for on the coffee table: A sealed file. She had forgotten it earlier that morning, but didn't realize it until much later.
She looked over at her son's bedroom door. For the last three days, TK had been despondent and snappy whenever she saw him. She wondered what was wrong with him. For a second, she thought about stepping in to ask about it, but once glance at her watch told her "no way."
"Alright, I'm out," she said.
"Bye."
As Ms. Takaishi made her way to the door, the sound of knuckles rapping against the metal door caught her attention.
"Coming," she replied, taking her keys and putting her shoes back on before stepping to the door.
Davis smiled and bowed in greeting. "Good evening, Ms. Takaishi," he said. "Is TK home?"
"He's in his room," she said. "I don't mean to be rude, Davis, but what do you want? I have to leave."
"I'd just like to talk to him," the boy replied. "He wasn't at school today, so I decided to check on him."
Ms. Takaishi bristled. TK skipped school today? She looked back at her son's bedroom, wondering whether to pursue the topic now or later. She chose the latter.
The woman nodded and stepped past the boy, leaving the door open for him. "Of course. Go right ahead."
"Thank you."
Davis stepped inside the apartment and took his shoes off. A spare pair of slippers sat near the step that led to the hardwood floors. He stepped into them and took off toward the blonde's room. His Force energy was not hard to locate: A swirling mess of light and darkness, along with pain.
'Give me strength to get through this,' he silently prayed to whatever deity would hear him. His body shook with nervousness. 'Give me the wisdom to say the right things.'
He knocked on the door lightly and opened it. The room was dark, with only the small rays of sunshine peaking through the blinds as light. TK sat on the well-made bed, looking down at his thighs.
Davis' throat tightened, refusing to allow the words he was going to say to form in his mouth. This was for real now. There was no going back.
"H-Hey," he choked out, letting the blonde know he was there. He stepped inside the room and closed the door. "I came to see how you were doing."
TK snapped out of his thoughts and finally turned to look at the visitor. His eyes narrowed in anger when he saw Davis standing at the door. What was he doing here? He opened his mouth to tell Davis to go away.
Then he saw them.
The blonde's annoyance instantly morphed into complete hatred when he glanced at the top of Davis' head. The goggles that once belonged to him now rested on the burgundy-haired Jedi's brow. So, Tai chose Davis to replace him, huh? TK's whole body shook with uncontrollable rage as he fumed in silence.
Davis flipped the light switch, filling the room with brightness. He noted the blonde's hot anger with a nervous gulp. Looks like this was not going to be a straightforward conversation. Despite his fear, he kept his cool and stood planted in his spot. The only way this would work was if he stayed in control.
TK didn't give him a chance to say anything as he swiped his lightsaber from his waist and charged.
"YAAHHHHHH!" he roared, bringing the saber to life. He raised the blue blade over his head, intending to cut Davis in half.
Davis jumped out of the way at the last second and rolled behind TK. He wrapped his arm around the boy's throat to try and slow him down. An elbow sank right into his gut. Davis grunted in pain, stepping back with a hand pressed to his side.
TK swung his saber right for Davis' side. Another blue lightsaber shot up and blocked the attack. The two Jedi stared at each other. Their sabers buzzed and sparked between them as they challenged each other with silent glares.
TK broke away from the lock and swung at Davis with all of his strength. Davis arched his back to dodge it and used his saber to block the rest. He made sure to not give in to his anger the whole time. All of his saber training with Tai had prepared him for this moment.
Soon, slash marks coated the walls. A few books lay spilled on the floor after TK sliced through an entire bookshelf. There was no real form to the blonde's offense. He was going off of pure, unadulterated hatred. Davis was picked as his replacement, so he had to die first. His attacks were powerful, but he was also leaving himself open. That didn't matter. He had to end this.
TK stunned Davis with an elbow to the face. With the boy's defenses down, he went right for the kill. Davis ducked under the saber and used the pommel of his to whack TK on the side of the head.
The blonde staggered to his left, grabbing his head as he dropped onto his leg. His head rang from the hit, so much that TK had to lay down to cope with the dizziness. Davis planted his foot on TK's chest and pointed his saber at his throat. He had won. The battle was over.
Both Jedi panted heavily, having used all of their strength in that short duel. TK's eyes widened at how close the saber was to his throat. Was Davis going to kill him for what happened the other day?
Davis took a gulp of air and then said, "Can we talk now? Man to man?"
The words shocked TK as he slowly lifted himself back up. He did not expect this.
"Yeah right," he shot with bitterness. "Like hell that's what you're here for. This is the perfect chance to humiliate me and brag about it in front of the competition, so why not go for it?!"
Davis pointed his saber away from TK's throat and deactivated it. He stepped off the boy's chest before giving his reply.
"Dude, am I missing something here? What's your problem, TK? I didn't come here to brag!"
"You're my problem!" TK roared, propping himself up on his elbows.
"This goes way beyond me replacing you as the leader," Davis said, folding his arms across his chest. "Something's been bothering you for a long time, and I bet it's been building."
The blonde sat on his butt and crossed his legs. His eyes continued staring daggers into Davis as he gnashed his teeth. But he did not say a thing. Davis took the chance to elaborate further while he still could.
"I doubt this is the only thing, but I know one of the problems," he continued. "I don't know what happened between you and Kari at school that day in May, but guess what, it's in the past! If you failed once then you try again! Don't let the first failure affect who you are in the future!"
TK snorted with a dismissive roll of his eyes, turning away from Davis. The new leader bared his clenched teeth at the disrespect.
"My being around Kari, and the two of us getting closer, forces you to ask yourself a tough question. Here's a little piece of friendly advice: Go and talk to Kari...from the HEART! Or else one day...I will! And then I really will be your problem!"
The sheen of defiance in TK's eyes faded away to allow emptiness to replace it. Davis spoke the unfortunate truth he had been lying to himself about. His mouth felt like it had been glued shut. Tears started to fill his eyes.
Davis almost felt sorry for him, but kept his distance. He didn't know if he had convinced TK enough to look at the truth with clear eyes. Just to be safe, he decided it was better to leave.
His hand placed itself on the wooden doorframe, stopping him from leaving completely. There was still one last thing to say.
"Whatever happened with your dad, I'm sorry," he said, his back still to TK. "That's life though, TK. We can't control it. If your dad wants to find happiness somewhere else, why not let him? It's been a long time since he and your mom broke up. You can't hold on to the past forever. You're gonna miss some of the good things happening now."
TK folded his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around them, still despondent.
Davis sighed. "I'm still your friend, TK, and," –he turned to look at him– "I forgive you. Meeting tomorrow at my house. I'd like it if you were there. That's all I wanted to say."
TK nodded wordlessly, his anger slowly devolving to shame. He buried his face in his knees as all of his emotions came crashing down on top of him.
"Good night."
Davis turned and left the apartment without another word.
Davis looked over at his alarm clock. It was past five, and all of the Destined Jedi had arrived for the meeting. Except for one. And that was the person he most wanted to be there.
"Anyone seen TK?" he asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
"No, he never said anything to me," Kari said.
"Nor me," Matt echoed.
A knot formed in the older blonde's throat. In a way, he felt responsible. Maybe if he was the one that told TK their dad wanted to marry Rumiko, it would have gone a little better and none of this would have happened.
Cody put down his soda can with a heavy sigh. "We can't wait for TK," he said. "If he doesn't want to be one of us anymore, we should just let him be. Arukenimon and Mummymon are up to something. We have to stop them."
"And you're right, Cody," Joe nodded, patting him on the back. "But we can't leave him like this. TK's one of us. He's hurting. We need to figure out a way to help him."
"But what do we do?" Davis asked. "I tried talking to him, but he wouldn't listen. He didn't even have the decency to show up when I asked him to come to this meeting."
The Jedi turned their collective attention to Matt.
The Jedi of Friendship swallowed. "Wh-Why's everyone looking at me?"
"He's your brother. You fix this." Mimi said with a stern expression.
"Mimi's right, Matt," agreed Sora. "You should talk to him. You're the only one who can really do that."
Matt's cheeks reddened with Sora fussing at him. "No worries, guys. I'll talk to him. He's my little brother, and I don't like the path he's going down."
Tai patted him on the back. "Thanks, Matt," he said. "Go get TK back."
Matt's palms started sweating as he stood in front of the apartment door. He realized––this was the first time he had been to his mother's apartment since she and TK moved to Odaiba.
He reached up to knock on the door, but stopped before his knuckles could tap against the cold metal. What would he say to her? 'Hey, Mom. Can I talk to TK? He's become a complete egomaniac and endangered the team because he's mad about Dad wanting to remarry.' Matt had hardly even spoken to his mother since the faux camping trip, so there was more to overcome. But the need to help TK overcome his sadness overpowered any hesitation he had.
Matt finally pressed his knuckles against the door and tapped on it three times. A few seconds later, it opened and there stood his mother.
"Matt," Ms. Takaishi greeted, surprised by the visitor. A soft smile appeared on her face to cover her shock.
"Hi, Mom," Matt returned, looking down at the ground as an instant reaction. He willed his eyes back up to look at her.
"How are you? What are you doing here?" his mother asked.
"Is TK home?"
"He's not. He went out a little while ago and still hasn't come home," Ms. Takaishi replied. Her face drooped as she continued. "Is this about his recent behavior? He's been acting very strange lately. I'm worried."
Matt nodded. "Yeah, that's why I'm here," he said. "I know what caused him to be this way."
"What is it?"
The blonde teenager took a quick breath to gather his thoughts. His mother deserved to know the seriousness of the situation.
"TK went to see Dad at his office a couple of days ago," he began. "When he was there, Dad broke the news to him."
"What news?" his mother asked, using her natural instinct as a reporter to get to the bottom of this.
"That he is going to ask Rumiko to marry him. He wanted his blessing. I already gave Dad mine, but TK did not take the news well. Dad said he lashed out at him and stormed off in tears. It exploded later that day when he and the younger kids went to the Digital World," Matt lathered his lips with his tongue before continuing. "TK did something incredibly reckless that got Davis injured. Tai stripped him of the goggles and leadership position. He said he was going to go on his own now."
Ms. Takaishi raised her hand to her mouth in disbelief.
"Oh no!" she gasped. "My poor baby."
"He always dreamed of you and Dad getting back together so we could be a family again. This had been building for a long time, Mom. I knew he was a ticking time bomb as far back as June." Matt looked down ashamed. "In a way, I feel responsible for letting this happen. I should have seen it coming."
"No. You didn't do anything wrong, Matt," Ms. Takaishi assured him. "It's my fault. I should have talked to TK about this a long time ago."
Her oldest son looked her dead in the eyes. "Then now's a good time to talk to him. He probably won't listen to me because of the fact that I approved of Dad wanting to propose; I'm a traitor in his eyes. If he hears it from you, he'll probably listen better."
Ms. Takaishi let out a shaky breath. As a mother, this was something she had never planned on encountering. Now, she was forced to confront this situation head on. Her son's happiness and mental health depended on it.
Her head nodded slightly. "Okay," she said. "I'll talk to him when he gets home."
Matt smiled in appreciation. "Thank you."
His mother opened the door a little more, inviting him to come in. "Why don't you stay for a while? Let me show you the apartment."
"No thanks. I have to go." Matt turned away, his eyes darting down to the floor. He stood still for a moment and then walked down the hallway. "Maybe some other time."
TK stepped out of the elevator doors as soon as they opened and stomped down to Apartment 5 with little to no regard for how late the hour was. He had spent all day going through the Digital World in search of Arukenimon and Mummymon again, but still could find no trace of them. It drove him mad; so much that he went for a walk down on the beach afterwards to clear his head.
The young blonde dug through his pocket for his house key. After two seconds of rummaging, he finally felt the cold metal against his fingertips. He inserted the key and turned the lock. A click sounded. TK opened the door and walked into the apartment.
"I'm home, Mom," he called out, taking his shoes off.
"I'm in the living room, TK," Ms. Takaishi replied. "Can you come in here for a second?"
"Sure. Hold on."
TK laid his shoes beside the step and placed the slippers that were waiting at the edge of the hardwood floors on. He treaded lightly into the living room, wondering what his mother had to say.
Ms. Takaishi sat the olive green chair placed against the wall, looking expectantly up at her son. A cup of tea was placed on the coffee table.
"Hi, Mom," he said. "I'm sorry I'm late. I lost track of time."
"Sit down for a second, please."
TK cocked an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked. He wasn't in the mood for this.
"Because I said so," his mother replied soft, but firm. She pointed right to the chair at the other end of the coffee table. "There is something the two of us need to talk about in regards to your recent behavior."
"I keep telling you. It's nothing," TK groaned and looked up at the ceiling, but sat down in the chair. "I've just been under a lot of stress lately."
"TK, you've been skipping school and going out for long periods of time. This is more than stress-related. I need you to be honest with me right now. Remember what we said when you came to live with me after your dad and I separated?"
The blonde looked down at the cherry wood finish of the coffee table, refusing to meet her gaze.
"That we would always be honest with each other," he mumbled.
"That's right," Ms. Takaishi nodded. "I'll be honest with you so long as you do the same for me. That's all I ask." The middle-aged woman took a sip of her hot green tea and held the mug level to her chest.
TK finally looked up to meet her eyes. One look, and he could tell what was on her mind.
"Matt was here, wasn't he?" he said, narrowing his eyes.
His mother nodded. "Yes. He came by a little while ago."
"What did he want?"
"He's worried about you."
TK's glare became darker. "That's it?" he snapped. "That's all he came to tell you?" He scoffed. "No need to be a genius to state the obvious."
"Watch your tone with me, young man," Ms. Takaishi cautioned. "This is more than that. He also told me the reason why you've been behaving this way recently."
TK froze. No! He didn't!
"Does this have to do with your father wanting to ask Rumiko to marry him?"
The boy's body went rigid. His throat clenched up, cutting off any words that wanted to burst out of his voice box. His mouth hung slightly open as he sat like a statue. His silence was all the confirmation his mother needed to know she hit the bullseye.
His mother looked down to her tea and spoke in a soft voice. There was a kind smile that grew as if she was reminiscing about the past. "Your father is a grown man who can make his own decisions about the life he wants to live."
TK's throat finally loosened enough to allow words to come pouring out. When they did, they came out dark and bitter.
"So you're just gonna let this go?" he growled with a glare. "You're not going to try to convince him it's a bad idea? Do you still love him at all?"
"A part of me will always love your father," Ms. Takaishi said with a soft, caring tone. "But there are some relationships no one can fix because the damage has already been done. I've moved on from your dad since we separated. I'm glad to see he's trying to do the same."
"What?" TK gasped, feeling his heart being torn piece by piece inside his chest.
"I know this is going to be a bit of an adjustment, TK, but Rumiko is a nice woman and your father has been a much better person ever since he met her. I'm glad he's found someone who understands him and makes him happy. But one thing will never change: The fact your father loves you and Matt. You'll always be first to him."
TK scoffed. "Yeah, right. He doesn't care. He never stopped to think what this would do to me."
"Do you think if he didn't care, he would have asked for your blessing?" his mother countered.
TK became tongue-tied for a second. He stared at his mother in shock, unable to believe what she was saying.
"How could you let him go?" he finally asked.
Ms. Takaishi sighed. "TK, your father and I were young and our careers kept us apart," she said. "Those things happen. We talked about this after your father and I separated and we started living together. Do you remember?"
TK shot up and pounded his fists on the coffee table. "WHY DID YOU LET HIM GO?!" he roared, flipping over his chair. All of the anger he had kept inside of him for so long finally came out. "What is wrong with you?! Why would you break up this family?!"
The woman froze in fear at her son's outburst as he paced across the floor with heavy footsteps. His fists quivered with fury. This was a side to TK she had never seen before. He was always her happy-go-lucky, sweet little boy. Now, he was a raging inferno threatening to burn everything in his path.
"How selfish can you be!" he shot. "Can't you tell that Dad still loves you? Don't you want to fix your relationship with Matt?" With an accusatory finger, he added, "Get over whatever bat shit crazy ideas that relationships can't be fixed and go fix it!"
The chair he got up from suddenly shot from the floor and collided with the wall as TK started pacing the floor again. When the chair landed, a large hole marked its presence on the wall.
Ms. Takaishi winced at the sight, but did not remark about it.
"He's using that woman to get over you! He doesn't love her! He still has that photo of the four of us in his wallet!" TK shouted, setting his fiery eyes on his mother.
The woman squeaked and curled further up on her seat as her son came closer. He placed his hands on the chair arms, cutting off any escape and forcing her to look him straight in the eyes. They were shut now, with tears starting to form. Behind him, the couch and coffee table started to move across the room. She guessed that was the Force responding to TK's intense emotions.
"Go stop him! Do the right thing and beg that he take you back!" TK screamed, angry tears falling from his tightly-shut eyes. "MAKE US A FAMILY AGAIN!"
CRACK!
The sound of splintering wood filled the room, then everything went silent. Ms. Takaishi looked past her son to see that the coffee table had been splintered in two. There was yet another thing she had to replace.
TK's hands tightly squeezed the arms of the chair, almost to the point that he could disjoint them on his own. Tears dripped from his eyes and his breath came out in choked gasps. He exploded into loud, pained sobs as he collapsed to his knees.
"Why can't you take him back?" TK whimpered, weakly pounding his fists against her thighs. He buried his face in her lap and continued sobbing.
The woman felt no physical pain from the hits, but the sight of her son in so much pain was like a knife in her heart. His cries broke her inside. After listening to him cry for a few moments, she finally had enough and slinked off the chair to her knees.
Ms. Takaishi hugged her son, pressing him into her chest. TK took fistfuls of his mother's shirt as he clung to her. The two kneeled on the ground together with the mother desperately trying to comfort her crying child.
"Shhh," she hushed, rubbing the back of his blonde hair. "It's alright, TK."
A soft hum emanated from her throat as she rocked TK back and forth. This was just like when he would come to her after a nightmare when he was little. TK's cries settled down a little.
"Why won't you fix things?" he asked, wiping his nose as he pulled away from his mother.
Ms. Takaishi sighed, tucking a stray lock of hair back into place. "There are things that can't be fixed," she repeated. "Your father and I made a decision that we felt was right, and we did it. I know it's been hard on you living without your dad and your brother for most of your life, but that does not mean your dad doesn't love you. I'll always be here for you, TK. I'm fine not being with your dad."
TK wiped his eyes free of whatever tears were left. His cheeks were numb from the amount of tears the fell down them, and snot dripped from his nose.
"It's not fair," he sniffled. "You guys gave up on each other, so you gave up on Matt and I and even separated us." More angry tears fell down his face. "It wasn't enough for you to divorce me from my father. You had to divorce me from my brother!"
"I would have taken you both if I could," his mother replied, a sad, regretful look in her eyes. "Matt was adamant about living with your dad though."
TK scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "He what? Why?"
"I don't know." Ms. Takaishi sighed, her eyes glazing over, losing herself in her thoughts. When she came to again, she looked at him sternly. "I did not give up on you two. You mean more to me than anything in this whole world, Takeru."
The Jedi of Hope bristled at her calling him by his real name. He hated being called by his real name. His mother's words finally dawned on him, struggling to come up with an idea of why Matt didn't live with them. Then it came to him.
"He blames you, doesn't he?" he said.
His mother looked down in shame. Tears filled her eyes. All of the memories she kept inside from that time finally came back. When the divorce was final, she and her husband sat Matt and TK down and asked them who they wanted to live with. She regretted it now. Seven and four-year-olds should never have to be put in that position, but they were. TK chose her, but Matt stabbed her in the heart with one declaration:
"No! I want to live with Daddy."
And that was that. Hiroaki got custody of Matt, while she took TK and moved to Sangenjaya for her job. Matt and his father went to Shinjuku and then Odaiba to be closer to Hiroaki's new job at the newly-constructed Fuji TV building.
"Yes," she murmured. "I'm afraid so."
TK hunched over in thought. Matt felt the same way. He figured that Matt came to terms with the divorce long ago and that's why he accepted Rumiko. It allowed both him and his father the chance to start over. Seeing the actual reason why Matt had a shaky relationship with his mother made him feel somewhat validated. He felt a bit guilty that this new tidbit of information made him feel somewhat better about the whole thing.
His tone was calmer as he said, "Answer me this: If you could go back in time, would you fix things before they got bad, or let it happen again?"
His mother thought about this for a minute. It would have been nice to have a better relationship with Matt. But there was the one thing she got out of the divorce she would never give up.
"I would not," she said. "I believe that there is a plan already made for us when we are born. It was my destiny to meet your father, have you and Matt, and we were meant to not be together." Then she smiled. "But I got the best thing out of it. I got you."
TK lowered his head. Silent tears spilled from his eyes. He wiped them away before asking, "You really believe in destiny and fate?"
Ms. Takaishi nodded. "I do."
TK looked down at the tattoo on his wrist. He briefly noticed some black edges on the shooting star. "I became a Destined Jedi because it was my destiny. I guess..." he sighed sharply. "I don't know if I could ever accept her."
"Even if you don't accept her, you should at least respect your father's decision," his mother said, ruffling his hair. "He deserves to be happy too, and I know Rumiko is the one that can really make a positive difference in his life."
TK wiped away whatever tears were left before standing up. He needed some time to process all of this. Guilt and sadness weighed down like a heavy weight.
"Excuse me," he said as he walked to his bedroom and shut the door behind him.
Ms. Takaishi placed herself back in the chair, waiting for her son to come out with anxious anticipation. She wondered if she managed to get through to him. It would break her heart if TK grew up to be as bitter and angry towards his father as Matt had been to her for several years.
Five minutes later, TK emerged from his bedroom and walked timidly into the living room. His eyes were cast down at the floor until he reached the chair his mother sat in. His head slowly tilted up to reveal a small smile.
"I may not like it," he said, "but I will try to respect Dad's decision."
Ms. Takaishi sighed with relief, standing up to hug her son tight. Her heart swelled with pride. Her boy was growing up ever more by the day.
"That's my boy," she whispered proudly. She ruffled his hair. "Your father loves you. That will never change, TK."
"I know," he replied. His voice was hoarse from all the crying and yelling he did. TK looked back at the damage he had done and flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry about the wreckage. You can take that out of my allowance."
"Don't worry about it."
The next day, TK trudged over to the warehouse along the bay. Fear rose up in his throat. What would he say to them after what he did? Would they even take him back? There was only one way to find out. He opened the door a peek to check if the others were there. Sure enough, all of them were. He pressed the door open.
The atmosphere went cold as soon as TK peeked his head inside. The others heard the door open behind them and quickly turned, hoping it wasn't a trespasser. Once they saw it was the younger blonde, they relaxed a bit but their glares never let up as he walked inside.
"What are you doing here, TK?" Tai said. "You can't come with us. You're still suspended."
"Yeah, I know," TK replied, looking down at the floor.
"Have you come to apologize then?" Matt asked, folding his arms with a glare. "You didn't come to the meeting yesterday like Davis asked you to."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I came to talk."
"Then talk."
TK swallowed the knot forming in his throat. This was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. He felt his friends eyeing him with suspicion, like he was going to snap at any second. A shaky breath escaped his mouth before speaking.
"I've been kind of a jerk, guys," he said quietly. As he said the words, it hit him how true that statement was. "None of you deserve it. It's because I'm still dealing with some things I've never really taken the time to address before. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I failed all of you."
His hands balled into fists and then relaxed as a way to deal with the tension. None of the other Jedi said a thing. TK worried about what they must be thinking right now.
"I can understand if you guys don't want me to be on the team anymore, but I want to say that I'm truly sorry." He looked at Davis. "Davis, I'm sorry for blowing you off and getting you hurt. It was my fault the mission was a failure. I ruined everything by letting my ego get in the way. I promise I will try to get better."
TK looked down at his wrist. The black that had crept into the border of his tattoo receded a little. His eyes stayed fixed on the ground, awaiting what everyone's reaction would be.
Tai and Matt stepped forward until they were within inches of him. TK's eyes didn't budge and his palms started sweating.
The older blonde put a hand on his younger brother's head and ruffled his hat.
"We're glad to have you back, TK," he said with a smile. Guess his mom must have gotten through to him after all. "We forgive you."
"Just so long as this does not happen again," Tai added.
"It won't," TK assured. His eyes shined with relief at his apology being accepted. This was a chance to start over again, and it was one he would not waste.
The head of the Destined Jedi patted him on the shoulder. "Welcome back, TK."
"I'm glad to be home." The Jedi of Hope then turned his attention to his brother. "Hey, Matt, can we talk really quick? Just you and me."
Matt nodded. "Sure."
The two brothers moved to a separate corner of the warehouse as everyone else went to the computer room.
"What'd you want to talk to me about?" Matt asked. "Just so you know, TK, I'm not the only one you need to apologize to."
"Already done," TK replied quick. "I went to see Dad before I came here. I told him he was free to ask Rumiko to marry him. I may not like that he wants to remarry, but I will respect his decision. You guys deserve to be happy too."
The older blonde gave a genuine bright smile. He gave TK a one-armed hug, then released it.
"Thanks, buddy. Now, let's go. We've got two outlaws to round up."
"Yeah!"
Mr. Ishida struggled to keep his nerve as he stared at the woman across from him. He was really going to do this. After being a divorced single father for a little over seven years, he was going to take the plunge again. To open his heart to someone else.
The soft jazz music in the restaurant did little to quell his nerves. His hand shook as he dug into his pants pocket. The other adjusted his necktie.
"Rumiko," he said. "I love you. I have never felt this way about anyone after I got divorced and before I met you." His hand brought the black box up to the table and placed it down. He opened it to reveal the shiny diamond ring inside.
Rumiko gasped. "Hiro…"
"Will you marry me?" Mr. Ishida asked, swallowing the knot in his throat.
Rumiko struggled to keep her emotions in check. A bright smile shot up her lips. She was so happy.
"Yes," she nodded, tears of joy welling up in her eyes.
What awaits the Destined Jedi next on their quest to capture Arukenimon and Mummymon? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor.
PHEW! That was a lot of work this week, but so worth it. Hope you all are doing well during these crazy times. Thank God I have writing and all of you to keep me sane.
I want to thank Super Saiyan 3 Odd for contributing the dialogue after Davis and TK's fight. Thank you, Odd.
Poor TK. I really felt bad for him. I was on the end of a divorce too, so I can definitely relate to the struggle he has gone through. He's kept all of that inside of him for years and it came spilling out.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Leave a review and subscribe as always if you haven't already. We are now hitting the homestretch and going into turn 3 on the last lap so you do not want to miss anything.
Good news: the reboot of season one comes out on Sunday! Yay! Followed by the second season of Fruits Basket! Christmas in April for me, guys! Finally, we get something good to happen to us after the disappointment of Kizuna. See you guys next week.
