Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon no matter how many times I work on the story.

On a separate note this arc really got me inspired by Kingdom Hearts. The characters are memorable, the story fabulous, and the Disney characters honestly don't seem to me to be of any consequence. As I write I think sometimes we all need to do some introspection to make sense of our actions and the difference we want to make in the world no matter how small. It makes you wonder what you'll find in your heart when you look deep inside? Perhaps in the center is a desire, a yearning for something you deeply want but have been buried deep for while and forgotten. And sometimes that even surprises us. If your heart surprises you sharply enough could that not give you a heart attack? Or will it just give you heart ache? Or maybe heart burn?

Chapter Ten: The World Within

Sometimes waking up to no sound at all...is more frightening than your worst nightmare. For in nightmares the fear will help you leap out of what scares you...But if you wake up with nothing to stimulate the senses back to reality...have you really escaped? The desperation lingers in the quiet interlude between being asleep, being awake...being alive..."

Takeru felt his own voice seep through his mind, as he became aware of himself. He remembered writing those exact words in a novel he had been working on secretly ever since he had been a child. Takeru molded it and adapted it to his life. Yes, those words were the opening to his story about a boy who had horrible nightmares, woke up, but one day woke up without anything around him. He thought he had woken up and life seemed real, but, his senses were playing tricks on him. He started to doubt his senses if he had woken up at all. And ultimately he found out at the end of a quest desperate to wake himself that he had slipped into a coma when he finds his body at a hospital. It was a pretty deep story and somehow Takeru found himself relating to the main character Takema very well.

He opened his eyes, shards of light and glass flashing before him; a whole expanse stretching all around him, Takeru marveling at it. In a brilliant flash Takeru covered his eyes with his forearm, blinded by the light. As the light died down he opened them, staring around at his surroundings. He looked around him, a brilliant clear off white sky above him, clouds gliding in the air. He recognized some structured buildings, very familiar with a couple high rise buildings.

One of them happened to be Heighton View Terrace from his memories as a child. The other he remembered as Koushiro's office. It felt odd that no birds or anything fluttered above his head or their were no cars that went on by. He looked down realizing he stood at an odd location; some place he had not ever remembered being at before.

"It's like bits and pieces of everything," he wondered. He decided to head over to Heighton View Terrace climbing up the apartment stairway until he was on the top floor of the fifth floor complex. He went over to the farthest end and stared across the horizon marveling it. Yes, he remembered quite a few of those buildings. Eastward he saw his high school and even further east he saw the beach he had visited at times of reflection, but more importantly when he had desperately been searching for Hikari when she had been taken by the Dark Ocean.

He then searched west and saw a home of his, not quite sure of if it had been when he had been a child or a teenager. To the south he recognized what looked like his grandparents place from where he had often been with his older brother when he had been very little. He also vaguely saw to the southwest his brother's and dad's residence as well. He could not believe all of these buildings could be clustered so close together. To the Southeast he recognized Taichi's and Hikari's place. He had never been so fascinated by his environment, but he did not have time to just stare at it his scenery all day.

"Hey," he said looking to the north at a very peculiar structure. "What is that?" he said out loud. The building looked like a tower of sorts. At the base it spiraled around, going higher and higher until one could see the tower going nearly into the sky. "Never seen anything like that before."

He thought he could see a light at the very top, but was unsure if maybe that had been the sun.

The sound of footsteps startled him, as he turned to the side, noticing a kid holding onto the hand rails pointing up. "Cool huh?" the boy said, his brown shorts, green hat, and shirt seeming almost nostalgic to see. The boy had bright blue eyes and blonde hair and just the dopiest smile he had ever seen.

Takeru smiled. "Yeah," he said. "Never seen a tower like that before. You know what that is?"

The boy smiled. "Yeah. You look like someone I know mister. Are you like a cousin or a long lost brother or something?"

Takeru stifled some laughter and kneeled down placing his hand on the boys shoulders.

"I guess you could say something like that Takeru," he grinned. "What do you think?"

"Hey!" the boy exclaimed his hands up in defense. "I never told you my name! How did you know that?"

Takeru scratched his cheek, not quite sure how to explain it. "Let's just say I know you better than you know yourself. What is that tower Take-"

"-Hey! Their you go again!" the boy exclaimed. "I go by TK. Call me TK. And I'm not as short as I look."

Takeru looked at him, the words dancing across his memories of summer camp. "I see," he nodded. "Sorry TK. Didn't mean to offend you. I was just teasing," he winked.

The boy grinned back. "It's ok. I tease people all the time. I gotcha!"

Takeru smiled back standing back up and looking at the tower.

"So what that is that place?" he asked.

"I've never actually been there," TK replied. "What I do know is it's called the Tower of Completion."

Takeru found the name puzzling, but also felt very curious.

"Kind of mysterious," he said. "Do you know what's up there?"

"Mmmm, I don't know," TK said, his arms stretched out scratching his back. "But I do know that you can't go there alone. And something is on top of there that's really important to this place," he said looking around. "There's hardly anybody here."

"Nobody? What about your brother or your friend or-"

"-Oh yeah!" he responded. "Their is another boy I've seen. He kind of looks like a cousin. I can show you where he is if you like!"

"That would be great," he replied. "Lead the way TK!"

"Hey that rhymes!" TK laughed. "I like that Mister! You're pretty funny!"

Takeru found himself being led by a little version of himself back into the town plaza he had found himself in before. His bright lively eyes darted around as if looking for someone.

"By the way,"Takeru asked, "Have you seen a girl around here? Her name is Hikari."

TK turned and looked at him strangely. "I know someone with that name," he said, "But she's my age. She's with her brother Taichi a lot. I haven't seen them though."

That would make sense. If TK was him when he was a child of course he would only have memories of Hikari when she was a child to. They were similar in age after all.

The inquisitive boy looked around, suddenly pointing over towards the school.

"I see him around there a lot. Come on! I'll race you!" he grinned, running away, Takeru chasing after him.

He remembered back in those days of being so carefree. Now that he thought about it, he had been way too trusting as a kid and so energetic! He could barely keep up with him.

"Come on slowpoke! I'll race you up the stairs!" he exclaimed.

TK bolted up the stairs and went into the school.

Inside the school, everything looked the same. The lockers, the cafeteria, the computer lab. He felt a little nostalgic looking back at it all. TK seemed to know the lay out pretty well to. They passed by the gym and he stared out remembering his days playing basketball, but losing interest. He could only dunk and dribble past Daisuke so many times. He thought about the others, Miyako, Iori, and Ken, their place empty where they once had stood ever since the Meicoomon incident. He thought about the last time he saw them, how they seemed to be as if zombies, struggling even with basic actions such as walking and eating and not being able to talk clearly.

He remembered a time when him and Hikari visited them. Despite their best efforts trying to stir something in them like a remnant of a conscience they weren't able to recall anything or even recognize them. That walk back seemed so lonely, Takeru supporting Hikari, reminiscing over the days with the former crew; making Hikari laugh, her tears falling away. He cherished those light moments, but wanted to be with her in those hard times. Looking back at the most recent events in his life, she had been doing that for him now. It brought a smile to his face as he passed on, following little TK turning a corner over to a familiar room.

He stepped inside, TK stopping at a window pulling on the sleeve of a slender handsome young man with a white hat, and a green and yellow sweater.

The youth turned toward him, Takeru instantly recognizing himself in middle school.

"Well this is unexpected," the youth said. "Didn't think there was anyone here besides me and TK."

His inquisitive, but friendly eyes reminded Takeru of his days with the others, only Hikari remaining of them all. He remembered when he first entered into the classroom and saw her after so long, their friendship instantly rekindled upon seeing each other...and the jealous face making threatening gestures a little ways away from her. He could not help but smile remembering it.

"See?" TK said. "I told you I could find him and I sure did."

"Way to go," Takeru said rubbing his head, TK fighting his hands off.

"Hey, knock it off!" he exclaimed. "I'm not a little kid you know. I don't like that."

Takeru nodded his head shrugging him off. Yes, he was right. Maybe that was why he started wearing a hat as a kid. People treated him like one so much when he was little. As he got older it kind of just grew on him, and he's always had one ever since.

"So, it must be pretty important if TK brought you here," his younger adolescent self said. "Why did you come over here?"

Takeru swallowed wanting to know if by chance maybe this Takeru would be able to remember Hikari.

"I wanted to know if you saw a girl come by here," he said, a tenseness filling up his voice. "She's about my age. Her name is Hikari. I think you might recognize her. Have you seen her?"

The young man looked away from him as if considering it. "I know someone named Hikari, but she's my age," he explained. "To tell you the truth I know about her and all the other digidestined. But even if I know about them it's kind of odd," he said, his eyes staring up into the sky above.

"They are in my memories, but it's like I haven't seen them. It kind of makes it all feel like a dream!" he turned around smiling. "But anyway, that's my problem not yours," he said as if studying him more. "I'm sure there's more to it than that though," he grinned.

Takeru looked down at his younger self who kept nodding his head.

"Can't pull anything over your eyes," he said, one hand in his pocket trying hard not to clench his fist. "I wanted to know about the Tower of Completion. Aside from where it is, I don't know anything about it. But," he said keeping an eye on the other Takeru's reactions,"I have a feeling that's where Hikari is."

The other Takeru's eyes seemed to stop looking over Takeru, a hesitant coldness warming up to him. "I see," he replied. "Wow, you must be really worried about her," he added going over towards his desk. "To tell you the truth I don't know if Hikari is up there, but I do know the Tower of Completeness keeps this world together. You could say it's the heart of this world."

Takeru nodded vigorously. "That's good to know, but how do I get up there?"

The other Takeru stared at him seriously. "The only way to make it up there is to be prepared. Their is no lock on this door, but there is a process to reach the top. Apparently you can't get there unless you're in one accord with yourself. "

'One accord..." Takeru repeated, concentrating on it.

"...That's right," the other Takeru replied. "You have to be in sync with your past, your present, and your future...whatever that means," he said, his eyes focusing on the little older Takeru.

"So how do you know that?" he asked. "And what would happen if someone went up there not in sync with their past or future?"

"Hmm," the other Takeru said grabbing his bag and placing it on his back. "Call it crazy, but, I had no idea about it until just a few minutes ago. Somehow it's like you two cleared my mind," he said.

"Wow! That's kind of freaky!" TK said in amazement. "And I had an idea where you were, but I could not find you for certain until he arrived!"

"So what does that mean?" Takeru pondered.

"I think it means we need to look for Hikari," the younger Takeru said. "I don't know why, but, just hearing this guy talk about her makes me want to find her to. It's kind of strange."

The other Takeru glanced at Takeru and then back at Takeru himself, Takeru wondering if by chance he had figured it out. He always had been a bright youth.

"So then," he said grinning confidently. "What do you think we should do...future Takeru?"

"Future?!" The younger Takeru squealed, Takeru not at all amazed at their reactions.

"That's right,"Takeru sighed, amazed at his past self. "Takeru, you consider me to be in the future, but to me you and TK are my past." He walked a step forward, trying to take command of the three of them, knowing he himself may not take someone serious if they did not appear serious.

"My question I have for you both is do you want to see Hikari as bad as I do?"

The other Takeru's looked at each other as if they were having a conversation.

"Of course!" TK said turning towards him determined. "Taichi made me promise him I would protect her so that's what I'm going to do!"

The other Takeru smirked cheekily. "I've gone to the dark ocean and back for her. A little tower like that is nothing!"

Takeru grabbed each of their hands and smiled looking at them. "Awesome guys. It looks like we are in one accord. Let's go up to the tower!

Takeru walked with his child form and adolescent form, chatting with them avoiding the silence as best as he could. He could not help but be impressed by TK's cheerfulness or Takeru's resourcefulness. Never in a million years would he give himself a compliment like that, but seeing them apart from him he could barely hide how impressed he was.

As they walked and talked about each other, where they came from and what they were doing, Takeru realized it made sense for him to find them there. The younger Takeru kept going on and on about how cool digimon were and mentioned the divorce. The middle age one kept to himself a lot, but if he said anything about darkness, Hikari, or his parents he lit up and could not stop talking or monopolizing the conversation. For once he realized how much of a headache he could be!

Eventually he found that through their talks he had completely forgotten about all the landmarks and found himself staring up at the light gray tower, curving around and stretching into the sky. Overhead, he saw a gate that had the crest of hope carved onto it.

"This must be it," Takeru said staring up at it. He hesitated walking up the first stair, a tingling sensation gripping him almost as if he had been stepping on a piece of glass.

He looked back at the others, the other Takeru's not at all fazed. "H-hey," he said a little bit anxiously, "If we weren't in sync for whatever reason what do you think would happen to us?" he asked.

The younger Takeru peeked out from behind the other and laughed a little heartily. "I can answer that!" he yelled. "If we weren't in sync then we would just continue walking on but not getting through the past or the present. So we would not be able to step into the future! It would be like we were walking endlessly!"he exclaimed. "That sure sounds like it would ruin your tennis shoes," he commented to himself afterwards.

"We're doing fine," the middle school Takeru replied. "Though it feels like a strange sensation. Every time I take a step it's like my heart hurts. It feels like I have not seen Hikari in such a long time," he sighed.

Takeru glanced back wondering about the two. It seemed like they were starting to think how he had been thinking, the emotions being displayed as maturely as kids their age reflected.

"Hmm," he smirked walking forward reflecting on his past, especially on how he used to see Hikari. He knew he would never get such an opportunity again to really understand how he felt rather than just feel something for her.

"You know TK," he said, "What do you think of Hikari?" he asked.

"What?!" he shouted, his voice annoyingly loud. "What do you mean what do I think of her?! That's a weird thing to say!" he said, his voice clumsy and starting to clam up.

Takeru smiled as he walked knowing that expression well.

"Just answer it," he said walking forward more confident with each step. "When it comes to her you know that you can't really describe those words can you? Just do the best you can," he encouraged not even turning around.

The other Takeru walked forward next to him twiddling his thumbs. "W-well," he said as if struggling to say anything. "Hikari is so much fun to play with. And pretty, and we get along just like best friends!"

"Is that right?" The other Takeru said approaching him.

"Yeah!" he admitted. "Kind of like we're brother and sister!"

At that moment Takeru felt his stomach lurch, stopping, the other stopping as well.

"No, just please no," he said, that thought filling his throat with disgust. Was that really how he had seen her one time?

He turned around, the other Takeru walking just behind him.

"What about you?" he asked. "How do you see Hikari?"

The teenage boy scratched the side of his head tapping his white cap. "I guess you could say she's the girl I adore, but also the girl I would do anything for, even if that ended up hurting me," he said. "I just don't want to see anything take away her smile because it's so painful," he laughed, Takeru smiling.

Yes, that was the perfect way how he felt about Hikari in middle school and early high school.

He looked at the others and then looked down at his hand as if he could sense all of their insecurities and feelings himself. "TK," he smiled. "One day you will know just how pretty and wonderful Hikari is. She will be more dear to you than a sister and even more so than your mother."

He made a fist and felt even more determined to see her.

"Takeru," he said referring to his teenage self, "You really will do anything for Hikari, even if it does hurt you. But your sorrow will not be in vain. She will be there waiting for you adoring you just like you adore her."

He kept walking forward thinking he heard them behind him, but walked on trusting they were there. He came across a couple other gates as he walked forward, the hours blurring, clouds and sky also blending together like a milkshake, Takeru doing his best to keep his bearings and head up there. He felt surprisingly light. He stared down from the steps, realizing the higher he walked the lighter he felt. Eventually he reached a final gate just steps from the very summit of the tower.

He sighed, steeling his nerves ready to see Hikari as he walked forward. The feelings of his childhood and preteen and teen years flooded into him. He pushed forward more sound in his mind possessing a solid foundation of his past. He walked forward, not at all puzzled he could not hear footsteps behind him. He stared up seeing a massive symbol of hope lit up in a brilliant yellow light. Below it he marveled seeing a summoning area right beneath it. He wondered if by chance that could be Hikari or if it could be Patamon or something else.

"This is really strange," he said walking forward, feeling as if he weighed twice as less with each footstep. "Is this really the Tower of Completion?"

"Why yes!" a voice answered back, Takeru walking closer to the symbol of hope and the area below where he could have sworn he saw himself.

He stared intently recognizing himself, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a disarming charm about him. He seemed different than him though. Something much darker and sinister though he could not put his finger on the reason why he felt that way.

"What kept you?" the Takeru asked looking at him, a different look in his eyes.

Takeru met his gaze just as intently, but slightly lowered his guard. "Let's just say three heads are better than one, but it can give you a headache!" he laughed rubbing the back of his head, the other Takeru copying him, creepy laugh for laugh, as if mimicking his every motion.

Takeru decided to take the initiative this time talking to him. "So how does the Tower of Completion work?" he asked, noticing the giant structure. "Is this going to help me find Hikari?"

The other Takeru's eyes beamed towards him and grinned. "well, that depends on all the effort you put into it my friend," he said mysteriously, his movements, and sly look on his face vaguely familiar.

The other Takeru tapped his knuckle against the side of the structure as if he owned it. "Come forth now!" he exclaimed, the structure burning brightly with light. Takeru barely shielded is eyes in time as he lowered them, amazed to see a chubby pillow staring over at him.

"Patamon!" he exclaimed wanting to run over to see his buddy. "Patamon I missed you!" he exclaimed.

The other Takeru stared at him as if he was truly missing the entire point.

"Is your mind still so dense? Do you still not get it Takeru?" He sneered. "Don't you see? This is one giant digivice!" he exclaimed, the very representation of a digidestined's relationship with their digimon looming magnanimously over him.

"A digivice?" He said, slightly on edge.

He looked down at Patamon who looked slightly different. "Hey buddy,' He said coming over to him, Patamon frowning and turning away.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You've chosen poorly," Patamon hissed. "Their is no hope. There is nothing for you outside of this place. You're an after thought to your own self," he said with sharp red eyes.

Takeru had never seen Patamon so imposing ever since he had been possessed.

"What do you mean an after thought?" he said, immediately regretting asking this own question.

The Other Takeru walked over towards Patamon grinning viciously. "It's simple," he said putting one hand on Patamon's head. "You may have chosen hope right here in your heart and are attempting to fix that, but your body can't resist anymore and is giving in to despair," he grinned. "You know what that means don't you?"

Takeru stared back at Patamon and this new scarier Takeru.

"I don't," he said starting to back up a little. "There's no way I would give up. Patamon!" he yelled. "I promise! I have not given up yet! There's still hope!"

Takeru stepped one foot forward. "Spare me your lies," he scoffed. "You claim to hope when your body has already given in. Do you think you can change your own heart? Your own body is treating you like a virus!" he exclaimed extravagantly, which seemed vaguely familiar. "Don't you feel even more powerless? You, the digidestined of hope, are nothing now! Just an empty husk ripe for taking over!"

Takeru tried to find resolve to confront him, but this situation seemed so far beyond him. All he could do was try to believe things would turn out all right. This Takeru also seemed to be nothing like him, not even when he had followed Homeostasis.

"I would never act this way," he said feeling anger rise within him. "You aren't me! You aren't Takeru!" he exclaimed. "But you seem so familiar. Just who are you?!" he exclaimed.

The other Takeru looked up grinning looking down at the scarier Patamon. "Who am I indeed?" he said mysteriously. "Have you really forgotten..." he said, his voice mockingly, "...About little old me?"

With that in less than the blink of an eye the Takeru completely changed appearance to a familiar black robed sadistic maniac completely enthralled with causing destruction. His brown eyes seeped into his as if he had been taken for a fool ever since he came to this world.

"No way," Takeru said swallowing heavily, unable to believe who he saw. "It's you..." he said trying his best to keep himself together. "...Gennai!"