Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Chapter Thirteen: The Hearts of Monsters

Takeru raced with his younger self, Gennai's voice seeming to echo around him as if everywhere, his mind trying to keep up trying to stay calm and focused.

"I still can't believe that happened," his adolescent self said panting heavily, stopping to catch a breath.

"Me either," Takeru said grimly, looking down at many of the structures that had collapsed, the effects devastating his world. "But TK believed in our mission. We just need to see it through," he said firmly.

The adolescent Takeru nodded his head. "I get it," he agreed. "We just have to go where we don't want to go. It's pretty painful," he said looking down. "It's like it's forbidden and the penalty for getting caught is dying."

Takeru smirked putting one hand on his shoulder. "I know what you mean," he said. "It's like going in that room would somehow summon her and she would let us have it. I always though that to," he agreed. "But when I finally did enter her room it was even more painful than anticipating pain. And she wasn't even there."

His younger self stared at him curiously, but trusting of him. "We've just got to make sure to get there," he said. "I'm with you."

The two of them continued racing forward, Takeru knowing exactly where to go. He turned a left at a juncture passing by a building and then another crumbled one, racing along the edge of the beach, the alluring waters reminding him of the dark ocean itself, the waters starting to lap up on shore as if starting to take control over it.

The younger Takeru raced forward ahead of Takeru, Takeru a little surprised at his strength or if maybe he had just gotten weaker as an adult. "Hey, where are you going?!" he asked, noticing he had diverted from the path. "It's ok, I know a short cut!" he exclaimed, Takeru struggling to keep up with him.

He turned a few corners by a couple familiar buildings, and went straight forward.

Takeru looked ahead noticing they had circled around and were back at the school again. "Hey! This isn't mom's place!" he shouted. "We've got to get out of here! Gennai and Devoiremon could show up at any moment!" he panted, tired.

"It's ok," his teen self said starting to head up the stairs. "I realized something." He stopped by the door, catching his breath, but looking lost in thought.

"I never realized how much I really cared about Hikari until I met you," he smiled. "I thought that we were just really good friends. I didn't see anything more beyond that because I had been afraid to. Maybe that's why I started putting on these masks," he said. "I wanted everyone to think I was fine. Nothing was wrong at home. Nothing was wrong with my friendships with people and I just kept it bottled up inside. I scolded Hikari for doing that you know," he smirked. "I'm just the worst hypocrite. It's laughable," he laughed closing his eyes, grinning, covering his eyes with his forearm.

Takeru walked forward to him, to give him encouragement, but he felt pushed back.

"Stay away!" his teen self said sharply. "I hope by the time I become you, I'm a more honest person," he said. "I don't like how I am now. I hate how I let my past define me," he said with disgust.

Takeru could not help, but agree with him, but at the same felt disappointed. How he felt like that back then, for the most part until recently had been how he had felt until now. He tried to say something, but realized at that age he would not be able to hear hardly anything or take instruction. Though he could give advise he could rarely take it, and, seeing that now it really hurt him.

"Takeru," his teen self said, "I found something while I was here. Something that seemed important," he said gripping the door fiercely. "I almost forgot about it because I had become too focused on myself, but my other friends are also important to me to. Miyako, Iori, Ken, even Daisuke," he sighed breathing out. "I can't just be focused on Hikari, even though I care about her so much. I know they are here to somewhere. My memories keep coming back to this school and the adventures we had gone to in the digital world," he added.

"That's why you returned," Takeru said folding his arms. "If you think it's really important," he said, "Go get what you need to find. I'll be out here waiting when you get back.

He felt himself stare at his past self, the two of them anxiously confident. "I'll see you soon then,' he said, turning around into the school.

Takeru knew he had to wait for him, but, hopefully he would be around long enough to see him come back.

The skyscrapers around him seem to grow darker. The clouds seemed to pass by, growing fainter by the minute. Takeru kicked a pebble leaning against a wall, waiting for his younger self to return, but these signs seemed oddly ominous as if his younger self would be or already was in danger. He thought he heard an odd din, spinning his head, taking a look at every strange shadow, every sliver of wind that pricked his spine. Thankfully, everything so far turned out to be only his nerves getting the back better of him.

"He's awfully late," he said aloud anxiously looking to the school doors waiting for him to come back. "Takeru, where are you?" he said, awaiting some kind of sign.

All of a sudden the doors flung open, the younger Takeru being flung out of them, chunks of wood flying after him as he went soaring through the air, a powerful blast launching him. He ran over there to catch him, but found himself being struck by him instead sending them sprawling to the ground.

Scrapes over his arms and legs made it difficult to move, but he did his best to get up, helping Takeru get up as well. "Come on," he said gritting his teeth, struggling to lift him. "Don't give up now."

He watched the young man, obviously in pain, get up, a shard of wood embedded into his lower leg.

"I don't think I can make it," he said breathing out heavily.

"Don't talk like that!" Takeru exclaimed propping him up on his shoulder. "I'll carry you there if I have to!"

From the destroyed entrance, he saw the unwelcome sight of Gennai, grinning like a fool and Devoiremon behind him.

"Well this will not do young man," he exclaimed, a pair of ridiculous glasses over his face. "You have been late for the last time! It's permanent detention for you!" he cackled. "I'm going to expel you from this school and this world forever!"

"That won't happen!" Takeru shouted back, his younger self laboring his breathing as if doing all he could to stay conscious.

The younger Takeru stared at him, a look of determination, but acceptance in his eyes. He felt him reach into his pocket and insert something inside.

"You know," he said, "I've realized that going to this school I still wanted to avoid my past," he said. "I would rather sit in agony than in accepting this change," he said as if defeated. "I'm sure little TK knew about that to. That's why Patamon could not digivolve past Angemon."

Takeru listened determined, the weight of his past self pressing on him.

Gennai and Devoiremon walked over to them casually, Takeru barely able to move.

"Come on don't dawdle now!" Gennai exclaimed dropping the glasses crushing them under his feet with a malicious snicker on his face. "We have to go to my office to sign your expulsion papers with your blood!"

Takeru wanted to run away from him, but without Patamon here to save him he had no idea what he could do. Their was no way he could just throw himself away like that, not after everything he had been through his life.

"Are you still letting your past burden you?" the younger self said, suddenly lurching forward, and pushing Takeru away.

Takeru landed on the ground surprised by him. "Takeru!" he exclaimed. "Come back! You'll die and you know it!"

Takeru's back seemed to speak to him as he stood their, walking forward with a limp, but with determination.

"I'm not going to die," he sighed, breathing out heavily, perspiration falling from his face. "Because you're there," he smiled. "You are proof of the future that I have. Just knowing that..." he said wincing, his legs wobbly, "...Gives me all the hope I need to defeat these monsters!"

As if with a bolt of lightning he watched as Takeru raced forward even in pain towards them.

"What's this?" Gennai asked, open arms. "Come on then. No need to go to the principal's office! We'll sign the papers right here!"

"Takeru! I believe in you!" Takeru exclaimed. "You can beat them! You're not the same you were as a child!"

With that, Takeru shielded his eyes slightly as Patamon appeared from teen Takeru, determined. In a flash of fury he quickly changed into Angemon and then even more brilliantly into Magna Angemon.

With his powerful Excalibur sword he raced over to Devoiremon, clashing once with him brilliantly, but instantly, claws of darkness breaking his sword and severing him into pieces, his low groan crying out as he became reduced to digital particles.

Takeru seemed to stumble upon his absence straight into the waiting embrace of Devoiremon.

In an instant, Takeru watched horrified in disbelief as Devoiremon's claws pierced through the chest of teen Takeru, Takeru spurting up blood all over him.

He looked back at Takeru, his body starting to give way.

"...No," he said grinning back hopelessly at Takeru. "..."I'm not the same as a I was a child..." He confessed. "...I'm even worse."

Takeru engraved his image as Devoiremon ripped into him tearing him apart, feasting on his carcass, his younger self not even screaming out as he became reduced to a bloody aftermath, Devoiremon licking his jaws.

Takeru felt his stomach lurch forward unable to bear the sight. He fell on his hands and knees vomiting, the agony too much to bear. His memories in middle school and early high school seemed to fade away from him, as if something forcibly removed them from him.

Gennai cackled out, his greedy eyes eager for more blood shed. "He signed those papers a little too willingly," he grinned. "Your earnest spirit is now no more. You are now but a shell of yourself! No even more than that!" he exclaimed like a mad man. "You are now a shell within a shell of a man! You have no past! You only have your hopeless future as my vessel!" he shouted. "How does it feel being reduced to nothing?!"

Takeru felt entirely defeated, Gennai's words seeping into him. He could not deny anything he said, watching as the school behind him started to give way and then collapsed, along with other structures around him. The sky darkened as if the sun quickly went down to nearly setting.

"Well?" Gennai said walking over to him, bending down with one hand on his shoulder. "Give up?"

Takeru looked up staring into his eyes wanting to accept it, but knew he couldn't. Not when he had been entrusted with so much.

"Back off!" he snarled, pushing away his arm. "I'm not done yet!" he exclaimed, blood rushing to his head as he ran the other way before Gennai could snag his arm.

"You know," he heard Gennai shout after him, "If you're hopeful you run to the future not away from it!" he laughed.

Takeru realized Gennai taunted him about his crest, but still moved the other way, darting to the right behind a building to go around. Their was only him now and the future entrusted to him by his past. He had to find the part of him that was broken for their sake as well.

Building after building shriveled up and collapsed as he ran by, Takeru realizing he did not have much as a cover. The city itself had practically fallen into ruins, the only saving grace being a dusty mist that had kicked up partially due to the evenings arrival and the mist springing forth from the rubble, the last sighs of special memories as they died.

"There's not too many buildings left standing," he sighed catching his breath, silhouettes playing tricks on him of buildings or the enemy. He had no idea how TK and the other Takeru could somehow summon forth Patamon like that, even though they both had lost. He wondered if by chance the Tower of Completion had somehow awakened in each of the powers to summon forth Patamon. Yet, even so TK could only bring back Angemon and Takeru could only bring forth Magna Angemon. With the powerful mega Devoiremon and Gennai at his side Takeru knew if he could not make Patamon digivolve all the way to Seraphimon he was toast.

"I just got to make it to my mom's place," he said, starting to race forward again. Judging by the buildings that remained, and the ocean nearly becoming like a Tsunami screaming into the atmosphere, winds raging, as if the world would collapse on itself, he did not have much time. He passed by Taichi and Hikari's apartment, and then a college he had scouted out as well not too long ago, one that both him had Hikari had both applied to.

He darted to the right across a field of mist, until he at last came across his own apartment. He looked all around him looking for the sinister presence of his stalkers, but could not see any.

"Now's my chance!" he said aloud to himself moving forward. His blood rushed through him literally almost diving for the door. Joyfully, unlocked, he reached out and opened it, but stood aghast at the familiar psychotic stranger that had literally taken over his life.

"Welcome home!" Gennai said with an evil smile. "I trust you'll be ok having visitors over?"

Takeru instantly lurched back, just dodging Gennai's reach as he kept backing up, unable to take in that this most likely would be the end for him.

He watched Gennai exit the house and Devoiremon jump down from the roof landing on the ground beside him.

"Well Takeru," he snickered, "I guess this little game of tag is over for you," he said snapping his fingers. "It's too bad you could not make the thrill of the hunt more interesting."

Takeru found himself backing up slightly, knowing that no one else could stand in his place. Not his childhood. Not his teenage years. No, only he could make a stand, and right when he had been so close to Hikari and the broken part of him!

"This can't be the end," he said, knowing he could not dart to the left or the right. Their was no way Devoiremon would let him escape this time. Gennai would not play games anymore with him. He was done toying with him.

"Homeostasis," he sighed. "I'm not giving up, but things are too dark. I'm about to disappear forever," he said. "And all the hope for Hikari and me and the world will go with it."

Her voice answered back almost instantly to him. "Do not consider it a light thing," she said, "What Gennai did to you."

"What do you mean?" Takeru asked, looking forward at Gennai and Devoiremon behind him who did not move forward after his fingers. He noticed a bit of consternation between the two as Gennai commanded him to devour Takeru.

"By absorbing your childhood and adolescence Devoiremon is now under the rule of a new master," she said, Gennai starting to get frantic with Devoiremon, shouting at the top of his lungs, spraying his vitriol and spit everywhere.

"I get it," Takeru said absorbing the truth unfolding in front of him. "Devoiremon is now doing what my body wants, but not what I want," he said. "And since he was in the digital record my body is treating him like a virus just like me."

"That is the truth," Homeostasis confirmed.

Takeru cautiously lifted his foot and walked forward, Devoiremon starting to snap at Gennai, Gennai still berating him.

"You!" he snarled looking towards Takeru. "It's fine!" he said drawing a curved sharp knife blade underneath his robe and rushing at him like a suicidal maniac. "I don't need Devoiremon to dispose of you! I'll kill you myself and then take over every part of you!" he shouted running forward towards him.

Takeru stared out as if time instantly had stopped moving. It suddenly rushed forward again, as he heard what sounded like something being pierced and stared at Gennai, blood seeping from his mouth, and a claw protruding out of him, lifting him up from the hole in his stomach.

"Gennai..." he said at a loss for words.

Gennai grunted, but still struggled to move towards him. "You will address me as Apotheosis!" he yelled, flailing like a fish even though impaled dropping his knife.

"How can this be?" he wondered aloud in pain. "I'm so close to possessing him and yet this, this thing has done me in?!"

A bright light appeared in the sky briefly as the form of Homeostasis and Hikari descended.

She floated down hovering in midair and touched Gennai's cheek as if instantly connecting with him as if for a brief moment calming his mind.

"Gennai," she said softly, but firmly, "You always could seek safety in the network or somewhere in the digital world because you had that freedom..." she said, "...Whether serving the darkness of Terrormon or the light of Homeostasis," she added, Takeru noticing a slight wave of fear overcoming him.

"What do you know?!" he barked. "You who always treated me like her pet dog! You and King Yggdrasil both! At least he let me do what I want! I was supposed to become like you! I was going to be a digital God free from both darkness and light!"

Homeostasis grinned slightly, her index finger sliding down his face, a sweat drop pouring down instantly after tracing the line, "Your attempts for salvation and godhood are all for naught. In your zeal and blaspheme to become a digital god you sealed yourself in a human tomb and are the instrument of your own destruction. And so, the judgment falls," she stated laughing a little, staring into his eyes as if she would dispose of him.

"You were a good servant Gennai," she complemented, her hand sliding down his neck and chest like claws, "But even good servants get outdated and corrupted. You thought that by hiding in the Digital Record you had laid a trap for me. But really," she grinned as if she had him right in the palm of her hand, ready to squash him between her palms like a squirming insect, "I knew where you were the whole time."

Gennai's body started shivering, but still he stared at her as if he still could continue in this dogfight with her. "If you knew then why would you allow the boy to go through all this anguish?" he asked. "Are you really a goddess of light when you toy with others like they are of no consequence? I almost thwarted you!"

He spat blood on her face, Homeostasis noticing the blood drip down to her wrist.

She smiled as if even his blood belonged to her and licked it, Gennai completely breaking down upon seeing it.

"You've served your purpose. By making Takeru go through such incredible agony he is nearly able to wield the Digital Record," she laughed lightly, but a sinister tone to her voice. "You tried your best to ruin everything, but the harder you tried, the closer you brought me to my goal," she said taking her palm and smearing his blood on her face.

"And now," she said hovering above him, "this creature shall be the instrument of your undoing Gennai," she said as if he truly had been beneath her the whole time waiting to be crushed. "You won't return to the digital world. You will simply cease to exist."

A desperation in Gennai gasped out of him crying out for her, the skulking Devoiremon setting upon him just as Takeru had seen him set upon his younger self, his death cries lost in the throes of tearing flesh, crunching bone, and screeching blood.

Takeru stared on almost feeling pity for Gennai, but knew that with the beast devouring him that this could be his one and only chance to reach his mother's room.

He ran forward, Devoiremon not even paying attention to him as he feasted on his meal, Takeru shutting his eyes trying to drown out the hideous sound of the monster eating as he slammed the door shut behind him, instantly remembering where to lock it, shutting himself in.

The world did not move at all, save the sound of a ticking clock inside his home. He stared around at the surroundings almost in a surreal state, taking it in. Yes, he knew them well. Hikari's off handed comments burnt his chest slightly remembering them. He had no pictures or anything really homey around. The only thing of notice to him had been the wine holders on the counter top that had been refilled every time his mother had stopped by; Not that he knew when she had stopped home.

He walked past the entry way glancing over to his room where he remembered Patamon and Tailmon had crashed and well, where Takeru and Hikari had DNA digivolved before. The moment seemed so sweet, but the terror that preluded it tainted it in a bitter-sweetness. Takeru passed by the entryway to his Mom's room and instantly froze as if it started to pull him in. He hesitantly looked towards it noticing the door, just like before when Hikari had pointed it out, had been cracked open.

Even now, he felt his own body betraying him wanting to do anything but go in there. No, he had to. His childhood would not confront it. His teenage self did all he could to avoid it. Whether it was an immaturity on his part or just a part of becoming an adult he could no longer run from this problem plaguing him. He walked forward, every instinct and desire wanting to run away, not willing to give himself any room to hesitate.

"This is it," he said swallowing his nerves. Very gently he pushed open the door.

There, he saw her, such anger in his mom's eyes he had ever seen in her black top and skirt, clutching a steak knife right underneath Hikari's throat. He had never seen her so menacing, more-so than Homeostasis, Devoiremon, or even Gennai!

"T-Takeru," Hikari said, her voice quivering in fear for the both of them.

Takeru wanted to race forward and knock that knife from her hand and pin his mom and talk some sense into her, but there was no way he could risk losing Hikari in the process. Just one cut, one slit, and it would be all over.

His mom clenched her jaw, gripping the knife so tightly he could see the veins bulging on her hand.

"Stay back!" she growled. "You step one foot over to her and I will kill her! I will kill this girl!" she exclaimed.

Takeru felt Hikari stare in his eyes for strength as if hoping he would have the resolve to address her. He held up both of his hands in front of him daring to take a step.

"What are you doing?!" she shouted. "Don't you care for her life? I will kill her Takeru! You know I will!"

Takeru at first felt fear in front of her, but the more she talked, the more she seemed to be breaking down herself as if she was being pushed over a cliff.

"I know Mom," he said. "And I'm not scared of you. Not anymore. Now that I know the truth," he said daring to take another step. "I love you mom," he said doing his best to keep himself together. "I would never do anything to hurt you though I know it's too late for that!" he yelled, startling her.

By the looks in her eyes she seemed confused, but incredibly heartbroken. "Why don't you hate me?" she asked. "Despise me!" she snapped, looking like she would saw Hikari's head off with the knife in hand. "I would feel so much better if you did Takeru! I could use it vindicate myself!" she shouted. "That way I would not have to feel bad about it! About abandoning my son!"

Her words gripped Takeru in a way he had never felt before. He stared at her, the words synonymous with how he felt in his heart. Yes, this is what his heart wanted. He wanted his mother to feel bad about what she did abandoning him. He wanted to blame her for everything! The only problem was that his subconscious mind did not understand what he knew. He had put up too many walls, too many false faces, and justifications in order to avoid the truth and now he would either remain in his brokenness or he would have to pull himself out of it here and now. Their would be no other chance.

"I understand mom," he said walking up to her, not giving her anymore time to threaten him or Hikari. "It's all right," he said smiling warmly. He reached out his hand for the knife, and delicately holding her hand, her hand relaxing, the knife clattering to the ground.

He reached his arms around both his mom and Hikari hugging them both. He found that all three of them were weeping though he did not understand why. Hikari's arms wrapped around him as well as his mom's arms, though it felt surreal to feel them both hugging him.

"Takeru," He heard Hikari's voice say affectionately, but also with an awareness of the situation, "Now's the time to say the words you've always wanted to tell her," she said softly. "Hold nothing back for the sake of your own heart," she said as if gently pushing him.

Takeru gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes, dragging all the pain and the suffering outside of him he had built up from those dismal years. "Mom, I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you," he swallowed, "And for misunderstanding why you left me. I had no idea you suffered because of what happened back then. And the whole time, even after the divorce you still agonized about leaving me until you couldn't take it anymore."

He wrapped his arms even tighter around her as if never wanting to let her go, tears dripping drown his face, choking them back. "I may never see you again," he said, the words twice as painful to tell her, his voice quivering, "But I will always love you. I won't blame you anymore for something you were forced to forget, and one day I hope we'll meet again," he said forcing himself to smile, still tearing. "I'll introduce you to Hikari my girlfriend for real this time, and I'll give you a real hug and show you that you can be proud to have me as your son," he said breathing out all of his angst. "I'll keep wishing," he sighed, "for that day to come."

A brightness filled up his heart as if releasing Takeru's own feelings fully. He stared into his mom's eyes, so full of life again, smiling sweetly.

"Mhmm," she hummed starting to disappear. "I'll be waiting..."