And now back to Takumi! This is Part 2 of the previous Takumi chapter basically.

Case 5: Stargazer

Arata was three days ahead of schedule. Meet me at the Kowloon playground, he said in a DigiLine to Makoto.

Apparently Arata was even more impatient than Makoto. As soon as Takumi and Makoto arrived on the warp pad, Arata launched the program. Suddenly everything was replaced by millions of stars in space, tinged with the endless hues of galaxies. Even the ground was consumed by it, though it was still solid. A full blue moon shone among colored constellations encased in intricate drawings.

Takumi couldn't help but stare. When did Arata get so good at this kind of thing?

Arata grinned. "Pretty neat, huh?"

Makoto was already excited. "Wow! This is awesome!Let's go!" He hopped onto Takumi's back.

Takumi took his time flying around the simulated sky. Whenever they got near a constellation, the outline lit up with movement and sound. Comets streaked by, and faded just as fast. Arata glided behind them via hacking, looking proud. Meanwhile far below, several people were very confused as to why Kowloon had suddenly turned into space.

"This is so cool, Mr. Arata!" said Makoto, eyes bright with joy.

"Want to see something even cooler?" said Arata with a grin. He tapped on a transparent screen, and a white door materialized behind him. "Check this out."

Curious, Takumi and Makoto followed Arata through the door. After a flash of light, they were in...space. Real space, looking down on the Earth.

Makoto stared with his mouth agape.

Takumi was impressed too. How did Arata pull this off so quickly?

"Not bad, huh?" said Arata. "See, I found this abandoned satellite that did...something or other, and...uh..." He stared as Makoto sprouted colorful blocks on his arms and legs. "...Wait, you're a Digimon?" He didn't sound angry or worried, just surprised.

"No, I'm a ghost!" said Makoto cheerfully.

"...You're a what?"

...Oh, right...Neither of us said.. thought Takumi.

"But you're...how are you here?" asked Arata.

"I dunno. I'm just here," said the boy. "I already said goodbye to Mom and Dad...I just wanted to go to space..." He smiled, as glowing data particles rose off him. "Now I can go...Thank you..."

"W-Wait...Wait!" Arata flew over to fading boy and grabbed his upper arm. "What you do mean just go? Are you gonna just give up? You really okay with that?"

Arata, what are you doing? thought Takumi.

"But ghosts are supposed to go away," said the boy. He shifted to his ToyAgumon form. "...And I'm not even human. Maybe...I never was? I dunno...I just wanna...play somewhere else now..." The boy faded into light and data.

Arata's arm still lingered in the air, before it finally fell down to his side. He gave a sick little laugh.

Takumi recognized that laugh. Back when Arata saw yet more of his friends fall to Eaters. Then he decided to join with Suedou, which led to...

"...Goddammit kid, this isn't even real space!" Arata shouted. "It's just another simulation I made, to trick a whiny brat...Must've been pretty good to trick a ghost..." His smile was horribly mismatched with his anguished eyes.

Takumi carefully glided to Arata to...well, he couldn't really hug him in this form, could he?

"...Why are you here anyway?" growled Arata.

"...I help grant the last wishes of spirits, so they can move on," said Takumi.

"How can you be so sure that they want to move on?" growled Arata.

"Because I'm also a spirit," said Takumi. "And one day, I need to move on as well." It was so horrible to say it. "I'm sorry, but ghosts cannot linger in this world. They either move on, or become monsters."

"...Are those really the only options though?" asked Arata. "Because I was kinda a ghost once, and I thought the same thing you did. But I had a friend who saved me and everyone else."

Takumi knew, of course, because he was that friend. With Connect Jump, he had pulled people free of Eater influence. But it was so surreal hearing Arata talk about it like this.

"We all should've been goners, but he never gave up on us, even after...some of the things we became..." Arata paused. "So, knowing that, I'll never give up on anyone again..." He grinned, eyes shining brighter than any star. "Because Takumi showed me we can defy death."

Perhaps that was true. But cheating death for others was how Takumi ended up this way. "...I will...keep that in mind." He gazed out to the fake Earth with Arata. "This really is an amazing simulation."

"It would be more amazing if I could save people like Takumi can," said Arata.

Takumi was quiet at first. "Don't put yourself down all the time. None of this is your fault."

Arata stayed silent. Eventually, Takumi left.

This was a tough chapter to edit, because there was so much that needed to be covered in one chapter. Keeping an important chapter under 800 words can be difficult, but that challenge is part of the fun. Teaches you how to streamline your words better too.