Reviews:

Music Chick: Glad you liked the battle. Yup, you'll like it.

Malalala11: Thanks.

Ackbarfan5556: XD I know, right? They all made that mistake.

Sakura0410: She was testing them, I believe. Just like Syndrome did with the Omnidroid in The Incredibles. You'll like what is coming with her.

Sweet Cari: Thanks. They never even bothered to explain how potential really applies in that scenario. It was all so confusing.

Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: I never thought about it that way before, Greymon. You are so right. As usual, you are spot in your analysis.

Guest: Thank you so much. I'm not going anywhere for the foreseeable future though ;-) Still so much I need to get done before I even consider taking a long hiatus.

Hi, guys, and welcome back. Well, as of this morning, I am officially the proud holder of a Masters degree. The world is my oyster now...once I find a job, which I am still trying to do. I really wish I could do this full time instead, but I know that's not possible unfortunately. Oh well. Let's get into the chapter. In this, the group finds out exactly what happened with Tai and we get sweet moments between both pairs of siblings that we should have gotten before everything went down to make it hurt when what happens later happened.

Enjoy.

"GODDAMN IT!"

Matt slammed his fists down on Izzy's desk. The five of them and Menoa were the only ones in Izzy's office as they all stood around in shame. Imura said he had to step outside for a moment and left.

Matt was so angry that he didn't know what else to do other than lash out. They had Eosmon in their grasp and the data was almost downloaded but it got away. His thoughts went to the woman in Kyoto. They had failed her. Who knew how long it would take them to find where Eosmon had gone. That meant she could be unconscious for much longer.

"We were this close!" he raged, bringing his thumb and forefinger to within millimeters of each other. His fiery blue eyes then settled on Tai. "And it's your fault we failed, Tai."

"My fault?" the leader shot back. "How is it my fault?

"If you had not lost control of your powers, we would have captured it!"

"Shut up, Matt! I didn't do it on purpose."

"Oh, bullshit!" Matt grabbed Tai by his shirt and brought him to where their faces nearly touched.

"What happened in there?" he hissed through gritted teeth.

"I don't know," Tai shot back, promptly shoving him.

Matt stumbled back a few feet before setting his gaze back on the leader. He was way past the point of being reasoned with. Someone had to be held responsible for the team's failure and Tai was the only one with any form of culpability.

He loaded back a fist to deck Tai straight in the face, but TK hooked his arm and held him back before he could deliver it. The older brother thrashed against the younger one's grip, but TK didn't budge. He was surprised at how strong his brother had gotten.

"Matt, come on. Back off. Back off." TK urged gently. Kari kept Tai back by standing in front of him with her hands on his chest, serving as a barrier between him and Matt. "Don't blame Tai for this. It wasn't his fault. This one is on all of us. We underestimated Eosmon's power and paid for it."

"TK's right," the Jedi of Light nodded. "None of us knew what to expect when we went in. We'll find out as much as we can about Eosmon before going after it again. Next time, we will succeed, but we can't do that if we're fighting amongst ourselves."

The room got tensely quiet after that. Izzy finally got up from his desk after sipping some oolong tea. Matt sometimes wondered if that was all he ran on. He had never seen Izzy drink anything other than oolong tea for as long as he had known him.

"You're right, Kari," he said. "Maybe I should also look up the makeup of the domain. Perhaps there was something in the website that didn't allow us to use our powers for too long."

"It's not that."

Everyone turned to look at Menoa in surprise. Imura had left the room for some reason once they got back. Something about that guy just rubbed Matt the wrong way with his mysterious demeanor and subdued mannerisms. He'd have to find out what it was, but that didn't matter right now as he listened to what the woman had to say.

"What do you mean it wasn't the domain?" Izzy asked curiously. "What else could it possibly be?"

Menoa looked at them with sad eyes. Something about the look told Matt that this was a lot deeper than she was letting on. Her next words made it clear that she was speaking directly to him and Tai.

"It's you."

"What are you talking about?" Tai asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Matt, too, was confused. "Enlighten us, if you would, please," he said.

Menoa turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows behind Izzy's desk. Matt couldn't see her face, but the sad, low tone of her voice gave him all the clues he needed. A storm cloud was coming their way, judging from the lightning that flashed within it.

"Do you know why Homeostasis chose the eight of you to be the Destined Jedi?" she asked rhetorically. No one answered. "It's because it could not fight the evil alone. It needed surrogates to fight for it while it watches from the sidelines. There was the first team––all of them killed except for two––and then yours."

Matt frowned. "What's your point, lady? We already know this stuff."

His question went unanswered. Menoa reached up to touch the window with her hand.

"Homeostasis has the ability to give power, but it also takes that power when it sees fit. When it no longer has a use for you, it will just toss you away like you're yesterday's trash. No matter what you did, or how valuable you think you are, you are always disposable to Homeostasis."

The hand clenched into a fist. It shook from what Matt could tell was the tension inside of her. The aura she gave off told him that there was something else she wasn't telling them. He rolled his eyes. What else could she be hiding? The blonde stayed silent, hoping he'd get an answer.

"As I'm sure you all know," Menoa continued, "your powers are not only a gift, but a curse. While you are given this tremendous power, along with the tremendous responsibility that comes with it, there is always a price to pay before long. When Homeostasis believes the time is right, it will take your powers…"

She turned to face them.

"…And you will never be the Destined Jedi ever again."

Matt's whole body felt empty and cold after she said those words. He wanted to retort, to tell her she was full of it, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. The sad look in her eyes made it clear that she regretted having to say that to them. Deep inside his heart, something told him that she was right. He had been wondering if this was what he was meant to do his whole life. The group had defeated every evil entity that had threatened order in the Digital World, but Gennai had not asked for their help in so long. Even so, being told that Homeostasis could end it all if it so chose was a gut punch of the highest order.

Izzy was the first one to speak. "H-How can that be?" he asked in a flustered voice. "I have never heard anything like this before. Gennai never told us that something like this would happen. Homeostasis would have said something." He looked at Kari with a pleading expression in his eyes. Matt knew he was just grasping at straws. "Right, Kari?"

Menoa was quick with a response before the Jedi of Light could answer.

"There are a lot of things I'm sure that your mentor has never told you."

That statement finally got a reaction out of Matt.

"Then how do you know about it if Gennai wouldn't say anything to us?" he snarled. "What makes you so special? Did he tell you himself or something? How do you even know who he is?"

She didn't seem fazed by his questions. "It's because..." she took a breath and slowly let it out. "…I was a Destined Jedi once. My powers were taken from me."

"WHAT!" they all cried.

Matt could hardly believe his ears. Menoa used to be a Destined Jedi too? That was impossible. Even though Daigo Nishijima's whereabouts were unknown, he believed him to be dead. The original Destined Jedi team before them was now completely wiped out and the only other ones alive that he knew of were his team. There were no other Destined Jedi besides his team and Davis' team.

"There are Destined Jedi outside of Japan?" Izzy gasped, saying what Matt and the others were thinking. "First, Digimon can be spotted in America, and now there are more Destined Jedi around the world? What else?"

"Were Destined Jedi outside of Japan, Mr. Izumi," Menoa corrected softly. "Ten years ago, I was part of a group of eight kids just like you. We were chosen to be the first American team of Destined Jedi as part of an around the world expansion after the success of your team. But then one day, Homeostasis took my powers and banished me from the Digital World for no reason. My comrades carried on, but never came back." She bit her lip and sniffled several times before finishing in a strained voice. "I later learned that they had all died."

Kari gasped and brought her hands to her mouth in shock. Matt was also stunned into silence along with Tai, Izzy and TK. None of them could find the words to share the horror they all felt. He felt a twinge of compassion towards her. Even though he became a Force ghost, Gennai's death at the hands of Piedmon still haunted his dreams. It was a pain that never went away, no matter how hard you tried to get over it.

Menoa seemed to find a grip because she talked in a normal voice.

"The twelve of you are the only ones active today. Even so, that's not going to be for very long." She then turned her gaze onto Tai. "Your powers growing weaker is the first sign that your connection to the Force is disappearing." She walked up to him. "If I may, Mr. Kamiya?"

"What––?"

Menoa cut Tai off by grabbing his wrist so she could see the sun tattoo. Matt and the others gathered around and watched, curious to what she would do.

A line on Tai's tattoo glowed and then vanished.

Matt saw the look of horror on Tai's face. He looked like he had been socked in the gut or watched a beloved pet get shot and then thrown in a ditch somewhere. It was unlike anything he had ever seen on the leader's face before.

"Wha-What's happening?" he breathed, looking up at Menoa with pleading eyes. "Why did that line fade away?"

"It's as I feared," Menoa said sympathetically. "The countdown has now begun."

"Countdown?" Izzy repeated.

She nodded.

"This is what Homeostasis uses to let you know how much Force energy you have left," Menoa explained. "With every power you use, a line from your tattoo will disappear. If you use an extremely powerful one, such as opening a portal, create a force field, or even start doubting yourself, two will be taken. However long your doubtful thoughts linger, more will be erased until the thoughts go away. When it is gone, it is gone forever. There is no getting it back like last time."

Matt looked down at his wrist. The blonde heard Izzy, Kari, and TK sigh in relief. Nothing must have happened for them. When Matt gazed at his, a line vanished. His heart cracked. It was happening to him too.

"No," he gasped. His right hand tightened into a fist and shook. The fear of another loss and indignation swelled up inside of him. He let it all out with another slam of his fist on Izzy's desk. "NO!"

"Matt." He felt TK's hands touch his shoulder, but pushed him off.

"SCREW YOU!" Matt roared at Menoa as he stormed up to her. He got to within an inch of her face. "You stand there in your thousand dollar outfit and hide behind your researcher credentials, but you don't know jack shit about us," he snarled. "I will not lose the last thing I have left in this world!"

He stormed out of the office.

"Matt, come back!" TK cried. Matt heard his brother's footsteps follow him out, but didn't turn around.

xXx

Izzy watched sadly as Matt and TK left the office. Tai had dropped to his knees, mourning over the loss of the line on his tattoo. Kari hugged his shoulders and whispered words of comfort to him.

"I won't accept this either," he said, turning to face Menoa. "Even if what you say is true, I refuse to lay down and admit defeat. We will not lose our powers again without a fight."

Menoa didn't react. She sucked in her lip.

"I know how you all feel, but there is no running away from it," she said, her eyes going from Izzy to the Kamiya siblings then back to him.

"This is reality."

Matt muttered curses under his breath as he paced back and forth across the pavement outside of the Odaiba Frontier Building, which housed Izzy's company. He was so frazzled and overwhelmed by everything that happened he could hardly speak. He couldn't be losing his powers again, could he? After everything he and the others had sacrificed, this was how it all would end?

"Fuck!" he growled as he kicked the cement column in front of him. His arms folded across his chest and he leaned against the column, his face twisted in anger and hurt.

"That could have gone better," TK said while staying a few feet away.

Matt wasn't in the mood. He stayed in his position against the column, stewing in silence. Why was this happening to him and Tai? What was causing all of this? Homeostasis couldn't honestly be doing this to them, could it? Not now. There were too many questions and not enough answers.

The blonde's nostrils flared in anger. His hand tightened into a fist and without warning, he turned and punched the column behind him with a loud, angry cry. Pain instantly shot through his hand.

"Ow! Shit!" he cried, cradling his hand against his chest. Blood was splattered across his knuckles. A couple drops dripped down the back of his hand.

"Matt!" TK cried, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket. He took one look at the damage and tied the cloth around the back of Matt's hand. "You're lucky you didn't shatter your hand."

"It can't end like this," Matt said under his breath, ignoring TK's chiding and the throbbing pain in his hand. It didn't compare to the pain in his heart. "It just can't end like this, Teeks."

"Don't give up hope yet, Matt," the younger brother replied with an assuring nod as he finished tying the handkerchief. "We'll find Eosmon."

"It's not Eosmon." Matt pointed to the tattoo on his wrist, which now had one less line than before. "It's this."

TK's eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Well, Izzy will figure something out. He always does."

"Doesn't feel like it this time."

Matt's non-injured hand reached into his pocket for the pack of cigarettes. He lifted it up just enough that it was exposed, flicked open the pack and fished out a cigarette. After putting it between his teeth, he reached for the lighter in his other pocket.

"Could you please not do that in front of me?" TK snapped.

"Don't watch then," Matt shot back as he lit the cigarette and took a drag. With a low breath, the smoke billowed out of his mouth.

"First Dad and now you," TK grumbled, but didn't say anything further on the subject.

The older brother stood against the column and smoked silently for another minute. After a drag, he held the smoldering white stick between his fingers and stared at the long string of ash as if hypnotized.

"After all we've done and sacrificed, this is how we're repaid?" he grumbled.

"There has to be a way to stop this," said TK. "Give Izzy time. He'll figure it out. We just have to believe he will."

Matt opened his mouth to respond when a new voice came. One that he had not heard in a very long time.

"Not this time, I'm afraid."

The pair of blonde-haired brothers looked down at the ground. Matt took a step back in shock, causing him to drop the cigarette. A small reptile Digimon with a white and blue wolf pelt over its body and a horn jutting out of its head looked up at him with a smile. Its red eyes shined with happiness, but Matt could also sense a bit of sadness.

"Gabumon." The Jedi of Friendship took a breath and smiled at the creature. He kneeled down so their eyes were level with each other's. As much as he wanted to reach out and hug the Digimon––it had been years since they last saw each other––he also wanted to strangle it. For now, he settled on taking the creature by the shoulders.

"Why?" he asked in desperation. "Why is this happening?"

"The episode with the infected Digimon drained your powers to dangerous levels," the creature replied without missing a beat. "Meiko was a parasite on you all. She used your power to make herself stronger when she was infected."

"She didn't do it on purpose! That was King Drasil's doing."

"Nevertheless, she did it," Gabumon said firmly. "Because of that, you don't have much time left, Matt." It looked up at TK with the same somber expression. "Yours will fade soon too, TK."

The younger blonde gasped and looked down at his wrist. "But nothing happened," he said.

"Not yet, but it will. Kari was a parasite too. Your battle with her during that time drained you as well."

TK slinked back and hung his head low in sadness.

The older brother tightened his grip on the Digimon's shoulders and lightly shook him as he pleaded, "There has to be a long-forgotten prophecy! Something! Anything! Could you look into something like that for us, please?"

Gabumon shook its head as Matt stopped shaking it. "I'm sorry, Matt," it said sadly. "The only prophecy is the one that you all have yet to fulfill. There is nothing else."

Matt's face fell as reality finally started to set in. This was truly the end. No getting around it. With this thought, he went from his knee to sit down beside the Digimon. A sad, defeated smile rose up his face.

"So this is how it ends, huh?" he remarked. "After everything we've done."

"Yes," Gabumon replied. "Find this creature you all just encountered but conserve as much of your powers as you can. Once the mark vanishes, it's over. Find it, defeat it, and fulfill the prophecy before your mark is gone forever."

A wave of emotions washed over Matt. He sniffled to try and keep himself controlled, but it was made all the more difficult with what Gabumon had just said. He took the Digimon in his arms and tightly hugged him.

"At least I got to see you one last time," he whispered with a choked voice, squeezing Gabumon for fear of letting go. He knew this was probably the last time they would ever see each other again.

"Same here," the Digimon echoed before letting go. It took two steps back from Matt and smiled at him. Its body was now outlined in a ghostly pale blue light and was fading slowly.

"Good luck, my friend. May the Force always be with you."

It was gone in a flash.

Tai walked in stunned silence. This felt like a bad dream. He thought about pinching himself to wake up, but the rational part of his brain told him that it was not a dream. He really was going to lose a part of himself forever at some point. When that would be was up to Homeostasis and himself. As Menoa had said, this was reality. He and Kari were moving along the boardwalk path on Odaiba Beach. The seagulls cried and hovered over them while the cicadas sang their songs. This couldn't be happening.

"Tai?" his sister said in a nervous voice. "You okay?"

What kind of a question was that? No, he was not okay! He would be losing a part of himself very soon, and there was no way he could stop it. He paused. Where did that attitude come from? Whatever it took, he would find a way to stop his tattoo from disappearing. He was going to prove Menoa and her bullshit claims wrong.

"You wanna talk?"

He still said nothing as his feet stopped moving. His hands clenched into fists and shook from all the emotion swirling inside of him. Tai bit his tongue to hold back the tirade he knew was coming, but he knew it was like a finger trying to stop a large leak. Everything shot out of him.

"WE ALMOST HAD IT!" He whipped around to glare at his sister and squeezed his thumb and forefinger to within a millimeter of each other. "I was this close to getting it and…"

His words failed him as he struggled to come up with a reason. Sniffles attacked his olfactory senses. "I don't know what happened back there, Kari. None of this makes any sense. Maybe Matt's right. This is all my fault."

Kari hung her head in sadness. "No, it's not your fault. It was my fault Eosmon got away," she murmured. "I shouldn't have lost my concentration and kept it wrapped up."

Tai shook his head. "No. I'm the leader; I'm responsible for the success of the mission as well as the failure if it doesn't go right." He tilted his sister's head up to look him in the eyes. An assuring smile spread across his face. "You didn't do anything wrong, kiddo. I should have anticipated what would happen. I should have–"

His emotions welled up in his throat like a collar of shame. He didn't know what else to do other than plop himself down on the boardwalk. His sandals slipped off and the sand wrapped his bare feet in its warm embrace. Tai stared out at the Rainbow Bridge across the water. Shame, the sense of failure, and helplessness––a sea that he was slowly drowning in and could never escape from despite his best efforts––swallowed him whole like he was Jonah and they were the whale.

He heard Kari sit down beside him. Her hands gently touched his shoulder.

"Should have what?" she asked softly. "Say it."

Tears pricked at his eyelids. He couldn't hide his emotions anymore, not in front of his beloved little sister. She was only one of three people that he allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of. Looking up and down the beach, he saw no one else around so it was safe to open up.

"I can't accept not being a Destined Jedi anymore, Kari," he said in a choked voice. "This is who I am." A tear slid down his cheek as he looked at his sister. "If this is taken from me, then what am I?"

"You're my brother for one thing," Kari said with a smile. "You're a friend; you're a boyfriend; a son; and soon, you'll be a professional soccer player too. You still have an identity outside of all this."

"But with a piece of me gone forever." Tai's eyes narrowed before the big thought in his mind shot out of his mouth. "WHAT'S THE POINT IF IT'S TAKEN AWAY AGAIN AND AGAIN!"

His voice echoed across the quiet, empty beach. He couldn't control himself anymore as he buried his face in his hands and cried. Kari's arms wrapped around his neck and her head rested against the other side of it.

"Let it out, Tai," she said softly, sounding just like their mother whenever he was younger and felt sad. "You're human; it's okay to feel angry and hurt. I am too."

He sniffled and lifted his head to look at her. His head shook side to side. "I'm still a Destined Jedi. I need to be better than that. There has to be a way we can stop this."

"Sometimes there are things we can't stop from happening. If Homeostasis decides that we've served our purpose, then so be it. We can't change its mind."

"Why don't you try to?" Tai spat. "You share a connection with it. Tell it to not do this to us."

"I wish I could do that, but I can't."

Tai sniffled again and wiped the tears from his eyes. She was right, but that didn't give him a reason for why this was all happening. His anger turned to their mentor. He should have been more up front about what the job entailed when they first met him. It would have spared all of them the heartache he was feeling now.

"Why didn't Gennai tell us this, Kari?" he asked softly.

His sister sighed. "I don't know."

"It's because he wanted to protect you, Tai."

The Jedi of Courage perked up. That voice. He and Kari turned around and saw a small orange Tyrannosaurus Rex with green eyes standing just a few feet away. It smiled at them. Tai's eyes widened in shock.

"Agumon?" he and his sister said in unison.

The creature nodded. "Hello," it said. "It's been quite a while, I imagine."

"Agumon!"

Tai crawled over and wrapped Agumon in his arms. The Digimon laughed joyously as it hugged him with its shorter appendages. That moment of joy was the balm Tai needed from the anger and frustration he felt.

"I've missed you," he whispered as he and Agumon ended their hug.

"I've missed you too, Tai." Agumon smiled at Kari. "Kari, you look well. A little beat up from that battle, I imagine, but still good."

"Thank you," she nodded and then flashed a kind smile. "How's Gatomon? I haven't heard from her in a while."

"She's fine. She misses you."

Tai brought the conversation back to the subject at hand. He shook Agumon's shoulders. His voice grew more and more desperate as he spoke.

"Agumon, there has to be a way to stop this. Is there?"

The reptile shook its head sadly. "I'm sorry, Tai, but there isn't. What that woman told you is the truth."

Tai pounded his fist on the planks beneath him. "That's not good enough!" he shouted. "What's the point anyway? Every time it's 'Here you go! You have gifts!' then 'Oops. It's gone'; then 'Here you go again'; then 'Let's tease you. You don't know when it'll happen, but it eventually will happen.' It's driving me insane!"

Agumon sat quietly. It then said, "I know this is hard, but the saga with the infection drained your powers."

"So juice me back up."

Agumon chuckled. "I wish it were that simple. I do not have the ability to do that, sadly." The reptile looked at Kari again. "You may not see yours disappearing yet, Kari, but it'll only be a matter of time for you as well."

The Jedi of Light hung her head sadly, but didn't say anything.

"I can make it work with school and my job!" Tai pleaded, shaking Agumon a little harder. Even he knew he was grasping at straws now. "Sora's a Destined Jedi too. She'd understand if I needed to go."

"I'm sorry, Tai, but the sands of time are now pouring against you," Agumon replied sternly. It grabbed Tai's arms to stop the shaking. "Once your tattoo completely disappears, it's over. You're finished. You are no longer a Destined Jedi."

The dinosaur took a breath and continued in a much calmer voice. "Excuse me for my outburst. I know this is hard, but be grateful for all you have done during your time as a Jedi."

It backed away a few steps. Tai's eyes widened in horror as the claws on Agumon's feet faded away, followed by the rest of its feet.

"I came to visit you while I was still able to," said Agumon. Its legs were now gone. "I'm grateful that I was your guardian, Tai. You really are the Jedi of Courage. You will always be in my heart."

The tears fell in buckets for Tai. He reached out for one of Agumon's clawed forelimbs but both of them had disappeared.

"Agumon!" he sobbed.

It was real for him now. This was really going to happen, and there was no way for him to escape it. A shaky breath escaped his mouth as he accepted his fate. A grateful smile then appeared on his face.

"Thank you! For everything."

Agumon smiled one last time before closing its eyes and disappearing completely. Tai felt the Digimon's presence linger one last time before fading away. He stared at the spot the reptile had just occupied. Agumon's voice spoke to him in his mind.

"The Force will always be with you. As will I."

The sobs shot out of him like cannon fire. His fist pounded the planks in agony. This was where it all would end. Once his tattoo completely vanished, it was over. Tai felt Kari rub his back tenderly as he sobbed on the planks for several minutes.

Tai gained control over himself as he sat up. He wiped the snot dripping down his nose. His face and eyes were numb from all the crying he had done. A shaky deep breath escaped his lips. Tai rose back up to his feet and looked at Kari. Her eyes were red from crying as well.

"Come on," she said as she wiped a tear from her face. "Let's go home. Mom's been dying to see you."

He shook his head. He didn't want his mother to see him like this.

"No. Let's go to Aqua City and get something to eat. I'll buy."

It has now begun. What will happen next, now knowing that their time eventually will run out? Find out as we go along in Digimon Adventure: Kizuna.

Homeostasis being involved would have been the easiest thing in the world to explain, but they instead had to go through a murky, confusing explanation about potential that made no sense. It was the safest thing, but for some reason they didn't go with it. That's why I did it. Hope you guys found that a little more understandable.

If you guys remember from ATOE, Gennai mentioned that other team of Jedi that failed before the 02 kids. Menoa was part of that team. Basically, it featured all the American Digidestined we were shown (Wills, Michael, etc.) and her. Just to make it easy.

The scene between Tai and Kari was one reason I wanted Kari to be involved in the first Eosmon battle. Hope you guys enjoyed it. In some ways, it mirrors Anakin and Padmé's conversation in Attack of the Clones save for the fact Tai did not slaughter a bunch of Tusken Raiders XD If only we got a moment with them as brother and sister before Kari got captured. Oh well. It happened here and that's what counts.

See you guys next week where some very special guests make their long-awaited return ;-) I think you know whom I mean. For now, I'm off to Nashville for a couple of days. That place has a new significance for me after having Mimi live there for a bit in my universe. See you all next weekend. Leave a review and subscribe if you haven't.

Tootles.