Kindred Pairs

by milesprower06

"Terriermon? Terriermon, can you hear me? It's me, Henry."

Henry had to nearly put standing weight behind each push of his bicycle's pedals as he made his way up the gradual hill. The Shinjuku ward was as flat as the rest of Tokyo, and he seldom had time to make his way out this far to some of the dedicated biking paths, so he took the hill pushes where he could, feeling the burn as his legs objected to the sudden increase in effort needed to climb the incline. Nearly a third of his free time would be spent riding the train to and from these serene paths, but it was the only way he could get out this far, since his mom and dad didn't want him coming out this far on bike alone.

It had been an interesting six months, that much was certain. The miniature black hole that Operation Doodlebug had created had done more than revert the D-Reaper back to a harmless state, but it had also reverted Shinjuku back to what it had been before the D-Reapers mass began overtaking everything. It hadn't fixed everything, however; several streets and the collapsed freeway overpass in West Shinjuku would still need extensive repairs and rebuilding after the conflicts with Indramon and Vikaralamon.

There was barely any rest for the weary, and just three days later, they had all come to a portal in the middle of Shinjuku Central Park. But instead of a bioemergence, the cost of victory had been revealed; in order for both worlds to stabilize and heal, their partners had to return to where they came from.

His father's look said it all. The Monster Makers knew the cost, and had kept it from them.

"Henry... I know it hurts now, son, but in time, it'll get better, you'll see."

A slow shaking of his head and only the slightest of smiles behind the hurt was his only response.

He had spent as little time at home as possible over the next week, spending countless hours on his tai-chi kata, just walking around the city, and spending a few nights over at the Matsuki Bakery, watching as Takato drew sketches of Guilmon every night after dinner.

Deep down, he knew it was necessary. He knew that the Monster Makers had no choice, and that if the Tamers had been told what would happen in advance that it would have irreparably crippled their resolve, and doomed two worlds. He let his imagination go so far as to know that if they had the knowledge beforehand, that their partners wouldn't have given an inch regardless, even if it meant the unthinkable.

He didn't hate his dad.

But he had to be mad, just for a little while.

Stopping at the top of the hill, he dismounted from his bike and walked over to a drinking fountain, bending down and taking several gulps of refreshing cool water as he caught his breath. Unbuckling the chin strap, he removed his helmet and let the wind dry his sweat-filled hair, grateful there were no mirrors around as he sat on the simple wooden fence next to the path, gazing out at the Tokyo skyline. He could make out the Tokyo Tower and the Metropolitan Government Building, but couldn't pick out his apartment complex from this distance. He continued to think back, to when he had gotten over most of his anger.

Henry took a deep breath as he stood in front of his apartment's front door, adjusting the backpack he had over his shoulders, containing changes of clothes and personal hygiene items . He had spent nearly the entire week over at Takato's, and had called his mom's cell phone daily to let him know where he was, and now he finally felt like it was time to come home, and face what he had been avoiding, now that his anger had waned a bit. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the door knob, and turned it, pushing the door open. He quickly slid off his shoes once the door had been closed and locked.

Passing the dining room, it looked like dinner had already been eaten. The table had been cleared, and he heard the dishwasher running in the kitchen, with the lights off. As he made his way down the hall towards the living room, he noticed that his younger and older siblings, Rinchei, Jaarin, and Suzie, had all retired to their respective rooms, hearing a muffled phone conversation coming from Jaarin's room, sound effects of a game coming from Rinchei's room, and some sort of fantastical scene played out with dolls coming from Suzie's room.

Coming into the living room, he saw his father alone on the couch, silently reading the newspaper. In his socks, his footsteps were silent against the ambient noise created behind the bedroom doors and dishwasher. He stepped around the couch to the right side, until he was just in his father's periphery.

"Dad?" He announced himself softly.

Janyuu immediately looked up from the paper, and into his son's eyes.

"Henry..." He replied, sounding half-surprised to see him. No doubt his mom had been keeping him informed about him staying at the Matsuki's all week. "Welcome home, son."

Henry shifted on his feet, running his right hand down the strap of his backpack, as he felt something squeeze at his chest.

"So... Classes are starting up again soon, and they've mailed sign-ups for next year's classes. I'm filling all my elective slots with programming classes."

Henry's gaze wavered as he let his backpack fall from his shoulders and fall to the grasp of his left hand as he gently dropped it to the side of the couch, brushing against the digivice in his pocket.

"I want to take your legacy, and carry it forward, Dad. I want to be a part of the next generation of Monster Makers. I once told Takato that Digimon come here for something they can't get on the net; peace and companionship. I still truly believe that with all of my heart. I know I'll see Terriermon again someday. When that day comes, and after, I want to have a hand in bringing Digimon and people together, in an easier and safer manner."

Saying nothing, Janyuu put the newspaper down on the couch cushion beside him, before getting up and taking three steps towards his son. He placed both hands on his shoulders, looking down at him with pride, before pulling him into a hug. Henry felt his dad shudder for a moment, which only made the squeezing heat in his chest start to rise.

"I'm not expecting total forgiveness for what we did, Henry, and I never will. Keeping that information from you was one of the hardest, most painful things I've ever had to do. I want you to know that. I want all of you to know that."

Henry shuddered as he brought his arms up to wrap around his dad, as his eyes rapidly grew wet, the tears not even reaching his cheeks before they were taken by his dad's shirt. Damn it, he had done enough of this getting to sleep at Takato's all week, and he had wanted it all out of his system before he came back home. No such luck. He sniffled as the waterworks continued.

"And I couldn't be more proud of the field you've chosen. I couldn't imagine our legacy in better hands. You can come to me anytime you need help or advice as you start down this path."

Henry's arms squeezed tighter around his dad as his shoulders quaked.

"Thanks..." He choked out as he forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat. "Thanks, dad."

As the summer had progressed, Henry had begun reading all the coding manuals he could wrap his mind around without giving himself a headache. He was determined to give zealously cautious people like Yamaki, and Digimon with anti-human dispositions like Zhuqiaomon, as little foundation to stand on as possible.

He was just as excited as Takato when his goggle-clad friend had come to them with news of the portal re-opening under Guilmon's hut, and just as devastated when it had been sealed within 24 hours. In fact, the only reason that he hadn't given his dad and Yamaki a verbal thrashing was the fact that Takato had beaten him to it, giving him a moment for some introspection, and decided against it, burning off that fresh anger and frustration during that evening's tai-chi practice instead.

When Rika had come to them to talk about getting them out of their early summer lull by working out, Henry had decided to mix up his tai-chi routine with cycling. It was a good way to clear his mind when the tech study guides were about to make his brain melt. Tai-chi practice had also become more interesting when Rika had come to ask him about joining up. Sensei Chou was a close friend of the Wong family, and Henry couldn't help but get the slightest hints of amusement from Rika's first lesson, as the girl had probably expected to throw on a gi and begin punching and kicking immediately. But she was a quick student, and within the first two weeks, he knew that it would probably be a shorter time than usual before the two of them were sparring with each other. Takato had gone for something simpler and closer to home, choosing to work on building up his physical endurance and getting his mile time down, sticking to their school's running track. Henry figured it was each to their own, as long as they were all keeping their minds occupied.

When it came to his home life, it had also gone through slight changes. When he wasn't getting more information for his upcoming curriculum online, he merely left his computer idle with the old Digimon game he had been gifted by his dad. He didn't dare play it actively; he knew both worlds needed time to heal, and he didn't want to chance of any in-game battles having adverse effects on the other side. But he wanted it open, just in case it could be utilized as a connection; a portal.

His biggest initial fear about not being there for Terriermon was imagining their partners having to endure the harsh way of life on the other side until they were able to return. They had all seen what had happened to Meramon on their first night, witnessing how quickly life could be snuffed out. His dad had tried to set his mind at ease, saying that with everything that had been sacrificed to defeat the D-Reaper, that the digital world was likely in a calmer period of peace as it started to heal. He even put forward the possibility that the Sovereign may have even sheltered the Tamer's partners for the duration.

The thought made him smirk, trying to imagine Zhuqiaomon accommodating Digimon that had preferred the companionship of humans. But, possibilities with the Sovereigns aside, it did make sense. If things had temporarily been less crazy here in the aftermath, then it stood to reason that it was less crazy over there, too.

Glancing down at his watch, Henry knew he'd have to turn around now if he wanted to make the next train back in time for dinner. Otherwise, it'd be reheated leftovers for him. Taking another sip from the water fountain, he strapped his helmet back on and got back on his bike. The first quarter of the return trip would be an effortless coast down the hill, requiring him to only periodically squeeze on the brakes to avoid going too fast. He let the wind rush past his body as he returned down towards the train platform.

"Terriermon. Wait for me. Because I'm sure we'll be together again some day. Momentai."