It wasn't just buildings that had sustained damage. People had too.
Jou was all too aware of such a truth as he walked back into the Kido apartment, his eyes weary and his body exhausted. Approximately five days had passed since the attack that left so many occupants of Odaiba hurt and evacuated, and the people of the city were starting to return home in full. In fact, the effort of returning people to Odaiba was almost completed by this point, and Jou knew that he should have found it to be a relief.
Instead, Jou only became all too aware of the fact that there were more people that had been hurt in the attack than he thought originally. He had been spending more and more time at the hospital that his father owned, and that meant that he had to help out the patients that were found within. It seemed like more and more people were coming in every day than ever before, each with sprained ankles or wrists or cuts that were refusing to heal in the aftermath of the attacks. Nobody had died or been hurt enough to cause lifelong damage, but that did little to help with Jou's anguish. After all, he was all too acquainted with the issues that the Digimon attacks brought, and it left him feeling bittersweet and agitated. He couldn't relax no matter how hard he tried. He was just glad that he had gotten over his fear of blood so that this was at least a little bit less painful than it would have been a few years ago.
When Jou walked back into the apartment, he was pleasantly surprised to see Gomamon curled up on the couch, his white paws flopping dramatically over the side of the cushions. Gomamon perked up when he realized that his partner had returned, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Jou!" he cried out before jumping to the ground. "You'll never guess what I did for you while you were gone!"
Jou tilted his head to the side in curiosity, and he trailed after Gomamon into the kitchen of the Kido apartment. Sitting at the center of the table was a plate that was covered in small snacks, specifically those that Jou had gotten particularly attached to over his years with Gomamon. "I noticed that you've been stressed lately, so I figured that we could share some food while you were on break from the hospital," Gomamon explained. "I was going to do something a bit more, but..."
"We all know what happened when you tried to use the stove," Jou replied, a chuckle leaving his lips as he scooped his partner up and sat down at the table. "Thank you for this, Gomamon... I really do need this."
As soon as both Jou and Gomamon were situated and ready to share their food, Jou let out a heavy sigh. He couldn't keep the mask up anymore, and he was glad that it was just him and Gomamon in the apartment in that moment. He sought privacy desperately, and Gomamon was more than willing to provide it to him. "It seems like there's no way to run away from it," Jou admitted softly. "Every single time I go back, there are more people, and they're all saying the same things about the Digimon attacks."
"I just hope that nobody's afraid of us," Gomamon remarked as he reached for a bag of chips. He opened it with incredible precision that had been honed as a result of his years alongside Jou on Earth. "I think that we're both aware of how scared humans can get around things they don't understand."
Jou nodded. "They're taking it much better than I would have expected... Not many people are saying that they're afraid of all Digimon, and I've done what I can to reassure those who do think that. For the most part, people are only associating the evil Digimon with their bad experiences of the past few days. They know that Digimon have saved them from the attacks too, it seems," he said as he took a bite of the ripest apple that could be found on the plate. "It's... It's still tiring."
"You wish that there was more you could do, huh?" Gomamon questioned, and Jou responded with a nod. "That's just like you, Jou. You always want to help people however you can even when you feel like a mess inside. It's nice to know that you care so much."
"I still feel like a mess," Jou admitted with a sigh. "It feels like more children come in than adults these days. Even if it's all simple work to patch up their wounds, it's still... It's not easy. I wish that people weren't being placed in these situations in the first place. Why did it all have to happen at once?"
"We're going to stop it soon enough," Gomamon reminded him. "That's what we're getting ready to do by going into the Dark Ocean. As soon as everyone has figured out how to get into the Dark Ocean, then we're going to head over there and do what we can so that this doesn't happen again. We aren't going to let any Digimon or other monsters break into Earth from there, and then, we'll take care of this world of fire. After that, it'll be easy for us to take care of the enemies that are causing us so many problems right now. The Harmonious Ones will do what they can to figure everything out, and we're going to be fine."
Jou was quiet for a long moment before he let out a sigh. "Thanks, Gomamon," Jou murmured. He had needed that more than he would ever care to admit, and he was once again overwhelmingly glad that he had such an amazing partner by his side through thick and thin. He reached for a bag of chips before opening it, glad that Gomamon was giving him the chance to indulge in such treats in the first place. This break from work was hardly what he had expected, but he would have been lying if he said that he wasn't enjoying it. In fact, it was exactly what he needed whether he realized it or not.
"I bet that everyone is going to be fine when we take care of the Emissaries of Chaos. They're going to be running with their tails between their legs for a while, and when we're ready, we'll take them on. Everything is going to be fine, and we've got it all under control," Gomamon continued, his smile an instant remedy to the anguish that had plagued Jou's soul throughout his shift at the hospital.
"You're right," Jou said, surprised by the confidence that could be found in his voice. Gomamon truly was too good for him, and he didn't think that there were any words out there that would ever be able to describe how glad he was to not be dealing with this alone.
For a while after that, the two of them just sat and ate in silence. When the quiet was finally disturbed, it was when Gomamon spoke up. "You look like you could use some time outside. How about we go out on a walk so that you aren't making yourself sick by not getting any sunlight?" he prompted. That was the snarky Gomamon way of saying that Jou looked dreadful and needed to get some air.
Still, Jou would be hard pressed to disagree, so he slid himself out of his seat before pulling Gomamon into his arms. "Okay," he agreed quietly. He needed this a lot more than he wanted to admit. He needed peace as a whole more than he wanted to say out loud, if he was being honest.
Golden Week was drawing to a close, but it certainly didn't feel like a time for celebrating as far as Taichi was concerned.
He had spent an odd amount of time standing at the edge of the balcony in the Yagami family's apartment, his arms draped casually over the railing as he looked out at the rest of the city. The wind blew around him, but it was little more than just static at the back of his mind. Nothing seemed to matter aside from the fact that the city was just starting to put itself together again in the aftermath of the attack.
There were a few cranes that could be seen on the horizon, but Taichi didn't want to acknowledge them. It seemed as if the construction materials were all too excited to invade his conscious train of thought as much as he hated to admit it though, so it took much more effort than it should have for him to block out the reminders of the recent events. Golden Week had been planned as a time for him and the rest of the Chosen Children to enjoy themselves and take a step away from the hustle and bustle of regular life so that they could enjoy themselves in between searching for explanations regarding what was happening in the Digital World. Instead, the time had been stolen ruthlessly, leaving behind little more than a fragmented ideal that Taichi knew was never going to come to pass.
The door slid open behind him, but Taichi didn't turn to acknowledge the new arrival. He already knew exactly who it was because of how many times he had gone through this same series of events since he returned from the Digital World earlier in the week. Sure enough, the familiar patterns of three sets of footsteps reached his ears before the door slid shut once again. Hikari's silhouette took its place beside Taichi, and Agumon and Tailmon found their own homes on the balcony as well. Agumon was on Taichi's other side, and Tailmon curled up against the railing, using her feline agility and balance to her advantage.
"There's a lot that has changed over the past week," Hikari said simply. It was a basic sentence and one that Taichi had felt like he had heard a dozen times over already, whether it be from himself, one of the other Chosen Children, or the Digimon that they were partnered with. It was true, and the honesty of the statement was almost the part that hurt the most. A lot had happened and changed, and that hurt more than Taichi was willing to openly acknowledge.
"It's going to be a long time before Odaiba is back to what it was before all of this started," Tailmon commented, her voice simultaneously a lazy drawl and all too sharp for Taichi's ears. "It isn't going to be easy to reconstruct so many buildings. Even if there was no damage that caused the complete destruction of a building, this is still a lot to repair all at once."
Taichi nodded absentmindedly. The building that had taken the most damage in the attack had been the data bureau, but it was still already on its way to returning to its former glory. It was a slow process, yes, but it was still progress being made, and Taichi was willing to accept that. the past few meetings that had taken place with the previous generation of Chosen Children had been at Koushiro's office since the building where Hiraku, Daigo, and Maki worked was hardly in the condition to host such a large party of individuals. Security had grown tighter since the attacks took place, and even if the Chosen Children had authority to come and go as they pleased regardless, nobody seemed to want to go there in the first place. After all, the building itself seemed to be a reminder of what had happened, and none of them wanted to be fully aware of what they had seen.
"We did what we could," Agumon said, glancing up to his partner with a falsified light in his green eyes. He could tell exactly what Taichi was thinking even if no words were spoken between them. Taichi had agonized long hours into the night about the people who had been hurt. Jou had mentioned offhandedly during one of their past meetings that there were so many patients at the hospital because of the Digimon attack that it was almost overwhelming. Jou's eyes were a shell of their former self. His gray irises had lost their luster, and the skin beneath Jou's eyes was torn apart by the darkness that came with a lack of sleep. Taichi couldn't tell if the restlessness was because Jou was working long hours or because he was all too aware of the truth that was waiting for them all just around the corner: the honesty that came with the helplessness of past actions.
"We're going to have to go into the Dark Ocean soon," Hikari pointed out, her voice just above a murmur. Taichi could tell that Hikari was nervous even though she was trying her best to hide it. Hikari had outgrown her fear of the Dark Ocean for quite some time, aware that it wasn't going to be able to get her against her will, but this wasn't something that she could run from; if the worlds were going to find salvation, she was going to have to go there of her own volition. It was impossible to say if that was more comfortable or terrifying than the alternative to Hikari, and Taichi didn't think that it was a decision that he had any right to make.
"We're going to work together. Everything is going to be fine," Tailmon declared, her voice losing its previous lazy quality. She was trying to persuade herself just as much as anyone else, her past fears of the Dark Ocean having finally been nearly made real as a result of this new mission. There was no other option for them if they wanted to save the worlds; the Dark Ocean's foes had to fall to ensure that the barrier was not completely destroyed. The weaknesses were only growing with each passing day, albeit at a slower rate since the day of the attack. It was concerning regardless, and each moment that he wasn't in action, Taichi found himself almost itching with nerves as he yearned to get out into the center of the action and stop whoever was behind all of this.
Taichi nodded absentmindedly, his gaze straying to the ground at the base of the apartment. There were hurt people all throughout the city, and he couldn't help but feel as if this was his failure to bear. Realistically, he knew that no one person could hold that massive burden alone, but that didn't stop him from wondering what could have happened if he had handled things differently. If he had found out about the attacks sooner and worked harder to stop the Digimon. It seemed like the idea just wouldn't leave him alone no matter how hard he tried to outrun it, and he wondered drearily if there was even a way to escape the concept in the first place.
The walk to Takeru and Natsuko's apartment shouldn't have been this dreary, Yamato thought bitterly.
Even though nearly a week had passed since the attack on the city, it felt like the signs of the battle were still everywhere. People walked close to their loved ones, scurrying through the streets and ignoring the limps that had manifested during the quick process of the evacuation. There were pockmarks of combat against the streets, and Yamato almost found himself wishing that the weather was cooler than the warmth of the crisp May air. After all, if the weather was colder, then he would be able to hide his face in a scarf without looking ridiculous in the heat of the summer air.
Yamato had been desperate to get away from his apartment nearly every single day since the battle took place. He just needed to be out of that space when he knew what was waiting for him outside no matter how much he wanted to escape the truth of the matter. Gabumon walked alongside him, hiding in a disguise that he hadn't needed in ages. The public was warming up to the idea of Digimon, but that did little to mitigate the nerves that had started to spread as a result of the recent attacks. Gabumon hid beneath a dramatic hat and poorly-proportioned raincoat, acting as if that would be able to mask the horn that stuck up from the top of his head. Still, it was something, and Yamato was more than willing to accept it as a blessing in a time when it seemed like there was little positive for him to find.
Yamato shook his head to himself, trying to get rid of the lingering thoughts before they could plague him too significantly. He knew that everybody else in the group was feeling the sting of the Digital World the same way that he was. Each day that they weren't doing anything was another chance for something to be going wrong in the other worlds. Koushiro was doing what he could, working day in and day out with Tentomon at his side to find an opening to the Dark Ocean. The world of fire remained a mystery to them, but at least they had the advantage of having been to the Dark Ocean a time or two. They knew what they were searching for, and that was something that Yamato was willing to count as a point in their direction given the circumstances that they were dealing with.
Gabumon's paw suddenly came down on the back of Yamato's leg, and he nearly jumped out of pure surprise before he glanced down in the direction of his partner. Gabumon was looking up at him with a gentle smile that refused to meet his eyes. None of them were sure about what was going to come next even if they had the plan written out on paper. After all, having a schematic in mind was little when compared to actually executing the plot that they had been dreaming of ever since their conversation with Homeostasis.
True to the suspicions of the group, nothing else had happened since the attack on Odaiba earlier that week, but somehow, that only made Yamato feel worse. It meant that the Emissaries of Chaos were stockpiling on energy the same way that the rest of the group had suggested. It meant that the Emissaries of Chaos were going to be back one of these days with more than enough damage to deal. It meant that the next hit was going to hurt even more than the first one, and Yamato had seen more than enough of that catastrophe to last a lifetime.
Yamato had gotten used to the path that led to the Takaishi apartment over the course of the past three years. He had been there countless times to visit his brother and mother, and his relationship with his mother was starting to recover because of all the time that he spent there talking with Takeru. It was still an issue for him to try and fill the hole that was left behind by so many years apart, but it was a first step that had taken all too long for him to take, so who was Yamato to push back against it?
"We did what we could," Gabumon pointed out, something that he had said what felt like a thousand times over the course of the past five days. "We're just going to have to get out there and make sure that we do what we can next. We know what we have to do at least."
Yamato nodded numbly, shaking his head to try and ignore the persistent whispers in the back of his mind that reminded him of how much this felt like a failure. Deep down, he knew better than to believe that he was not the one responsible for all of this. The Emissaries of Chaos had caused all of these problems in the first place, and he did what he could to fight back for the sake of the innocent people that were left struggling as a result. Still, it stung like a slap to the face, bringing back unfortunate memories that he wished that he could shove away.
Normally, Yamato would just get rid of his emotions by strumming them out on the guitar and waiting for the tension to dissipate from his shoulders. Instead, all he could do was resign himself to any social interaction that he could get his hands on. He sought companionship much more than he ever had previously, needing the comfort of other people to let himself know that he was safe and alive, to let him know that they were going to find a way to survive all of this despite the impossible odds that had been presented in their path.
It was foreign to Yamato, but he was more than glad to embrace his brother's optimism and behavior as a social butterfly for the sake of helping them both. After all, Takeru was searching for help in the eyes of others the same way that Yamato was, and what were brothers for if not helping one another through difficult times? More than ever before, Yamato was glad that he had such an incredible younger brother.
Yamato stopped as he saw the traces of the apartment building that housed the homes of the Takaishi, Inoue, and Hida families from afar. Gabumon halted in his walking as well, and the two were silent and statuesque for a long moment. It felt much colder than it actually was, and Yamato couldn't help but wonder if perhaps it was just him or if the world had grown a tone or two darker since he last looked up to the skies.
It should have been a victory, Yamato thought to himself bitterly. They were able to fend off the Digimon that were attacking Odaiba, and the people of the city were kept from harm for the most part. The damages were all material and would be fixed soon enough. But if all that was true, then why did it still feel like Yamato had been stabbed in the chest by some rogue knife wielded by destiny itself? He shook his head to try and dismiss the thought, knowing that the action would do nothing but trying his best anyways. Takeru would know how to cheer him up. His brother needed him, and Yamato need his brother too. That was why he was out and about like this in the first place. After all, he didn't have any other reason to stare chaos in the face, did he?
Mimi was great at checking up on others. That was what she thought, anyways. She had come to understand what the rest of the Chosen Children needed over their many years of friendship, and Mimi was fully aware of what had to be done to break through the bubbles and walls that her friends put up in times of turmoil. The past week had not been easy, but Mimi found that she took solace in helping those around her. It was a little something to boost her spirits, and she needed that more than ever. She could cheer herself up while working to help those around her at the same time. What could be a better compromise?
However, there was one person who she did not have years of experience with, and it was because of this that she found herself standing outside of the Mochizuki family's apartment. Meiko hadn't been receptive to her text messages, and Mimi somehow doubted that it was because her companion was too busy to bother reaching out. Meiko was an introvert through and through, and most of her time was spent with the Chosen Children. There was only one explanation that Mimi could think of for this situation, and it made her think that Meiko was avoiding her and the rest of the group on purpose.
It wasn't as if Mimi could particularly blame Meiko for wanting to keep her distance. After all, this was new to her, and Meiko had been struggling in her own way since the very beginning. She wasn't experienced with all of the damage that Digimon were capable of doing, and Meiko had been so ominously quiet since the events in Odaiba that it was almost frightening. Mimi had checked on Meiko before they left the Digital World, noting how silent the other girl had become, but Meiko just shrugged it off and smiled like she was fooling anyone. Mimi knew better than to be drawn in by such tricks because she was no fool, and Meiko was kidding herself if she thought that Mimi wasn't going to be reaching out and trying to close the gap between them.
Mimi's fingers rapped against the wood of the door, and Palmon watched from beneath a floppy hat and misshapen dress next to Mimi as they waited for someone to answer. When the door pushed open though, it was not Meiko who was greeting them, but instead, her mother. "Oh, Mimi! I didn't realize that you were coming by," the woman said.
"I'm just here to check up on Meiko," Mimi explained with a kind smile. She didn't want to let too much of her concern show at risk of scaring Meiko's mother, instead trying her hardest to seem as personable and open as possible.
"I see. Meiko is in her room. I'm sure that she'll be happy to see you." Meiko's mother gestured for Mimi and Palmon to enter, and Mimi pretended that she didn't see the blatant concern living in the older woman's gaze. She was fully aware that something was going on with Meiko as well; she just didn't want to mention it in case Mimi didn't know yet. That plan hadn't exactly ended well, Mimi thought quietly.
Mimi gave the dark-haired woman a nod of gratitude as she crept towards Meiko's room. She knocked gently on the wood and waited for Meicoomon to say that it was fine for her to enter. With that, Mimi smiled and pushed her way inside. "Hey there, you two," Mimi greeted kindly.
Mimi had to actively try to make sure that her smile didn't slip away from her face. The room was almost completely cloaked in shadow, and Meiko was curled up on her bed with her glasses sitting vacantly on the nearby table. Her hair was spread out across the mattress, tangled and knotted from a lack of care. Meicoomon was sitting beside her, not facing her partner but still clearly concerned. Meiko was undoubtedly awake since Meicoomon wouldn't be so loud if she was at risk of waking her partner, but Mimi couldn't help thinking about how hollow Meiko looked and seemed at a first glance.
"Mimi..." Meiko whispered, her voice laced with shock. She reached out for her glasses before shoving the lenses onto her face, and she sat up once again before looking up at Mimi. Her eyes were puffy and red, making it clear as could be that she had been crying much more than she would have admitted otherwise. "I-I... I didn't realize that you were coming by..."
"You haven't been answering our messages," Palmon explained. She approached Meiko's bed and stood nearby as Meiko swung her legs over the side of the mattress to try and make it seem as if she hadn't been burying herself away from the sunlight for the past few days. "We've been worried about you."
"Oh, um... S-Sorry... I didn't realize that you were trying to reach out," Meiko murmured. Mimi couldn't tell if she was being honest or not, but she supposed that it didn't matter. If Meiko did notice, then she was too depressed and upset to bother returning the gesture of reaching out. If she didn't notice, then it was because her depression was so overpowering that she couldn't escape it so easily. Neither outcome was at all positive, and Mimi couldn't tell which idea was worse.
"It's alright," Mimi said vacantly with a loose hum escaping her lips. She sat down on the edge of the mattress near Meiko, and Palmon jumped up to join her a moment later. "How have you been doing? I know that this is a lot to take in all at once."
Meiko hesitated for a long moment, and that told Mimi all that she needed to know. "Is... Is it always like this...?" Meiko questioned in lieu of a true response. When Mimi tilted her head to the side in confusion, Meiko elaborated. "You know... Dangerous... Terrifying... Nerve-wracking... Is this what it means to be a Chosen Child?"
Mimi stared at her in silence, unsure as to how she was meant to respond. The Digital World and its occupants had brought her countless incredible friends and experiences. Palmon was the best friend that she could ever hope to ask for, and the plant Digimon meant more to Mimi than she could ever hope to describe. She would never be able to forget the smiles and laughs that had been shared with Chosen Children from around the world, and the memories that she held of her team were close to her heart at all times. They were a family.
However, that didn't mean that she was able to deny the truth of the matter that the darkest moments truly were bleak. The Dark Masters had brought endless pain and anguish to her and the rest of her team, and Mimi would never be able to forget what happened in those shadowed days. The memories of the Digital World would never leave her for better or worse. She had grown used to the idea of coping with this sort of trauma years prior, and in some twisted way, it barely even bothered her anymore. Her family had pulled her through this.
Whenever Mimi finally was able to force herself to speak true words rather than just clipped excuses for syllables, her chest was tight with the bitterness of her sudden revelation. "I... Um... Well... We're all there for each other," she offered, though she knew that it was hardly an answer as to Meiko's inquiry. Of course it wasn't an answer. How was she meant to reply to something like that?
"That isn't what I asked," Meiko said bluntly, her voice suddenly stained with agitation that Mimi hadn't heard from her in the past. Of course Meiko had pushed the subject in that direction. Mimi couldn't say that she was surprised. She wasn't happy in the slightest with how this had gone because she knew that there wasn't anything that she could say. What excuse was there? Could anything really reconcile what Meiko was thinking?
"Even if times are hard sometimes, we all look out for each other," Palmon interjected with a gentle smile on her face. Mimi could see how strained the grin was at the corners, but Palmon did her best to keep the mask up. "Even when things get difficult, we work together to make sure that we come out on the other side."
"How are you so used to this?" Meiko questioned, her voice shaking lightly. "I don't understand. This is terrifying. We... We all could have died when the invasion of Odaiba happened! We're lucky that nobody actually did die! How are we supposed to just sit down and accept that this is part of life for us Chosen Children? Is this... Is this what it's always been like for you and the rest of the group?"
"Meiko," Mimi forced herself to say, though no other words seemed to be willing to leave her lips. She hated how helpless she felt all of a sudden. She knew that there was some truth to Meiko's words whether she wanted to admit it or not. After all, the life of a Chosen Child was dangerous. Times had been difficult and risky ever since the first battle in the Digital World against Kuwagamon so many years prior. Even if the group had fallen into a rhythm under the influence of peace, the danger had returned with renewed intensity over the past few weeks. Meiko's first experiences were of danger after she had lived for so many years with Meicoomon far from the touch of bloodshed, so it was only natural that she was so hurt by it all. That hardly made it easier for Mimi to see from the outside though.
"Is this what it means to be a Chosen Child? Why is it that you and everyone else is so... So used to this? Everything is so beyond dangerous, but you barely even seem to notice. I don't know how you do it... I'm not cut out for this like the rest of you. I know that you're all used to this, but... I'm not. I don't think I ever will be. I don't understand how you can just smile and act like there's nothing wrong when this is so clearly not something meant for children to be going through," Meiko told her. As soon as Meiko started talking, she wasn't able to force herself to stop, and her words started to run together in one panicked blur. Even if the words became hard to understand though, Mimi knew exactly what point she was trying to get across.
"Meiko..." Meicoomon murmured, her eyes wide with surprise at her partner's outburst. Nobody seemed to know what to do with what Meiko had said. Mimi felt a thousand gears in her head start to turn. She knew that Meiko was right, and some dark part of her wondered why she hadn't realized this sooner. Looking back, it felt so painfully obvious. She had suffered from nightmares for months after the Digital World's first set of escapades. Even years later, she still found herself at the center of nighttime terrors that reminded her of the intimate grief and fear that had come with losing Leomon, Piximon, Whamon, and a dozen others who faded to dust because they believed in the cause of a small handful of children who were stumbling incomprehensibly through the world with hopes of making a difference.
Meiko seemed to realize what it was that she had said upon hearing her partner's voice, and her eyes drifted up to stare at Mimi. She noticed just how terrified and suddenly empty Mimi's gaze was, and Meiko looked down at her hands, folding them neatly on her lap as she did so. Meiko made no moves to take back her words, and Mimi didn't think that there was any reason to try. After all, why would Meiko bother trying when there was no way to erase those horrified words from the ears of those who had heard? Mimi would never forget the dread that had slammed into her stomach as soon as she realized that Meiko was right, and Meicoomon and Palmon would never forget the confrontational and horrified sheen that had come over Meiko's gaze for a short while.
Meiko let out a sigh and shifted her head off to the side. "I need some time alone," she murmured. After that, she fell almost painfully still, refusing to move another inch. The silent expectation was that Mimi and Palmon would show themselves out. Meicoomon glanced in their direction and nodded. The unspoken words behind the gesture said that she would look after Meiko until she was feeling better.
Mimi's legs felt numb and unfeeling as she rose to her feet. Palmon jumped off the bed and walked towards the door as well, the flower on her head seeming to droop with tragedy. Mimi's fingers curled around the doorknob, and she turned her head over her shoulder one last time. Meiko had pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face between her knees. Aside from that, she was still as could be. Meicoomon gave one more gentle nod to Mimi, and with that, the girl walked out, Palmon in tow.
It was by a pure stroke of luck that Meiko's mother didn't see Mimi and Palmon on the way out. Mimi was too out of it to bother calling out that she had left, figuring that Meicoomon could handle it when she realized her neglect belatedly. Once she was out in the hallway, Mimi's hands came up to her face, and she dragged them down over her eyes and down her cheeks silently. She couldn't bring herself to say anything, and part of her wondered if she could say much of anything even if she wanted to.
"Mimi?" Palmon asked softly, glancing up in her partner's direction. She placed one hand on Mimi's leg in lieu of grasping at her arm. Mimi remained still for another long moment before she glanced down at Palmon. Mimi could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes, but for some reason, they refused to fall. Perhaps it was because she didn't want to release them into the world. Somehow, that would make it feel even more real, and Mimi didn't know if she would be able to handle something like that.
When Mimi was finally able to speak again, her voice fell out flat and lifeless. "Let's go home," she murmured. Palmon watched her once again before nodding carefully. From there, they started to line the familiar path back to the Tachikawa residence. Neither one of them said a word, and they remained quiet until after Mimi collapsed onto her bed and let the tears of numb horror fall wordlessly.
Yamato had only knocked a few seconds ago when Takeru pulled the door open, a bright smile on his face. "Yamato, it's good to see you," Takeru greeted simply. He let Yamato and Gabumon inside a moment later, and as he did so, Patamon came into view. The small orange Digimon was flapping through the air with a smile on his own face to match Takeru's bright grin. The rest of the apartment was notably quiet, and Yamato's first question of the day was answered immediately.
"Mom's not home?" he asked. Yamato didn't know what else he was expecting, if he was being honest. He was fully aware of the fact that Natsuko Takaishi was nothing if not a bit of a workaholic. Yamato didn't know where the habit had come from, but he figured that he almost didn't want to find out. He figured that he was bound to uncover some secret about Natsuko's working habits involving the divorce of their family so many years prior, and Yamato wanted to avoid being stung by that bitterness of the past if he could avoid it.
"No, she's working," Takeru replied. He sat down on the couch simply, and Yamato noticed that there was a dip in the cushion from where Takeru normally sat. Patamon fluttered over and found his regular perch atop Takeru's head, using the blonde's hat as a meaningful grounds for traction. Yamato and Gabumon followed Takeru's lead a few moment later as Takeru continued to speak. "With what happened earlier in the week, she's had a lot to write about. Everyone seems to be clamoring for a story or two from her, and she's had more than a few perspectives to hear as she gets read to release her pieces about what all went down back then."
Yamato nodded dully. Since their mother was a reporter, it wasn't out of the question that Natsuko was out interviewing and writing. There wasn't much of note to talk about aside from the monster attack, so it made sense as to why she was investigating something like that, but Yamato still found himself holding back a wince at the reminder of what had happened earlier in the week.
Takeru seemed to understand that Yamato was occupied with other matters internally, and he continued to speak to fill the silence. "It's still strange to think about, you know... The previous generation of Chosen Children, I mean. I never expected to find them under these circumstances, you know? I would have anticipated something else to lead us to them... Or, you know, maybe nothing at all."
"We've been going to the Digital World for six years, and yet, we were only just now able to figure out who they were," Yamato remarked, glad for the shift in conversation. "It's been so long since they were in the Digital World that barely anybody remembers them... It's a miracle that we were able to run into them in the first place, if I'm being honest."
"I suppose that we can thank the data bureau for all of this," Takeru remarked with a loose shrug. "I mean, without the fact that they started to bring all of the Chosen Children together under this cause, we never would have met them. I know that it wasn't the intention of establishing that group, but I'm glad that it ended this way."
"The group was originally founded as a way of dealing with the fact that so many Chosen Children are appearing across the world... It makes sense that something like that was done," Yamato agreed with a small nod. "And the fact that it brought together the Chosen Children only makes it better."
"I think that we've got a few stories to hear from them in the next few weeks," Takeru remarked with a light smile. "I know that they have a bunch to tell us about their original adventures. After all, they were there years before we were. A lot has changed as far as I can tell, and we might be able to use something like that to our advantage. You know what they say. If you don't know your history, then you are doomed to repeat it."
"We never even tried to find the original Chosen Children after our first or second adventure, but they showed up out of nowhere by pure chance," Patamon grinned. "Who would have expected that? I know that I didn't see it coming... But I guess that there's nothing to complain about. We all know one another now, and that's what matters most."
"You're right," Gabumon agreed. He glanced over in Yamato's direction, seeing that his partner was still somewhat unfocused and staring at the ground blankly. "Yamato? Is there something on your mind? We'll listen if you want to talk about it."
Yamato didn't realize that he hadn't been entirely focused until after he glanced up in the direction of Gabumon, Patamon, and Takeru. He let out a sigh before he could stop himself, and the words left his lips a moment later. "I guess that I'm just thinking about what's coming next," he murmured. Takeru was wondering about everything that had happened in the past with the previous generation of Chosen Children, but Yamato was focused on the future instead. After all, there was a lot that they had yet to do, and Yamato didn't feel right lingering on what had happened previously until after the present and future had been taken care of.
Takeru sighed and looked down. "We have no choice but to go to the Dark Ocean now," he said softly. "If we want to make sure that the barrier doesn't start to break, then we have to cross over into the Dark Ocean and stop whoever it is that's behind the pushing of the gate."
"Which is certainly going to be easier said than done," Yamato told him next, though that fact felt painfully obvious. He and the rest of the group knew what would happen if they didn't do that. The worlds would lose their separation, and from there, everything would just start to melt together. There was no way of saying for sure what would happen if the worlds began to fuse, but that was one curiosity that Yamato figured was best left unanswered. After all, the only way to find out would be through personal experience, and that idea was sickening to him.
"We'll go to the Dark Ocean and stop whoever is behind this. I'm sure of it," Gabumon assured him. "I wish that we had an idea of what it is that we're going to be up against when we go there though... We don't know anything right now."
Takeru was speaking before Yamato could fully register what was happening. "When Hikari was taken there... We found these dark creatures that appeared as Digimon but didn't seem to be. They were doing something in the name of their supposed ruler, though we don't know much of anything beyond that. We never fought against them in full, and we didn't see who their leader was either. We left before then, and during our subsequent trips to the Dark Ocean, we got lucky enough to not see them," he explained, voice suddenly overly cautious and somewhat ominous to Yamato.
The older boy felt a shiver run up and down his spine. Yamato hated the description already. He had heard vague tales of what happened that first time that the Dark Ocean opened itself up to take Hikari under its wing, but somehow, the details only made everything worse. That was a hint as to what it was that the group was likely going to have to deal with. Chances were high that the group would be faced with something as dreary and dark as the creatures that had searched for Hikari, and Yamato detested that such a fact had become their reality.
"We'll have to see what happens, I suppose," Takeru continued, a smile spreading across his face. Everything about his grin was ominous, and Yamato knew with everything that he had that this smile was false. He was fully aware of Takeru's habits when it came to pretending as if everything was fine, but he was almost too exhausted to try and break through the toxic optimism that had come to be known as Hope beneath a banner of pristine golden yellow.
"I guess so," Yamato murmured to himself. He already hated the idea of what was going to be waiting for them in the Dark Ocean, but he knew that this distaste for the idea wasn't going to be enough to cause their foes to back down. So much damage had been done as it was, and there was still time left to be seen as far as traveling to the Dark Ocean was concerned. Koushiro and Hikaru hadn't yet found the path to the other world. Even after they got there, the Chosen Children were going to have to search for what was causing the problem in the first place.
"But we'll be fine," Takeru told him. Yamato couldn't tell in the slightest as to if his brother actually believed such a declaration, and he somehow doubted that he would be hearing the honest truth on the matter anyways. Instead, he just looked down at his hands silently, knowing that everything was going to change for better or worse as soon as they went to the Dark Ocean.
Neither one of them spoke for a long time after that. Yamato's eyes eventually drifted upwards, and he found himself glaring at the small patch of a bandage that existed on the back of Takeru's neck. It was no longer the same one that had first been there from Kaya's act of assistance during the siege of Odaiba, but it was a marker of something gruesome and twisted just the same.
Yamato had no idea what it was that he was going to be expecting from that point on. The world itself was difficult and spiraling out of his control. The Dark Ocean was a symptom of a greater problem, and he and the rest of the group had yet to acknowledge the fact that their foes in the Digital World still existed. They were using the lapse in activity to take care of the issues within other worlds, but if the Digimon behind the attacks in the Digital World grew violent once more, then there was no way of saying what would happen.
Yamato didn't look over to the window, not seeing much of a point to it. He knew what he was going to see, and he had witnessed more than enough in terms of depressing sights on the way over to Takeru's home. Odaiba was going to be recovering for quite some time, and Yamato couldn't help but wonder if the city would be able to take another hit like that. What if the next evacuation wasn't successful in getting the people of Odaiba out before the Digimon attack grew out of their control?
It seemed like Yamato couldn't avoid the thought once it had planted itself in the back of his thought, so he silently reached over into Gabumon's direction and took his partner's paw gently between his fingers. He was already exhausted, and the adventure had barely even begun.
Maki had become rather good at ignoring her own exhaustion.
That was what she thought, anyways. In the five days since her return to Odaiba from the Digital World, every single night had been marked with nightmares and reminders of the past. It wasn't as if Maki wasn't used to this. She had seen her fair share of miserable whispers in the dead of night because of her various adventures in the Digital World. Somehow, this time felt worse than any other though, and her chest always grew tight whenever she recalled the fact that the Digital World was back in her life with a burning vengeance.
That wasn't to say that Maki wasn't grateful for the fact that she had been given the chance to return. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She was beyond glad to see Huanglongmon again after so many years. The reason that she had taken up her specific line of work was because she had wanted to see him again, and she was desperate to make sure that it happened, even if she had to tear apart the gate to the Digital World with her own two hands. She had been waiting for this day for a lifetime and more, and the fact that it was finally happening still didn't entirely feel real to her.
But there was still a complicated facet to it all. Of course things were more complex than she was willing to admit at a first glance. Maki wanted to see her partner again, but she wasn't as enthusiastic about seeing the Digital World again. Homeostasis seemed nice, and the Digital World was in a state of peace for the most part, but that did little to ease the fact that she had seen the realm in a time of complete chaos. Even with the gate on the verge of cracking, Maki couldn't help but feel some sense of twisted envy for the fact that the Digital World was still standing. There weren't wild Digimon that were on the verge of tearing each other apart because that was the law of survival. The other occupants of the world seemed to work together to try and figure out what was happening in the realm around them even in times of darkness and uncertainty such as the present.
Maki had endured five days of a pounding migraine after that first day lacking in sleep, and she regretted even dreaming of what could happen if she dared to close her eyes and fall into the realm of slumber once again. She had seen the Dark Ocean again and again as soon as she was reminded of the fact that it existed. The world had threatened to pull her under its grip without a beat of hesitation, and she had just stood there with dull eyes and grief in her heart. She had barely bothered to fight back, and that was the most terrifying part in her eyes.
Daigo had requested that she come to his apartment after they were finished with work, and that was why Maki found herself standing outside his door with a small compact mirror in hand. She had taken some drugstore medication to get rid of the sharpest edges of her headache, and she had applied a small amount of makeup to cover for the shadowed voids that tore at the skin just beneath her eyes. Maki was hardly fond of wearing makeup in the first place, but she knew that she was going to have to if she was going to keep up the ruse around the person who knew her best.
Maki wasn't entirely satisfied with her appearance when she slammed the compact shut and reached towards the door to knock. Daigo came to the entrance of his apartment a moment later, his smile strained and tired as always. Maki didn't think that she had seen him looking actually well-rested in more than fifteen years. It was the Digital World that had done this to him, and every single member of their group knew it. They had all seen too much, and it had its kickback for them all. In Daigo's case, his trauma manifested itself as old eyes and an exhaustion that never seemed to fade no matter how many days he slept for fifteen hours at a time to try and curb the old pain of the past.
"I'm glad you're here," Daigo greeted simply as he let her inside. Maki could hear the gentle smell of something warm, and upon closer examination, she could see that the small kitchen table of Daigo's apartment had been stripped clean of its regular items to make way for a pair of cups holding Maki's favorite tea. Daigo was hardly a clean person, but he was making an effort for her sake given how organized she was by comparison.
Maki smiled at the sight of his kindness as she slid into her seat. "I think that we both needed this," she told him honestly. They had been working long hours ever since the attack earlier that week. The data bureau was a mess, and it seemed like every single hour brought with it the revelation of a new crack that had appeared in the walls or a new object that had fallen over during the assault.
Daigo nodded his agreement and sat down for himself. "So... It's nice to be able to see the Digimon again, huh?" he prompted, starting off the conversation with his regular casual kindness.
The Digimon. Not the Digital World, Maki thought bitterly to herself. "Yeah," she agreed. She almost wished that it was possible for her and the rest of the Chosen Children to take their partners and retreat to some place far from the eyes of society to live out the rest of their days. Odaiba, the place that they had all once called home, was suddenly an unfortunate reminder of what their foes were capable of. The Digital World had brought them immense pain, and even if the wild and terrifying nature of the realm had dulled over the years, their memories remained. Even when their remembrances faded some day in the distant future, their emotions would stay as potent and twisted as ever.
"I think that we all wanted to see them after all these years... It's good to know that they're doing well," Daigo continued. "You've been looking forward to this for ages, and the rest of us have been too. I don't know what I would do if I was never able to see them again... We were all holding onto this hope somewhere deep down, I think. Somehow, we all knew that we were going to cross paths once more in the future."
"I just wish that it didn't happen when we were in the middle of something so awful," Maki muttered. She hated the way that her voice sounded to her own ears, like something was scraping down a chalkboard with vicious intensity. She shook her head and let the silence close in around them once more.
The quiet was eventually disturbed by the soft ringing of a phone, and Maki frowned as she shoved her hand into her pocket. It was her phone, shown by the gentle vibration against her lower torso. She glanced down to the screen and saw that the number was a familiar one. "Hello?" Maki asked as she answered. She already knew that Kaya's voice was going to be waiting for her on the other side for better or worse.
"Chisane's sick," Kaya said bluntly, not bothering to go around in the circles of civility that others would have started with. "It's got to be the Digital World. The barrier is getting weaker, and she's not feeling good. She's been trying to seem strong, but I know her better than that. Everything is going wrong."
Maki winced at Kaya's words. She was fully aware of Chisane's sensitivity, and the fact that her friend was starting to suffer to such a degree was not a good sign. Hiraku had been working around the clock with Koushiro at his side when he could be. Even so, neither one of them had been able to find the right way to break into the Dark Ocean. That meant that Chisane was just going to keep getting worse until they were able to stumble upon a solution be it by chance or something deliberate.
"Hiraku is doing what he can," Maki told Kaya. She was simply stating the obvious, but she knew that it was going to do at least something to push Kaya in the right direction. It was difficult to calm Kaya down when she was stressed, and the subject of her anxiety being Chisane only added an extra complication. If there was one person that Kaya was defensive over, it was Chisane. Kaya had always looked after the whole group, but her connection with Chisane had been something special from the start.
"I know," Kaya replied, her voice almost hollow in its lack of emotion. Everything about her was vacant and detached in a way that made Maki feel almost sick to her stomach. The barrier had gotten so much worse than it should have in such a short span of time, and Chisane was struggling with it too. Why was everything falling apart in such a perfect streak of horrible events?
Maki opened her lips to say something to continue the conversation, but she heard the distant sound of something hitting the ground before she had the chance to verbalize her thoughts. Kaya swore under her breath and seemed to lose her focus. "Chisane passed out. I don't know what she was doing out of bed, but I have to take care of this," she said quickly.
Maki hissed from between her teeth, but Kaya cut her off by continuing, her words rushed and disoriented. "She's been muttering something about an ocean... I think that the barrier is about to snap. We've got to get in there as soon as possible... Whoever is there is going to die." The line went dead a moment later, and Maki pulled her phone away from her cheek. Kaya had hung up to go and take care of the matter surrounding Chisane's sudden bout of sickness.
Maki sighed as she glanced back to Daigo. "We're running out of time," she whispered. How was it that everything had fallen apart so quickly? They had no choice other than to press on and bear whatever it was they were going to be faced with next, but Maki couldn't help the awful dread that was starting to creep up in her stomach. In the back of her mind, she heard the distant crashing of darkened waves.
It all comes down to that damn ocean.
And so the second arc of the story draws to a close!
The next segment, act three, is where everything really starts to get in detail as far as character development is concerned. Given how action-packed act two was, I wanted to close off with some quieter chapters that would start to lead into the character arcs. I've said this before, but with the groundwork now spread out, it's time for the darker parts of character development to come out in full force.
My favorite scene in this chapter by far was the one with Mimi and Meiko. The two of them are so different in personality, and writing them together is always a joy because of this. Meiko is utterly terrified at the idea that this could at all be considered normal, and Mimi is so numb to what has happened that she doesn't even fully register it until Meiko starts talking. It definitely ties into the themes of past and future that this story revolve around, and it really is fun to work with them both in such a setting.
With all of that said, I'm going to leave off here for the time being. Next week, it'll be time for the one and only start to act three, leading us into all new territory. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital