Taichi just could not understand why those that represented light wanted to kill him. It did not make sense. He knew his sister was light, and she did not hate him. If anything, her being light made her more attached to him. So why did Digimon of Light not like him? One day, Taichi decided to ask the Demon Lords this very question.
"Because those of light are often blinded by their superiority. Those Digimon assume that they are always in the right even when they are not," answered one.
"They also know that humans can have immense potential in our world, and it terrifies them that there is now a human on our side that could tip the balance of power in our favor," another answered with a grin.
Taichi bit his lip as he decided to ask another question even though he was hesitant to do so.
"Would any of you try and hurt my sister for the same reasons?"
It grew quiet when Taichi asked that question. Taichi was starting to worry about their answer, yet it seemed that he had nothing to worry about after all.
"If your sister is indeed the Child of Light, and she favors you as you've said, then there is no reason for us to go after her," one answered.
"If anything, with her being the Child of Light and your sister, she would be more beneficial to us alive," mused another one.
Taichi was glad to know that he did not have to worry about Digimon of Darkness trying to kill his sister. He wished that Digimon of Light could be as open-minded.
The Incident
Two Years Later
Taichi was glad that they could end the battle quickly this time. Greymon did not even have to evolve to Perfect for this one. After Greymon absorbed the enemy's data, he immediately became Koromon.
"I did good, Taichi?" happily asked Koromon as he hopped over to Taichi.
"Yeah, you did great, Koromon," praised Taichi as he picked up the pink Digimon into his arms.
"So, we're done now, right?" Susumu asked his son.
Taichi nodded.
"Then let's get back home. I'm sure your mother is still up waiting for us," replied Susumu.
"Okay, Tou-san," Taichi agreed as he took his father's hand and soon teleported them back to their apartment.
The second Taichi and Susumu appeared in the living room, Yuuko immediately went to her son to check him over.
"Are you and Koromon alright? No injuries?" she asked as she searched over Taichi and Koromon with sharp eyes.
"We're fine, Kaa-san. Koromon was able to beat this one no problem," confidently proclaimed Taichi.
Yuuko let a small smile come to her lips, happy to hear that both her son and his Digimon were okay.
"Good, now you better get back to bed. It's already way past your bedtime," Yuuko instructed Taichi.
"Yes, Kaa-san," Taichi replied before heading to his and Hikari's room with Koromon.
Susumu and Yuuko decided to head to their room and retire for the night. However, neither parent could go to sleep right away as their constant concerns for their son grew.
"Those monsters are showing up even more now. This week was the fifth one, and it's only Wednesday," frustratingly stated Susumu.
A frown came on Yuuko's lips.
"I don't understand why these creatures are so determined to kill our son! He's just a child!" cried Yuuko.
"But that's just it, Yuuko. Taichi nor Hikari are not just children, and that's the problem," remarked Susumu with a sigh.
Yuuko glared at her husband, knowing what he implied and not liking it one bit.
"Nothing is wrong with our children, Susumu. They're still our babies," hotly defended Yuuko.
"Are they, though?" he retorted.
"Susumu, what are you saying?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
Susumu knew that his wife would not like what he was about to say, but he felt it needed to be said regardless.
"It's just sometimes; I swear Taichi becomes a different person when he is out there battling these creatures with Koromon. He acts more like a hardened military general than a child," he began.
"Then there's Hikari. She's so clingy with Taichi that she always puts up a struggle whenever Taichi leaves her for too long. We need to tie her up to keep her from leaving the house to follow Taichi whenever he goes out. Then there are moments when I feel like I am not talking to my little girl, but someone much older," he explained before seriously looking at his wife.
"Whether you like it or not, Yuuko. Taichi and Hikari are not normal, and I don't know what to do about it," Susumu confessed to her.
Yuuko could see that her husband was really troubled by all of this and quickly wrapped her arms around him to comfort him.
"I know this isn't easy, Susumu. We don't understand why our children have these powers or why those creatures are after our son. But what I do know is that they are still our children, and they need our support now more than ever," she told him.
It was moments like this that reminded Susumu just how strong and wise Yuuko was.
"As usual, you're right, Yuuko. All we can do is be there for them when they need us," he replied with a small smile.
"And we're doing just that. Do you know how proud I am of you for cutting back the way you've been doing ever since this mess started?" she told her husband with a pleasing smile.
"Well, I certainly couldn't go with my son to battle monsters while drunk, now, could I?" he asked rhetorically with a chuckle.
"Not unless you were planning on becoming a fascinating distraction during battles," Yuuko teased with a laugh of her own.
"Nah, I think I'm much better off as being a spectator and cheerleader right now," declared Susumu in a playful yet somewhat severe tone.
"I agree. Now, let's try to get some sleep," announced Yuuko.
"Alright," replied Susumu as the two soon went to bed for the night.
Taichi knew that his relationship with his grandfather was special. He could not explain it, but there was just something unique about the bond between him and his grandfather that was different than what he had with his parents and sister. Perhaps it was because his grandfather never treated him like a typical child. It was as if his grandfather had always known that he was different from a normal kid even before he found out about his involvement with Digimon. And maybe he had.
His grandfather had taken Koromon's presence in Taichi's life reasonably well and seemed to accept that his grandchildren had powers quickly.
When his grandfather suggested that he learn some form of martial arts to protect himself in battle better, his parents debated it at first but eventually agreed that it was a good idea. Thanks to his grandfather, he took karate and was a natural at it.
His grandfather also began teaching him how to play Shogi to help improve his strategic thinking. They played the game every chance they could, and Taichi soon developed a love and passion for Shogi.
Every time Taichi visited his grandfather, they would exchange many stories. His grandfather would share one of his war stories, and Taichi would talk about his previous trips to the Digital World. Their conversations were always insightful, and Taichi learned so much from them.
Whenever Taichi had an issue or a problem he could not solve, he found himself going to his grandfather more than his parents. Taichi did not know why, but he felt that his grandfather understood him on a level that his parents never could. His grandfather never shied away from giving him harsh truths or held back on the most horrific details. Somehow his grandfather realized that he could handle such things even though he was only eight years old.
His grandfather did not even mind when he would unexpectedly teleport into his home whenever he wanted to visit him without his parents and sister tagging along. Every time he did that, his grandfather would smile and treat his sudden appearance like a regular visit from his grandson.
Taichi truly appreciated his grandfather. He knew that he could always go to him whenever he needed him. Taichi would never say it out loud, but other than Hikari, his grandfather was his favorite family member.
Taichi frowned as the TV show he watched with Hikari and Koromon was interrupted by an emergency news broadcast. Another Digimon had shown up in the city that was causing quite the havoc. Even though it looked like the Digimon was recking buildings by flying through them to the news people and probably anyone else, Taichi realized that the Digimon was specifically destroying apartment complex buildings. The Digimon was on a search and destroy mission.
"Let's go Taichi!" eagerly announced Koromon, clearly ready for another battle.
However, a big problem prevented Taichi from immediately going out there to confront the Digimon.
"We can't, Koromon. Tou-san and Kaa-san aren't back yet, and we promised them that we wouldn't go into battle without backup, remember?" stated Taichi with a severe look on his face.
Koromon deflated at being reminded of that restriction.
"Oh yeah," sourly said Koromon.
Taichi did not blame Koromon for feeling disappointed that they would have to wait instead of rushing off to battle right away. Taichi did not like the thought of staying back while the Digimon was causing so much destruction, especially when it was because the Digimon was looking for him. Taichi hoped that his parents would come home soon before things got worse.
Unfortunately, things got worse as the Digimon ended up attacking in the same area where they knew their parents were currently at.
"Onii-chan, Momma and Papa are in there!" exclaimed a frantic Hikari.
"I know!" anxiously replied Taichi, just as concerned for his parents as Hikari was.
"Taichi, we need to go now!" Koromon proclaimed.
Taichi knew Koromon was right. Waiting was no longer an option.
"Let's go," urgently said Taichi.
"I'm coming too!" suddenly declared Hikari.
Taichi was not surprised that his sister wanted to come with them, but he was again hesitant.
"Sorry, Hikari, but you know that Tou-san and Kaa-san don't want you going with me to fights anymore," he reminded her, though Taichi was not exactly happy about it either.
Hikari gained a determined expression on her face.
"I don't care what Mamma and Papa said! They don't understand! I'm light, and your dark! I need to always be by your side!" she shouted vehemently as she tightly gripped Taichi's hand in her own.
Taichi was silent as he took in the words his sister had spoken. Soon a smile came on Taichi's face as he squeezed Hikari's hand back.
"You're right, Hikari! Let's go!" eagerly proclaimed Taichi, bringing a smile to Hikari's face.
With that settled, Taichi teleported Hikari, Koromon, and himself out of the apartment to face the new foe.
RizeGreymon did an excellent job of luring the Digimon away from the city. Taichi and Hikari held on tightly to RizeGreymon as he expertly maneuvered in the sky as he battled the opposing Digimon.
As the battle continued, Taichi and Hikari used their powers to help RizeGreymon beat the Digimon. Taichi would teleport them to avoid point-blank or speedy attacks while pouring some of his power into RizeGreymon to give him a power boost when needed. Hikari would produce shields to protect them from attacks they could not avoid and heal RizeGreymon whenever he was injured. With the three of them working together, it did not take long for Rizegreymon to beat the Digimon and absorb its data.
"Good job, RizeGreymon! Let's head back-"
Onii-chan, two more Digimon are still here, quickly interrupted Hikari using their mental connection to communicate with Taichi.
Taichi stiffened when he heard this.
Are you sure? He asked cautiously.
Yes, I can sense them…they're light, stated Hikari.
Can you tell how powerful they are? he asked his sister.
Hikari's eyes narrowed in concentration before a worried frown came on her lips.
They're really strong, Onii-chan, she answered in a nervous voice.
Damn it! That means the Digimon we just defeated was only fodder! Taichi frustratingly claimed as he realized how serious the situation was.
"RizeGreymon, be on your guard," Taichi quietly told Rizegreymon, not wanting to alert their enemies that they were on to them.
RizeGreymon nodded in understanding. By the expression on RizeGreymon's face, Taichi could tell that the Digimon was now being very cautious, and his senses were on full alert.
It was only the swift warning from Hikari that had allowed Taichi to teleport them away from the sudden attack before it could hit them. Yet before they could get a good look at who attacked them, another incoming attack forced Taichi to teleport them again. Unfortunately, their opponents were not letting up and continued to try and attack them the second they reappeared after a teleport. Their opponents were fast and relentless, not allowing them even a second to gain their bearings.
Taichi had already figured out that their opponents were trying to tire him out by forcing him to teleport constantly, but there was nothing else Taichi could do. Their enemies refused to reveal themselves, so Taichi did not know who they were up against and so could not make a property counter strategy unless he wanted to risk RizeGreymon receiving a fatal injury in the process.
Taichi silently cursed when he could feel himself getting fatigued. The enemy could tell he was losing strength as they began attacking faster and harder than before. Taichi could barely keep up with the sudden increase in attacks as he desperately teleported them as hastily as he could.
Taichi could no longer keep teleporting them as he was completely tapped out, and as expected, one of the opponent's attacks finally hit RizeGreymon. RizeGreymon cried out as the attack pierced his exposed underbelly, leaving a cross-shaped slash on his skin. RizeGreymon had staggered in the air for a moment before shaking off the pain and righting himself back up. But at the moment, the Digimon was more concerned about Taichi than himself.
"Taichi, are you alright?" worryingly asked RizeGreymon.
"Onii-chan?" Hikari called in concern when she too realized something was wrong with her brother.
"I'm okay…just need a minute," he told them, though RizeGreymon and Hikari were still worried about him regardless.
Sadly, they did not have a minute as the enemy attacked once more.
Taichi was about to try and teleport them again, yet Hikari rapidly put up a shield around them instead this time. The barrier not only successfully blocked the next set of attacks but also caused their opponents to stagger long enough to see who they were.
The two Digimon looked like angels. One was a female angel covered in pink armor with no wings, and the other was a male angel with sliver and blue armor with blades for arms.
When Hikari's eyes saw them, the light inside of her recognized them immediately.
"LovelyAngemon, SlashAngemon," muttered Hikari though they still heard her.
The two Digimon frowned as they glanced in Hikari's direction.
"Child of Light, why are you protecting one of darkness?" asked SlashAngemon in a commanding voice.
Hikari gave them a firm glare.
"Because he is my brother! So, leave him alone!" shouted Hikari.
"We cannot do that, Child of Light. The Child of Darkness is too dangerous to leave alive," calmly stated LovelyAngemon.
Anger came over Hikari. The light inside her did not like that two of its own threatened its darkness. Hikari's eyes briefly glowed pink as a white aura surrounded her body. The following words she spoke were filled with righteous indignation.
"You're wrong! My brother and darkness are not bad! You're the ones that are being bad!" angrily reprimanded Hikari. as the faint echo of another voice joined her own.
LovelyAngemon and SlashAngemon recoiled at the words, knowing that it was not just Hikari that had spoken to them but the light itself. Seeing their reactions, Hikari and the light gave the two angel Digimon a final warning.
"Now leave my Onii-chan alone or else!"
Taichi was touched by how much his sister was willing to protect him. He could even feel the darkness inside of him was just as moved by the light's own readiness to defend it. Taichi looked from his sister to LovelyAngemon and SlashAngemon, wondering how they would react now.
There was a moment of silence before SlashAngemon spoke.
"We understand," was all he said as they immediately dropped their fighting stance.
Seeing that they were not going to attack, Hikari dropped her shield, and Taichi released the breath he had been holding in suspense. RizeGreymon lowered his fighting stance in response though he kept his eyes locked on the two Digimon just in case.
When LovelyAngemon and SlashAngemon left, Taichi, Hikari, and RizeGreymon finally relaxed.
Taichi surprised Hikari by pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you, Hikari," Taichi told her in a grateful tone.
Hikari smiled as she hugged Taichi back.
"I'm just glad I could protect you this time, Onii-chan," admitted Hikari, making Taichi chuckle.
"I guess we're all good at protecting each other, huh?" he declared with a grin.
"That's why the three of us make a good team," confidently added RizeGreymon.
"Yeah, we do," Taichi agreed before facing Hikari. "Which is why I'm going to try and convince Tou-san and Kaa-san to let you come with RizeGreymon and me from now on."
"Really, Onii-chan?!" she asked hopefully.
"Yep, I think after today, it's clear that I need my little sister and light fighting by my side from now on," Taichi answered before addressing RizeGreymon. "What do you think, RizeGreymon?"
RizeGreymon chuckled. "I agree."
"Then it's settled. Now let's go find Tou-san and Kaa-san and make sure they're okay," announced Taichi.
Since Taichi was still too tired to teleport them, RizeGreymon flew them back to the city while trying to stay out of sight as much as possible.
Taichi refused to leave Hikari's side as she lay sick in bed. Since their confrontation with LovelyAngemon and SlashAngemon, Hikari had not felt well.
Taichi realized that his sister's sickness resulted from her using too much of the light's power. Even though Hikari was the Child of Light, she was still only five years old. Her body had not been able to handle all of that at one time, so she eventually burned herself out.
Fortunately, Taichi had discovered that if Hikari was around various light sources, it helped her feel better. So, he ensured that the lights were always on and that Hikari rested directly in the sunlight whenever the sun was out. Hikari had been getting a lot better as a result though Taichi quickly realized that having all that light constantly around the apartment was making him a bit weaker at the same time. Nonetheless, Hikari's health was more important than his own, so he continued providing Hikari as much light as possible despite it causing a slight decrease in his strength.
Their parents were not happy when they found out that he had taken Hikari with him that day. Hikari becoming sick because of that decision did not help either. Yet, Taichi did not regret taking Hikari with him, and he knew that Hikari did not either. However, he had been grounded and forbidden to leave the apartment except for school and his karate lessons until Hikari was better.
Frankly, Taichi did not mind being grounded since he would have insisted on staying with his sister while she was sick anyway. The only downside to being grounded was that he was not allowed to visit his grandfather during this time. Other than that, Taichi had no problem staying in the apartment and taking care of Hikari.
With their parents gone for the day, Taichi decided that it would be an excellent chance to train with Koromon. Ever since Hikari had gotten sick, Taichi could not spend as much time with Koromon as usual. Even though Koromon said he had not minded, Taichi still did not want to end up neglecting the Digimon. So, after he had made Hikari some soup and made sure she was resting, he took Koromon to the living room to train.
They had just started when Hikari suddenly came into the living room with a hopeful expression on her face.
"Can I join?" asked Hikari in a slightly hoarse voice.
"Hikari, you're supposed to be resting," scolded Taichi when he saw her out of bed.
"But I want to train too," cried Hikari with a sad look on her face.
Taichi knew how much Hikari liked training with him and Koromon; nevertheless, she was not in the condition to do so.
"I know, Hikari. But you're still not well enough yet. I promise when your better, you can train with us again, okay?" he asked gently, hoping his sister would understand.
Yet, when he saw the resolved look on her face, he knew that Hikari was not backing down so quickly.
"If I get stronger, I'll get better faster," countered Hikari in a stubborn manner.
Taichi sighed, knowing there was some truth to Hikari's statement. If Hikari could handle her powers better, she would not get drained as quickly. The more Hikari got used to using her power, the less strain it would be on her body. And for Hikari to gain better control of her powers, she would need to train with them as often as possible. However, Hikari was still sick, and using her powers during training might put too much strain on her body and make things worse.
Taichi was not sure what to do.
His hesitancy must have shown on his face because Hikari immediately went over to him and grabbed his hand in a pleading way.
"Please, Onii-chan! I want to be stronger so I can protect you better!" shouted Hikari.
Taichi's eyes softened at this, realizing the real reason Hikari wanted to train with them.
"Hikari," he began as he kneeled to her level.
"I understand, and I want to protect you just as much as you want to protect me. But I don't want you hurting yourself while trying to protect me either. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt because of me," admitted Taichi.
"And I don't know what I'd do if I lose you, Onii-chan," confessed Hikari.
A small smile came on Taichi's lips in response.
"Then let's do our best to make sure neither of those things will happen, okay?" replied Taichi.
"Okay," agreed Hikari with a smile of her own.
"Alright, so here's the deal. I'll let you train with us, but you let me know when you start feeling worse. Got it?" Taichi asked her, causing Hikari to nod her head in understanding.
Taichi, Hikari, and Koromon had just finished training when LovelyAngemon and SlashAngemon suddenly burst through the walls of their apartment and attacked. Koromon did not even get the chance to evolve before SlashAngemon deleted him on the spot.
"KOROMON!" Taichi and Hikari shouted in horror as they saw their friend die mercilessly.
Only Taichi's sharp reflexes allowed him to block the incoming punch from LovelyAngemon. Yet, instead of being deterred, LovleyAngemon began engaging in physical combat with Taichi.
Hikari was about to try and help her brother, but then SlashAngemon raised one of his bladed arms towards Hikari and began to draw power from her.
Hikari's eyes widened in realization as she felt her power being sucked out of her.
"You made me sick!" accused Hikari before she started having a coughing fit.
"We had to weaken you so you would not be able to sense us and protect the Child of Darkness. And when we saw that he was growing weaker as well, we knew this was the perfect time to strike," calmly explained SlashAngemon as he continued taking more power from Hikari.
Hikari was livid. She thought they had understood that her brother was not dangerous, but they had been deceived. For supposed angel Digimon, they had no problem using such devious tactics. Hikari wanted to lash out at them, but sadly she was getting weaker and weaker before her legs soon gave out.
"Hikari!" urgently yelled Taichi when he saw his sister fall to the floor.
LovelyAngemon took advantage of Taichi being distracted and used her fist to brutally punch a hole straight through his chest where his heart was. Taichi did not even have a chance to let out his last breath before the life swiftly left from his eyes and his body went limp. Seeing that the boy was now dead, LovelyAngemon took her hand out of Taichi's chest and carelessly let his body drop down to the floor.
"ONII-CHAN!" screamed Hikari with tears running down her eyes after watching her brother being killed right in front of her.
SlashAngemon turned to Hikari with a sympathetic expression on his face.
"I'm sorry, Child of Light, but it needed to be done. The darkness in the boy was tainting you. If we did not end him now, he would have corrupted you completely," explained SlashAngemon.
However, Hikari could not respond as all she could focus on was the prone form of her brother lying on the floor.
"Onii-chan," she sadly mumbled as she started crawling over to his body.
When she reached Taichi, Hikari pulled him closer and cradled his body in her arms.
"Onii-chan…Onii-chan…" sobbed Hikari, holding on to her brother's body as tightly as she could.
LovelyAngemon solemnly watched as Hikari broke down crying over her dead brother.
"We're truly sorry it had to come to this, Child of Light, but it was necessary," proclaimed LovelyAngemon.
"Our work is done. Let us go," announced SlashAngemon, to which LovelyAngemon nodded in agreement.
As they were about to leave, the sound of Hikari's voice reached them.
"I hate you," she muttered coldly.
Even though Hikari was not looking at them, the two angel Digimon understood that she was referring to them. There was a brief flash of remorse on LovelyAngemon and SlashAngemon's faces before they left for good this time.