Through Their Eyes: Contemplating Fate by Child Of the Faeries
This is part 2. It focuses mainly on Koushiro, Mimi and Daisuke.....and learning to follow your heart, where ever it leads.
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of it's characters.
Koushiro sat silently, wrapped gently in his thoughts. At his feet Mimi slept peacefully, Daisuke beside her. How frightened she had looked last night.
He felt sorry for her. She had lost so much already. In a way, he felt akin to this beautiful girl bathed with golden light from the rising run. They had both lost someone they dearly loved.
Taichi stirred from his end of the shelter, and Koushiro's eyes flashed. Taichi, their fiery, fearless leader. He would be the death of them.
Koushiro was not afraid of death.
"Do you think the dreams could be true?" Mimi whispered to Daisuke later that day. Daisuke looked at her sadly.
"I hope not." Fear sprang up in his eyes, and Mimi saw his mixed emotions. She knew that Yamato meant as much to Daisuke as Taichi did. He shook his head sadly. "We cannot fight them."
"Whatever to do you mean?" Mimi breathed softly. Daisuke grabbed her shoulder and spun her around so she faced him.
"We cannot fight our friends. I cannot. I would not be the true Bearer of Friendship if I did that." He stood there, facing her, emotion running through his face.
"But you're not the true Bearer of Friendship," Mimi murmured to herself as she walked away from him. "Yamato is."
Later that night, Mimi walked outside the shelter, welcoming the solace night brings. She walked silently, letting her thoughts mingle. The stars are so beautiful tonight, she thought as she walked through the forest of trees.
Suddenly a hand clamped down on her shoulder. She tried to scream, but a hand covered her mouth. She was spun around.....
"Oh....it's you, Mimi," Koushiro said softly, letting her go. "I'm sorry."
"There's no harm done," she said half-heartedly.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Taichi kept talking about how we're going to kill the three kings and avenge everyone.......and I don't think I can do it, Koushiro. Takeru is already dead. There's no way I could kill Yamato, too."
"But he killed Takeru, Mimi."
"Yamato did not. He loved Takeru. He would never have killed Takeru. It was an accident."
"Mimi...... even if it was an accident, Yamato's the cause."
"Takeru already died innocently. Need I shed the blood of both brothers?" Mimi whispered sadly. Koushiro looked at her sadly, contemplating fate.
"Mimi......"
"I won't fight, Koushiro. This killing has to stop. The time is now." She leaned against a tree, trembling slightly. "Is that the right decision, Koushiro? To refuse fighting? Or am I being unloyal to Takeru?"
Koushiro regarded her. "You have to follow you heart, Mimi-chan. Follow it where ever it leads you." He fingered her hair, and she shivered.
Turning, she walked away, leaving Koushiro in the shadows.
Ken was sitting in the throne room alone. Yamato was outside somewhere, his harmonica music reaching throughout the palace. Jyou, Ken knew, was working on the computers.
Ken had never stopped to think about what happened to his parents. He didn't know if they were dead or alive, captive or free.
Not that he cared. As far as he was concerned, his parents had been dead for a very long time.
Yamato and Jyou were the only people that mattered to Ken anymore. They were his family, his friends. And if anything happened to them... his world would fall apart.
The door opened, and Jyou walked in, a cloud of sorrow around him. "Ken?"
"I'm in here, Jyou," the boy said softly, and Jyou came and sat beside him. He saw Jyou's long, haggard face and immediately knew that something was wrong. "What's the matter?"
"I can't kill him, Ken...." Jyou whispered sadly. "I've had a vision...... if I kill him, it will only lead to my own death. I will be cursed if I kill my own father. Ken... I want to kill him. He killed Shin! My brother! Closer than a brother to me....."
"What makes you say this?" Ken asked thoughtfully, looking his friend in the eyes.
"In my vision, when the dust cleared and the fighting stopped, I saw you....... I saw you standing there, as proud and brave as always, but I....." his voice dropped to a harsh whisper.
"I was not there."
Mimi woke up the next morning, and smiled, the first time in days. The sun was shining, and she felt her soul lifting. Giggling, she got up and walked near the center of the room. She finally knew what she was going to do.
"Mimi, what are you doing up?" Daisuke asked, joining her a few minutes later, his eyes full of sleepiness.
"I'm sorry, Dai," she said, bright light shining in her eyes." I just couldn't sleep any longer."
Daisuke looked at her shyly, then hugged his dead friend. "It's good to see you smiling again, Mimi. I thought..... after Takeru's death, you would never recover. You would never be the same again."
"I've decided not to fight, Daisuke. We shouldn't fight our friends." Daisuke looked at her, puzzled.
"And so you're going......."
"To leave." Mimi got up and walked over to where Taichi was sleeping. "Taichi! Taichi, wake up!"
Taichi groaned and rolled over. "What is it? What do you need, Mimi?" he grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"I'm leaving," she announced simply, and people from around the room gasped.
"What are you talking about?" Taichi asked, immediately bolting awake. Others began gathering around him, swarming like hungry sharks.
Mimi stood up and stared into Taichi's eyes. "There has been enough bloodshed already, Taichi. Let it go."
"No. You of all people should be fighting. They killed Takeru."
"I don't want anyone else to die! Can't you see that? Can't you get it through your thick skull?" Mimi cried out loudly.
"I think she's right," Koushiro said brazenly from the back. Taichi threw him an angry glare.
"I never thought I'd see the day that two of my best friends would allow the enemy to get away with such heinous crimes. They killed your families! How can you justify their deaths by letting the killers go free?" He got up, facing the two.
"Fighting isn't the answer," Koushiro said softly.
"You can't leave," Taichi said angrily. He grabbed Koushiro's shirt. "We have to stay together. You two are dividing the group. We need to find Jyou, Yamato, and Ken. And fight."
"You won't find them," Mimi whispered softly. Taichi turned to her."You don't know where to look."
"And you do?"
"I know where they are," she said, closing her eyes.
"You do? And you didn't tell me?" Taichi said lowly. Mimi blinked.
"I will not tell you where they are." Taichi turned and struck her in anger. Koushiro immediately jumped to her side.
"You've sunken to a new low, Taichi," he said bitterly. "We're leaving now."
"Fine, run. Sora, Miyako, Hikari, Iori, Daisuke, and I will make it without you AND we'll find the others. Without Princess Mimi's help."
"Taichi..." Daisuke said, and Taichi turned. "I'm going with them."
"Why?" Taichi was infuriated.
"I've seen things...the three kings..... And now, when you hit Mimi.... You're going to tumble into ruin, Taichi. I don't want to be here to witness it." He bowed his head gracefully and walked over to join his two other friends.
They turned without a word and walked away.
"Fine. Run, you cowards! Traitors! In the end, you'll be dead! We'll win!" Taichi cried out loudly, his words getting lost in the in autumn winds.
"You can never win a battle like this one," Mimi said sadly. "Everyone loses."
Yamato sat outside in the garden, feeling the fall wind's crashing down upon him. The palace garden, usually such a beautiful and peaceful place, now looked dead and listless.
Just like him.
Last night, he had become angry and hit a servant girl for no reason. He just became overwhelmed with everything. And sometimes his anger got the best of him.
When he got like this, angry and rebellious, without a care in the world, only Jyou and Ken could stop him. Only they could make him stop, see the error in his ways. They had suffered their share to hatred alongside him.
Sighing, he flicked his cigarette on the frozen ground. He hated himself at times. He hated the person he had become.
At times like this, he reminded himself of his father.
The three of them had been walking for some time. Mimi shivered. The wind was cutting through her like a knife.
"Where are we going?" Daisuke asked innocently. Koushiro hadn't spoken since they let the others.
"I'm not sure," Mimi said, troubled. Leaving had been her idea. But now that they had left, she didn't know where to go.
"Why don't we get on a bus and go to my apartment?" Koushiro suggested. "We're not that far from Tokyo. At least then we'd have a room over our head and food to eat."
"But won't there be a lot of the king's soldiers there?" Daisuke asked, sounding kind of nervous. Usually very brash, Taichi's outrage earlier seemed to have frightened him somehow.
"I thought the Bearer of Courage would be braver somehow," Koushiro said with a small smile. "We'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
Mimi giggled. "Daisuke, we'll be fine!" Her eyes sparkled with a new fire. "Let's go!"
Miyako was sitting with Hikari and Sora. They were busy talking, but Miyako's mind kept wandering. Would she be strong enough to fight this battle? She wished Ken was here.
"What's wrong, Miyako?" Hikari asked sweetly, looking at her friend. Miyako smiled.
"Nothing."
Hikari studied her friend for a moment. "Don't worry. Taichi will figure out how to beat these kings. It'll be a cake-walk."
"I hope so."
Across the room, Taichi was still fuming. "I can't believe they just left like that! Just up and left!"
Iori just looked at the older boy with disgust. "You don't get it, do you?"
"Get what? Do you think you're better than me?"
Iori narrowed his eyes. He raised his hand and slapped Taichi hard across the face. Taichi fell back, startled. " I once saw Yamato do that to you, but he's not here, so I have to be the voice of reason. They left because of the monster you are becoming. Lighten up, Taichi." He paused,and blinked his wise eyes. "Before you lose us all."
Taichi looked like he was going to hurt Iori, but he could feel Hikari and Sora's eyes upon him. He hated being humbled by this young boy.
"I'm sorry," he muttered."I'll try to think about everyone else more."
Koushiro's apartment was in perfect order. No one had broken in. But all around were pictures of Koushiro and his parents. Mimi saw a tear fall from his eyes as he collapsed on his couch. Daisuke helped himself to some food from the kitchen.
"Why didn't you stay and fight, Koushiro?" Mimi asked, sitting beside him.
Koushiro sighed. "If I would have stayed, I would have killed them. Without a doubt. I have this hatred....burning inside of me. But if I killed them, if I let my self-control weaken, I would be no better than them. It was the only rational thing to do."
"And so you left...."
"So that I would not do something I would regret later."
Mimi lay on Koushiro's bed. The two boys are in the living room, sleeping. But a curious thought kept running through her head.
What if she....joined the three kings? Perhaps she could convince them to stop without having to hurt anyone else. They would believe her. They would trust her.
But would Koushiro and Daisuke let her go to the three kings? She doubted it. They would be afraid for her life.
This is my destiny, she thought silently to herself. I have to stop this madness.
How young Daisuke looks, Mimi thought that morning. They were all in their twenties, but he had a sweet, childish characteristic that was endearing. Mimi smiled as she started to make breakfast.
Across the room, Koushiro slept, looking very much like a battle-worn warrior whose side at lost. He looked exhausted and disturbed.
Today, she thought briefly. Today I leave my friends behind and do my best to change the future.
The two boys woke up to the smell of warm breakfast. Smiling, they hurried to the table, anxious to eat.
"Hurry, eat. There is something very important I need to do today," Mimi said. She would miss them. The three kings weren't going to be the most pleasant company. Nothing like sweet Daisuke and strong Koushiro. But I will manage.
After they had eaten, Mimi went into Koushiro's room and changed into some of Koushiro's extra clothing. Her old outfit was dirty and torn.
It was a bit unsettling. He was a bit shorter than her, so the black jeans fit tightly. And all of his clothing was black. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was like she was dressing to meet the Devil.
Maybe I am, she mused. Maybe I am.
They all rode the subway, finally getting off near the three king's palace. "What are we doing here?" Daisuke asked. Mimi ignored him.
All around there was destruction. This area was the most damaged in all of Japan. Huge building had been destroyed, leaving fragments of what the city had once looked like. Guards were everywhere, milling around, throwing the city people angry glares.
Just breathe, Mimi told herself. This is your destiny. She looked over at Koushiro and saw that his hand had crumpled into a tight fist, an angry, glazed look coming over his face.
She touched his shoulder and gave him a warm smile. He didn't return it.
She led the way right up to the front gate of the palace. The guards were bigger now, and had more weapons.
"What are you doing?" Koushiro demanded angrily. He looked warily at the guards.
"I'm going inside. I'm going to stay with them. Yamato and the others. Hopefully I can end all of this before Taichi manages to get here. It's their only chance."
"You can't go alone," Daisuke said quickly.
"Oh Dai. I'm not a child."
"I've already lost my best friend in the world. I'm not going to lose the person that was closest to him. If you're going inside, then I am,too."
"Dai.......I......"
"Friends forever. Through everything. I won't let you go alone. And if we die.....at least we die together." He tried to smile. "We'd be buried at the same place."
"Only if it is what you really want."
Koushiro backed up. "Mimi..."
"I don't expect you to stay."
"Mimi, it's not like that. It's just.....if I saw them again...I'd be afraid that I would.... you know......."
"I know, Koushiro. I don't care. I would prefer that Daisuke stay with you, too.... but each of us must follow our own hearts, right? And if we truly are following our hearts, we'll all end up in the same place." They turned to walk away.
"Mimi!" Koushiro called,and Mimi stopped. "I'm afraid for you."
"Don't be, Koushiro dear. Nothing they can do can hurt me. With Takeru's death, pain left me. Now only Death is my friend. Death, Daisuke and you, I mean. Until I see you again, dear friend." She bent down and kissed Koushiro's cheek softly.
"I will see you soon."
This is part 2. It focuses mainly on Koushiro, Mimi and Daisuke.....and learning to follow your heart, where ever it leads.
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of it's characters.
Koushiro sat silently, wrapped gently in his thoughts. At his feet Mimi slept peacefully, Daisuke beside her. How frightened she had looked last night.
He felt sorry for her. She had lost so much already. In a way, he felt akin to this beautiful girl bathed with golden light from the rising run. They had both lost someone they dearly loved.
Taichi stirred from his end of the shelter, and Koushiro's eyes flashed. Taichi, their fiery, fearless leader. He would be the death of them.
Koushiro was not afraid of death.
"Do you think the dreams could be true?" Mimi whispered to Daisuke later that day. Daisuke looked at her sadly.
"I hope not." Fear sprang up in his eyes, and Mimi saw his mixed emotions. She knew that Yamato meant as much to Daisuke as Taichi did. He shook his head sadly. "We cannot fight them."
"Whatever to do you mean?" Mimi breathed softly. Daisuke grabbed her shoulder and spun her around so she faced him.
"We cannot fight our friends. I cannot. I would not be the true Bearer of Friendship if I did that." He stood there, facing her, emotion running through his face.
"But you're not the true Bearer of Friendship," Mimi murmured to herself as she walked away from him. "Yamato is."
Later that night, Mimi walked outside the shelter, welcoming the solace night brings. She walked silently, letting her thoughts mingle. The stars are so beautiful tonight, she thought as she walked through the forest of trees.
Suddenly a hand clamped down on her shoulder. She tried to scream, but a hand covered her mouth. She was spun around.....
"Oh....it's you, Mimi," Koushiro said softly, letting her go. "I'm sorry."
"There's no harm done," she said half-heartedly.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Taichi kept talking about how we're going to kill the three kings and avenge everyone.......and I don't think I can do it, Koushiro. Takeru is already dead. There's no way I could kill Yamato, too."
"But he killed Takeru, Mimi."
"Yamato did not. He loved Takeru. He would never have killed Takeru. It was an accident."
"Mimi...... even if it was an accident, Yamato's the cause."
"Takeru already died innocently. Need I shed the blood of both brothers?" Mimi whispered sadly. Koushiro looked at her sadly, contemplating fate.
"Mimi......"
"I won't fight, Koushiro. This killing has to stop. The time is now." She leaned against a tree, trembling slightly. "Is that the right decision, Koushiro? To refuse fighting? Or am I being unloyal to Takeru?"
Koushiro regarded her. "You have to follow you heart, Mimi-chan. Follow it where ever it leads you." He fingered her hair, and she shivered.
Turning, she walked away, leaving Koushiro in the shadows.
Ken was sitting in the throne room alone. Yamato was outside somewhere, his harmonica music reaching throughout the palace. Jyou, Ken knew, was working on the computers.
Ken had never stopped to think about what happened to his parents. He didn't know if they were dead or alive, captive or free.
Not that he cared. As far as he was concerned, his parents had been dead for a very long time.
Yamato and Jyou were the only people that mattered to Ken anymore. They were his family, his friends. And if anything happened to them... his world would fall apart.
The door opened, and Jyou walked in, a cloud of sorrow around him. "Ken?"
"I'm in here, Jyou," the boy said softly, and Jyou came and sat beside him. He saw Jyou's long, haggard face and immediately knew that something was wrong. "What's the matter?"
"I can't kill him, Ken...." Jyou whispered sadly. "I've had a vision...... if I kill him, it will only lead to my own death. I will be cursed if I kill my own father. Ken... I want to kill him. He killed Shin! My brother! Closer than a brother to me....."
"What makes you say this?" Ken asked thoughtfully, looking his friend in the eyes.
"In my vision, when the dust cleared and the fighting stopped, I saw you....... I saw you standing there, as proud and brave as always, but I....." his voice dropped to a harsh whisper.
"I was not there."
Mimi woke up the next morning, and smiled, the first time in days. The sun was shining, and she felt her soul lifting. Giggling, she got up and walked near the center of the room. She finally knew what she was going to do.
"Mimi, what are you doing up?" Daisuke asked, joining her a few minutes later, his eyes full of sleepiness.
"I'm sorry, Dai," she said, bright light shining in her eyes." I just couldn't sleep any longer."
Daisuke looked at her shyly, then hugged his dead friend. "It's good to see you smiling again, Mimi. I thought..... after Takeru's death, you would never recover. You would never be the same again."
"I've decided not to fight, Daisuke. We shouldn't fight our friends." Daisuke looked at her, puzzled.
"And so you're going......."
"To leave." Mimi got up and walked over to where Taichi was sleeping. "Taichi! Taichi, wake up!"
Taichi groaned and rolled over. "What is it? What do you need, Mimi?" he grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"I'm leaving," she announced simply, and people from around the room gasped.
"What are you talking about?" Taichi asked, immediately bolting awake. Others began gathering around him, swarming like hungry sharks.
Mimi stood up and stared into Taichi's eyes. "There has been enough bloodshed already, Taichi. Let it go."
"No. You of all people should be fighting. They killed Takeru."
"I don't want anyone else to die! Can't you see that? Can't you get it through your thick skull?" Mimi cried out loudly.
"I think she's right," Koushiro said brazenly from the back. Taichi threw him an angry glare.
"I never thought I'd see the day that two of my best friends would allow the enemy to get away with such heinous crimes. They killed your families! How can you justify their deaths by letting the killers go free?" He got up, facing the two.
"Fighting isn't the answer," Koushiro said softly.
"You can't leave," Taichi said angrily. He grabbed Koushiro's shirt. "We have to stay together. You two are dividing the group. We need to find Jyou, Yamato, and Ken. And fight."
"You won't find them," Mimi whispered softly. Taichi turned to her."You don't know where to look."
"And you do?"
"I know where they are," she said, closing her eyes.
"You do? And you didn't tell me?" Taichi said lowly. Mimi blinked.
"I will not tell you where they are." Taichi turned and struck her in anger. Koushiro immediately jumped to her side.
"You've sunken to a new low, Taichi," he said bitterly. "We're leaving now."
"Fine, run. Sora, Miyako, Hikari, Iori, Daisuke, and I will make it without you AND we'll find the others. Without Princess Mimi's help."
"Taichi..." Daisuke said, and Taichi turned. "I'm going with them."
"Why?" Taichi was infuriated.
"I've seen things...the three kings..... And now, when you hit Mimi.... You're going to tumble into ruin, Taichi. I don't want to be here to witness it." He bowed his head gracefully and walked over to join his two other friends.
They turned without a word and walked away.
"Fine. Run, you cowards! Traitors! In the end, you'll be dead! We'll win!" Taichi cried out loudly, his words getting lost in the in autumn winds.
"You can never win a battle like this one," Mimi said sadly. "Everyone loses."
Yamato sat outside in the garden, feeling the fall wind's crashing down upon him. The palace garden, usually such a beautiful and peaceful place, now looked dead and listless.
Just like him.
Last night, he had become angry and hit a servant girl for no reason. He just became overwhelmed with everything. And sometimes his anger got the best of him.
When he got like this, angry and rebellious, without a care in the world, only Jyou and Ken could stop him. Only they could make him stop, see the error in his ways. They had suffered their share to hatred alongside him.
Sighing, he flicked his cigarette on the frozen ground. He hated himself at times. He hated the person he had become.
At times like this, he reminded himself of his father.
The three of them had been walking for some time. Mimi shivered. The wind was cutting through her like a knife.
"Where are we going?" Daisuke asked innocently. Koushiro hadn't spoken since they let the others.
"I'm not sure," Mimi said, troubled. Leaving had been her idea. But now that they had left, she didn't know where to go.
"Why don't we get on a bus and go to my apartment?" Koushiro suggested. "We're not that far from Tokyo. At least then we'd have a room over our head and food to eat."
"But won't there be a lot of the king's soldiers there?" Daisuke asked, sounding kind of nervous. Usually very brash, Taichi's outrage earlier seemed to have frightened him somehow.
"I thought the Bearer of Courage would be braver somehow," Koushiro said with a small smile. "We'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
Mimi giggled. "Daisuke, we'll be fine!" Her eyes sparkled with a new fire. "Let's go!"
Miyako was sitting with Hikari and Sora. They were busy talking, but Miyako's mind kept wandering. Would she be strong enough to fight this battle? She wished Ken was here.
"What's wrong, Miyako?" Hikari asked sweetly, looking at her friend. Miyako smiled.
"Nothing."
Hikari studied her friend for a moment. "Don't worry. Taichi will figure out how to beat these kings. It'll be a cake-walk."
"I hope so."
Across the room, Taichi was still fuming. "I can't believe they just left like that! Just up and left!"
Iori just looked at the older boy with disgust. "You don't get it, do you?"
"Get what? Do you think you're better than me?"
Iori narrowed his eyes. He raised his hand and slapped Taichi hard across the face. Taichi fell back, startled. " I once saw Yamato do that to you, but he's not here, so I have to be the voice of reason. They left because of the monster you are becoming. Lighten up, Taichi." He paused,and blinked his wise eyes. "Before you lose us all."
Taichi looked like he was going to hurt Iori, but he could feel Hikari and Sora's eyes upon him. He hated being humbled by this young boy.
"I'm sorry," he muttered."I'll try to think about everyone else more."
Koushiro's apartment was in perfect order. No one had broken in. But all around were pictures of Koushiro and his parents. Mimi saw a tear fall from his eyes as he collapsed on his couch. Daisuke helped himself to some food from the kitchen.
"Why didn't you stay and fight, Koushiro?" Mimi asked, sitting beside him.
Koushiro sighed. "If I would have stayed, I would have killed them. Without a doubt. I have this hatred....burning inside of me. But if I killed them, if I let my self-control weaken, I would be no better than them. It was the only rational thing to do."
"And so you left...."
"So that I would not do something I would regret later."
Mimi lay on Koushiro's bed. The two boys are in the living room, sleeping. But a curious thought kept running through her head.
What if she....joined the three kings? Perhaps she could convince them to stop without having to hurt anyone else. They would believe her. They would trust her.
But would Koushiro and Daisuke let her go to the three kings? She doubted it. They would be afraid for her life.
This is my destiny, she thought silently to herself. I have to stop this madness.
How young Daisuke looks, Mimi thought that morning. They were all in their twenties, but he had a sweet, childish characteristic that was endearing. Mimi smiled as she started to make breakfast.
Across the room, Koushiro slept, looking very much like a battle-worn warrior whose side at lost. He looked exhausted and disturbed.
Today, she thought briefly. Today I leave my friends behind and do my best to change the future.
The two boys woke up to the smell of warm breakfast. Smiling, they hurried to the table, anxious to eat.
"Hurry, eat. There is something very important I need to do today," Mimi said. She would miss them. The three kings weren't going to be the most pleasant company. Nothing like sweet Daisuke and strong Koushiro. But I will manage.
After they had eaten, Mimi went into Koushiro's room and changed into some of Koushiro's extra clothing. Her old outfit was dirty and torn.
It was a bit unsettling. He was a bit shorter than her, so the black jeans fit tightly. And all of his clothing was black. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was like she was dressing to meet the Devil.
Maybe I am, she mused. Maybe I am.
They all rode the subway, finally getting off near the three king's palace. "What are we doing here?" Daisuke asked. Mimi ignored him.
All around there was destruction. This area was the most damaged in all of Japan. Huge building had been destroyed, leaving fragments of what the city had once looked like. Guards were everywhere, milling around, throwing the city people angry glares.
Just breathe, Mimi told herself. This is your destiny. She looked over at Koushiro and saw that his hand had crumpled into a tight fist, an angry, glazed look coming over his face.
She touched his shoulder and gave him a warm smile. He didn't return it.
She led the way right up to the front gate of the palace. The guards were bigger now, and had more weapons.
"What are you doing?" Koushiro demanded angrily. He looked warily at the guards.
"I'm going inside. I'm going to stay with them. Yamato and the others. Hopefully I can end all of this before Taichi manages to get here. It's their only chance."
"You can't go alone," Daisuke said quickly.
"Oh Dai. I'm not a child."
"I've already lost my best friend in the world. I'm not going to lose the person that was closest to him. If you're going inside, then I am,too."
"Dai.......I......"
"Friends forever. Through everything. I won't let you go alone. And if we die.....at least we die together." He tried to smile. "We'd be buried at the same place."
"Only if it is what you really want."
Koushiro backed up. "Mimi..."
"I don't expect you to stay."
"Mimi, it's not like that. It's just.....if I saw them again...I'd be afraid that I would.... you know......."
"I know, Koushiro. I don't care. I would prefer that Daisuke stay with you, too.... but each of us must follow our own hearts, right? And if we truly are following our hearts, we'll all end up in the same place." They turned to walk away.
"Mimi!" Koushiro called,and Mimi stopped. "I'm afraid for you."
"Don't be, Koushiro dear. Nothing they can do can hurt me. With Takeru's death, pain left me. Now only Death is my friend. Death, Daisuke and you, I mean. Until I see you again, dear friend." She bent down and kissed Koushiro's cheek softly.
"I will see you soon."