Me: Once again, I'm ready to write a new chapter!
TK: Holy crap…
Me: Shut up! Anyway, here it comes! Oh, and remember I don't own Digimon! Not that I think you don't know that, but…
CHAPTER 11
Friends and Foes
TK yawned while he looked at the classroom that morning. He had stayed up until midnight, and he was still very tired after the events that happened the day before. Besides, his back still ached a lot. He looked at the other students who had arrived, and noticed that everyone was happy and filled with energy. On the other side, he knew that would be one of those days he'd only want to drop dead. In that moment, all he wanted…all he needed was a warm, soft bed, and maybe some snacks. He wondered why he had arrived so early to school that day. Maybe because he hadn't slept really much, maybe because he was worried about what might happen today. And all his worries came true when Kazuo Hidekawa entered the classroom. Takeru looked at the young boy. Of course, he was wearing the same uniform TK was wearing, and he had that smiling expression that made TK lose his nerve. Kazuo walked to his habitual desk, in front of Takeru, and immediately looked back. TK got ready for another of their common telepathic conversations.
"So…how was it?"
"Oh, shut up, Kazuo…you caused a lot of destruction yesterday. I wonder how is it that we have classes today."
"Heh…good question…anyway, I must say I am impressed."
"Impressed? I must beg your pardon, as I don't understand."
"Oh, such modesty…you should be proud of your thunder magic, my dear friend. It was pretty amazing, I must admit. And entertaining, too."
"So, that's where everything goes to, right? Entertainment for you."
"Not at all, Takeru. You are being trained, and that's my only concern. If the situations become entertaining, that's just an extra element. Not that I complain about it, heh…oh, we better stop for now. They are coming."
"Who?" Takeru asked, but his question found answers almost immediately, as Davis Motomiya and Hikari Kamiya walked together into the classroom. Then, TK understood Kazuo's concern. Besides him, Kari and Davis were some of the few humans who knew Kazuo's real identity, and that could ruin his plans. Now, Takeru feared for Davis and Kari's security. He decided to keep an eye on them, as he would never forgive himself if something happened to them… if something happened to her…
Fortunately, Davis and Kari were intelligent, or at least Kari was intelligent, and convinced Davis to act the same way, as they walked to their desks as if nothing had happened the day before. When Kari sat down, TK could feel the nervousness within her, and he was sure Kazuo could feel it, too. However, neither Hope nor Evil showed any reaction to it. Someone had to begin the conversation, and Kari, showing courage that amazed even Takeru, decided to be the one.
"Good morning, Takeru, Kazuo." She said.
"Good morning, Kari." TK said, followed by a sigh of relief.
"Good morning, Hikari." Kazuo continued. "How are you?" Now Kari was even more nervous. Kazuo had forced her to continue such an unpleasant conversation, and she knew she had to be polite, even if his partner was the Ultimate Force of Evil in a human form.
"Just fine."
"Good. And how are you, Takeru? We haven't even talked since I arrived." Kazuo said, while looking back once again.
"A little tired. You know, after yesterday, and stuff…" Now Kari and Davis were shocked. How could they talk about yesterday, as if it were a child's play?
"Yeah, you should be." Kazuo said, and a big smile filled his face. "Is your back still hurt?" he continued.
"Yeah, a little." And both Takeru and Kazuo laughed. Kari looked at Davis, who sweatdropped. "They're crazy." He whispered. Kari nodded and then began to giggle. TK looked at Kari, and a warm sensation of relief filled his heart. He knew they would keep the secret, and they knew Kazuo wouldn't be a threat to them, at least while they were at school. But he also knew that this scene would repeat itself once and again, for a long time. And for the same long time, they lived at peace.
Six months later…
"A black storm will fill the land,
And the son of the one will rise over hell and heaven,
He who is son and father,
He, who is darkness, will be the end of light.
But the one born in light, and raised in darkness,
Will live in the border of life and death,
When darkness and light become the same,
Everything will be over, and the one will reign…"
"And that's the prophecy of the Chosen One, my dear student…or at least the translated part…"
Tomari's voice echoed through the library at Mina and Takeru's house. The weird thing would be that Tomari wasn't really there. The only person in the room was TK, who had his eyes fixed on the magic screen in front of him. He had been like that for the past three hours, discussing and planning with his former teacher. Because Takeru's actual teacher was Kazuo Hidekawa, or better explained, the one within him. The Evil.
"Translated? You mean, there's more?"
"Of course there's more, Takeru. The prophecy of the Chosen One is written in a ten-feet parchment. Unfortunately, this is the only part we have been able to read. The rest is written in some sort of ancient rune language."
"So you're telling me there's actually something older than you…"
"…I'll take that as a bad joke, Takeru." Tomari said, and his emphasis on the words "bad joke" was obvious.
"Ok, ok, I just needed a joke. I have been here for more than three hours, and I'm getting bored. Anyway, what's next?"
"I need you to talk about Evil. What is he doing?" Once again, the room had fallen in a state of absolute silence. Takeru just shook his head.
"There isn't much to tell you, Tomari. As you know, Evil possessed the body of Kazuo Hidekawa. That way he could approach to me. The problem is that, soon after the end of the last course, he left his home. He is reported as missing for two months already. I don't know where he lives, and I don't know what he is planning. The few times I have secretly met with him, we have just fought, and talked about magic. It's as if he had taken your place with the Advanced Black Magic class, sir."
"I see. I must admit I'm ashamed. I wasn't able to teach you everything you had to learn. Even if you had stayed with me, I wouldn't have been able to teach you everything. I'm just a sorcerer. Hope and Evil are far beyond every one of us. I'm sorry to hear you're been educated by him. But tell me, Takeru, how is it?"
"Pretty tough, I admit. There isn't a time when I don't return home without broken ribs and wounds all over my body. But it's worthy. I've learned a lot, and become much stronger. And at least he's not sending fake Digimon anymore."
The room was filled with absolute silence again, and the two people, the one present and the one absent, lost themselves in their own thoughts. Suddenly, Tomari's attempt to speak was interrupted by a knock on the door, and the appearance of someone else in the room. Mina Kirahashi walked next to Takeru and, contrary to the normal situation when they were together, she didn't have a smile on her face. Takeru looked at his "housemate" with attention. In fact, he did it because she looked as if she had just arrived from a wet T-shirt contest, because that's how her t-shirt and her mini skirt were. Absolutely wet. Then, he looked at Mina's face and found and awkward mixture of jealously, shame and anger. And he knew exactly what that meant.
"She's here." Mina said softly, but the jealously on her voice was easy to notice, even for Tomari, who had lost his ability to feel a lot of centuries ago. TK just ignored it, and softly talked to her.
"What were you doing? I mean, look at you."
"…washing dishes…"
"With a high pressure water gun or what?" he joked, even if he knew that Mina would never get used to do things the way normal people do. Besides, it is easier to wash the dishes using elemental magic.
"So...sorry." she said with a fake smile. She was really embarrassed, and red as a tomato. TK just laughed and kissed her forehead, which made Mina get even redder.
"Just get changed, I'll take care of the dishes." He said as he walked to the door. "I'm sorry, master, but I must leave you now. I have to do the homework, and then I'm going out with some friends…don't look at me like that, ok!? I must have a social life, you know!" he said, as Tomari showed him a really weird grimace, and then the screen shut down. Mina was just standing there, as if she had something else to say.
"What?" TK asked.
"You know; Tai, Sora, Davis and Izzy are with her."
"I know that…oh my God." TK said. Mina nodded.
"They saw me like this, all wet. They must think I'm a slut." Takeru just walked next to her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"But you are a slut, Mina."
And that made it. Takeru met a side of Mina he had never seen. Anger, or better said, fury.
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are." He said, smiling.
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"AM NOT!"
"Oh, so what about the time I found you naked in my room, huh!?" He said, and began laughing. Now Mina was blushing again.
"That was…a birthday surprise…"
"Yeah, sure…Happy Birthday, Mr. President…" he sang as he walked out the library. Mina ran behind him and pushed him down, which made them both fall on the floor. TK found Mina on top of himself, in a very…tempting position. Then, he looked up, just to find the worried looks of five Digi-Destined. Now Takeru knew what Mina meant. The five of them were looking at her, with some really weird face….well, not really. Sora, Kari and Izzy were making weird faces, while Tai and Davis were drooling. The two sorcerers stood up, and Mina immediately hid behind TK. And he knew the reason. Tai and Davis were looking at her bra, which was easily visible through the wet shirt. Then, he sighed.
"Alright, snap out of it! Heat Wave!" he said, as fiery blows of hot air dried Mina's clothes. One minute later, she came out, her clothes as dry as if she had never been wet before.
"Tha…thanks." She muttered. "But don't think you're forgiven!" she said as she ran to her room and locked herself there. TK just smiled, and walked to the kitchen. While the other five still tried to understand what had just happened, he began washing the dishes. Suddenly, he laughed.
"Isn't she cute?" he said loudly, just to get the others even more confused.
"I can't believe she's your cousin." Izzy joked, as he knew that wasn't true.
"You tell me." Takeru said, and then he laughed again.
Kari, Sora, Tai and Davis walked through the noisy streets of a Friday afternoon. They also had a conversation of their own, but in their minds they had just one word. Weekend. Just a couple of days ago, the younger had begun a new course at the high school, while the older had returned to college. It had been a busy week, and all of them were glad it was over. That's why they had huge smiles on their faces. But they had more than one reason to be happy. Davis felt pleased just watching Kari smile next to him. She noticed she was being observed and looked at Davis, who just blushed and looked down. That way, he didn't notice that Kari silently giggled. Sora was happy to be with her friends. She had been down for the whole weekend, and nobody knew the reason, but suddenly, the weekend had arrived, and she was as calm and tender as ever. And Tai was happy to see that. The tall boy looked down, at Sora's face. If Sora had noticed it, she would have met with a face filled with love and care, the things Tai always wanted to give her, but never could. That idea made Tai feel upset, but the fact that he was probably going to spend the whole weekend with her made his eyes bright again. The only one who didn't smile was Kari, but it wasn't because she felt mad, or sad. She was too busy looking at the two boys walking 6 feet ahead from her. Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi and Takeru Kirahashi were in their own world, away from the others, talking to each other. Hikari really wanted to know what were they talking about, but it was impossible to hear their mumbling and whispering. And that was the idea. TK and Izzy didn't want to be heard.
"Have you talked to him?" Izzy asked.
"Yes. Why?"
"Well, you know he's reported as missing…"
"Yes, I know. It's obvious he just wanted to stay away from the world, to prepare his apocalyptic plans."
"So…what now, TK?"
"Hmmm…I only can train and become stronger. When the day comes, I'll fight him."
"But…can't you stop him before he starts with his plan?"
"No way, I'm still too weak. You have no idea of his power. It's far beyond anything you can imagine."
"Well, if he can create life…I can get a pretty good idea of…"
Izzy was interrupted by a loud "Shhhhhhh!!!!!" from TK, and then noticed there was someone right next to him.
"Hey, guys. What are you talking about?"
"Our plans to kill you, Kari." Izzy answered. Kari just laughed, and then walked next to Takeru.
"So, Kari. Can you give any idea of where are we going?" he said.
"Well, first we'll meet Yolei and Ken. Then, we're going shopping!" TK and Izzy sweatdropped.
"…Kari, weren't we supposed to do the homework?" TK said.
"In fact, Davis and I did it before going to your house. We just wanted you to go out with us. You spent the whole summer locked in your house training, so we thought you desperately need to have fun…besides, did you think Tai and Sora were here to help us, or something!?" Kari explained, laughing. TK just sighed, and thought a little.
"I went with you to the beach…remember? When Sora had that two-part swimsuit, and Tai also drowns while looking at her, remember?" Izzy was laughing, but Kari didn't find it very funny.
"One frickin' Sunday, Takeru! That's not enough!" She shouted, but Izzy and TK were too busy laughing to pay attention to her.
"And what about the time when Mina showed up with the tiny bikini, and Davis drooled all over Kari's leg!? That was gross!" Izzy shouted and for some weird reason, TK wasn't really happy about it. But Takeru's unpleasantness became fear when he looked at Kari. She was mad, and she wanted revenge.
"Yeah, and what about when the huge wave filled Izzy's laptop with water, and the circuits exploded, huh? That was funny!" she shouted.
Another person wouldn't really care, but Izzy didn't talk during the rest of the walk, and began to hold his laptop really tightly. Kari smiled widely, enjoying the moment of triumph, and Takeru looked at her. So bright, so beautiful. It was in moments like that when he really wanted to hug her, and show her he was alive, and he was always with her. She was his reason to give it all away. He got rid of his comfortable, easy life, and now he lived a life of danger and risks. But he had to do it. For her, because he would never forgive himself if something happened to her. He couldn't lose, because if he did, Evil would consume the world, and it would be the end of life. That's why he had to live, and he had to fight. Takeru didn't realize he had been walking with his eyes closed, avoiding any obstacles with his magic sense. Hikari and Izzy looked at him impressed, and admired the way he moved aside just before tripping on someone. Takeru was immersed in his own sea of thoughts, so he walked with his eyes closed the rest of the time.
Kazuo Hidekawa closed his eyes, and smiled at the sensation of the wind on his face. He may be Evil, but his human body helped him enjoy the good things of life. He looked at the street, 45 feet below, and gazed at the six teenagers walking on the sidewalk. Kazuo crossed his arms, and placed his attention on Takeru, who at the moment walked exactly below him. The first thing that surprised him was the total absence of a magic field around him. "An interesting skill, I must admit, but senseless. It's not that commoners could feel Magic fields, then, what for?" He thought. Then, he smiled, as he knew it was time to begin with his newest plan, a plan he was really proud of. Takeru had proved to be a powerful sorcerer, but he still lacked something, and Kazuo wanted to show him who much he needed him. "Light and Darkness walk side to side. You need me, Takeru, as much as I need you. If you try to destroy me, then you will be destroyed. That's your prize to pay, and I know your heart isn't willing to pay that prize. Love…that's your problem, Takeru. There's too much love in your heart, and love won't let you give it all away." He said to himself. Finally, he looked away, and walked to the door leading out of the flat roof he was standing on. There, in the entrance, a small creature was waiting for him.
"So…has the time come?" A sweet, soft voice said.
"Indeed, my precious slave. The Chosen One will finally face the ultimate test. And I know he will never get through it." Kazuo replied.
"Then what do I do?" When the small creature said those words, his expression changed. In fact, his face lost any expression. Its heart lost any feeling, and those were replaced with an endless rage. His only desire was to destroy, and to serve its master, the almighty Evil.
"Three words: Digivolve and Destroy."
"Just what I wanted to hear, master." The creature said, and the light of Digivolution made both beings, the Digimon, and the Evil, closed their eyes, and fill their faces with a wide grin.
It would take them more than ten minutes to reach the mall. In that moment, Kari cursed Kazuo and the fake Digimon he sent to destroy the shopping center they used to go. Now, it was being rebuilt, but it would take more than six months for it to be completed. For that reason, the Digi-Destined had to go to another one, and the distance was making them sweat. Tai cursed his car, as it had stop working the day before, and it was being repaired. Izzy's dad had taken their car, so Izzy couldn't give them a ride. That way, they all had to walk, and they had been doing it for half an hour, but the mall didn't seem to be close. Besides, the day was getting warmer and warmer, as the unstoppable flow of time made the sun rise high on the sky. Kari then cursed the sun and the blue sky, which had no clouds at all; and finally, she looked at Takeru, who didn't seem to be affected by the heat.
"I envy you, Takeru."
"What?" he said, as he looked at her, while opening his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"The sun…it doesn't seem to affect you."
"Oh, it does…but I have my own ways to avoid the heat." He said, and then he winked. Kari immediately blushed, and Takeru smiled. Kari hated that, because it made her feel…something for him, and she didn't want to feel anything about any man. Not after…
"Wanna give it a try?" Takeru interrupted her thought.
"Oh, what?"
"Wanna get rid of the heat?" TK asked again.
"Oh, sure!" she said.
"Then…Cold Dust!" the boy shouted, and Kari immediately felt the effect of the spell. The heat disappeared, and it was replaced with a soft, cold wind, whirling around her. It felt great, and the sun didn't seem to affect the sensation.
"This…what is this?" she asked.
"Let's say...it's a magic air conditioner."
"He he, great!" she said, and then she looked forward, willing to enjoy the rest of the walk. TK also smiled and looked forward, happy to be helpful. Happy to be with her. Summer holidays were a gift to him, because he had the opportunity to become friends with Kari and the others…again. Life gave him another identity, another chance, and the first thing he did was repeating the experience of making friends. Now, Kari became her friend almost immediately. It was almost as if they were destined to be friends forever, no matter the name, no matter the appearances; and TK was happy to feel that. His thoughts were interrupted by Kari once again.
"Finally, a cloud covered the sun." TK looked up, but the sky was clear as it had been the whole day.
"Kari, there are no clouds." Now Kari was puzzled.
"But…there was a huge shadow…and now it just…disappeared."
For the first time in his life, TK thought Kari was nuts, but the sudden scream of people on the parallel street made him instantly react. He looked back at the other Digi-Destined, and found them stunned; looking at what seemed to be the source of the fear, and the huge shadow Kari had spotted some seconds ago. TK followed their line of sight, and his mouth opened, in total shock. Life would have never prepared him for what he had seen at that moment. He barely noticed when Izzy walked next to him, and placed one hand on his shoulder, as if he tried to say "I'm sorry." But TK could notice that Izzy hadn't turned on his computer. There was no need to use the Digimon analyzer. Because the creature they faced, the new threat they would have to fight against, was TK's most precious possession.
"Seraphimon…"
Yolei Inoue and Ken Ichijouji ran hastily down the streets, but they were too busy avoiding the chaotic sea of people running in the opposite direction. Ken quickly grabbed Yolei's hand, so he wouldn't lose her. When he looked at her, she was blushing. Ken sighed.
"Oh, come on! I'm just doing it so you don't get lost!" but Yolei was on the verge of tears.
"Exactly…you really care about me…" the seventeen years old girl said. "Oh, Ken!" she cried, and jumped to his arms.
"Yolei, calm down! We have to move, and I can run if I have you hugging me!" he said as he pushed her away, and began running again. "He has no sense of romance…" she thought, as she sighed, and followed him.
It took them almost ten minutes to run the two blocks that separated them from the other Digi-Destined, who were already fighting. Ken could spot Raidramon and Nefertimon avoiding the enemy's attacks. Finally, Yolei stopped next to him, and gasped at the sight of their enemy.
"Seraphimon! It's...it's impossible!"
"What's wrong, Yolei?" the ignorant young boy asked.
"That's…" Yolei said panting. "That's Patamon's mega!" Ken looked at the golden angel Digimon, and then looked at Yolei.
"Calm down, Yolei. Remember what Izzy told us? Those aren't real Digimon, I think."
"You're wrong." Izzy's voice echoed next to him. "The others were fake Digimon, but this is a real one." Yolei and Ken looked at the red head, their eyes wide open. They couldn't believe his words, because the consequences were really painful.
"You mean that's…" Yolei muttered slowly. When Izzy nodded, Yolei covered her mouth with her hands, and her eyes filled with tears. It didn't take much time for Ken to get the idea.
"Oh my God…I can't believe it…"
Meanwhile, Kari and Davis hardly avoided Seraphimon's attacks, and cursed when their own attacks did no damage to the powerful mega Digimon. However, they still ignored they were fighting a real one, and they used their Digimon's full power. But it was useless. Finally, Nefertimon, with Kari on its back, landed next to Davis' Raidramon.
"Any ideas, goggle boy?"
"Nope, not even one, Kari." Kari looked at Takeru, who was still stunned, and hadn't moved since the moment he saw the angel Digimon.
"I wonder why he won't move…" Kari said.
"I don't know and I don't care!" Davis shouted. "If he can't fight, then we will! We must concentrate all of our power in one single attack!" Kari nodded.
"Let's do it! Nefertimon, get ready." The mythical Digimon nodded its head, and prepared the attack, along with the black Digimon next to it. But suddenly, the one who hadn't talked finally did.
"Don't!" TK shouted.
The two Digi-Destined looked back and found Takeru lying on his knees, and his face filled with desperation.
"Please, don't hurt him…please…" Kari and Davis couldn't understand.
"But we have to stop it! It's a fake Digimon, isn't it!?" Davis said, and Kari noticed he was a little angry. Then, he looked how Izzy, Yolei and Ken walked next to Takeru. Tai and Sora were behind him, their faces showing the frustration of being unable to do a thing.
"Don't you think that, if that were a fake Digimon, Takeru would be fighting, Davis?" Izzy said in a tone that remembered a teacher giving a lesson to the mediocre student. Davis and Kari didn't understand. Couldn't understand. What Izzy meant was…
"Patamon?" said Kari's Digimon, Nefertimon. "Is that you, Patamon?"
The mega Digimon didn't say anything. Kari and Davis couldn't believe it. Could that really be TK's Patamon?
"No way!" Davis shouted. "That can't be Patamon! I can't believe it!"
"You better believe it, Davis." Izzy said. "If Takeru says that's a real Digimon, I believe him."
Davis looked at the young sorcerer, who was looking down, mumbling nonsense to himself.
"Oh, yeah? And tell me, Takeru, why do you say this is a real Digimon, and the others weren't, huh!?" Davis shouted. He was really pissed off. He couldn't believe everybody trusted Takeru, and ignored him, who had been fighting against the enemy. Finally, TK spoke, but his voice was filled with sadness and sorrow.
"The other creatures we fought, they were magic creatures, and for that reason they had a magical aura, which real Digimon don't have. But this is a real Seraphimon, as he doesn't have a magical field around it, and its powers are innate. And I…I just can't fight him…I can't…" he said as he began to cry. He didn't realize everybody was looking at him, with a mixture of compassion and doubt. Everyone except Izzy. He was just sad. He was the only one who really understood TK's pain, and he couldn't do anything about it. Suddenly, Takeru felt a warm, big hand on his left shoulder. When he looked up, he met Tai's eyes.
"What's wrong, Takeru?"
"That Digimon…is being controlled by Kazuo. The only one who can break the spell is Kazuo himself. If I want to break it, I have to kill Kazuo…or kill the Digimon…but I can't…" Then, Tai smiled and talked to him.
"Listen to me, Takeru. That Digimon is one of our friends, but if you must kill him, then go ahead. You're the only one who can defeat him…Takeru, look at me!" Tai said as TK tried to look away. "We have been in situations as this one before. I'm sure Patamon will prefer to die rather than being used by the powers of Evil. Please, help him. I beg you, Takeru."
TK looked at Tai, who was about to cry, too. He remembered Tai had been in the same dilemma, several years ago. But he was different. He didn't have the courage. Tai would never understand. There's no way he could kill his friend. Patamon had been his partner; it had saved his life so many times he had lost the count. That little Digimon meant a lot to him. He couldn't even think about harming it. But there was something he could try. Maybe, just maybe, he could have a chance. He slowly stood up, and looked at a surprised Izzy.
"Izzy…please call Mina. Tell her I need my kodachi blade."
"Oh…alright." Izzy said as he took out his cell phone. Then, Takeru looked at Seraphimon, and gasped when he saw it was about to attack. He had to do something, and fast.
"Warp Magic!"
When Kari opened her eyes again, she realized she was at least 150 ft away from the original place she had been a second ago. She looked next to her and found the other Digi-Destined, who were as confused as her. She also found Gatomon, who seemed to have returned to its original form.
"Are you ok, Gatomon?" she asked, but the Digimon never answered. It was too buy looking ahead. When she looked, she found Seraphimon, throwing hundreds of giant, gold energy spheres at the place they just had been. Then, she understood. Takeru had teleported them away from the fight, but…where was he? She gasped when she found the answer.
"Takeru!" she shouted, but it was impossible to find him in the smoke the explosions. One minute later, when the Digimon had finished its attack, the Digi-Destined just could wait for the smoke to clear up. But then, a voice caught their attention.
"There's no way he could have avoided that. Great work, Seraphimon."
When the smoked cleared away, they found Kazuo Hidekawa next to the angel Digimon. He had a big smile on his face, as if that were the greatest moment of his life. Then, they saw Takeru, unconscious on the middle of the empty street. It had been long since the scared people had run away.
"Takeru!" Kari shouted, and ran next to him. When the others looked, they noticed she was crying. But they were too scared to get any closer. So, it was only the girl and the boy lying on the street. And that way, neither the Digi-Destined nor Kazuo Hidekawa could listen to her.
"Please…please wake up…you can't be dead…you can't…please!" she cried. Her tears fell on Takeru's white shirt, but she didn't care. Her eyes were fixed on his face, waiting for a reaction.
"Please…don't…don't leave…don't leave me…is it that I'm destined to live a life or pain, losing everyone I care for?"
She never thought she would say something like that. Not since the day she lost her precious friend, twenty-two months ago. But, then, she had met Takeru, and she realized she was attracted to him. Not only because of the obvious name coincidence or his amazing abilities. She liked him because he gave her something she had never found since the day TK died. Tranquility. When she was young, and looked at the sunset with TK Takaishi, she had the same feeling she had when Takeru Kirahashi was next to her. When she was with him, she knew she would be ok. And she didn't want to lose that feeling…not again.
"I'm…alive?"
Takeru's mind only had that idea. He could believe how lucky he was. He had used all of his energy to save the others, but he had forgotten about himself, and received the full strike. He was alive, but his body didn't react, and he felt an unbearable pain. Even his eyelids refused to move a millimeter. Then, a voiced echoed in his ears. A voice filled with sorrow and fear.
"Please…please wake up…you can't be dead…you can't…please!"
"Who is it? Who's that?" he thought. Who was the one who cared so much about him? "Mina? No…that's…" When he finally realized it, a warm sensation filled his heart. "Kari…my dear Kari…I…" he wanted to cry, but for some reason he couldn't. He wanted to open his eyes, and meet hers, but he couldn't. He wanted to hug her, kiss her, and tell her he loved her, but…
"I'm…I'm gonna die…without telling her…I…I…"
His body was tired. That Seraphimon was way stronger than a common one. "Kazuo…must have given him…the Darkness…such powers…" Then, he heard the voice again.
"Please…don't…don't leave…don't leave me…is it that I'm destined to live a life or pain, losing everyone I care for?"
And his mind and his heart reacted again. His eyes wouldn't react, but his heart was crying.
"She cares…she really does care about me? Does she really…no…there's something…something in her heart…"
His magic allowed him to see deep into her heart, and the only thing he could find was doubt. A big fight deep within herself. And then, he heard the voice for the last time.
"I love you, Takeru Kirahashi. I have only met you for…a little more than six months, but I've fallen in love with you."
The pain was even worse than the one from Seraphimon's attack. He knew her heart wasn't sure about such feelings, but listening to her saying those words, filled his with pain. He wasn't ready, but, without any former preparation, he felt it. He could feel her soft lips touching his. Such tenderness, such softness, as he had never felt it before. He had to do something. He had to stop her mistake.
"He…heal…"
Slowly, very slowly, he could feel the white power working deep in his body. He had used the most basic cure magic spell, and now, he had enough energy to at least get up.
Kari slowly back away after kissing the warm body of Takeru Kirahashi. She couldn't believe a word of what she had said. Did she really love him? And what about TK? She had loved him. She would have given him everything. And he was gone. But she still loved him, and she would never forget him. Was this right? Was she making the right choices? Was she ready to give up with TK, and to make a new beginning? She never thought she would find an answer to those questions, when she opened her eyes. And when she did, she saw Takeru's green eyes. He was smiling.
"Thanks for believing in me, Hikari."
She giggled, even if she was still crying. And she did the only thing she could think of. One second later, she was hugging Takeru, who had sat down.
"You're alive! Thank God!"
Then, she looked at the Digi-Destined, whose faces looked really silly, with eyes and mouths wide open. She wondered for the reason of their surprise. Was it the fact that Takeru is alive, or was it the kiss? She slowly looked at Takeru's beautiful eyes, and quickly kissed the top of his nose, and showed him a smile.
"I love you."
Kari waited for a smile, or a kiss, but she never expected the serious face Takeru showed her. And her heart froze when he spoke.
"No, you don't."
Immediately, Takeru stood up, for Seraphimon and Kazuo's surprise, and looked at Kari again. She was puzzled.
"What…what do you mean? You think I'm not sure about my own feelings?"
TK looked at her and shook his head. He knew he had to do it. It was a great sacrifice, but for the first time in his life, he knew exactly what to do. Not only about Kari, but what to do with Seraphimon, and Kazuo, and with his own life.
"Oh, no, Kari. I know you're very sure about your feelings…" he spoke aloud, so that everyone could listen to him, even Mina, who had arrived a couple of minutes before, but she was hidden in a nearby building, spying the whole time, thinking that he wouldn't find her. But TK still had to finish the sentence.
"…but you don't love me. You love Takeru Takaishi…"
Everyone was shocked. How could he know? Why did he know? He looked at Davis, whose jaw almost touched the floor. Sora was hugging Tai, whose face had a mixture of confusion, anger, and the frustration of facing the truth. Yolei and Ken looked serious, but the surprise had also hit them really hard. Izzy was smiling. TK already had the weird feeling that Izzy could read minds, and now he realized that the red head knew exactly what he was about to do. Finally, he looked at Kari. She was crying, and she was avoiding his eyes. She knew he was right, that she had never forgotten TK. That her heart ached every time she thought about him, because she had given him her heart, and he had left her alone. And she knew she would always love him. Takeru just sighed, and softly hugged her. When she finally looked at him, he smiled and whispered something on her ear.
"…and I love you, too."
Yay, I'm done! And I have decided this fic will have a maximum of 15 chapters, nothing more! I hope you liked this one (I loved it. I even had to rewrite it when I realized it wasn't going where I wanted it to), and I'll gladly read your reviews and comments. If you have a lot to say, you can always write to daneel_ff@hotmail.com, and I have time, I may write you an e-mail about your reviews. Anyway, we'll meet again soon for a new chapter, and Merry Christmas!
