Chapter 8
Gennai found the kids and the digimon sitting by a lake. "This is where we spent our first night in the Digital World," Tai was saying.
"Yeah, and Gabumon digi-volved here for the first time to fight Seadramon," Matt added.
"It seems like we came here so long ago, even though it was only a second in our world," Sora brought up.
"But I'm glad we came here. I feel like I've grown up a lot," Mimi said.
"Me too," TK agreed.
"I think we've all learned a thing or two here," Joe pointed out.
"Have you learned not to be so paranoid?" Gomamon wondered.
"Nah, that'll never change," Joe laughingly replied.
"So, are you guys going to stay here for a little while longer?" Tentomon asked. Everyone thought about it for a moment.
"Well, we do have four weeks of summer left," Matt reminded them.
"And since three months here is one second in our world, we'll be here for a really long time," Kari said excitedly.
"By my calculations, we can stay here for one hundred and ten years," Izzy told them, typing away on his computer.
"Actually Izzy, that won't be possible," Gennai informed them.
"Why not?" Tai asked.
"When you defeated Apocalymon, the time in both our worlds were synchronized. Time now moves at the same speed that it does in your world."
"But that still means we have four weeks left here," Sora reminded him. Gennai shook his head and pointed up at the sun. A large shadow was forming across it, slowly blotting out the light.
"That eclipse is the gateway back to your world. If you don't go through it, you'll be stuck here."
"Then we'll just wait for another one," Joe said.
"I'm sorry kids, but that won't be possible either. Once the doorway between our worlds closes, it'll close forever. You have two hours to say goodbye to each other."
"Father, isn't there anything you can do?" Amber wondered.
"I'm sorry, my dear. This is completely beyond my control." Gennai walked away slowly, and the digimon turned to face their partners.
"You have to go?" Agumon asked softly.
"I guess so," Tai replied, kicking a rock with his shoe. The others all drifted off to say goodbye, while Amber ran after her father.
"Father, why won't the gateway ever open again?" she asked.
"Humans were never supposed to be able to get to the Digital World. The only ones who've ever been able to breach the gate are the Digi- destined. But now the powers that control this world have made it so that no human will be able to get back."
"But what if we need the Digi-destined again?"
"Then the gate will be opened for them. But for now, we must get things cleaned up here, and they must go back to their lives in their world."
"Father, I don't want them to leave," Amber protested. Gennai stared at his daughter for a moment. He saw the emotions on her face as plain as day. Sighing, he took her hand and looked into her eyes.
"Amber, you have a decision to make. Go back and talk with the Digi-destined. Only then will you know where your path will lead you."
"My path? I don't understand."
"You will, my dear. You will." Nodding, Amber raced back to her new friends. Gennai watched her go, and a sad smiled tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I'm so proud of you, Amber. You've grown up to be just like your mother. I only hope your decision will be the right one."
* * *
"Matt, are you really going back?" Gabumon asked his friend.
"What choice is there? Stay here forever or go back to our world."
"Do you want to go back?"
"I'd love to go back and forth, Gabumon. You're my friend." He sighed heavily, and Gabumon sighed as well. "I guess that about sums it up."
"I guess so. But Matt, won't you miss us?"
"Of course I will. You helped me to realize the power of my crest. I'll never forget you for that, Gabumon."
"What about Amber?" Matt stared at his partner, then threw a rock into the lake where Gabumon had first digi-volved.
"Sure I'll miss her. But what can I do about it? She probably wants to stay here with her father, and now her mother will be coming back." He thought about his own mother, and the anger he'd had towards her for leaving him and taking TK away all those years ago. While he was still bitter, he knew that she'd done what she thought was the right thing. She was his mother, no matter what happened.
"But what if she wanted to go with you and the others?" Gabumon pressed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Amber standing behind a tree. Matt sighed again and threw another rock.
"What's the use in talking about it? She won't come with us. There's nothing for her in our world. She belongs here, with her family."
"But I have you and the Digi-destined," Amber broke in, startling Matt. He stood up and winced a little, but Gabumon steadied him.
"But your parents-"
"My father has always been there for me, but even then I knew I never really fit in here. And it will be a long time before my mother becomes her old self again. Besides, I want to see your world."
"Amber, you won't be able to come back here," Matt reminded her.
"The Digital World has always been open for the Digi-destined. I have a feeling that you will be needed again. Even if it does take another fourteen years." She smiled shyly, and Matt took her hand.
"Okay, then come with us. I'm sure the others will be happy you're coming too." Gabumon smiled at his partner and Amber as they sat down. Matt took out his harmonica and played one last song. The sad melody drifted over everyone, and even Tai began crying. Izzy, Tentomon, and Gennai had just fixed the last wire in the old cable car, and it would be ready to take them home. Two by two the Digi-destined and their partners wandered back to the lake. All of them looked sad, but in their hearts they knew they'd see their friends again. Gatomon proudly showed off Kari's whistle to the others.
"Come on guys, let's go!" Tai called, boarding the cable car. He stopped when he saw Amber and Gennai hugging.
"I'll miss you, Father," she whispered.
"And I will miss you. Take care of yourself, Amber. Their world is a lot more dangerous than ours."
"Don't worry, Gennai. She'll be fine with them," Gabumon predicted.
"Take care of my daughter," the old man said to the Digi- destined.
"I think she'll do fine on her own," Sora told him, smiling at Amber. Tai didn't say a word, but smiled teasingly at Matt, who blushed. They all climbed onto the cable car, and Izzy started it up. Gatomon blew Kari's whistle as loud as she could, and the car began moving. The digimon ran after it, waving goodbye to their friends. Mimi tossed her pink hat to Palmon, who caught it with tears in her eyes.
"Goodbye! We'll miss you!" the Digi-destined called out as the cable car flew off into the eclipse. Behind them, they saw the gate close as they landed back in Odaiba. Their parents all ran to them, praising them and crying that they had their children back. Izzy's parents looked around curiously.
"What's wrong?" he asked them.
"Where's your friend Tentomon?" his mother asked. Izzy looked at the ground for a moment.
"He's back in the Digital World. The gate closed, and we couldn't stay." He hugged his parents tightly, and they cried with him.
"TK! Matt!" Ms. Takashi cried out when she saw them. Then she stopped short when she saw Amber, whose tail was waving behind her. "Oh, I see you brought a friend."
"Mommy, this is Amber. She's Gennai's daughter, the old guy we told you about," TK started babbling.
"It's nice to meet you both," Amber said to her and Mr. Ishida, bowing slightly. They bowed back and smiled.
"So Amber, where will you be staying?" Mr. Ishida wondered. She paled for a moment, then blushed.
"Staying? I'm not really-"
"Actually dad, I thought she could stay with us. Maybe even help out with the cooking?" Matt brought up.
"Well, the apartment does need a woman's touch," he replied.
"It'll only be for a little while, until I get used to this world," Amber promised. Ms. Takashi put both of her hands on the young girl's shoulders.
"You saved Matt's life. For that we will always be grateful. You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you like," she said.
"How did you see everything, mom?" TK wondered.
"We watched it through those big holes in the sky. But when you kids defeated Apocalymon, the holes closed up," Mr. Ishida explained.
"Thank you both. I would like to stay with you, and learn everything about your world," Amber said excitedly.
"Come on then, let's go home," Mr. Ishida said. TK and Matt hugged each other, then parted ways. Tai waved at Matt and Amber, and they both shouted and waved back. Now that the crisis in the Digital World was over, it was time to straighten up things in the real world.
Gennai found the kids and the digimon sitting by a lake. "This is where we spent our first night in the Digital World," Tai was saying.
"Yeah, and Gabumon digi-volved here for the first time to fight Seadramon," Matt added.
"It seems like we came here so long ago, even though it was only a second in our world," Sora brought up.
"But I'm glad we came here. I feel like I've grown up a lot," Mimi said.
"Me too," TK agreed.
"I think we've all learned a thing or two here," Joe pointed out.
"Have you learned not to be so paranoid?" Gomamon wondered.
"Nah, that'll never change," Joe laughingly replied.
"So, are you guys going to stay here for a little while longer?" Tentomon asked. Everyone thought about it for a moment.
"Well, we do have four weeks of summer left," Matt reminded them.
"And since three months here is one second in our world, we'll be here for a really long time," Kari said excitedly.
"By my calculations, we can stay here for one hundred and ten years," Izzy told them, typing away on his computer.
"Actually Izzy, that won't be possible," Gennai informed them.
"Why not?" Tai asked.
"When you defeated Apocalymon, the time in both our worlds were synchronized. Time now moves at the same speed that it does in your world."
"But that still means we have four weeks left here," Sora reminded him. Gennai shook his head and pointed up at the sun. A large shadow was forming across it, slowly blotting out the light.
"That eclipse is the gateway back to your world. If you don't go through it, you'll be stuck here."
"Then we'll just wait for another one," Joe said.
"I'm sorry kids, but that won't be possible either. Once the doorway between our worlds closes, it'll close forever. You have two hours to say goodbye to each other."
"Father, isn't there anything you can do?" Amber wondered.
"I'm sorry, my dear. This is completely beyond my control." Gennai walked away slowly, and the digimon turned to face their partners.
"You have to go?" Agumon asked softly.
"I guess so," Tai replied, kicking a rock with his shoe. The others all drifted off to say goodbye, while Amber ran after her father.
"Father, why won't the gateway ever open again?" she asked.
"Humans were never supposed to be able to get to the Digital World. The only ones who've ever been able to breach the gate are the Digi- destined. But now the powers that control this world have made it so that no human will be able to get back."
"But what if we need the Digi-destined again?"
"Then the gate will be opened for them. But for now, we must get things cleaned up here, and they must go back to their lives in their world."
"Father, I don't want them to leave," Amber protested. Gennai stared at his daughter for a moment. He saw the emotions on her face as plain as day. Sighing, he took her hand and looked into her eyes.
"Amber, you have a decision to make. Go back and talk with the Digi-destined. Only then will you know where your path will lead you."
"My path? I don't understand."
"You will, my dear. You will." Nodding, Amber raced back to her new friends. Gennai watched her go, and a sad smiled tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I'm so proud of you, Amber. You've grown up to be just like your mother. I only hope your decision will be the right one."
* * *
"Matt, are you really going back?" Gabumon asked his friend.
"What choice is there? Stay here forever or go back to our world."
"Do you want to go back?"
"I'd love to go back and forth, Gabumon. You're my friend." He sighed heavily, and Gabumon sighed as well. "I guess that about sums it up."
"I guess so. But Matt, won't you miss us?"
"Of course I will. You helped me to realize the power of my crest. I'll never forget you for that, Gabumon."
"What about Amber?" Matt stared at his partner, then threw a rock into the lake where Gabumon had first digi-volved.
"Sure I'll miss her. But what can I do about it? She probably wants to stay here with her father, and now her mother will be coming back." He thought about his own mother, and the anger he'd had towards her for leaving him and taking TK away all those years ago. While he was still bitter, he knew that she'd done what she thought was the right thing. She was his mother, no matter what happened.
"But what if she wanted to go with you and the others?" Gabumon pressed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Amber standing behind a tree. Matt sighed again and threw another rock.
"What's the use in talking about it? She won't come with us. There's nothing for her in our world. She belongs here, with her family."
"But I have you and the Digi-destined," Amber broke in, startling Matt. He stood up and winced a little, but Gabumon steadied him.
"But your parents-"
"My father has always been there for me, but even then I knew I never really fit in here. And it will be a long time before my mother becomes her old self again. Besides, I want to see your world."
"Amber, you won't be able to come back here," Matt reminded her.
"The Digital World has always been open for the Digi-destined. I have a feeling that you will be needed again. Even if it does take another fourteen years." She smiled shyly, and Matt took her hand.
"Okay, then come with us. I'm sure the others will be happy you're coming too." Gabumon smiled at his partner and Amber as they sat down. Matt took out his harmonica and played one last song. The sad melody drifted over everyone, and even Tai began crying. Izzy, Tentomon, and Gennai had just fixed the last wire in the old cable car, and it would be ready to take them home. Two by two the Digi-destined and their partners wandered back to the lake. All of them looked sad, but in their hearts they knew they'd see their friends again. Gatomon proudly showed off Kari's whistle to the others.
"Come on guys, let's go!" Tai called, boarding the cable car. He stopped when he saw Amber and Gennai hugging.
"I'll miss you, Father," she whispered.
"And I will miss you. Take care of yourself, Amber. Their world is a lot more dangerous than ours."
"Don't worry, Gennai. She'll be fine with them," Gabumon predicted.
"Take care of my daughter," the old man said to the Digi- destined.
"I think she'll do fine on her own," Sora told him, smiling at Amber. Tai didn't say a word, but smiled teasingly at Matt, who blushed. They all climbed onto the cable car, and Izzy started it up. Gatomon blew Kari's whistle as loud as she could, and the car began moving. The digimon ran after it, waving goodbye to their friends. Mimi tossed her pink hat to Palmon, who caught it with tears in her eyes.
"Goodbye! We'll miss you!" the Digi-destined called out as the cable car flew off into the eclipse. Behind them, they saw the gate close as they landed back in Odaiba. Their parents all ran to them, praising them and crying that they had their children back. Izzy's parents looked around curiously.
"What's wrong?" he asked them.
"Where's your friend Tentomon?" his mother asked. Izzy looked at the ground for a moment.
"He's back in the Digital World. The gate closed, and we couldn't stay." He hugged his parents tightly, and they cried with him.
"TK! Matt!" Ms. Takashi cried out when she saw them. Then she stopped short when she saw Amber, whose tail was waving behind her. "Oh, I see you brought a friend."
"Mommy, this is Amber. She's Gennai's daughter, the old guy we told you about," TK started babbling.
"It's nice to meet you both," Amber said to her and Mr. Ishida, bowing slightly. They bowed back and smiled.
"So Amber, where will you be staying?" Mr. Ishida wondered. She paled for a moment, then blushed.
"Staying? I'm not really-"
"Actually dad, I thought she could stay with us. Maybe even help out with the cooking?" Matt brought up.
"Well, the apartment does need a woman's touch," he replied.
"It'll only be for a little while, until I get used to this world," Amber promised. Ms. Takashi put both of her hands on the young girl's shoulders.
"You saved Matt's life. For that we will always be grateful. You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you like," she said.
"How did you see everything, mom?" TK wondered.
"We watched it through those big holes in the sky. But when you kids defeated Apocalymon, the holes closed up," Mr. Ishida explained.
"Thank you both. I would like to stay with you, and learn everything about your world," Amber said excitedly.
"Come on then, let's go home," Mr. Ishida said. TK and Matt hugged each other, then parted ways. Tai waved at Matt and Amber, and they both shouted and waved back. Now that the crisis in the Digital World was over, it was time to straighten up things in the real world.