Till The End Of All
By CyberDracomon
Chapter 8 of 26 - Highroad
TK opened his eyes, which had been closed since he first walked into the portal. He found himself standing beside Kari on a stone platform attached to a bridge, straight and extending beyond his view. He looked around, finding that the bridge was somewhere high in the sky, seeing nothing but the tops of the clouds all around. He looked behind for the gateway, finding the circle there but without the portal, meaning this was a one way trip whether they liked it or not. The bridge before them had a wall on both sides, relieving his fear of falling off, and was wide enough for the two to walk side-by-side.
"...It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?" Kari said, who was also looking at their new surroundings. Little was hardly the word TK would have used, but she was right that it was definitely overwhelming.
"It didn't look this long on the map..." TK said, his eyes now fixed on the edge of the path far in the distance.
"Let's try not to think about it." Kari said, now looking toward TK. "If we just start walking and not think about anything else the time should pass quickly." TK was hoping the same thing, but something about the absolute length of this bridge was too much to put out of his mind so easily. TK took another look back at the now closed portal, unable to shake the fact that they left Patamon and Gatomon there alone. He then looked over to Kari, just now noticing she was carrying her backpack with her, which looked fairly full. TK wondered why she would bother to carry the extra weight on such a long walk, but didn't bother to ask.
"I still don't like this..." TK admitted. "I know they can take care of themselves but I still hate to make them wait, and from the looks of it they'll be waiting a long time..." Kari had the same feeling, but was apparently doing a better job keeping it in check. Still she knew how he felt, not only knowing how close he was to Patamon but with her own connection to Gatomon.
"It won't be as long as you think, just relax." Kari said, trying to reassure him. "Besides it's too late now. All we can to is get to the temple and meet up with them there as soon as possible." TK hesitated before nodding, turning back to the pathway before them. The two began walking, the ominous path still looking like it went on forever. Just then TK heard a small noise behind him, alerting him. He quickly turned, his fear of being without Patamon taking hold of him. Nothing was behind them, though, just the closed portal. TK looked down to see the cause of the noise, the small box he carried with the engagement ring he intended to give Kari, the same he always carried "just in case", had somehow slipped from his pocket and was now open from the hard landing. He quickly panicked, dropping to his knees to grab hold of the box and snapping it shut, worried about it being damaged or of Kari seeing it.
"TK what was that?" Kari asked from ahead. "Did you drop something?" TK breathed a little easier, glad she hadn't seen what was in the box. He had his back to her now, as well, keeping her from seeing the item at all.
"Oh, just my D-3." He replied. "You go ahead, I'll catch up." Kari left it at that, turning back down the road and continuing on. TK stood up, checking to see if she was far enough away, then checked the inside of the box. To his relief the ring wasn't damaged, not a diamond out of place, and other than the satin being a little color worn from being in TK's pocket so much even the box was in good shape. He replaced it into his pocket, making sure it was as far down as possible, then turned and continued down the bridge, his steps a little faster than usual to catch up to Kari.
**********
"Lightning Paw!" Gatomon screamed, slashing her opponent viciously with her clawed gloves. It sustained no damage, though, and only succeeded in increasing the sweat on Gatomon's forehead from her constant attempts at attack. She stepped back, readying her claws for the next strike.
"Gatomon, that's enough." Patamon said from behind her. "It doesn't matter how any times you hit it, that portal doesn't open for Digimon." He had been watching her slash away uselessly at the portal for an hour now with no success, her claws uselessly scratching against the surface without even making ripples. What was worse was that they had been waiting two hours now, not only adding to their worry but their boredom, as well.
"It just makes me feel better..." She replied, turning to face Patamon, who was at the bottom of the ramp. "I can't stand waiting here for a sign that they made it safely, there's too much that could happen on that path!" Patamon felt the same way, of course, and he still had that feeling of something bad nagging in his mind, making it worse. Still he hated to see Gatomon so upset, but knew little he could do to calm her down.
"Gatomon, is there really anything else we can do?" Patamon asked, attempting to get her to think about their situation. "The gate's closed, we can't get to them now." Of course Gatomon was all too aware of that fact, though she didn't like it. She turned from the portal and walked back down the ramp, rejoining Patamon at the bottom.
"So what do we do until they're on the other side?" Gatomon asked. Patamon side stepped around Gatomon, walking over to the monitor on the side of the gateway's platform.
"For starters, we keep an eye on this screen like we're supposed to." He replied. Gatomon was expecting an answer with a bit more of a time-killing element to it. "We could just talk, we haven't gotten to in a few days with everything that's happened." Gatomon took a second before realizing that was true, the last time they talked was to resolve their own confusion about their "encounter". The feline Digimon walked over to Patamon, finding a spot on the gateway's platform to lean against as she sat down.
"Alright then, what is there to talk about?" She asked, looking over to her companion. Unfortunately Patamon hadn't thought that far out, knowing little Gatomon would find interesting.
"Well, what's happened in your life, other than Kari's quest?" He asked, hoping to get her to start off. Besides that he was often interested in her own life, almost more than his own. It was strange to think that way, even if it was true. Gatomon took a second to think, trying to remember passed her little episode on the roof the night before.
"Well, I know Tai called the other day." Gatomon said. "Him and Sora just moved into a new apartment." Somehow Patamon had hoped for more, he knew something more than a phone call had to happen in their lives.
"That's the best you have?" Patamon asked with a smile. "Even I know your life isn't that dull." Gatomon didn't know whether to feel insulted or challenged, though he was right, it was a meager attempt. It got her wondering, though...
"So what about you?" Gatomon retorted. "What's so big in your life? If you can do better, please do." Again Patamon felt the pressure of this conversation dropped onto his shoulders. At least this time he as a bit more prepared, as he had been thinking of what to say and had come up with something good.
"Oh, I think I can." Patamon replied. "Think you can keep a secret?" Hearing this sparked a great deal of interest in Gatomon. She often heard secrets from Kari but it was very rare when Patamon had one to tell.
"Depends on the secret." Gatomon said in a kidding tone. "What is it?" Patamon smiled slyly, a sense of pride in having this knowledge to pass to Gatomon.
"Well, TK's been talking to me a lot lately about Kari." He began. "Last time he did he told me he's been waiting to actually propose to Kari, he showed me the ring he bought for her and everything!" Gatomon's eyes widened at the news, a little in disbelief and a little in surprise.
"You're serious?" She asked. "I knew he would eventually but I didn't think he was planning on it so soon." Patamon nodded to confirm her disbelief, somewhat proud of being able to surprise her.
"Well that's TK, I guess." Patamon said. "If he believes in something, he's going to do it." Gatomon couldn't help but think about Kari now, where she would stand when TK did ask. It didn't take her long to realize what Kari would do.
"She'll accept, you know." Gatomon said. "Kari has loved TK for as long as I can remember, they've spent the last ten years together. If TK asked her to spend the rest of their lives together there's no way she would pass it up." Patamon was glad to hear that, not only for TK's sake but also because Kari was his best human friend other than TK. If he wanted anyone to be happy together it was those two. It did make him worry about the two even more, though, as it was he was well aware that they couldn't be married if they didn't survive the quest. He glanced at the monitor to his right, the marker on the other side of the path still dead, now wondering how long that road really was.
**********
TK was now beginning to pant slightly from the length of their walk, even with the shape he kept to play basketball this was too much. He looked down at the D-3 in his hand, reading the small digital clock on it's face that read four o'clock. They had been walking since noon without stopping and still hadn't reached the end, nor had any sign that they were any closer. TK looked back on occasion just to make sure they were actually moving and now both directions looked exactly the same, with endless bridge in front and behind. He was beginning to worry they were actually going in a circle and knowing the Digital World it was very possible to go in circles on a straight bridge.
"Let's stop here for a while." Kari suddenly said. "We're going to be too exhausted if we don't take a break." TK had no argument with that, stopping and leaning against the stone railing of the bridge. Just then he realized it wasn't just his own exhaustion weakening him, but also his hunger, he hadn't eaten since breakfast and he didn't expect the path to be this long. He tried not to think about it, watching Kari sit down on the bridge, leaning against the wall that made the bridge's sides. Her backpack was off her shoulders and leaning against the wall, as well.
"Okay, I have to ask..." TK said, sitting down across from her. "What is in that backpack? You knew how long this was going to be, why bring the extra weight?" Kari smiled to TK before reaching over for her backpack, unzipping it and reaching inside.
"Because unlike you, I was expecting this." She replied, pulling a sandwich from her backpack, plastic wrapped to keep it together for so long. TK couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that, even if it was a longer path than he thought.
"Why didn't I think of that..." He said to himself, now paying for his lack of insight. Kari giggled a bit, then tossed the sandwich to him. TK eagerly caught it, thankful all those years of basketball made him a good catch.
"I was also expecting for both of us." She said, again reaching into her backpack and withdrawing a second sandwich. TK smiled to Kari before unwrapping the sandwich and biting into it. He was too hungry to tell what kind it was, not that he cared at the moment. The sandwich didn't fair so well against TK's hunger, not lasting very long. When he finished TK looked up at Kari, then smiled nervously, now realizing Kari had barely finished two bites so far.
"Guess I'm hungrier than I thought..." TK said, a little embarrassed at his own eating. Kari just smiled back, trying not to laugh.
"Well you can have another one, if you promise to chew it, that is." She said. TK chuckled nervously before nodding, silently accepting her terms. Again Kari pulled a sandwich from her backpack and tossed it to TK, who again caught it. This time he took more care with his work, unwrapping it and taking a normal bite from it. The sandwich tasted like ham and cheese, even if he could barely taste the cheese. The two ate in silence, neither wanting to waste anymore energy than they had to. They both knew this path didn't get any shorter and they still had hours of walking to do. Kari finished her sandwich, but didn't reach for another, apparently filled by one. TK was halfway through his second when he realized he was already getting full, whatever Kari put into the sandwiches, she made sure it was filling.
"My legs are still sore..." Kari said. "Give me a few more minutes before we keep going." TK swallowed the bite he had just taken upon hearing this. He knew Kari always put other before herself but TK wouldn't let her go that far.
"Kari, we're not in that big of a rush." TK said. "Take all the time you need to rest, we can keep going when you're up to it." Kari shook her head, then stood up, leaning against the wall as she did. TK set his sandwich down before standing up to face her.
"TK, you heard what Baihumon said." She argued. "It doesn't matter if I'm exhausted or not, the Digital World is depending on me." TK looked down at her legs, now noticing they were trembling slightly, too weak to keep her up. He stepped over, taking hold of her arms for more support. The look in her eyes showed more determination than TK could remember seeing in them, it made his own task all that much harder.
"It matters to me, Kari." TK said, a calming tone to his voice. "The Digital World will still be here in the next minute, but if you overwork yourself this soon that may change. Pace yourself, at least for today, until we get to the end of this bridge." Kari looked down from TK's eyes, not wanting to reply to his face.
"TK, I can't... This is more important that me." Kari said. TK put a hand under her chin, gently raising her gaze back to his.
"Kari, there's nothing in any world more important to me than you." He said gently. "I hate seeing you do this to yourself. The Digital World will be fine, but if you aren't okay to save it later then it won't be. Just wait an hour, one hour. Then we'll walk the rest of the way." Kari paused, suddenly realizing she wouldn't win this battle. In a sense she couldn't help but be flattered TK would be this concerned about her when he knew what was on the line, but she also realized he was right, it wouldn't do them any good if they made it to the end of the quest and she was too tired to do anything.
"...One hour, but then we keep going." She said, finally giving in. TK smiled before kissing her gently, showing his gratitude. Kari felt the same surge in her heart she usually did from his kiss, but somehow weaker. Maybe she really was more tired than she would let herself believe. Reluctantly Kari broke the kiss to sit back down, letting her legs rest again. TK returned to his own spot, withdrawing his Digivice and setting a timer to go off in an hour. He set it down by his side, seeing the remains of his sandwich as he did. TK picked it up, along with it's wrapping, and rewrapped what was left, this time preparing for a hunger fit later down the path.
**********
Patamon yawned slightly, his eyes getting heavy from constantly glancing at the monitor. The marker had yet to flash to life and it was getting tiring. He and Gatomon were still leaning against the platform of the gateway, now long out of chat subjects, waiting for a sign that TK and Kari had made it to the other side. He glanced over to Gatomon, who looked like her previous exhaustion was starting to catch up to her. Her eyes were half closed and in the last half hour she had been constantly yawning, but was still struggling to stay alert.
"Gatomon, did you even sleep last night?" Patamon said, trying to joke and ask at the same time. She looked over to him, trying to open her eyes as best she could.
"I'm sorry..." She said. "Guess I'm a couple of catnaps short today." Patamon had known Gatomon too long to be fooled by her attempt at consciousness. He stood from his spot and stepped closer, taking a seat beside her.
"If you want to take a nap I can watch the monitor for both of us." Patamon offered. Gatomon smiled, but shook her head.
"No thanks..." She replied. "...Just spare me a shoulder so I don't have to hold my head up..." Patamon smiled, then adjusted his wing to expose his side better. Gatomon leaned over, putting her head on Patamon's shoulder for comfort.
"You don't have to force yourself like this, you know." Patamon said. "You're going to wear yourself out before we even get to see Kari and TK again." He looked over for her to respond, but saw she had already succumb to her exhaustion, now asleep against his shoulder. He smiled slightly, noticing how peaceful she looked when she slept. For some reason, though, he suddenly wished the signal on the monitor wouldn't go off so soon. He looked over at it, almost happy that it was still inactive.
When Patamon looked back to Gatomon he noticed something new, the fact that she was shivering a bit. He hadn't realized how cold it was on the cliff, probably from the built-in wind breakers on his head. That thought did give him an idea, though. Very slowing Patamon adjusted himself and Gatomon, moving himself behind her until she was leaning against him like a pillow. He then took his wings and spread them out as wide as he could, then wrapped his wings around Gatomon as best he could, blanketing her. He watched her shivering form slowly come to a stop, resting comfortably against him. Patamon smiled again, glad this was helping her. He could now feel the cold air flowing across the cliff, but somehow didn't care as long as Gatomon didn't feel them. Besides, something inside him felt infinitely warmer, the same feeling he had been having around Gatomon for the last few days. Ever since that kiss... that symbol of love TK and Kari had inadvertently shown them. He looked on at Gatomon's sleeping form in his wings, thought running rampant through his mind, but coming back to the same conclusion. Patamon understood now, this warm passion he felt was love, love for the feline Digimon he had known for most of his life. Somehow the word didn't even seem to be strong enough, but if that was the only one he could use to describe it, then he had no choice. He loved Gatomon, and now knew it, and if the sudden epiphany had done anything else, it had just strengthened those feelings even more. It was a lot to take in at once, but Patamon hoped he would have a lifetime to sort it all out.
End Chapter 8
Next: Chapter 9 - Intentions
Author's Note: The March 23rd episode of Digimon has officially named all 4 Digital guardians. Previously I was going by names found on the D-Terminal toy, but with these new names I've had to change my story names around. Ebonwumon in my story is now Duchoumon and Zhuqiaomon in my story is now Ebonwumon. I've changed Chapter 6 to accommodate, but instead of Sovrans the term Guardians will remain since it was what was used in 02.
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http://cyberdraco.notifylist.com/cdm_alert.html
By CyberDracomon
Chapter 8 of 26 - Highroad
TK opened his eyes, which had been closed since he first walked into the portal. He found himself standing beside Kari on a stone platform attached to a bridge, straight and extending beyond his view. He looked around, finding that the bridge was somewhere high in the sky, seeing nothing but the tops of the clouds all around. He looked behind for the gateway, finding the circle there but without the portal, meaning this was a one way trip whether they liked it or not. The bridge before them had a wall on both sides, relieving his fear of falling off, and was wide enough for the two to walk side-by-side.
"...It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?" Kari said, who was also looking at their new surroundings. Little was hardly the word TK would have used, but she was right that it was definitely overwhelming.
"It didn't look this long on the map..." TK said, his eyes now fixed on the edge of the path far in the distance.
"Let's try not to think about it." Kari said, now looking toward TK. "If we just start walking and not think about anything else the time should pass quickly." TK was hoping the same thing, but something about the absolute length of this bridge was too much to put out of his mind so easily. TK took another look back at the now closed portal, unable to shake the fact that they left Patamon and Gatomon there alone. He then looked over to Kari, just now noticing she was carrying her backpack with her, which looked fairly full. TK wondered why she would bother to carry the extra weight on such a long walk, but didn't bother to ask.
"I still don't like this..." TK admitted. "I know they can take care of themselves but I still hate to make them wait, and from the looks of it they'll be waiting a long time..." Kari had the same feeling, but was apparently doing a better job keeping it in check. Still she knew how he felt, not only knowing how close he was to Patamon but with her own connection to Gatomon.
"It won't be as long as you think, just relax." Kari said, trying to reassure him. "Besides it's too late now. All we can to is get to the temple and meet up with them there as soon as possible." TK hesitated before nodding, turning back to the pathway before them. The two began walking, the ominous path still looking like it went on forever. Just then TK heard a small noise behind him, alerting him. He quickly turned, his fear of being without Patamon taking hold of him. Nothing was behind them, though, just the closed portal. TK looked down to see the cause of the noise, the small box he carried with the engagement ring he intended to give Kari, the same he always carried "just in case", had somehow slipped from his pocket and was now open from the hard landing. He quickly panicked, dropping to his knees to grab hold of the box and snapping it shut, worried about it being damaged or of Kari seeing it.
"TK what was that?" Kari asked from ahead. "Did you drop something?" TK breathed a little easier, glad she hadn't seen what was in the box. He had his back to her now, as well, keeping her from seeing the item at all.
"Oh, just my D-3." He replied. "You go ahead, I'll catch up." Kari left it at that, turning back down the road and continuing on. TK stood up, checking to see if she was far enough away, then checked the inside of the box. To his relief the ring wasn't damaged, not a diamond out of place, and other than the satin being a little color worn from being in TK's pocket so much even the box was in good shape. He replaced it into his pocket, making sure it was as far down as possible, then turned and continued down the bridge, his steps a little faster than usual to catch up to Kari.
**********
"Lightning Paw!" Gatomon screamed, slashing her opponent viciously with her clawed gloves. It sustained no damage, though, and only succeeded in increasing the sweat on Gatomon's forehead from her constant attempts at attack. She stepped back, readying her claws for the next strike.
"Gatomon, that's enough." Patamon said from behind her. "It doesn't matter how any times you hit it, that portal doesn't open for Digimon." He had been watching her slash away uselessly at the portal for an hour now with no success, her claws uselessly scratching against the surface without even making ripples. What was worse was that they had been waiting two hours now, not only adding to their worry but their boredom, as well.
"It just makes me feel better..." She replied, turning to face Patamon, who was at the bottom of the ramp. "I can't stand waiting here for a sign that they made it safely, there's too much that could happen on that path!" Patamon felt the same way, of course, and he still had that feeling of something bad nagging in his mind, making it worse. Still he hated to see Gatomon so upset, but knew little he could do to calm her down.
"Gatomon, is there really anything else we can do?" Patamon asked, attempting to get her to think about their situation. "The gate's closed, we can't get to them now." Of course Gatomon was all too aware of that fact, though she didn't like it. She turned from the portal and walked back down the ramp, rejoining Patamon at the bottom.
"So what do we do until they're on the other side?" Gatomon asked. Patamon side stepped around Gatomon, walking over to the monitor on the side of the gateway's platform.
"For starters, we keep an eye on this screen like we're supposed to." He replied. Gatomon was expecting an answer with a bit more of a time-killing element to it. "We could just talk, we haven't gotten to in a few days with everything that's happened." Gatomon took a second before realizing that was true, the last time they talked was to resolve their own confusion about their "encounter". The feline Digimon walked over to Patamon, finding a spot on the gateway's platform to lean against as she sat down.
"Alright then, what is there to talk about?" She asked, looking over to her companion. Unfortunately Patamon hadn't thought that far out, knowing little Gatomon would find interesting.
"Well, what's happened in your life, other than Kari's quest?" He asked, hoping to get her to start off. Besides that he was often interested in her own life, almost more than his own. It was strange to think that way, even if it was true. Gatomon took a second to think, trying to remember passed her little episode on the roof the night before.
"Well, I know Tai called the other day." Gatomon said. "Him and Sora just moved into a new apartment." Somehow Patamon had hoped for more, he knew something more than a phone call had to happen in their lives.
"That's the best you have?" Patamon asked with a smile. "Even I know your life isn't that dull." Gatomon didn't know whether to feel insulted or challenged, though he was right, it was a meager attempt. It got her wondering, though...
"So what about you?" Gatomon retorted. "What's so big in your life? If you can do better, please do." Again Patamon felt the pressure of this conversation dropped onto his shoulders. At least this time he as a bit more prepared, as he had been thinking of what to say and had come up with something good.
"Oh, I think I can." Patamon replied. "Think you can keep a secret?" Hearing this sparked a great deal of interest in Gatomon. She often heard secrets from Kari but it was very rare when Patamon had one to tell.
"Depends on the secret." Gatomon said in a kidding tone. "What is it?" Patamon smiled slyly, a sense of pride in having this knowledge to pass to Gatomon.
"Well, TK's been talking to me a lot lately about Kari." He began. "Last time he did he told me he's been waiting to actually propose to Kari, he showed me the ring he bought for her and everything!" Gatomon's eyes widened at the news, a little in disbelief and a little in surprise.
"You're serious?" She asked. "I knew he would eventually but I didn't think he was planning on it so soon." Patamon nodded to confirm her disbelief, somewhat proud of being able to surprise her.
"Well that's TK, I guess." Patamon said. "If he believes in something, he's going to do it." Gatomon couldn't help but think about Kari now, where she would stand when TK did ask. It didn't take her long to realize what Kari would do.
"She'll accept, you know." Gatomon said. "Kari has loved TK for as long as I can remember, they've spent the last ten years together. If TK asked her to spend the rest of their lives together there's no way she would pass it up." Patamon was glad to hear that, not only for TK's sake but also because Kari was his best human friend other than TK. If he wanted anyone to be happy together it was those two. It did make him worry about the two even more, though, as it was he was well aware that they couldn't be married if they didn't survive the quest. He glanced at the monitor to his right, the marker on the other side of the path still dead, now wondering how long that road really was.
**********
TK was now beginning to pant slightly from the length of their walk, even with the shape he kept to play basketball this was too much. He looked down at the D-3 in his hand, reading the small digital clock on it's face that read four o'clock. They had been walking since noon without stopping and still hadn't reached the end, nor had any sign that they were any closer. TK looked back on occasion just to make sure they were actually moving and now both directions looked exactly the same, with endless bridge in front and behind. He was beginning to worry they were actually going in a circle and knowing the Digital World it was very possible to go in circles on a straight bridge.
"Let's stop here for a while." Kari suddenly said. "We're going to be too exhausted if we don't take a break." TK had no argument with that, stopping and leaning against the stone railing of the bridge. Just then he realized it wasn't just his own exhaustion weakening him, but also his hunger, he hadn't eaten since breakfast and he didn't expect the path to be this long. He tried not to think about it, watching Kari sit down on the bridge, leaning against the wall that made the bridge's sides. Her backpack was off her shoulders and leaning against the wall, as well.
"Okay, I have to ask..." TK said, sitting down across from her. "What is in that backpack? You knew how long this was going to be, why bring the extra weight?" Kari smiled to TK before reaching over for her backpack, unzipping it and reaching inside.
"Because unlike you, I was expecting this." She replied, pulling a sandwich from her backpack, plastic wrapped to keep it together for so long. TK couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that, even if it was a longer path than he thought.
"Why didn't I think of that..." He said to himself, now paying for his lack of insight. Kari giggled a bit, then tossed the sandwich to him. TK eagerly caught it, thankful all those years of basketball made him a good catch.
"I was also expecting for both of us." She said, again reaching into her backpack and withdrawing a second sandwich. TK smiled to Kari before unwrapping the sandwich and biting into it. He was too hungry to tell what kind it was, not that he cared at the moment. The sandwich didn't fair so well against TK's hunger, not lasting very long. When he finished TK looked up at Kari, then smiled nervously, now realizing Kari had barely finished two bites so far.
"Guess I'm hungrier than I thought..." TK said, a little embarrassed at his own eating. Kari just smiled back, trying not to laugh.
"Well you can have another one, if you promise to chew it, that is." She said. TK chuckled nervously before nodding, silently accepting her terms. Again Kari pulled a sandwich from her backpack and tossed it to TK, who again caught it. This time he took more care with his work, unwrapping it and taking a normal bite from it. The sandwich tasted like ham and cheese, even if he could barely taste the cheese. The two ate in silence, neither wanting to waste anymore energy than they had to. They both knew this path didn't get any shorter and they still had hours of walking to do. Kari finished her sandwich, but didn't reach for another, apparently filled by one. TK was halfway through his second when he realized he was already getting full, whatever Kari put into the sandwiches, she made sure it was filling.
"My legs are still sore..." Kari said. "Give me a few more minutes before we keep going." TK swallowed the bite he had just taken upon hearing this. He knew Kari always put other before herself but TK wouldn't let her go that far.
"Kari, we're not in that big of a rush." TK said. "Take all the time you need to rest, we can keep going when you're up to it." Kari shook her head, then stood up, leaning against the wall as she did. TK set his sandwich down before standing up to face her.
"TK, you heard what Baihumon said." She argued. "It doesn't matter if I'm exhausted or not, the Digital World is depending on me." TK looked down at her legs, now noticing they were trembling slightly, too weak to keep her up. He stepped over, taking hold of her arms for more support. The look in her eyes showed more determination than TK could remember seeing in them, it made his own task all that much harder.
"It matters to me, Kari." TK said, a calming tone to his voice. "The Digital World will still be here in the next minute, but if you overwork yourself this soon that may change. Pace yourself, at least for today, until we get to the end of this bridge." Kari looked down from TK's eyes, not wanting to reply to his face.
"TK, I can't... This is more important that me." Kari said. TK put a hand under her chin, gently raising her gaze back to his.
"Kari, there's nothing in any world more important to me than you." He said gently. "I hate seeing you do this to yourself. The Digital World will be fine, but if you aren't okay to save it later then it won't be. Just wait an hour, one hour. Then we'll walk the rest of the way." Kari paused, suddenly realizing she wouldn't win this battle. In a sense she couldn't help but be flattered TK would be this concerned about her when he knew what was on the line, but she also realized he was right, it wouldn't do them any good if they made it to the end of the quest and she was too tired to do anything.
"...One hour, but then we keep going." She said, finally giving in. TK smiled before kissing her gently, showing his gratitude. Kari felt the same surge in her heart she usually did from his kiss, but somehow weaker. Maybe she really was more tired than she would let herself believe. Reluctantly Kari broke the kiss to sit back down, letting her legs rest again. TK returned to his own spot, withdrawing his Digivice and setting a timer to go off in an hour. He set it down by his side, seeing the remains of his sandwich as he did. TK picked it up, along with it's wrapping, and rewrapped what was left, this time preparing for a hunger fit later down the path.
**********
Patamon yawned slightly, his eyes getting heavy from constantly glancing at the monitor. The marker had yet to flash to life and it was getting tiring. He and Gatomon were still leaning against the platform of the gateway, now long out of chat subjects, waiting for a sign that TK and Kari had made it to the other side. He glanced over to Gatomon, who looked like her previous exhaustion was starting to catch up to her. Her eyes were half closed and in the last half hour she had been constantly yawning, but was still struggling to stay alert.
"Gatomon, did you even sleep last night?" Patamon said, trying to joke and ask at the same time. She looked over to him, trying to open her eyes as best she could.
"I'm sorry..." She said. "Guess I'm a couple of catnaps short today." Patamon had known Gatomon too long to be fooled by her attempt at consciousness. He stood from his spot and stepped closer, taking a seat beside her.
"If you want to take a nap I can watch the monitor for both of us." Patamon offered. Gatomon smiled, but shook her head.
"No thanks..." She replied. "...Just spare me a shoulder so I don't have to hold my head up..." Patamon smiled, then adjusted his wing to expose his side better. Gatomon leaned over, putting her head on Patamon's shoulder for comfort.
"You don't have to force yourself like this, you know." Patamon said. "You're going to wear yourself out before we even get to see Kari and TK again." He looked over for her to respond, but saw she had already succumb to her exhaustion, now asleep against his shoulder. He smiled slightly, noticing how peaceful she looked when she slept. For some reason, though, he suddenly wished the signal on the monitor wouldn't go off so soon. He looked over at it, almost happy that it was still inactive.
When Patamon looked back to Gatomon he noticed something new, the fact that she was shivering a bit. He hadn't realized how cold it was on the cliff, probably from the built-in wind breakers on his head. That thought did give him an idea, though. Very slowing Patamon adjusted himself and Gatomon, moving himself behind her until she was leaning against him like a pillow. He then took his wings and spread them out as wide as he could, then wrapped his wings around Gatomon as best he could, blanketing her. He watched her shivering form slowly come to a stop, resting comfortably against him. Patamon smiled again, glad this was helping her. He could now feel the cold air flowing across the cliff, but somehow didn't care as long as Gatomon didn't feel them. Besides, something inside him felt infinitely warmer, the same feeling he had been having around Gatomon for the last few days. Ever since that kiss... that symbol of love TK and Kari had inadvertently shown them. He looked on at Gatomon's sleeping form in his wings, thought running rampant through his mind, but coming back to the same conclusion. Patamon understood now, this warm passion he felt was love, love for the feline Digimon he had known for most of his life. Somehow the word didn't even seem to be strong enough, but if that was the only one he could use to describe it, then he had no choice. He loved Gatomon, and now knew it, and if the sudden epiphany had done anything else, it had just strengthened those feelings even more. It was a lot to take in at once, but Patamon hoped he would have a lifetime to sort it all out.
End Chapter 8
Next: Chapter 9 - Intentions
Author's Note: The March 23rd episode of Digimon has officially named all 4 Digital guardians. Previously I was going by names found on the D-Terminal toy, but with these new names I've had to change my story names around. Ebonwumon in my story is now Duchoumon and Zhuqiaomon in my story is now Ebonwumon. I've changed Chapter 6 to accommodate, but instead of Sovrans the term Guardians will remain since it was what was used in 02.
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