Chapter Seventeen- Closer Than Ever



"Hey everybody! Come see what me and Sora found!" Mimi and Sora rushed out of the

woods the next evening to the camp where all the Digidestined were sitting around the camp fire.

"What is it Mimi?" Tai asked.

"You all have to come and see! Heehee" Sora and Mimi led the way into the woods and

all the Digidestined followed. Deep in the woods, Mimi and Sora moved some branches out of

the way.

"Here," Mimi pulled the tree branches away like a curtain "It is!"

"Mimi it looks like a pond to me," Tai said.

"Yes but feel the water!"

Tai stuck his hand into the small pool, "It's hot! Wow!"

"It's our own, private hot spring!" Mimi giggled.

"Ken isn't this great?" Jesi said happily to Ken.

"Well... gulp... Yes of course."

"Prodigious!"

"Wa hoo!!" Tai ran by everyone and leaped into the pool.

In a little while, the Digidestined's clothes and bathing suits were strewn on the ground

and they all relaxed in the hot spring. Mimi sat behind Jesi braiding her hair.

"You have just the greatest hair! There's a million possibilities!"

"Good old Mimi," Sora said, "always thinking about hair."

"Sora won't let me play with her hair," Mimi grumbled, "so I'll just have to play with

yours!"

"Ah, this is the life," Matt said as he leaned back against the edge.

Sora sat back and eyed Matt and Tai, who had been suspiciously close all day. Matt was grinning and Tai was giggling, like something was going on under the water.

"Is he...tickling Tai?" Sora thought.

Izzy, leaned over the edge of the spring and tapped away on his computer.

"Izzy did you have to bring that computer with you?" Matt asked him.

"I'm monitoring the digital world, it seems strangely quiet right now, I wonder what's

going on."

"Izzy, what if the batteries run out?" Tai said, who seemed to be leaning against Matt.

"Don't worry, I have lots of spare batteries in my pants pocket over there."

Matt waded over to Izzy, and closed his laptop.

"Hey! What'd you do that for-AGH!" Izzy was cut off as Matt dunked his head under the

water.

"Heh, that'll teach him."

"Kari isn't this water nice?" TK said as he rested his arms on Kari's shoulders.

"It's great TK, especially since you're here" Kari said. TK blushed.

Tai and Matt smiled at their little sister and little brother.

Tai turned around and whispered in Matt's ear.

"I think the Ishidas and the Kamiyas were meant to be together."

Sora saw Matt's face start to turn red.

"What is going on with those two?"

As Jesi sat with Mimi braiding her hair, she looked around and noticed something.

"Hey where's Ken?" Jesi turned around and saw Ken's outline behind a tree. She put a

towel around herself and got out.

"Ken, why are you hiding over here?"

"I'm.. too... nervous to go out there."

"Why? There's nothing to be nervous about."

"I'm just, embarrassed I guess."

"Hey Ken!? What's the problem?" Tai called from the hot spring.

Ken poked his head out from behind the tree.

"Yeah Ken, we're all friends here." TK said.

"Mm hm" Kari nodded.

"Yeah, there's nothing to worry about!" Matt said. "I mean, we managed to drag Izzy in

here."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well... I guess, it's alright." Ken said. Jesi smiled sweetly at him. Ken nodded his head

"Ok."

As Ken sat in the hot spring, he felt a stronger bond to the other Digidestined than he ever

had before. He finally felt like they were all his real friends. Ken smiled and relaxed in the water.