Digital Souls
By Wanderer D
Epilogue
A rainbow of multicolored light slowly descended into the destroyed part of Odaiba. Out of it stepped nine figures.
"Mom! Dad!" T.K. shouted as he saw his parents waiting for them amid the wreckage of the city.
The worried parents had gathered up in a small camp to wait for their missing children. It had been a day and a half since they had left and everyone was starting to get really worried.
When T.K.'s shout broke the silence everyone looked up to see their precious children running towards them.
Shouts of joy emerged from the camp as the parents also stood up and ran to meet their kids.
Matt, X and Jessie stayed behind as the others ran past them to jump and hug their parents with tears in their eyes.
Jessie and X shared a look before looking at Matt, who had taken a step forth, then stopped again.
"Matt..." X started.
"I-I can't!" Matt said, taking a step back, then another, before turning around and start running away.
T.K. noticed this, along with the rest of the Digidestined and their parents.
"Matt?" His father stuttered in surprise.
"Damnit!" Tai shouted. "I thought he..." He faced the other Digidestined.
"We have to find Matt and tell him to come to his senses." Tai announced.
Everyone nodded. "We'll use the Digivice to find him." Izzy suggested.
X, who had walked up to them nodded. "I still have the frequency we used back home. I tried to get to him using our radio, but he's closed all communications."
"What do you mean by that?" Matt's father demanded. "And who are you?"
X ignored him. "Peregrine and I will move faster than you. So we'll scout ahead. I know how Matt works, so he shouldn't be too far."
Jessie had walked up to them during X's speech.
"Let's hunt." X finished grimly.
All the adults stared in astonishment as X was surrounded by blue-white light that morphed into his armor. Ignoring the stares, X jumped to the top of a crumbled building and dashed away.
Jessie stared at the place where X had left, then shook her head.
"He must really be worried about Matt." She mused aloud.
Matt's and T.K.'s parents stopped her as she was about to leave along with the Digidestined.
"And who might you be, young lady?" she asked.
T.K., who had been waiting for Jessie in hopes of getting into the air with her answered, "She's Matt's girlfriend! Isn't that great!? Matt's gonna get married!"
"T.K.!" Jessie shouted getting red suddenly. "We're not getting married yet!"
Matt's parents were speechless for a moment, before smiling to each other. Their little boy had grown up so much! This girl was obviously older than Matt was, and it seemed their son had captivated her.
"So, are you one of the Digidestined?" Matt's mother asked.
"Well, not really... anyway, I think it's best if we talk when Matt's here." She quickly said.
To avoid further questions, she turned to face T.K.
"Hey, T.K. would you like to fly with me?" she asked.
"Sure!" T.K. answered, trying not to sound to eager but failing miserably.
"Fly?" T.K.'s dad asked.
Jessie answered by turning into Black Peregrine. Just like X, she was surrounded, only by dark shadows instead of light, which coalesced into her wings and armor.
She knelt and T.K. so that T.K. could hop on her back, then turned to look at her boyfriends' parents.
"We'll bring Matt back, don't worry!" She promised before taking off.
T.K.'s mother looked at the flying pair with a strange expression.
***
Tai had been looking around for almost half an hour, when he suddenly heard voices.
"You can't be serious, Zero!" X voice resounded as he approached.
"You'd never understand, X!" Matt retorted.
"What I do understand is that you're hurting a lot of people, including yourself with that attitude." X answered. "I can't force you to go, though, so be sure of what you're doing... and to whom."
Tai saw X step out of a building, and seat down on the sidewalk. He walked into the building noticing the helpless shrug X gave him.
"I've contacted Jessie, and she's gathering everyone." X looked at Tai for a moment. "I think you should talk to him, Tai."
The leader of the Digidestined nodded.
***
The first thing he noticed when he entered was the wall. Or lack of it. It had been turned to dust and he could clearly see the marks of Matt's fists on the floor.
For a moment he considered waiting for the others to get there or ask X to accompany him, remembering with a shudder what Matt was capable of doing.
But he kept on alone, somewhat confident in his friend's most outstanding characteristic; friendship.
"Matt?" He asked. He found his friend hunching miserably on the corner of a small room.
"Let me be, Tai... I don't need to talk to you." Matt said gloomily.
Tai took a little step back, hurt at his friend's tone of voice, but then remembered why he had come in the first place.
"You will listen, Matt. I don't know what you are so afraid of, but your parents are dead worried about you... and I know that you want to see them, after all this time..."
Matt flinched slightly, but didn't say anything.
"Matt..." the boy insisted.
"They won't understand, Tai." Matt interrupted suddenly. "You guys did because we are all used to weird things by now, but my parents?" he shook his head. "They... you don't know them, Tai."
"But you would rather run away than face them?! You? Zero of the-"
"DON'T GET ME STARTED, TAI!" Matt shouted as he jumped to his feet and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling back his fist.
For a terrifying moment, Tai thought his friend would strike him, but Matt lowered him down and punched the wall, tearing a chunk of it.
Which didn't calm Tai's uneasiness.
"Tai... what will I do if my parents are horrified of what I've become?" Matt sighed.
Tai didn't answer, but another voice did.
"Then you would come with me," Izzy said. "Or Joe, or Tai or Sora or Mimi. Or You, Peregrine and X can start out on your own. You have the abilities Matt."
"Izzy?" Matt asked as the others filled in the room. He could see Peregrine and X waiting outside the building.
"But I don't think your parents would mind, Matt," Joe added. "Your father took in Gabumon and Garurumon in stride without a problem."
"And your mother let little T.K. go with you because she knows she can trust you." Sora added.
Matt looked pensive for a moment before nodding at them. He couldn't run from his family and his past. Either they would accept him or not. "Let's go."
***
"Dad..." Matt said hesitantly.
"Matt!" his father ran up to him and hugged him, followed shortly by his mother.
"We were so worried, Matt..." his mother started, as she got up to get a look at their son. "Why did you run away?"
"I..." Matt couldn't answer right away.
"Don't worry dear," his mother said, smiling. "So, do you want to introduce us to your new friends?" She asked looking at both X and Jessie.
"Oh, mom, dad, this is my best friend; X," Matt said motioning for the Reploid to step forward.
"Please to meet you," X said, bowing slightly.
"We've been through a lot together." Matt added. "And this is my girlfriend, Jessie."
Jessie stepped forward and bowed following X's example. "Please to meet you." She said smiling.
His mother's smile was a little more forced now. "And... is she human?"
Tai and the others blink-blinked as Matt got a sinking feeling. "What does it have to do with anything?"
"Dear, she's nice and all... but you're human, and you can't date outside your species." she explained, chiding him as if he were a child.
"And why not?!" Jessie asked suddenly. "You think only humans can feel love?"
Matt's mother glared at her. "I can't know for sure, but my son should be with another human."
His father then stepped forward, putting his hand on her shoulder. "These kids have been through a lot, they've pulled through situations that most of us wouldn't dare even try to face. They've grown more united than ever, trusting each other and their feelings to go on..." he looked at Jessie and smiled reassuringly. "To be honest I feel both her and X are able to feel love, compassion... even anger and fear of rejection... if she loves our son, then we should feel grateful that someone is willing to lay her heart to him unconditionally."
"That's ridiculous." Matt's mother said, slapping away his father's hand.
"Mom..." Matt growled warningly.
"She's not human!" his mother shouted, pointing at her. "What else do you need? You saw her transform! She's one of those Digimon! Our son can't marry one of them! I know they're loyal friends, like pets but-"
"She's not a Digimon!" Matt snapped. "And even if she were I would love her just the same! You don't even know what we've done for each other! How can you judge her?!"
"I'm a Reploid." Jessie said slowly, softly. "And I do feel love... and sadness." then she looked up fiercely. "And I would do anything for Matt."
"I won't let you." Matt's mother said, standing.
"You don't have a say in it, Mom." Matt made the last word sound harsh.
His mother glared at him then turned around, picked up T.K. and walked away.
"Mom..." Matt started forward, but his father stopped him.
"Let her be, Matt..." he looked up seeing his father's pained expression, and nodded.
"Let's go home, Matt, X, Jessie." his father said, looking at the other two. "We'll decide what to do after diner."
- o - Another Time: Another Universe - o -
The dimensional door opened, filling the space between the metallic bars with a shimmering light that slowly glazed into a smooth surface.
A hand, protected by a red and black gauntlet carefully caressed the surface, creating ripples that disrupted the surface for a few seconds.
"Is this where they went, Blue Raven?" the owner of said hand, a female clad in red and black, bird-like armor asked.
"This is where Dr. Cain sent them, yes," The male Reploid, clad in a similar, blue, bird-like armor answered. "I do not know if they're still there, though."
"Only one way to find out." The female stated. "I'll go scout now."
"Good luck with them, Red." Blue Raven said, saluting.
"No such thing as luck in this case, Raven." Red Cardinal answered, stepping into the portal. "Either she comes back to us, or she dies."
***
Digital Souls
The End
By Wanderer D
Epilogue
A rainbow of multicolored light slowly descended into the destroyed part of Odaiba. Out of it stepped nine figures.
"Mom! Dad!" T.K. shouted as he saw his parents waiting for them amid the wreckage of the city.
The worried parents had gathered up in a small camp to wait for their missing children. It had been a day and a half since they had left and everyone was starting to get really worried.
When T.K.'s shout broke the silence everyone looked up to see their precious children running towards them.
Shouts of joy emerged from the camp as the parents also stood up and ran to meet their kids.
Matt, X and Jessie stayed behind as the others ran past them to jump and hug their parents with tears in their eyes.
Jessie and X shared a look before looking at Matt, who had taken a step forth, then stopped again.
"Matt..." X started.
"I-I can't!" Matt said, taking a step back, then another, before turning around and start running away.
T.K. noticed this, along with the rest of the Digidestined and their parents.
"Matt?" His father stuttered in surprise.
"Damnit!" Tai shouted. "I thought he..." He faced the other Digidestined.
"We have to find Matt and tell him to come to his senses." Tai announced.
Everyone nodded. "We'll use the Digivice to find him." Izzy suggested.
X, who had walked up to them nodded. "I still have the frequency we used back home. I tried to get to him using our radio, but he's closed all communications."
"What do you mean by that?" Matt's father demanded. "And who are you?"
X ignored him. "Peregrine and I will move faster than you. So we'll scout ahead. I know how Matt works, so he shouldn't be too far."
Jessie had walked up to them during X's speech.
"Let's hunt." X finished grimly.
All the adults stared in astonishment as X was surrounded by blue-white light that morphed into his armor. Ignoring the stares, X jumped to the top of a crumbled building and dashed away.
Jessie stared at the place where X had left, then shook her head.
"He must really be worried about Matt." She mused aloud.
Matt's and T.K.'s parents stopped her as she was about to leave along with the Digidestined.
"And who might you be, young lady?" she asked.
T.K., who had been waiting for Jessie in hopes of getting into the air with her answered, "She's Matt's girlfriend! Isn't that great!? Matt's gonna get married!"
"T.K.!" Jessie shouted getting red suddenly. "We're not getting married yet!"
Matt's parents were speechless for a moment, before smiling to each other. Their little boy had grown up so much! This girl was obviously older than Matt was, and it seemed their son had captivated her.
"So, are you one of the Digidestined?" Matt's mother asked.
"Well, not really... anyway, I think it's best if we talk when Matt's here." She quickly said.
To avoid further questions, she turned to face T.K.
"Hey, T.K. would you like to fly with me?" she asked.
"Sure!" T.K. answered, trying not to sound to eager but failing miserably.
"Fly?" T.K.'s dad asked.
Jessie answered by turning into Black Peregrine. Just like X, she was surrounded, only by dark shadows instead of light, which coalesced into her wings and armor.
She knelt and T.K. so that T.K. could hop on her back, then turned to look at her boyfriends' parents.
"We'll bring Matt back, don't worry!" She promised before taking off.
T.K.'s mother looked at the flying pair with a strange expression.
***
Tai had been looking around for almost half an hour, when he suddenly heard voices.
"You can't be serious, Zero!" X voice resounded as he approached.
"You'd never understand, X!" Matt retorted.
"What I do understand is that you're hurting a lot of people, including yourself with that attitude." X answered. "I can't force you to go, though, so be sure of what you're doing... and to whom."
Tai saw X step out of a building, and seat down on the sidewalk. He walked into the building noticing the helpless shrug X gave him.
"I've contacted Jessie, and she's gathering everyone." X looked at Tai for a moment. "I think you should talk to him, Tai."
The leader of the Digidestined nodded.
***
The first thing he noticed when he entered was the wall. Or lack of it. It had been turned to dust and he could clearly see the marks of Matt's fists on the floor.
For a moment he considered waiting for the others to get there or ask X to accompany him, remembering with a shudder what Matt was capable of doing.
But he kept on alone, somewhat confident in his friend's most outstanding characteristic; friendship.
"Matt?" He asked. He found his friend hunching miserably on the corner of a small room.
"Let me be, Tai... I don't need to talk to you." Matt said gloomily.
Tai took a little step back, hurt at his friend's tone of voice, but then remembered why he had come in the first place.
"You will listen, Matt. I don't know what you are so afraid of, but your parents are dead worried about you... and I know that you want to see them, after all this time..."
Matt flinched slightly, but didn't say anything.
"Matt..." the boy insisted.
"They won't understand, Tai." Matt interrupted suddenly. "You guys did because we are all used to weird things by now, but my parents?" he shook his head. "They... you don't know them, Tai."
"But you would rather run away than face them?! You? Zero of the-"
"DON'T GET ME STARTED, TAI!" Matt shouted as he jumped to his feet and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling back his fist.
For a terrifying moment, Tai thought his friend would strike him, but Matt lowered him down and punched the wall, tearing a chunk of it.
Which didn't calm Tai's uneasiness.
"Tai... what will I do if my parents are horrified of what I've become?" Matt sighed.
Tai didn't answer, but another voice did.
"Then you would come with me," Izzy said. "Or Joe, or Tai or Sora or Mimi. Or You, Peregrine and X can start out on your own. You have the abilities Matt."
"Izzy?" Matt asked as the others filled in the room. He could see Peregrine and X waiting outside the building.
"But I don't think your parents would mind, Matt," Joe added. "Your father took in Gabumon and Garurumon in stride without a problem."
"And your mother let little T.K. go with you because she knows she can trust you." Sora added.
Matt looked pensive for a moment before nodding at them. He couldn't run from his family and his past. Either they would accept him or not. "Let's go."
***
"Dad..." Matt said hesitantly.
"Matt!" his father ran up to him and hugged him, followed shortly by his mother.
"We were so worried, Matt..." his mother started, as she got up to get a look at their son. "Why did you run away?"
"I..." Matt couldn't answer right away.
"Don't worry dear," his mother said, smiling. "So, do you want to introduce us to your new friends?" She asked looking at both X and Jessie.
"Oh, mom, dad, this is my best friend; X," Matt said motioning for the Reploid to step forward.
"Please to meet you," X said, bowing slightly.
"We've been through a lot together." Matt added. "And this is my girlfriend, Jessie."
Jessie stepped forward and bowed following X's example. "Please to meet you." She said smiling.
His mother's smile was a little more forced now. "And... is she human?"
Tai and the others blink-blinked as Matt got a sinking feeling. "What does it have to do with anything?"
"Dear, she's nice and all... but you're human, and you can't date outside your species." she explained, chiding him as if he were a child.
"And why not?!" Jessie asked suddenly. "You think only humans can feel love?"
Matt's mother glared at her. "I can't know for sure, but my son should be with another human."
His father then stepped forward, putting his hand on her shoulder. "These kids have been through a lot, they've pulled through situations that most of us wouldn't dare even try to face. They've grown more united than ever, trusting each other and their feelings to go on..." he looked at Jessie and smiled reassuringly. "To be honest I feel both her and X are able to feel love, compassion... even anger and fear of rejection... if she loves our son, then we should feel grateful that someone is willing to lay her heart to him unconditionally."
"That's ridiculous." Matt's mother said, slapping away his father's hand.
"Mom..." Matt growled warningly.
"She's not human!" his mother shouted, pointing at her. "What else do you need? You saw her transform! She's one of those Digimon! Our son can't marry one of them! I know they're loyal friends, like pets but-"
"She's not a Digimon!" Matt snapped. "And even if she were I would love her just the same! You don't even know what we've done for each other! How can you judge her?!"
"I'm a Reploid." Jessie said slowly, softly. "And I do feel love... and sadness." then she looked up fiercely. "And I would do anything for Matt."
"I won't let you." Matt's mother said, standing.
"You don't have a say in it, Mom." Matt made the last word sound harsh.
His mother glared at him then turned around, picked up T.K. and walked away.
"Mom..." Matt started forward, but his father stopped him.
"Let her be, Matt..." he looked up seeing his father's pained expression, and nodded.
"Let's go home, Matt, X, Jessie." his father said, looking at the other two. "We'll decide what to do after diner."
- o - Another Time: Another Universe - o -
The dimensional door opened, filling the space between the metallic bars with a shimmering light that slowly glazed into a smooth surface.
A hand, protected by a red and black gauntlet carefully caressed the surface, creating ripples that disrupted the surface for a few seconds.
"Is this where they went, Blue Raven?" the owner of said hand, a female clad in red and black, bird-like armor asked.
"This is where Dr. Cain sent them, yes," The male Reploid, clad in a similar, blue, bird-like armor answered. "I do not know if they're still there, though."
"Only one way to find out." The female stated. "I'll go scout now."
"Good luck with them, Red." Blue Raven said, saluting.
"No such thing as luck in this case, Raven." Red Cardinal answered, stepping into the portal. "Either she comes back to us, or she dies."
***
Digital Souls
The End