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Author's Note: Beginning of second arc.

Love Knows No Bounds
Bind 7: Death

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BOOM!

The base rumbled as explosions rampaged the fortress; the walls crumbled around everyone with wires flying, metal collapsing, and sparks flaring. "We have to get everyone out!" Yamato yelled as he took charge. He and Sora helped weakened Taichi to his feet; Yagami had not fully recovered from his spell of unconsciousness. Pointing towards one wall, the new leader ordered, "Gabumon, we need an exit!"

"I'm on it," the dog-like monster dutifully responded. "Blue Blaster!" The other Digimon followed suit and with their own attacks either assisted Gabumon or prevented the Kaiser's base from crushing the Chosen Children. In an instant, Yamato's partner shouted, "We're done!"

"All right! Everyone, let's move!" Ishida commanded with a motion of his hand. All the Children scrambled up onto their feet, readily and quickly running towards the new exit. However, Yamato froze in his steps, remembering the imprisoned Digimon in the Kaiser's base.

With Yamato stopping, Sora turned towards him suddenly; Taichi turned his head and fix his gaze on his friend in wonder. "Yamato! We have to get out of here!" Sora urged, offering her hand to the blond young man and supporting Taichi simultaneously. "We have to hurry!"

"But what about--"

Walking up from behind Yamato, Takeru laughed a bitter, lifeless laugh, sending chills up everyone's back. "I know what you're thinking, Yamato, and it's already been done. When IceDevimon and WarGreymon crashed into this room and started battling, all the Digimon were released," Takeru quickly explained, "Now, it's your turn." A cold gust of air flew from behind Takeru and towards the Children, pushing them through their exit and making them fall into the cool desert sand.

"Takeru!"

The young blonde boy stood alone in the base, which steadily fell to pieces. Bits of stone and metal began falling around Takeru, dust and smoke filling into the air. His eyes tearing, Takeru stood in the middle of his command center and pondered his tragic mistakes. 'What did I do wrong?' he thought as he clenched his fists. 'I was so close. I nearly had all of it--the Digital World was in my hands. Why did it fall from my grasp? Why?'

'Because she looked you with fear—She thought you a monster.'

"With my own two hands," Takeru muttered while staring at his gloved hands, "I nearly conquered the Digital World. With these hands, I nearly had it all." Growling and clenching his hands into fists, the teenage boy shouted, "And I lost it! I lost it all because of my weakness!"

Remembering his degenerating surroundings, Takeru estimated that his fortress would crash into the desert sand in about ten minutes, causing a massive explosion. The power generators with their reacting cells would make sure of that. No survivors would be left from such a large and powerful blast. Sensing his hopeless situation, Takeru made no move to run or escape. 'It's all her fault. It's all HER fault--It's all her fault.'

"Lord Takeru!" a small voice yelled out in the mists of the explosions. Takeru turned around and spotted a small form emerging from the smoke and dust. Seeing BlackTailmon hobble out of the smokescreen surprised and bewildered Takeru.

"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here!" Takeru yelled angrily, his cerulean eyes flashing furiously. "Get out! Get out now!" BlackTailmon stared at her master sadly, walking weakly but steadily towards him.

"Aren't you going to leave, Lord Takeru?"

"No."

The Digimon's azure eyes widened with fear. "Why not?"

"My life is worthless, BlackTailmon. I've given many people pain, destroyed my own best friend, and become something I have fought my whole life against! I've done things that I would have never done, even if Death himself was before me," Takeru spat, completely disgusted with himself. Slowly tears welled up in Takeru's stormy eyes as the broken boy bowed his head. "I gave up everything so that I would mean something to her. I surrendered humanity just to be someone to her. I can't go back, not back to her or who I used to be."

'I'm not who I was.'

BlackTailmon watched Takeru with a saddened expression and decided upon something at that moment. She laid on the ground by Takeru's feet and faced her master defiantly. "Then I won't leave."

"You will, and that's an order!" Takeru snapped, glaring at the feline monster. BlackTailmon stubbornly shook her head, very much determined to stay with Takeru. She refused leaving her master alone here.

"Not unless you come with me, Lord Takeru, will I leave," the Digimon shouted in reply. "Without you, I lost myself. You saved me, so I owe everything to you. I won't leave you alone, Lord Takeru!"

Takeru's woeful blue pools stared at BlackTailmon, filled with tears. BlackTailmon's loyalty mirrored the loyalty of another, and the memory of the other broke Takeru's heart. "Then, good bye, everyone."

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"Takeru," Hikari whispered anxiously as she watched the base, on fire, float down towards the ground. Cool, smooth, fine sand flew into her hair, clothes, gloves, shoes, everywhere possibly imagined, but it did not bother Hikari. She watched the base with sharp scarlet eyes, hoping she could spot a sign that Takeru had escaped. She saw nothing come out. "Please, Takeru," Hikari prayed, "Please, come out. Be safe."

Suddenly, the base crashed to the ground, creating a large explosion. A mushroom cloud shadowed the skies. Hikari stared at it in horror.

"TAKERU!" Hikari cried out, her soul tearing apart as she did. "NO! TAKERU!" Her heart twisted in pain as she watched the flames and smoke from afar. She tried to run to the still burning remains of the base, but Taichi and Yamato grabbed her arms.

"Let me go!" Hikari screamed, tears pouring from her eyes, "I have to go and get Takeru!" She wiggled and writhed beneath Taichi and Yamato's hold, kicking up sand through her struggling. Even with their dual effort, Taichi and Yamato toiled holding back Hikari.

"I have to help Takeru!" the Child of Light sobbed while she continued to fight her way through the sand and the two brothers. The other Chosen Children watched silently and helplessly, knowing they could not comfort nor assist with the crisis.

Finally getting a hold on his sister, Taichi grabbed Hikari's shoulder and forced her to face him. Hikari turned her face away from Taichi, keeping her gaze upon the destroyed fortress. The older Yagami turned Hikari's face to him again and held her gaze. Hikari could see Taichi was crying as much as she was. "Taichi--"

"Hikari, listen to me. It's no good for you to run into that horrid place and put yourself into danger. No one, not even an all-powerful Digimon could have survived that explosion. Nothing is coming out alive from that base, Hikari," Taichi murmured in a low, solemn voice.

'He isn't coming back.'

Shaking her head, Hikari trembled from beneath Taichi's hold. She felt her knees grow weak, her legs shaking. Hikari covered her ears; she could, would not stand for this. "NO! HE'S NOT GONE! TAKERU IS NOT GONE! TAKERU IS NOT GONE!"

Tears came to ruby-eyes non-stop; Hikari felt she could cry out a river. Hikari collapsed onto Taichi, her body finally giving out. The girl falling into despair, her vision began to fade. "No, he isn't dead. He isn't--Takeru is not gone," Hikari mumbled softly. Everything then went black.

-

Yamato solemnly walked to his mother's home, trying to find the right words to say. Telling his mother about Takeru would prove difficult, no matter how well Yamato informed her. How did one tell his mother he allowed his little brother to die? Added to that, how did one tell his mother he just watched his brother die? Yamato felt his heart tug and twist in agony.

"What kind of brother am I?" Yamato yelled out in anguish, slamming his fist into the metal post. People walking by stared at young man in surprise and fear. Yamato ignored them as he continued to walk. He felt no pain in his fist, his mind numb from recent events. 'How could I have been so careless? How could I have just let Takeru get kidnapped and then converted into Darkness?' Yamato thought.

'I was supposed to protect him. I was supposed to keep him safe from ALL harm, to have him NEVER get hurt.' Yamato's eyes narrowed in anger, tears about ready to spill out. 'But look at what happened. Now, I have to tell my family that Takeru, my little brother, is dead. I just watched and let him die.'

Staring into the sky, Yamato yelled, "This isn't fair! Why was it Takeru? Why, when I tried so hard to protect him, did you take him away? Why did you choose him?" Crying into his hands, the Child of Friendship sobbed, "Takeru, you gave me hope when everything seemed impossible—you kept me from the Darkness. Why couldn't I do the same for you?" And with a dark, gloomy cloud overhead, covering the sun and warmth, Yamato continued walking to his home with a heavy heart.

When Yamato finally walked into his mother's apartment, he found his mother on the couch, crying and trembling. 'Did she already find out?' Yamato asked in surprise. 'Does she already know about Takeru?'

Unsure of the answer, Yamato tentatively strolled to his mother's side and asked her, "Mother, what's wrong? What's going on?" Rising her head, Yamato's mother looked into his deep blue eyes, her eyes reflecting a sad, yet joyful expression.

"Takeru came back home!" Mrs. Takaishi exclaimed happily, tears now coming out quicker than ever. She smiled while continued sobbing, "Oh, Yamato, Takeru is back home! He's finally back home!"

"What?" Yamato stood by his mother, absolutely stunned, as she embraced him lovingly. Was his mother being serious?

"I know! I couldn't believe it. When I came in from work, I had this funny feeling, and checked Takeru's room," Mrs. Takaishi muttered through her joyous tears. "And there he was! Lying in his bed, fast asleep with Tailmon next to him. I just couldn't believe it!"

After spending a few minutes helping Mrs. Takaishi to calm down, Yamato promptly went to Takeru's room to check up on him. Exactly like his mother had said, Takeru peacefully laid in his bed, fast asleep with BlackTailmon loyally by his side. Yamato felt faint as hundreds of thoughts bombarded his mind at once. 'But I thought--Oh, to Hell to what I thought! I've got to tell the others!'

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