Author's Note: And I am back with another one-shot. By back, I mean, I am/was BlueSakuramon. I just changed my penname.
I wrote this story for a contest so I hope you like it and wish me good luck though I don't think I'm gonna make it.
So for all of you Takari fans, I hope you like it and don't forget to review!
Our Unbreakable Bond
--One-shot--
It had been a few years since Kari had been kidnapped to the Dark Ocean, but it seemed like so many years ago. Five years passed since he had almost lost her.
The brunette young woman was diagnosed with an unknown disease when she was fifteen years old. No one had seen anything like it. Her blood cells were slowly decreasing. Tiny fragments in her body were somehow disintegrating into thin air. No one knew how long she would live, and a year had flown by since she had this disease.
Kari laid on the hospital bed again with all sorts of machines hooked up to her. She didn't seem to mind that she had to stay in the hospital, after all, she had been there many times when she was a kid. Kari had always had a weak immune system.
"If you need anything, call us, OK honey?" Mrs. Kamiya said kindly to her daughter before leaving. Kari forced a smile and nodded.
Soon, all of her family left the room except for TK. The blonde young man watched her closely. He was the only one who couldn't believe that she had a rare, unknown, and untreatable disease after a year. She didn't deserve this.
"TK," someone with hoarse voice said.
TK looked at his childhood friend. "Yeah, Kari?" he said, walking over to her and holding her delicate hand.
"I just wanted to say thank you," Kari told him. Her crimson red eyes stared into his deep cerulean blue eyes.
Before TK could manage to ask why, Kari continued, "Thank you for everything you've done for me, especially for saving and protecting me. You're always there for me."
'I'm not always there for you. I can't save you from whatever you're suffering from. If I could protect you, you know I wouldn't let you die,' TK told himself, wanting tell Kari.
Kari paused once more and smiled. "I'll never forget the time when the two of us were the only ones left when Piedmon try to turn us into keychains. I was so afraid, but you were there protecting me," she said, reminiscing on her childhood.
"I didn't do anything. I mean, Tai would've killed me if he knew that I wasn't protecting his baby sister. Besides, at the end, Piedmon still got you," the flushed TK said.
"But you were eight and brave enough to stand up for me, and that wasn't only time. Remember the Dark Ocean? I was so alone and scared, but you miraculously saved me from the Scubamon," Kari added.
"Well, you know, what are friends for? Especially best friends," TK whispered, squeezing her hand he was holding.
'Best friends,' the blonde thought. 'I want to tell her I've loved her since I met her eight years ago, but that would only ruin the surprise,' he thought, smiling at Kari.
Valentine's Day was coming up, and he had planned to tell her then. He had planned everything, but it was only a matter of time. If she could survive with this condition for a year, some more days wouldn't hurt.
"Yeah, best friends," she whispered as her face saddened a little. Kari had always loved him, but she knew that he would never return the feeling. She was afraid that if she told him, their friendship would be ruined, and nothing would be the same.
"You need your rest. I'll be back tomorrow," the blonde hair teen said gently, giving her a peck on the cheek, which made them both blush. It was something he did before he left, but they both knew it was a friendly kiss and nothing more.
"Bye, Kari."
"Bye, TK."
XXXXX
The next day, TK and the other younger Digidestined decided to stop by after school with TK to visit Kari. After middle school, the gang had split up into different schools except for TK, Kari, and Davis. Kari had missed the time when they were talking and joking around. The only thing she didn't miss was Davis asking her out every day.
"Hey Kari!" a purple hair teen shouted.
"Hi Yolei."
"Kari, are you alright? Are you hungry? I brought you some noodles," a brown spiky hair boy her age stated.
"Thanks Davis. Put it on the table over here."
"Sorry if we woke you up," a younger brown hair boy said. "Yolei and Davis were excited to see you again."
Kari giggled. "It's OK, Cody. It's nice to have someone to talk to after a day doing nothing. Besides, it's nice to have the whole gang here. Reminds me of our days in the computer lab except without our Digimon partners."
She paused a bit and looked around. "Where's Ken?"
"Geez Kari, you've only been at the hospital for two days, and you've already forgotten that he lives on the other side of town?" TK joked.
Kari stuck her tongue at him.
"Don't worry. He said he was going to try and stop by tomorrow after school," the blonde teen told her.
"It must suck for you to go to the hospital every month and stay here for at least five straight days," Yolei commented.
"Suck? How does that suck? You get to miss school!" Davis attested.
"Well…not all of us wants to make a living by selling noodles," TK pointed out.
"That's right. You don't need to go to a class that teaches you how to cook noodles unless you count a cooking class," Cody commented. Everyone laughed except for the steaming goggle-head boy.
"Yeah? Well, I'm going to make the best noodles in town, and you'll be begging for a discount. We'll see who's going to laugh at whom when I'm richer than you guys," he grumbled.
"Yeah right," Yolei snorted.
Some time later, the gang was talking about how they missed the DigiWorld and their Digimon partners, Cody glanced at the white clock hung on the wall.
"Man! Mom's going to kill me if I'm late for dinner," Cody exclaimed.
Everyone was alarmed as they looked at the clock.
"You're right, Cody. It was my turn to cook dinner tonight too," Yolei moaned. "I guess it's another day of takeout."
"Hey Kari, before I leave, will you…" Davis never got to finish that sentence because Yolei had dragged him out the door.
"See ya, Kari!" The glasses wearing girl waved before giving one last shove to get Davis out of the room.
"Hey, you didn't let me finish me sentence! I didn't even get to say bye to her!" Davis brawled.
"We all knew what you were going to ask and knew what the answer was so…."
"Bye. Hope the doctors let you out soon," Cody told her quickly, closing the door so Kari wouldn't have to hear those two bickering again.
"TK, don't you have to go home for dinner too?" Kari asked once door clicked.
"Yeah, but I want to stay here with you," he pouted.
Kari blushed.
"As much I as I would love you to stay, your mom is going to start worrying if you don't hurry home, TK Takahashi," Kari said in a playful voice.
"Fine, fine," TK waved his hand in the air, admitting defeat.
He swooped down and gave her a peck on the kiss before leaving.
Just as TK was about to leave, the door opened with a bang.
They thought it was the doctor, but instead, they found an out of breath Ken.
"Ken, what's the rush?" Kari asked the long, black hair boy.
"I…I think I know what's the cause of your illness," Ken said, gasping for breath in between.
"What? Ken, are you serious?" TK's eyes widen.
It took Ken some time to catch his breath before explaining it to them.
"When the doctors told us that inside your body, pieces were somehow missing, I started to think. The only time I've ever heard of something disintegrating is at the Digital World. Digimon disintegrate once they die so I thought the Digital World would have something to do with your condition. I told Izzy about my theory, and he told me about the data that took over your body when you were eight," Ken began, but was interrupted.
"What are you talking about? What data that took over my body?" she said with confusion.
TK had to explain to her about that day and how the data used her body to communicate with them and told them about the past.
"Anyway," Ken continued, "Izzy and I contacted Gennai to ask him if it was possibly for pieces of the data to still be in her body. He said it was possible, but it wouldn't affect her since there was once a direct connection between our world and the Digital World."
"If it wasn't going to affect her, then how come this happening?" TK rubbed his chin trying to think.
"I was getting to there, TK," the black hair boy resumed. "The data could only be stable in the Digital World, but when the Dark Masters created the hole between the Digital World and the Real World, the Real World managed to get some of the Digital World's data. It was natural for the Digital World to get some of the Real World's characteristics also. My guess is that the data became unstable when she was in the Dark Ocean because it is another dimension that is filled with darkness. True it is connected to the Digital World, but the data is pure evil unlike the Digital World."
TK and Kari attentively listened, absorbing the news. They both found it reasonable.
"Ken, tell me there's a cure," TK demanded once Ken was finished.
Ken's expression changed to sorrow. "I'm sorry, TK, Kari. Since the data is unstable and probably spreading, there's no way to stop it now. If we had figured it out about nine months early then there could have been a chance, but it's too late now. Kari…you're going to die."
No one spoke or moved. The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the clock and the machines Kari was hook up to.
"I better get home," Ken whispered after a few minutes. "Bye Kari, TK."
When Ken left, Kari started crying. "I…I don't want to die. I'm afraid, TK."
TK was still silent. He just hugged her and wiped her tears. He murmured gentle words to soothe her. He promised that he wasn't going to tell anyone and tell Izzy and Ken not to tell anyone either.
Kari cried herself to sleep. It was almost nine, and he knew his mom would kill him.
He carefully released his hold on her, hoping not to wake her up and tucked her in.
TK miserably walked home depressed. He reluctantly dragged himself all the way home.
For the next couple of days, he didn't want to do anything except mope. He didn't even want to visit Kari, but his mom forced him to go to school and visit Kari.
It wasn't until Davis said something about Valentine's Day that made TK remember about his plan.
"When's Valentine's Day?" TK shouted, grabbing Davis by his collars.
"Dude, I'll tell you just let me go. It's in a few days."
"How many exactly?"
"Four, but you have to let me go now." Davis struggled trying to get free.
"Thanks, Davis and be at the hospital at one o'clock that day." TK yelled, running to Izzy's house.
He had to make sure that Izzy could transport their Digimon partners to the Real World that day. TK had to get the other Digidestined to meet him at the hospital and figure out how he was going to tell Kari he loved her. He already told Mimi to get here a day before since she lived in America. Now he just had to remind everyone else to be at the hospital.
The next day after school, TK ordered a dozen of red roses and bought a brown bear that said 'I love you' when you squeezed it, a card, and some chocolate in a heart shape box.
Everything was all set. He was going to pick up the roses before he went to the hospital. All the Digidestined miss his or her Digimon partner, and it was a perfect time to have a reunion.
TK was excited and couldn't wait until Valentine's Day. He thought it would never come, but it did.
A quarter after noon, TK headed toward the flower shop to pick up his roses. Thank goodness he went early because there was a line of men waiting to pick up their orders.
The day was perfect. It was sunny and warm and not a cloud was in sight. Birds were chirping happily. Couples were all happily holding hands, walking down the streets.
TK couldn't wait until they were an official couple and doing whatever couples did.
It took him thirty minutes to pick up his flowers. He already had the other stuff with him. The blonde had trouble carrying all of his stuff and walking but managed.
When he arrived, he saw all the Digidestined and their Digimon. TK thought they would be happy and maybe Mimi or Sora crying, but all of them were weeping.
"Guys, I knew you would be happy, but I didn't expect you to cry, especially Tai and Matt," TK remarked.
No one said anything to him. Patamon flew to TK and sat on his head. His hair was beginning to get wet from Patamon's tears.
"Patamon, why are you crying? Why is everyone crying?" the blonde hair boy asked.
"Tai, we came as soon as we heard!" Mr. Kamiya was hugging his wife. You could tell that she had been crying and had to restrain herself from crying anymore.
"What's going on?" TK said once more, but no one answered him.
"How did this happen? She was fine yesterday, and the doctors were going to release her today. My one and only little girl is dead!" Mrs. Kamiya exclaimed. She didn't realize that TK didn't know about her death until now.
"What? Kari's…dead?" TK bellowed. Everyone slowly nodded his or her head, not wanting to make eye contact with him.
"One of her heart chambers disappeared…and without it…" Davis stopped because he couldn't say it anymore. It was too much for him.
TK couldn't believe it. He thought everyone was playing a joke on him, or his ears were playing tricks on him. The blonde boy waited a few minutes for an 'April Fool' or 'Just kidding', but no one said it.
The vase shattered as TK dropped the items in his hands and ran toward Kari's room as fast as his legs could take him. There he saw Kari laying peacefully, her eyes closed. If it weren't for her pale face, he would have thought she was alive.
TK walked toward the dead body and fell down to his knees.
"Kari Kamiya, I love you!" TK cried out, as he tried holding in his tears but couldn't. Salty tears of pain and sadness came rushing out of his eyes. He punched the floor hoping the pain would ease him, but it didn't.
Family and close friends knew how much he loved her, and she loved him. Today was supposed to be a happy day for the both, but it was too late.
Even though physically she wasn't here, spiritually he knew she had heard him. Even though he never got a reply, he knew that in his heart, she had answered him. No matter where they were, or how far apart they were, their heart and soul were connected with an unbreakable bond.
THE END
Author's Note: So…what'd did you think? I know the ending was sad, but please don't be mad at me!
Review please!