And we made each other strong
We tried to comfort ourselves when the nights were long
And we held back the tears
When they needed to flow
But where we once stood lie only footprints in the snow."
Vertical Horizon—"Footprints in the Snow"
Recommended Music:
Scene 5, part two: "Anata ga Ita Monogatari," See-Saw
Black Wings
Chapter Nine: "Madeleines"
It was August 1, 2003. Four years had passed since that fateful day when seven children had been called upon to accept their destinies and save the world. It was a day of remembrance for them, a time to recall the adventures they'd shared and the lives that had been lost along the way.
I wonder what the others are doing right now, Sora thought as she stared out of her window at the beautiful blue sky. One could not ask for a nicer day than this. The skies were a pure, crystal clear blue, with wispy white clouds painted on the horizon. Birds flew upon the easy breeze while the summer sun bathed everything in light. And yet, Sora was not entirely happy. This was the first time she hadn't celebrated the memorial day with the other Chosen, and the reason why still hurt. Nearby, her teddy bear watched in silent devotion, as if a guardian against what plagued her heart.
"Sora," her father addressed, calling her attention away from the view. He walked up and gazed at the sky. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is," she agreed.
"How about we go out there and enjoy it?" he suggested.
The area near campus where he lived had lovely trees scattered throughout. Father and daughter sat underneath these trees and shared a simple late lunch of sandwiches and cookies. Sora looked at the box of sweets for a minute, trying to choose which one to take.
"May I make a suggestion?" the professor asked.
"Sure."
He held up a long one, scalloped like a shell. "On a day of memories like this one, you should try this."
She accepted it and looked at it closely, asking, "What is it?"
"Madeleines," Michel Takaishi commented. His elder grandson, Yamato, put down his coffee and looked at him.
"What?"
"Madeleines. They're a type of cookie designed to look like a shell. A madeleine is also a person who invokes a memory. Appropriate, no?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"You are quite the early waker, Yamato. It's only seven-thirty."
"I know. I'm used to it from band practice. Plus I'm still on Tokyo time."
"Ah."
It was Yamato and Takeru's first full day in France. Their plane had arrived in the evening, so all the brothers had managed to do was get dinner with their grandfather before sleeping off the jet lag. Takeru had managed to adjust to the new time zone rather easily; Yamato hadn't, despite the lack of sleep he'd had in preparation for earlier hours.
"Takeru should be down in an hour or so," Yamato guessed. "So what was all this talk about madeleines?"
"A young lady will be visiting us today for tea. I was thinking to buy some from the bakery."
"Sounds good," Yamato commented, but his voice came off flat. Monsieur Takaishi laughed.
"You don't have to worry, my grandson," he assured. "I won't try to play matchmaker. Besides, your brother and friend, Taichi, seem to have already taken an interest in her."
Yamato looked puzzled. "You mean Catherine?"
"She comes everyday to help ease the loneliness of an old widower," he explained. "In many ways, she reminds me of Natsuko…"
Yamato grinned. "If that's so, does that mean Takeru has an Oedipal complex?"
"Don't let him hear you say that," M. Takaishi warned. "After all, you don't want to scare him away from love, do you?"
"No," Yamato replied. "But I do enjoy picking on him for it. Big brother's privileges. Should I let him know she's coming?"
"Not yet. For now, let him sleep."
It was a quarter to two in New York City, and Mimi Tachikawa was awake. On this day, four years ago, she'd stopped being a little girl and started becoming a young woman. Her sheltered life had ended, no matter how her parents kept trying to shield her from the ugliness of the world. Yet she always found the beauty of it somehow in her quest to protect her family and friends. It was always that way, it seemed, and all because of a little green Digimon with a pink flower sprouting out of her head.
The fourteen-year-old sat up and faced a floral wreath above her head. In the center of the pink-flowered ring was a picture of Lilymon. Mimi kissed her fingers and placed them on the picture.
"Happy anniversary, Palmon."
Jyou sat on the edge of a lakeside, watching Gomamon swim laps across the water. Occasionally, the young man would skip rocks across the lake's surface, but for now, he was content watching his partner swim while singing random songs he'd heard around Odaiba the last time they'd been there.
"My advice: work on your singing!" Jyou joked, laughing at Gomamon's scowl.
"At least I'm enjoying myself!"
"Are you implying that I'm not?"
Gomamon feigned an innocent expression. "All I'm saying is that I think you'd be happier if you got in the water." Jyou looked hesitant. "Come on! It's not like there are any Seadramon in here this time." Finally, Jyou stripped down to his underwear and waded in. "See? Now, aren't you happier?" Jyou splashed him. "Hey!"
"Yeah, actually, now I am!"
The duo continued splashing each other, stopping only when Jyou's glasses were so wet that he couldn't see through them anymore. It was odd to think that the last time they'd been on this lake, their lives had been in danger because of a raging Seadramon, and Yamato had to get Gabumon to the Adult level for the first time. Despite attacks and near-drownings, the Digital World's waters held a lot of good memories for Gomamon and Jyou, memories that could never be tainted or forgotten.
When they had at last had their fill of swimming, they returned to the shore to dry off in the sun. When he felt sufficiently dry, Jyou pulled on his pants and shirt, commenting, "Not a bad memorial day, is it?"
Gomamon shrugged as best as he could. "Still a little boring though."
"How could you be bored?"
"There's just no one else around to spend time with."
Jyou fell silent after this. He had to admit that Gomamon was right; it was less fulfilling with the other Chosen off remembering on their own. He absent-mindedly began fiddling with his digivice before observing a signal on it.
"Hey, Gomamon, someone else is here," he alerted, attracting his partner's attention immediately. "Let's go see who." He quickly put his shoes on and lifted Gomamon on his back.
The hike to the signal's origin was tiring, but not as much as it would have been if Jyou hadn't learned how to endure such marathons when he was twelve. The sixteen-year-old doctor-to-be panted slightly as he reached a grassy knoll where three figures sat: one fourteen-year-old human, a bug-like Digimon, and an older human. The two humans were playing go while the Digimon watched.
"Tentomon!" Gomamon called out, making everyone turn. He hopped from Jyou's back and crawled over to Tentomon.
"Good to see you, Gomamon," Tentomon greeted. "How have you been doing lately?"
"I've been okay, just a little bored lately."
"You may be more bored now," Gennai warned. "Koushiro and I can spend hours at a time strategizing at go."
"You exaggerate," Koushiro accused, cautiously making a move. "We don't take that long. And hi, Jyou."
"I'll play winner," Jyou volunteered.
"Are you really going to waste your memorial day playing go?" Gomamon asked.
"To me, it's not a waste," Jyou replied.
"You're breaking my concentration," Koushiro warned. A smirk cracked across his face. "Don't tell me Gennai hired you to do just that."
"I'd hate for my partner to lose unfairly," Tentomon remarked, charging electrical sparks in his wings.
"Hey, how could we?" Gomamon exclaimed, backing away. "We were
swimming until just a little while ago!"
Koushiro laughed. "We know. After all, Jyou's hair is still wet
and knotted. Tentomon's just kidding."
Gomamon breathed a sigh of relief. "Could have fooled me."
"Which he did," Gennai answered. "Besides, Koushiro knows I don't need help to beat him." He placed down a stone. "I win again." Koushiro groaned loudly.
"On second thought, maybe I don't want to play winner," Jyou decided.
"So, Jyou, what did you come here for?" Koushiro asked as he cleared his stones off the board. "You came here too eagerly for someone who wanted to be alone."
"Actually, I was looking for something to do. Shin's gotten away from the hospital, but he still spends most of his free time with Iori. Shuu came up for a visit, but he's been out with Daisuke's sister all day."
"All day?" Koushiro cried. Obviously, he hadn't heard how close Jun and Shuu had become.
"Yeah. And I don't expect to see them tonight either." Even Gennai chuckled at Koushiro's dead-pan face as he read a little deeper into what Jyou was implying.
"You've missed out on a lot helping me fortify the security system," Gennai informed.
"No kidding," he replied. "Jyou, how are they going to get away with it? I thought your dad was strict about this stuff."
"Yeah," Jyou confessed. "But he figures Shuu and Shin are old enough now to handle themselves, and there's little he can do while Shuu's in Kyoto, so he's pretty much given up there. Plus all three of his sons have grown up a lot faster than he expected."
"Ah," Koushiro answered, nodding. "And Jun's excuse?"
"I don't know," he replied. "I don't imagine it's anything different though."
"It shouldn't be," Gennai reasoned. "You kids have really grown up from the kids I met four years ago."
Koushiro laughed. "'Kids' is right. We could be so stupid back then."
"Yeah, I know," Jyou agreed. "Gomamon and I were talking about the Seadramon in the lake."
"That guy was mad," Gomamon supported.
"Well, you would be too if someone dropped a burning piece of firewood on your tail," Tentomon defended.
"I'm glad though that Garurumon let him get away," Koushiro reflected. "Back then, it was hard to tell who was an enemy and who was just trying to protect himself."
"We adjusted pretty well though," Jyou reminded him. Then his face darkened as he added, "Better than some." Koushiro nodded grimly, understanding the reference.
"What you have to remember about Iori is that he was raised to think of killing as wrong," Gennai explained. "His father was senselessly murdered, and he's lived his whole life knowing just how mortal he is and how mortal his mother and grandfather are. Regardless of the fact that he's a Chosen Child, he's lived a life that few ten-year-olds have, and none should have to."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jyou agreed.
"I still wish that there was something we could do for him," Koushiro added.
"There may not be anything we can do until he's out of the hospital," Gennai commented. "But for now, let's leave the subject of what you can't do and celebrate what you did. After all, today is the day of memories." He set up the board for chess this time. "Ready to play something easier?"
Koushiro grumbled, "You're good at that one too."
Gennai shrugged, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Not quite as good as I am at go."
"All right, I'll play your game," Koushiro decided. "But under one condition."
"Name it."
He pointed a thumb in his friend's direction. "Jyou's on my team."
"Fine by me," Gennai replied as Jyou sat down. "Now I can beat you both at once."
"Just try!" the boys challenged, laughing as they made their first move. Meanwhile, Tentomon and Gomamon settled into a light nap. This was going to take a while.
The car stopped finally to let out the girl at the Takaishi cottage. The sweet and petite Catherine Ducharme stepped out and smoothed out the wrinkles in her white sundress. Pushing her curly blonde hair out of the way, she removed a basket from the car before bidding her father adieu and promising to call him to pick her up. Upon finishing, she walked up to the door and knocked. No one answered.
"Monsieur Takaishi?" she called. That was odd; he knew she was coming. She knocked again, and a blonde young man answered the door. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him in her memory.
"Bonjour," she greeted. "M. Takaishi…"
"Ojii-san?" he asked. Japanese—possibly one of M. Takaishi's relatives, she reasoned. It was too bad her knowledge of Japanese only went that far.
"Oui," she answered. "Je m'appelle Catherine."
"Catherine?" he replied. He turned and shouted, "Oi! Takeru! Digivice!"
"Digivice?" she questioned. Pointing to him, she asked in shaky English, "Chosen Child? Brother of Takeru?"
"Un," he answered with a nod. "Ore wa Yamato."
Her face brightened. "Ah! Yamato! Bienvenue à Paris!"
Takeru arrived with Yamato's digivice, activating the universal translator. But upon seeing Catherine, he turned bright red.
"Catherine, hi," he greeted weakly.
She smiled. "Hello, Takeru. I'm glad to see you're well."
He continued staring until Yamato elbowed him, an evil grin on his face. "Er, this is my big brother, Yamato."
"I knew you looked familiar!" she declared. "We haven't met other than the battle with BelialVamdemon."
"Yeah, I haven't been around Gennai's lately. A lot on my mind."
"His girlfriend just moved to a distant city," Takeru translated.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Catherine apologized. "That's awful."
Yamato shrugged. "I'm surviving."
"I'm sorry I had to use French and English," she added. "My English is bad, but my Japanese is worse. Your grandfather is trying to teach me, but I can only seem to manage two languages at once."
"My English isn't all that great either," Yamato confessed. "And no matter what language I'm spoken to in, I keep finding myself responding in Japanese."
"Then perhaps you can overcome that during your time here," she commented. She then turned her attention to Takeru. "And how have you been doing since the last time we met?"
Suddenly remembering what his grandfather taught him, Takeru gently kissed her hand. She smiled. "I've been doing fine."
"I heard of the problems the team in Japan was having," she mentioned. "I hope things are working out for the best."
"Well, Iori's still in the hospital, and we're not sure if anything's going to help him now," Takeru explained. "Hikari and Ken we haven't heard from, and Miyako's been trying to help Iori. Daisuke seems to be recovering."
"Yeah," Yamato agreed, "he wouldn't say exactly what happened when I last saw him, but it had something to do with his girlfriend."
"And what of Taichi?" Catherine questioned. Yamato stifled a laugh at Takeru's suddenly darker expression.
"He's fine," Takeru answered, trying to force the slight jealousy out of his voice. "He and Daisuke's sister have been spending a lot of time helping Yamato adjust."
"Are the two dating?" Catherine asked in interest.
"No, but as far as I know, Taichi's not looking," Yamato replied. "Not yet anyway."
"Any particular reason you wanted to know?" Takeru asked.
"I just like to know how my Japanese friends are doing," she replied. "I owe you and Taichi my life." Takeru blushed again, and Catherine asked, "Is everything all right?"
Is she purposely avoiding the subject, or does she honestly not know he has a crush on her? Yamato wondered.
The sound of a motorcycle approached the driveway. M. Takaishi opened the door, toting a box of sweets. When he saw his grandsons and Catherine, he remarked to her in French, "It seems I was later than I expected to be. I see you have met Yamato and reacquainted yourself with Takeru."
"Yeah," Yamato replied, laughter in his voice. "In fact, we were just reflecting on the past."
M. Takaishi stared for a minute in confusion. Since when could either or his grandsons speak fluent, unaccented French? But then he observed the trio's digivices, their screens blinking a pale green, and he laughed at his foolishness.
"I didn't realize that those things could be translators!" he declared.
"It's a new feature Gennai and his clones added in," Takeru explained. "We can activate it to speak with anyone, but as long as we have at least two Chosen who speak different languages. And it only has a certain range, so if someone outside the house yelled in French, Yamato and I wouldn't understand it."
"Also, the limit is that it activates with a digivice from a Chosen who speaks one language and another digivice from a Chosen who speaks another language," Yamato added. "Catherine didn't know that I was also a Chosen, or else she could have activated it."
"Once you called for the digivice, I realized who you were," she pointed out.
"I know, and that's why I told Takeru to get it." He shrugged. "I don't know the French translation of 'Chosen Children.'"
"Well, now that we've taken care of introductions and the language barrier, let's have some tea," M. Takaishi decided.
A lemon-yellow tablecloth and colorful lace runner were spread out on the table. While M. Takaishi set a pot of water to heat for tea, Catherine set out mini éclairs, crème puffs, and ladyfingers. Takeru quickly volunteered to help her by setting out the madeleines and cutting portions of a medium-sized napoleon, blushing madly and glaring furiously as Yamato snickered. The elder brother, in the midst of his humor, was preparing small sandwiches, cheese wedges, and cucumber pieces.
"Mr. Takaishi," Catherine addressed, "isn't this an awful lot for just the four of us? I only brought the napoleon because I knew you liked it."
"It isn't quite four," he corrected, pouring the rose-scented tea into seven cups. "I'm expecting three visitors." As Catherine stared at him in confusion, he winked at Takeru.
"Oh!" the boy remembered. "That's right! I nearly forgot!" He pulled out his green D-3 and left the room. A couple of flashes soon emitted from the study farther down the hall, and Takeru walked back with Patamon, Gabumon, and Floramon in tow.
"You had this planned the whole time," Catherine accused M. Takaishi. His eyes glittered with the same cheek in his grin.
"My grandsons will only be here for a few weeks," he defended. "Why shouldn't the Digimon enjoy it too?"
"Heh, that's Grandpa for you," Takeru replied.
"Sit down, everyone!" Patamon urged. "Let's eat!"
The seven of them gathered at the table for tea. As much as they liked sweets, Patamon and Gabumon managed to keep on their best behavior—mostly because Floramon's table manners put theirs to shame. Yamato laughed as Gabumon tried to adjust to a fork for the napoleon.
"It's not funny, Yamato," he warned.
"I know," he answered. "We usually just eat whatever dessert we have at Dad's with our hands. Just shows what slobs we are when it's just us bachelors."
"Plus Sora and Piyomon's idea of dessert is fresh-baked cookies or brownies," Gabumon added.
"Yeah," Yamato merely answered, trailing off into his memories. Recognizing the possibility of his brother's depression, Takeru quickly changed the subject.
"What kind of tea is this? Mom likes black tea, but I don't think we've ever had this type."
"That's because it's my own special blend," M. Takaishi explained. "I grow it myself right in my garden."
"Don't believe him," Floramon whispered to both Takeru and Patamon. "It's just regular black tea with vanilla bean flavoring and rose petals."
"I grow the roses, though," M. Takaishi responded. "So I at least grow some of the tea."
"Don't worry," Catherine assured at Takeru's hesitant look. "He carefully tends all his flowers and grows them organically. Not a drop of chemical pesticides is allowed near his plants."
"It's the least I can do in the memory of your grandmother," M. Takaishi explained to his grandsons. "She loved that garden so much, and when she died, I promised her that I'd care for it just as tenderly. Your mother loved the roses too, which reminds me. I'll make up a special package of my rose tea for you to bring home to her. I'll also make one for your special lady, Yamato."
"But Sora lives in Kyoto," he protested.
The glimmer of amusement returned to his grandfather's eyes. "There are, of course, other ways for the two of you to meet." He took a bite of a madeleine just as Yamato nodded in understanding.
The group had started on their second servings of tea when all three digivices suddenly started beeping and flashing.
"An attack? Now?" Yamato asked.
"Someone must have discovered that you two were here," Catherine mused.
"Catherine, Takeru, get in the sidecars of my motorcycle," M. Takaishi instructed. "Yamato—"
"I've got it," he assured, holding up his digivice and looking at Gabumon, who nodded.
"Gabumon evolve! Garurumon!"
"Patamon evolve! Angemon!"
"Floramon evolve! Kiwimon!"
Light burst in front of the Takaishi cottage. Michel, Takeru, and Catherine strapped on goggles and helmets has the motorcycle sped out, followed soon by Yamato and the Digimon. Yamato rode on Garurumon's back, keeping Kiwimon in front of him so she wouldn't be left behind. Angemon flew ahead as a scout.
"Three Adults should be enough to handle it," Yamato shouted, coming up alongside the others. "If not, Takeru and I can evolve to Perfection."
"Don't look now, but something's gaining on us," Takeru warned.
"What is it?" his grandfather questioned.
"It's a Rinkmon," Catherine answered. "They're fast, even on land instead of ice."
M. Takaishi let loose a particularly vile French curse. Yamato and Takeru stared at him in confusion before he explained, "It appears your wonderful little devices don't translate profanity. I love them even more. Yamato, take the Digimon and head to the first threat. I'll try to outrun this thing."
"Won't you need—" he began, Kiwimon already starting to join her partner.
"No," he replied. "You'll need all the help you can get. And I have a few surprises in store for our friend here."
Finally, reluctantly, Yamato answered, "All right," and Garurumon sped toward the center of conflict. His grandfather leaned closer to the bike.
"Hold on tightly, both of you," he warned. "Let's see how well he can keep up."
The French gentleman broke every traffic law in the book in an attempt to lose his pursuer. Darting in and out of traffic, he sped and swerved wildly, testing the mettle of his young passengers. More curses followed from the angry and frightened drivers on the roads, and pedestrians and tourists leapt to safety on the grass.
"It doesn't look like we're losing him," Catherine noted.
"Grandpa, what are we going to do?" Takeru asked. "We can't let this guy hurt any of the civilians. And if this keeps up, at this rate, we're going to hurt them too."
Michel's expression was grim. He called out, "Hang on!" a mere five seconds before driving right off the road and plowing down the grassy paths.
"What are you doing, Mr. Takaishi?" Catherine questioned as dirt and grass flew up behind them. Even more turf was already being torn up by Rinkmon's speed.
"I'm thinking," he replied. "I need to find some way to get him off our tail."
"He's charging up!" Takeru cried. "He's going to attack!"
"Get down!" M. Takaishi ordered. A blast of electricity flew right over their heads, hitting a tree and narrowly missing three pedestrians. Catherine peeked her head up and spied their assailant.
"He's powering up another one!"
"Hold on as tight as you can," Takaishi replied. "I have an idea of how to avoid it.
As the second electrical blast came at them, M. Takaishi leaned all the way to the right and turned. The attack couldn't do likewise, and so flew into the distance. The motorcycle then sped up again, charging right at Rinkmon.
"I thought you said we were going to lose him!" Takeru shouted.
"Trust me!" his grandfather answered.
He found a ramp and drove right onto it, pumping the gas until they had enough speed to sail right over Rinkmon. The Digimon was confounded, giving the humans the precious seconds they needed to get in the lead again.
"That's not going to stop him for long," Catherine commented, watching him injure eight people in his chase. "We'll have to kill him. He's needlessly attacking civilians. I can't imagine how he'd act in the Digital World."
"I know. Takeru, e-mail your brother on that D-terminal of yours and tell him to get the Digimon ready to attack. Then be ready to evolve to Perfection."
"What's the plan this time?" Takeru asked.
"You'll see."
Meanwhile, Yamato wasn't having much luck either. The enemy was a DarkTyrannomon, and it was taking everything the three Adults had to handle the situation. So when he got the e-mail from Takeru, he swore lightly before shouting the change of plans.
"Garurumon, back off!" he ordered. "Same for Angemon and Kiwimon!" Though she didn't understand Japanese, Kiwimon was able to follow by example. "Garurumon, evolve if you are able to. Act as the diversion for DarkTyrannomon. Angemon, Kiwimon, attack. Be ready for Takeru and Catherine. They will evolve you." All of this was said in the most precise English he could manage, which was good enough for them to understand.
"Garurumon evolve! WereGarurumon!"
With a fierce howl, WereGarurumon leapt from building to building, slashing and kicking DarkTyrannomon constantly. This left Kiwiwmon and Angemon free to make a few hit-and-run attacks of their own, striking quickly and painfully before ducking out of the way.
Not much farther away, Michel continued driving like a maniac, jumping onto sidewalks and cutting off cars as he raced to Yamato's location.
"Are you within range of evolution yet?" he checked.
"Not yet," Takeru informed. "A few more meters, I think."
Catherine shrieked as Rinkmon suddenly jumped right in front of her and onto her sidecar. Before it could do anything, she struck at it with a quick jab, knocking it off and sending it rolling on the pavement.
"Nice one," Takeru complimented. Her face was flushed.
"I know self-defense."
"And a good thing too," M. Takaishi added. "Now Miss Catherine has saved us a little time. Let me know when we're in range."
"And…now!" Takeru shouted, a bright light emerging from his D-3. The same light enveloped Angemon as the motorcycle came closer and closer to the battle.
"Angemon evolve! HolyAngemon!"
Turning away from the battle, HolyAngemon scanned the area. Not far in the distance, a motorcycle was speeding toward them, a Rinkmon in dogged pursuit. Making certain that no innocents were in the way, he prepared a Heaven's Gate.
"There they are!" Catherine alerted. "And there's the Gate!"
"Brace yourselves!" M. Takaishi cautioned, quickly hitting the brake and turning.
The motorcycle fell on its side, and Rinkmon had no time to stop for it. The humans felt a tremendous bump as their one-time hunter rapidly became the prey. His momentum betrayed him, and he went flying right into the Heaven's Gate before it closed and deleted.
"Kiwimon, now!" Catherine shouted. Her digivice flashed, and light encircled her partner.
"Kiwimon evolve! Blossomon!"
With added power and decreased distractions, the tide of the battle quickly turned in the Chosen's favor. Blossomon's sharp flowers lashed out as DarkTyrannomon while WereGarurumon and HolyAngemon slashed at him unrelentingly.
"I think this one we can send back home," Yamato judged. "He didn't involve any civilians in his fight. I think he was just a diversion for Rinkmon, just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"All right," Catherine replied. "The guardians of our area can determine what to do from here." She walked up to a terrified couple with a laptop and sweetly asked, "May I borrow that? Just for a second?"
"T-take it!" the man cried. "It's yours!"
"Takeru?" she checked. He held his digivice in front of the screen, opening a digital gate. DarkTyrannomon didn't protest as he was drawn back to the Digital World. As Yamato had said, he seemed to have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Catherine then tried to give the computer back to the couple, but they looked at it warily.
"Don't worry," M. Takaishi assured. "The problem's been taken care of, and nothing will be emerging from your computer." They still looked cautious, but they finally took it.
"Takeru," Catherine addressed, "do you think of me as more than a friend?" His face burned bright pink.
"Er, what makes you say that?" She stared at him evenly—not unkindly, but evenly. "Yes."
"And do you think the same of Hikari Yagami?"
This time, his face darkened. "I thought I did. She told me that she didn't think of me the same way, so I thought our friendship would do. Now we don't even have that."
Catherine smiled in relief. "I'm sorry about that—really, I am. But I'm glad to here that your heart isn't torn between two women. I was afraid you were a Casanova."
"What?"
"I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't going to be the latest in a long line of crushes. When I fall in love, I want to be the only love like that. I know it sounds selfish, but that's the way I am, and a lot of other girls. She laughed at his confused expression. "Don't worry. You'll find all about it eventually. And I'm glad to have you as a friend. For now, anyway."
"For now?" he repeated, startled. "What do you mean 'for now'?" She smiled again and winked, not telling. Meanwhile, Yamato and his grandfather shared a grin. They were going to have quite a bit of fun with his puberty.
The sun set, and streetlights replaced its warm glow. In the sticky, hot Tokyo summer night, four figures approached the Fuji TV station. Two were humans, one of whom held a bouquet of roses. The other two were Digimon.
"Four years," one of the Digimon whispered. "And I miss him all the same as when he died."
"I know, Tailmon," agreed one of the humans, the one with the flowers. "I do too."
"We all do," corrected her older brother. "He saved your life, Hikari; and for that, I'm forever grateful."
"Wizarmon sacrificed himself because he believed in our mission," the other Digimon commented. "It's sad but true that we couldn't go on without these sacrifices."
"Even though it felt like we couldn't go on with them either, right, Agumon?" the brother added.
"Right as usual, Taichi," replied a new voice. The quartet turned to see a red-haired boy and his Tentomon.
"Koushiro?" Taichi recognized.
"I may not have had the chance to know him the way you did, but I mourn him all the same," he replied.
"The same goes for me," Tentomon affirmed.
"And us!" added Gomamon's familiar voice. He and Jyou came up to them.
"Those were dark days back then," Jyou recollected, "but they helped us pull through. All of them did, and it's up to us to remember them for it."
"I won't forget," Hikari asserted, placing down the roses. "Ever."
The recurring theme of the madeleine cookies came from Layer 13 of Serial Experiments Lain, with a talk between Lain and her father. The go scene between Gennai and Koushiro (namely the line "I win again") was heavily inspired by a Justice League Unlimited episode called "Wake the Dead," which featured chess games between Aquaman and Hawkgirl and Aquaman and Amazo. But Aquaman's "I win again" had been sarcastic, as Hawkgirl didn't have her heart in the game. And Catherine's comments about wanting to be the only love was from Meilin in the second Cardcaptor Sakura movie.
Now, for the translation issues: In dialogue, Catherine calls Monsieur Takaishi "Mr. Takaishi." This is because of the translation program. Where she hears it as "Monsieur Takaishi," Takeru and Yamato would hear it as "Takaishi-san," and I write it as "Mr." since this fic is in English. Major thanks to Jonathan Lee, T2K, and Josie at DiFWy message board for helping me edit the French/Japanese dialogue. And while the extent of Floramon's evolution only went to Adult in the anime (which was only two appearances, mind you), by now she has managed Perfection, in case anyone was confused.
Chapter Ten: "Searching For Paradise"There's something you're looking for, but do you know what it is? Once again you have questions that you cannot seem to answer. Are there answers? Can we find them in this world, or only in our dreams? Or do they lie in those parts of ourselves we're too afraid to search?