AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This chapter was a sticky one!
If you've been reading my notes (and if you can remember way back when I first posted about this!), this story has technically already been mostly written. However, in an attempt to whip it in to some semblance of a share-able fic, my rewrite has caused some plot points to veer slightly (or greatly) off-course. This chapter needed some major reworking to try and bring my errant plot-bunnies back in line, but we got there in the end.
Thank you so much for your patience, and for all the love on the last chapter. I try to reply to all reviews, but I can't send messages to anyone who leaves a Guest review. All I can say is thank you so much!
I hope you enjoy today's update.
LITTLE GIFTS
"Hi…ka…ri…"
The crashing waves had fallen silent some time ago, and the grey sands had trickled away until all she was left with nothing but a never-ending darkness to stretch for an eternity.
"Hikari…"
She didn't know how long it had been. Couldn't remember what had happened after. Only remembered the stench of salt and decay, the feeling of bile in her throat, and a warmth that started at her fingertips and seeped in to her arms.
"You have a power within you…"
"Wizarmon!" Her voice echoed in the darkness. "Wizarmon, help me!"
"You don't have much time…"
"That's not helping!" Wizarmon laughed, and Hikari felt herself smile despite her anger. Soon she was laughing too, and Wizarmon appeared before her. She reached towards him, brushing his cheek with her hand. He leant in to her touch, his smile hidden beneath the collar of his cloak as he began to fade. "Wait – where are you going?"
"Do not lose yourself to darkness…" The warning again. Hikari felt like she was already losing – that she might lose herself entirely if she lost Wizarmon again. She reached for him, calling his name, but her hands passed straight through him as he vanished from sight. "Your light cannot help anyone there…"
"Wizarmon!"
"How sweet." Hikari's heart stopped at the sickly drawl that echoed around her. She twisted towards the sound to find LadyDevimon staring down at her, crimson eyes gleaming. The tattered demon that loomed over her grey shoulder widened its maw in a silent cackle as she flexed her crimson claws. Bats chittered in the darkness and Hikari shivered.
"I'll save you," she promised, though her voice trembled when she spoke. She clenched her hands in to fists, digging her nails in to her palms. The pain raced up her arms, grounding her. "I'll never stop fighting for you, and when we defeat the Kaiser-"
"Your enemy is not only the Kaiser." The words were stern and sharp, and LadyDevimon's eyes narrowed.
"If it's not the Kaiser, then who is it? Please, tell me who we're fighting! Tell me how to save you!" LadyDevimon's expression softened, her menacing smirk replaced with a sad smile, and when she stepped closer Hikari found her feet rooted to the spot. She couldn't move, not even when LadyDevimon reached a hand towards her. Hikari braced herself, fearing the worst, and was surprised when LadyDevimon merely stroked the back of her cheek – the same way Angewomon used to do. And when she spoke, Hikari almost heard Angewomon's gentle voice beneath LadyDevimon sultry slur.
"Do not lose yourself to darkness, Hikari…"
Her return to consciousness was slow; a gradual awakening that started in her body and slowly made its way to her mind. Aches and pains made themselves known one by one, they were mild at worst. Tolerable. Somewhere on the other side of waking there was a light – blinding and bright – and she turned her head away with a groan.
"Hikari?"
Her brother's voice. Her brother was here. A warm hand pressed itself against her forehead and she peeled open first one eye, and then the other, blinking until Taichi's face came in to focus. He smoothed her hair before pulling back, his face melting with relief. "Hey there, sleepyhead."
Slowly she pushed herself up – to her elbows first, and then all the way until she was leaning against something hard.
"What happened?" She winced; her throat felt like she'd swallowed sand and her voice came out as little more than a rasp. Taichi handed her a glass of water which she gratefully accepted, draining the small glass in three big gulps.
"I was hoping you could tell me." He took the glass and set it aside before perching on the edge of the bed, watching her closely. "Do you remember anything?" Hikari frowned, staring through him as the pieces slowly began to fall in to place. She remembered finding Hiroaki in the crowd, racing through the station following a ghost. She remembered Wizarmon and his warnings. The waves that flooded the observation deck. She remembered glowing – freeing the Hangyomon – being pulled under the water… She glanced at her hands, hoping it had all been a dream, but when she saw the fading lines that wrapped around her wrists she shivered and tucked her arms under the blankets, shaking her head.
Taichi sighed. He reached for her face again, pressing the back of his hand against her cheeks and against her forehead. "You're still a little warm… Natsuko will be back from the store with some more medicine soon. Do you want some more water?" Hikari shook her head again and Taichi pursed his lips but didn't argue.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"Three days. You had us worried."
"Sorry," she mumbled, her gaze dropping to her lap. Taichi nudged her knee lightly.
"It's not your fault," he said, though he sounded uncertain, as though he was waiting for her to prove him wrong. She didn't; it was over, and dragging Taichi in to the mess wouldn't make her feel any better about it. Hikari glanced around then, finally taking in her surroundings. Two beds on opposite sides of a small room. Everything looked so clean – so new – and aside from the occasional piece of clothing folded atop a chair or peeking out of a wardrobe, the room had no personal possessions. No pictures or toys or trinkets. Takeru and Yamato's room, she guessed.
"What have I missed?" Taichi scratched the back of his neck nervously. Hikari pushed herself further up the bed, tucking her legs in tight to give him more room.
"A lot, I guess."
"You guess?" Taichi shifted uncomfortably.
"I haven't been to the Digital World much," he answered. "There wasn't much point, what with Agumon being… and you were…" He trailed off, suddenly lost in the pattern of the carpet. Hikari swallowed past the lump in her throat.
"So Tailmon is still…" The question lingered between them for a moment and Taichi's silence told her everything she needed to know.
"He has Piyomon and Palmon too," he said solemnly.
"And?" she pushed, because there was a shiver in his shoulders that said he hadn't told her everything just yet. His hands curled in to fists in his lap and he took a deep breath before he lifted his head, staring across the room towards the other empty bed.
"There are other Digimentals, for Friendship, Reliability and Sincerity," he began slowly. He took a moment to pause, steeling himself before adding: "but the Kaiser has them."
"What?!" she gasped. "How could he inherit three crests?" Taichi paused, a strange looking passing over his face – something like surprise, as though he'd expected her to ask something else.
"He didn't claim them like you and the others. He had digimon move them instead. Koushiro said that the digimon were… neutral. He thinks the digimentals only react to human contact, so the Kaiser's digimon could move them to a new location." Hikari relaxed a little, peeling her fingernails from her palms and tangling her fingers in the underside of the comforter. That should have been good news… so why didn't she feel relieved?
Maybe it was because even if the Kaiser hadn't claimed them for himself, there was no telling where he would have hidden them. No doubt he would have gone to great lengths to ensure that they could not claim the Digimentals for themselves, or discover who might have been destined to inherit them. That was a part of it, but not-
Oh.
She glanced at her D-3 on the nightstand. He had one too, though his was dark and cold where hers was bright and warm. When she'd first seen the dark device, she hadn't known what to make of it; it had been so different to her digivice that it had been impossible to tell what it was, especially when he didn't really give her any chances to study it up close. After witnessing his cruelty first-hand she'd assumed that perhaps he'd made it in the same way he made his rings and his towers, crafting it from darkness to grant him access to the Digital World. But then Daisuke had appeared, and then Miyako and Iori. Takeru's digivice had taken on its new form, as had hers. They all looked like the Kaiser's now, and Hikari hadn't really stopped to think about what that could mean.
"Hikari?"
Was the Kaiser a Chosen Child after all? She thought of their encounters in the Dark Ocean, and of the boy she'd seen at Daisuke's soccer game. Was he supposed to be part of their team – part of the new generation of Chosen? But if that was the case, then why shouldn't he have inherited one of the Digimentals?
Something must have happened, she decided. The Digital World wouldn't have chosen someone so cruel, and no true Chosen Child could think of hurting Digimon like he did. Something must have… changed him. Corrupted him.
The same way the Kaiser's control corrupted innocent digimon.
Return the one wrapped in darkness to his true self.
"Hikari!"
Hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly, jarring her from her thoughts. She looked up, her eyes burning. She blinked several times, bringing her brother in to focus, and her stomach twisting at the worry on his face. He let go, his eyes never leaving hers.
"You okay? You zoned out on me." She blinked again.
"Y-yeah, sorry," she mumbled. For a moment she considered telling him, but her thoughts were racing too quick for her to form them in to words. And so she offered her brother a small smile. "Guess I'm still a little tired." He reached forwards again, checking her temperature again. "I'm fine, Taichi. I'm just… still waking up." He pulled his hand away and fixed her with a look that said he didn't believe her in the slightest. She stayed silent, her small smile fixed in place until at last he looked away. He glanced at the clock.
"The others should be back soon. They've been coming here afterwards to… debrief, I guess. It's become habit while you've been… y'know…" He paused, scratching the back of his neck and glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "You're gonna want to – I mean… I'm guessing you'll want to… freshen up a little before they get here." Hikari gave him a playful grimace.
"Is it really that bad?" It worked; Taichi smirked, the tension easing from his shoulders as he pinched his nose and turning away with a dramatic retch.
"Worse." He stood and reached around the foot of the bed to retrieve a small pink bag. "Mimi put this together for you, so don't ask me what's in there. Some clothes, toiletries… girl stuff." He gave the bag a look of disgust and Hikari giggled. He smiled then, though there was a shadow over his eyes as he studied her carefully. Suddenly serious, he asked: "Are you okay? Really?"
"I'm fine, Taichi," she answered, unable to hide her exasperation. If he asked one more time, she might just tell him the truth. "Where's the bathroom?"
It took them both too long to figure out how the shower worked, given that it was somewhat fancier than the shower they had back home, but soon enough Hikari was alone in the bathroom. She stepped into the stream, turning the temperature up until it was hot enough to sear the chill from her bones, and she scrubbed at her arms and her legs until they were pink and too sore to feel Dragomon's cold tentacles or the icy sting of saltwater. When she was done and wrapped in a warm, fluffy towel, she pulled a toothbrush from the bag and slathered it in toothpaste before scrubbing at her teeth and scraping the brine from her tongue, brushing at her lips until she could feel nothing but tingling mint.
Mimi had packed her a pink and white polo vest, a pair of high-waisted tan shorts with a silver buckled belt, and a pair of pink and white sneakers that zipped over her ankles. Bundled in with her socks and underwear were the fingerless pink gloves that rolled all the way up to Hikari's upper arm. She examined herself in the mirror, tugging the gloves over the scars below her shoulder and taming her towel-dried hair (almost as wild as Taichi's before she took a comb to it), and by the time she was done she thought she might have passed for a normal teenager.
(Of course, normal teenagers didn't shoot light from their palms.)
She glanced down at her hands, curling and uncurling her fingers. Had she really taken down such a strong digimon on her own? She'd never thought it could be possible to be afraid of light, but now… She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then another, searching for the wonderful, terrifying warmth, but it was nowhere to be found. She opened her eyes, staring at her dull (and perfectly normal) hands one last time before putting the towel in to the hamper, shouldering Mimi's bag, and stepping out in to the hall.
She heard the others as she emerged, and could tell from their sullen tones that today had not been a success. She paused, lingering for a moment to listen.
"…and they're scared," Sora was saying in an exhausted voice.
"Of course they're scared," Yamato sighed, his frustration palpable. "They have no way to fight the Kaiser and we have no idea what he's doing. They can't even rely on us to defend them because we don't know where to go until it's too late."
"We're doing all we can," Miyako huffed.
"I don't think he meant it as an accusation," Hawkmon offered calmly. Yamato didn't confirm either way.
"We seem to be keeping pace with him, at least," said Koushiro. "In fact, I think we destroyed more towers today than he put up yesterday, so I'd call that a victory."
"Yeah – team!" Daisuke cheered, echoed by an equally enthusiastic DemiVeemon. Hikari pressed herself against the wall with a small smile.
"I wouldn't cheer quite yet." Taichi's voice was deep and serious, and Hikari's smile quickly faded. "Let's celebrate when the Kaiser's gone and the Digital World is free again." There was a general murmur of agreement and Hikari felt her heart sink as she recalled Wizarmon's warning. She swallowed thickly and pushed off from the wall to join the others in the lounge.
"I don't think it will be that simple." She tried not to shrink back as all eyes turned to her. Everyone was here – except Takeru, she noted, although Patamon was perched atop a lampshade. "I spoke to Wizarmon, and he gave me a warning." She spoke quickly, recounting the words that had been echoing through her mind. As she talked Yamato and Taichi shifted to make a space between them on the couch which she gratefully accepted.
"So… there's something else?" Koushiro asked. "Something bigger than the Kaiser…"
"That doesn't sound good," Miyako murmured, hugging Poromon tightly.
"'Return the one wrapped in darkness to his true self'…" Sora echoed, her head tilted with a thoughtful frown. Hikari took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
"I was thinking… What if he means the Kaiser?"
"The Kaiser?!" Mimi's explosion was followed by a murmur of agreement. Hikari shrank back and Taichi placed a hand on her knee.
"Hikari, you can't be serious." She turned towards him, trying to ignore the hurt and confusion painted across his face.
"He has a D-3, just like ours," she said. "What if he's a Chosen Child too, but something went wrong? What if he's the one wrapped in darkness?"
"You really think there's a good person underneath after everything he's done to the Digital World? Everything he's done to you?" Daisuke asked. "The guy tried to kill you. More than once."
"Enslaved digimon have done worse-"
"Enslaved digimon follow orders," Yamato countered firmly. "That kid thinks for himself, and he enjoys it. He knows exactly what he's doing." Hikari didn't have an answer for that.
Taichi was quick to move the conversation along, although the others didn't have much more to report. They'd managed to take down five more towers, but given that the Kaiser had put up seven before they'd arrived it was a hollow victory. Otherwise the visit had been much like the others.
"Any sign of our partners?" Taichi asked. Yamato shook his head.
"None. I don't think the Kaiser wants to risk us getting too close to them until he's figured out how to fix the Dark Spirals." Hikari's heart fluttered.
"What do you mean?" Yamato paused, glancing to Taichi before turning towards her.
"LadyDevimon found me, the same day you disappeared," he began. "She couldn't tell me much, but it looks like she's not entirely under the Kaiser's control. If it's not a direct order, then she can choose to ignore him – for a while, at least." A flicker of hope burned in Hikari's chest and she tangled her fingers tightly together.
"But how? The Kaiser's control over his captured digimon always seemed so… complete." Koushiro sat up a little taller then, his eyes gleaming.
"Actually, we think the reason she's able to fight is because of you." He glanced to Yamato then, and Yamato gave him a nod and sank back in to the sofa, leaving the floor open for Koushiro. "The day the Kaiser first took control of Tailmon, when LadyDevimon touched you, you glowed. At first, I thought it might have been your crest, but the Crest of Light is typically pink, and that glow was most definitely white. I couldn't figure out what it reminded me of at first, and then Sora remembered when you encountered the Numemon." Hikari chewed the inside of her cheek. She didn't remember much of it herself – the fever had kept her asleep for the most part, and what happened between waking in the sewers and being reunited with her brother was hazy at best. She looked to Sora.
"Did it really look like that?" Sora nodded.
"You were as bright as the sun!" Patamon chirped with a beaming smile. Hikari's stomach twisted.
"I believe," Koushiro continued, "that when LadyDevimon made contact with you, whatever that power is inside of you reacted to the darkness of the Kaiser's control. From what we've seen, it looks as though these new spirals don't store power themselves, instead they channel as much as they need to maintain control over the digimon. When LadyDevimon was that close to you, it must have taken incredible amounts of power to keep Tailmon from breaking through, and with darkness that strong the light inside of you reacted to it."
"So… it's an instinctive thing?" Taichi asked. This seemed to be the first time Koushiro had shared his theory with the group, who were all watching him intently.
"It would seem that way. Hikari, have you ever been able to do anything like this on command?"
Hikari's breath caught in her throat. Yes, she had. But if she said yes, then Koushiro would want to know, and he wouldn't stop until he had all the answers – answers that she didn't have. And if she told Koushiro, then Taichi would know too, and then he would worry and fuss and fret. She glanced down at her hands, curling her fingers in and out and reaching for the strange power. It was gone now – a fading memory of warmth that had engulfed her from head to toe. Nothing more. She shook her head and Koushiro sighed.
"Ah, that's a pity."
"Why?" Taichi asked, a little too sharply judging by how Koushiro winced.
"I think one of the reasons LadyDevimon is able to bypass the Kaiser's control is because Hikari's light was able to penetrate the spiral and re-code some of its data; corrupting the corruption, so to speak. It would have been useful if we could have found out whether that was the case, and if we could use it to our advantage." Hikari pressed her fingernails in to her palms, trying not to remember the feel Hangymon's slimy scales or the dark rings crumbling at her touch.
A power you might have have discovered if you had lived a different life.
A power she couldn't control. A power that was unpredictable. She tried summoning up the hate and the anger and the despair that had fuelled her against Dragomon, even just a glimmer – just to prove that she could – but nothing happened. She couldn't tell if she was relieved or disappointed.
"I have a question," said Mimi, leaning forward with a thoughtful frown. "How come Tailmon didn't evolve to Angewomon?" Hikari blinked. She hadn't even thought to ask the question herself. Whilst she certainly didn't want to see Angewomon with a dark spiral anywhere near her, she had never even stopped to question why the Kaiser's control had forced her in to a new form.
"I've been thinking about this a lot," Koushiro answered, leaning forward and resting his chin on his knitted fingers. "Tailmon has always been strong, even by Adult standards. At this point, she's evolved to Angewomon so many times that it's hard-wired in to her code, much like all our partners. I believe that LadyDevimon is the result of Tailmon trying to resist the Kaiser's control. She refused to evolve to Angewomon, but the energy the Kaiser was using to trigger the evolution had to go somewhere, and so it forced her in to an alternative evolutionary line."
"Is that what's happening to Agumon?" Taichi asked. Koushiro paused with a grimace and Taichi waved a hand. "Whatever it is, Koushiro, you can say it."
"I think it's… similar," Koushiro began tentatively, "but not the same. Agumon has already evolved in to SkullGreymon once before. I think that left a bug in his coding… a weakness, almost. When Agumon resists the evolution, even the slightest bit, the energy takes advantage of the bug and exploits it." Taichi nodded tersely, a dark expression flashing across his face. Koushiro turned to Sora and Mimi then. "I think that's why we haven't seen any sort of deviation for your partners. There is no exploit for the Kaiser's spirals to take advantage of, and given that his control is rooted in their Child stages they likely don't have enough energy to resist in the same way that Tailmon does." Mimi sat back with a solemn sigh, leaning heavily against Sora who took her hand and squeezed it gently.
There wasn't much left to share after that and Taichi brought the meeting to a close, agreeing that they would meet back here again after the others had been to the Digital World tomorrow. Hikari wanted to object and suggest that they all meet at the computer lab and go together, but Taichi glanced at her from the corner of his eye and her protest died in her throat. They had no partners, and if LadyDevimon could only be trusted to follow direct orders then it was only a matter of time until the Kaiser directly ordered her to do something awful.
When Taichi gave no sign of moving Hikari curled her legs beneath her on the sofa as the others began to leave. Miyako hugged Hikari tightly as she left, exclaiming (rather loudly) how happy she was that Hikari was back on her feet. Iori and Hawkmon echoed the sentiment, both with respectful nods, while Armadimon gave her a grin and a wink and proclaimed that he knew she'd pull through. Koushiro slipped his laptop in to his bag before allowing Jou to help him to his feet. As they made their way past the sofa, Jou paused to give a small rattling box to Yamato and to Taichi.
"Dosage instructions are on the back," he said, more to Taichi. Then, to both, he added, "Call me or Shin if you need anything. He said he would try and stop by after his classes." Medicine, Hikari assumed as she watched Taichi slip the box in to his pocket. And not the stuff you could find on corner store shelves. Had she really been so sick? She tried not to wonder and instead bid the pair a quiet goodbye. Mimi came next, giving Hikari a tight hug as she cooed over how cute she looked in her new clothes.
"Daddy said I have to go home," she moaned as she finally pulled back, leaving Hikari room to breathe, "but I told him I had to see you before I left. I'll be back soon, though – don't you worry!" She then hugged the rest of the remaining Chosen before clutching Sora's hand, pulling her away from Taichi and out of the door. Taichi and Yamato rose together, collecting various half-empty mugs and crumb-filled plates, leaving Hikari alone with Daisuke who seemed to hover awkwardly with DemiVeemon at his side. He looked stuck, unsure whether to stay or to leave, his eyes staring at the closing door.
"Daisuke? Is everything okay?" His head snapped to face her, as though he had forgotten for a moment that she was there, and he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Uh… yeah. I guess… Myabe…" Hikari offered him a small smile.
"What's wrong?" Daisuke opened his mouth and then hesitated, and after a moment's thought he shrugged the question away and grinned, stuffing his fists in to his pockets.
"Naw, it's nothin'!" he said in a too-bright voice. DemiVeemon looked up at his partner, tugging on the hem of Daisuke's shorts with a frown.
"Daisuke…" After a pause Daisuke sighed and his shoulders slumped as he perched on the edge of the sofa beside her.
"It's just… well…" He lifted his head, staring straight through the ceiling. "I can't do it. I can't hurt our friends. I know that they'll hurt us because the Kaiser's tellin' 'em to, but every time I look at LadyDevimon I just start thinkin' about Tailmon and… I can't do it. I wanna help them, but I don't wanna hurt them." There was a note of pain in his voice that tugged at Hikari's heart.
"We don't want to hurt them either, but that's our best chance at helping them." Daisuke lowered his gaze to where DemiVeemon had sat on the tow of his sneaker, watching Daisuke closely.
"I know that – In my head, I mean, I know, but then they're standin' right in front of me and I just freeze up." His hands curled in to fists on his lap as he turned away from his partner's gaze. "I just think, what if it was Veemon or Fladramon or… and when I think about him getting hurt I get so mad. I don't know how you guys put up with it. I felt so bad after I found out MetalGreymon was Taichi's partner, and now Tailmon and the others…" His voice drifted off and his head drooped forwards. A shiver ran across his shoulders and DemiVeemon's frown softened a fraction.
"Have you spoken to any of the others about this?" she asked softly. He shook his head.
"Yamato kinda tore me a new one when I kept gettin' in Fladramon's way, I'm not sure there's anyone that'd really listen. I mean, Taichi, probably, but he's been so busy takin' care of you that I didn't wanna put this on him too." He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "And now I'm puttin' it on you. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." He made to move then, but Hikari reached for his elbow. Her touch alone seemed to keep him in place.
"If we don't fight them, then the Kaiser wins," she said. Daisuke nodded, and she knew that he knew. From the corner of her eye she almost thought her hand was glowing, but whens he glanced to it she found it as dull of Daisuke's. She let go of his arm. "I know it's hard, but this is the right thing to do. The digimon are strong and they're tough, no matter how much we have to hurt them they will recover." Daisuke shifted uncomfortably and his knee began to bounce, his heel tapping a frantic thud thud thud into the carpet.
"I don't understand why this is gettin' to me so much," he muttered. "Miyako's fine with it. Even Iori seems to just get stuck in there and do his part. Why is it botherin' me so much?" She reached for him again and her hand landed on his knee. He froze and she heard his breath catch. When he looked at her, she gave him a warm smile.
"It's okay to be afraid for them," she said. "I know I am. Taichi, too. But we have to be strong for them, and we have to do everything we can to try and free them. Maybe… Maybe don't think of it as fighting them. You're fighting the Kaiser's control over them. And when they're free, they'll be grateful for everything you've done for them." For a moment she wondered if she should tell Daisuke about the difficult choices they'd had to make on their first adventure – of all the digimon that had been defeated and deleted in their quest to defeat the Dark Masters, and how they had all been reborn – but something in Daisuke's expression was already shifting. She kept quiet, watching as he turned her words over in his mind, and after a moment his expression brightened.
"Yeah…" he murmured, a flush of colour returning to his grey features. "And… And digimon fight all the time, right? We're only havin' to fight 'em so hard because they're tough enough to take it." Something seemed to fall in to place then and he straightened, turning to her with a beaming grin. "Thanks, Hikari. For listenin'." He might have said something more, but he was interrupted by the apartment door swinging open. There came a roar of crinkling carrier bags and an assortment of grunts and groans as Hiroaki stumbled in to the apartment, hidden behind a mountain of groceries and two long parcels wrapped in dark fabric. Takeru followed a moment later, watching his father with a half-grin.
"I could have carried more than one bag, y'know," he said. His eyes fell to the sofa and he stopped. "Hikari! You're awake!" His voice was bright and cheerful, but Hikari didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to her hand, still resting on Daisuke's knee. Daisuke reached for his bag and his partner, scooping them both in to his arms before muttering a quiet "See ya later" as he slipped from the apartment with his feet only half in his shoes. Takeru stared after him, his head tilted slightly. The door clicked closed.
"What was that about?" he asked, turning back to Hikari with his brow knotted in confusion. Hikari only smiled.
"He needed someone to talk to," she answered. For a moment she wondered why Daisuke hadn't thought to talk to Takeru, but then Takeru turned towards her and she caught sight of his arm strapped carefully across his chest in a tight sling. "What happened?" Takeru glanced down, curling and uncurling his fingers.
"It's just a scratch. Yamato's being over-protective." His lips curled in to a fond smile. "I've kind of missed it." As if summoned by his name, Yamato appeared then, his head poking around the wall as he glanced at them both. He tilted his head back towards the kitchen.
"Come on, there's something we want to show you." Takeru grinned then, and Hikari soon found herself being ushered in to the kitchen. They passed Hiroaki on the way, and he gave Hikari's shoulder a gentle squeeze as he passed.
"Glad you're feeling better," he said with a tired smile before settling himself in the lounge.
In the middle of the kitchen was a small island, and laid across the polished worktop were the two fabric wrapped parcels that Hiroaki had been carrying. One was long and thin, and Takeru reached forward to unwrap it. The other was slightly broader, and Taichi nudged it towards her with a grin.
"Happy birthday." Hikari hesitated.
"But today's not my… is it?" She'd always remembered her birthday being in the spring, and she vividly remembered a year when they had gone to Sumida Park to view the cherry blossoms and ride the river boats. Taichi laughed.
"It's not, but think of it as a present to make up for all the birthdays we've missed," he said. She tried to protest but Taichi shook his head and leaned back against the counter behind him. "It was dad's idea. He just got his bonus and he wanted to get you something. I got some new soccer cleats." Hikari ran her fingers over the package; she didn't know how much soccer cleats cost, but something about the rich silky fabric beneath her fingertips suggested that whatever was inside cost a considerable amount more. She unfolded the cloth and found a plain black case beneath with a zip running around the outer edge. With a final uncertain glance at Taichi (who was watching her with a beaming grin) she pulled the zips apart to reveal the gift with a gasp.
The bow was beautiful, almost the same size as the one she'd had in the Digital World, but where that one had been made of wood this one had been made of something sturdier – black with a pink sheen that shimmered under the kitchen lights. She ran her hands over it, and her breath hitched as she found the Crest of Light that had been engraved above the moulded grip.
"This is… It's too much," she breathed. "You have to take it back." Taichi only chuckled.
"Kinda hard to do when it's been personalised," he said with a proud smirk, "unless you know someone else with your crest."
"You won't be able to change his mind," Takeru said with a sigh, though he was also smiling. From beneath the neatly folded cloth he had withdrawn a long slender staff made of polished redwood. He tossed it from hand to hand, feeling its weight with a grin. "Your dad mentioned it to our dad and then our parents wanted in on it, too." Hikari glanced from the staff to Yamato.
"What did you get?" Yamato shrugged and tucked his thumbs in to the pockets of his jeans.
"Haven't decided yet." The look in his eyes took Hikari back to long nights under the stars, just the two of them and their partners, and Hikari knew then that Yamato had already gotten the only thing he'd ever wanted, and it wasn't something that could be bought with money. She smiled and the corner of his lips lifted in reply.
"You guys seemed pretty attached to the ones you had," Taichi offered with a shrug, drawing her attention away. "Iori mentioned his grandfather's dojo has kyudo and bojutso classes. He's got kendo tomorrow and he's offered to take you guys if you want to go. Can't let you get rusty."
A knock at the door announced the arrival of Jou's brother, Shin, who gave a relieved smile at seeing Hikari back on her feet. He gave her a quick glance over, checking her temperature and the marks on her wrists before announcing that she was fine, much to Taichi's relief. Then Shin moved them all in to the lounge so that he could look at Takeru. A large dressing wrapped around the top of Takeru's shoulder, and when Shin carefully peeled it back Hikari saw the jagged line that wrapped it's way from front to back, puckering here and there where the stitches kept it firmly close. Despite its furious red glare, Shin seemed satisfied that it seemed to be healing faster than expected.
"You guys remember I'm not a licensed doctor, right?" he said, his tone light but his expression serious as he reapplied a fresh dressing to the shoulder. "You should get this checked properly." Hiroaki nodded and thanked Shin, placing several large notes in to an envelope to reimburse him for the supplies and thank him for his time.
Shortly after Shin had left, Natsuko called to say she was on her way home and that she was grabbing takeout on the way. Hiroaki told her that Taichi and Hikari were staying before they could protest. When Natsuko arrived with an assortment of pizzas Hikari's appetite returned with a vengeance, and to her surprise she managed a whole pizza and two slices of Taichi's.
Finally, still full from the meal and warm from Hiroaki's car, Hikari followed Taichi inside their apartment. Her mother sat infront of the television, exactly where she'd been when they'd left to go to the TV Station. Hikari called out to her as she slipped off her shoes, but when her mother gave no response Hikari stifled a sigh and made her way to the bedroom to unpack the bag Mimi had put together for her.
The smell of the ocean hit her like a wave as she unzipped the bag and she gagged at the stench. Salt had crusted her clothes, and it coated her fingers as she pulled them from the bag. She listened as Taichi shuffled in to the bathroom, and when the door clicked closed behind him she took the clothes and stuff them in to the kitchen bin. For good measure she took her mother's half-eaten lunch and poured it on top along with several tissues. The last thing she needed was Taichi asking why a brand-new outfit was going to waste.
She knelt in front of her mother, taking her hands and tugging on them lightly until her mother finally looked away from the television. For a moment something danced behind her dark eyes, but then it was gone and her mother's gaze returned to the screen. Hikari sighed, closing her eyes and pressing her forehead against her mother's hands.
A light appeared somewhere behind her closed eyelids. At first Hikari put it down to her brother turning on a lamp, but then she felt a warmth in her fingers. It spread in to her arms, and as it reached her shoulders she felt thin fingers gently cupping her chin. She opened her eyes and stared open-mouthed at her mother's gentle smile.
"Hikari." Her voice was soft and gentle, and for the first time Hikari felt that her mother saw her. She also realised, as something shattered somewhere in the distance, that the light was not coming from a lamp.
"Hikari," Taichi breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. The glow gaded and Hikari watched a mix of emotions pass over his face; shock, awe, fear. Hikari pulled her hands away from her mother who slowly rose to her feet. The light in her eyes was fading now, their mother slipping back in to the abyss she'd been lost in, though she reached out to stroke Hikari's hair gently before drifting to her bedroom as though in a daze. Taichi followed silently, watching after her for several long moments until he finally pulled her bedroom door closed.
Hikari lowered her gaze to her hands. Perhaps Koushiro was right and it was purely instinctive? But then, what good was that? It was clear now that whatever mysterious power she had been given could be used to help and to heal, but what good was it if she couldn't rely upon it? Fingers wrapped around hers as Taichi knelt down next to her. He said nothing, only offering a small squeeze of her hand and a reassuring smile.
She didn't remember falling asleep, nor did she feel Taichi scooping her off the couch and laying her gently in her bed. She was dimly aware of him tucking the covers around her shoulders, and he felt his warm hands smoothing her hair as he whispered goodnight. She did remember reaching out and tugging her crest from where it had been wrapped around the ladder, holding it tightly against her chest as she drifted back to sleep bathed in its gentle pink glow.