I don't own Digimon.
A/N: I apologize for the long delay, but I've finally got this done! I was thinking of this just before uploading the new chapter, and I don't believe I've ever explained the meaning behind the cover photo for this story. I'm sure all of you have recognised the significance of the beach shrouded in darkness and its reference to the Dark Ocean and the World of Darkness. The figure in the photo is me, the author, who's gazing out over the water at the light in the distance, which symbolises what this story is all about. No matter how dark the world may seem and no matter what demons exist inside the heart, as the late Sam Ichijoui so eloquently put it when speaking to his wayward nephew, "There's always a choice, even if you can't see where each road begins or where each road will end. Don't you see your path just over the horizon? Live each day with no regrets. You never know what might happen in the future. Make the most of the time you have and use it wisely."
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 304: Separation
Takara 'Kara' Kamiya
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Wincing at the pain in her knees, Takara couldn't deny there was some truth to Spritemon's harsh words, and attempting to yank her arm free, she gasped, "Let go! Where did you even come from!?"
"Where do you think?" Spritemon shot back, tightening her grip. "Thanks to you, I got stuck babysitting your precious leader all day yesterday, and I've had just about enough of his backtalk. It's about time I got to have a little fun, and you're going to entertain me."
Dai!
Takara froze, and forgetting all about her trapped wrist, she cried, "You better not have hurt him!"
"I wish," Spritemon grumbled, wrinkling her nose. "Lucky for you, YukiOnnamon wouldn't allow it. At least, not yet."
Does that mean...?
If Spritemon was actually telling the truth then that meant DarkAngelicmon hadn't been lying to them. And yet, despite the confirmation that Dai was safe, Takara could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Though she had never met YukiOnnamon before, there was something about the mysterious female digimon that really bothered her. Just the name alone put her on edge, which she found not only interesting, but also deeply disturbing.
DarkAngelicmon said we would understand when we met her, but what does that even mean? What exactly do we need to understand, and why did he make it sound so important?
"Hey, let my partner go!" Dovemon shouted, swooping in to protect her. "Opal Laser!"
Spritemon quickly jerked her head to the side, and as the green blast whizzed past her ear, she scoffed, "You're going to have to do better than that to save your precious little human. Fairy Cannon!"
Takara shrieked as an emerald ball of glowing energy exploded out of the gun on Spritemon's unoccupied wrist, and before she could even shout a warning it slammed into Dovemon, sending the little rookie flying backwards in a haze of smoke. Luckily, her mother was able to catch Dovemon, and holding the bird digimon tightly in her arms, the older female cried, "Dovemon, are you okay? Don't worry, I've got you."
Dovemon merely groaned in response, and looking thoroughly annoyed, Spritemon snapped, "Stupid little rookie! You're as bad as your dimwitted leader. You know, I'm starting to get really sick of everybody challenging my authority!"
Despite her fear for Dovemon's safety, Takara couldn't help feeling a deep sense of satisfaction at the way Dai was clearly putting up a decent fight while in captivity, and knowing the goggle-headed leader wasn't about to back down to the female mega no matter how much she threatened to hurt him gave her at least some hope that they still had a chance to save him from his underground prison.
Hang on, Dai. No matter what you do, don't give up.
"So, you've been down here with DarkAngelicmon and his motley crew this whole time," Matt said coldly, his hand tightening around his Digivice. "Why am I not surprised."
Takara was starting to lose sensation in her fingers, and making another attempt to free her wrist, she said in a shaky voice, "I guess I was right about you showing up. I already knew this was going to happen. Who is YukiOnnamon? Tell me!"
"That's none of your business," Spritemon snapped, shoving her roughly to the ground. "Besides, she'll deal with you soon enough. Get up, you stupid girl. We're going for a nice little walk."
Takara groaned, and slowly lifting her head, she let out a soft cry of pain. The uneven floor was hard and damp, and knowing she was likely going to have bruises the next morning, she gingerly moved herself into a sitting position. Immediately her gaze fell upon her parents, and staring into her father's eyes, she detected a hint of fear. The former leader's face was unusually pale, and though like Matt he was holding his Digivice tightly in his hand, he didn't attempt to use it.
He's afraid...He doesn't want to do anything to put me at risk.
Well, that and the fact that there was no way Greymon would fit in the narrow passages created by the maze of glowing pipes.
And Mom...
Her mother looked equally reluctant to try anything, and as far as she could tell, the rest of the Digidestined were following their lead. Judging by what Spritemon had said, the little pixie was planning to separate her from the rest of the group, and the thought of being away from the others terrified her. What if something happened to them while she was gone? If even just one of them ended up in danger, her greatest fear would become a reality.
I have to protect them. I can't let a single one of them end up in the same position as Dai. I'm barely hanging on as it is. If I were to lose anyone else...
"Do you really think I'm just going to stand here and let you take my daughter?" her father said very quietly, his dark eyes flashing in the dim light.
Spirtemon raised her eyebrows, and crossing her arms over her chest, the female mega said coldly, "You will if you don't want her to end up dead."
"You wouldn't do that," her mother protested, the older female's eyes widening in horror. "If you did something like that..."
"I wouldn't be able to get her Spirit Chip?" Spritemon finished, a laugh escaping her throat. "Correction. YukiOnnamon wouldn't be able to get it. I personally don't care much about that anymore. I just want my revenge, and if your precious little girl doesn't want to cooperate well...my temper might get the better of me. I mean really, I know the Ruler of Darkness wants the Spirit Chips, but technically if I were to get rid of you all permanently, I'd still be doing us a favour."
There's something...different about her now. Before, she was more likely to joke around and follow orders, but now it's like her anger and thirst for revenge have destroyed her sense of logic and reason. She doesn't even seem to care about making the Ruler of Darkness angry anymore. That's not good. It makes her even more of a threat...
The fact that Spritemon cared so little about staying in YukiOnnamon's good graces was also concerning, and that made the outcome of their mission to rescue Dai even more unpredictable.
If I don't comply and go with her...what will she do to my family and friends? I can't put them at risk, especially if something happens to me. Somebody will need to save Dai...
The thought of what Spritemon would do to her loved ones if she put up a fight scared her more than she was willing to admit. It was a strange feeling, since the female mega hadn't actually threatened any of the others.
She only mentioned hurting me. I should feel afraid, especially since earlier the very thought of dying scared me almost to the point where I felt paralysed by my own fear, but I'm not. I don't really care what happens to me now. I just want to protect everyone...
"I used to think you were a bit of a joke, but now I realise how crazy you actually are," Matty said boldly, glaring at the female mega. "You think you can scare us, but good luck with that. Kara's tougher than you think."
Matty...
"We'll see about that," Spritemon shot back, turning her back on the younger twin. "Follow if you dare, since I know you're all stupid enough to try, but don't think for one moment you'll get very far. I'll have a little gift waiting for you later on. If you do manage to get past my blockade, it might be too late. I'll let you gamble the girl's life and find out for yourself."
"Kara!" her father gasped, struggling to break free from Matt's tight grip. "Get your hands off my daughter!"
Next to her father, Kara could see her mother attempting to break free from Ken's arms, and letting out a shriek as Spritemon grabbed her around the neck, she cried, "Mom! Dad! Dovemon!"
"Time for us to go," Spritemon taunted, fluttering into the air. "Don't feel too guilty. She'll be with your precious leader soon enough."
Despite how much she wanted to get away, Takara remained still in Spritemon's arms. If she were to attempt an escape, falling to her death would serve no purpose, thus she chose to accept her inevitable fate. Down below in the maze of pipes, she could hear the voices of her parents, friends, and digimon partner screaming her name, but there was nothing they could do to help her.
As a final insult, Spritemon aimed the weapon on her arm at the pipes lining the walls of the maze and shouted, "Fairy Cannon!"
"Look out!" Mickey cried, his frantic voice echoing throughout the large chamber. "Watch your heads!"
Crying out the names of her loved ones, Takara had just enough time to see the dust rising as the broken pipes clattered to the damp floor around the rest of the Digidestined, the sound booming off the distant walls and ceiling, and then she was whisked away into the darkness of the underground waterway.
Tai Kamiya
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Letting out a soft groan, Tai slowly lifted his head, and glancing down at his wife, he said urgently, "Sora, are you alright?"
Sora shifted beneath him, and wincing slightly, she said, "I should be asking you that. Were you hit?"
Tai quickly shook his head, and sitting up, he shoved a couple of smaller pipes aside to make room and said quietly, "I'm fine. As long as you're safe."
Kara...I've been trying so hard to protect you, but you keep slipping away from me...
"Anybody hurt?" Izzy called out, his words ending in a cough as the dust began to settle.
Tai gently helped Sora into a sitting position, and squinting through the hazy gloom, he waited for his eyes to adjust before attempting to assess the damage. Despite the panic he felt at the sudden capture of his daughter, he knew he needed to set his fears aside for a moment and focus on helping those who were still with him in case anybody was hurt and needed help. To his left, Izzy, Tentomon, and Centarumon were dusting themselves off, and though the computer expert looked a little frazzled, he didn't appear to be injured. Tai suspected that was largely due to Centarumon, who had quickly moved to cover Izzy and Tentomon when the pipes fell. The large champion was strong and built to handle a little danger, thus he'd been able to withstand a few pipes and knock them aside.
To his right, Ken was pulling himself off Ryoko, and wincing slightly, the golden-haired Digidestined said, "That was a close one. You're lucky you didn't get hit."
"Better me than you," the former Emperor said softly, reaching out to place a hand on the younger male's shoulder. "You weren't hurt?"
Ryoko quickly shook his head, and giving Ken a reassuring smile, the golden-haired Digidestined said, "No, not a single scratch."
"I suspect her little stunt with the pipes was more to slow us down than to hurt us," Alopemon snorted, untangling himself from Wormmon. "If she had really wanted to injure us, you can bet she would have stuck around long enough to do so without a second thought."
"You're right," Wormmon agreed, sounding morose. "Her attacks are capable of doing a lot more damage than this."
"So she let us off easy?" Agumon asked, glancing at Biyomon and Dovemon in obvious confusion. "That doesn't sound like her, especially not with the way she's acting now..."
All three digimon were hovering at Sora's shoulder, and looking anxious, the female Digidestined said in a trembling voice, "Despite her thirst for revenge, there's still some semblance of logic left in her brain. She wants us to watch Kara suffer, and we can't do that if she disposes of us too early..."
Sora...
Tai quickly wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulders in a tight hug, and nuzzling her partner's side, Biyomon said urgently, "You need to be strong, Sora. Please, for Kara."
"I know," Sora whispered, wiping quickly at her eyes. "I'm trying, Biyomon. I'm trying, but it's not easy."
"Don't forget, we're here to support you," Biyomon insisted, offering her wing to keep the tears at bay. "You're not in this alone."
Somehow, Sora managed to smile, and allowing the little rookie to help brush away the salty evidence on her cheeks, the female Digidestined said, "I don't doubt that for a minute. Thank you, Biyomon. I needed that."
"What about you, Dovemon? How are you doing?" Biyomon asked, turning to gaze sympathetically at her fellow bird digimon.
"I'm not hurt, if that's what you're worried about," Dovemon said quietly, averting her eyes. "I'm just...I couldn't protect her. I'm supposed to be her digimon partner, and I couldn't save her..."
The little digimon's eyes were starting to fill with tears, and shaking his head, Agumon said, "Don't you start, too! That advice for Sora is the same for you. None of this is your fault. We'll get her back, you'll see!"
"You're right," Dovemon agreed, blinking away her tears and lifting her chin a little higher. "Thanks, Agumon."
"Anytime."
I know exactly how you feel, Dovemon. We need to get her back...
Tai let his head rest against Sora's carrot-coloured hair as she settled into his arms, and glancing at Matt, who was sprawled out on the ground with Gabumon in his arms, he said, "Still alive?"
"Barely," Matt groaned, brushing dust out of his golden hair. "Can't say I want to do that again."
The former musician had dived out of the way just in time to avoid a small avalanche, and frowning, Gabumon said, "We're lucky there isn't any water running through these pipes. If there had been, this could have ended badly."
Drowning on top of being crushed to death. She knew there was no water in those pipes. Why kill us so easily when she knows she can make us suffer an unbearable amount of pain before finally finishing us off. Alopemon's right. We weren't meant to die here. She wants us to follow...
"Thanks, by the way," Matt said quietly, his words directed at Ken.
The former Emperor shook his head, and putting an arm around Ryoko, the younger man said easily, "Think nothing of it. You would have done the same for Sam."
Speaking of Sam...
Tai quickly searched the immediate area for the raven-haired boy, and spotting Gabrielmon, who must have digivolved when the pipes started falling, he raised his eyebrows at the scene unfolding a few feet away. Sam was leaning over the twins, who were sprawled in a tangled heap on the ground, and hovering at the dark-haired teen's side, Glowmon said curiously, "I didn't know Mickey could move that fast."
"It's a good thing he did," Gabrielmon replied, crouching next to Sam. "If Mickey hadn't reacted so quickly, there's no way I would have been able to digivolve in time to blast those pipes away before they all fell on top of us."
"Not fair! I wanted to help!" Celestimon grumbled, pouting in obvious disappointment.
The little rookie was sitting back on his heels by Mickey's feet, and letting his head flop back against the ground, Matty groaned, "Ouch, Mickey. You're heavy. Am I that heavy? Seriously, that hurt."
"Better to have a few bruises than a bunch of pipes falling on your head," the older twin sighed, moving to give his brother some breathing room. "I was almost too late."
Matty snorted at that, and sitting up, the younger twin crossed his arms over his chest and said, "No way. Your timing was perfect. You saved me and Sam."
"Not me," Mickey protested, his amber eyes carefully studying Matty's body for any signs of injuries. "Gabrielmon did."
"Which he wouldn't have been able to do without you," Sam pointed out, his sapphire eyes flashing in the dim light. "Are you okay? You're the one who came closest to being hurt."
"Hey, yeah!" Matty complained, glaring at his twin. "What did I tell you about putting yourself in danger for me?"
"It wasn't just you," Mickey protested, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.
Mickey never hesitates when the people he cares about are in danger. It might not be obvious like with Dai, but the amount of courage he has is pretty impressive. He's definitely my nephew. There's no denying he's got some of my DNA. He reminds me of Kara that way. Courage beyond measure. Subtle, which somehow makes it even more inspiring...
From what Tai could tell, Mickey had used his own body to push Sam and Matty out of the way, and after the three of them hit the ground, Gabrielmon used his brilliant light to blast the pipes away. As a result, the group had ended up in a painful heap with Matty taking the brunt of the weight, since Sam had rolled away to protect Glowmon and Celestimon.
Not surprisingly, Mickey seemed embarrassed over all the attention he was receiving, and giving the older twin a warm smile, Sam said gently, "As long as you're safe."
"I'm fine, really," Mickey insisted, his blush growing deeper. "You don't need to worry."
"Of course we need to worry," Matty grumbled, sitting up and poking his twin in the shoulder. "Seriously, am I that heavy too?"
Mickey's response was to simply shake his head in amusement, and standing over the three boys, Gabrielmon frowned and said, "I wonder..."
"Wonder what?" Sam asked, lifting his gaze to glance up at the celestial digimon.
Does it really matter? Nothing matters without Kara and Dai here...
All of a sudden Tai felt extremely weary, and closing his eyes, he allowed himself a moment to simply hold his wife and feel the rhythm of her heartbeat pounding against his chest. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent night of sleep, and the exhaustion was starting to catch up with him. No matter how much he wanted to believe Takara was safe, he didn't trust Spritemon. He knew instinctively his daughter was in danger, and he desperately wanted nothing more than to save her.
Sooner or later Spritemon's going to let her temper get the better of her, and if that happens, what then? What if I'm too late?
"What did she mean by that?" Ryoko said quietly, speaking almost to himself.
"Mean by what?" Matty asked, accepting Mickey's hand and climbing quickly to his feet. "You're losing me, cousin."
Before the golden-haired Digidestined could respond, Izzy motioned for everyone to gather closer and said, "I'm assuming Ryoko's referring to Spritemon's statement when she said she had a gift for us later on."
"She also mentioned something about a blockade?" Tentomon added, buzzing next to his partner's shoulder.
Tai felt Sora shift in his arms, and glancing down at her, he realised she was watching him closely. For a long moment, they simply gazed at each other, and then giving his hand a squeeze, she said softly, "Come on."
She's trying to be strong for me.
Tai knew he needed to do the same for his wife, but at the moment he felt utterly defeated. Just thinking about the way his daughter had been taken from him without any warning whatsoever made his throat close up, and trying desperately not to give in to despair, he quickly got to his feet. Holding out his hand to Sora, she gently took it, and together they made their way over to the rest of the group with Agumon, Biyomon, and Dovemon following close behind on their heels. Though Matt didn't say anything, Tai could feel the former musician's eyes watching him closely, and keeping his gaze averted, he said quietly, "I'm guessing she's got something waiting for us up ahead. Whatever it is, she's probably hoping it will slow us down."
"Spritemon's using this opportunity to gain more time to warp Kara's mind," Sora murmured, her lips trembling in the pale green light. "That's what this is all about. She's going to do everything she can to hurt our daughter before we reach Dai and the Spirit Chip."
There was a moment of uneasy silence, and then bowing his head, Gabrielmon said slowly, "I'm not exactly sure what might be waiting for us up ahead, but it may have something to do with DarkAngelicmon. As I said before, it feels like he's close by, and I can feel him coming closer."
"And chances are he's probably not alone," Centarumon added, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. "We'd best be prepared."
"No matter what, we need to rescue Kara," Dovemon insisted, her words trembling with obvious fear. "We can't let them hurt her! I know...it's just...I have this feeling. I just know she's the key to saving Dai!"
"But what exactly are we supposed to do?" Mickey asked, sounding worried. "Where do we go from here?"
The older twin was obviously upset at the sudden loss of his cousin, and though Sam didn't say anything, the raven-haired Digidestined quickly wrapped an arm around the golden-haired boy's slender body for support. Even Matty looked unusually subdued, and moving closer to Mickey for comfort, the younger twin said, "Good point. It's not just Dai and the Spirit Chip anymore. Now we need to rescue Kara, too."
"Lucky for us they're all likely in the same place then," Ken said calmly, exchanging a meaningful look with his dark-haired son. "Think about it. They can't keep Kara from the Spirit Chip forever because they're going to need her to access it before they can steal it. Plus, we know they're going to use her feelings for Dai to their advantage, and eventually that will require the two of them meeting. Not only that, they know as well as we do that they need us to break the seal surrounding the Spirit Chip. That has to come first. There's no avoiding the fact that we all need to be in the same place before anything can change, so there's not much they can do until we get there."
"But then why hold us up?" Glowmon asked curiously. "If they need us there anyways, why drag it out?"
Tai slowly sank to the ground, and staring at the damp floor, he said dully, "For the very reason Sora mentioned. They're dragging this whole thing out on purpose so they can use the extra time to drive Kara's mind deeper into the darkness."
"That's low," Ryoko said angrily, his sapphire eyes flashing in the darkness. "Especially coming from Spritemon. The others are mainly doing it because Kara has to experience the darkness in order to overcome the weaknesses in her heart, but not Spritemon. She's doing it because she enjoys it. She wants Kara to suffer as much as possible, and I bet even after we get the Spirit Chip Spritemon will do everything she can to make sure that suffering continues."
The words were like a slap in the face, and feeling as if somebody had just dumped a bucket of cold water over his head, Tai simply sat there in silence, his body unable to function. Crouching next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, Matt said calmly, "You'd better not say what I think you're going to say."
But it's true. I'm not okay. I'm not even close to being okay.
"Tai?" Agumon asked, tugging anxiously on his arm.
He would have given anything to reassure his partner that he was fine, but the words simply wouldn't come. On his right, Matt was still studying him closely, and raising his eyebrows, the former musician said simply, "Better stop that line of thinking. Don't make me have to knock you out."
Huh?
Tai blinked, and smiling slightly, he said, "It's kind of scary how you do that."
"Just remember, I can read you like a book," Matt warned, punching him lightly in the arm. "And if I catch you thinking like that again, I won't hesitate to do something about it."
Though he was still terrified for his daughter's safety, all of a sudden he felt a little better, and putting an arm around the former musician, he said quietly, "Thanks, I needed that."
"The same goes for you," Matt continued, turning his sapphire eyes on Sora. "Trust your daughter. She's strong enough to get through this. You've both taught her well. She won't forget that when it counts."
At first, Sora seemed unable to reply, and then pulling the former musician into a tight hug, she whispered, "I know. I do trust her, and I trust you, too. We both do."
"Good," Matt said bluntly before turning his attention to Dovemon. "And as for you-"
"Trust your partner," the little rookie interrupted, her feathery face softening into a gentle smile. "Is that what you were going to say?"
"You read my mind. So, you three know what we have to do now, right?"
Tai nodded, and allowing Matt to pull him to his feet, he took a deep breath and said, "We need to find Kara and Dai."
"And that's precisely what we're going to do," Izzy interrupted, the firm tone of his voice catching everyone's attention. "I agree with Gabrielmon that Spritemon's plans likely involve a confrontation of sorts, and no doubt DarkAngelicmon is involved. Depending on what mood he's in, that may or may not work to our advantage. What we need to focus on right now is speed. The sooner we can get past Spritemon's blockade and reach the Spirit Chip, the less time she has to play with Kara's mind."
"Even if Kara does need to experience the darkness, that doesn't mean Spritemon has to overkill it, which is probably what she wants to do," Biyomon added. "We need to stop that from happening so we stand a good chance of rescuing Dai."
"That's great and all, but how are we going to get through this maze?" Matty asked, gesturing towards the path up ahead. "The broken pipes are completely blocking our way. How are we supposed to get past them?"
"We blow them up!" Celestimon responded, pumping his little fist into the air. "Gabrielmon and I can do it no problem!"
"Stingmon can help, as well," Ken offered, glancing down at his partner for confirmation. "There's not enough room for everyone to digivolve, but three should be enough. Stingmon and the angel digimon are small enough to manouver down here, and their attacks aren't likely to bring the ceiling down on us. Plus, it's probably better to conserve our energy as much as possible for when the real fight begins."
Matty seemed satisfied with that response, and turning to his partner, the younger twin held out his Digivice and said, "Guess you're up then."
"Right! Celestimon digivolve to, Angelicmon!"
"My turn," Wormmon spoke up, his body beginning to glow with the light from Ken's Digivice. "Wormmon digivolve to, Stingmon!"
As the three digimon worked to remove the pipes from their path, Tai seated himself on the ground with a deep sigh. Quickly slipping under his arm, Mickey settled between him and Matt and said softly, "It'll be okay."
He's so much like my sister. Always thinking of others.
The thought made him smile, and ruffling Mickey's hair, he said gently, "Great save, by the way. Matty and Sam are lucky to have you looking out for them."
"I'll second that," Matt agreed, smiling at his nephew. "That was some quick thinking. You and Halomon make a great team."
Mickey blushed at the praise, and beaming at them, the older twin said, "I didn't really think at all. I just kind of...reacted instinctively."
Tai glanced over at Matty and Sam, who were talking quietly next to Ken, Sora, and Dovemon, and shaking his head, he said, "Exactly. That's what counts."
Now Kara needs to do the same...
Sam must have sensed their eyes on him because all of a sudden the raven-haired boy glanced in their direction. There was nothing unusual about his expression to indicate that there was anything out of the ordinary going on, but even so Tai sensed that something felt different. Upon realising Sam had caught them staring, Mickey immediately averted his gaze, and raising his eyebrows, Matt said, "Something wrong?"
"No," Mickey murmured, his amber eyes sparkling as Sam immediately began to talk to Matty in a low voice that wasn't meant to be overheard. "It's nothing."
Though that wasn't necessarily a lie, Tai could tell it wasn't the full truth either, and exchanging a look with Matt, he proceeded to study the two boys sitting near Ken with interest. As Sam continued to speak, Matty glanced in his brother's direction, which made it blatantly obvious what the conversation was about. Though neither boy looked upset or concerned, their strange demeanor still warranted some attention. Moving closer to Sam, Matty continued to speak quietly in the dark-haired boy's ear, his neutral expression giving away almost nothing. In response, Sam let out a sigh, and bending their heads together, the two continued to speak in low tones while ignoring everything else around them.
Tai could feel Mickey tensing up under his arm, and giving the older twin's shoulders a reassuring squeeze, he murmured, "Relax, Mickey. They're just worried about you."
"I think you need to take my advice just as much as your Uncle Tai here does," Matt scolded, frowning at his nephew. "Don't let your mind take you places you don't need to go. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably not true. It's never a good idea to let your own insecurities become the motivation that drives you."
It was good advice, and avoiding Matt's eyes, Tai murmured, "Is that what you told Kara?"
"Something like that."
Tai suddenly felt an overwhelming rush of love and respect for his best friend, and leaning over a wide-eyed Mickey to hug the former musician as tightly as he could, he whispered, "Thank you."
Instead of responding, Matt simply hugged him back before turning to address Mickey, and ruffling the older twin's hair, he said bluntly, "I don't want to hear any complaints from Matty that you're growing distant from him, got it? And I'm sure Ken doesn't want to hear the same thing from Sam either."
"I won't drift away from them," Mickey said firmly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I promise."
"That's all I needed to hear."
Tai kept his arm draped over Mickey's shoulders, and closing his eyes, he allowed a vision of his daughter to materialise inside his head. Wherever Takara was, all he could do was trust that she would listen to Matt's advice. She was a fighter, and he knew she would put her heart and soul into staying alive so she could protect those she loved. If the darkness ever did grow stronger than she could handle, he could only hope that she would remember how many people believed in her and wanted her to come home safe.
Kara, no matter what happens, please don't ever forget how much I love you...