I don't own these characters or profit from them.

Digimon Tamers: Last Day on Earth

By, Clayton Overstreet

Destiny or free will. Is there really a difference?

Takato was sitting in class, but despite Miss Isaji's best efforts he could not focus on the lesson and truthfully almost nobody else was either. He, Kazu, Kenta, and Jeri were trying. Everyone else kept looking at them. Some scared and a few in awe. And if the shoe were on the other foot, Takato knew they would be doing the same thing.

Looking out the window he could see throngs of reporters. Kept in line by a lot of cops. It had been a month since they had literally saved the world. The first week had been okay. Nobody had known who they were and the kids who had played with Guilmon and the others had been cool. Then somebody had leaked who the kids were and the media circus began.

It was great for the store and they had even done some TV interviews. Digimon games and merchandise were taking off in big ways in some places and were being banned in others. Henry's father, Yamaki, and ther rest of the team that originally created the digimon had been doing research and it had been revealed that the digimon were more than matter or data. The "science" was still iffy but they suspected that the digital world was something that existed far before computers, a border between normal reality and the spirit realm. Or fairy land. Or the land of the gods. The afterlife. Or another dimension.

It did explain why the digimon resembled creatures of myth and imagination. The screen worked sort of like a mystic's mandala and let the mind tap into it. After that it got into quantum physics and Takato fell asleep. Adults could do it too, but their minds were more set, so it was harder to transcend the borders between worlds. Digimon meanwhile were interacting with the computers so reality and perception were not that different.

Takato did not understand the details, but he knew what he was going to do. Over the weekend he had found that the portal they had originally used to enter the Digital World. And he knew what that meant. He had not told anyone yet, but he had sent an email to his friends to meet up. Not at any of their usual hangouts. They did not need a crowd and all of them would have some hard choices to make.

After school ended the four of them slipped out and away from the main gate. Guilmon and Calamon had shown them there were several ways to sneak in and out of campus. A quick change of clothes and some wigs they kept in their backpacks and they were at least able to walk down the street without getting mobbed. It helped that there were a lot of kids around who dressed in clothes similar to what they usually wore. There were even a few billboards of Rika, her mother having gotten her a contract with Ray-ban to promote a new like of sunglasses.

She was bigger than Will Smith.

Jeri flinched as she saw a bunch of girls with copies of her old puppet on their hands chatting off to the side. After having her puppet taken over by an evil digital monster had put her off the whole thing. All of them had been seeing the school counselor abnd therapists. It was not working too well though since the therapists were torn between incredulity and trying to explain what had happened when they thought it must have been some sort of hallucination.

They arrived as a manga café and saw a blond girl in cat's eye glasses sitting with a dark haired boy. She waved them over and they realized it was Rika sitting with Rio. The two had been basically inseparable since returning to the real world, but it was best not to point that out in Rika's presence.

They sat down and she said, "So what's up goggle head? You said you had something important to tell us."

Takato nodded and said, "I do. Remember the portal we used to go rescue Calamon?" They nodded. "It's still there under Guilmon's old lair in the park." They all gasped in shock.

"But how is that possible?" Henry asked. "My dad said that all the stuff from the Digital World was sucked back into the digital world."

Kenta said, "Uh Henry, it's not like the adults have a stellar record with understanding anything about the Digital World."

Kazu nodded. "Yeah, that Yamaki guy acted all big and tough to you guys, but pretty much everything he did just made it worse, right? And Shibumi ended up getting trapped between worlds." Henry frowned. He was still pissed at his dad for sending their friends back to the other world, but he was also upset that they were badmouthing his knowledge.

Rio said, "Well keep in mind that I lived in the Digital World for nearly two years. My parents are still sending me to doctors every other day so they can figure out why I didn't age or starve."

"Or how we were able to breathe under water," Takato said. "But you guys are missing the point. If there are still portals… and I think we'd be crazy to imagine that this is the only one on Earth… then that means there's still some crossover between the Digital World and the Real World."

"So we could go there," Rika said, her voice shaking.

"And they could come here," Rio added.

Henry said, "If what my dad and the others have discovered is true, then there has always been crossover between this world and that one. Dragons. Ghosts. Gods. Monsters. There's always been a connection. Computers have just sort of allowed us to communicate. TV. Radio. For the first time mankind has a shared vision, so you get the digital world where the beings now resemble monsters, cartoons, and everything else. And since it's connected to computers they evolve faster."

Takato smiled. "Which means it's only a matter of time before they evolve… or digivolve… past whatever your dad did. I mean who knows how powerful a digimon would have to get, but I can imagine the Sovereigns for example might be able to cross the barrier. Who knows what else might pop out…?"

"Or who might be disappearing into the Digital World," Rio said.

Henry nodded, "Shibumi did tell us once when we met that the border between the Real and Digital worlds might break down and the two worlds would possibly merge one day. He even suggested they were just different levels of the same world." He was smiling too.

"Why are you two grinning like that?" Kazu asked.

Takato said, "Oh no reason. I was just thinking… well if it's inevitable that the two worlds are going to connect again… well isn't it our duty to keep the peace? Nobody else could."

Kenta said, "What? You want us to fight digimon without our partners? We'd get creamed."

Henry said, "you're right about that."

Now Rio and Rika shared a smile. She said, "So really in order to do the right thing, we'd need to go find our partners."

"In the Digital World…." Rio added.

Kazu said, "Great but how would we even…" He paused. Eyes wide. "Takato found the portal!"

"Sh!" Rika kicked them under the table. "Keep your voices down."

Kenta said, "Hey, why'd you kick me." She glared at him. "Okay."

Jeri reached around and opened her backpack. She brought out her digivice. "Takato…. Do you think…?"

He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Jeri, we don't understand the digital world either. I do know in the cartoon they said that when digimon are destroyed their data recollected in a digimon nursery."

"But Beelzemon… absorbed Leomon's data."

"Except we've all seen that some of it remains in your digivice," Henry said. "Shibumi called them arks, like Noah's ark. If some of his data is saved, either in it or in you from your connection, there may be a way to reconstitute him."

"And if not maybe you could get a new partner," Rika said. Jeri looked up tears in her eyes, about to scream something. "Don't yell. I'm just saying I think Leomon would want you to move on Jeri. Nobody could replace him, but…"

Taking a deep breath Jeri said, "I understand. When my mother died… I was a brat about my dad remarrying my stepmother. She was a nice lady and had nothing to do with what happened to my mother. And I treated her badly. But my mother would not want my father to be alone. I… I'm not ready to give up on Leomon if there's even a chance, but at the same time… if I can help the world or I found someone else I could partner with… it's not like they'd be taking his place, but we could work together I think to help people."

Takato scratched his nose and said, "If you ask me Jeri, there's room in your heart for lots of people."

Smiling she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Takato." Around the table everyone grinned and he blushed.

"Uh, no problem."

"But that's a pretty good point," Rika said. "The Digital World is pretty dangerous. And maybe there is a way for Leomon to come back but I don't think anyone knows what happens to a human who gets destroyed in the Digital World."

Kazu said, "I do know we got hurt. And Shibumi aged while he was in his coma."

Rio said, "And we may not age there or need to eat, but it would be a mistake to just assume we're immortal."

Takato nodded. "Exactly. I think each of us will have to decide whether or not we're going back. Or coming back here."

"You mean it could be a one way trip?" Jeri asked.

He nodded. "maybe. I mean they say it's easier for us kids, but going bak and forth might mean if we grow up here, we might one day never be able to go back there. But if we stay there it means we'd never be able to go back here. Or we could go back and forth."

Rika said, "Well I'm going. I miss Renamon and I am sick and tired of being hounded by fans and scientists and reporters. I've been thinking of going into witness protection or something anyway and my mom was saying something about going to France." She looked at Rio.

"Hey, I'd probably still be there if the world hadn't been destroyed. I missed my family, but I'd already decided to live in the digital world. If you're there, all the better." Rika grimaced, but also blushed. "I'll miss my family but come on, we're almost fourteen. Time to leave the nest."

Kazu and Kenta shared an uncertain look. Takato said, "Also we don't all have to go. I think it's a good idea for some of us to stay behind, as sort of ambassadors. The Real World and the Digital world are still connected. That means Digimon will be coming here and people will still be going there."

Henry said, "History is full of people who have disappeared or been spirited away. Do you think they're still there?"

"Maybe. In which case those of us on that side should see if we can send them back, if they want to be."

Jeri said, "And people here should learn to work with and befriend the digimon here, so they don't think fighting is the only way to do things."

"But what about our… or their... partners?"

"Whoever goes through would send them back of course. I'm sure they're all hanging out together, just like us," Takato said. He hoped anyway. Like they said, the Digital World was pretty dangerous. He looked at Jeri. Part of him wanted to ask if she was coming or staying. He remembered when Leomon was destroyed and how she had rected. But looking at her eyes he knew she would go. "I think we should talk to Yamaki. He's still running Hypnos, so he could probably help."

Kenta said, "Yeah, he's kind of great at that. Enabling I think they call it. But what a bout our parents? They weren't exactly pleased last time. Now that they think it's all over I don't think they'll be happy with us starting it all up again."

"Yeah, well last time they didn't know what was going on. Now they do," Takato said. "Before they thought there was a chance of us having normal lives. After all this though with the reporters and everything…"

"And it's not normal or over," Rika said. "There's a slight lull for now, but even if digimon did not have a fighting instinct, there are still jerks among them and humans. People use the Internet to do all sorts of things. I can't imagine there aren't government agencies like Hypnos who are interested in doing more than just keep the digimon off Earth."

Henry nodded. "I hate to imagine what they could do if they harnessed the power of the Digital World. The team saving us created weapons and the D-reaper. Imagine if they did it all on purpose."

Jeri said, "And I remember Orochimon and all those other digimon who were causing problems back in that world. I think they need a great hero like Takato to help protect them."

Takato blushed again and Rika raised her eyebrow. "Takato? I think you mean Gallantmon."

"Same thing," Takato said.

She snorted. "Yeah right."

Kenta said, "That's like saying Rika is the same as Sakuyamon and let's face it she doesn't exactly have the build." Under the table was another kick. "Ow! Hey!"

She made a fist. "You want to see what my build can do?"

Rio cleared his throat. "I think Jeri will be way more useful in that world." They all looked at him. "The way she turned Beelzemon around..."

"Suzi did that too," Kazu pointed out. Henry looked at him angrily and he held up his hands. "I'm not saying that we should drag her or those twins of Impmon's along with us, but they still got digimon and according to the show… well they were called the digidestined for a reason. I think if they're meant to get their partner's back or go to the Digital world, they will."

Henry sighed. "That's true. I mean my dad said Suzi just vanished off the playground. I don't like it, but something tells me age and our wants aren't a huge factor. My sensei says that you have two things you can do with martial arts. Protect others or protect yourself. But you can't protect others if you can't protect yourself. I can't watch Suzi forever." He sighed. "Makes me miss Lopmon. She was a deva, but she did everything she could to protect Suzi."

Jeri said, "And now we have to protect everyone."

"Think our parents will buy that?" Kenta asked.

"If not I'll offer to bring all my schoolbooks," Takato said. "And if I happen to lose them like we did the bread on our first trip that's just too bad." They all laughed.

"I suspect there's plenty of ways to learn things in the Digital World," Henry said. "Even about Earth. The devas certainly seemed to know enough about it. And Yamaki let us get email. I'm sure we can do something."

"So we've got a plan," Takato said. "Now we just need to pull it off." He reached across the table. The others one by one put out their hands stacking them on top of each other.

Author's Note

We know Takato eventually goes back to the Digital World because we saw Gallantmon in the next season being asked to help find someone. I kind of see Kenta and Kazu staying in the Real world while the others go permanently to the Digital one. Marine Angemon and Guardomon would make good ambassadors witht heir friends to show how nice Digimon can be back in the real world. The others would just go on having adventures fighting ins ome cases or making peace in Juri's case, Gallantmon's princess. Plus there are probably ways to bring Leomon back, especially if she has her digivice and a card.

Season 3 with the Tamers was always my favorite. The first two seasons were a popular cartoon, which means we can ignore that depressing Digimon Adventures thing where they made a comeback and then lost their digimon instead of the original end where they grew up and introduced their kids to their own digimon. Guilmon and Renamon were the coolest partners and Suzi was kinda awesome and would probably end up in the digital world again. They had the best enemy, got an emotional response, and the tamers were able to use cards to do something but stand by and watch. Plus I saw the whole humans merging with them thing coming, which became a main plot point in later series.

Yamaki was pretty cool too once he got over himself. Steve Blum does good work.

With everything that happened I really can't imagine the kids would even have the option of living normal lives anyway and once you save the world, being a doctor or a lawyer when you grew up seems a little like a letdown. Versus going to another world where you're nearly immortal and that's full of magic and is essentially the Matrix. Honestly aside from their parents, why would they stay here? And again we know at least Takato doesn't. Rio was apparently not even trying to go home while he was there, Rika strikes me as happy to talk to her family on the cell phone once a month, Jeri's still got issues with her family and Yakato seems like the type to just write letters home about his adventures, leaving out the dangerous stuff so his mom doesn't worry. Meanwhile I imagine his parents having a daughter or something while he's gone.

Yamaki meanwhile would work as a go between trying to integrate the two worlds, so there can be peace and eventually they can come and go. not a school for Digidestined but maybe something like a Shinto shrine where the Digidestined are treated like Shamans or something.