Chapter 6: Favor

"Do you understand how irresponsible that decision was? I can't believe I'm the one saying this to you!" Taichi scolded Yamato, who was in his apartment with Sora and Jyou when Taichi, Takeru and Hikari got there. They were talking about what had happened in that day.

"As I said, it seemed like the best decision in the moment. We had good intentions." Yamato defended himself.

"I don't buy it." Sora stated, giving her boyfriend a severe look. "You're not someone who would keep such important information from us, Yamato-kun. What was the actual reason?"

The boy studied Sora for a moment. She knew him too well. He sighed and decided to confess:

"It would be too painful to talk about that. Koushiro didn't say a thing, he never really does, but I felt that to discuss those events any further would hurt him immensely. Besides, the Merchant didn't seem like an immediate threat to us and we had no clue in how to defeat him. What good would it bring to talk about him?"

"But if I knew about the Merchant… if only I knew…" Taichi murmured to himself.

"We should focus on the most urgent problem now." Jyou tried to change the subject. "What to do about this Sacred Society?"

"We'll defeat it, of course." Hikari said. "If the Merchant was telling the truth, they can't change our memories anymore."

"If he is telling the truth." Takeru spoke in a cynical tone. "We don't even know what that guy really wants."

Far from there, Koushiro stood in front of his apartment's door for a while before entering. He wanted to be sure that he wouldn't show his parents a face that would worry them. The boy didn't know for how long he would be able to conceal his feelings. Tentomon was on his partner's head, looking down at him, concerned.

"Do you want to talk to me, Koushiro-han?"

"It's alright. I'm going to be okay." The red-haired young man forced a smile as he said that, opening the door right after. His parents were at the kitchen's table and turned immediately to his direction. They had heavy expressions on their faces, and Koushiro had the impression that their eyes were red.

"Is there something wrong?" The teenager asked, worried. Yoshie got up from her chair and went to where her son was standing. She caressed his face with tenderness. Her hands were cold and covered in sweat.

"Everything is alright." Masami replied, standing up too. "How about you? What happened in the Digital World that made you leave in such a hurry?"

"Evil Digimon." Koushiro replied laconically. "I have to work in a few things, so I'm heading to my room, okay?"

The adults didn't object. Tentomon found it strange that Yoshie hadn't asked Koushiro if he was hungry. After the boy closed his bedroom's door, he let himself sink in his bed, face down, forcefully closing his eyes. Tentomon sat by his side.

"We need to talk, Koushiro-han. You're not alright. Please, don't lie to me."

"I'm sorry." The boy spoke in a weak voice. "Can we please not talk right now?"

"What is going through your mind? I won't know if you don't tell me."

"You don't want to know, Tentomon."

In the kitchen, Yoshie had started to weep and Masami hugged her.

"Is Koushiro really going to be safe? Are we not going to lose him?" The woman cried on her husband's shoulder.

"We need to have faith, my love." The man tried to calm her down. "Isn't the miracle that happened today enough for us to know that time can be rewritten?"

Silence fell between them.

"Makoto is going to save Koushiro and change fate… and he's going to have his family back and return to his world… but I don't want him to go. We've only met him." Yoshie opened her heart. She was worried about Koushiro after Makoto's revelation. However she couldn't ignore the son that had suddenly returned to their lives.

"I feel the same way." Masami admitted. "But Koushiro can't know about Makoto or Homeostasis. It's like we were told, there's no other way to protect him."

Ken arrived at his home. He went in and found his parents sleeping on the couch. Wormmon, who was being held by the boy, asked if they should wake the couple up.

"No, let them be. But it's strange for them to be sleeping already, it's not that late." The chosen child commented. A part of him was relieved that his parents were sleeping. That meant he didn't have to talk to them immediately.

"H-hey, Ken-chan…" Wormmon stuttered.

"What is it?"

"You know it, right?"

"I know what, Wormmon?"

"You know that I would never hurt you, right?"

Ken lifted his partner and stared at those insect eyes. He could see that Wormmon was scared of the answer.

"We all know that." He said seriously. "We would never distrust you… especially in our case… you stayed by my side despite everything. I know deeply in my heart that you're my loyal friend."

The two of them heard a noise coming from the boy's bedroom, which startled them. Slowly, Ken opened the door and turned on the light. They found Wizarmon in the middle of the room.

"You're one of Hikari's friends!" The Digimon exclaimed in surprise.

"Wizarmon? What are you doing here?" Wormmon asked in confusion as Ken slowly approached the intruder.

"I am so sorry, that guy told me to make the people inside this apartment sleep and help him sneak in, I had no idea it was your home." The mage tried to explain himself.

"What guy? The Merchant? Is the Merchant here?" Ken had urgency in his voice.

"No." A male voice said as the door of the room was closed. The boy and his partner turned around and found a teenager wearing a white coat standing between the door and them.

"Who are you?" Ken questioned.

"The Merchant ordered me to help this person. I don't really know who he is." Wizarmon was stating the truth. He couldn't even read the boy's mind, as if it had a different frequency.

"Hello, Ken-kun." The other boy saluted the chosen child politely. "I'm sorry for the intrusion but I have a huge favor to ask. I swear I won't put you in any danger."

"Favor?" Ken was intrigued.

The stranger had a desperate look on his face. He gulped before making his request.

"I need to go to the Dark Ocean."