Chapter 38: Sora rises
Her eyes teared from the salty wind. The last thing she remembered from her island was the sea rising to take everybody she knew. She begged Hikari to save her and so the girl did. Why didn't she ask for her partner to save Taomon and the others as well? It had happened too suddenly, she was scared, she was a child. For how long did she think of excuses like those? She couldn't bring herself to consider that it had been because she was angry at Taomon.
Nevertheless, Tailmon continuously told herself that Taomon was mistaken. She dreamed with a happy and peaceful life with Hikari, away from prophecies and grand destinies. Taomon was in the wrong and intended to force her into a role she didn't want. Tailmon was justified in rebelling against her. She was sure that once she met Hikari, who would be a completely ordinary child, the wrongness of Taomon's beliefs would be definitely confirmed.
But Tailmon was now on a new island, surrounded by the remains of a tower that had fallen into the sea, observing Hikari unlocking her godly powers. The first rays of sunshine broke in the horizon, surrounding the human girl. Hikari was sitting cross-legged and kept her eyes closed, with both hands on her lap. Before guiding the digimon there, she changed from the pajamas to a pair of pink pants, a yellow sleeveless shirt, a light pink scarf and orange and white sneakers.
Recalling the events of the previous night made Tailmon shiver. Not long before, she had her body invaded by her partner's overwhelming power. It wasn't gentle, like the time when Hikari had saved her, but aggressive and hurtful. She was glad to return to her adult form after landing on that small island, but Hikari seemed disappointed that she wasn't able to stay in the angelical form. The girl didn't comment anything, though, simply sitting down to, in her words, "access the door."
Hikari barely moved for hours. She was making Tailmon wait, but the digimon wasn't too eager to be in her company again. Hikari turned out to be the goddess Taomon had predicted, but scarier that the priestess could have imagined. And Tailmon was her tool to be used to save the world. Would she be forced to kill Wizarmon's beloved Ofanimon? Could Tailmon oppose her partner? Did she have a say in anything?
Would Wizarmon ever forgive her for that?
Hikari suddenly opened her eyes and stood up. She looked at the sky as wind circled her, making a small vortex. A tiny crack emanating white light appeared among the clouds. Hikari brought her hands together with the palms facing upwards. A gray sphere of the size of Tailmon's head appeared there.
"This is Vamdemon's data, that the previous Homeostasis had collected." Hikari told her in a sorrowful voice. "My friend wanted to make this villain evolve to ultimate level to force the activation of the crest of love. He was sure that Sora-san would do anything to protect her friends. But to think he would pick Vamdemon, knowing what he did to you…"
"I've never met any Vamdemon in my life." Tailmon said.
"It's true." Hikari said, smiling softly. "He never harmed you in this universe, but…" her smile faded, "… Kanda did…"
Tailmon saw a few tears forming in her partner's eyes. Hikari began to resemble the sweet girl that lived for centuries in the digimon's dreams.
"I can't do anything about Kanda anymore, but I can about this guy." Hikari said, making the sphere float towards the crack in the sky. "He'll be reborn in the Digital World with no memory of his previous life. And he will never evolve past child level again."
Tailmon found that punishment harsh, considering that she didn't understand exactly what Vamdemon had done. Hikari looked at the floating sphere with cold eyes, not looking away until after it crossed the crack.
"I made some modifications while preparing the gate." The girl informed. "From now on, all digimon who die in the human world will have their data returned to the Digital World. Doesn't that make you happy, Tailmon?"
"It's a good thing, I guess…" The digimon replied, worried. Why was Hikari talking about digimon dying? Wizarmon crossed her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat.
"Nobody is going to have to die if things go as I planned." Hikari assured, smiling. "Not even Ofanimon. I can make them all listen and understand."
"You won't kill Ofanimon?" Tailmon asked, not hiding her joy.
"She's not evil, but a well-intentioned person that keeps on making stupid mistakes." Hikari explained. "Like so many people I know… I see everything so much clearer now when the pieces are all together."
"I'm relieved." Tailmon said. "I thought for a moment that we would have to hurt others."
"You don't want to hurt anyone, right?" Hikari asked, showing her a sad smile. "You've gone through so much already. I don't want you to force yourself to do something that upsets you."
"Thank you, Hikari!" Tailmon felt a lot more relaxed, happy that she was over worrying and that Hikari cared so much for her. "Then, are we going to the Digital World now?"
"We have to wait for Sora-san and the others to arrive." The girl replied.
"I thought you didn't want them to come along." The digimon was confused.
"They won't go with us." Hikari clarified. "I need to convince them to stay here; otherwise they'll find a way to follow us, putting themselves in danger for no reason. I can't let that happen."
Toshiko was on the verge of tears, struggling to keep her composure, trying to hide the shaking of her hands by clenching her fists, but it was impossible for Sora not to see how her decision to go back to the Digital World broke her mother's heart. As she reminded the girl of every reason why she shouldn't return to that place, Toshiko's voice got higher and nearly broke at times; her face showed an array of emotions that she usually was able to keep under control.
To Sora, Toshiko seemed to be in terrible pain, as if her daughter going to the place where so many awful things had happened to her physically hurt the woman. Meanwhile, Haruhiko looked from his wife to his daughter in silence, bearing a sad expression.
Not long before, Sora would have lost her patience with Toshiko. She would have gotten angry, dismissed her mother's concern for animosity, shouted at her and stormed off. Things to which she had been blind for years now were clear as the day. Toshiko's love for her was too strong and too obvious to be ignored.
"What would you do if you were in my place?" Sora asked in a tone that managed to be tender and firm. "Would you walk away from your friends and let them fend for themselves? Would you let an entire world be in danger for your own safety? You know you wouldn't do that, Mom. Through how much sacrifice have you put yourself? How much have you endured because of your love for your family? If you were in my place, you would do the same thing. I have no doubt of that."
"But it's not fair, Sora!" Toshiko cried, at last allowing a pair of tears to escape her eyes. "You're just a kid! You shouldn't be burdening yourself like that! You shouldn't go off against forces that want to harm you! The fate of a world shouldn't be your responsibility!"
"It's not about fairness, Mom. Nothing is this situation is fair." Sora said. "You saw how Taichi was when he came here earlier. Imagine how he would be if we don't get Hikari-chan to-"
"Then just talk that girl out of going to that place and stay here with her and the other kids!" Toshiko interrupted. "Stay home, where it's safe!"
"But the Digital World wouldn't be safe." Piyomon told the woman, standing close to her partner.
"You and the other digimon can stay as well." Toshiko said.
"This place isn't our home, the Digital World is." Piyomon contested. "We've lived there together for hundreds of years before meeting Sora and the others. We can't just turn our backs to it and start a new life here as if it didn't matter. What right do we have to be safe when all the other digimon aren't?"
"But…" Toshiko tried to find the right words that would convince them. However, the sad resignation growing in her eyes denounced that she knew it was a lost battle.
Haruhiko touched his wife's shoulder. She leaned to him and accepted his hug.
"You have to take care of yourself there." He told his daughter. "We can't afford to lose you."
"I know." Sora said. "I promise I'm coming back home."
"I vow on my life that she will." Piyomon told them.
"What do you need?" Toshiko asked, rubbing her eyes. "What can we do to help you? We'll do anything!"
"I'm going to need some food, a first-aid kit…" Sora began to say.
"Maybe a hat." Piyomon said, pointed to her friend's hair, which had been messed by the wind.
"That's not a priority!" Sora retorted, blushing. "Besides, I don't feel like wearing a hat anymore. I could use anything to tie my hair."
"You can use this." Toshiko said, taking off the red clip from her hair to give it to the girl.
Sora was astonished at the rare vision of her mother with her hair down; it gave Toshiko a softer, almost vulnerable look.
"Sorry… you don't have to take it if you don't want…" Toshiko murmured, ready to close her hand on the clip. However, Sora picked the object up. The girl tried to arrange her hair with her hands and tied her fringe with the clip. She looked up to her mother timidly, asking with her eyes how she looked. Toshiko was smiling at her.
"You're beautiful, Sora."
"Thank you, Mom."
Her parents helped her assemble what she needed in a gray backpack. Toshiko talked her into taking a few changes of clothes and hygiene items as well. The woman was still visibly sad, but that didn't prevent her from doing what she could. Sora saw in Toshiko a person willing to put her feelings aside for the sake of someone she loved, and felt ashamed. Why did it have to take her so long to see how similar she was to her mother? How much time did she waste because of her stubbornness? A time that could've been used for them to get close and confide in each other had been lost. If only Sora had understood sooner, that would've prevented so much heartache.
I can't think like this, she reminded herself. I can't get trapped in this kind of thought pattern again. Nobody is benefitted from that. It just hurts…
What Sora could do was to make up for the lost time. Once she returned from the Digital World, she would make sure to do that.
"There's something I should tell you before you go." Haruhiko said when Sora and Piyomon were on their way to the apartment's door. "It's about your friend… Koushiro…"
"Dear, are you sure you want to do this now?" Toshiko asked, worried.
"If I don't tell her now, I'll lose the courage again." Haruhiko replied. "Maybe this is what Ame wanted me to do… he's going to that world with Sora… I can't protect him, but Sora…"
"What does Koushiro-kun have to do with aunt Ame?" Sora asked, confused.
Haruhiko took a deep breath, looked into his daughter's eyes and confessed:
"The boy you know as Izumi Koushiro is Ame's son. He's your cousin, Sora."
Sora felt as if the ground had vanished from under her feet.
"When Ame died, I was asked to take care of him, but… he resembled her so much, I-I couldn't…" Haruhiko continued. "Toshiko-san wanted to take him in, but I pleaded her not to do it… it hurt me so much just to look at him… Koushiro would be a constant reminder of my sister… I know what I did was awful and that I let her down. I'll understand if you hate me for that, Sora…"
"Your father and I had a discussion back then." Toshiko said. "I couldn't just let him abandon that poor boy, but I didn't want to hurt Haruhiko-san. The Izumis, who were related to Ame's husband, offered to do it. Such kind people… they understood your father's situation. We didn't stay in contact with them… I've wondered for years what Koushiro was like. But you got to know him, Sora. You befriended him. It's like a miracle."
Toshiko's smile when she said that took Sora's breath away. Her mother seemed lighter, as if a terrible burden had been removed from her shoulders. Perhaps for a moment the woman had forgotten that her daughter was returning to the Digital World. Haruhiko was weeping, quietly, freeing himself from what had haunted him for years.
"Sora, are you okay?" Piyomon asked by her side. Sora turned to her friend and saw a concerned expression on her face.
"I…" Sora didn't know what to say. It was hard to put in words what she was feeling.
Memories from her interactions with Koushiro resurfaced under a new light. They were so similar in personality, they were both chosen… chosen by Fate! The other Koushiro… did he know about them? Did he intend to bring them together? She would never know.
Koushiro was her cousin! She had never had a cousin before! Was it similar to have a sibling? For years, she had observed the bond that Taichi and Hikari had with admiration and maybe a little jealousy. For a lonely kid like her, distant from her mother, to have another child to keep her company, to play with her, to love her… but Sora was robbed of that.
If the two kids had known the truth, if they had grown up together, wouldn't that have been good for Koushiro as well? He would've never developed the self-esteem issues regarding his adoption. But because her father couldn't stand to be reminded of his sister… but her father left anyway! Did that mean that, had Koushiro stayed with Toshiko and her, Haruhiko wouldn't even visit them? Because it was hard for him, because he didn't want to suffer… and until that day he was completely okay with the decision of not knowing anything about his nephew! Toshiko knew that was wrong, but went along with it! For her husband's sake! Everything had ever been for his sake!
Sora wanted to shout, to cry, to call him out for his selfishness, but she knew how it would end. Haruhiko would be heartbroken. He was so fragile, so easily breakable. Sora would make him cry and fall further in his self-loathing. Toshiko would feel responsible for everything and would beat herself up all over again about it. They both knew what they had done and clearly regretted it. What would be gained by Sora snapping at them? There was no point in giving in to her anger. Instead, she tried to understand her parents.
"You can tell us." Toshiko assured her daughter. "Everything you're feeling, you're entitled to it. You can yell at us, you can accuse us… we deserve it. I should've done more…"
"I'm the one in fault here, Sora." Haruhiko said. "I can never look into my nephew's eyes and tell him that, because of my weakness-"
"I'll tell Koushiro-kun about this." Sora said. "Then, if he wants to, Dad, I would like it if you talked to him."
"B-But I'm not ready to confront him!" Haruhiko stuttered, nervously. "He's Ame's child, h-how can I…?"
"Listen." Toshiko said in a regal voice. "If that boy wants to talk to you, you should talk to him, Haruhiko-san. Sora is right. You owe him an explanation."
After half a minute of silence, the man let out a resigned "I know."
Sora smiled after hearing that.
Then, the phone rang. It was Mimi asking Sora to come to her place.
"So, Koushiro is part of your family now, Sora?" Piyomon asked while they walked to the address Mimi had given them.
A few people turned in their direction to comment how cool the smaller kid's bird costume was. They passed in front of an electronics store, where the televisions at sale showed people talking about a monster battle the night before, which nobody recorded. The reporters debated if it could be a case of mass hysteria or a publicity stunt for a new movie.
"Well…" Sora muttered, unsure. "We're related, but he doesn't know…"
"But you're going to tell him now."
"It doesn't have to be immediately." Sora said. "We need to focus on Hikari-chan now. I can tell him in the Digital World or after we come back…"
"Are you worried about something?" Piyomon asked. "Didn't you like to know that you're cousins?"
"Of course I liked to know." Sora replied in low voice. "It'd be nice to have a cousin and I like Koushiro-kun a lot. But he has his own family. He might not want to have that kind of relationship with me…"
"Even if that happens, you'll continue to be good friends, right?" Piyomon had a cheerful tone. "The bond you have with him is already special, like what you have with Takeru, Mimi and Jyou. You don't have to be family to love each other."
"You're right." Sora said, smiling. "You're all my precious friends and I'll always love you."
Piyomon was so happy to hear that declaration of love that she hugged Sora tightly.
"Soon, Hikari will be one of your friends too." The digimon commented.
"Hikari-chan is my friend already." Sora said back. "I've known her for years. Taichi, Hikari-chan and I used to meet at least once a week to play in the park. She had such a beautiful smile those times."
Sora frowned, thinking about the pain Hikari had put Taichi through. It was still hard to believe that the sweet little girl she knew had been capable of that.
"It's going to be okay." Piyomon assured, as if guessing the girl's concerns. "Hikari will listen to you and understand everything. In no time, you'll all be together and happy again!"
"It's true." Sora murmured.
Later, when they arrived at the Tachikawa apartment, Palmon let them in. In the living room, they found Mimi's parents holding fiercely to their daughter's bag while Mimi asked them to let her go.
"Mimi-chan?" Sora called, approaching the other girl.
"Sora-san!" Mimi exclaimed, beaming to her. Then, she looked to her parents and said: "See? Sora-san is going too! There's no reason to worry about me!"
"She's just a little girl like you!" Satoe pointed out.
"None of you kids should be going to that dangerous place!" Keisuke affirmed.
"I tried to remind them that I used to be the strongest fairy, but they didn't listen." Palmon sighed.
"If you were that strong, you wouldn't have died!" Satoe said.
"But the digimon that killed her is on our side now!" Mimi stated.
"That's not reassuring! He could turn on you!" Keisuke contested.
"Such a thing would never happen." Sora promised. "Patamon is loyal to us, he's our friend. We take care of each other and protect each other."
"That's right!" Mimi said, grabbing Sora's hand. "I'm not the fragile girl that left for camp anymore. I've become stronger, thanks to the support of Sora-san and the others. I want to be there for them as well!"
Sora was impressed by Mimi's determination.
"Mimi-chan grew a lot in the Digital World." Sora told the adults. "She kept reaching out to us, no matter how much we tried to keep our distance… how much I…"
"It's okay, Sora-san." Mimi assured her.
"Thanks." Sora said, turning then to the parents. "Mimi-chan is very strong, brave and kind. She always believed in us… in me… and never gave up. Mimi-chan can see the best in us, even when we can't. We need her with us in the Digital World."
Satoe and Keisuke exchanged looks, letting the grip on the bag loose. Mimi let go of Sora's hand and approached them.
"You can trust me, Mama, Papa." She told them. "I'll have my friends with me; we'll protect each other."
"My baby girl…" Satoe mumbled, pulling Mimi to a hug. Keisuke hugged them both. They made Mimi promise to stay safe and return home multiple times, among tears, and gave her the bag back.
"I'll protect her with my life." Palmon vowed, before the two girls and two digimon stepped out of the apartment.
"You better do that!" Satoe said, hugging her husband.
In their way to the park, Mimi thanked Sora for helping her to convince her parents and for the wonderful things she had said about the younger girl.
"You couldn't remain the only one saying things from your heart, could you, Mimi-chan?" Sora asked, showing the other a warm smile.
"I'm truly glad you can do this now, Sora-san." Mimi replied, smiling as well.
"You were the first person to call me out for my behavior, do you remember? When I made Piyomon cry?" Sora reminisced. "I think back on that and the times when you wanted to get closer to me and I kept you away… I'm really sorry for hurting your feelings and letting you down. I wish I could've been a better friend to you."
"We have the rest of our lives to be the best friends ever!" Mimi stated, grinning. "Once everything is over, let's hang out more! We could invite Hikari-chan too and go out, just us girls!"
"Hikari-chan…" Sora muttered, looking at the sky.
"She cried all the time when Fate made her lie to me, after he kidnapped my mother. She was feeling so guilty and ashamed." Mimi said, glancing down. "I'm sure she's confused about many things, but I know that she's a good person. We need to be there for her."
"Yeah." Sora agreed. She had known Hikari for years. There was no way a sweet and kind kid like her could be anything but good. Everything had to be a big misunderstanding, which would be solved by an honest conversation, like it had happened to Sora so many times.
There was no reason for her to worry.
Jyou wasn't expecting his brothers to accept quickly that he had to go back to the Digital World. But Shin's flat response after the boy spent 10 minutes explaining why he had to return and why he had to help Hikari still shocked him:
"You're not going. The end."
"But I have to!" Jyou protested, getting up from his chair at the kitchen's table.
Gomamon, who was on the table, supported his partner:
"We can't simply pretend that nothing is happening! My entire world is in danger!"
"Jyou can't even take care of himself, what do you think he can do for a whole world?" Shin asked.
"But Jyou has done a lot already." Shuu pointed out. "He has proven that he's capable-"
"He's an irresponsible kid!" Shin interrupted. "Yesterday he tried to walk amidst a snowstorm to locate a monster that had attacked him earlier!"
"Ok, that was bad judgment on my part…" Jyou muttered. "But you have to understand that I was very emotional!"
"You're always emotional, Jyou! That's the problem!" Shin raised his voice. "You feel things too intensely and your judgment gets clouded because of it! That bad habit of yours is going to get you killed, and your friends too!"
"It's the opposite!" Gomamon said. "Jyou harmed people more when he tried to be logical instead of following his heart. But since he began to be honest with himself, he succeeded in helping others!"
"So then you approve of his reckless behavior?" Shin asked.
"Well, no. I agree that he needs to be more responsible and think things through." Gomamon said. "But I don't like the implication that Jyou should be less emotional. His heart is the best thing he has! It's the source of our power!"
"I agree." Shuu added. "The key here is for Jyou to balance his emotions and his good judgment. It's not a matter of picking one over the other."
"I'll help him with that." Gomamon promised. "I'll call him out whenever he crosses the line and be there for him when he's impulsive. I'll make him listen to me and take care of himself!"
"I don't like to make people worry about me." Jyou said. "I know that I have done things that made you concerned and I'm really sorry about that. I'll be more careful and think about the feelings of the people who care for me. But I still have to go to the Digital World."
"No, you don't!" Shin stated. "I won't let you put yourself in harm's way again!"
In that moment, the front door was opened and two adults walked in: a short woman with messy dark hair and dark rings under her eyes, and a tall man with blue hair and glasses.
"Sorry for only coming home now, you'll never believe the night we had." The woman said, taking off her paramedic jacket and throwing it on the table, next to Gomamon.
"Never underestimate how many accidents can be caused by people slipping on ice." The man commented, slowly taking off his black coat. "What? All the boys are here?"
"I told you that I was coming home, Dad. Don't you remember?" Shin asked.
"I've been awake for nearly 19 hours, I barely remember my name." The father replied.
"Most of my night was spent rescuing people from car wrecks, but you don't see me complaining, eh, Shouichiro." The woman smirked.
"You were always the strongest person in this family, Rin-san." The man told her, with a little smile.
"Are they your parents, Jyou?" Gomamon questioned in loud voice.
"Did that toy just…?" Rin murmured, astonished.
"IT'S A BAD SPIRIT!" Shouichiro screamed, taking three steps back.
Jyou looked at them for a few seconds and grinned.
"Now that is how people are supposed to react to digimon!" He said in a triumphant tone.
It took 10 minutes to calm Shouichiro down, make him take a seat, along with Rin, and explain who Gomamon was, where Jyou had been and why he had to go back.
"This is too much…" Rin muttered.
"Absolutely!" Shin agreed. "Jyou wants to return to that dangerous place and won't take a 'no' for an answer!"
"Mom, please! I'm a chosen child! I have power to help the digimon that are suffering!" Jyou pleaded.
"Well…" Rin said, looking into his eyes. "I've raised you to always do the right thing… I don't like the idea of you going to a world filled with monsters, but I can't ask you not to risk your life saving others when that is literally my job as a paramedic."
"How can you say that? Don't you care about Jyou's safety?" Shin inquired.
"Be respectful to your mother, Shin!" Shouichiro scolded.
"You have to quit acting as if you're the only one who cares for Jyou, Shin!" Shuu said. "We all worry about him, but we have to trust him as well and respect his choices."
"His choice is to throw his life away!" Shin protested.
"That's not true." Shouichiro said. "Jyou has always put his maximum effort into things. He never slowed down. From what I heard about the things he's done, like facing danger to save someone, I can tell that he has acquired extraordinary mental strength. And for realizing the error in his ways and working to better himself, I can tell that he has matured greatly."
"B-But the risks he's taking…" Shin tried to protest.
"You're studying to be a doctor, Shin." Shouichiro reminded his oldest son. "Have you forgotten the vow of Hippocrates?"
"But Jyou is a kid! He's my little brother!" Shin nearly cried. "He's not an adult and much less a doctor! He shouldn't be acting like one!"
"Jyou has the heart of a doctor already. He has grown so much, I'm sure he will become a splendid adult one day." Shouichiro stated, turning to Jyou and smiling at him. "I'm proud of you."
Jyou felt his eyes getting filled with tears. For years, that was the thing he wanted to hear the most from his father and now didn't know how to respond. He thought about vowing not to disappoint him and to live up to his father's expectations, but that wouldn't be right. Jyou wasn't going to the Digital World because it was his duty, because he wanted to prove something or because he wanted to impress someone. He was going because helping others was what he truly wanted to do. Therefore, he only said two words to the man:
"Thank you."
He prepared a white bag with everything he needed and was ready to go with Gomamon, but Shin approached him. The big brother had a defeated expression.
"Don't die." Shin pleaded in a murmur, hugging Jyou. "You're my dumb baby brother, I can't… you c-can't…"
"I love you too, Shin-niisan."
Jyou carried Gomamon in his arms and walked to Koushiro's apartment, a few floors below. He found Koushiro with his computer backpack and a black bag on his shoulder, by Tentomon's side, leaning on his apartment's door. The sad melody of a violin could be heard.
"How did things go with your family?" Jyou asked.
"They let me go." Koushiro replied in low voice, keeping his eyes on the floor.
"But did something happen?" Jyou insisted, worried.
"Let's get going already, please." Koushiro said, beginning to walk away. "Some other time we can talk about this."
Taichi stayed in the park with Agumon, Picodevimon and Wizarmon. The mage was trying to locate Tailmon through innumerous spells, with no success. Yamato, Takeru, Patamon and Gabumon were the first ones to return. The little boy was carrying the same green backpack he had taken to the camp.
"Our father wasn't home, so we didn't spend time explaining anything to anyone." Takeru said. "I'm going to be away for only a few minutes, anyway."
"You sure are confident." Taichi smirked, not actually feeling happy.
"Anyone would be if partnered with the Bloody Lord." Wizarmon commented.
"Give him a break; it happened in a previous life." Picodevimon scolded him.
"That guy destroyed your continent, condemning everybody you knew and loved to a fate worse than death. You're the last person who should be nice to him." Wizarmon said.
"Yeah. If I can, you can too." Picodevimon replied.
"I will never forgive him." Wizarmon stated.
"Hey, how about we chill?" Agumon suggested. "There's no point in getting worked up about things that happened-"
"He has every right to feel that way about me." Patamon said. "I can't change the terrible things I've done, but I promise to do better this time."
Wizarmon stared at him in silence for almost one minute and then said:
"If that's what you want, start by talking to your sister once you go home. You broke her heart."
"I will." Patamon vowed.
Yamato approached Taichi, who was sitting against a tree, and sat by his side.
"I thought you were going to change clothes." He commented.
"My parents went to visit my grandmother yesterday and got stuck there because of the snow." Taichi told him. "They might've returned home by now."
"You didn't want to have to explain what happened to your sister." Yamato guessed. "It wasn't your fault."
"I doubt they would say that to me." Taichi spoke in a dark tone. "But even if they did, I wouldn't believe it to be true."
"I think I wouldn't either." Yamato replied. "But if it's any consolation, you're dealing with this way better than I would if I were in your shoes. Like in the camp. When the others disappeared, you were considerably calmer than me."
"Just because I seemed calmer, it doesn't mean I actually was." Taichi said. "I don't like to show that side of me to people."
"I can understand that." Yamato told him.
A few minutes later, Sora, Mimi, Palmon and Piyomon arrived. Not long after that, Jyou, Koushiro, Gomamon and Tentomon came. Sora kept her eyes locked on the redhead for a whole minute, which Koushiro noticed.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked in a serious voice.
"No, not at all." Sora replied, smiling. "I just need to talk to you about something."
"Something bad?" Koushiro asked, raising his eyebrows.
"It's nothing for you to worry about." She said, then noticing that the other kids were paying attention to the exchange. "But first things first, let's go to where Hikari-chan is."
Taichi got up and walked towards her, bearing a concerned expression.
"It's going to be okay." Sora promised him. "Hikari-chan is just confused. Once she listens to-"
"What if she doesn't want to talk to me?" Taichi interrupted. "What if my presence just makes her more upset?"
"You're her brother, Taichi. She loves you." Sora assured. "Love is the most resilient thing in existence."
"Do you really think so?" Taichi asked.
Sora thought about how much her relationship with her parents and friends had endured. They had forgiven her for her mistakes and for harming their feelings in so many occasions, which led Sora to learn to be more forgiving and understanding as well. Her clashes with other people didn't destroy her bonds with them, but made them stronger.
"I know it is." She replied.
"Are you sure you don't want to cross the gate before they get here?" Tailmon asked her partner, as they saw Birdramon and Kabuterimon approaching the island, bringing the chosen children and the other digimon.
"It's the right way." Hikari told her.
It didn't take long for the chosen children and the digimon to land on the small island. Kabuterimon and Birdramon returned to their child level forms and stayed close to Koushiro and Sora. Taichi and Wizarmon took a few steps in the direction of Hikari and Tailmon.
"Are you alright, Tailmon?" Wizarmon asked Hikari's partner.
"Yeah…" Tailmon nodded. "Sorry for the way we parted."
"That wasn't your fault." He said, glancing from his friend to Hikari.
"I got a little emotional yesterday." Hikari told him. "I hope we can come to a better understanding now."
Wizarmon looked at the girl with skepticism.
"Hikari said she doesn't want to hurt Ofanimon or anyone else." Tailmon informed, a bit enthusiastically. "You don't have to worry about anything, Wizarmon!"
"Are you saying that the goddess prophesized to save the world will simply sit down and talk to people?" Wizarmon asked. "I don't find that very likely, especially after seeing what she's capable of."
"All the prophecies you've heard were things the previous Spirit of the World made up. He liked to believe he could be 'fate' itself and mold events according to his will." Hikari said. "Now that I'm the holder of Homeostasis's power, I get to decide how things happen. For instance, he had created a prophecy to make Sora-san battle Venonvamdemon, but I've just sent his data back to the Digital World."
"Then, now you want to be Fate?" Wizarmon inquired.
Hikari looked him in the eyes and stated:
"I already am Fate."
She turned to her brother after saying that. Taichi was still wearing pajamas and had red eyes, indicating that he had been crying. Hikari recalled the harsh words she had used against him the night before and felt a sting in her heart. She had lashed out at him and hurt him deeply, allowing years of resentment to burst out. She had acted on her emotions without thinking twice, like a kid. Hikari had felt entitled to break his spirit in a petty revenge when Taichi wasn't really the person who had hurt her the most. However, with her friend dead, her brother was the only one on whom she could dump her frustrations.
It had felt great in the moment, liberating even. Then, the anger that burned her from the inside became weaker, until it was put down by a cold and overwhelming feeling. She replayed her accusations against her brother in her head; the exchange felt less like a triumph each time. Meanwhile, the devastated expression on his face grew in details whenever she remembered it.
But her guilt-fueled memories weren't able to encompass the range of Taichi's heartbreak, which she could see in its totality in that moment.
"I'm so sorry, Hikari." Her brother apologized to her, slightly leaning forward. "I didn't want to be self-centered… I never wanted to upset you. I… I have a lot of issues… and used you as a way to feel better about myself, which was wrong of me. I try not to show it, but I'm actually an insecure person who needs validation… and I tried to obtain it by having you depend on me." His eyes got brimmed with tears. "I'm so ashamed, Hikari. What I did was despicable! I swear I'll never do that to you again!"
Hikari felt as if her heart was being squeezed in her chest. She wasn't surprised by what Taichi was telling her. When she had opened the door in her mind, Hikari saw everything she couldn't before. Details that had gone unnoticed in her childish worldview had fully resurfaced, uncovering a complex background.
Their parents had gotten married too young because of an unplanned pregnancy. Their mother didn't get to finish high school and their father had to settle for a job he didn't like. They weren't happy together and tried to escape their reality in any way they could, the mother by leaving the apartment as much as possible and the father by drinking. But Taichi was a constant reminder of what their lives had become. In the beginning, it was so hard for them not to resent him. And little Taichi picked up on that, even if subconsciously.
After Hikari was born, especially after she stood up for herself and her brother, things changed for the better. Their parents understood how bad their behavior was to each other and the children and talked honestly about their problems. They worked hard to become better spouses and parents and mostly achieved that goal, despite a few relapses, like the time Hikari had gone to the hospital and they blamed Taichi for it.
The problem was that, in spite of their effort and good intentions, their actions had already affected Taichi too much. He had grown fearing that he wasn't good and did everything to get rid of that feeling. Her brother might have not been the selfless hero she imagined in her childhood, but neither was he a manipulative person who only cared about himself. Taichi was flawed, like every other human being that ever existed. But he tried to be good in his imperfect ways.
It had already been hard to realize all that by herself. But to witness Taichi coming to the same conclusion, to listen to him talking about it and apologizing to her was too much for Hikari to take. He was suffering so much, yet his main concern was to make things up to her. She wished she could go back in time and stop herself from saying those callous things, to protect him from that pain.
"Don't feel bad about it anymore, Onii-chan." Hikari told him. "I forgive you."
Taichi's eyes lit up as relief and joy spread on his face. Sora tapped his shoulder, grinning.
"I won't let you down again!" He promised his sister. "When you come back from the Digital World, things will be different between us. I'll listen to you more, I'll be more thoughtful, you can tell me anything I do wrong!"
"Are you okay with me going to the Digital World?" Hikari asked, touched by her brother's trust.
"If that's what you really want, I won't stop you." Taichi told her. "At least with Sora and the others there to take care of you, I won't be so worried."
Hikari paled after hearing that.
"I'm the only chosen child going to the Digital World this time." Hikari affirmed.
"Don't say that, Hikari-chan, please." Sora requested. "We are all chosen children."
"We're supposed to be there for each other and take care of each other!" Mimi stated, a few steps away. "It's not right to let a little kid like you by yourself!"
Hikari gulped when she heard Mimi's voice. How could that girl still worry about her after what Hikari had done to her?
"My friend possessed your mother and psychologically tormented you, Mimi-san. I helped him in that, I didn't stop him from hurting you and…" Hikari glanced at Koushiro, standing close to Mimi. "Because of my omission, you all have suffered so much. The least I can do is to take responsibility."
"What do you mean by that?" Jyou asked, close to Koushiro.
"You don't have to fight anymore. You and your partners can stay here, where you'll be safe." Hikari told them, smiling. "I'm the most powerful being in existence now, I can take care of everything and save the Digital World without you."
"Are you kidding?!" Takeru asked, irritated. "You can't just decide that by yourself!"
"Hello, Takeru-kun." Hikari greeted. "This is the first time we're meeting in this universe, right? We're usually good friends in other worlds."
"Then I'm guessing that in other worlds you don't try to boss us around!" Takeru shouted.
"Wow, you're angry." Hikari was surprised. "I've seen you talking like that with Daisuke-kun and Ichijouji-kun, but not really with me. It's a bit amusing, to be honest."
"I don't know who those guys you talked about are, but I don't like your condescending tone!" Takeru continued.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to come off that way." Hikari apologized. "I'm just thinking about your well being, ok? I want the best for you."
"That's what the other me wanted as well." Koushiro pointed out.
"What are you trying to say?" Hikari inquired, feeling her heart beating faster. "Are you implying I'm in any way similar to him?"
"That's not what he's saying, Hikari!" Taichi told her. "You're a good person and I know that you care a lot about other people. I know that you feel responsible and want to help everybody. But that's too great of a burden for you to carry alone."
"Then… you don't trust me, Onii-chan?" Hikari asked in a hurt tone. "You were just talking about not letting me down! About being thoughtful and listening to me! I'm more than capable of fixing everything myself!"
"We don't doubt that you have that power, Hikari-chan!" Sora told her, taking three steps in her direction along with Piyomon. "It's not about how much you can accomplish by yourself! It's not about raw strength! We can't let you do this alone because you'll only get hurt if you do it!"
Hikari trembled. Why didn't they trust her? She just wanted to help them! She was being kind! But they looked down on her, not believing that she was capable of solving everything, not allowing her to correct her mistakes. She had become Fate for their sake, and instead of being grateful they acted as if she was the one who needed protection, as if Hikari was simply a little girl who didn't know what she was doing.
But she knew better than them. Hikari could show them how wrong they were. And she would.
Her crest glowed so brightly that it blinded everybody. Tailmon was enveloped by that light.
The crack in the sky, that was so little that it was barely noticeable, became increasingly larger; its color changed from white to gray and then to black.
"I'll make you understand." Hikari stated. "You'll regret ever doubting me."
The armored angel stood close to Hikari. If her helmet didn't block her vision, she would have seen the others' horrified gazes. But seeing them couldn't shock her any more than she already had been. The ultimate level digimon trembled from head to toes, touching her arms as if not believing they were real. Her mouth was contorted in an expression of dread as she inhaled in short intervals. Never had the chosen children seen a newly evolved digimon so distressed.
"Sister…?" Patamon asked in shock.
"That's not the Ofanimon we know." Wizarmon said, trembling. "To make Tailmon take that form… you know what both of them mean to me! Despicable… I can't forgive you for that!"
"Hikari…" Ofanimon called in a scared voice. "Why did you make me evolve…? I didn't want to… I-I don't understand…"
"She evolved without consenting to it?" Piyomon asked, horrified.
Sora had trouble grasping what was happening. They were just talking to Hikari, trying to come to an understanding. The little girl had already made up with Taichi, which should've been the difficult part. Things seemed to be going according to what Sora had imagined; the misunderstanding was getting resolved thanks to the love between the siblings. But then, suddenly, Hikari was getting angry because they didn't want her to go alone. The little girl should know that they only wanted to help her, why did she react like that?
"The Ofanimon from the Sanctuary was once the strongest digimon alive." Hikari said. "That was before she lost to the original chosen children and was locked in a dimension with the corrupted data from the inhabitants of the Cloud Continent. She's nothing but a shadow of what she used to be. My partner, on the other hand, is powered by me. There's no power in the Digital World or here capable of opposing Fate."
"Hikari, you said you didn't want to hurt anyone!" Ofanimon protested. "You told me I wouldn't have to hurt Ofanimon nor anyone else! Why did you make me evolve?"
"I don't want anyone to get hurt." Hikari reiterated. "And if worst comes to worst… I suppose I could spare you from consciously taking part in the fight."
"Fight?!" Taichi questioned, disturbed. "What fight? Who are you going to fight here?"
"The wording you're using…" Wizarmon held his staff with more force. "Are you intending on taking control of your partner?"
"No, that… it can't be true!" Ofanimon spoke in a vacillating voice. "Hikari, please, tell him that's not true!"
Hikari remained in silence for a moment, looking at her partner with apprehension. She clenched her fists and bit her lower lip before explaining in a calm tone:
"I want only the two of us to cross the gate to the Digital World." Hikari said, pointing to the crack in the sky. "But if they try to follow us there, you'd have to stop them. I know that you don't want to hurt them, especially Wizarmon. In that case, I could spare you from being present in the battle by taking control of your body. That would be a last resource I'd only use to protect your feelings."
Ofanimon took a few steps back. Her skin grew paler and she began to sweat more; her mouth was open, but no sound escaped her trembling lips.
"How can that evolution sustain itself when their relationship is like that?" Tentomon wondered, astonished.
"It's not like what we have with our partners." Palmon commented. "Hikari is using her as a vehicle for her power, like Fate did to me."
"Why do you have to put Tailmon through this?!" Wizarmon inquired. "You're already a goddess, aren't you?! You don't need Tailmon to stop us!"
"I'm still learning to use my power." Hikari explained, turning to the mage. "If I were to use it directly, I could destroy your data by accident. But if I use it through Ofanimon, the worst thing that could happen is you dying and your data being sent back to the Digital World."
"I'M NOT GOING TO KILL WIZARMON!" Ofanimon screamed, terrified.
"I would never force you to do that!" Hikari adopted a defensive tone. "I care about them all! I want to protect them! The only way for them to get hurt is if they act against us! But if they listen to the voice of reason, they'll all get out of this unscathed!"
"Do you think that disagreeing with your opinion automatically marks someone as being in the wrong?" Takeru questioned in a controlled voice. "I can tell you by experience that's a really stupid mistake."
"I'm not some kid with anger issues!" Hikari protested, turning to Takeru. "I'm knowledgeable of hundreds of timelines! I know the weaknesses of the chosen children and the dangers of the Digital World better than anyone! If you all understood what's best for you, you would listen to me without question!"
"Fate bragged about being knowledgeable about hundreds of universes too." Jyou commented.
"He also thought he knew what was best for us." Mimi added. "That was his reasoning behind every horrible thing he did, including possessing my mother!"
"Stop comparing me to him!" Hikari shouted. "I killed my best friend to stop him from continuing to hurt you! I had to kill the only person who always believed in me! The only person who saw greatness in me and encouraged me to fulfill my potential! It was the worst thing I ever had to do and I did it for you! And this is how you thank me?!"
A few tears burst out of Hikari's eyes. She tried to wipe them, but they kept on coming. Taichi looked at her with desolation. It was clear that he wanted to say something to ease her pain, but didn't know what. He turned to Sora, looking at her with pleading eyes. However, Koushiro was the one that talked to Hikari:
"He was a deeply disturbed person that endured an unimaginable amount of trauma. His grasp of reality was loose at best, buried under uncountable levels of denial. You were his friend and he felt the need to see something marvelous in you, like he needed to see something horrendous in me. It doesn't mean that there was anything like that in any of us. We're simply a couple of ordinary kids victimized by him in different ways."
"I'm not ordinary." Hikari stated, coldly. "I've always had a special power that I could use to save lives; that has nothing to do with him."
"Is that why you're doing all this? Because you want to feel that you're special?" Gomamon inquired.
"Because you want to feel that you're a good person…" Taichi said, suddenly, turning to his sister. "I understand… you want validation, like-"
"You don't understand anything about me!" Hikari interrupted, looking from her brother to the others. "None of you do!"
"But we want to understand, Hikari-chan!" Sora told her, walking in the girl's direction. "I'm trying really hard to see things from your point of view. I understand that you think you're helping us, that you care for us and want to protect us. But your feelings are misguided."
"Misguided?" Hikari had a skeptical tone.
Sora smiled, gently holding Hikari's hands when she got close enough.
"I know how it is to have intense feelings like these, Hikari-chan. And I've known other people who were like this too." She said, thinking about Kanda and her parents. "I know how it is to be fiercely protective of other people, to the point of imposing things. I put Koushiro in danger once because I was trying to protect Takeru-kun. I know how it is to care so deeply about other people that it hurt, and to be so blind by your emotions that you can't see how things really are… that you can't see the damage you cause to other people." Sora felt tears coming to her eyes. "I used to think that my mother didn't love me, I made her into someone I could hate… but the truth was that I was afraid that I was a disappointment… that I didn't deserve to be loved…" Sora let a tear roll down her cheek. "But then, someone who cared for me made me see that I could be mistaken. Thanks to that, I talked to my mother and put effort in understanding her. And do you know what?" Sora grinned. "My mom loves me deeply, but was bad at communicating it. Thanks to the effort I made, I found out we are pretty similar. I learned from my mistakes and I'm trying to be someone more forgiving and understanding. It's never too late to do that, Hikari-chan."
Hikari forced her hands free from Sora's grip and took a step back. She studied the older girl for a couple of minutes, without saying anything. Sora was puzzled by her serious gaze.
"You've always been so kind, Sora-san." Hikari told her. "You were always looking after others, trying to help. Nobody could ever hate you. Not even my friend when Haruhiko-san didn't want to take him in after Ame-san's death."
Sora gulped, glancing at her friends. Nobody seemed to understand what Hikari was talking about. Koushiro, however, had an eyebrow raised.
"He never stopped loving you." Hikari continued. "Who would? Your presence is gentle and warm like the flame of a candle. It's no wonder he never tormented you like he did the others. He didn't even present himself to you, when for the first time you were the leader of the chosen children. But I imagine how he would feel if he saw you so earnestly trying to reach out to me, in spite of who I am and what I'm capable of."
Sora smiled, believing she was succeeding in making Hikari understand. She just needed to be honest and let her feelings flow. Hikari could see her motives and would come around. That time, things would certainly work out like they should.
"I can't talk for him, but if you want to know how I feel…" Hikari gazed into her eyes. "I'm embarrassed for you, Sora-san."
Sora took a few seconds to comprehend the last part. Embarrassed? What did that mean? What was Hikari trying to say? She was talking before about Sora's qualities and concluded by saying they were an embarrassment. It seemed like she had come to understand her, then why? How could Sora's words reach her, but that not resulting in Hikari accepting the girl's feelings?
"I'm a bit sorry for you too." Hikari said. "You ended up as the leader in this timeline because of a lack of options. Unlike Onii-chan, you're not objective or impetuous. You are too soft and gentle. Someone naive like you, who think that Fate can bend to your will because of your sweetness, can't possibly lead anyone."
"Now you crossed all limits, Hikari-chan!" Mimi shouted.
"We chose Sora-kun as our leader because we believe in her!" Jyou stated.
"We won't tolerate you bad-mouthing Sora-san!" Takeru affirmed.
"Hikari, you're being totally unreasonable!" Taichi scolded her. "Sora has never been anything but kind to you! She always treated you well!"
"She helped me and befriended me when I hadn't done anything to earn it." Yamato murmured, glancing at Sora. "Sora is one of the best people I know."
"I won't waste my time with you anymore." Hikari said, then turning to Ofanimon. "Let's go."
"I don't want to go with you!" Ofanimon stated.
"What is this about now?" Hikari inquired. "Didn't you wait your whole life to meet me? Weren't you raised to fight by my side?"
"Everything I ever wanted was to be your friend, but that's not how you see me!" Ofanimon protested. "I don't want to be a thing for you to use!"
Hikari paled and her eyes widened. She stared at Ofanimon without moving, slightly opening her mouth. She shivered, glancing at the ground for a second, then back at her partner. In a voice filled with cold fury, Hikari told her:
"You won't let me down as well!"
Suddenly, the tension in Ofanimon's body vanished, as if her internal turmoil had disappeared. Her arms fell by her sides and her posture became more relaxed. Quietly and emotionlessly, she walked towards Hikari, then picking her up with one arm.
"She took control of her body!" Wizarmon cried.
"If you value your lives, you won't follow us." Hikari spoke in a threatening tone right before Ofanimon took flight with her.
"We won't let you go alone!" Takeru told her.
Takeru, Jyou, Mimi and Koushiro grabbed their digivices and made their partners evolve to perfect level. Zudomon threw his hammer at Ofanimon, but she caught it easily and threw it back at him. Lilymon tried to tie her with her flower collar, but the angel easily freed herself and hit the fairy with the ropes.
Atlurkabuterimon and Holyangemon tried to block the path to the gate. Hikari created a ball of white energy around her body, enabling herself to float, while Ofanimon conjured a spear and fought the two digimon. Lilymon aided their attacks, but Ofanimon easily dodged them.
The ultimate angel broke Atlurkabuterimon's horn with the spear and punched him so hard that he devolved to Tentomon before hitting the ground. Lilymon fired her flower canon against her, but the blasts did nothing to the armored woman. Ofanimon flew to her in high speed, grabbed the fairy by the neck and threw her to the ground, which made Lilymon devolve to Palmon.
Holyangemon, albeit hesitant, tried to punch and throw energy attacks at Ofanimon, who deflected them easily with the spear. When she got close enough to him, Ofanimon pierced his shoulder with the weapon, causing him to bleed profusely and fall, reverting to Patamon.
Before Zudomon could think of attacking again, Ofanimon launched an energy attack against him, which caused an explosion that nearly knocked the children off the island. Once the smoke and dirt descended, an unconscious and bruised Gomamon lay in a crater.
The four children approached their fallen partners. The sight of their grave injuries was even more horrifying when they got closer to them. Wizarmon and Picodevimon quickly joined the fallen digimon to perform healing magic. The whole time, the mage kept glancing at Ofanimon, hovering meters above.
Mimi and Jyou kneeled next to their partners while Picodevimon was tending to them. The girl cried the whole time, begging Palmon to talk to her. The boy looked for something in his bag that could stop their bleeding.
Meanwhile, Wizarmon tended to Tentomon and Patamon. Takeru was crying in Yamato's arms. Koushiro stared at his partner in complete shock; trembling but unable to emit any sound.
"That wasn't a fight, but a massacre…" Gabumon murmured. "Is that the power of an ultimate?"
"Ofanimon isn't a simple ultimate." Agumon said. "The Queen was the strongest digimon alive. This one might be even more powerful."
"Hikari was always kind…" Taichi mumbled, letting several tears wash his face as he observed his sister inside the light sphere. "How could she do this…? It can't be true…"
Sora fell to her knees. Her friends' desolation felt like knives piercing her heart. They were suffering because of her naivety in thinking that Hikari could be talked to, that she would listen to them. It was an irresponsible, stupid plan that a good leader would never follow through. But Sora was blinded by unfounded optimism. She believed that because Taichi and Hikari were family and loved each other, their problems could be solved the same way Sora's family ones had been.
But it turned out that Sora didn't know Hikari as well as she thought. She didn't get to understand Hikari or make the girl understand her. It didn't matter how much Sora tried, the little girl wouldn't listen. Sora's feelings wouldn't reach her. Never in her life, not even during the time she had spent in the orb, had Sora felt so powerless. She cried quietly, shivering, not knowing what to do. Hopelessness filled her entire being.
"Sora, get up." Piyomon told her in a firm voice. "We're the only ones left. If we don't do something, she's going to escape to the Digital World."
The girl glanced up to the light ball and angel slowly floating towards the dark crack.
"We have to go!" Piyomon urged. "Hikari is your friend, isn't she? You've come so far to help her, you can't give up now!"
"I lost, Piyomon." Sora muttered. "I tried talking to her, but she didn't… I did everything I could…"
"No, you didn't!" Piyomon shouted. "You're the girl who faced a Meramon to protect the Pyokomon back in File Island! You stood up to Andromon in that factory to save Koushiro! You have fire inside you, Sora! I've seen you shout and fight more times I can count when someone needed help! Hikari is the one in need of help now! Aren't you going to fight for her?!"
"I didn't want to be controlled by my anger anymore." Sora said. "I thought that I could be better if I relied on patience and gentleness, if I tried harder to be more understanding… that way, I wouldn't hurt people again…" A couple of thick tears escaped her eyes. "But it didn't work! My love wasn't strong enough to help Hikari-chan!"
"Your love was capable of burning down a world of darkness! How can it not be strong enough?!" Piyomon protested. "Hikari was wrong about you! Just because you know how to be gentle, it doesn't mean that you can't be fierce when necessary! Just because you chose to be soft, it doesn't mean that you don't know how to be hard! You're nothing like a goddamn candle, Sora! Your love burns like a thousand suns! Let it burn!"
Sora stared at Piyomon, speechless. Her partner had faith in her when Sora didn't. Piyomon saw her strength when Sora couldn't. She wanted to believe too. She wanted to get up and go save Hikari, but her self-doubt held her back.
"Hikari-chan didn't listen to me…" Sora lamented. "What should I do?"
"Shout louder." Piyomon replied. "Keep doing that until she listens, and never stop. Your words will have to reach her that way."
That response made Sora smile. The girl rubbed her eyes with her open hands and touched by accident the hairclip in her fringe, a gift from her mother. Something Toshiko had told her a long time ago resurfaced in her mind:
"That creature burned itself down and from its own ashes resurged. No matter how many tried to destroy it, it would always be reborn."
Sora stood up, picking her digivice from her belt and taking a look at it. It had begun to glow with red light and get hot, like that time. Once again, someone she loved needed her help. She couldn't afford to waste energy with her fear and self-doubt. She looked up once more and saw that Hikari and Ofanimon were almost reaching the crack. Sora had to take action.
"Let's go, Piyomon!"
A wave of flames was expelled from the digivice in all directions, creating a firestorm. Instead of burning, those flames wrapped everybody on the island in gentle warmth, filling them with energy. Piyomon spread her wings, taking that fire into her body.
"Piyomon warp evolves to… HOUOMON!"
The flames ceased. With the help of Sora's energy, Picodevimon and Wizarmon finished healing the four monsters, whose return to consciousness was heralded by a giant golden bird with four wings and holy rings in the ankles lowering her body to invite them to climb her. Sora was the first one to do it.
"Hikari-chan is getting away, come on!" Sora urged, being quickly obeyed by the other children, who climbed while carrying their partners, along with Wizarmon and Picodevimon.
Agumon and Gabumon looked at Taichi and Yamato, waiting for them to come as well.
"We're not chosen children." Yamato told them. "If we went with you, we'd only be in the way."
"Onii-chan…" Takeru muttered. "I'm coming back soon!"
"I'll be waiting for you." Yamato promised.
"Sora…" Taichi said, looking into his best friend's eyes.
"I know." Sora told him, smiling. "I promise I'll bring Hikari-chan back safely. Don't worry."
Houomon took flight with everybody, leaving only Taichi and Yamato on the island.
Hikari and Ofanimon were almost reaching the crack when the girl noticed the giant bird coming in her direction in great speed.
Sora-san and Piyomon achieved the ultimate evolution… Hikari thought, astonished. Because of me…?
A warm feeling emerged in Hikari's heart, but she tried to shut it down. As she did, cracks appeared in her bubble. In a moment of panic, it disappeared entirely. Ofanimon's evolution also became unstable and she shrank down until she was Plotmon once again. The girl was able to grab her, but they were both falling, getting closer to Houomon. On the bird's head, Sora stretched her arm to Hikari.
"Why are we falling? What happened?" Plotmon asked, terrified.
After seeing his friend, Wizarmon jumped from Houomon and flew in Plotmon's direction, intending to take her away from Hikari.
"NO!" Hikari shouted, holding Plotmon more fiercely. Wishing to escape, the girl unconsciously summoned a dark tornado from the crack.
The tornado carried everybody that was in the air into the crack. After that, the portal to the Digital World was sealed.
Taichi and Yamato found themselves alone under the empty sky.
I had some difficulties writing this chapter and Qwertyshuman helped me a lot. Thank you so much for all the support, darling!
This was the conclusion of the third arc. The final arc of "The song of Love" begins with chapter 39: "Dark ocean."