Digimon World Tour
Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Data Squad, etc. 1999-2014 Toei Animation, Akiyoshi Hongo, Studiopolis, Saban Brands, etc.
Chapter 6: Gifts
Greg
That Saturday at the recording studio, I related what happened the night before to Marcus, Thomas, and their Digimon. Veemon and I were the first ones there. Immediately, Marcus started howling in laughter. "AHAHAHAHA! WHOOOO! You actually called Rika 'Little Miss Jailbait'? That is just awesome, man, just awesome. I gotta give you props for that. Ha ha ha haha." Thomas shook his head. "What's jailbait, Boss?" Agumon asked. "In layman's terms, if Greg and Rika had sex, Greg could be in major legal trouble," Thomas explained. "Statutory rape, and possibly endangering a minor," I added. "Ew, remind me not to let you anywhere near my sister," Marcus quipped. My eyes widened. "It was Rika's idea! She grabbed my belt buckle! I didn't want to go into that karaoke shop," I argued. "But why Rika would want to have sex with a nerd like you is beyond me," the drummer went on. "Shut it, Damon," Veemon ordered. Thomas kept thinking. "What concerns me is MadLeomon. He killed an innocent human, and now is after Kari. There has to be some connection between her and this Lord Bagra," he said.
Just then, the others walked in, with Kari carrying papers in stapled piles. She put them down on the table. Matt led the meeting. "All right, guys. Good morning. As some of you know, I organized this meeting so we could test new material for the next album." We picked up the piles and looked through the music. After we reviewed it and learned the parts, we decided to test it out in the studio. Gaomon acted as producer for this track, under the pseudonym "Nakai Kazuya".
["You Better Run"
Written by Shuki Levy and Haim Saban
Performed by the Teenage Wolves
Lead Vocals by Takeru "T.K." Takaishi (Michael Cunio) and Yamato "Matt" Ishida (Michael Reisz)]
The band starts playing. The arrangement is just as 80s as the original.
Band:
Run, run, you better run run
T.K.:
Just open your mind, your heart is the key
Band:
Run, run, you better run run
Matt:
So much to learn and so much to see
Inside the audio booth, the Digimon give their various reactions. Patamon quickly lowers his ears, while Gatomon covers hers. Agumon is ignoring it and is feasting on a fried egg sandwich Sarah packed for him. Veemon snaps his fingers.
T.K.:
You better run! Start living out your wildest dreams
They'll guide you, they're inside you yeah
Matt:
You gotta build your self-esteem
To provide you, satisfy you yeah
Band:
Run, run, you better run run
T.K.:
Life's just a chance, there's no guarantee
Band:
Run, run, you better run run
Matt:
So give it your best and just let it be
Band:
Oh...You better run, you better run
Finally, Marcus decides to stop the recording, and stops drumming, loudly punctuating his displeasure by striking the cymbals repeatedly until the others stop playing. "Wait a minute, wait a minute! This is crap! This is total crap! Who wrote this?" he demands to know. Gaomon stops the recording.
Matt
Gaomon turned on the PA system as he looked at his copy of the music. "It says here 'Shuki Levy and Haim Saban,' sir," he said. Marcus continued his rant. "They ought to be shot! This is a terrible song! This is not who the Teenage Wolves are, and I'm not going to put my sticks to the drums for this kind of material." "Cool your jets, Marcus!" I commanded. Again, Kari tried breaking up the fight. "Guys... come on. At least now, we know what works and what doesn't."
The fight finally broke up when Kazuki walked in, being his usual self. He turned on the PA system. "Hey, hey, hey. What's up, my swingin' cats? Oooh, the dog is working controls. Far out." "Kazuki! Just the guy I want to see! What's the deal with this material? It sounds like something from a bad Saturday morning cartoon! From the 80s!" Marcus shouted. "Whoa, steady, man. You need to like, settle down. I've got some groovy news. Like, I just swung us a chance to be on the Red and White Song Battle." Marcus dropped his drumsticks as a smile came over his face.
"No. Way. We're actually going to Kōhaku Uta Gassen?" T.K. asked in complete belief. Kazuki nodded, and my brother picked up Kari and swung her around. "Yahoo!" Everybody got a chance to celebrate. For those who don't know, Kōhaku Uta Gassen is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by NHK and broadcast on television and radio, nationally and internationally. The honor of performing on Kōhaku is strictly by invitation, so only the most successful singing acts in the Japanese entertainment industry can perform. Basically, if you make Kōhaku, you know you're a success.
"Now dig this. The song NHK chose off the latest album is one we haven't released as a single yet," Kazuki informed us. "Which song is that?" Greg asked. "'If You Could Only See'." I pumped my fist. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" I cheered. "And what's even better, Matt, is that they want you singing lead," our manager added. I couldn't be happier. At last, I was given a chance to lead my band into the biggest performance of our lives.
T.K.
I was ecstatic we were going to Kōhaku, but I had a bigger issue on my mind. That was Kari's safety. If what Greg and Rika said were true, then my best friend was in danger. I remembered what I said to her that day she first disappeared into the Dark Ocean. "Look, I care too much about you to let anyone take you without a fight!" I meant what I said that day, and I still do. What I had to think about now was how to do it.
The next Monday, Commander Sampson held a press conference on TV related to what happened during Greg and Rika's "date". "This is an isolated incident. The Digital Accidental Tactics Squad is fully aware of what happened to that innocent human bystander. We send our condolences and apologies to the bystander's family, and wish that this had not happened. However, we cannot ignore the fact that it has happened, and we will do everything we can to prevent it from happening again. It is the organization's belief that human-Digimon relations can be mutual and peaceful. I have no further comments at this time. Thank you all for coming." After that, he walked away, refusing to make any further comments.
Not much happened after that for quite some time. "I Turn Around" remained in the Oricon Top 10 for six weeks straight, and it was doing well everywhere else (especially Australia and the United States). I was sure our appearance on Kōhaku would guarantee a chance at a world tour.
Christmas was a welcome relief for everyone. Ki/oon Music threw an amazing party two days before the Emperor's Birthday. I got to meet so many artists and bands, like Puffy, Asian Kung Fu Generation, and Flow. They were all amazed that we were doing so well and yet sounded so American. Yet, that party didn't mean anything.
The band recorded a commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken, which is always popular in Japan around Christmastime. I sang lead on a cover of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime". Matt tried hiding it well, but I could tell he was absolutely fuming. In addition to our pay, we also each got a bucket of chicken to take home.
We later organized a small party at Ken's apartment on Christmas Eve, just like we had the year before. Most of the original DigiDestined were there, plus the New Generation of Yolei, Cody, and Davis. When you added in Rika, Greg, Marcus, and Thomas, it was a packed apartment.
We started with a few rounds of Go Fish, but then Davis made the same suggestion he made the year before. "How about strip poker?" "I'm game," Rika agreed with a wicked grin. Ken panicked, and then decided to make one rule. "All right, if you're going to embarrass yourselves by playing this game, the first player down to their skivvies has to stand out on my balcony for five minutes." "Aww come on, Ken, that's evil," Davis protested. "Digimon Emperor evil," Yolei added. Ken growled at that. If there was one thing he hated to be reminded of, it was his past. "Sorry, rules of the house," he snapped. "If it helps the situation, I'll stay out of this game, Ken," Greg volunteered. "Me too," I joined in. "Me three," Kari chimed in. The only ones that didn't throw their cards back in were Marcus, Rika, and Davis. Rika proved herself to be the quite the card shark as she didn't lose a single hand all night.
That night, I couldn't get any sleep. I had to borrow some of Mom's sleeping pills in order to finally doze off.
I found myself in a void of nothingness with Patamon. "Uh oh... T.K., I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," my partner squeaked. "Oh man, Davis was right. That suicide drink really does a number on you," I said. "Yeah, but it tastes awesome!" a younger voice chimed in from out of nowhere. I looked around to see where it came from. "Huh? Who said that?" I quickly asked, looking around some more. That voice sounded so familiar. "Aww come on, you gotta know who I am, T.K.," the voice continued. "That voice... I know who that voice belongs to," Patamon realized. "Who is it? Who is it?" "It's... you." Suddenly, the source of the voice digitally came together. It was a little boy wearing a green hoodie, brown shorts, green sneakers, and a green hat. "Right!" he cheerfully said. "T.K.! Uh... younger T.K.!" "Patamon!" Patamon flew into my younger self's arms and the two happily reunited, laughing all the way.
The younger version of myself then looked to me with amazement. I didn't know what to say. What could I possibly say to myself that didn't sound weird? "Uh... hi, me." "Wow, it looks like I'm gonna be really tall when I'm your age," Young T.K. said in awe. "Heh heh, yeah. You are. Not only that, but a really good basketball player, too," I said. "Tell me about it. How are Mom and Dad?" "Still split up, but now Mom and I have moved to Odaiba, so we're closer to Matt." "Oh good. Anyway, enough playing dumb. I knew all that already because, well, I'm you."
He put Patamon down, and my Digimon flew back to me. At that point, my younger me became a bit more serious. "And that means, I know what's going on inside your head. Kari's in trouble, isn't she?" "Yeah." "And you're worried, right?" I nodded my head. "I know how you feel. When Piedmon chased us up that rope, I was scared out of my mind, and so was Kari. But when we fell..." "...I thought about what Matt would do, and that gave me enough hope to bring Patamon up to the Ultimate level," I finished. "Exactly. You just gotta remember that. Hope is more powerful than you realize. That's why, even though I gave the Crest's power back to the Digital World, that hope I keep in my heart has never left me. It's never left you, either." I lowered myself to a seated position, leaning against an invisible wall. "I know. That's probably why Angemon was able to Digivolve when we were defending that Destiny Stone. But sometimes, it's hard to remember. So much has happened in the last year. I'm in Matt's band now, but I keep getting pushed up to the front. It seems everybody likes me, and not him."
"And that's a problem because it's Matt's band. I get what you're saying. Well, I better get to the real reason why I'm here," the younger me said, as he pulled a familiar object out of his pocket. It was my old Tag, with the Crest of Hope still inside it. I had to consciously shut my mouth when I stared at it. "But, but, I thought Apocalymon destroyed the Tags and Crests," I stammered. "This is a dream. Besides, there's no way you're going to get this back in real life. Older me, it's time you realized your full potential. You've got the Crest of Hope deep inside your heart, something that can never be taken away. You heard what Azulongmon said. Yours and Kari's crests can directly influence the Digital World. You probably don't even realize what kind of power you really have." "But, you don't either," I said.
"Please, work with me. Right now, Lord Bagra wants to capture Kari so he can use her Crest for his purposes. If the Crest of Light gets corrupted, it could mean disaster for both worlds." I gulped at the thought, but the younger me smiled. "Don't worry. With what's about to happen to you... er, us, we'll be able to fight back," he continued optimistically. That made me feel better. "Gee, I never realized that having a conversation between two different versions of the same person could be so awkward," Patamon said.
My younger self went on. "So, first we're gonna do some sort of a number, because we've got to kill time. Then, I'll give you back your Tag and Crest, and something awesome's gonna happen. Then, you'll wake up." "A duet with my younger self. Interesting. But wait, what about Kari?" I asked. Kari had to be top priority. "Oh, she's going to be visited by her younger self as well. She's gotta have some sort of way to fight back. I tell you, 2013 is going to be the most challenging and most rewarding year of your life. You'll get to see the world, save Kari, maybe fall in love with..." He slowly stopped, as a look of disgust came over his face. "Oh man, I'm starting to sound like Piedmon. Yeech!" I laughed at that. "Don't worry, T.K. You'll understand," I said. "I sure hope so. The others are going to discover their own strength soon enough, and you'll understand too, in time. Oh, did I mention that I've got mixed feelings about your singing voice? It sounds like it belongs in an indie rock group." "Well, thanks," I answered, smiling.
My younger self snapped his fingers and a band appeared behind him. "All right, now I really like this song because I can identify with it so much. It's so much more upbeat than my old image song." "Wait, I have an image song?" I asked, confused. "Yeah. Well, yours is different from mine." He took out an mp3 player from his pocket and let me borrow his earbuds. I listened to it, and the introduction reminded me of Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart", except it was much more dramatic and slower. After I finished listening to it, I gave my honest opinion. "That was depressing. I mean, it was hopeful, yeah. But it was such a downer. Complete lyrical dissonance." My younger me looked confused. "Huh?" "The music and the lyrics are going in opposite directions." "Oh yeah. Yeah. I think you'll like this one better. Hit it!"
["Keep Your Head Up"
Written by Andy Grammer
Performed by Takeru "T.K." Takaishi (Michael Cunio) and Young Takeru "T.K." Takaishi (Wendee Lee)]
The backup band, which looks suspiciously like Kidd Video, starts playing.
Young T.K:
Whoa, yeah, whoa, yeah
I've been waiting on the sunset
Bills on my mindset
I can't deny they're getting high
Higher than my income
Incomes bread crumbs
I've been trying to survive
The glow that the sun gets
Right around sunset
Helps me realize
This is just a journey
Drop your worries
You are gonna turn out fine.
Oh, you turn out fine.
Fine, oh, you turn out fine.
The two Takerus and Patamon get into the groove as the band plays on.
Young T.K.:
But you gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
You gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
I know it's hard, know it's hard,
To remember sometimes,
But you gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
The younger T.K. points to the older one. "Now it's your turn!" he says. He backs up as the older one goes in. Yeah, the verses don't seem to make sense with either of these characters, but it sure beats "Be All Right..." by Hiroko Konishi. If you're curious, listen to that song for a full minute on YouTube. The instrumental intro alone sounds depressing. If that isn't lyrical dissonance, I don't know what is.
T.K.:
I've got my hands in my pockets,
Kicking these rocks.
It's kinda hard to watch this life go by.
I'm buying into skeptics,
Skeptics mess with, the confidence in my eyes
I'm seeing all the angles, starts to get tangled
I start to compromise
My life and the purpose.
Is it all worth it?
Am I gonna turn out fine?
Oh, you'll turn out fine.
Fine, oh, you'll turn out fine.
If any of you don't like the use of Michael Cunio in this particular number, please feel free to substitute him with Doug Erholtz. Then again, neither Mr. Cunio nor Mr. Erholtz know anything about this fanfic. For that matter, I don't think any of the English dub cast knows about this fanfic.
Young T.K./T.K.:
But you gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
You gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
Young T.K.:
I know it's hard, know it's hard,
To remember sometimes.
Young T.K./T.K.:
But you gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh eh eh eh.
Young T.K.:
Only rainbows after rain
The sun will always come again.
It's a circle, circling,
Around again, it comes around again.
I said,
T.K.:
Only rainbows after rain
The sun will always come again.
And it's a circle, circling,
Around again, it comes around,
Young T.K./T.K.:
But you gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
You gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
Young T.K.:
I know it's hard, know it's hard,
To remember sometimes.
Young T.K./T.K.:
But you gotta keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
Young T.K.:
And keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
T.K.:
And keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
Young T.K.:
Keep your head up, oh,
And you can let your hair down, eh.
I said ohhhh
Oh no no no no
Eventually, the song ends.
Kari
I was in a dream with my younger self. She had the scarf, whistle, and everything. "So let me get this straight. Lord Bagra is working with this Dragomon in an effort to capture me?" "Yeah," my younger self said. I froze up, dropping to my knees and trying to keep myself together. My younger self rushed to my side and started encouraging me. "I know, it's scary. But we're going to get through this. This isn't like you. This isn't like me. Remember, you're the worst enemy of darkness. You've got to use your light as a weapon, and I'm gonna fill you in on a secret." "W-what's that?" "You're going to fight back using the very power you gave up to the Digital World." "I am?" "You bet you are. Except this time, it'll be multiplied. Kari Kamiya, you're getting a major upgrade. The forces of good have decided to give you and T.K. your Crests back."
I scratched my head in confusion. "But why?" I asked. "Lord Bagra and his Army are one of the greatest threats the Digital World has ever faced. Their leader is so ambitious, he wants to take over the Human World. If he can control you, then he can control the light, and possibly take over both worlds." I gasped, and she went on. "It gets worse. If he can kill you, then all the light... will be destroyed." I let out a major gulp, but then thought about it. "Wait a minute... I've faced worse things before, like MaloMyotismon, and all of his forms before that. I should be able to handle this. Yeah." I stood up, more resolved. "After all, that's what my brother would want. But why does it keep coming back to him? And why am I even thinking about him right now? I should be thinking about T.K. Ugh, this is so confusing," I said.
"Maybe it's time you and T.K. got serious about each other," my younger self suggested, half-teasingly. "Huh?!"
T.K.
I turned to the band. "Thanks, guys!" I said in appreciation. They just nodded. I turned back to my younger self. "You sounded really good, younger me." "Ya really think so?" he beamed. "Yeah." "Well thanks. Anyway, here's your Tag and Crest. These powers you're about to get are only an amplification of your own hope, sort of like a volume control on a radio. They're not going to work if you let any darkness consume you. Oh, and please don't go posting this on Facebook. Or Twitter." "I won't do any of that," I assured him as I put the tag around my neck. "Now, concentrate on the hope inside of your heart. It starts in the heart, then flows through the soul and changes the world," the younger me said.
I did what I was told, and closed my eyes. All my focus, all my dedication, and all my heart went into this. I took all the hope I had and focused. Suddenly, I felt it magnify, first ten times, then a hundred, then a thousand. This power just kept growing and growing. I felt it surging through my veins, giving me a new strength I'd never known before, even greater than when I fought against MaloMyotismon. I almost thought it would swallow me whole, but in this case, it was a good thing... maybe too much of a good thing...
Kari
The little girl that was me five years ago gave me my old Tag and Crest back, and was just giving me last-minute instructions. "These powers you're about to get are only an amplification of your own light, sort of like a speaker. If you sense any darkness, just know you can conquer it. Draw on your Crest's strength with all your heart, and it will see you through." I nodded, then put the Tag around my neck and closed my eyes, concentrating. I searched my heart, probing for the light. As I came closer and closer to it, I embraced it full-on as it grew stronger. "One other thing, Kari. This won't be the only gift you get tonight," the younger me said. "Who else am I getting one from?" I asked. The last words I heard before waking up were "Mother Nature".
T.K.
I woke up with a start and sat up in my bed. "Amazing..." I quietly remarked. One of Patamon's eyes opened. "T.K... why aren't you asleep? It's nearly three in the morning," he moaned with a yawn. "I just had this amazing dream, but I think it was much more than that. I'm sorry to wake you, Patamon," I apologized. "Well, you can tell me in the morning," he sleepily sighed before settling back down.
Kari
I woke up with a start and sat up in my bed. Then, I got up and went to the bathroom just to be sure my younger self was right. She was.
T.K.
Christmas morning was something of a miracle. I invited Dad and Matt to come over to our apartment to open presents together. We'd try to spend most of the day together as a family, the way it should be. It's no secret among my friends that one of my biggest dreams is to reunite my divorced parents. Even MaloMyotismon took advantage of that when he stuck me in his "last temptation". Patamon helped me break out of my delusion, but that just drove me on further. I knew from that point that I'd have to do everything I could to make that dream come true. This was part of that plan.
Sure enough, Matt and Dad came after an early breakfast and we opened presents. It was a pretty good haul, but I think I got the best gift of them all. Just for that one morning, that one moment, we were a family again. It gave me a happy memory I could hold onto. As cliché as it sounds, it gave me hope.
The reason we woke up early is because Christmas isn't a national holiday in Japan, so schools and businesses are normally open on December 25th. I had to get to school, so I said goodbye to my parents and left. Since we became famous, the label insisted we get bodyguards in case somebody tried to shoot us. So, Jorge and Satochi moved into the vacant apartment across the hall in October.
I met up with Kari a few minutes before class as we settled down in our seats. "Together again!" I cheerfully said. "Just like old times," she finished. We laughed at our own private joke that never got old. Kari then looked around. "Did you get a strange dream last night?" she quietly asked me. I nodded. "Yeah. Met up with my younger self. You too?" "Uh huh. She said something about the forces of good giving us back the powers of our Crests, although it seems to be just you and me. Also..." she looked around again and then whispered something in my ear. "You did?" I asked. She nodded, with something of a mixed expression on her face. "All right, Kari. Congratulations. That reminds me, I have to do some laundry tonight myself," I sheepishly said, putting my hand on the back of my head.
Greg
That afternoon, it was official. Kari was now biologically a woman, having reached menarche. So what? Rika took her to the drugstore to stock up, and all the girls around the base were so excited about it. I couldn't imagine why. All it meant to me was that it would take the group at least two more minutes to get ready.
We spent the rest of the week preparing for Kōhaku. The school-age members had to get passes out of school for rehearsals. It was a long and complicated process. Everything had to be perfect for that one important performance on New Years' Eve. However, nothing could have prepared us for what Davis had up his sleeve.
Author's Notes:
The 80s song "You Better Run" that Marcus hated so much came from a series entitled Kidd Video, which was produced by Saban Entertainment and DIC Entertainment in the mid 80s for NBC. The band (featuring future Naruto VA Robbie "Cousin Oliver" Rist) actually had an album that was released in Haim Saban's native land of Israel (with all the songs in English, no less). This album is available for free online, which is how I found out about it.
Originally, I was planning on using Avicii 's "Wake Me Up" or Jason Mraz's "Remedy (I Won't Worry)" for the duet between T.K. and his younger self.
Young T.K.'s quote "It starts in the heart, then flows through the soul and changes the world," comes from the song "The Power of One" from Pokémon the Movie 2000 - The Power of One. I've always liked that song, cheesy as it may be. I've used some variant of it in my past two fanfics. See if you can find them. (I'll give you a hint, they both involve a certain Crest and a certain VA.)
You know how the English dub liked to push Kari's and T.K.'s ages a couple of years ahead of their original Japanese versions? In this case, Kari would be 14 and T.K. 13. And with T.K. already getting a major growth spurt... well, this was the next logical step.
"Suicide" is a resulting mixture of multiple soft drinks. Davis more than likely introduced it to T.K. at the party.
Well, next chapter, we'll be going to the Kōhaku Uta Gassen and we'll meet a band that was introduced in IrishDreamer4's fanfic Digital Adventure 03: Kiseki O Shinjiru. If you want to find out what they're all about, go to Chapter 27 of that fic. And as long as you're reading other people's fanfics, I'd also like to recommend Tamer Arisa's Digimon Academy. It's got my OC Greg in it, albeit with another Digimon partner.
Nakai Kazuya is Gaomon's Japanese voice actor.