Digimon World Tour
Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Data Squad, etc. 1999-2014 Toei Animation, Akiyoshi Hongo, Studiopolis, Saban Brands, etc.
Chapter 9: Turbulence
T.K.
We met at the airport the next day to board our private jet, a Dassault Falcon 5X SME Japan had hooked us up with. Before we got on the plane, though, Tai had a lot of last minute reminders for Matt. "OK, so I don't need to remind you not to let my sister get into any trouble, right?" "Yeah." "And you've got my cell phone number so you can call me, right?" "Yeah, Tai." "And... oh come over here, Kari!" Kari rushed over to hug her brother goodbye. "I'm going to miss you so much," he said to her. "Me too. I'll text you when I get to Australia," she answered. "Yeah yeah yeah, come on," Matt grumbled as he gently ripped Kari away from his best friend's arms. We said our last goodbyes and then boarded the plane, taking off at 6 AM.
Later on, we reached our maximum ceiling of 41,000 feet. The captain's voice came over the speaker. "This is your captain speaking. We've now reached an altitude of 41,000 feet. We should be arriving in Sydney, Australia in 10 hours, 11 minutes. Enjoy your flight."
In the Digital World, Lord Bagra sees this. "Tactimon! I want you to see this," he calls to one of his Generals. Tactimon rushes over as Lord Bagra hands him a telescope with the same powers as his all-seeing eye. "I believe that's an airplane, sir." "Yes, but that's no ordinary airplane. That contains the girl we're after. Tactimon, I believe an aerial strike is in order." "I have a fleet of Pteramon awaiting your command, sir." "Very well, send them out." "Perfect."
Greg
We arranged for Kazuki to take a separate plane with our gear so we could hang out with our Digimon. There was just enough space for the seven of us plus our Digimon. Agumon spent a good part of his time looking out the window. "Wow... so what are we flying over now, Boss?" he asked his partner. "I dunno, but it looks like a lot of water," Marcus said. "That's the Pacific Ocean," Thomas informed him with a matter-of-fact tone. Marcus gave him a disgusted look. "I knew that, Nerdstein. I just wanted Agumon to figure it out." "Sure you did."
One thing I noticed rather quickly was the amount of time T.K. and Kari were looking out the window holding hands. They seemed to revel in at the sight of each other. T.K. was drinking to his BFF only with his eyes, and Kari was pledging with hers. It was so, so obvious, but perhaps they hadn't realized it yet. It was something I wish I had had with Rika, before she went too far. I was the one who had friend zoned her. Marcus was oblivious to it, and Thomas didn't seem to mind at all. Of course, Dr. Norstein was so much more mature than me, he probably didn't have time for it. Matt often talked about his girlfriend, Sora, and we saw her regularly. The only thing was, she wasn't there. Matt was going on his own, the solitary leader of the band. It was a real shame I couldn't make it work, but it was my decision. If she had become pregnant by me, I'd have been on the hook, and Dad would've raised Cain. Even if we just had coitus, it still would've been bad for me.
I consulted my partner. "You wish you had something like that?" Veemon asked me. "Yeah. Still, it's probably better if we just remained friends." "Don't worry, Greg. One day, you're gonna find somebody just like Rika." "She was only a consolation prize. I really wanted Kari." "Well, you've gotta realize you can't have her," he gently said, putting his claw on my shoulder. "Thanks, buddy." I pulled out a pair of wireless headphones and plugged it into the plane's Skybox media server with a vast iTunes video and music library. The one song that fit my mood at that moment was "No One is to Blame" by Howard Jones. I guess I got carried away in self-pity, because I started singing along.
["No One is to Blame"
Written by Howard Jones
Performed by Greg Logan (Doug Erholtz)]
As Greg slouches back in the seating area, he starts snapping his fingers to the beat as the song starts. Life continues on as usual.
Greg:
You can look at the menu but you just can't eat
You can feel the cushions but you can't have a seat
You can dip your foot into the pool but you can't have a swim
You can feel the punishment but you can't commit the sin
He observes Kari and T.K. cheerfully spending time with each other, just talking and holding hands and that kind of thing. He stares intently, but looks away when it looks like Kari's about to turn her head.
Greg:
And you want her, and she wants you
We want everyone
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
Agumon is raiding the fridges looking for fried eggs, while Gaomon challenges Thomas to a game of chess. Gabumon (with Patamon on his head) is busy sharing an issue of People with Gatomon while Matt is on his phone. Renamon is busy reading a magazine of her own. Veemon has put on another pair of wireless headphones tuned in to the same song, so he can follow along.
Greg:
You can build a mansion but you just can't live in it
Greg/Veemon:
You're the fastest runner but you're not allowed to win
Greg:
Some break the rules and live to count the cost
The insecurity is the thing that won't get lost
Unbeknownst to the others inside the plane, a squadron of Pteramon, a cross between a pterosaur and a fighter jet, is awaiting orders from Tactimon. Back inside the cabin, Marcus and Rika give Greg a weird look.
Greg/Veemon:
And you want her, and she wants you
Greg:
We want everyone
Greg/Veemon:
And you want her, and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
Greg and Veemon start dancing around the cabin. T.K. and Kari get up and see what the commotion is about.
Greg:
You can see the summit but you can't reach it
It's the last piece of the puzzle but you just can't make it fit
Doctor says you're cured but you still feel the pain
Aspirations in the clouds but your hopes go down the drain
Greg/Veemon:
And you want her (Renamon: want her), and she wants you (Renamon: Wants you)
Greg:
We want everyone
Greg/Veemon
And you want her (Renamon: want her), and she wants you (Renamon/Rika: Wants you)
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame
Matt gets up and shoos Greg away, clearly annoyed. He accidentally disrupts Gaomon's and Thomas' chess game.
Greg/Veemon:
No one ever is to blame
He ends up bumping into Kari, as the two make contact.
Greg:
No one ever... (spoken) is to blame
Greg, trying to salvage the moment, slinks back to his seat. As the song ends, he makes the mistake of looking out the window, where he makes eye contact with a Pteramon.
Greg
I quickly threw off my headphones. "Uh... guys..." But it was too late, the Digimon slammed its beak into the glass. Kari got a look out of the window herself and screamed bloody murder. "Kari!" Marcus and T.K. yelled at the same time, both concerned. The captain's voice came over the PA system. "Uh, this is your captain wondering, WHAT ARE THESE THINGS!?" Matt quickly took over. "All right, this is no time to panic," he said. We heard a slight explosion outside as the captain freaked out again. "WE'VE BEEN HIT! One of our engines has been hit! Everyone put on your safety belts now! Bring your chairs to an upright position, and do not move!" Marcus slammed his fist into his palm. "It's fightin' time!" he declared, but Matt grabbed him by the scruff of his collar. "Not for you it isn't," he shot back.
I used the Digimon Analyzer app on my Digivice and pointed it at the bird that was still pecking away at the window. I read off the description for everyone. "'Pteramon, Armor level, a Dinosaur Digimon whose name and design are derived from the pterosaur and the fighter jet. It is the Armor Digivolved form of Armadillomon through the Digi-Egg of Love. His special attacks include Missile Storm and Sharp Wing'. I don't like the sound of that." "Who has a flying Digimon?" Matt asked. T.K. and Kari raised their hands, much to Matt's chagrin. The two went into action as Kari helped Matt with his seat belt, to which the older Ishida brother insisted he could fasten on his own. "Everyone, put your Digimon back in your Digivices and hold on!" T.K. urgently instructed. I did what I was told, and so did everyone else except our two brave volunteers. He then turned to his girlfriend apparent, who looked afraid and very unsure. She looked back into those big cerulean eyes, and it was seemingly enough to boost her resolve. The two, almost in synchronicity, used the Suit Up feature as their DATS uniforms were layered onto their bodies. T.K.'s was in a different shade of green than mine, and Kari's was a beautiful pink. Kari figured out how to open the Type III emergency exit, and she did. The cabin started to depressurize as the two volunteers and their Digimon exited. I quickly secured the exit just after T.K. and Patamon crawled out.
T.K.
We went out to the wing, quickly figuring out what to do. "I'm scared," Kari whimpered. Gatomon spoke up. "So am I, Kari, but we've got to do something. I'm thinking we should Armor Digivolve. One of us can keep track of the plane, and the other can fight." "Right, I'm game for that," I agreed. A Pteramon hit the wing and knocked us all off. Like average people who lost their balance on an airplane wing, we screamed. Luckily, we had just enough altitude to where it wouldn't matter. I clenched my fist in resolve, and quickly brought my Digivice-mounted arm in front of me. I selected the Digi-Egg of Hope on the menu, then pressed enter. "Kari! Use your Digivice!" I called to my friend. She nodded, then selected her DigiEgg. I don't know what it was that day, but we were in sync with each other. I maneuvered my way towards her, and managed to grab her hand. We called the same exact thing, in complete unison and harmony. "DigiArmor Energize!" The lights fired out of our Digivices and hit our Digimon.
"Patamon Armor Digivolve to..." "Gatomon Armor Digivolve to..." Within seconds, we were separated, and we landed on the backs of our Armor Digimon. "Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!" "Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!" I straightened up and pointed the way towards a Pteramon. "There's one of them now. Attack!" I ordered. "Equus Beam!" Pegasusmon called, and a green beam fired from his forehead. It took out one of the enemies. I pumped my fist. "Yeah!" "Queen's Paw!" Gems fired from Nefertimon's paws, assaulting two Pteramon at once. "Bullseye!" Kari cheered. The fight continued for about five minutes, as the two Digimon dodged missiles.
Just then... "Sharp Wing!" A Pteramon slammed his beak into Pegasusmon's head, and we started falling. "PEGASUSMON!" I yelled. "T.K.!" Kari screamed. I held on tight to my partner's mane, closed my eyes, and started thinking out loud. "This can't be how it ends... come on, Pegasusmon... I know you can do this..." I urged. My life flashed before my eyes. First meeting Patamon, then defeating Piedmon, then all that we'd been through over the last two years, all leading up to Christmas morning. "That's it," I realized. I remembered Christmas morning 2012, when my parents were together, and somewhat happy (or at least pretending to want to be there). I wanted to see my dream of them getting back together realized, and that just wouldn't happen if I died in the Pacific. That thought led me to the others back in the plane, especially Matt. They had their hopes pinned on Kari and me, so I just couldn't give up hope now. That led me to think I shouldn't, and then that I wouldn't.
At that point, I felt my hand glow. I opened my eyes and saw that my hands were glowing, and my right one had the Crest of Hope emblem stenciled on it. I stared in awe at it, then got a firm impression to press it against Pegasusmon. We were starting to spiral out, and I was starting to see the ocean. After just a few seconds, he healed up and we went airborne again.
"T.K.! I didn't know you could do that," Pegasusmon marveled. "I didn't either," I said, still stunned. We went back up to the fight, stronger than ever. When Kari saw me, she looked incredibly relieved. I pulled my partner up to her. "Want to try ropin' them up and movin' them out, pardner?" I suggested in a half-joking tone. She laughed at that. "You bet." So, Nefertimon and Pegasusmon corralled them into a group, then executed the combo. "Golden Noose!" They were bound with a rope of golden light. My hand still had the emblem on it, so I thought I'd try something. I thrust my hand forward and called "HA!" The Golden Noose gained an electric aura as it shorted out the lassoed Digimon, reverting them back into DigiEggs that dropped into the ocean.
Rika
While T.K. and Kari were out saving the plane, Thomas took it upon himself to rush into the cockpit and salvage whatever control was left. Gotta say, from what I could hear, he knew what he was doing. Heh, the showoff. The rest of us watched the fight on our Digivice's video system. "Whoa... T.K.'s broken. In a good way," Greg said in amazement. "I didn't see that coming," I said. "That's my brother," Matt droned. "Aww come on, man. Those two are saving your life, you oughta be grateful," Marcus retorted. "Shut up, Damon," Matt growled through clenched teeth.
Luckily, we made it to Kingsford-Smith Airport safe and sound at about 6 PM local time. Sydney's two hours ahead of Japan. We'd have to get another airplane, and our pilot had just finished his 19th nervous breakdown. We just finished going through customs when T.K. and Kari caught up with us. By the time we all went through customs, we took a private bus over to the Westin Sydney, which was about eight miles away. It was pretty warm for February, so I took off my jacket.
Greg
Kazuki met us over there and introduced us at dinner to this beautiful middle-aged woman. I swear, she must've been at least 40, maybe even 50. She was blonde, five foot, eight inches, and looked like she'd gone under the knife at least twice. But boy, did she look good. She eagerly shook our hands and warmly welcomed us. "Well, hello there. You must be Matt, and T.K... or is it Takeru?" she asked. "Well, Takeru's my real name, but the label and I prefer that you call me T.K.," the boy with the bucket hat answered. "Oh good, I'll remember that. And Kari, Greg, Marcus, Thomas, and Rika. So nice to meet all of you. Welcome to Australia." Kazuki then stepped in and introduced the lady. "All right, you swinging cats, this is Sonia Kruger. She hosts Mornings for the Nine Network, and you'll be interviewing with her tomorrow at the crack of dawn." "Some time between nine and eleven AM, actually," Sonia gently corrected him. Matt then took Sonia aside. My guess is that he was trying to convince her to interview him first.
Dinner at Mosaic was great. I ordered the honey soy and duck ravioli with baby herbs and the pork trilogy featuring twice-cooked belly, braised cheek, and tenderloin. It was the best pork I'd ever eaten. Some pig must've been really, really lucky to have been cooked. And for dessert, warm chocolate pudding with white pepper ice cream, raspberries, and honeycomb. Mmmm mmm!
We spent the night doing various things. Matt, T.K., Kari, Rika, and I went off to Bondi Beach. Marcus and Agumon watched a UFC fight on TV, while Thomas claimed that he and Gaomon were going to be studying the works of The Alan Parsons Project.
The beach was actually quite nice at night. Matt threw rocks into the water, challenging Gabumon to see how far a rock could skip. T.K. and Kari went hunting for sea shells, Rika and Renamon stared at the moon, and I just wandered around. We made sure to drive back to the hotel before it got too late.
Late that night, before we went to our own separate rooms, Kari took me aside. "Greg, I had no idea you were interested in me," she said. This was my chance to make a move "You mean you couldn't tell when I first laid eyes on you? My voice must've cracked when I said hi." She giggled at that. That's the thing about Kari. I think she was trying to let me down easy. "Oh yeah, you did. Well, I really hate to say this, but T.K. and I have more of a history than you'd ever understand. We've gone through so much together. I'm really sorry." "That's fine by me, Kari. I knew I never had a chance with you," I said. She gently placed her hand on my shoulder. "Awww, don't worry. Someday, you'll find a girl that's even better than me. I know you will." Then, she leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Good night." Then, she let go and walked off. I grabbed my cheek, trying to wrap my brain around the whole thing. This big, dopey smile came over my face and I whistled happily all the way back to my room.
Author's Notes:
This chapter is coming in a bit earlier than usual for a few reasons. One, Valentine's Day is coming up (as of the time this chapter is published), and there's nothing like a nice romantic chapter to share with the person you love. The second reason is that where I am located, there is snow, and we're anticipating a power outage. Hopefully, it won't happen, but I'm prepared. That's why I'm publishing this chapter now.
Sonia Kruger is a real person who hosts Mornings and the current iteration of Big Brother Australia (which we'll get to later on). She is indeed 48 years old, old enough to be my mother. Boy, does she look good though. You ought to check her out on YouTube.
You may be asking, will we meet Derek/Dingo while on this trip to Australia? You have to consider that he's on the Gold Coast. We might, we might not.
T.K.'s powers have come in early, and as you can see, he has some healing effects. Will he ultimately have the same powers Greg had in Savers International? Only time will tell.