Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Disclaimer: You do not need a disclaimer to know you and I don't care about that.

On a separate note here. maybe it's just the title itself that brings a stronger pull to the audience, but apparently this is being well received. Perhaps it's because this is a simpler story? I'm not really sure here. All I know is you like it, and if I like it, then we all win. And if Takari ends up being canon with the next movie release, then I don't know how big a win that would be, but it would be apocalyptic. Let me know what you think in the comments if you care to. And if you don't it doesn't make any difference to me. You got to write for yourself first, anything else that comes of it is just a bonus or you'll end up pandering to other people's expectations and not your own high standards.

Ok, that came out of nowhere without warning. Ah well, wear your heart on your sleeve, right? Just make sure you don't stitch it to your clothing. Or get bacteria on it. You know what, whoever thought of that even though it sounds good it's a terrible idea.

Chapter Nine: The Truth in Secret

Takeru had no idea how much time had passed. It all happened so fast. He ran as fast as he could into the emergency medics who whisked Hikari away in an ambulance to the hospital. They told him only family could board, and Takeru much to his dismay could not wait. He had to go to her.

"Which hospital?"

"Kurenada."

Takeru hurried as fast as he could over there, even though it started pouring down rain, clouds swallowing the sun. A shrill wind blew forth, Takeru fighting against it, holding onto his hat as he finally arrived at the hospital. It had long arrived before he did.

"Hikari!" he yelled rushing inside the hospital, staff immediately standing up.

"Please," Takeru said hurrying over breathless. "I need to see her."

"Are you family?"

Takeru paused a bit, knowing he would hate the answer. "No."

"Then we can't let you see her."

"But I have to!" he cried.

"Why? What's your relation? Are you her boyfriend?"

At those words Takeru hung his head in defeat. "No... not yet anyway."

"Then you will have to wait to receive clearance from her family first. They've already been notified."

Takeru waited anxiously in the lobby waiting for help. Before long Taichi arrived, his mom in tow.

"Takeru!" her mom said in tears running over and grabbing him by the shoulders. "What happened? Why is Hikari here?"

"I... don't know," he swallowed. "Someone told me they found Hikari collapsed in the school bathroom. I couldn't do anything," he scowled.

"We're going to go see her then," Taichi said tapping his shoulder. "Maybe it was just anemia mom?"

"I don't know," she said. "Taichi, you have to be strong for your sister."

Their conversation dwindled away as Takeru anxiously waited for an answer.

At least half an hour passed before they returned, Taichi supporting his mother.

She sobbed into his shoulder bitterly, Taichi consoling her.

"It's going to be all right mom," he said. "Hikari's a strong girl. I'm sure she'll come out of it anytime."

"I know, but -" her eyes met Takeru's- Takeru on edge.

"You!" she yelled grabbing him by the shoulders shaking him. "Why? Why did you push her so far? Why did you have to mess with her like that? You're supposed to be her best friend!" she teared up. "And yet you let her suffer like this? And for what? Look at what's happened because of you!"

Takeru teared up, having no idea how her condition was.

"What's wrong with her?" he weakly asked.

"She's in a coma!" she shouted bitterly, Taichi helping her mom get off of him.

"Mom don't worry. The doctors will take care of her. She'll be fine," he said optimistically, but Takeru knew he was faking it. Before they left, he glanced back at Takeru shaking his head sadly. He pointed to the front desk, gave a thumbs up and went away with his mom.

Takeru raced forward, ignoring the disheveled Yoko's face burned into his mind and approached the front desk.

"Hikari...Yagami," he said, his voice shaking.

"Yes, the family did clear you," she said. "Right this way…"

A pair of nurse's escorted Takeru to Hikari's room. She lay their motionless, an IV in her arm, oxygen and liquids running through her system.

He looked down pitifully at her, tears pouring from his face.

"We'll give you some time," one of the nurses said. "Hopefully she'll get better."

"Thanks," he said wiping his eyes.

"Oh Hikari-chan," he said sitting down.

Aside from the sound of the heartbeat monitor device machine letting Takeru know she had a pulse, and the sound of the droplets from the IV he could not hear anything-not even Hikari's small breaths. He hesitated swallowing bitterly as he grasped his fists, weeping bitterly.

"I thought...I had more time," he sobbed. "Hikari-chan, I'm so sorry," he sniffed. "I didn't mean to put you through all this. But, if I didn't I-"

He paused, glancing up horrified to to see Hikari up, glaring at him with off yellow eyes. "If it isn't the Digidestined of Hope," she said. "It's been a while, has it not?"

"...Homeostasis," Takeru said breathlessly.

"It appears I will be winning this wager of ours," she said moving Hikari's body around as if she was getting adjusted to it. "Things ended a lot more quickly than I had expected it to."

"I'm sorry, "he said heavily. "I... I thought I had more time! I would do anything to give her more time. And I thought that if I did it this way, the world would notice Hikari more. She wouldn't fall back into depression or sadness. Or want to slip away like before. I thought I could save her."

"That's really something," she said crossing her legs. "Daigo thought the same thing about Himekawa, but he couldn't save her? And you know where that got him? Both of them died," she said coldly. "It's much better I take over her body before she loses the will to live altogether."

"I still can't agree to it."

"That's nothing to do with this," she retorted. "You lost the wager and now you will pay the price."

"Instead," Takeru groaned, "Can't you just use me instead? Let Hikari keep her body."

"I can't do that. I can't just 'use' you. And you know the reason why."

Takeru closed his eyes bitterly. "Don't say it!"

"I have to. Even if you want to run away from the truth, you can't escape from it."

"No! Stop! Don't say anymore!"

"The fact is, if I don't do this-"

"-Homeostasis!" he shouted.

"-She'll die."

Takeru's hands fell limp as he stared at her.

"Don't you remember that time she fell down on July 16th? It was just the two of you. Hikari began to grow weak and just fell down practically on her face as if she had used up what life she had left."

"...I remember," he said, his throat sore.

"That was the last time I had replenished her of life. But she's only human. Eventually no matter how many times you recharge it, once the battery is at the end of its life, it won't charge no matter how much you try to."

Takeru closed his eyes bitterly, grinding his teeth together. "This wasn't how it was supposed to be," he sighed. "Hikari, she...she was supposed to become happy. She wanted to become a teacher. She had hopes, and dreams, and now all of that...if you take her away Homeostasis, she'll be-"

"-You don't understand," she replied plainly. "You naively thought that somehow relationships with other people would give Hikari a jolt and be more active in her life. True, connections have a way of doing that and providing joy and happiness," she acknowledged.

Takeru wiped his eyes, hanging onto her every word. "But there's a catch, isn't their?" he asked.

"Quite right. Hikari's physical life was never guaranteed. She has had numerous close encounters with death, and only by my light has she been sustained. She is the bearer of light, and she too must bear the light and the darkness that goes with it. As she lived her life, she constantly dealt with the light and the darkness, but each time she did so it sapped away her very life force. This also explains why she had been spirited away into the Dark Ocean. And now, as of today…"

Takeru felt sweat droplets drip through his hat, doing his best to keep himself composed. "-Tell me one thing Homeostasis," he said. "If I confessed to Hikari, would she still have been like this?"

"...Only immense joy can overcome such shadows of sorrow," she cautioned. "Though you were planning on confessing to her, because you took this dangerous route to save her life it caused her life force to run out even faster. Not that you really had any other alternative," she said uncrossing one leg and crossing the other over it. "If anything, fool-hardly though it WAS I couldn't see anyone doing much anything else that would improve your odds," she said reaching out her hand and rubbing his head-something Hikari sure would have done in that situation if she was still there. "There's no more time left Takeru. If I recharge her, there is a very real chance her whole body will break apart."

He took off his hat and sat there, staring at her mesmerized in agony. "What can I do?" he winced. "I would do anything for her. Even if it cost me everything."

"Then you know what you must do," she said. "Give yourself to me and submit to my power. If you do, I can use your crest power along with my own to not only recharge her, but restore her, but with an enormous price to be paid."

"My life," Takeru acknowledged.

"Exactly. The only way to save a life that is dying is to take a life that is living. One for the other. An equal transaction perfectly balanced such as light for hope. Any other Digidestined would be insufficient. That is the nature of everything strived for. Equilibrium. That is the nature of Homeostasis."

Takeru swallowed. "Then, I have to do it, don't I?"

"If you wish to save her life you have no choice. There is no other alternative."

He stared at Hikari grabbing her hand with both of his.

"I'm sorry, Hikari," he sniffed. "For all that I've put you through. For making you suffer. But I promise you I will make this right."

Homeostasis stared at him carefully. "So, then Takeru Takaishi, will you make the necessary sacrifice?"

"How long do I have?" he asked bleakly.

"Her body will give out in twenty-four hrs. You have until then to make your choice."

With that Homeostasis closed her eyes, Hikari collapsing, Takeru catching her and gently laying her back down.

He sighed heavily.

"Oh Hikari," he smiled sadly. "I'm going to go get what I deserve. And once that happens, it won't be so bad," he said stroking the side of her hair. "I'll pay for what I've done, and you can live in my place."

With that he placed his hat back on his head determined more than ever before. No matter what sadness lay in his path for Hikari's sake, he would endure it all.

Takeru took out his phone, nonchalantly dialing all the Digidestined up one by one. He played innocent gathering them together telling them it was very important because it had to do with Hikari. He waited by the park back at the school where one by one they all seemed to gather.

"Last but not least," he smirked, "Yamato should be here."

"What are you going on about?" Daisuke groaned. "And how is Hikari? Not many of us have seen her yet."

"I don't think any of you could bear to," he said, Takeru's depression hanging in the air. "She's in a coma. No one knows when she will-"

"-TK!" Yamato scowled, a car door slamming as both him and Sora both approached him and the others.

"Hey Yamato! Hi Sora!" Miyako grinned. "Why the scary face?"

"Do you mind explaining what THIS means?!" he growled taking out the note Takeru had written for her.

The older Digidestined Izzy and Mimi, as well as a few others also came down.

"What did we just walk into?" he asked.

"Not sure," Mimi said. "Gosh we could use some cheerfulness around here."

Cloudy skies started to overshadow the lot of them.

Just then Taichi approached both hands in his pocket staring down glumly. "Hey Yamato. What are you yelling about this time? I'm not really in the mood for-"

"-You should hear this!" he growled staring dangerously at Takeru.

"How could you do that TK!"

"What did he do?" Ken asked.

"Is it really so bad?" Iori also commented.

"This is the worst thing you have ever done!" Yamato yelled. "Did you really think you could just pass this note to me and think you would get away from this?!"

"What is he talking about Takeru?" Taichi asked.

"What did you do man?" Daisuke asked.

"I'm also quite curious," Iori said frowning.

Takeru smiled and took his hat off of his head.

"Yamato. You should read them what I wrote."

"Read what?" Jou appeared, a bit panicked.

"What is going on?" Mimi asked.

"Why is everyone surrounding Takeru like this?" Iori said curiously.

"Just do it brother!" Takeru yelled sharply, everyone giving pause.

With that Yamato coughed slightly in his fist. "All right, but this is worse than not telling us about Patamon. This is something you're going to have to live with."

With that Yamato closed his eyes, his voice echoing out the words on the paper:

"On July 16th Hikari Yagami collapsed while we were walking home from school. I thought nothing of it then, but it started happening more frequently. I became worried. It wasn't until just a few months ago I found out the reason why; though, the way I found out shocked me. Homeostasis awakened in Hikari's body the last time it happened. That's when she told me the truth. My dear friend Hikari Yagami is constantly in a state of dying. I know it's wrong of me to keep this secret away from everyone, but I have no choice if I want her to be happy, if I can save her life. Hikari picks up on these things, so, as long as she's not sad, and cheerful and content then that is all I need, no matter how I feel.

Homeostasis told me Hikari will not live past the age of seventeen. This is why I started the Love Letter Challenge. I made a wager with her. If I could confess to Hikari before she turned seventeen and she accepted my feelings Homeostasis would be able to use our bond to lengthen her life. But I failed. And I've kept it a secret from all of you, a secret I'm not sorry to have made.

Now you know the truth. And what you do with it is entirely up to each of you."

With that, a heavy silence fell around them all, a cold wind blowing, Takeru not even feeling it. He had prepared himself emotionally for this hour of his life, going so far as to pin his own emotions down to prevent himself from protesting or defending himself. He didn't really have any real say in this anyway. It was better to just be hated and blamed for this rather than try to explain himself.

"...Is that really how much you think of us?" Jou asked agitated, Takeru not expecting him of all people to get angry. "I'm studying to be a doctor! I could have had her examined. We could have found a way to-"

"-Jou," Taichi said shaking his head, Jou at a loss.

Koushiro also seemed frazzled. "Takeru, if you knew this, why didn't you trust me with this information? If it has something to do with her crest or the Digital World I'm sure I could have found answers!"

"-That's enough," Taichi grimaced.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Miyako asked. "That's your sister!" she growled standing face to face with Takeru. "I'm her DNA digivolving partner. Me and her have a strong bond! But you couldn't tell me this either?! Look! We know of your special bond with her, but that doesn't mean we don't have a strong connection with her to! You're not the only one!"

Takeru glanced at her, smirked, and then felt a sharp right hook connect with his face as he glanced noticing Daisuke laid him out.

"What the hell is your problem?!" he snarled, Ken holding him back.

"I don't get it either!" Sora exclaimed flabbergasted. "Takeru, for all the people that love and care for her you kept this a secret just so she would remain in bliss? As her friends we have a right to know!"

Takeru swallowed, getting up from the ground dusting himself. He didn't answer a word, despite the pain stinging his face and his heart.

"You could have told me to," Iori said. "I had the greatest respect for you Takeru-san. We were DNA Digivolving partners, but now I see where your heart really lies. You may be among us, but you don't trust anyone of us."

Takeru sat there on the ground sitting up, still not answering any of them. There would be no point. He couldn't defend himself. He couldn't justify himself. No, it was just as Homeostasis had told him.

"If this is how you're going to act," Taichi barked releasing his frustration, "Then maybe you shouldn't take your place as one of us!" he growled pushing Takeru back on the ground. "To think I entrusted my sister to someone like you...I'm sure if I entrusted her to someone else, we might have been able to find a solution," he said starting to tear up as if doing all he could to keep himself together.

"Let's get out of here," Taichi scoffed, disgust in his voice. "Maybe there is still something we can do. IF we put our heads together, I'm sure we can figure something out. I'm sure we can save her!"

With that, each Digidestined glanced at Takeru as if wanting to say something but walked away except Yamato.

"Is this...what you wanted all along?" he asked, crumbling the letter in his hand.

Takeru said nothing for a moment, looking down even further before looking up, trying to smile cheerfully.

"I don't know what's going on in that head of yours," he scowled. "But Takeru, you've done way too much damage this time for anyone to forgive you. I can't even look you in the eye right now I"m so pissed," he groaned. "So, if you want to continue being this way stomping on the feelings of everyone you know and love, then be my guest! I'm done with it!" he said jagged walking away from him kicking a garbage can along the way.

"Dammit!" he moaned. "Son of a bitch!"

Not long after when Takeru thought he was finally alone, he recognized his buddy flapping his way over to him.

"Takeru?" Patamon said hovering over him. Sure enough it had been Patamon who he had kept at home for a little while.

"Tailmon helped me get out," he said. "She's pretty upset at you."

"Everyone is Patamon," Takeru said not batting an eye. "And for good reason."

"Why didn't you even tell me, your Digimon?" he asked inquisitively. "You were always lousy at keeping secrets anyway, but why couldn't you come to me?"

"It's too heavy a burden for anyone to bear Patamon," he replied plainly breathing out into the air. His wounds chilled slightly, as if he had been frozen in his determination. "But this plan worked out the way I thought it would, except one thing," he smirked.

"And what's that?"

"Daisuke throws a pretty good punch," he chuckled.

Patamon did not seem to find it funny, his ears drooping back. "Takeru," he paused, "Are you going somewhere?"

He smiled back at him, took his cap off of his head and placed it on Patamon's brow. "Can you hold onto this until I get back?" he smiled.

"Sure," he said. "You will be back, right Takeru?" he said worried.

Takeru could only smile. "I'll see you when I get home," he said. "But you can stay with Tailmon until I get back."

"No, I want to go with you."

"This...is one place Patamon that you can't come with me," he smirked. "Can you just wait for me? It will be over in a few hours. I'll come pick you up later."

Patamon nodded his head. "Ok. But please come back soon. If you're gone long, I'll get worried."

Takeru nodded his head. "I'll see you soon…buddy. Then we can spend time together...like we always have."

"Ok Takeru. I trust you; you know? You're my best friend. I'm so glad we have each other," he chuckled a bit as he flew away.

Takeru hesitated. He groaned standing himself up and dusted himself off. Then he began a long walk back to the hospital. "This is...for the best," he frowned, thoughts of Patamon swarming his mind. "I'm sorry...Patamon. I'm sorry...everyone. But more than that...I'm sorry, Hikari..."