That was a fun one. Kaito has always been one of my favourites to write so it was nice to have an episode that focused on him and his parents even if he can be as hot-tempered as his Dad at times. It is fun to write. They're not back in the digital world yet but good things come to those who wait.

9. Destiny

There was silence in the room. Such an uncomfortable silence that Kaito could hear a pin drop. He was normally okay with silence – especially in the situation where he was trying to take everything in. There was a lot to process. Digimon, the digital world – the fact that their parents had been heroes and kept something huge from them as such a massive secret. And now the possibility that Sam could be alive as well. But this last thing that was revealed had left an uncomfortable silence in the room and he could only deduce one thing from all of this. This Daemon was not a new enemy.

Ken was clutching Nao closer so tightly that it was a surprise that he wasn't suffocating the poor boy. Mirei had gone such a deep shade of white that Yuki immediately stood up from the spot she was, going to sit beside the older girl, wrapping an arm around her. Yolei, however, being the most outspoken member of the Ichijouji family spoke up.

"Izzy, contact Gennai now," Yolei said firmly causing the computer genius to jump because this was the first time someone had spoken since Ken and Mirei had asked about Sam being alive.

"I've been trying…" Izzy began but Yolei cut him off.

"Well, try harder," Yolei said impatiently. "My son is in the digital world and from what it looks like, he's a DigiDestined, so we need to know what's going on. Besides, if Daichi, Yukine and Misa are DigiDestined and my son is too, do you really think they're alone in this? If my son is in the digital world and being brainwashed by that creep Daemon, I'll take him on myself if I have to. So, hurry it up already!"

Somehow, Kaito had known Yolei long enough to know she wasn't kidding when she was saying that she'd take on Daemon herself if she had to. It may not be smart – considering if this Daemon creature is even close to being powerful as Omnimon, he could probably crush her but that will not stop Yolei.

Izzy sighed. "I seem to be unable to contact Gennai. I've tried all normal methods of attempting to."

"Gennai used the last of his strength as well as the Crests of Hope and Light to send DemiDevimon and I back to the real world," Mikemon said softly. "He told me that T.K. and Kari would need to believe in the innate power of their crests for all the new DigiDestined to gain their DigiWatches. The Rings of Light will be found in the digital world, as they are being protected in a sacred place. I realise it's going to be tough for all of you to accept your children being DigiDestined, but the digital world needs them. Omnimon and all of your digimon partners, except those who can armourdigivolve need their help."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. He was a DigiDestined. What really made him or any of them special enough to be Chosen as a DigiDestined, other than having the parents they had? By that logic, shouldn't they all be DigiDestined? Just how many DigiDestined did the digital world need? And why him? What was the real reason behind it? Mom and Dad always call me special, but I'm sure the digital world wouldn't know that anyway. Still, he had to admit, he was curious about finding his own digimon partner. The way his father had reacted to seeing Omnimon in that way was almost an exact replica of how he would react if Kaito himself or Tai, Mom or Uncle T.K. ever ended up getting hurt and sick. It was a sign that his father truly cared deeply about someone – and his father did not get close to anyone that easily, no matter how much Mom said he had gotten better. He glanced over at his Uncle and Kari, who looked at each other before looking at their crests.

"So, what exactly are we supposed to do?" T.K. asked. "I mean, it has been a while so I'm not really sure what to hope for. Sam being alive? Being able to see our partners again?"

Matt placed a hand on T.K.'s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Your hopes are all our hopes, aren't they T.K.? I feel like we could all use a little bit of hope right now." His expression was downtrodden, and he hadn't spoken much in all the time, the group had been gathered and a lot of them had given their input, but his father hadn't even spoken a little the entire time. Then again, neither had Tai and he was normally quite outspoken about his feelings too.

Dad, what does Gabumon mean to you that it's made you so miserable? If he's your best friend like Tai, then why does he hurt you so much? He and Hana, while they could bicker sometimes, they mostly got along well and even he and Taysuke, they weren't best friends for sure, arguing till the sun went down, but neither of them had ever hurt each other. If Gabumon was so precious to his father, then why was he hurting him in this way? It didn't make any sense. He shifted a little closer to his father and his mother made room for T.K. to shift in closer as well.

"My hopes are your hopes, Matt," T.K. said firmly, wrapping an arm around Matt's shoulder and resting his head against it. "I believe we can get Gabumon back." It was like the words were enough because his Crest began to glow brightly all of a sudden.

Kaito felt himself be bathed in a warm light and this wasn't a feeling he had often but a part of him truly felt like everything was going to be okay. Odd, I'm not usually this optimistic about anything but somehow, it's like Uncle T.K.'s crest is making me believe I can do anything. A yellow-coloured watch appeared around his wrist, and he stared at it for a moment. Did this mean he was a DigiDestined, after all? He realised M.J. was bathed in the same light as him, but obviously because she had already had the little watch device around her wrist from before, it didn't change anything.

Matt and Sora exchanged a glance, Sora's face turning slightly pale.

"Kaito, you're…" His mother's voice shook slightly and Kaito's face fell. He realised while he had wanted to have the chance to be a DigiDestined, he had never thought about how it would affect his mother. Is it something I can choose not to be a part of though? It isn't like this device gave me a choice of it, after all.

"Mom," Kaito began quietly. "I don't know much about being a DigiDestined, but if you don't want me to be one, I won't go even if the digital world needs me."

"I don't think the digital world will give you that kind of choice, Kaito," Tai finally spoke up after being silent for so long. He was looking a little less pale as he had earlier, and his expression was quite sympathetic as he looked at Sora and Matt. "I know it isn't easy to let your child or someone you love go into the digital world like this, knowing the dangers but isn't it better for him to go when we can prepare him? I don't know if Hana or Tay will be chosen, but if they are, I'd rather want to prepare them and help as much as I can." His expression faltered slightly now as he said this. "I mean, Kari and the others may be more help right now, since even if Omnimon wasn't the way he was, Agumon can't armour digivolve in the same way Veemon, Gatomon and the others can."

Sora bit her lower lip and Kaito glared slightly at Tai for his lack of tact before moving over to hug his mother. He didn't know what to say about the fact that the digital world wouldn't give him a choice. He could make his own choices – his Mom and Dad always came first before anything else after all.

"I can make my own choices, Tai," Kaito said firmly, a slightly cold edge coming to his voice as he said this.

"Don't talk to my Dad like that, Kai," Hana said, pursing her lips at him and looking annoyed at the tone that he took.

"I don't think my Dad meant anything bad you know," Taysuke said, also frowning and putting a hand on his hips. "Stop being such a grouch all the time, Kaito."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. He would normally be happy at the Kamiya siblings getting along because their arguments gave him a migraine if they weren't standing tall and united against him. He opened his mouth to speak but was distracted by his mother wrapping her own arms around him and pulling him close.

"It's okay, Kaito," Sora said gently. "Tai may have been a little bit tactless, but I think he's just as worried about you as Matt and I are. He wants you to be ready. You're right, I don't want you to be a DigiDestined. I just want you to have a normal life, where you spend time with your friends – where you can just worry about things like how well you're doing in school and not have to worry about saving an entire world from the peak of destruction. You're right, you can make a choice not to fight. But that choice always comes with consequences. I made the same choice once. I didn't want to fight anymore. All we had been doing was fighting since we were children – I loved my digimon partner, Biyomon. She was amazing, my best friend, someone who always understood me but at one point, even though I didn't want her to leave, there was a part of me that thought by her being around, I couldn't make the decision not to fight." Her eyes watered slightly, a lone tear running down her cheek and Kaito reached out to wipe it but was listening intently. "I would snap at her sometimes and eventually she left me alone. We began to drift apart, and it led to our bond being broken. After the bond was broken and Biyomon vanished from my life, it was then that I realised what I'd lost. I didn't know it at the time, but I had been struggling a lot with the person I was. Your father helped me out of the darkness, and it was thanks to him and the others that I was able to get Biyomon back. I don't want you going through what I did, Kaito. I don't want you to be a DigiDestined. But I won't get in your way. Promise me you'll be careful. That you won't be reckless, no matter what comes next, ok?"

Kaito relaxed in his mother's arms. He was glad that despite her doubts, she wasn't going to stop him. He didn't want to upset her even with his own curiosity about the digital world. "I promise, Mom. I won't be reckless about anything." He stayed there for a few moments as she held onto him before letting him go and he turned to his Dad now, who had also initially gone a bit pale but was now watching him and his Mom with a more curious expression. He approached his Dad, moving closer to him. "Dad, are you okay with this?"

Matt pulled him into a hug too and stayed quiet for a moment. "I'd be lying if I said I was okay with it, but I know I can't stop you. And I know, if you have to go to the digital world, your Uncle can at least go with you once Patamon is found and I'm sure Izzy has a way we can keep in touch with you." He looked at the computer genius with an expectant gaze and Izzy nodded.

"I'll definitely find a way to do that," Izzy said seriously. "But before that, Kari, we need your Crest to be able to tell us who the rest of the new DigiDestined are."

Matt brushed his fingers through his son's hair. "See? Everything will be okay." He said this loud enough for both his son and wife to hear. As Kaito pulled away from his Mom, his Dad wrapped a supportive arm around his mother's shoulders and he sat beside his parents too, turning to look at Kari, since it was her Crest's turn now.