Hey, all! Happy New Year! I am finally back with the next chapter. I had a lot of things happening the last two weeks, besides the holidays of course, that I could not really sit down and write for a long period of time. Hope you all had a great holiday and a great New Years Eve. This train is back on the tracks and rolling along.
Thank you to all who reviewed the previous chapters, as well as some new favorites and follows. Always greatly appreciated.
Let's get it going! Enjoy!
Tai gazed around the room with a heavy heart, memorizing each and every face that was present for this solemn occasion. Every single one of the former Destined Jedi were present – his busy bee brother-in-law being among them too, which made him at least somewhat happy.
It took a couple of days to agree on a time and place to get together that worked for everybody since they all led different lives, but the bond of the Destined Jedi was stronger than anything in this world. They ultimately decided to host the ceremony at Tai and Sora's apartment. No matter where they were, they'd always make time for something important that affected the group.
The Destined Jedi all stood in a semi-circle surrounding a table along the back wall. Two candles were placed on either side of a framed picture in the middle – a traditional Japanese funeral. The picture was of Daigo Nishijima, taken during the school festival during Tai's second year of high school. The man had a mischievous, yet beaming smile on his face. It made Tai sad having to look at the photo after so long because the man was so happy and full of life at that time. But now, that man was gone.
Tai looked to the side at Sora and Izzy, who gave him encouraging smiles. This was one of the hardest things he had to do. He swallowed the knot in his throat before beginning his speech.
"Daigo Nishijima was a great man," he said. "He was loved by all who met him, and all who have heard his story. He was a man that lived a life of service to others, especially to us.
"Even when we didn't know it, he was helping us along the way. We first met him when we older Jedi were in middle school, and all of you younger Jedi were in the midst of the war with the Digimon Emperor."
He saw Ken glance down at the floor. Yolei Ichijouji, his wife, squeezed his hand with a soft smile.
"But it was when Yukio Oikawa threatened us that he really came through. Without everything he did to give us information on the kidnapped children, we most likely would not have been able to stop his plot and things would have turned out differently."
Tai felt the knot come back, so he forced it back down. His emotions were slowly taking him over, but he wanted to push through and deliver the best eulogy he could.
"In high school, he was always there for us. We would be in a much worse position if it weren't for him. The police probably would have turned us over to the Self-Defense Force, who would have probably experimented on us in all sorts of ways. If that happened, the world may very well have been destroyed by the infected Digimon and other evil forces."
Meiko bit her lip, which caused her husband to squeeze her shoulder.
"Without him, nothing would have been possible. And though he had to do something he didn't want to, it saved us all."
Everyone else in the room visibly shuddered. A tear fell down Tai's cheek. He wiped it away before the others could notice.
"The point is, we would not be here today if it were not for the actions of one Daigo Nishijima," he said with a sniffle. "He died a true Destined Jedi. Wherever he is, I hope he died at peace with himself and with the world. I just wish I could have had a chance to say goodbye one last time. May he rest in peace. The truest Destined Jedi to ever live."
Sora quickly gave him a hug as he came to her side. The others politely clapped as Tai cried into the crook of his wife's neck.
Outside the room, the children all sat in the living room enjoying pizza and sodas while their parents were handling the funeral. The Kamiyas, Ishidas, Izumis, and Kidos – minus Makoto, who was at cram school – were there. Keiko was also present, with her younger brother, Akira – Aki, as he was known in the family – by her side. He looked just like a mini version of his father with his blonde hair, but had Kari's reddish-brown eyes. Ichigo was there also, along with Ken and Yolei Ichijouji's three children: Miya, Ryuji and Kenji.
Shun sat with his brother and cousin enjoying a slice of pizza and reading the latest chapter in Keiko's father's manga. The younger kids sat in front of the TV, watching episodes of Doraemon on Netflix, while the big kids like him hung out and did their own thing.
Occasionally, he would glance at the door to the room all of their parents went to, wondering exactly what it was they were doing in there. He knew that this was to honor Daigo Nishijima, the man who helped them out several times when they were young, but he still didn't fully grasp it. His dad told him and his brothers the story many times throughout the years, but he couldn't wait until TK got to that part of the story in his manga so he could really see what happened. Right now, his mom just unplugged his uncle's game after demanding he pay attention to her troubles with a pimple.
Just as his eyes tilted back to the magazine in his hand, Shun sensed someone standing behind him, looking over his shoulder. He turned his head slightly, but was met by a squeak.
A dark-haired boy, just barely nine years old, stood just behind the back of the chair he sat in. His black hair was cut in a bowl style. When Shun turned, the boy looked away so that their eyes didn't meet. Even so, he saw the indigo irises that reflected a shy kindness when looked into. He placed one hand on top of the other and nervously stroked the back anxiously – as well as apparently talking to himself.
Shun couldn't hear what he was saying, but he gave a gentle smile. "Hey, Ryuji. How's it going?"
The boy gave no response. He kept stroking the back of his hand like it was a nervous tic and continued talking to himself. Shun didn't react, his smile softening even more.
"Are you having a good time being here with us?" he asked.
Ryuji Ichijouji still did not reply. After a few more seconds, Ryuji quickly nodded and went across the room without a word. Shun bit his lip, confused by what happened and wondered if he said something wrong. He thought back through every word he said and saw nothing problematic with any of it.
Ryuji returned, this time accompanied by a girl a bit older than him. Her hair was dark lavender like her mother's, going along well with her fair skin and kind, honey brown eyes. Shun smiled at the girl. This was Ryuji's older sister, Miya.
"I'm so sorry about that, Shun," Miya said apologetically. "Ryu-Ryu just was curious about what you were reading."
"It's all right, Miya," Shun assured with a wave of his hand. "You know I'm used to it."
He glanced at Ryuji. The boy hugged his sister's waist and buried his face into her chest shyly. Shun's face fell slightly again, but he still kept up a kind smile.
"You wanted to know what I was reading just now?" he asked Ryuji, who nodded. "It's the newest chapter in Mr. Takaishi's manga. I know you like manga, Ryuji. Want to have a look at it?"
Ryuji didn't move, which prompted his sister to squeeze him tight and tussle his hair.
"It's okay, Ryu-Ryu," she said softly. "You want to have a look at it?"
Ryuji nodded. Shun's smile widened, handing the magazine to him.
"Thank you," Ryuji mumbled.
"You're welcome, buddy," the Kido boy replied, laying a hand on his shoulder.
Ryuji seized up at the touch before slapping Shun's hand away with a cry.
"Hey!" Ichigo snapped. "Don't hit my cousin, kid! – Ow!"
"Ichi!" Masato growled before giving an apologetic smile. "There's no need to freak out, Ryuji. It's okay," he said in a soft tone to calm Ryuji down.
Sadly, it did not work. Ryuji's breathing quickened as he paced around in a circle, getting more and more worked up by the second. Shun didn't know what to say, so he sat there and watched it go on. He felt so helpless to defuse the situation.
Miya then came to the rescue as she wrapped her arms around Ryuji and softly shushed him. Shun gazed with concern. He should have known better than to do that in the first place. Ryuji only liked to be touched by his sister and parents; no one else.
"I'm sorry, Miya," Shun apologized. "I didn't mean to do that."
The oldest Ichijouji child smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. Come on, Ryu-Ryu," she said as she helped her brother to the other side of the room, humming a song to him as she did so.
"What a weird kid," Ichigo said, only to receive another smack from his oldest cousin.
"That's enough, Ichi," Masato scolded. "It's not easy for Ryuji to be here. We should celebrate the fact he's trying."
Shun bit his lip and set his eyes on the Doraemon episode happening right now. Ryuji was a good kid, but it was a challenge having him around in any large gathering. He could get overwhelmed very easily, which would lead to situations like what just happened. Shun felt bad for him more than anything. He would have to ask either Ken or Yolei for advice on things he could do to help him out.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother look at him.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Masato said, patting him on the shoulder. "Just keep showing him kindness."
Shun smiled sadly. "I'm doing my best."
"I know you are. Ryuji interprets things differently than us, so maybe we all have to try something else. Living with Asperger's is not easy."
"I know it's not." Shun rubbed his chin. "But I think we'll figure something out."
The group had finished their tributes to Daigo, but Ken still had plenty on his mind to say. Right now, everyone stood around solemnly staring at the photograph on the table. He may not have known the man as intimately as the older Destined Jedi had, but he respected the moment and what it meant for them. Even so, that didn't mean he wasn't going to say anything.
All of the old wounds from when they had their powers taken away twenty years ago were ripped open. Even as the years passed – he became a well-respected detective for the Tokyo Police Department, and he and Yolei welcomed three children into the world – Ken was still unable to let go. He felt personally responsible for how things ended.
"This is ridiculous," he grumbled.
Someone squeezed his hand. Ken saw his wife out of the corner of his eye, showing she was the one that did it.
"Ken," she said, but he wasn't having it.
"No, Yolei," he shot back. "I've held my peace for twenty years. I can't do it anymore." He cleared his throat and spoke to the entire room. "Everyone, I want to formally apologize for all of this. It was my responsibility as the one destined to bring balance to the Digital World to stop King Drasil, and I failed to do it. Now, we've been waiting all these years for something to happen, and it's killing me to know that we've done nothing to prepare."
The room fell silent. Looking around, Ken saw the multitude of shocked stares from all of the adults. He knew they were all thinking this too; he just had the guts to say the quiet part out loud.
Finally, someone did speak up.
"Ken, don't you think this is a bad time for that?" Mimi asked. "This is about us letting go of the past and moving on. We've held onto this hope Mr. Nishijima may still be alive for a long time, and now this is our chance to say goodbye and let go."
"I don't care, Mimi. We can't let this go when it's –"
"Don't yell at my wife, Ken!" Izzy roared. "You're out of line."
"I have every right to be out of line when you guys aren't recognizing the threat before us!"
"Ken, come on. Be reasonable," Davis said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "It's been years since anything has happened. If something was going to attack us, it would have by now." The ramen chef smiled at him. "I know you're still bothered by how things ended, but I think it's screwed with your head too much."
Ken was stunned by the complacency he was sensing from everyone. He didn't need to still have a connection to the Force to realize that. The years had worn away that diligence, leaving him the only one that seemed to care. They all needed to wake up and smell the coffee. This wasn't over, and it wouldn't be until they figured out what to do.
Ken felt himself choke up, his lip trembling as if he were out in the cold. His wife and best friend hugged him, but it didn't do anything to help ease his troubled mind. His thoughts went to his children.
"You guys don't get it," he growled. "This thing is not over. King Drasil promised that he would finish us off the next time we met. It's been twenty years; he has had plenty of time to prepare for it while we have done nothing."
"Ken, whatever is troubling you, it has nothing to do with us saying goodbye to Mr. Nishijima," Tai said as he approached the raven-haired former Jedi of Kindness. "He deserves a proper funeral after who knows how long. There is no one else left to mourn him. That's all we're here to do – is to say say goodbye and move on after maintaining hope for this long."
The ex-soccer star bit his lip.
"Honoring his memory is more important right now than dwelling on things that happened twenty years ago."
Tai turned his back. As he took a step forward, Ken could not control his rage anymore. Before his wife could notice, he surged forward and shoved Tai to the ground. That little move was the smallest stream of water bursting through the dam before it all crumbled and gave way. Ken was done holding his peace.
"I thought you of all people would understand how serious this is, Tai!" he shouted as Davis and Yolei tried to hold him back. "This isn't over. None of it is."
"Ken, stop it!" his wife ordered.
Ken shoved both his wife and best friend off. "Just let me talk to Tai for a minute," he shot back. "He needs to hear this."
Davis and Yolei glanced worriedly at each other, but stepped back after he nodded, reassuring them that it was going to be fine. Ken cleared his throat and helped Tai back up.
"When are you going to get it through your heads that this isn't over, even with our powers gone?" he continued. "Yes, it's important to remember Daigo, but isn't it safe to say that he died for nothing?"
Tai's eyes narrowed. "Don't say that, Ken! We did everything we needed to do at the time."
"Everything except defeating King Drasil!"
"Where were we supposed to look for King Drasil?"
Ken went tongue-tied. He had nothing to say back in retort.
"Huh?" Tai pushed. "Answer me that! Besides, you weren't strong enough to defeat Meiko or Menoa all by yourself."
"Fuck you!" Ken roared, grabbing Tai by his shirt and bringing them to within inches of each other. Everyone else converged on the two men to try and break them up, but one look from Ken made them all freeze in their tracks and they subsequently backed off. "That's only because you and Matt didn't let me destroy Menoa when I had the chance! I could have destroyed Meiko and Maki Himekawa at the same time before that, therefore Menoa would not have happened!"
"Say that again, Ken! I dare you!" he heard Matt roar angrily.
"Matt, stay out of this," Tai argued. "He doesn't mean any of what he's saying."
Tears streamed down Ken's face as all of these pent-up feelings of shame and regret bubbled over.
"If both Meiko and Himekawa died, then we could have lured King Drasil out and destroyed it as well! Maki Himekawa was dangerous. For crying out loud, what made everyone think we would go on to cover for them without telling you first, Tai? We would always put our team first. Someone like Himekawa should have been sniffed out from the beginning!."
His grip loosened on Tai's shirt as he dropped to his knees and silently cried. Ken pounded the ground in frustration. "King Drasil said that it would come back to finish us off," he blubbered. "I'm worried that it's going to find ways to do that, such as using our children to get to us."
Gasps filled the room. Ken crumpled to the floor completely and cried into the floor.
A few moments later, he felt two pairs of arms lift him back up to a kneeling position. Tai and Yolei were the ones that helped him. Ken stared directly into the former leader's eyes as tears blurred his vision. He reached up to wipe his eyes, feeling deeply ashamed over how he just acted.
"Tai, I'm –" he choked.
"It's okay, Ken," Tai said, patting him on the shoulder. "I know you didn't mean it."
The dark-cloaked figure turned away from the viewing globe and smashed it with its fist. Glass rained down on the floor, but missed its foot. It had heard quite enough and didn't want to listen any further.
"Revenge is a man's way of protecting those most precious to him," the figure muttered behind its dark mask. "When you kick a man as he's down, it's the ultimate form of cowardice."
It looked back to see a dark sky with a bright moon shining into the cave. The mask covered the rising smirk on its face.
"Your greatest fears are about to come true."
What could this figure possibly mean? Find out next time on Destined Jedi: Next Generations.
And with that, we have finally met the rest of our cast. Ryuji took a long time to develop and I had trouble connecting with him before a friend suggested that maybe he has Asperger's. When I made that addition, it changed everything for me. Full disclosure: I have Asperger's myself, so I was able to make the connection. I'm not as affected by it as Ryuji is, but I wanted him to be a little different from me because each Aspie is different.
We're done with slice of life stuff for now as we get into the story. Strap yourselves in, everybody. As always, be sure to leave a review and subscribe if you have not yet.
Tootles, and a happy new year.