Disclaimer: I do not own digimon or am associated with anyone who does.
Longest chapter yet. Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. It feels good to be motivated to write something after a few months of no motivation. Also recently picked up Digimon Cyber Sleuth. If you're into video games and like the RPG style gameplay, you should grab a copy to help support Digimon in the west. It needs it.
And thank you for the reviews!
Walking around the corner T.K. immediately noticed that both Kari, Yolie and their partners covered in dirt and light bruises. He stopped, inhaling deeply to calm himself, if he made a big deal of Kari's injuries that would only make it awkward for her. She's fine…she's fine. He kept repeating in his mind.
Ken finally spotted him, waving. "There you are."
"Hm?" T.K. was thankful for the distraction. "Oh yeah. Looks like everyone is fine, just damage to some of the buildings." Several of the digimon of the village greeted the children as they arrived. T.K. could only assume this was where they probably met up regularly.
Davis knelt down next to some in-training digimon and patted them on the head. "You guys ok?" They bounced and greeted Davis happily. He responded with his signature cheesy grin and a thumbs up. "Good!"
Davis had changed too—T.K. could see he'd calmed quite a bit since he had last seen him. That and the conversation they were having before being called to the digital world convinced him Davis had matured. Drawing Ken's attention T.K. inquired lightly. "What happened?"
Ken looked over at the group. "We're not sure ourselves."
Kari and Yolie shook their heads. "No idea." They said almost in unison—T.K. had a feeling they'd grown even closer over the last year and a half.
Davis rubbed the back of his head. "Nothing we can do about it now, right?"
T.K. struggled with his words as he looked Kari up and down. "Are you…" he stammered. "Are you guys alright?"He glanced at them all briefly, his gaze moving back to Kari with worry.
Yolie nodded. "Mostly just dirt, nothing serious. Right?" she looked to Kari who nodded in response, eyeing T.K. carefully, trying to gauge him.
He smiled his usual smile. "That's a relief."
Yolie crossed her arms, eyeing the half demolished cottage next to them. "We can come back Monday and help with repairs."
Kari nodded, thankful for the subject change. "That sounds like a good plan."
Davis walked over to T.K. and Ken. "I need to get back and finish my homework." T.K. closed his eyes in defeat, having blissfully forgotten about his homework until right then.
"We can always work on it tomorrow." Ken noted.
Davis shook his head. "I can't tomorrow. You forget already?" he looked disappointed.
Ken started to argue with Davis and then his eyes widened. "Oh."
T.K. looked at them curiously. "There a problem with finishing tomorrow?"
Davis nodded. "I have a game tomorrow afternoon. So I'll be at the field practicing all morning until right before the game."
Ken turned to T.K. "And I'll be there helping him, so I won't be able to help yo—"
T.K. lifted his hands in the air. "Don't worry about me, please. I got it."
Davis looked over the group. "So we'll adjourn for now and meet back up here Monday?" Kari, Yolie and Ken nodded in agreement.
Davis smiled. "That settles it."
Ken looked at T.K. "You have basketball practice after school Monday."
Everyone looked at T.K. as he had remained silent. "I'll come by afterwards and help finish up." He quickly spoke up, uncomfortable with the attention.
Yolie's phone suddenly beeped in her pocket. Taking it out she let out a frustrated sigh. "Cody just now got our message. I'll tell him never mind." Her eyebrow twitched with irritation as she clicked away at her phone screen.
Ken sighed. "He's basically running the dojo on the weekends."
"Yeah. I know." Yolie began. "But I'm juggling school and work and—"
Ken raised his hands defensively, interrupting her. "I know."
Kari let out a deep breath, kneeling down to Gatomon. "You okay?"
Gatomon smiled. "Just a few bruises. No big deal."
"If you're sure." Kari stood and looked to Yolie. "Ready?"
Yolie turned from Hawkmon and nodded. "Yeah. Let's get going."
After a brief round of goodbyes, the boys watched the girls head to the digiport that they had come through just on the edge of the village, before heading back through the forest toward the one they had used.
#
T.K., Ken and Davis pulled through the gate, landing somewhat gracefully on the floor, barely avoiding scattering the mounds of paperwork strewn all over the room.
Davis didn't bother standing, instead crawled back over to where he had been sitting before. "Okay, that was a nice break." There was a little sarcasm in his tone.
Ken sighed. "The fact that he just disappeared like that still has me on edge."
Davis nodded, not taking his eyes from the math textbook. "He'll probably be back."
T.K. looked at them puzzled, not sure if he could rightfully ask for details since he'd tried so hard to omit going. "Is everything alright?"
Ken looked at T.K. for a moment before he voluntarily began explaining everything he'd seen. It took him a few minutes, with Davis chiming in here and there before he finished.
T.K. looked thoughtfully at the floor, focusing on the grain of the carpet. "His name was Phelesmon?" T.K. finally looked up at Ken, who nodded.
Davis set his paperwork down and looked up. "Gatomon said something about him being a fallen angel digimon."
The words made T.K. anxious. Showing up out of nowhere and leaving even though he clearly had the upper hand. "So did Gatomon say anything else about it?"
Davis and Ken shook their heads. Davis shrugged. "Didn't seem like she knew much else. Rumors maybe?"
T.K. sighed picking up his pencil he glanced back at his homework, trying to focus on what he needed to get done. After a minute of staring blankly at the paper, not even paying attention to the writing, he looked up to find Ken staring at him worriedly. "What?"
Ken shrugged. "You've been staring at that pre-test paper upside down for over a minute."
T.K. looked at the paper and smiled embarrassedly. "Ahh…" he rubbed the back of his head. "I was just thinking, anyone else hungry?"
Davis almost immediately answered, throwing his hands in the air. "Yes!" Ken and T.K. smiled at Davis' predictable reaction.
T.K. pushed himself up, grabbing his phone. "Pizza?"
Davis nodded greedily, clasping his hands together. "Sounds amazing."
Ken shrugged. "Sure."
#
Davis leaned back against the wall, rubbing his stomach. "Thanks T.K." he grinned contently.
T.K. nodded as he shoved the nearly empty pizza box across the floor, making room for him to start doing his homework again.
Davis slowly shoved his work back into his backpack, haphazardly. "Well it's getting late and I basically got it all done. Thanks Ken."
Ken nodded. "You know I'm always here to help."
Davis made a cheesy grin and closed his eyes. "I'm counting on that next year."
Ken let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to drag you through college too, aren't I?"
Davis got up on his knees, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "Hey, I'm getting my scholarships from sports."
T.K. shot Davis a looked. "Don't be dumb."
Davis shrugged. "I got it. I got it." He stood and walked to T.K.'s door. "You coming to my game tomorrow?"
T.K. sighed looking how much homework was still strewn around the floor. "If I can." He waved his hand over the paperwork.
"Hope you can. See you in the morning Ken." Davis waved and closed the door behind him as he left.
Ken looked at T.K. and then reached down for a text book. "All right then…"
"You can go home too." T.K. slide the papers and books away from himself and leaned back against his bed, stretching his arms.
"You know I live on my own now, I don't have to go yet." Ken frowned.
T.K. stood up and sat down at his desk. "Honestly my brains are turning to mush and you still have to get up early and help Davis out. He'd get mad at me if you're too tired to give him a challenge tomorrow before the game."
Ken rolled his eyes. "You're upset about something."
T.K.'s expression darkened. "No. I'm just tired and I can finish this tomorrow."
Ken looked at the textbook and set it down on T.K.'s bed. "You're just trying to make sure you won't be able to make it to his game tomorrow."
T.K.'s eyes narrowed as he glanced at Ken. "If that was the case I could just lie about it, I don't physically need to put myself behind."
Ken sighed. "Fine. I get it, I'll go." Ken stood up and grabbed his coat. "I'll see you tomorrow."
T.K. frowned. "Maybe."
Ken laughed as he opened T.K.'s door. "I'll see you tomorrow." He repeated.
T.K.'s eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Bye, Ken." Making his voice sound as unenthused as possible.
After hearing the front door close T.K. let out a deep breath and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the desk, wrapping his hands around the back of his head. He had a huge headache—too many things running through his mind. Anxiety making his chest hurt.
After a few minutes he lifted his head and woke his computer from sleep mode. Opening his web browser he checked his email slowly. After deleting some junk mail and marking everything else 'read' in his inbox he moved his mouse to the edge of the screen, leaving the cursor lingering on a folder in his email—"Friends"
After staring at it helplessly for a few minutes he finally clicked on it. Several unread emails from Cody, Yolie and some of the older digidestined cluttered the screen. Scrolling to the very bottom he found the two emails he'd actually opened and replied to when he first left. He clicked on the very first one from Cody, reading it silently he let the guilt agitate his already anxious mood.
...
From: Cody Hida
To: T.K. Takaishi
Subject: Hey!
Hey T.K.,
Hope you're having a good time in Hokkaido. I hear it's pretty cold up there this time of the year. It's been a couple weeks since you left. Are you settling in well? We all miss you already. Nothing too exciting happening here. Keep in touch. I'd like to hear all about the region once you get acquainted, take pictures!
Talk to you later,
Cody
...
T.K. clicked on the next button which showed his brief reply and Cody's reply to that.
...
From: T.K. Takaishi
To: Cody Hida
Subject: Re: Hey!
Hey Cody,
Things are fine. It's different here. It'll take some getting used to. I'll see what I can do about the pictures. Looks like school is going to have me pretty busy.
T.K.
From: Cody Hida
To: T.K. Takaishi
Subject: Re: Re: Hey!
Hey T.K.,
Good to hear. I bet it'll take you a while to get used to everything. And don't worry about the pictures. I looked into the school you're going to, sounds like it's a pretty good one. I don't doubt you'll be busy. Don't lose touch though!
Talk to you later,
Cody
...
T.K. hesitated on the next button, knowing it was the only from Yolie.
...
From: Yolie Inoue
To: T.K. Takaishi
Subject: What's Up!
Hey there!
So I'm dying to find out what it's like in Hokkaido. I've already talked to everyone about coming and seeing you soon. We totally miss you already, it's only been a few weeks and it just doesn't feel right without you. Patamon really misses you too. I'm still not sure why you didn't want to keep coming to the digital world after you moved. I heard Izzy offer to give you the program to install later if you wanted and you still didn't take it. Weird. Oh well, who am I to judge. So let me know when a good time to come see you is and I'll make it happen!
See ya!
Yolie
...
T.K. turned away from his computer, remember the response like he'd written it yesterday. He frowned closing his eyes, trying to make the sick feeling in his stomach go away. Finally he looked back up and clicked on the next icon.
...
From: T.K. Takaishi
To: Yolie Inoue
Subject: Re: What's Up!
Hey Yolie,
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you in a few days. I've been pretty busy. School here is a bit different than down there. I don't honestly know when a good time would be, so for now I guess we'll postpone? Sorry.
T.K.
From: Yolie Inoue
To: T.K. Takaishi
Subject: Re: Re: What's Up!
Hey,
Yeah, no problem. I just thought you'd like us to come see you. It's all good. Maybe during summer time? Or I guess you can come and see us then too huh… Anyway. Just keep in touch okay? I understand how busy life can get. I'm starting senior year and all. It's pretty crazy. So how is everything up there? Are you liking the feel of the city? How are your new classmates? I bet they pale in comparison to us! I'm joking. Tell your mom I said hi!
See ya!
Yolie
...
T.K. sighed, clicking lightly on the next icon again, seeing the first unread email from Cody. It was basically the same as the first, emailed a month after T.K. had not responded. The next was Yolie again. Hers was a bit more straight forward, asking why he hadn't responded yet. T.K. finally stopped after glancing at the next six emails, his hands shaking as they rested on his mouse. Each email grew more desperate. Each email welled guilt up inside of him. He hadn't meant to hurt them. He hadn't intended to make them feel like they were the ones who had done anything to him.
T.K. ran his fingers through his hair resting his forehead on his palm. "Yeah, it was you who didn't keep in touch with me. Sure." The guilt of not responding to their emails was only multiplied by their blatant lies.
Finally T.K. closed the browser. He felt ill. Swallowing hard stood up and grabbed the pizza box from his floor, taking it out to the kitchen he heard Matt come in through the front. "Hey! I'm back!"
T.K. looked over at Matt as he kicked off his shoes and tossed his jacket on the couch messily. "Hey." He was surprised by the weak tone in his voice.
Matt raised an eyebrow at him. "You order another pizza?"
T.K. tossed the box on the table. "It was quick and cheap. We were hungry."
Matt opened the box and glanced at the two pieces that were left. "I hope Davis is the reason most of this is gone."
T.K. shrugged. "We all split it pretty evenly."
Matt reached in and grabbed one of the pieces, not caring that it was cold. "Whatever. I guess Chinese for dinner tonight instead then?"
T.K. shook his head. "I'm not hungry. Get whatever you want."
"Jeez, what's got you all pissy?" Matt plopped down on the couch, picking up the remote.
"Nothing." T.K. walked toward his room, ready to be alone again.
Matt turned the T.V. on, leaving it at the blaring volume they'd had it on during the movie he and Sora had watched the night before. "Where you going?"
T.K. stopped and turned, not saying a word he ran to the bathroom and without even shutting the door vomited into the toilet. His chest hurt, his mind was a mess.
"T.K.!" Matt hollered, looking towards the bathroom door. "You okay?"
T.K. coughed. "Too much pizza." He murmured.
Matt wrinkled his nose and proceeded to throw his half eaten piece of pizza in the trash. "Not cool little bro."
T.K. picked himself up off the floor and pushed the door closed, turning on the faucet he splashed water over his face. He forced his mind clear and took a couple steps backwards until his back was pressed against the wall, sliding to the floor weakly. "Damn it…" he whispered, burying his face in his hands.
Hope it wasn't too long and you enjoyed it.
I'll have another chapter up soon I think.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate reviews of course. And again thank you to everyone who already has.
If you're interested in supporting me and my original work you can find more information by googling The Silent Ballad Series.