Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Digimon 02: The Road Not Taken ❯ Trying to Pick Up the Pieces ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: R80 
After the evnts from last chapter, Tk stays home from school while the others, including the older kids, deal with the fallout.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Angst / Drama / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.17.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 1.8K | Status: Completed
After the evnts from last chapter, Tk stays home from school while the others, including the older kids, deal with the fallout.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Angst / Drama / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.17.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 1.8K | Status: Completed
Digimon 02: The Road Not Taken
By Robster80
Episode Four: Trying to Pick Up the Pieces
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Last time: After another narrow escape, TK and Ken decide to only meet on the weekends to avoid suspicion. However, a trap was set to see what TK was really up to, and whether or not Ken was involved. TK discovered this, however, and decided to meet with ken and Matt at his apartment. Unfortunately, a mysterious email and the sudden appearance of more spires near Primary Village force Ken and TK to go into the Digital World, where they were met by Leomon, alive and well. The other new kids show up and a heated argument ensues, resulting in the exposing of Kari and Davis now being boyfriend/girlfriend and TK’s self-expulsion from the group and severing his ties with the others, especially Kari, since she claimed she never really cared for him. Upon returning to the real world, Ken, Patamon and Matt left TK alone with his mother as the boy bore his shattered heart in tears…
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Tai left for school early the next morning. He had told his mother that he had to be there early for a group meeting on an upcoming after-school project. However, the real reason was he couldn’t stand looking at Kari for now. Not after yesterday’s events.
Matt had called him the night before and told him everything that had happened, from the trap Davis and the other new kids had set for TK to the aftermath where TK wept aloud over his first love. He also expressed to Tai what he would do if Kari and/or Davis ever came near TK again. The last thing Matt said over the phone was what Tai had been thinking about all night: “I don’t care what my crest is, Tai; if it ever comes down to it, my place is beside my brother!”
Tai never said a word to Kari when she got home, but he was angry with her. He had been hoping Davis was with her. There was a lot he wanted to tell the new leader of the Digi-Destined, none of it would be kind words. Davis looked up to him, he knew, but Tai would never have done what Davis did concerning TK.
[But there’s the problem,] he thought heavily. [TK and I spent months in the Digital World back when time passed a little quicker there than here. We were forced to mature more than we should have. Davis wasn’t put in that situation, and neither was Kari. Despite that she was the eighth child she spent less time in the Digital World than we older kids did. I can’t understand how she went from being the world’s youngest mature girl to what she is now.]
As he neared his school, Tai stopped and pulled out his D-Terminal to type an email. He would call a meeting of the older Digi-Destined to discuss the current situation. They had a right to know what was going on.
[It’s too bad Mimi’s still living in America. We could use all the brainstorming we can get for this.]
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TK slowly woke up to discover his eyes hurt. [Not surprising,] he thought. [After all the tears I shed last night, my eyes must be bloodshot.] He looked at his clock, which read 7:43 AM. [When did I turn off my alarm? I should have been up and ready for school by now.]
Slowly, TK looked around his room. Patamon was nowhere to be found. It was then he remembered that his mother had sent his Digimon with Matt yesterday evening.
Just then, the door opened and Nancy leaned her head in. “How do you feel, honey?”
“My eyes hurt a little. Did you turn off my alarm?”
“I did. When I woke up this morning, I decided maybe you should stay home today after what happened.”
“Mom, it’s okay-.”
“Takeru, you’ve lost some friends yesterday. On top of that, you were hurt by your best friend and first love. Do you think you’re ready to face them so soon?”
TK opened his mouth to say that he was ready, but he stopped himself to think about it. Kari’s harsh words still echoed in his mind, and he wasn’t sure how Yolei and Cody would treat him now that they knew he and Ken were friends. “…I’ll stay home today, mom.”
This made Nancy smile, but it was only half-hearted. “Yolei was at the door earlier. I already told her you didn’t feel well and were staying home. She asked if there was anything she could do, and I told her to just drop off your homework in the mail slot and for her and the others to leave you alone.”
“Thanks, mom.”
“And don’t go out of the building until later this evening.”
“I understand. But right now, I just want to take a nice long bath.”
After his mother left, TK got out of bed and went over to his computer. After turning it back on, he brought up his email account. To his surprise, he had two new emails, one from Ken and the other from Yolei. He brought up Yolei’s first:
“TK,
“Cody’s grandfather said he heard you crying last night and was concerned. Cody’s still mad at you, but not as mad as Davis. You’d better stay out of his way for a while; he’s out for blood.
“I’m sorry about what happened between you and Kari. When you came back on Monday, I noticed you avoided looking at her and Davis as best you could, and I figured that somehow they were part of the reason you stayed away. Personally, I thought you and Kari would make a better couple. There I go again, sticking my foot in my mouth. I’m sorry.
“I still don’t trust Ken very much, but if you give me some time, I might change my mind. In the meantime, keep your distance from us and don’t go and do anything stupid. We’ll become friends again, I hope.
“-Yolei.”
As he read the email, TK slowly smiled. It was good to know at least one of the others still wanted to be friends. He didn’t realize it, but Yolei’s email gave birth to a small hope that he and the others would become friends again.
Next was Ken’s email:
“TK,
“Hope you are feeling better. I’m deeply sorry to cause you so much trouble with your friends, and even more sorry that Kari hurt you. There will be another love someday, just have faith.
“Matt’s offered to join me to the Digital World next time if you’re not up for it, but I told him no. You and I are a team, and I won’t go if you won’t. I think you should know that Matt was very angry after we left. Maybe you should have a talk with him before he does anything he’ll later regret.
“I got up early today to write this, but I should be leaving for school now. I’ll give you a call when I get home tonight.
“Your friend, Ken.”
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Kari barely stayed awake in class up to lunch time. Yawns came from her mouth almost one after another as she went through the lunch line, got her tray, and found a seat by herself until Yolei sat beside her.
“Kari, you look awful,” she said.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Kari muttered as she attempted to put the food on her fork into her mouth. She hit her nose with the food twice before finally getting it right.
Yolei kept silent, but she knew the reason behind Kari’s lack of sleep. It was obvious she regretted what was said yesterday, and TK’s absence from school today didn’t help much. Yolei had heard gossip that Kari kept looking at TK’s empty desk when she wasn’t sleeping during class. [It’s obvious she has a thing for TK, so why the hell did she choose Davis?]
“Kari, you okay?”
It took all Yolei had to telling Davis that Kari obviously wasn’t okay as he sat down with them. She watched as Kari gave Davis a weak smile and assured him she was fine. “Kari, I got a question: what do you see in Davis?”
Davis blinked at Yolei. “What’s with that, Yolei? The answer should be obvious.”
“Call it my scientific curiosity. The reason I’m asking is because Kari’s told me you act almost like Tai back when he was younger. If that’s why she loves you, I’m wondering if that means she sees Tai as more than her brother-.”
This made Davis nearly choke on his sandwich. “What, are you sick?!”
“She’s pulling your chain, Davis,” Kari said after forcing herself to swallow her grape juice.
“Oh. I knew that.”
“And Yolei, your reason isn’t good enough to give you my answer. However, if it will prevent you from bugging me, I’ll tell you. I love Davis because he’s willing to do anything for me, plus he’s always been there for me. Not to mention he’s athletic.”
[I could say the same about TK,] Yolei thought about saying, but she instead replied, “But didn’t you once say you couldn’t date anyone who was like your brother or any member of your family?”
“Maybe I lied then. You can’t keep a secret, Yolei.”
“Okay, so I told almost the whole school that you and Davis are dating. TK would have done the same if he was here-.”
“Could you please NOT mention that traitor,” Davis said through grit teeth. “We no longer have anything to do with him, unless he gets in our way of restoring the Digital World.”
Kari then said, “Don’t be so hard on her, Davis. It’s just that she and Cody live in the same building as… him.”
[So, not using TK’s own name now, are we?] Yolei thought bitterly. [And I do have some secrets I’m keeping.]
They ate in silence the rest of the period, but Yolei thought hard as she ate. Obviously, she couldn’t work on getting Kari to forgive TK first, especially since she would be around Davis more now that they were publicly dating. It looked like Cody would be first on her list, and she knew how stubborn he could be.
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Mimi cursed her luck as she walked down the streets of Odaiba. She had planned to come to Japan for an extended weekend while her school was on Holiday, but she didn’t expect her flight to get bumped a day in advance. She got an extra day in the bargain, but she arrived on a school day in Japan. Tai and everyone were in class.
[This is one time I hate being early,] she thought. [I can’t even do anything without someone telling me I should be in school right now.]
“Mimi, is that you?”
Mimi turned to see Nancy walk up to her. “Oh, Ms. Takaishi!”
“Come to visit the gang for the weekend, I see. How’s life in America?”
“Not bad at all, though I miss everyone here. Where are you headed?”
Nancy sighed heavily. “I’m on my way to my ex-husband’s apartment to pick up Patamon. I had Matt take him there yesterday. You’re welcome to come along unless you’re busy.”
“Not at all. But, I don’t understand why Patamon’s with Matt. Did something happen to TK?”
The two started walking as Nancy tried to explain what had happened.
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A knock on the apartment door was something Malcolm Ishida expected on his day off. What he never expected was to open the door to see his former wife and a girl who he figured was one of Matt’s friends.
“Hi,” was all Nancy said to him. It wasn’t cold like the last time they spoke to each other years ago. It was a little warm, with a hint of nervousness.
“Hi yourself,” Malcolm replied with the same warm nervousness. “I… guess you’re here for Patamon?”
“Yes, I… Matt told me you had off on Fridays.”
“I do. …I think he’s still asleep on the couch. I’ll go get him.”
“Actually… could I come in?”
The question shocked Malcolm to the core. He was also nervous, since he and Matt didn’t keep the apartment groomed at all. “Uh… it’s kind of a mess today.”
“That’s an understatement,” said Patamon and he flew up to the door. “Sorry, but I heard TK’s mom and figured it was okay for me to go back.”
“I’ll take him back with me,” Mimi said quickly. “That is, if you two want to talk.” [Looks like there’s still some love between these two, I think.]
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TK was finishing taping a large box closed when the doorbell rang. He hesitated to open it, though. After all, school was still in session for another few minutes.
“TK, it’s Mimi. Could you please open the door?”
“Mimi,” TK repeated as he opened the door to let his friend and his Digimon into the apartment. “I thought you usually came on Saturdays?”
“My flight got moved a day ahead of schedule. I ran into your mom while she went to get Patamon. I brought him back while she stayed to have a talk with your dad. …How are you feeling?”
TK sighed as he closed the door behind Mimi and led her to the table, Patamon flying behind them. “Empty, a little. More like a lot. Sora or Yolei told you, huh?”
“Actually, it was your mom,” Patamon said. “By the way, TK, you should have seen how your folks acted when your mom came by Matt’s place.”
“Leave it at that, Pata,” TK said. “I gave up on hoping my folks would get remarried a long time ago, and I have no interest in hearing how they fought.”
Patamon was about to say that they weren’t fighting, but a cough and look from Mimi quieted him. “TK,” Mimi said, “when I came back here the first time and met Davis and the others, I could see you were in love with Kari. I won’t pretend to understand or imagine how you felt last night or even now. If there’s anything I can do to help-.”
“No, Mimi.” TK looked straight at her, a serious look on his face. “I’m not dragging anyone else into this mess, especially you, Matt and the other older kids. This is my problem, and I’ll face it on my own.”
“But-!”
“I’m not that kid you first met years ago anymore, Mimi. I won’t run to anyone for help ever again.”
“TK, you can’t strike out on your own like Matt did-.”
“I won’t be. I have Patamon, and Ken and Wormmon, too.”
“…Just don’t be too proud to ask for help when you need it. You have more friends than you realize right now. I’d bring my boyfriend into this if I could.”
TK raised an eyebrow. “Boyfriend?”
Mimi suddenly gasped, cupping her mouth with both hands while she turned a deep shade of pink. “Oh drat, I was saving that for when the whole gang was together for a surprise! …And after what your mom told me, I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“It’s okay, Mimi. Just because my first love ended in hell doesn’t mean I won’t be happy for others in love. But, now Matt’s really going to have to move on.”
“Him and Joe. They were going to be the first ones I would tell.”
Just then, the door opened and Matt came in the apartment. “Hey, TK, just came by to-. Mimi!?”
“Hi, Matt. We were talking about Kari.”
The mention of the name made Matt’s voice turn cold. “Oh, really?”
[Bad choice,] Mimi thought. [Way to go, blabbermouth!]
Fortunately, Matt then noticed Patamon was on the table. “TK, when did you go get Patamon from Dad’s place?”
“Mom went over to get him and Mimi brought him home. Mom also made me stay home today.”
“I see. Well, I just stopped by to check on you before I meet up with Tai and the others later on tonight. Tai’s called a meeting of the older kids, and I think it’s about what happened yesterday.”
“Terrific,” TK exclaimed as he shot up from his chair. “Did you tell him, or was it Kari and Davis? Nevermind, it’s not important. What’s important is what you and Mimi can tell Tai and the others for me: I want them to stay out of this! It’s my problem and I’ll handle it myself. Don’t lecture me, Matt! I’ll be hanging around Ken whenever I go to the Digital World and I’ll be staying far away from the others when we go. Now, if you’ll forgive me, I’d like for you and Mimi to go now. You know the way out.”
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[You got a lot of guts to be coming here,] Kari told herself that’s what TK or his mother would say to her as she looked up at the apartment building TK, Cody and Yolei lived in. She had unknowingly made her way to this spot after school was over, dragging her feet as she went. A voice inside her head kept telling her she had to go and apologize for what she had said, no matter what TK would tell her afterwards.
[But what happens after that? I love Davis, and TK had said he loved me. Even if we all make up, we’ll never be the same as we were before.]
Just then, Kari saw Matt and Mimi appear from the building. Quickly, she ran to the side and hid behind several garbage bins. If those two had come from TK’s apartment, then it was a safe bet TK told them what had happened and they’d both be mad at her, especially Matt.
[Why did I come here? Because of what Cody said? That his grandfather overheard TK crying loudly last night after he returned from the Digital World? He really is a crybaby after all. NO! Don’t even THINK about TK like that! He had every right to be upset after what you did and said. He loved you and you went and crushed his heart totally. You should march yourself inside that building, go up to his apartment, and apologize to him. …So why aren’t my legs moving at all?]
The sudden sounds of footsteps made Kari hold her breath. She waited quietly and anxiously as she heard someone heave something heavy into the bin she was hiding behind, and then slowly walk away. Kari took a peak from around the bin, but then jerked her head back. It was TK who had just been there. But what was it he had thrown out?
Once she was sure she was alone, Kari looked into the bin and saw a box with the top taped shut lying among the garbage bags. She climbed into the bin and carefully placed the box onto the edge of the bin before climbing out and then lift the box down to her feet. The sounds of loose items came from within the box as she shifted it a little while picking it up. It wasn’t heavy, but Kari was interested in what was in it.
[I’d better take this back home and see what’s in here. Something tells me I want to know what TK threw out in this box.]
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The streets started to light up for the evening as Sora found herself at the basketball courts by the schools. Sure enough, TK was there, playing basketball by himself. He never noticed her as she came in through the fenced gate, but continued to shoot the ball at the hoop.
“You’re pretty focused,” Sora finally said, getting his attention after he had made a successful basket shot.
“Not really,” TK replied. “I’m just messing around. How come you’re not at the meeting Matt told me about earlier?”
“Wanted to see you first. I called your home, but there wasn’t any answer so I guessed you were here. Looks like I was right.”
TK noticed that his ball had rolled over to Sora’s feet, which she picked up. “You know about yesterday, I assume? Tai told you?”
“He’s my boyfriend. We don’t keep secrets that important from each other. …I’m sorry-.”
“Yeah, yeah! You, Tai, Matt and everyone else but Cody, Davis and Kari and whoever else that doesn’t know. I told Matt and Mimi earlier so they could tell you and the others, but I might as well tell you right now that I don’t want any of you getting involved with my problems!”
Sora nearly flinched at TK’s words. “Okay, I won’t get involved. No need to bite my head off.”
“Sorry. I’m just tired of saying it, that’s all. And I’m tired of people asking me how I feel when the pain’s still fresh.”
“You’re angry, and you want to let it out. I can understand.”
“But we both know you didn’t come here just to check up on me.”
Sora was silent for a moment before she tossed the ball back to TK. “TK, I know you’re upset over Kari, and I know you want to sever your ties with her… but Tai had no right to release you from the promise you made to me.”
“You wanted me to protect Kari from Piedmon. I did, and I have no regrets about it, or from when I saved her from the Dark Ocean.”
“Still, Even after Piedmon, you kept the promise and watched over Kari ever since then. And I want you to keep looking after her, even though she has a boyfriend.”
TK turned away from Sora, his grip on the ball becoming tighter. “Davis is the one Kari loves and trusts. Let him protect her.”
“Before all this happened, Tai told me he was going to give you his blessing to date Kari. When I asked why you and not Davis, he said he trusted you to never break Kari’s heart. TK, promise me you’ll still protect Kari, no matter what! Not even if she has a hundred boyfriends, you have to-!”
“NEVER AGAIN!”
It wasn’t a surprise that TK shouted at Sora. What frightened her was that the ball he had been holding whizzed by her just inches from her face to loudly crash into the wire fencing behind her. She hadn’t moved at all when TK threw the ball, she never had time to do so. If TK intended to miss, he had cut it very close.
“You listen to me, Sora,” TK spat, pointing at her. “Tai released me from that promise, and even if he hadn’t I’ve already forgotten it and so should you! Kari has Davis to protect her and even if he’s not there, she can protect herself from now on! THAT is my new promise.”
TK then headed for the gate, picking up his ball along the way. He stopped only to say one last thing: “Just keep to your own problems,” and he walked away.
Sora only stared after him, not believing this was the same boy who told her he loved her back when she thought her Crest of Love would never shine. “And now I see,” she said to herself. “I see how much you still love her.”
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Mimi was just talking about her boyfriend when Sora finally joined the others at the park minutes later. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “Hi, Mimi.”
“What happened,” Tai asked.
“I found TK shooting hoops. I tried to renew his promise to protect Kari, and I nearly got a basketball in the face at 60 miles per hour. TK told me Kari can protect herself from now one if Davis can’t, and that we older kids should keep out of this mess involving him and the others.”
“That’s what Mimi and Matt said,” Joe chimed in. “And as unfriendly as this sounds, we should honor his request and not involve ourselves.”
“Like hell I will,” Matt stated. “I’ve made my decision and I’ll stand by my brother, whether he likes it or not!”
Izzy then coughed loudly, trying to call order to the meeting. “Okay then, let’s try analyzing the situation carefully. One, Kari is dating Davis, which upsets TK because he loves her. Two, Ken approached TK about reforming and they’re now friends. Three, Ken gave TK the ability to digivolve without the interference of the control spires he created as a show of good faith, which I would like to speak with him about sometime soon. Three, The new kids have yet to accept that Ken realized he was wrong and wants to make amends, thereby placing TK in a situation where he had to chose between his friends and his principles. Four, Kari and TK have an argument mostly concerning her relationship with Davis and the fact that she accused TK of stalking her. This ends with TK severing his ties with Kari, Davis and the others and going out on his own.”
“You forgot about Ken, Izzy. He’s told me he’ll stand by TK for believing in his reforming.”
“Thank you, Matt, I stand corrected. Anyway, some of us are involved because of blood relations and, in my case, vital information about the Digital World. However, we all know that TK will be avoiding Davis and the others whenever he goes to the Digital World and is not one to pick a fight. Therefore, I have a suggestion.”
Mimi then spoke up, “Let me guess, we try to remain friends to both groups, but when there’s initial fighting between them, we stay out of it?”
“Exactly. How’d you guess that’s what I was going to say?”
“I know you, bookworm. But I say that plan stinks. You forget TK and Ken will be outnumbered 4-2, and then there’s Matt, which makes it 4-3.” Mimi had said that last part quickly before Matt could protest.
Suddenly, the D-terminals for all six teens went off. Izzy was the quickest to check his email first. “It’s from an unknown sender, but this might be important!”
All the kids checked the email for themselves:
“Digi-Destined,
“Ken, the former Digimon Emperor is no longer the enemy. As of right now, a new enemy called Arukenimon has taken control of the control spires and is now placing them in vital locations of the Digital World. What worries me is that there might be a more powerful foe behind Arukenimon, and that this foe manipulated Ken into doing its bidding.
“Put aside your differences, now is not the time for petty squabbles over girls and former enemies! Only together, as many times before, can you overcome this enemy.
“I will contact you later.”
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Ken’s phone rang just as he finished reading the email. “Hello?”
“It’s TK. You get a mysterious email?”
“About a new enemy Arukenimon, yes. That explains the spires that appeared near Primary Village. But I’d like to know who this informant is and can we trust him or her.”
“We had someone like that years ago on my first adventures, his name was Gennai. But he died over a year ago, so it can’t be him.”
“And he sent this to all of the Digi-Destined, so Davis and your former friends will know about this.”
“That doesn’t matter now. Knowing them, they won’t team up with us unless the situation gets dire, and we can’t wait for that to happen. Can Matt and I come over tomorrow?”
“A good idea, TK. We can try downloading my program to his digivice.”
“Then expect us over by 9:30 tomorrow. I’ll send him an email now.”
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Along the gray beaches of the Dark Ocean, a half-woman, half-spider Digimon bowed low as a large, ominous shadow appeared from beyond the shore. “It has begun, my lord,” she said. “Just as you have commanded.”
“WELL DONE, ARUKENIMON,” the shadow boomed in a deep, dark voice that echoed throughout the area. “WITH THE DIGI-DESTINED FIGHTING AMONGST THEMSELVES, WE SHALL HAVE NO TROUBLE BUILDING MY ARMY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD TO PREPARE FOR MY COMING.”
“Yes, who would have thought that girl your shadows tried to make their queen would be the key to the children’s own destruction?”
“NOT JUST HER. I SENSE A DARKNESS HIDDEN WITHIN THEIR CURRENT LEADER, ONE THAT IS STARTING TO GROW LITTLE BY LITTLE.”
“But may still kill him if he gets in the way of your plans, my lord?”
“IF HE DOES, YES, BUT KEEP A CLOSE WATCH OVER HIM. HE COULD PROVE USEFUL AS A REPLACEMENT PUPPET.”
“As you wish, o great Dragomon.”
End Episode 4
NEXT: Davis drops by later that night to visit Kari, but gets a shock when Tai talks to him. The next day, Ken, TK and Matt go to the Digital World to destroy more spires, but suddenly come under attack when they try hiding from the others within the field of spires. Can they escape without causing a fight? And what was in the box Kari took home with her? Also, Gatomon finally speaks her mind about Kari and Davis’ treatment of TK.
Author’s notes: Okay, to loch ness and any other readers out there who dislike Davis-bashing, I am tired of people giving me a hard time with this fic and others like it. Look, I stated in the first chapter of this series that there would be anti-Davis content, so why the heck are you still reading this fic?!?!?! And for the last time, OOC is like my trademark! There are TONS of OOCness in my series “A New Destiny,” and so far nobody’s complained about it. So all of you Davis-fans out there, PLEASE stop reading this fic if it upsets you so bad! And loch ness? Insulting me is one thing, but insulting my readers is going too far! I don’t care about myself, but you should apologize to the people who have read this story and liked it. And by the way, don’t review my stuff anymore.
As to why the hell did I make Davis so nasty? Well, I have the plot to explain that for much later in the series, but you’ll just have to wait (yes, wait, so stop asking me why I did it). As for why he can still use his Digi-Eggs, the reasons are he still has friends (Cody, Kari and Yolei), and he’s not afraid to face dangers. Does that help? No? Well, I can’t win ‘em all.
And whoops, I forgot to mention Mimi would be in this chapter. Sorry. And who is her boyfriend? Even I’m not so sure now. It may not be the other guy I used in the original.
Once again, I delay several scenes for later use, such as the upcoming talk between Davis and Tai. This time, however, I finally got to a scene I’ve been wanting to do since I saw the trailer for X/1999 the TV series. Which one was it? I’m not telling. :P
Now I know I said I’d work on my other fics before this one, but how can you fight the mood? And one more thing: it was never revealed what Mr. Ishida’s first name was, so I am using the name Malcolm taken from one of Tank Cop’s fics (TC, if you disapprove, I’ll use another name. Let me know.)
Till next time, true believers! (Sorry, Mr. Lee, I couldn’t resist.)
-R80
By Robster80
Episode Four: Trying to Pick Up the Pieces
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Last time: After another narrow escape, TK and Ken decide to only meet on the weekends to avoid suspicion. However, a trap was set to see what TK was really up to, and whether or not Ken was involved. TK discovered this, however, and decided to meet with ken and Matt at his apartment. Unfortunately, a mysterious email and the sudden appearance of more spires near Primary Village force Ken and TK to go into the Digital World, where they were met by Leomon, alive and well. The other new kids show up and a heated argument ensues, resulting in the exposing of Kari and Davis now being boyfriend/girlfriend and TK’s self-expulsion from the group and severing his ties with the others, especially Kari, since she claimed she never really cared for him. Upon returning to the real world, Ken, Patamon and Matt left TK alone with his mother as the boy bore his shattered heart in tears…
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Tai left for school early the next morning. He had told his mother that he had to be there early for a group meeting on an upcoming after-school project. However, the real reason was he couldn’t stand looking at Kari for now. Not after yesterday’s events.
Matt had called him the night before and told him everything that had happened, from the trap Davis and the other new kids had set for TK to the aftermath where TK wept aloud over his first love. He also expressed to Tai what he would do if Kari and/or Davis ever came near TK again. The last thing Matt said over the phone was what Tai had been thinking about all night: “I don’t care what my crest is, Tai; if it ever comes down to it, my place is beside my brother!”
Tai never said a word to Kari when she got home, but he was angry with her. He had been hoping Davis was with her. There was a lot he wanted to tell the new leader of the Digi-Destined, none of it would be kind words. Davis looked up to him, he knew, but Tai would never have done what Davis did concerning TK.
[But there’s the problem,] he thought heavily. [TK and I spent months in the Digital World back when time passed a little quicker there than here. We were forced to mature more than we should have. Davis wasn’t put in that situation, and neither was Kari. Despite that she was the eighth child she spent less time in the Digital World than we older kids did. I can’t understand how she went from being the world’s youngest mature girl to what she is now.]
As he neared his school, Tai stopped and pulled out his D-Terminal to type an email. He would call a meeting of the older Digi-Destined to discuss the current situation. They had a right to know what was going on.
[It’s too bad Mimi’s still living in America. We could use all the brainstorming we can get for this.]
************************************************************************ ********
TK slowly woke up to discover his eyes hurt. [Not surprising,] he thought. [After all the tears I shed last night, my eyes must be bloodshot.] He looked at his clock, which read 7:43 AM. [When did I turn off my alarm? I should have been up and ready for school by now.]
Slowly, TK looked around his room. Patamon was nowhere to be found. It was then he remembered that his mother had sent his Digimon with Matt yesterday evening.
Just then, the door opened and Nancy leaned her head in. “How do you feel, honey?”
“My eyes hurt a little. Did you turn off my alarm?”
“I did. When I woke up this morning, I decided maybe you should stay home today after what happened.”
“Mom, it’s okay-.”
“Takeru, you’ve lost some friends yesterday. On top of that, you were hurt by your best friend and first love. Do you think you’re ready to face them so soon?”
TK opened his mouth to say that he was ready, but he stopped himself to think about it. Kari’s harsh words still echoed in his mind, and he wasn’t sure how Yolei and Cody would treat him now that they knew he and Ken were friends. “…I’ll stay home today, mom.”
This made Nancy smile, but it was only half-hearted. “Yolei was at the door earlier. I already told her you didn’t feel well and were staying home. She asked if there was anything she could do, and I told her to just drop off your homework in the mail slot and for her and the others to leave you alone.”
“Thanks, mom.”
“And don’t go out of the building until later this evening.”
“I understand. But right now, I just want to take a nice long bath.”
After his mother left, TK got out of bed and went over to his computer. After turning it back on, he brought up his email account. To his surprise, he had two new emails, one from Ken and the other from Yolei. He brought up Yolei’s first:
“TK,
“Cody’s grandfather said he heard you crying last night and was concerned. Cody’s still mad at you, but not as mad as Davis. You’d better stay out of his way for a while; he’s out for blood.
“I’m sorry about what happened between you and Kari. When you came back on Monday, I noticed you avoided looking at her and Davis as best you could, and I figured that somehow they were part of the reason you stayed away. Personally, I thought you and Kari would make a better couple. There I go again, sticking my foot in my mouth. I’m sorry.
“I still don’t trust Ken very much, but if you give me some time, I might change my mind. In the meantime, keep your distance from us and don’t go and do anything stupid. We’ll become friends again, I hope.
“-Yolei.”
As he read the email, TK slowly smiled. It was good to know at least one of the others still wanted to be friends. He didn’t realize it, but Yolei’s email gave birth to a small hope that he and the others would become friends again.
Next was Ken’s email:
“TK,
“Hope you are feeling better. I’m deeply sorry to cause you so much trouble with your friends, and even more sorry that Kari hurt you. There will be another love someday, just have faith.
“Matt’s offered to join me to the Digital World next time if you’re not up for it, but I told him no. You and I are a team, and I won’t go if you won’t. I think you should know that Matt was very angry after we left. Maybe you should have a talk with him before he does anything he’ll later regret.
“I got up early today to write this, but I should be leaving for school now. I’ll give you a call when I get home tonight.
“Your friend, Ken.”
************************************************************************ ********
Kari barely stayed awake in class up to lunch time. Yawns came from her mouth almost one after another as she went through the lunch line, got her tray, and found a seat by herself until Yolei sat beside her.
“Kari, you look awful,” she said.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Kari muttered as she attempted to put the food on her fork into her mouth. She hit her nose with the food twice before finally getting it right.
Yolei kept silent, but she knew the reason behind Kari’s lack of sleep. It was obvious she regretted what was said yesterday, and TK’s absence from school today didn’t help much. Yolei had heard gossip that Kari kept looking at TK’s empty desk when she wasn’t sleeping during class. [It’s obvious she has a thing for TK, so why the hell did she choose Davis?]
“Kari, you okay?”
It took all Yolei had to telling Davis that Kari obviously wasn’t okay as he sat down with them. She watched as Kari gave Davis a weak smile and assured him she was fine. “Kari, I got a question: what do you see in Davis?”
Davis blinked at Yolei. “What’s with that, Yolei? The answer should be obvious.”
“Call it my scientific curiosity. The reason I’m asking is because Kari’s told me you act almost like Tai back when he was younger. If that’s why she loves you, I’m wondering if that means she sees Tai as more than her brother-.”
This made Davis nearly choke on his sandwich. “What, are you sick?!”
“She’s pulling your chain, Davis,” Kari said after forcing herself to swallow her grape juice.
“Oh. I knew that.”
“And Yolei, your reason isn’t good enough to give you my answer. However, if it will prevent you from bugging me, I’ll tell you. I love Davis because he’s willing to do anything for me, plus he’s always been there for me. Not to mention he’s athletic.”
[I could say the same about TK,] Yolei thought about saying, but she instead replied, “But didn’t you once say you couldn’t date anyone who was like your brother or any member of your family?”
“Maybe I lied then. You can’t keep a secret, Yolei.”
“Okay, so I told almost the whole school that you and Davis are dating. TK would have done the same if he was here-.”
“Could you please NOT mention that traitor,” Davis said through grit teeth. “We no longer have anything to do with him, unless he gets in our way of restoring the Digital World.”
Kari then said, “Don’t be so hard on her, Davis. It’s just that she and Cody live in the same building as… him.”
[So, not using TK’s own name now, are we?] Yolei thought bitterly. [And I do have some secrets I’m keeping.]
They ate in silence the rest of the period, but Yolei thought hard as she ate. Obviously, she couldn’t work on getting Kari to forgive TK first, especially since she would be around Davis more now that they were publicly dating. It looked like Cody would be first on her list, and she knew how stubborn he could be.
************************************************************************ ********
Mimi cursed her luck as she walked down the streets of Odaiba. She had planned to come to Japan for an extended weekend while her school was on Holiday, but she didn’t expect her flight to get bumped a day in advance. She got an extra day in the bargain, but she arrived on a school day in Japan. Tai and everyone were in class.
[This is one time I hate being early,] she thought. [I can’t even do anything without someone telling me I should be in school right now.]
“Mimi, is that you?”
Mimi turned to see Nancy walk up to her. “Oh, Ms. Takaishi!”
“Come to visit the gang for the weekend, I see. How’s life in America?”
“Not bad at all, though I miss everyone here. Where are you headed?”
Nancy sighed heavily. “I’m on my way to my ex-husband’s apartment to pick up Patamon. I had Matt take him there yesterday. You’re welcome to come along unless you’re busy.”
“Not at all. But, I don’t understand why Patamon’s with Matt. Did something happen to TK?”
The two started walking as Nancy tried to explain what had happened.
************************************************************************ ********
A knock on the apartment door was something Malcolm Ishida expected on his day off. What he never expected was to open the door to see his former wife and a girl who he figured was one of Matt’s friends.
“Hi,” was all Nancy said to him. It wasn’t cold like the last time they spoke to each other years ago. It was a little warm, with a hint of nervousness.
“Hi yourself,” Malcolm replied with the same warm nervousness. “I… guess you’re here for Patamon?”
“Yes, I… Matt told me you had off on Fridays.”
“I do. …I think he’s still asleep on the couch. I’ll go get him.”
“Actually… could I come in?”
The question shocked Malcolm to the core. He was also nervous, since he and Matt didn’t keep the apartment groomed at all. “Uh… it’s kind of a mess today.”
“That’s an understatement,” said Patamon and he flew up to the door. “Sorry, but I heard TK’s mom and figured it was okay for me to go back.”
“I’ll take him back with me,” Mimi said quickly. “That is, if you two want to talk.” [Looks like there’s still some love between these two, I think.]
************************************************************************ ********
TK was finishing taping a large box closed when the doorbell rang. He hesitated to open it, though. After all, school was still in session for another few minutes.
“TK, it’s Mimi. Could you please open the door?”
“Mimi,” TK repeated as he opened the door to let his friend and his Digimon into the apartment. “I thought you usually came on Saturdays?”
“My flight got moved a day ahead of schedule. I ran into your mom while she went to get Patamon. I brought him back while she stayed to have a talk with your dad. …How are you feeling?”
TK sighed as he closed the door behind Mimi and led her to the table, Patamon flying behind them. “Empty, a little. More like a lot. Sora or Yolei told you, huh?”
“Actually, it was your mom,” Patamon said. “By the way, TK, you should have seen how your folks acted when your mom came by Matt’s place.”
“Leave it at that, Pata,” TK said. “I gave up on hoping my folks would get remarried a long time ago, and I have no interest in hearing how they fought.”
Patamon was about to say that they weren’t fighting, but a cough and look from Mimi quieted him. “TK,” Mimi said, “when I came back here the first time and met Davis and the others, I could see you were in love with Kari. I won’t pretend to understand or imagine how you felt last night or even now. If there’s anything I can do to help-.”
“No, Mimi.” TK looked straight at her, a serious look on his face. “I’m not dragging anyone else into this mess, especially you, Matt and the other older kids. This is my problem, and I’ll face it on my own.”
“But-!”
“I’m not that kid you first met years ago anymore, Mimi. I won’t run to anyone for help ever again.”
“TK, you can’t strike out on your own like Matt did-.”
“I won’t be. I have Patamon, and Ken and Wormmon, too.”
“…Just don’t be too proud to ask for help when you need it. You have more friends than you realize right now. I’d bring my boyfriend into this if I could.”
TK raised an eyebrow. “Boyfriend?”
Mimi suddenly gasped, cupping her mouth with both hands while she turned a deep shade of pink. “Oh drat, I was saving that for when the whole gang was together for a surprise! …And after what your mom told me, I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“It’s okay, Mimi. Just because my first love ended in hell doesn’t mean I won’t be happy for others in love. But, now Matt’s really going to have to move on.”
“Him and Joe. They were going to be the first ones I would tell.”
Just then, the door opened and Matt came in the apartment. “Hey, TK, just came by to-. Mimi!?”
“Hi, Matt. We were talking about Kari.”
The mention of the name made Matt’s voice turn cold. “Oh, really?”
[Bad choice,] Mimi thought. [Way to go, blabbermouth!]
Fortunately, Matt then noticed Patamon was on the table. “TK, when did you go get Patamon from Dad’s place?”
“Mom went over to get him and Mimi brought him home. Mom also made me stay home today.”
“I see. Well, I just stopped by to check on you before I meet up with Tai and the others later on tonight. Tai’s called a meeting of the older kids, and I think it’s about what happened yesterday.”
“Terrific,” TK exclaimed as he shot up from his chair. “Did you tell him, or was it Kari and Davis? Nevermind, it’s not important. What’s important is what you and Mimi can tell Tai and the others for me: I want them to stay out of this! It’s my problem and I’ll handle it myself. Don’t lecture me, Matt! I’ll be hanging around Ken whenever I go to the Digital World and I’ll be staying far away from the others when we go. Now, if you’ll forgive me, I’d like for you and Mimi to go now. You know the way out.”
************************************************************************ ********
[You got a lot of guts to be coming here,] Kari told herself that’s what TK or his mother would say to her as she looked up at the apartment building TK, Cody and Yolei lived in. She had unknowingly made her way to this spot after school was over, dragging her feet as she went. A voice inside her head kept telling her she had to go and apologize for what she had said, no matter what TK would tell her afterwards.
[But what happens after that? I love Davis, and TK had said he loved me. Even if we all make up, we’ll never be the same as we were before.]
Just then, Kari saw Matt and Mimi appear from the building. Quickly, she ran to the side and hid behind several garbage bins. If those two had come from TK’s apartment, then it was a safe bet TK told them what had happened and they’d both be mad at her, especially Matt.
[Why did I come here? Because of what Cody said? That his grandfather overheard TK crying loudly last night after he returned from the Digital World? He really is a crybaby after all. NO! Don’t even THINK about TK like that! He had every right to be upset after what you did and said. He loved you and you went and crushed his heart totally. You should march yourself inside that building, go up to his apartment, and apologize to him. …So why aren’t my legs moving at all?]
The sudden sounds of footsteps made Kari hold her breath. She waited quietly and anxiously as she heard someone heave something heavy into the bin she was hiding behind, and then slowly walk away. Kari took a peak from around the bin, but then jerked her head back. It was TK who had just been there. But what was it he had thrown out?
Once she was sure she was alone, Kari looked into the bin and saw a box with the top taped shut lying among the garbage bags. She climbed into the bin and carefully placed the box onto the edge of the bin before climbing out and then lift the box down to her feet. The sounds of loose items came from within the box as she shifted it a little while picking it up. It wasn’t heavy, but Kari was interested in what was in it.
[I’d better take this back home and see what’s in here. Something tells me I want to know what TK threw out in this box.]
************************************************************************ ********
The streets started to light up for the evening as Sora found herself at the basketball courts by the schools. Sure enough, TK was there, playing basketball by himself. He never noticed her as she came in through the fenced gate, but continued to shoot the ball at the hoop.
“You’re pretty focused,” Sora finally said, getting his attention after he had made a successful basket shot.
“Not really,” TK replied. “I’m just messing around. How come you’re not at the meeting Matt told me about earlier?”
“Wanted to see you first. I called your home, but there wasn’t any answer so I guessed you were here. Looks like I was right.”
TK noticed that his ball had rolled over to Sora’s feet, which she picked up. “You know about yesterday, I assume? Tai told you?”
“He’s my boyfriend. We don’t keep secrets that important from each other. …I’m sorry-.”
“Yeah, yeah! You, Tai, Matt and everyone else but Cody, Davis and Kari and whoever else that doesn’t know. I told Matt and Mimi earlier so they could tell you and the others, but I might as well tell you right now that I don’t want any of you getting involved with my problems!”
Sora nearly flinched at TK’s words. “Okay, I won’t get involved. No need to bite my head off.”
“Sorry. I’m just tired of saying it, that’s all. And I’m tired of people asking me how I feel when the pain’s still fresh.”
“You’re angry, and you want to let it out. I can understand.”
“But we both know you didn’t come here just to check up on me.”
Sora was silent for a moment before she tossed the ball back to TK. “TK, I know you’re upset over Kari, and I know you want to sever your ties with her… but Tai had no right to release you from the promise you made to me.”
“You wanted me to protect Kari from Piedmon. I did, and I have no regrets about it, or from when I saved her from the Dark Ocean.”
“Still, Even after Piedmon, you kept the promise and watched over Kari ever since then. And I want you to keep looking after her, even though she has a boyfriend.”
TK turned away from Sora, his grip on the ball becoming tighter. “Davis is the one Kari loves and trusts. Let him protect her.”
“Before all this happened, Tai told me he was going to give you his blessing to date Kari. When I asked why you and not Davis, he said he trusted you to never break Kari’s heart. TK, promise me you’ll still protect Kari, no matter what! Not even if she has a hundred boyfriends, you have to-!”
“NEVER AGAIN!”
It wasn’t a surprise that TK shouted at Sora. What frightened her was that the ball he had been holding whizzed by her just inches from her face to loudly crash into the wire fencing behind her. She hadn’t moved at all when TK threw the ball, she never had time to do so. If TK intended to miss, he had cut it very close.
“You listen to me, Sora,” TK spat, pointing at her. “Tai released me from that promise, and even if he hadn’t I’ve already forgotten it and so should you! Kari has Davis to protect her and even if he’s not there, she can protect herself from now on! THAT is my new promise.”
TK then headed for the gate, picking up his ball along the way. He stopped only to say one last thing: “Just keep to your own problems,” and he walked away.
Sora only stared after him, not believing this was the same boy who told her he loved her back when she thought her Crest of Love would never shine. “And now I see,” she said to herself. “I see how much you still love her.”
************************************************************************ ********
Mimi was just talking about her boyfriend when Sora finally joined the others at the park minutes later. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “Hi, Mimi.”
“What happened,” Tai asked.
“I found TK shooting hoops. I tried to renew his promise to protect Kari, and I nearly got a basketball in the face at 60 miles per hour. TK told me Kari can protect herself from now one if Davis can’t, and that we older kids should keep out of this mess involving him and the others.”
“That’s what Mimi and Matt said,” Joe chimed in. “And as unfriendly as this sounds, we should honor his request and not involve ourselves.”
“Like hell I will,” Matt stated. “I’ve made my decision and I’ll stand by my brother, whether he likes it or not!”
Izzy then coughed loudly, trying to call order to the meeting. “Okay then, let’s try analyzing the situation carefully. One, Kari is dating Davis, which upsets TK because he loves her. Two, Ken approached TK about reforming and they’re now friends. Three, Ken gave TK the ability to digivolve without the interference of the control spires he created as a show of good faith, which I would like to speak with him about sometime soon. Three, The new kids have yet to accept that Ken realized he was wrong and wants to make amends, thereby placing TK in a situation where he had to chose between his friends and his principles. Four, Kari and TK have an argument mostly concerning her relationship with Davis and the fact that she accused TK of stalking her. This ends with TK severing his ties with Kari, Davis and the others and going out on his own.”
“You forgot about Ken, Izzy. He’s told me he’ll stand by TK for believing in his reforming.”
“Thank you, Matt, I stand corrected. Anyway, some of us are involved because of blood relations and, in my case, vital information about the Digital World. However, we all know that TK will be avoiding Davis and the others whenever he goes to the Digital World and is not one to pick a fight. Therefore, I have a suggestion.”
Mimi then spoke up, “Let me guess, we try to remain friends to both groups, but when there’s initial fighting between them, we stay out of it?”
“Exactly. How’d you guess that’s what I was going to say?”
“I know you, bookworm. But I say that plan stinks. You forget TK and Ken will be outnumbered 4-2, and then there’s Matt, which makes it 4-3.” Mimi had said that last part quickly before Matt could protest.
Suddenly, the D-terminals for all six teens went off. Izzy was the quickest to check his email first. “It’s from an unknown sender, but this might be important!”
All the kids checked the email for themselves:
“Digi-Destined,
“Ken, the former Digimon Emperor is no longer the enemy. As of right now, a new enemy called Arukenimon has taken control of the control spires and is now placing them in vital locations of the Digital World. What worries me is that there might be a more powerful foe behind Arukenimon, and that this foe manipulated Ken into doing its bidding.
“Put aside your differences, now is not the time for petty squabbles over girls and former enemies! Only together, as many times before, can you overcome this enemy.
“I will contact you later.”
************************************************************************ ********
Ken’s phone rang just as he finished reading the email. “Hello?”
“It’s TK. You get a mysterious email?”
“About a new enemy Arukenimon, yes. That explains the spires that appeared near Primary Village. But I’d like to know who this informant is and can we trust him or her.”
“We had someone like that years ago on my first adventures, his name was Gennai. But he died over a year ago, so it can’t be him.”
“And he sent this to all of the Digi-Destined, so Davis and your former friends will know about this.”
“That doesn’t matter now. Knowing them, they won’t team up with us unless the situation gets dire, and we can’t wait for that to happen. Can Matt and I come over tomorrow?”
“A good idea, TK. We can try downloading my program to his digivice.”
“Then expect us over by 9:30 tomorrow. I’ll send him an email now.”
************************************************************************ ********
Along the gray beaches of the Dark Ocean, a half-woman, half-spider Digimon bowed low as a large, ominous shadow appeared from beyond the shore. “It has begun, my lord,” she said. “Just as you have commanded.”
“WELL DONE, ARUKENIMON,” the shadow boomed in a deep, dark voice that echoed throughout the area. “WITH THE DIGI-DESTINED FIGHTING AMONGST THEMSELVES, WE SHALL HAVE NO TROUBLE BUILDING MY ARMY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD TO PREPARE FOR MY COMING.”
“Yes, who would have thought that girl your shadows tried to make their queen would be the key to the children’s own destruction?”
“NOT JUST HER. I SENSE A DARKNESS HIDDEN WITHIN THEIR CURRENT LEADER, ONE THAT IS STARTING TO GROW LITTLE BY LITTLE.”
“But may still kill him if he gets in the way of your plans, my lord?”
“IF HE DOES, YES, BUT KEEP A CLOSE WATCH OVER HIM. HE COULD PROVE USEFUL AS A REPLACEMENT PUPPET.”
“As you wish, o great Dragomon.”
End Episode 4
NEXT: Davis drops by later that night to visit Kari, but gets a shock when Tai talks to him. The next day, Ken, TK and Matt go to the Digital World to destroy more spires, but suddenly come under attack when they try hiding from the others within the field of spires. Can they escape without causing a fight? And what was in the box Kari took home with her? Also, Gatomon finally speaks her mind about Kari and Davis’ treatment of TK.
Author’s notes: Okay, to loch ness and any other readers out there who dislike Davis-bashing, I am tired of people giving me a hard time with this fic and others like it. Look, I stated in the first chapter of this series that there would be anti-Davis content, so why the heck are you still reading this fic?!?!?! And for the last time, OOC is like my trademark! There are TONS of OOCness in my series “A New Destiny,” and so far nobody’s complained about it. So all of you Davis-fans out there, PLEASE stop reading this fic if it upsets you so bad! And loch ness? Insulting me is one thing, but insulting my readers is going too far! I don’t care about myself, but you should apologize to the people who have read this story and liked it. And by the way, don’t review my stuff anymore.
As to why the hell did I make Davis so nasty? Well, I have the plot to explain that for much later in the series, but you’ll just have to wait (yes, wait, so stop asking me why I did it). As for why he can still use his Digi-Eggs, the reasons are he still has friends (Cody, Kari and Yolei), and he’s not afraid to face dangers. Does that help? No? Well, I can’t win ‘em all.
And whoops, I forgot to mention Mimi would be in this chapter. Sorry. And who is her boyfriend? Even I’m not so sure now. It may not be the other guy I used in the original.
Once again, I delay several scenes for later use, such as the upcoming talk between Davis and Tai. This time, however, I finally got to a scene I’ve been wanting to do since I saw the trailer for X/1999 the TV series. Which one was it? I’m not telling. :P
Now I know I said I’d work on my other fics before this one, but how can you fight the mood? And one more thing: it was never revealed what Mr. Ishida’s first name was, so I am using the name Malcolm taken from one of Tank Cop’s fics (TC, if you disapprove, I’ll use another name. Let me know.)
Till next time, true believers! (Sorry, Mr. Lee, I couldn’t resist.)
-R80