Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Who Will Pray For Me? ❯ Echoes From The Past ( Chapter 4 )

Who Will Pray For Me?: Echoes From the Past
By Archangel Bloodraven

It had been a week since Takeru's funeral. Everyone had made it, even Mimi who's once brown, once pink hair was now dyed a somber mate black like the skirt suit she wore to the funeral. As per his instructions, Takeru was buried next to Hikari with matching headstones of black marble. Takeru had thought of everything, including Mimi's round trip plane tickets. After the wake the six remaining friends gathered for a 'destined only requiem. Jyou provided champagne, Yamato provided vodka, and they spent the first of many nights drinking themselves into oblivion.

Now as Yamato and Taichi took turns venting their frustration and pain on the punching bags at a local gym, a gruff voice called. "Ishida, Kamiya! Telephone, my office."

Moments later the two stood in the simple office, Yamato on one extension, and Taichi on the other. "Ishida Yamato."

"Hello Mr. Ishida. Is Kamiya Taichi there?" A crisp female voice said.

"Yes I am." Taichi said. "What's this about?"

"Well, according to our records, you are listed as next of kin to Mr. Ishida Takeru and Miss Kamiya Hikari."

"Yes. That's correct." Yamato said.

"Well as per their arrangement, when Ms. Kamiya passed on, ownership shifted to Mr. Ishida. With his death, control falls to you."

"I don't understand." Taichi said. "Control of what?"

"Their joint safe deposit box."

"We'll be there in twenty minutes." Taichi said mirroring the expression of surprise on Yamato's face.

Twenty minutes later they entered the bank. Ten minutes after that they emerged to face the other digidestined.

"How'd you get here?" Yamato asked.

"Taichi called me for directions." Sora explained.

"Never could navigate." He mumbled.

"Anyway I figured something was up when I realized this is the same bank I have my savings account at."

"Did you know Hikari and Takeru had a safe deposit box here?" Yamato asked.

"I did." Jyou said. "I signed for it."

"And you didn't tell us?" Taichi asked.

"It wasn't any of my concern. Come. There are some things they wanted you to have." He said opening the hatch of his van. "Mimi, the sunset is for you."

Mimi looked at the canvas in her hands. It was a painting of Takeru and Hikari standing against the setting sun. "Wow."

"Koushiro, this is yours." He said handing his friend a painting of the two lovers sitting together on a rocky slope.

"Thanks Jyou." Koushiro said holding back tears.

"Sora, they wanted you to have their moonlight walk."

"It's beautiful." She said looking at the painting of the two 'destined walking barefoot along the beach.

Jyou smiled and reached back into the van. "This one is for you, Taichi."

The painting showed the two young friends asleep in each others arms in front of a fire with the crest of courage in the background. "Cool."

"And lastly, Yamato." He said handing over the painting. It was elegant in its simplicity. The two lovers were together, Hikari on Takeru's lap, with their crests surrounding them in gold against a dark blue background.

"What about that one?" Mimi asked pointing to the last canvas.

"Oh that's mine." Jyou said casually. "Would you like to see it?" The others nodded in agreement and Jyou pulled it out with a shrug.

"Awesome." Taichi said.

It was a painting of the youngest 'destined dancing among the stars.

"That's awesome." Sora echoed. "Who did them?"

"Can't you tell?" Jyou stood in front of the painting for a moment, then moved to show a minor addition, A stylized JK in the lower right corner. "I did."

"Why Jyou?" Koushiro asked.

"Because they asked me to." He said. "I was supposed to deliver them when their box was opened, and I have."

"We still don't know what's in here." Taichi said. "The box had already been emptied and packed into this briefcase when we got here."

"Those two always loved having secrets." Jyou said sliding his painting back into the van. "Let's go to your place Yamato."

"Why not?" He said wryly. "We'd end up there sooner or later."

Soon the six remaining digidestined arrived at Yamato's apartment. "I gotta confess, I'm kind of scared."

"What for Taichi?" Sora asked

"What could be so important they had to put it in a safe deposit box?"

"Only one way to find out." Yamato said placing the briefcase on the table. He took a deep breath and opened it...

To reveal neatly bound sheaves of money. "Whoa!" Yamato said hastily stacking the money in a pile on the table. "What are two kids barely into their teens doing with more yen then I'll see in my lifetime?"

"Maybe this will tell us." Mimi said holding up a video tape.

"I don't know if I can handle another video." Sora said. "They're like echoes from the past."

"I know," Yamato said. "but they are kind of comforting." He held up two velvet ring boxes.

"Please tell me those aren't what I think they are." Taichi said.

Sora opened one. "Yeah, they are."

Mimi opened the other. "Engraved wedding bands."

"And prenuptial agreements." Koushiro said thumbing through a stack of papers. "And other assorted wedding preparations. I think I know where Takeru learned to be so thorough."

"Well, this is everything." Taichi said, pulling out a manila envelope, two copies of the CD Hikari made for Takeru, a blank CD in an unmarked case, and a white hair ribbon that tumbled from his numb fingers.

"What's wrong Taichi?" Mimi asked.

"That's Hikari's hair ribbon. I tied it myself the day she ..." Taichi trailed off, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Takeru must have taken it off when she..." Now it was Sora's turn to leave the words unsaid.

"Let's see what this tape is." Jyou said sliding the tape into the machine.

Good save Jyou. Sora thought drying her own eyes.

Hikari and Takeru sat side by side, him in a gray slacks and a white t-shirt, her in a simple white short set reminiscent of their days in the digiworld.

"Hey bro's." Hikari said.

"If you're viewing this," Takeru said. "it means we're both dead and you found the box." From off camera three quick notes were played on an organ causing the pair to jump.

"Don't look at me." Hikari said. "First off, don't freak out about the wedding stuff. We know how we feel and we'll get it all straightened out in the long run. Besides, the legal papers don't become active for another twenty years."

"We should be ready by then." Takeru said. "Next is the money."

"1.5 million yen." Hikari said proudly. "Those drug cartels will finance anything."

"As you can see, death hasn't dulled our sense of humor any." Takeru said poking Hikari. "Seriously, the money is from the stock market, and our heart felt thanks to Koushiro for helping us with our 'school project'. Sorry we had to trick you like that, but we needed objectivity, and if you knew we were 'playing' with real money, you might have been overly protective of us."

"What do they mean, 'school project'?" Yamato asked pausing the tape.

"Little cheats." Koushiro said with a sad smiled as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "They told me they were studying the stock market in school, and that they were investing hypothetical funds, in real companies."

"They made out pretty well. You did a good job Koushiro." Taichi said as Yamato hit play.

"The money is Hikari's and in turn, Taichi's. The data CD is a record of all my stocks and trades. That's for you Yamato. Koushiro can explain things to you and you can decide if you want to keep my portfolio, which was frozen at the time of my death, or liquidate it for the money." Takeru explained.

"The manila envelope is for Jyou. He did some beautiful work for us and this is what we think it's worth, 500,000 yen, a hundred thousand each." Hikari said. "He may not want to take it. Make him."

"Break his arm if you have to." Takeru said.

"Takeru!" Hikari exclaimed punching him in the arm.

"OW! I'm kidding!"

"They might not know that! You know how Yamato can-"

"Okay!" Takeru held up both hands in a surrender gesture, before turning to the camera. "Yamato just make sure Jyou takes the money without doing him serious physical harm, and Taichi, watch out for Hikari, she's dangerous."

"I can't take this." Jyou said, as Yamato handed him the envelope and Taichi paused the tape.

"Okay. Let's break his arm." Taichi said.

Sora rolled her eyes as Yamato cuffed Taichi in the back of the head. "Look Jyou, I know this hurts, but they wanted you to have this. If you don't take it, that's up to you, but this is their last request."

"Now I know where Takeru learned a guilt trip from." Jyou said pocketing the envelope as Taichi restarted the video.

"Hikari." Takeru gently squeezed her hand. "It's time."

"I don't know if I can do this."

"I'm right here with you. Go ahead."

"Okay." She licked her lips. "The real reason we made this tape is to say goodbye."

"We hope our deaths came slowly, perhaps old age. But if it came swiftly before we could tell you, these are our final goodbyes.

"Taichi, you're the greatest. Don't worry about me anymore big bro. Who knows, maybe it's my turn to look after you. No matter what, I will always be your little sister, and I'll always love you."

Takeru cleared his throat and hastily dabbed at his eyes. "Yamato. What do I say to the coolest brother I've ever known? You've been there for me through everything, you've been my mom and dad and everything all rolled into one. You've always done right by me, and now it's my time to do that for someone else." He squeezed Hikari's hand. "Be good, cause I'll be watching."

"Before we leave," Hikari said. "we're going to sing a duet."

Takeru groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Don't make me sing, Hikari. I sound like a cat being deep fried alive."

"Don't be ridiculous. You sound like an angel."

"Yeah, a fallen angel. Hikari, please?" He begged, sad puppy eyes and all. Instead of answering, Hikari began to sing and Takeru reluctantly joined her.

"If you're lonely
And need a friend
And troubles seem like
They never end
Just to remember to keep the faith
And love will be there to light the way

Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You'll never be alone again
So don't you fear
Even if you're miles away
I'm by your side
So don't you ever be lonely
Love will make it alright

When the shadows are closing in
And your spirit diminishing
Just remember you're not alone
And love will be there
To guide you home

Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You'll never be alone again
So don't you fear
Even if you're miles away
I'm by your side
So don't you ever be lonely
Love will make it alright

If you just believe in me
I will love you endlessly
Take my hand
Take me into your heart
I'll be there forever baby
I won't let go
I'll never let go

Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You'll never be alone again
So don't you fear
Even if you're miles away
I'm by your side
So don't you ever be lonely
It's alright
It's alright"

"Anytime you need to talk, we'll always be listening." Takeru said as the tape ended leaving the 'destined in tears.

~*~

In the digiworld two more wept for their young friends.

"You've been crying again." Angewomon said sitting beside Angemon and removing her helmet. "It seems like that's all we do these days."

Hand in hand, the two angels gazed into the setting sun and thought back to happier times. "Yes." Angemon said somberly. Like Angewomon, at the moment of his human partners death, he had digivolved into his angelic form and stayed that way. "But they are together."

"Do you think what Takeru did was right?"

Angemon thought in silence for a moment. "Not right, but necessary. He never told Hikari how he felt in life and those feeling destroyed a part of him. I learned something from him."

"So did I Angemon, and I have something to tell you." She looked into his perfect blue eyes and found their lips meeting.

"You see." A voice said. "That's all there is to it."

The two angels looked up to see Takeru and Hikari glowing with divine light as they hovered above them.

"Takeru! Hikari!" Instantly the two angels were in the air. "Are you all right?" Angemon asked.

"We're in heaven now." Takeru said. "It's great."

"So you're happy?" Angewomon asked.

"Now that you've learned from our mistakes, we are." Hikari said. "Treasure every moment you have with the one you love."

"Yes." Takeru said. "Because before you know it," He snapped his fingers and the area was flooded with a blinding light.

"The moment's gone." The phantom duo said as they vanished.

~*~

A/N: I got that angst, angst, angst feeling down in my bones! And we've got another Mariah Carey song, "Anytime You Need a Friend."