My Successor
by Silver
*Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Digimon, its creatures, or its characters.*
Author's Note: This is just a quick POV from one of the 01 Digidestined. It'll become obvious who the person is as you read.
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When I first met the kid, we couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. He seemed to be picking a fight with everybody, and I was all too obliged to face him. We fought and we argued. He got on my nerves, I got on his nerves, and we left the Digital World without settling any of our differences. Talk about a lousy way to meet someone, especially when he turns out to be your successor.
Then his sister got on my case, and drove me insane. I blamed him for my problems with his sister, maybe because I figured that I never would have met her if it hadn't been for him. Now that I think about it, though, it wasn't really his fault. I don't think anyone can stop his sister from chasing me around. She's like a force of nature, unstoppable and undeniable. It's kinda scary.
I was so surprised when I found out that he had inherited my crest… well, a digiegg with my crest. Same thing, really. It was a big shock to my system when that egg rose off the ground and parked itself right in front of him. This kid, this guy who can't seem to get along with anybody, including my younger brother, was the person who was most suitable for the crest of friendship! I didn't think it was possible, but, then again, I wasn't much of a friend to anyone at first either. I fought with people and I acted distant and uncaring. I didn't want to let anyone close to me because I was afraid of being hurt again, like I was when my parents broke up. Maybe that's why he acts the way he does. Maybe he's afraid of being hurt too.
Seeing him with my crest made me reconsider my opinion of him. Truth is, he reminds me so much of what I used to be when I was his age. I think that's part of why I didn't like him at first, he reminded me too much of myself. He's a hothead, always looking for trouble and he has something to prove to everyone. I was just like that. I argued with people and was always trying to prove my own coolness. Of course, I think I had a bit more success than he does.
It's strange, somehow the guy with the crest of friendship is always the person who has the hardest time making friends. I really thought that my brother would lift that digiegg, because he always seems to be able to make friends, no matter what. But he couldn't lift it, my successor did. Maybe the crest of friendship doesn't mean that you can make friends just like that. Maybe the crest means that you stay loyal to the friends you have, even if you don't always act like a true friend. I've heard the others speak about what he's done in the Digital World. Granted, not all of it was good, but there were some real golden moments for him. Joe told me about how upset he was with the idea of leaving Cody behind after the little guy fell in arctic water. Kari told me how he didn't want to leave Yolei behind after Hawkmon was injured. Kid's got loyalty, if nothing else. He's also determined not to let people down. TK told me how he couldn't run away from Kimeramon after seeing how many lives that digital chop shop had taken. He wasn't fighting for his ego or to impress anyone else. He wanted to win so Kimeramon would pay for his crimes. I wonder if I would have been willing to stay and fight if I were in his place.
I gotta admit, when push comes to shove that kid always finds a way to pull through for his friends. In some ways, he's better off than I was when I first became a Digidestined. He doesn't hold a grudge like I did. He'll blow his top, vent his anger, and then carry on like nothing really happened. He does this every time, even when his friends laugh at him, but he never seems to hold it against them. I remember how I used to keep everything bottled up inside, and I would carry grudges for hours, even days. This was especially true when Tai and I used to fight. He, on the other hand, is even willing to forgive the Digimon Emperor for all he had done, even though he and the Emperor had the fiercest rivalry going. I doubt I could have done that.
He's got a lot to learn, but we all did at first. That's part of being a Digidestined, you learn and grow from the experience. I think he's up to the challenge, because he reminds me of myself, and I pulled through just fine. At first glance, he's a jerk and a moron, but if people take the time to look closer, like I had to, they'd see he's a better person than most others realize. He's learning, and he's growing, and he's improving. I guess I'll cut him some slack and offer some advice in the future. After all, he is my successor.
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