Hello again, it's me, DaneelRush, with another story for the record. I really hope those who read "Son of Darkness, Son of Light" enjoy this story. Most people say sequels are never better than their predecessors, but we'll see if that rule applies to this one. Even if I have tons of things to do, now that college is back, I'll put all my effort to make this a story worthy of you, my fellow readers. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: Yes, yes, I don't own Digimon…happy!?
NOTE: I highly recommend you to read "Son of Darkness, Son of Light" before reading this one. Yes, I know it may sound annoying, and it's a really long fanfic, but some people say it's a good fic, so…who knows? Maybe you'll actually like it…
CHAPTER 1
Reunion
"Are you sure we should do this? I just…don't think it may work…"
"Of course it will work! We've been planning this for two weeks!"
"Yes, but…I can't believe someone would actually believe such a big bunch of crap…"
"Hey! Remember I was the one who made up most of that ´bunch of crap´!"
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry…but…"
"No buts, Takaishi!"
Takeru Takaishi and Hikari Kamiya walked side to side through the almost empty Odaiba streets. The day had been long over and the shiny full moon showed its beauty to the two friends, who were the only souls on that deserted street. Any normal person would have thought it twice before walking alone in that place, but Hikari showed no fear, as she felt completely safe. The facts of being with Takeru Takaishi made her become the most secure person in the world, because no human could defeat TK's amazing "abilities". As for the blonde man, he only could get out of his house when the night comes and nobody is around, because…well, he was supposed to be dead. And he was legally dead. He was dead for everyone else in the world, but his fellow Digi-Destined, that is, Matt not included. And that night, he was going to show up in front of his parents, his brother and the parents of all his friends. He still couldn't believe he was about to do that. It was too risky, and besides, what would he tell them? He just couldn't tell them he was an incredibly powerful sorcerer, who had just saved the world two months ago. How could someone believe something like that? However, as Izzy would say, "worse things have happened". And that's where his friends arrived to save him. Secretly, they had been working in a story to tell their parents. A story that would explain TK's fake death and disappearance for more than two years. But they had come out with a story so unbelievable, he would have preferred to say the truth. Unfortunately, everything was ready for that night, and they were going to use the fake version. He had only heard a part of it, as he was supposed to let the others to do the job. But leaving his destiny in the hands of some of them (more particularly, Tai and Davis) made him shiver.
"What's wrong, TK? Are you cold?"
"Of course I'm not cold…I'm just…a little nervous."
"Nervous? Now that's a new one…"
"Oh, shut up, you have no idea of how I feel…"
"Well, I wasn't the one who faked his own death and ended up living with a gorgeous woman six hundred years older than him."
TK looked at her, completely surprised, and said the words Kari didn't want to hear.
"Kari, are you jealous?" Suddenly, the brunette looked away, walked a few steps forward and said aloud: "No, I'm not!" But Takeru just walked next to her, placed his right am around her neck and pulled her close to him. First she opposed a little resistance, but she was never able to resist his warmth. An incredibly strong need of being next to him invaded her, and when he placed his right arm around her waist and pulled her even closer, she felt in heaven. Maybe if she just let herself go, while they're still alone…
Takeru looked at his friend and sighed. When they were in public she made him admit they were only "best friends", but when they were alone she allowed him to express his love freely, no strings attached. She thinks too much of what others may think about her…about us…yes, some of them would probably talk, but if she just accepted it…I can't keep playing this little "just friends" game for much longer…if she just understood there's no problem with having a serious relationship…nobody would complain…well, maybe Davis' heart would break in very small pieces, but…you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs…
"Kari…"
"What?"
"…I love you."
"Hmm? Why do you say that?"
"I love you. I just wanted to say it."
"No one says ´I love you´ without a reason, TK. Why did you say it?"
"Because I love you! Do I need another reason!?" Kari was surprised at TK's reaction. He almost looked…angry.
"Well, I guess not…thank you." She said silently. When Takeru realized what he had done he decided to stop walking, and his friend stopped with him.
"Why do you stop?"
"I'm sorry…I shouldn't had been so angry…I'm very sorry."
Kari just hugged him as tightly as she could, and when TK leaned his head on hers, he lost himself with the soft aroma of her hair. And when Kari leaned her head on his chest, she felt as if the whole world had disappeared, and it was only them.
"You're forgiven. But…I still want to understand what happened."
"I'm sorry. I…I'm just tired…"
"Tired of what?"
"…of having to wait until we're alone to say it."
Kari looked at her shoes, which seemed awkwardly interesting at the moment. She had been avoiding such conversations for one month, since he returned home; and she knew she wouldn't keep it a secret for much longer. He wanted her as more than a friend, but she still was afraid…just too afraid of losing more than what she would gain.
"This is not the moment or the place to discuss it, TK."
"So when and where?"
"I don't know." She said, and started walking again. TK sighed and slowly followed her. They still had a long way home.
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Matt Ishida curiously looked at the house. Curiosity was the only feeling that invaded him at that moment, as he had lots of questions in his mind. For example, what was he doing there? The day of his birthday, his friends had appeared, and apologized to him, as they were unable to celebrate his birth that day. But suddenly, more than one month later, they take him away from his apartment, to a house he had never seen before, with the excuse of: "Having the party they never had." But now, as Matt looked at the scene around him, he realized they weren't there for a party. First of all, all parties have music, and if something lacked that place, it was sound. All the people looked at themselves, with the same confusion he had. He looked at his parents, who tried to avoid each other's faces. "They hadn't seen each other in quite a while. Why today?" he wondered. He looked around the whole place, and he recognized most of the adults in that place: the Izumis, the Kamiyas, the Motomiyas ("Thank God, Jun isn't here. If she hears about my breakup with Sora, the hell will break loose." He thought). Yes, they were as confused as him. It almost seemed like they had been taken out of their homes against their will. "But know that I think about, that's exactly what happened." Matt gave up and sat down on the couch, only to get up again when he heard the sound of a door closing. A couple of seconds later, a woman appeared. A woman he had never seen before, yet she seemed awkwardly familiar. She was wearing a white shirt, almost sleeveless, with a black skirt, that looked rally sexy on her (at least, to Matt's opinion). Her dark blue eyes sparkle with delight, and her black hair completed the image of the most beautiful woman Matt had ever seen. He gasped when he realized she was looking at him, and blushed when she smiled. Before he could realize, she was in front of him.
"Welcome, young man. You seem the only young one in this place. What are you doing here?"
"I…I lost track of the others. Who…who are you?"
"Mina Kirahashi. More than pleased to meet you, hmm…" the girl said softly, and he felt how his face acquired a darker shade of red.
"Matt…Matt Ishida…" The girl joined her hands in a quick clap.
"Oh, so you're the famous Matt Ishida! My, oh, my…" Mina said as she studied her guest. Of course, she had seen him before, as he had been part of her plan to summon the Chosen One, but Matt ignored that completely. She had taken good care of erasing any memory he could have of that moment. Yet, when they met for the first time, she hadn't had the opportunity to get to know him. Now, she was analyzing his body and his outfit. His black T-shirt was tightened by his firm muscles, product of his training at the Air Force. His jeans hid a pair of long, firm legs. Tall, strong and athletic, that could be anyone's conclusion after looking at Matt Ishida. But know, he was only a shy young man in front of the gorgeous woman in front of him.
"Wha…what?" He said, gazing at her blue eyes, he got lost admiring her beauty. He barely listened to her answer.
"Whoa…you're just as cute as your little brother…" She said. Then, she giggled and walked away. At first, Matt was too lost looking at her soft curves as she walked to the kitchen, to realize the truth behind her words. "Wait a minute…!"
"How…how do you know about TK!?"
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"Yikes! Talked too much!"
Mina cursed herself as she realized the mistake she had done. Now, the whole bunch of people in that room was looking at her, waiting for an answer. She looked at the surprised young man, and she looked at his parents, who had just stood up and walked behind him. She sighed, and prayed for someone to come save her. "Why did I act so unconsciously?" she wondered, even if she already knew the answer. She had been too busy checking out Matt Ishida.
She knew herself very well. After seven hundred years of life, she had already learned everything about her personality. And she knew her interest in men was far more than a woman's average. But it had several reasons. She had been alone her whole life. She didn't remember a thing about her parents. Her first memories took her to the year 1320 A.C, and her training at the Academy of Magic. The Dark World (and the Dark Ocean) was still unknown for the human kind (as they would be discovered by Ken Ichijouji). Only those with aptitude for magic knew about that place, and there she was trained in the arts of magic. When she finished the training, she was already 56 years old, yet she just looked like a 10 year-old girl. Or at least, in her human shape. She specialized in transformations and her skill in that area was insuperable. Not even TK Takaishi, the most powerful sorcerer in the world, could accomplish such perfect body-changes. However, what she had in status magic skills, she lacked in battle abilities. She knew she wouldn't last five minutes against Takeru, even if he used only a quarter of his full power. Besides, she had vowed to protect humans, and to never use her magic to harm them. So, when she left the Academy, and returned to the real world, in the year of 1377 A.C, when humanity had reached the state of semi-decadence also known as the Middle Age, she was completely alone.
For fifty years, she wandered without a definite path, avoiding any contact with common humans. She knew humanity was suffering very much, as massive phenomena like the Crusades and the Black Plague had decimated their quantity. Yet still, humans had spread all around the world, and encounters with them were unavoidable. The first encounters only taught her about pain and sadness. In most of them, she almost had ended up dead, mostly because the fact that she looked like a little girl, and because men were rude and mean, and only cared for themselves. During those harsh times, as she escaped of near-death situations, only to end up in even worse places, she found the key to survival. She was a woman (or at least, she looked like one), and if she couldn't use her magic, she would have to use her body.
Her first sexual experiences weren't very pleasant. In fact, they were painful. Slowly, she developed an endless fear and anger for men, as she thought they only used her. But at least her charm kept her away from trouble. That's why, for the next two centuries, she traveled from place to place, from war to war, willing to give her body in exchange for her life, if she could call that a life.
And then, the seventeenth century arrived. While the human's quality of life had improved substantially since the harsh 1300s, her situation hadn't changed a lot. Even worse, something had happened: she had grown up. She had lost the little girl appearance, and somehow, no matter how she tried with her magic, she would be able to change. She was already 250 years old, but she looked like a young and cheerful teenager, maybe fifteen years old. She was beautiful, men wanted her, and in a world ruled by the will of the strong, she wasn't able to reject them. Three centuries had to pass before she could find peace.
The twentieth century meant a lot to her. She had given up a long time ago in her search for a soul mate, but life had given her a second chance. With the slow transition to modernity, she was able to avoid conflicts, harshness, and humanity itself. She met other people like her, and found out that they could help her find freedom and a relative happiness. She refused to get a job, but she was able to find a quiet place in an ever-growing place: Odaiba. But she didn't stay there for long, as she found a new love fore traveling, now that it was safe and easy. For the first time ever, men stopped looking for her, even if she still caught their attention. She thought that in a relatively peaceful world like that one (regardless of the two World Wars, which she practically ignored), she might find her special someone, in spite of the obvious age difference, as she was reaching the seven centuries.
Of course, she knew she'd never get married, or have a family. She wouldn't bear watching how her children grew older and die, while she stayed young and healthy. But during that century, she had several companions ("Several? I mean a lot."). If humanity couldn't give her happiness, it would at least give her pleasure. Now that she looked like a radiant and gorgeous nineteen-year-old woman, she didn't have much trouble finding young, handsome men to share a "good time" with. But she never found what she expected, and even worse, she still lacked a purpose in life.
The moment arrived during the eighties. Suddenly, she was assigned a mission. And a very important one. She always wondered why she had been selected for such a thing. She always related it to her excellent transforming skills, so that she would accomplish her mission without a problem. Or maybe because the possible Chosen One also lived in Odaiba, and she was there (A coincidence? Or maybe destiny…). For the first time ever, she had something important to do. It wasn't much, because she still spent most of her time doing absolutely nothing, and looking for an occasional lover, but, for a reason, she felt important. She recovered her lost cheerfulness, and she realized that living each day with a smile was always the best thing to do.
For the last two decades, she had been very frustrated. She didn't seem to progress very much on her assignment, as she kept wasting her time. Sometimes she even regretted being the person in charge of such an important mission. But when she finally accomplished it, and when she met the Chosen One, she knew that accepting that mission had been the best decision she had ever done.
She fell in love. She knew it was love because she had never felt something like that, and after hundreds of years of experiences, she had learn to distinguish most of the feelings. So, it had to be love. Takeru Takaishi completely restored her faith in humanity. After, he was nice, caring, intelligent, brave, sincere, friendly, and lots of other things she couldn't describe. It was definitely love. Of all the men in the world, she wanted HIM. However, of all the men in the world, she had had to choose him.
Because she couldn't love him. There was a huge barrier between them. First of all, he was the Chosen One, destined to fight to protect the world for Evil itself. And anyone close enough to him would get dragged in that fight. But she broke that barrier, as TK and Mina became good friends.
However, she still couldn't love him. Because he was already taken. His heart belonged to Hikari Kamiya, and there seemed to be nothing she could do about it. For the first time in seven hundred years, neither her body nor her charm could help her get him. He was in love, and the owner of his heart wasn't her.
It had been devastating. She had suffered a life of deception and pain, to find someone she could love, and it all end up in nothing. But when she thought it was all lost, she found out she had gotten something after all. Because no matter how much he tried to deny it, she had earned a piece of his heart. In a very subtle way, hidden by his immense love for Kari Kamiya, she knew he loved her. It wasn't much, but it gave her hope. Kari and TK would probably spend their whole lives together, but she would be there, too. Now she was a part of his life, and even if he loved another one, she still loved him, and she would cherish every moment they spent together. She still had her charm, and she was attractive, and they had kissed more than once, so maybe…
And besides, as she had already admitted, she looked young and attractive, and there are lots of fish in the sea, so she could still have some fun while making her best to get Takeru's love. And that easily included flirting with his handsome brother, Matt Ishida. When she saw him, she found a huge difference between both of them (and some similarities, too). Matt looked more daring, more aggressive, he looked… darker and more mysterious, like a lone wolf. And somehow she found that… very exciting. But her distraction had led her to a terrible mistake, and now she had to think a good answer.
"I…well…which was the question?" Of course, that didn't convince Matt.
"You just mentioned my little brother. Did you know TK?"
"Oh, little Taki?" she said. "Taki?" she wondered. "I haven't used that name for quite a while…but I'm starting to like this game…" she thought, delighted with the idea of using an affective name. She looked at the other's confused faces, obviously at the way she referred to TK. So she decided she should have a little more fun.
"Yes…of course I know him! He's the cutest guy in Odaiba!" she said, followed by continuous giggling. When she looked at the others, she couldn't hide her delight as she watched their curious faces. But her game didn't last long, as she could hear the sound of footsteps coming from the hallway.
"Oops, it seems like the others are back."
And she was right. The group of Digi-Destined walked inside the living room, exchanging glances and smiles with each other. Mina looked with admiration the way things had changed for good with them. If they were close before, now they were one, big family. She giggled when she saw Koushiro Izumi walked to one of the corners of the room. Anyone would think he's about to do some really complicated stuff on the computer, looking at the way he focused, but Mina knew his only intention was to get in contact with his girlfriend, Mimi Tachikawa, through Net Meeting. Ken Ichijouji had made his way to the couch, and a very pleased Yolei Inoue sat next to him and immediately leaned her head on his shoulder. Davis Motomiya walked next to Matt, who seemed to be telling him something related to Davis's sister, Jun. The comment was soon followed by a round of laughter. Mina wanted to know what they were talking about. Cody Hida smiled as he talked with Joe Kido, who was showing him a photo of his new girlfriend, a woman he met at the faculty. Joe's brother soon joined the conversation. Finally, she looked at the couple sharing a seat together: Taichi Kamiya and Sora Takenouchi. Opposite to what anyone would think, they didn't care to hide their romance to the adults in the room, as they shared kisses and kisses as if there were no tomorrow. She couldn't help but being happy for both of them. After Sora's unsuccessful relationship with Matt, Tai had finally admitted his feelings, and now they were going steady as a couple. Mina had never seen such a perfect one. "They really love each other. The only way they could break up would be killing them…geez, I'm so jealous…" Suddenly, her thinking was interrupted. Someone was knocking the door. All the Digi-Destined got up at the same time, looking at the door. They all knew that Hikari Kamiya and Takeru Takaishi were behind it. Silence filled the room as Mina walked to the door.
"It's time…"
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"I'm…I'm nervous…?"
Takeru looked at the floor while his friend knocked the door. Finally, she looked at him. She would have smiled, but the conversation they had had ruined her usual good mood. So, she just talked to him in a cold tone that almost hurt the blonde man.
"So…how do you feel?"
"…you have no idea…"
He closed his eyes, and he could feel Mina's presence getting closer and closer…he sensed the souls of a big amount of people. He knew Matt and his parents were there. What would he say? How should he behave in a moment like that? Finally, Mina opened the door, at the same moment he opened his eyes. He met two pairs of eyes. Very different, they were. Mina's eyes carried a warmth he hadn't felt from since a pair of months ago. "Since the day we…why? Why are you doing this to me, God? Why today, just when I had this argument with Kari? Why do you want me to fall into temptation?" On the other side, Kari's eyes were sad and cold. She was obviously still mad at him. "Why can't you accept it, Kari? I love you. And I know you love me…" He tried to drop the subject. "I'll deal with it later." He looked behind the sorceress, at the curious crowd looking at the newcomers. And he met his eyes.
"Brother…" he said softly, fighting to keep the tears away.
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"TK…"
Kari couldn't help but smile. Takeru always surprised her, even if she said that, after almost a decade of being friends, she can predict how he will act. It always ended up the other way around, though. She knew TK was a caring, sentimental person, but he was a strong man, too. That was the reason she never expected him to shed a tear in front of his brother, whose face expressed everything he felt. Matt barely noticed when his ex-girlfriend Sora stood next to him and placed a hand on his left shoulder.
"Go say hello to your brother, Matt."
Kari stepped aside, leaving the two brothers free space to talk. Mina stood next to her, and their eyes met. Kari looked up at the taller woman, the one TK now called his "best friend". When she first heard it, she had felt jealous, much to her surprise. That was probably the first time TK and Kari argued. The first time Kari knew there was something missing in their relationship.
Three weeks before…
"I'm hoooome!!!" TK shouted as he closed the main door behind him. Almost immediately, he heard two voices. Two female voices.
"TK!!!" the two voices called at the same time.
"Ok, now I'm confused…" he muttered. And he realized he wasn't the only one. Kari Kamiya and Mina Kirahashi came out of different rooms at the same time. Obviously, the two girls couldn't greet Takeru at the same time, so Mina stayed still while Kari walked to him. Much to Mina's sadness, Kari had priority over her.
"What a pleasant surprise, Kari…"
"I came here after school." She said, soon followed by a kiss on the cheek. TK softly placed a hand where he had just been kissed, and he caressed Kari's hair with the other hand.
"Nice of you to come. Why don't you wait in my room while I have dinner?"
"Sure." Kari replied. TK then looked at his housemate, and widely smiled. "Now where is my best friend?" TK said aloud and Mina welcomed him with open arms.
"But I thought I was your best friend…"Kari thought. Slowly, she locked herself in TK's room, while TK and Mina had dinner together.
Ten minutes later, TK walked inside his room, only to meet an angry Hikari.
"I thought I locked the door."
"It's my room, Kari. I have the key." TK replied. "Besides, I could just walk through the door. I'm a sorcerer, after all." He said to himself.
"What's wrong, Kari?"
"I thought I was your best friend, but it seems like Mina took my place. But I guess that was bound to come. She's more beautiful, after all." TK sighed, and sat next to her, on the bed.
"You underestimate yourself, Hikari." When she listened to her full name she knew she had touched a nerve in Takeru's heart, something that didn't happen very often. "But you're right. She's my best friend." He finished. She looked at his eyes, confused. What did he mean? Very gently, TK took one of Kari's hands and softly caressed it.
"You know we're much more than best friends, Kari. You said it yourself, a week ago, when I returned."
Kari remembered the moments she spent with him the day he returned from his last battle against Evil. She looked down and tried another question.
"You know she loves you, right?"
"Yes, I know."
"And you must admit she's really beautiful, don't you?"
"More than beautiful, Kari. She's more than beautiful. She's almost perfect."
"Then…"
"She's not you." And without any warning, he kissed her. Softly and carefully, he used his magic to extend the sensation, and multiplied it, making the pleasing almost overwhelming. After it was over, Kari found herself in a state of dizziness.
"How…how did you do that? It was like…nothing I've ever felt before." she asked. He just winked.
"Why…why, Takeru?"
"Because I wanted to and because I could. Kari, if you weren't here, I'd probably try something with Mina. But you ARE here, and you're the only person I think about. How long will it take you to understand that? I love you, and if you don't get that, then there's something wrong in our friendship."
Kari tried to organize her feelings. "Oh, God, you know how much I want him, but…something stops me. And until I find out what it is, I just can't…"
"I'm sorry, Takeru…I'm so sorry!" And with those words said, she left the room, and the house. They would talk to each other for the next two weeks.
And that night, she loved him, and she hated him. And she hated him for loving her. "Darn, I'm so confused…why did you have to love me? And why did I have to fall in love with you? Now my life will never be normal again…" She tried to keep her thoughts away, and looked at the two brothers, the older more surprised than the younger. So similar, yet so different. TK was taller and bigger, and her eyes showed a threatening coldness, yet she knew his heart was warm and charming. On the other side, Matt looked more athletic are more muscular, something that Kari found quite strange, as she knew that Takeru was much stronger. Normally, his eyes were deep and focused, almost like a hawk searching for its prey. But at that moment they were practically the size of golf balls.
"Bro…brother…is that really you?" Matt said in disbelief.
"Well…It depends on who do you think I am." TK said as he walked closer to his brother.
"But you were…you were…" Matt said, looking behind at his parents and the other families, who looked as shocked as him. Only the Digi-Destined remained calm and watched the scene normally.
"Dead? Well, that's a long story."
Kari couldn't avoid shedding a tear when the whole family joined together in a big hug. For a little moment, those four people, the most troubled family she had ever met, found happiness together.
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"I can't believe they actually believed that crap…"
TK slightly smiled watching how his Digi-Destined friends, against all the odds, convinced their families that Takeru's death had been part of a plan to neutralize another crisis in the Digiworld. The problem was, now they had to keep his presence as a secret. They couldn't know how the outside world would react to his reappearance in society. Takeru Takaishi was dead, and he would remain dead, but he would live in the shadows. Only when the time comes, he would regain his life. "Because Kari can't marry a dead man…wait a minute, did I just think that!?" All the families agreed to keep and protect the secret, and the night went on happily, while they discussed other things. Joe began bragging about his new girlfriend (again), while Izzy and his family had a nice online chat with the Tachikawas. For Takeru, everything was now perfect. "Well…almost perfect…" he thought, as he looked at Hikari, who immediately avoided his eyes. TK just sighed and tried thinking of other things. He interrupted his silent meditation about what to do the next day when Tai and Matt suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Hi, brother." TK said softly.
"Hi, TK. Man, it's really cool to see you here. I mean, look at you! All grown up and strong!"
"You have no idea…" TK thought. "Hello, Tai. How are things going?" TK looked with interest at the two friends. It was amazing how they had solved their differences and became such great friends again. After the whole Sora thing, he thought those two would end up killing each other, but actually Matt didn't offered any resistance. Or he didn't really care about it or he was a really good actor. In fact, he seemed happy for them! And TK agreed with him. Tai and Sora made a wonderful couple. Of course, they had their fights, but, well, they had fought long before they got together. It was part of their relationship. He didn't want to admit it, but watching them made him get jealous.
"You know me, always cool." Tai answered. "So…you seemed really concentrated a while ago. What were you thinking about?"
TK looked at the two guys with concern. That wasn't definitely a question he would expect from them. Why would they care about his thoughts? Maybe Izzy and Joe would, but…Tai? Then, he got it.
"…what do you want?" he asked.
"What? Us? What makes you think we want something? Man, you really are something….geez…" Tai said hastily, and looked at Matt, who just shrugged.
"I insist. What do you want?" Tai finally gave up.
"Well…err…why don't you tell him, Matt?"
"I would if I had any idea of your plans, Tai."
"Oh, yeah, right." Tai went silent and began thinking, or something that seemed like thinking. It was more like muttering stuff to him. But the words TK could get, and a little check of Tai's electrical impulses traveling through his nerves (something that made TK admire the wonders of magic and physics) helped him guess his intentions.
"Oh, I get it. As you didn't celebrate Matt's birthday a month ago, you want to make a huge party next week, and you plan to ask me if you could use this house to make it. Am I right or wrong?"
The two older men looked at the blonde guy with surprised looks. Matt felt surprised to hear TK giving such an idea, and Tai felt admiration to see how the sorcerer said exactly what he wanted.
"How…how did you know that?" Tai asked. TK just crossed his arms, showed them a little smile, and said a simple word.
"Magic." Tai and Matt joined his laughter, Tai a little more than Matt because he knew exactly what Takeru meant, opposite to Matt, who just thought it was a joke. After the short laughter, Tai continued.
"So…can we?" Tai asked with the best "Please!" look he could make.
"Tai, Tai, Tai…that idiotic face might work with Sora, but you won't get me with it. Besides, why are you asking me, anyway?"
"Well, you live here, don't you?" Tai asked. Matt just looked at his brother and muttered: "You live here!?"
"Yes, I do, but Mina is the one in charge. This is her house, ask her."
"Oh, man!" Tai shouted in frustration. Suddenly, there was a loud voice, and several people approached to them.
"Matt, Takeru, we're leaving." Mr. Ishida said.
"Already? Too bad. Anyway, it was really good to see you, dad. Good night." TK said.
"What? Aren't…aren't you coming home, now that's everything is ok?" TK's mother said. TK just got up, walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, got a soda can, and took a sip, while everybody looked at him (including Kari, much to Takeru's surprise).
"Mom, as you can see, I'm home. This is my house. I live here, and I like living here."
"But, how can you live here? This is not your place! You live with me! You still have your bedroom untouched!" Mrs. Takaishi continued.
"I LIVED with you. Note that I'm using past tense, mother. Mina offered me a bedroom here, two years ago, and I've grown pretty fond of this house." "And pretty fond of Mina, too. Man…"
"But you're just sixteen! You can't live on your own!" Mr. Ishida joined the argument which was getting a little uncomfortable for the others there.
"Well, he's been doing that for two years now." Mina answered, as she stood next to Takeru. "Besides, there's no problem with it. It's his house, after all."
"WHAT!?" Everybody shouted now, TK included.
"Oh, I never told you. Oops, my bad. Wait a sec!" Mina giggled happily and gracefully walked to her bedroom. "Now what is she up to?" TK wondered. A minute later, she reappeared with a long piece of paper. After she got next to TK again, she began reading.
"This document blah, blah, blah…more stuff…oh, here! The terrain and the building in the address blah, blah…will be owned by Kirahashi Mina, with the documents blah, blah…and the ownership will be transferred to Takaishi Takeru when he reaches legal age to claim ownership…to make it short, Taki, when you get 18, this house is yours."
"What!?" TK shouted. "Wait a minute…Taki?" "Ahem…I didn't know that, Mina."
"Sorry. I guess I just forgot. Maybe is because when you get 18 I get homeless…"
"Of course not! You'll always have this place for you! I wouldn't permit anything else!"
"Oh, that's so good to hear, Takeru…" she replied, followed by a kiss on his cheek, and a big hug. TK realized Mina didn't care to hide her feeling to the others, and he didn't like that. But, knowing that she wouldn't let go easily, he sighed and talked to his parents again.
"Well, mom, dad, you heard it. This is my home, and I have no plans of moving out. If you want to see me, I'll be more than pleased to welcome you here."
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The adults (well, the parents) had already left. Midnight was close. TK, Mina and the Digi-Destined occupied the seats in the living room. They had remained silent for five minutes already, only interrupted by Izzy's typing and the almost inaudible sound of crickets out of the house. Finally, Tai broke the silence.
"So…Mina…can we!?"
"ALRIGHT, I GIVE UP! YOU CAN HAVE YOUR DAMN PARTY!"
"Alright!" Tai celebrated, ignoring Mina's anger. The woman just got closer to Takeru and talk with him softly.
"He's been bothering me with that for the whole night."
"Yeah, that's our Tai."
"Gosh, he can be annoying!"
"Just calm down, pretty lady." He said as he caressed her long, dark hair. Mina blinked a little with the unexpected treatment, but it didn't take her long to begin enjoying it. But TK was too busy looking at Kari, who still tried to avoid him. TK sighed again. The silence continued for while, that TK took to look at the other people there. He began wandering through their minds, trying to understand their emotions, their desires, their concerns. Mina blinked a little when he entered her mind, but slowly relaxed when he softly touched the fibers of her brain. He noticed an incredible uniformity in her mind, as there was only one thing in it: pleasure. He could realize she was amplifying the sensation of his hand caressing her, to make it feel hundreds of times better. Mina had told him a lot of sorceresses used magic to get self-pleasure. "Magic masturbation…now that's new…" he thought the first time he heard of it. Then he realized maybe that was the reason of her amazing uniformity. "Maybe she's grown…addicted to it…"
"I'm only addicted to you, my love…"
TK felt startled when he heard Mina's voice echoing in his mind. So she had caught him. "I must have lost my focus…geez…"
"So…now you're invading my privacy…"
"Sorry…"
"And know you found my little secret…" He sent her a mental signal resembling a nod. "Everything in excess is wrong, Mina…"
"Then how do you want me to control my tension if I don't have a partner? Unless you want to take that place…"
"You already know the answer is no, Mina. You just don't give, do you?"
"With anyone else, maybe, but we're talking about you, sweetheart."
"I feel flattered, but I really think you should try other people."
"Only when you little friend over there announces her love for you in public, and you begin a serious thing. Until then, I still have my hope."
TK sighed and looked at her face, which smirked with a lustful look.
"Why did you stop!?" TK realized he wasn't caressing her hair anymore. "I was having fun, Takeru."
"I don't want to give you pleasure, in any way, physical or magical."
"You just say it because you haven't experienced it. If you're interested, I may show you magic in a way you've never seen before. Just ask me."
TK sighed again, making his best to hide his thoughts from her. "Man, she wants me…"
"I want you bad, Takeru…"
"Damn!"
"Teehee..."
TK immediately left Mina's mind and focused on someone else. Mina silently giggled, and whispered something to his ear.
"You're so cute when you're nervous, Takeru…" TK pushed her aside and walked to the kitchen. "I need a drink, my throat is dry." Leaning on the kitchen counter, he met with Kari's eyes. He saw anger, fear and nervousness. Before she could look away, he made his way into her head. Sensing her mind made him confirm the feeling he had found in Kari's look. He wasn't supposed to use telepathy on common humans, but he really needed to talk with her, and she wasn't in the mood to go out with him, alone.
"You can't avoid me forever, Kari."
Kari gasped when she heard TK's voice echoing inside her head. In an act of reflexes, she replied.
"What!?"
"Calm down, Kari. I just did this because I needed to. It's not comfortable to me either."
"Since when you can do this!?"
"Since I became a sorcerer, dear."
"So you've been invading my privacy all this time! How dare you!? And don't call me dear!"
"Kari, this is the first time I use this skill on humans. I only use to talk with Mina, when we need privacy, and that's not very often."
"Ok, ok, whatever. What do you want?"
"I want answers, Kari. And I don't want you to treat me the way you've been treating me tonight. What did I do, anyway?"
"You…you…you fell in love with me!" she cried, or at least that's how TK felt it.
"And what's so wrong with that?"
"I…I can't love you back, Takeru…" She had used the full name. For the first time in two months, TK felt fear.
"What? Why?"
"Don't misunderstand me. A part of me wants to, but…after the whole Digimon thing, I want a normal life…and that's something you can't give me…"
TK didn't want to admit, but she had a point. A very good point. For a second, he cursed his life and his destiny as the Chosen One, until he realized how wrong he was. Besides Kari, becoming a sorcerer was the best thing in his life. He was different, and above all, he was important.
"I'm…I'm sorry…you're right…but that doesn't kill the fact that I love you."
"I…I'm not sure…"
"Then, be sure. Look at my eyes. If you're able to tell me that you don't love me, then I'll leave you. I'd do anything for your happiness, even leaving you, if you want me to."
Kari looked at his friend with fear. Was he really saying it? Was he forcing her to decide? She melted with his smile, and for a second, she wanted to kiss him madly and tell him she loved him, but the pressure of the moment suddenly replaced it with confusion and anger. How could he force her to make such a decision?
"I see you doubt. Come on, if you want a normal life, you won't find it with me. Say the words and I'll leave you. Say you love me, and I'll make my best to make you happy."
"TK…I…"
"Whatever you decide, I'll agree with. If you think it's the best for you, then I won't make regrets. And I'm sure you won't either. You're an adult, after all."
"TK…please…don't" Kari anger slowly increased, as she forced the tears not to leave her eyes.
"Just say it, and I won't be part of your life anymore. I'm sure there are tons of men who would love that…so…what do you say?"
"I DON'T LOVE YOU! I HATE YOU, TAKERU TAKAISHI!"
The sudden change from telepathy to voice confused TK for a second, and it took him a while to get the full sentence. And when he did, he suddenly closed his eyes, because an incredible pain filled his chest. It wasn't a metaphor. His heart was being crushed.
"Wha…what?" He softly replied, as he still fought the sensation. The other Digi-Destined and Mina looked at the scene with faces of confusion, as Kari's statement took them by surprise.
"YOU HEARD IT! I DON'T LOVE YOU! IN FACT, I WANT YOU OUT OF MY LIFE! GOOD BYE, TAKERU!" And with those words said, she stormed out of the house. And it all was silence. Silently and carefully, yet still confused, each Digi-Destined left the house: Tai and Sora, with Davis, went after Kari. Joe and Cody, then Ken took Yolei back home. Izzy, and finally Matt. When only Mina and TK were in the room, it was a couple of minutes after midnight. Mina looked at his friend, at the man he loved, and shared his pain. Yes, he broke up with Kari. Yes, he was now only for her. But she didn't want things to end up that way. Because she could tell he was suffering. And when TK let free the first tear, and let himself fall to Mina's arm, when he found comfort and warmth on her chest, and let his feeling go free; when he stopped being the Chosen One to become a simple, lovesick teenager, Takeru Takaishi and his best friend welcomed the worst day of their lives.
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That's the first chapter! Sorry, Takari fans! I really had to begin the story this way. Don't worry; this is still a Takari (even if things get even worse from here). But you'll find the first chapters very, VERY sad. So sad you wouldn't believe it. Man, love can be such a joy, yet such a burden…
DaneelRush ([email protected])