Chapter 11: Coming to an end
Their parents had finally listened to the twenty messages Tai and Matt had left, and all four of them hopped on the earliest train possible.
All the digidestineds had visited Tk and Kari. Each looking is pity and probably a tad bit of fear. It was almost noon, but that meant nothing to Tk and Kari. They could barely spare enough strength to talk to everyone, let alone stay up much later. As they fell asleep Gatomon and Patamon curled up near their heads and Aidan, Elli, Lazamon, and Babamon snuggled between the two.
The digidestineds couldn't help but smile.
"They make such a cute family!" Sora chuckled while clenching Matt's hand.
Yolie gave a sly grin, "Hey, didn't Elli mention something about cousins!" Their faces quickly flushed red and their hands released each other.
Tai was laughing hysterically.
"You know the cousins could come from you, Tai." Joe said in all seriousness.
Tai's laughter halted and his face looked shocked. Seeing his expression, the other digidestineds roared.
"Hey, Matt" The laughter was interrupted by Tk's cracked and sleeping voice. He hadn't even bothered to open his eyes when he talked.
Matt rushed over to his bed in fright, "What is it, Tk?"
"Shut up."
Tk rolled over on to his side and the digidestineds had to suppress giggles as Matt stood up straight in embarrassment.
Then, they filed out of the room, leaving the new family to their sleep.
It had been two weeks since the adventure and three days since Tk and Kari were dismissed from the hospital.
The digidestineds were once again in the Kamiya's apartment. Aidan and Tk sat side by side involved in an intense rock, paper, scissors match, his casted leg outstretched. The other digidestineds watched in boredom, Kari braiding Elli's hair dreadfully.
"You say I'm better at this in the future, right?" Kari said frustrated.
Elli gave a small giggle, "A whole lot better."
"Ahhh, I'm going to have to start practicing on Tai."
Tai looked over immediately, "Hell no you won't!"
"I think you would look fine in braids," Agumon encouraged.
The digidestineds laughed, while the digimon looked at them confused. "What's so wrong with braids, Davis?" Demivemon asked.
"Braids are for girls!" Davis laughed.
After the laughter dies down Sora spoke, "you can practice on me Kari—"
"I'm not taking you out, if you've got Kari's attempt at braids in your hair." Matt sneered.
"Heeeey!" Kari shouted and Sora thankfully whacked him on the head.
"Ugh, I can never win." They all looked over at Tk, who apparently had lost an other game of rock, paper, scissors.
"Don't worry daddy, ten in a row isn't that bad." Aidan snickered.
"Ten in a row, you've got to have some really bad luck, Tk. I bet anyone could win against you." Kari giggled.
"Is that a challenge, Miss Kamiya." Tk shot back.
"Why yes it is."
"Rock, paper, scissors!" They both put out paper.
"Rock, paper, scissors!" They both put out rock.
"Rock, paper, scissors!" They both put out paper, again.
"Rock, paper, scissors!" They both put out scissors.
They digidestines were stunned.
"You guys really are meant for each other!" Patamon charmed.
There was a moment of silent thinking, Yolie interrupted it with her outspoken comment, "I've been wondering what happens in the future that sends two little kids to the past?"
They all stared at the family.
"Aidan, Elli can you tell us that much?" Joe asked.
"But, wait do we really want to know?" Cody questioned.
"If it doesn't change anything, how can it hurt?" Ken put forth.
"Aidan, Elli, what happens?" Sora pleaded.
The two looked at each other, then at their parents whose faces were emotionless.
"It all started," Aidan began, "the day after my birthday. The digital world was still hidden from the public and open only to digidestineds…
The digidestineds and their children were spread out along the beach shore. It was the annual picnic in the digital world and everyone was having a great time…
"Aidan, my castle won't stay up!" Aidan looked over at his sister's attempt at a sand castle. "Why is yours so good? Will you help me?"
He gave a wide smile, "I can't give away all my secrets for free."
"Oh, please, Aidan." She whined.
"Pretty please," Babemon chorsed.
"I don't know, should we Lazamon?"
"Well, it would score you big brother points?" Lazamon replied jokingly.
"All right," he gave up sympathetically and moved over to her pile of sand. "First off your sand is too dry and second you need to smooth the sand like so." He rubbed the sides of a tower softly. "There." He stood back and admired his handy work.
"Oooooh, you're so good Aidan. I'm going to make one even better, though, and then I'll show it to mommy and daddy, and obnoxious Jesse's along with all the other kids."
"You go for it!" Aidan said accompanied with a cheerful thumbs up.
Elli went to work making tower after tower, even a mote was made around the edge. "I think it's done."
"Looks great, Elli."
"Now, where did that Jesse boy go off to—
A high pitched scream went through the air.
"TKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!"
Elli, Aidan and all the others rushed over the water's edge. Ten feet out Kari was thrashing around in the water.
"What is it?" Tai yelled while rushing towards her.
"TK WENT UNDER!!!"
In a heart beat Matt was in the water, diving into the depths. Patamon and Gabumon rushed after him. After realization of what was happening, Gomomon and Armadillomon digivolved and followed them. Sora, Mimi, and Yolie held back the kids from going into the water and tried to comfort those who were stunned beyond words. Tai swam his frantic sister back to the shore, being met with resistance the whole way.
"TAI, I HAVE TO HELP!!! I'VE GOT TO GO GET HIM!!!"
"They can handle it, you'd only be a bother!" he shouted back.
Kari's body went limp next to his, and under her breath, barely auditable she mumbled, "Tk."
Within two minutes the three humans and four digimon surfaced, dragging Tk behind them. Kari stood up on weakened knees supported by Gatomon and Tai. "TK! NO IT CAN'T BE TIME, PLEASE NOT YET!" Her body shook vigorously as Matt set Tk on the shore. The tears were unstoppable.
The crest of hope was burnt black on Tk's forehead and seemed to be spreading down his body.
"Mommy, what's happening?" Elli ran to her mother's side as Joe began performing CPR. Aidan followed.
"He's not responding!" Joe said frantically.
"It's time." Kari said lacking emotion, then her body collapsed.
"MOMMY!!!" She screamed.
Tai managed to grab her before she hit the ground and watched as the crest of light burned black on her forehead. He looked over at Tk whose entire body was black by now. "It's almost time."
"They all rushed mommy and daddy to the hospital," Aidan finished threw tears, "they said it was too late, that the machines were the only things keeping them alive. That some organs might be saved if they shut them off right then. But no one listened to a word of it. The next day the same things happened to the other parents, soon only Uncle Tai remained. He cornered Aidan and I and forced us to take a tiny key. He said,
'Please go back to the past and save them both for me! Don't tell them too much, don't change the present, there 'time not yet come to pass', and don't expect them to know you. Just go back and save your parents. Go back and stop the evil. Stop them!'
Then the same thing happened to him. Last thing we saw before this place was his blackened body lying on the floor." Aidan finished his tale leaving everyone else in tears.
"But it's fine now." Tk stated hopefully, "We're all going to be fine because we stopped him."
"YOU DON'T GET IT!" Aidan interrupted furiously, "I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO A FUTURE WERE YOU ARE DEAD!!!"
The room was completely silent.
Tk lay a hand on Aidan's shoulder which quickly turned into an embracing hug. "I'll never be truly dead. I'm hope and hope will keep on living forever and ever. I promise you that if you hope hard enough, light will take you home to your dreams and joyful lives."
"I wanna go home!" Elli cried from Kari's lap.
In an instant the same green and pink lights began radiating off of Tk and Kari.
"NO, NOT AGAIN!" Tai shouted looking at the two of them.
The light disapated.
"GUYS!," Izzy shouted, "I'm getting a transmission via my e-mail."
Izzy flipped the screen around so everyone could see. The screen was all fuzzy at fist, but slowly it cleared.
"Mommy, Daddy!" Elli jumped up and ran over to the screen.
"Hey pumpkin." The older Tk replied.
"So, your not—?" Aidan asked shakily.
"Of course not sweetie, we wouldn't dare leave you." Kari responded in all kindness.
"How can we be sure you're the real Tk and Kari?" Matt asked suspiciously.
"Just like Matt," the older Tk chuckled, "always looking out for me and now them."
Matt smiled, "I think they're legit."
"Mommy, can we go home now?" Elli pleaded. The older Kari nodded. Elli turned back to her younger parents, "Bye mommy, Bye daddy." She gave them great big hugs.
Aidan followed. The two then went around the group giving everybody hugs.
"Aidan?" He looked up at his older father, "Give the key to Uncle Tai, please."
"But Daddy, how will we get home!?!"
"Tk and Kari are going to send you."
"WE WILL!?!"
The two chuckled through the screen, the older Kari began, "You just used a little power just now. Those powers aren't only for evil, and you need practice for the future. Now link hands."
The digidestineds watched the pair in fear as they linked hands, hoping it wouldn't be like last time they did that. Aidan handed the key over to Tai.
"Now concentrate."
The closed their eyes, the other digidestineds squirmed.
"Feel the light and hope threw all your veins. Feel the love you have for each other."
The light around them brightened to an enormous rate, and the digidestineds no longer feared it.
"And release."
The light exploded and shot out in all directions. It looked to be harmful, but it caused no damaged to the digidestineds, instead it warmed up their insides with a tinkling sensation like kisses of an angel. As the light died down, two voices echoed threw the room, "Good Bye for now."
When the light completely disappeared, it revealed Tk and Kari slumped over each other on the floor.
"Tk!"
"Kari!"
They all rushed over to the two of them. Joe leant down and listened for their breath. "It seems as if their perfectly healthy but totally exhausted."
The group laughed.
Tai and Matt lifted up their siblings, being weary of their injuries, and carried them off to Tai and Kari's bedroom. After setting them on different bunks, they stood in the doorway.
"We're the luckiest older brothers in the world." Matt stated.
"Yes we are." Tai agreed
They stared at there little sibling with genuine love in their hearts, "Sleep tight little angels, sleep tight!"