Digimon Adventure Tri: Echo

38) Ice Remembered

After the battle against Leviamon, the Chosen Children were granted with a merciful period where there was no activity for them to deal with. Hikari was beyond relieved for the chance to take a deep breath and try to ground herself in the world at present. She had seen too much chaos over the course of the past week, and even if she was in a realm that she absolutely despised, she wanted to try and find a way to relax. If she didn't try to calm down at least a little bit, her paranoia and fear was going to eat her alive. 

The group was getting closer to Daemon, and Hikari could see it. Everyone else seemed to have picked up on such a truth as well. There was a silent sense of tension that had risen among the members of the group, and while Hikari wished that there was more she could do to fix it, she knew that it wasn't quite so easy. Nothing seemed to be that simple anymore, and Hikari hated it with everything that she had. Each step was pushing them closer to their final battle against Daemon, and soon enough, they would be ready to return home where they belonged. 

Koushiro had mentioned earlier that Daigo and Hiraku were supposedly ready to bring them back to Earth at a moment's notice once they had finished their mission. Hikari was glad that there was a way for them to return home after all was said and done. She didn't want to have to wait in the Dark Ocean any longer than she absolutely had to, and she hated being there to begin with. Everyone else felt the same way, she was sure, though there was one person above all others who was bothered by this concept. 

Ken had only started to look more hollow and empty since Daisuke saved him during the battle against Leviamon. It seemed as if he had slipped into a trance of sorts, like he was trying to detach himself from anything that reminded him of the grounded world. He didn't want to be in the Dark Ocean, and while Hikari couldn't blame him, she knew that there was more to it than he was willing to say. If Hikari had to guess, his guilt over putting Daisuke in danger a second time was starting to eat him alive. Daisuke had volunteered for the danger whether Ken wanted to admit it or not, but that wasn't going to stop Ken from tearing himself apart internally over the decision that Daisuke had made. 

Hikari knew that there wasn't exactly a way to stop Daisuke from doing something once he had put his mind to it. In fact, that was nearly impossible for anyone to do. She had learned years prior not to try nudging Daisuke away from his goals after he set his sights on his next goal. He had taken on this danger without a beat of hesitation, and he would do it again. That was just the type of person he was, eternally loyal and stubborn because he cared too much to even dream of letting anybody go. 

Hikari understood Ken more than she was willing to admit openly. She knew that she had once struggled with hiding her emotions from those that she cared for. She was responsible for doing many things that had torn her apart in the process, and it was only thanks to the help of her teammates that she was able to pull herself out of her shell. Miyako had extended the first hand, and from there, everyone else latched on and refused to let Hikari go. That was how they worked as a team; they relied on one another through thick and thin. 

Hikari knew that her problems were getting worse again. At the same time, she was fully aware of how this was the case for everyone else as well, and she couldn't bring herself to do anything that could possibly inconvenience her teammates. They were struggling as well, and it didn't feel right for her to dump her own problems onto them while being aware of the fact that they were trying to get by as well. That would be simply too cruel in Hikari's mind, and she wasn't about to dream of something so harsh. Instead, she decided to concentrate on just staying alive in the Dark Ocean. That was what mattered most, was it not?

Hikari's gaze shifted a moment later in Taichi's direction. She could tell that her brother was changing too, but she didn't know how to approach the matter of his emotional shift. He was taking more chances than he should have, and there was something about him that seemed hardened around the edges. His eyes were growing more and more exhausted as time dragged on, and Hikari couldn't help but see Daigo in him more often than not. It wasn't as if she held anything against Daigo, but at the same time, the last thing she wanted was for her brother to slip into such lows. She knew that the Digital World had started to pull Daigo to pieces years prior, but she didn't want her brother to meet the same fate. If only she had ideas as to how she was meant to prevent such a thing to begin with.