Digimon Adventure: Continuing Evolution

5. Recovery

5. Recovery

Odaiba, Japan; August 22, 2010 – 8:04 pm.

The elevator doors closed as T.K. hung up with Kari, and immediately received a call from Izzy. That was fast, T.K. thought. He had only just sent the text a few seconds ago on his way out the door. It had been very brief: It happened. Agumon's disappeared. T.K. didn't know it, but Izzy's prompt response was due to the fact that he had been anticipating—and dreading—such a text, and hadn't been out of arms reach of his phone since he'd regained consciousness from his coma. T.K. pressed the button on the wireless earpiece synced to his D-4 to accept the call while he waited for the elevator car to descend to the ground level.

"Where's Tai?" said the voice on the other end of the line. Izzy was never one to mince words during an emergency, he always cut to the heart of the matter.

"He's at the waterfront. Kari found him there just a few minutes ago, but they need help."

Izzy hesitated before asking, "How is he?" His voice was full of concern.

T.K. couldn't hold back a sudden flare of frustration. "How do you think, Izzy? His digimon just disappeared! How would you be if Tentomon...?"

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just worried..." Izzy sounded miserable.

"No, Izzy," T.K. sighed, calming himself. "I'm sorry. I'm worried too. Can you go to them and help Kari with Tai?"

"I'm already on my way."

"Thank you. Do you have Matt's location?"

"I'm afraid not. I didn't know where Tai was either until you told me, that's why I called. Both of their digiphones have been shut off since yesterday."

"I've got to find him. Kari said Tai thought he was somewhere nearby, further inland."

"Go get him, T.K. Leave Tai and Kari to me."

"I will. Thanks, Izzy."

"Good luck." The line clicked and the elevator doors opened. T.K. and Patamon rushed out into the open air.

"Ready, Patamon?", T.K. called to his partner.

"Mmhmm!"

"Digi-armour energize!"

The little orange pig was enveloped in a golden light that grew until it was the size of an automobile. "Patamon armour-digivolve to...Pegasusmon: Flying Hope!"

A winged horse suddenly stood before T.K., its flowing white mane being tossed by the wind. "Let's go find your brother, T.K."

T.K. nodded and, grabbing hold of his mane, swung aboard Pegasusmon's back, and no sooner was he in place than Pegasusmon rose into the air. T.K. watched with the same fascination that he always did how the ground shrank beneath his partner's hooves. Pegasusmon banked left until they faced South-West, then thrust his powerful wings as hard as he could, and they surged forward at an astonishing speed. Hang on, Matt, T.K. thought. I'm coming.

* * *

Kari sat on the bench consoling her elder brother. Tai was a wreck. His cries had gradually lost their strength and now came only as a kind of muted whimper, but he couldn't seem to stop. Kari thought of Tai as a paragon of strength and fortitude, and spent her whole life looking up to him for support and guidance. To her, there was nothing he couldn't handle. But she had never seen him like this. Not once. It scared her in a way she couldn't describe.

Kari looked to Gatomon, who was watching them both with the same sense of unease and sadness that Kari felt. What T.K. told her that day in the cafe had shaken Kari to her core. It was too awful to be true. She couldn't imagine having to say goodbye to her partner forever, yet it seemed to have happened to Tai and Agumon. She was heartbroken for him, and would miss Agumon very much if he was truly gone, but this also meant that she would likely go through the same thing one day. Judging by Tai's reaction, she didn't know if she could handle it when it was her turn.

A flash of movement caught the corner of her vision and she looked up just in time to see something streak across the sky. It was quick and difficult to discern from that height—most people would have never noticed it, let alone been able to make out its shape—but Kari had seen it many times before and recognized instantly what appeared to be a winged horse flying through the heavens. Her heart went out to the rider she knew it bore. Good luck, T.K. And please hurry.

* * *

Matt wandered aimlessly along the path as he wept, staggering with every step from the strength of his grief. He knew not where he was going, nor did he care. He just had to move. Hazy shapes of people diverted around him like river water around a stone as he traveled onward, teetering and swaying on the verge of collapse. Matt had been a lone wolf in his younger days, driven so by his parents' divorce. Deeply hurt and betrayed by those he cared about most, he had withdrawn into himself and avoided close friendships for fear of suffering even more hurt—that is, until he met Gabumon. He had torn through those walls Matt had built to protect himself before he even realized what was happening, and had become the most loyal and steadfast friend Matt ever imagined he could have. In the process, Gabumon had opened him up to the friendship of the other kids as they embarked on their journey as the Digidestined.

But that was all gone now. I'm alone again, he thought bitterly, beginning to despair. Just then a great gust of wind buffeted the area and a large orange thing descended from the sky and settled onto the earth with a tremor.

T.K. leaped from Pegasusmon's back and sprinted toward his brother, beating the two concerned policemen who were cautiously approaching the weeping man that was disturbing the populace. "Matt!" he cried.

"Takeru..." Matt moaned as he fell into T.K.'s arms.

"It's okay, Matt. I'm here now." T.K. held down the button to his earpiece and spoke, "Kari, I found him." When not connected to a call, the device transmitted the speech as a voice-to-text message, providing you specified which contact you wanted it sent to. There was also a walkie-talkie function, which they often used for quick communication during digimon battles.

Matt clung to T.K. as if he too would vanish if he let go. "T.K., Gabumon..."

"I know. Kari found Tai and called me. I'm gonna take you home." T.K. put his arm around Matt's back and led him to Pegasusmon. After he helped Matt aboard, T.K. remounted the armor digimon directly behind his brother. "Pegasusmon, go!", he commanded.

The winged equine launched from the earth and readjusted their course for Matt's apartment. Matt lay his head down on Pegasusmon's soft neck and felt the wind rush past his face. It was the last thing he remembered before he slipped into a peaceful oblivion...

* * *

Kari raised her head at the sound of an approaching car just as T.K.'s text came through. It slowed to a stop and Izzy exited the back seat while Kari typed a quick reply. He rushed over to them with Tentomon following close behind, his wings creating a low sonorous buzz that thrummed in the evening air.

"Kari! How is he?" Izzy asked.

"Not good," she replied. "He won't speak; he's been like this ever since I found him."

"He's likely in shock. Help me get him to the car."

Izzy got on one side while Kari stayed on the other, and together they supported Tai as they made their way to the vehicle. They laid him inside gently before entering themselves, Kari and Gatomon in the back seat with Tai, and Izzy and Tentomon sitting up front in the passenger seat. With a word to the driver to start moving again, Izzy turned back to look at them. Tai was curled up in a ball with his head in Kari's lap, and she was stroking his hair.

"Don't worry Tai, we'll have you home soon", Izzy said. "Just hold on."

Tai mumbled something unintelligible in response. He was tired. So very tired. Blackness clouded the edges of his vision, and as his consciousness slipped away Agumon's final words to him echoed hauntingly in ears:

Hey Tai, what will you do tomorrow?

...Tomorrow?

...Tomorrow?

A/N: Next time on Digimon Adventure: Continuing Evolution—Chapter 6. Unfamiliar Skies.